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Here in the heart of Africa
lives one of this great continent's
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most extraordinary, yet
misunderstood, animals.
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Animals that only thrive
through remarkable teamwork.
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And through the strength
and skill of their leaders.
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Painted wolves, once known
as Cape hunting dogs,
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are one of Africa's most
threatened predators.
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Their packs require huge areas
of territory in which to hunt.
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But today, because of human
pressure,
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their world is shrinking fast.
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And whereas, once, neighbours could
live together in relative peace,
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today, there's intense
rivalry between them.
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For more than two years,
our team here in Mana Pools
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in Zimbabwe have been
following the fortunes of
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one of the last great families.
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We join them at a moment
when competition between mother
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and one of her daughters is boiling
up,
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threatening to not only shatter a
long-established peace,
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but to tear apart the whole family.
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This is Tait, the family's ruling
Queen.
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She's a mother and a grandmother.
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For years, she has used
her position to keep the peace
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within her sprawling family.
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But Tait is now old.
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Her powers are waning.
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Tait still controls
the very best hunting territory,
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the rich lands on the banks
of the Zambezi.
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But she's surrounded.
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To the east lie the dangerous
lion pridelands.
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To the south, forests full of hyena.
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And to the west, a pack led by one
of Tait's daughters, Blacktip.
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For many years, Blacktip has lived
in peaceful coexistence
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with her mother.
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Each with enough territory to
survive.
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But Blacktip's pack has grown huge.
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It's now 30-strong.
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For the first time,
she needs more territory
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if she's to feed
her growing family.
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Normally, a daughter would not
invade her mother's territory.
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THUNDER RUMBLES
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However, with hyenas ruling
to the south,
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and humans having taken the hunting
lands to the west,
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Blacktip has no choice but to turn
her sights east,
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towards her mother's lands.
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Where, after a morning's hunt,
Tait and her pack are resting.
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WOLVES PANT
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THUNDER RUMBLES
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ZEBRA SNORT
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WOLVES YELP
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Blacktip's pack outnumbers her
mother's by more than two to one.
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An ambush.
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WOLF GROWLS
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Against these odds,
Tait is powerless.
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Retreat is the only option.
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This has now become
Blacktip's territory.
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A brief but bloody battle.
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Tait and her pack are now homeless.
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She retreats eastwards.
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But this is dangerous country.
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This river marks the boundary
between her old territory
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and the lion pridelands.
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In her long life, Tait
has explored every part of Mana.
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She knows that this is too perilous
a place to make a home.
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Lions will search out and kill
puppies,
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and even adults, if they get the
chance.
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For now, it's the only
place to hide.
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But Tait must keep her family safe,
well away from the 26 lions
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that rule here.
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LIONS GROWL
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Three months have passed
since Blacktip's takeover.
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And all these lands are now
firmly under her control.
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Blacktip's pack have spent
a great deal of time scent-marking,
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establishing their new
territorial boundaries.
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And Blacktip and her family
have fed well on what
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was her mother's lands.
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But now, it's the dry season,
and the landscape is changing.
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The ground is dangerous
for hunters who rely on speed.
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Deep footprints left by elephants in
soft mud have baked as hard as rock.
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And a painted wolf putting a foot
wrong could seriously damage itself.
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The impalas' ability to leap
over the worst of the potholes
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now gives them an edge.
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In these conditions,
Blacktip's pack will find it hard
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to feed themselves.
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But the size and strength
of the pack might enable
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her to catch a totally
new kind of prey.
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A large male baboon is strong -
almost twice the weight
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of a painted wolf.
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And armed with huge canine teeth.
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BABOONS SCREECH
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The great size of Blacktip's pack
means the large males
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can't defend their troop
against them all.
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BABOON SCREAMS
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WOLVES WHINE
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The meal has been hard-won.
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But discovering this new possibility
has come at just the right time.
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Blacktip won more than just hunting
lands in her battle to claim
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Tait's territory.
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She secured the safest
place to raise puppies
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in all of Mana Pools.
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And, sure enough, Blacktip has a new
litter of five hungry pups.
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Their father is baby-sitting them
today.
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Everyone is impatient for the return
of the hunting party.
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While they wait, the pups discover
that there's more to the world
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than just their pack.
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ELEPHANT BELLOWS
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Strange giants.
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There's no rest for Blacktip.
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She not only leads the hunting
trips,
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but, as the alpha female, she's the
only one
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who breeds and provides milk for the
pups.
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It's not just milk.
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They're already eagerly eating meat.
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PUPPIES SQUEAK
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Blacktip's hold on Tait's territory
appears to be paying off.
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It has been four months since Tait
and her pack were forced into exile
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here in the lion pridelands.
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Compared to her home territory,
there is not only more danger,
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but there's much less prey.
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Yet, remarkably, even here, Tait has
managed to keep every
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member of her pack alive.
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But she is nowhere to be seen.
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The rest of her family are waiting
close to an abandoned
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aardvark burrow.
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And this is why.
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Tait has spent the last three
weeks hidden underground.
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She has managed, against the odds,
to produce her eighth litter.
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Two tiny puppies emerge
for the very first time.
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PUPPIES SQUEAK
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Honey badgers.
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They are notoriously aggressive,
and a danger to the pups.
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BADGER GROWLS
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Tait's youngest daughter, Tammy,
has never seen one before.
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But her instinct tells
her to drive them away.
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And this gives Tait
the chance to get her pups
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to safety underground.
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This year, both Tait and Blacktip
have produced far fewer puppies
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than ever before.
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Perhaps this is the first sign
that the conflict between the two
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packs is threatening the future
of the entire family.
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Twice a day, Tait has
to lead her hunting party
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on a risky journey...
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..to the banks of the Zambezi River,
where the prey gather.
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But it is also the very heart
of lion territory.
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She must sneak them
into position undetected.
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Then, it's in and out
as fast as possible.
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The pack need to work fast.
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All that effort for a few
mouthfuls of food.
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The puppies will go hungry today.
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And the pack has been
dealt another blow.
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Again, it's Tammy,
Tait's youngest daughter,
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who spots the problem.
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Tammy's sister has fallen.
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She has broken a leg stumbling
into an elephant's footprint.
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For most animals,
this would be the end.
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LION ROARS
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But the family won't just leave
her to fend for herself.
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Painted wolves, perhaps
more than any other animal,
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care for pack members
who are old or injured.
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Tait's family will protect
and feed her while she herself
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cannot join in the hunt.
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The dry season turns to drought.
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The great buffalo herds are on the
move.
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Food and water are becoming
increasingly scarce.
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All of Mana's inhabitants are now
drawn towards the Zambezi
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and the few pools that
remain along its banks.
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The drought also means
that it's time for Blacktip
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and her pups to leave
their den behind.
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For the pups, this is
their first adventure.
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Now the pups are old enough
to follow the adults,
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Blacktip can resume marking
the new boundaries of her territory
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to consolidate her takeover.
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On the far eastern borders,
Blacktip picks up a familiar scent.
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It's old, but unmistakable.
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Her mother.
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This discovery has an extraordinary
effect on Blacktip.
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She can tell from this smell
which direction Tait took.
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Blacktip stops territorial marking,
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and instead sets off in pursuit of
her mother.
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It seems that Blacktip
is going to try and drive Tait
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out of Mana once and for all.
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But she's taking a huge risk
by going into territory
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she doesn't know.
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Hyenas.
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On moonless nights, the pack would
normally rest up
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somewhere safe until dawn.
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But instead, Blacktip leads them,
marching on into the gloom.
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No-one wants to be
the straggler in the dark.
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The family bunch together much
more closely at night.
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HYENAS CHATTER
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And now, 15 hyenas
are tracking them.
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Attack may be the best
form of defence.
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Blacktip thinks she's got
the upper hand,
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but she's let her pups get
separated.
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The puppy is lost.
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Heads down, tails down,
they seem to mourn.
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For hours, they march in silence.
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A solemn procession.
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Despite her loss, Blacktip drives
her pack on,
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far beyond the boundary
of Tait's old territory.
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Tracking her mother into a place
she's never been before.
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Deep into the heart
of the lion pridelands.
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TRADITIONAL MUSIC
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Tait, remarkably, has now managed
to keep her pack safe from the lions
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for eight months.
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Her injured daughter is on the mend.
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The family have been protecting
her while she recovers.
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They only survive here
by being on constant alert
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for signs of danger.
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And today, it is the wind
that carries a warning.
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Blacktip is coming.
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Forewarned, Tait isn't
going to risk an attack.
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The pack turns tail and runs.
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The temperature has
reached 50 degrees.
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Still, Blacktip pushes
her pack on in pursuit.
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They're closing in,
less than a mile behind Tait.
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But, finally, the heat is just too
much.
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Blacktip is forced to call a halt.
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But danger is approaching.
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The pack are scattered.
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And now, the lions will try
to pick off the puppies.
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There's only one
adult with the pups.
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That won't be enough to save them.
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But this might.
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Buffaloes and lions are always in
conflict.
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To charge in alone is very
unusual.
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But it certainly saved the pups.
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Blacktip and her pack
have been halted in their tracks.
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Blacktip's pursuit of Tait
has exposed her family
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to too many dangers.
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Too many risks.
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The pack are desperate to help.
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But there is nothing they can do.
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The pursuit of Tait is over.
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Blacktip's pack run.
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They run and run.
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Mile after mile.
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Puppies in tow.
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All through the day.
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All through the night.
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All the way home.
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The territory they stole, abandoned.
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The conflict is over.
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It cost too much.
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Tait and her pack can already
sense Blacktip's retreat.
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For the first time since
the beginning of the conflict,
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they appear relaxed.
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Soon, their keen sense of smell
will tell them
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their stolen territory is no longer
occupied.
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It won't be long until it's time
for Tait's pack to also go home.
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But Tait will not be joining them.
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For 7.5 years she's been their
leader,
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their matriarch.
252
00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:23,280
And now, as their exile
finally draws to a close,
253
00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:26,880
she has ensured her pack
still have a future.
254
00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:31,760
A real chance to reclaim
their old territory.
255
00:43:44,440 --> 00:43:48,640
Before her pack could at last head
home,
256
00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:51,720
age finally caught up with Tait.
257
00:43:53,560 --> 00:43:57,520
Too old, too slow,
she was no longer able
258
00:43:57,520 --> 00:43:59,520
to evade the lions.
259
00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:07,040
Her alpha male refused
to abandon her.
260
00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:12,600
Together, they died in the
pridelands.
261
00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:24,400
Tait's pack are left leaderless.
262
00:44:31,400 --> 00:44:35,080
But the story doesn't end
with Tait's passing.
263
00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:50,160
Life-giving rains
follow the drought.
264
00:45:19,320 --> 00:45:23,640
Hard times are quickly
forgotten in times of plenty.
265
00:45:34,880 --> 00:45:37,600
And the story takes another twist.
266
00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:46,840
On their way home, Tait's pack
attract a band of roving males.
267
00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:53,160
And with these reinforcements,
they not only reclaim some of Tait's
268
00:45:53,160 --> 00:45:59,280
old territory but also perform
a ritual never witnessed before.
269
00:45:59,280 --> 00:46:00,880
WOLVES CALL
270
00:46:02,440 --> 00:46:07,600
With these haunting calls,
they are choosing their new leader.
271
00:46:12,280 --> 00:46:16,200
And the chance to continue
Tait's bloodline.
272
00:46:31,200 --> 00:46:36,680
Six months later, hidden away
in a secluded part of the forest...
273
00:46:39,280 --> 00:46:42,920
..a litter of seven tiny puppies.
274
00:46:48,360 --> 00:46:53,600
They're born to Tammy,
Tait's youngest daughter.
275
00:46:53,600 --> 00:46:56,720
And now, heir to Tait's throne.
276
00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:04,200
With these new arrivals
and the new males,
277
00:47:04,200 --> 00:47:09,000
Tait's old pack has bounced
back to 23 members.
278
00:47:12,440 --> 00:47:16,160
Tammy now leads a pack
that is once again a force
279
00:47:16,160 --> 00:47:17,960
to be reckoned with.
280
00:47:29,840 --> 00:47:33,320
Back in the west, with the conflict
long over,
281
00:47:33,320 --> 00:47:37,680
Blacktip has produced ten
healthy puppies of her own.
282
00:47:45,480 --> 00:47:50,960
Balance has finally
been restored to Tait's dynasty.
283
00:47:57,480 --> 00:48:02,760
There are only 6,600 painted
wolves left in the world.
284
00:48:05,440 --> 00:48:11,040
To date, we count 280 descendants
from Tait's bloodline.
285
00:48:13,040 --> 00:48:17,760
Tait's contribution to the survival
of this species is unparalleled.
286
00:48:21,160 --> 00:48:23,120
Her dynasty feels secure.
287
00:48:24,760 --> 00:48:27,080
For now, at least.
288
00:48:56,080 --> 00:48:59,040
Of all the animals
featured in this series,
289
00:48:59,040 --> 00:49:02,840
painted wolves range
over the greatest distances.
290
00:49:13,720 --> 00:49:17,640
To document the unfolding story
of Tait and Blacktip,
291
00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:22,560
the team first needed to find them -
and that required help.
292
00:49:22,560 --> 00:49:26,280
This film is essentially
undoable without people
293
00:49:26,280 --> 00:49:28,160
who really know the dogs.
294
00:49:28,160 --> 00:49:30,120
Principally, Nick and Henry.
295
00:49:31,320 --> 00:49:33,240
Nick's been working
with the dogs for years.
296
00:49:33,240 --> 00:49:35,520
Not only does he know how to track
them incredibly well,
297
00:49:35,520 --> 00:49:39,520
but he also knows their habits
and their behaviours.
298
00:49:39,520 --> 00:49:41,480
So, for 20 years I've been
watching these dogs,
299
00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:43,880
and when you're sitting
on the ground and you've got them
300
00:49:43,880 --> 00:49:46,200
running around you and they're
totally unfazed by you,
301
00:49:46,200 --> 00:49:47,680
it's a great experience.
302
00:49:52,840 --> 00:49:57,280
Nick Murray can identify
all of the 91 painted wolves
303
00:49:57,280 --> 00:49:59,520
that the team saw
on the flood plains.
304
00:50:01,120 --> 00:50:04,440
But there's one individual
that he knows better than any.
305
00:50:04,440 --> 00:50:10,960
We've been interacting with Tait for
literally 10.5 years of her life.
306
00:50:10,960 --> 00:50:13,200
With each successive
letter that she has,
307
00:50:13,200 --> 00:50:16,680
we've got to know all of those dogs
when they come out of the den
308
00:50:16,680 --> 00:50:19,000
and spend time with them.
309
00:50:19,000 --> 00:50:23,120
Nick's knowledge of who is related
to whom meant the team knew
310
00:50:23,120 --> 00:50:25,960
that it was Tait's own daughter
who was challenging her.
311
00:50:27,600 --> 00:50:32,040
What was unfolding in front
of camera was a family drama.
312
00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:36,520
The crew not only have a team
of trackers -
313
00:50:36,520 --> 00:50:40,120
luckily, the filming coincided with
a research project.
314
00:50:43,040 --> 00:50:46,840
The reason for collaring the dogs
is to aid our monitoring
315
00:50:46,840 --> 00:50:50,480
of the pack, because we're actually
able to physically follow the dogs.
316
00:50:50,480 --> 00:50:54,400
So we can record their movements,
their territory size,
317
00:50:54,400 --> 00:50:55,960
where they're going.
318
00:50:55,960 --> 00:50:59,560
And that builds up a picture
of their land use.
319
00:50:59,560 --> 00:51:03,760
In open landscapes, these collars
can transmit for miles.
320
00:51:03,760 --> 00:51:07,640
But in the mixed habitat of Mana,
the signal often struggles
321
00:51:07,640 --> 00:51:09,640
beyond 500 metres.
322
00:51:10,720 --> 00:51:14,080
This is where Nick and Henry's
tracking skills really
323
00:51:14,080 --> 00:51:15,960
come into play.
324
00:51:15,960 --> 00:51:20,160
Henry has been incredible on this,
his tracking is unbelievable.
325
00:51:20,160 --> 00:51:24,080
Tracks are the key to the whole
game, they tell their story.
326
00:51:24,080 --> 00:51:25,400
HE LAUGHS
327
00:51:28,000 --> 00:51:31,920
And it's Henry's highly-tuned
tracker senses that allow the team
328
00:51:31,920 --> 00:51:34,600
to capture the pivotal
moment in the film.
329
00:51:36,440 --> 00:51:41,160
The team are tracking Tait's pack,
when they drive through a pile
330
00:51:41,160 --> 00:51:43,480
of droppings from
the painted wolves.
331
00:51:43,480 --> 00:51:48,080
I recognised the smell -
which is Blacktip, not Tait.
332
00:51:49,080 --> 00:51:52,880
Blacktip's diet of baboons is enough
for Henry to be able to tell
333
00:51:52,880 --> 00:51:56,200
the packs apart simply
by smell alone.
334
00:51:56,200 --> 00:51:59,440
The team quickly switch
from following Tait's radio
335
00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:01,200
channel to Blacktip's.
336
00:52:01,200 --> 00:52:03,760
Right away, we had
the very strong ping, ping,
337
00:52:03,760 --> 00:52:06,040
so we carried on down to the river.
338
00:52:08,480 --> 00:52:11,280
Sure enough, they were right there,
which is an area
339
00:52:11,280 --> 00:52:12,880
they'd never been before.
340
00:52:12,880 --> 00:52:14,200
It was incredible.
341
00:52:15,720 --> 00:52:20,640
And then Henry noticed some lions
approaching through the grass.
342
00:52:20,640 --> 00:52:23,840
Knowing that there are
puppies in their pack,
343
00:52:23,840 --> 00:52:26,960
I just turned my head
away from the scene,
344
00:52:26,960 --> 00:52:31,400
you know, I just didn't want to see,
you know, the pups getting harmed.
345
00:52:33,680 --> 00:52:36,160
I just stayed with the lion, and
suddenly this huge buffalo
346
00:52:36,160 --> 00:52:37,440
came into shot.
347
00:52:43,280 --> 00:52:46,480
I think what was amazing for me
was to see the lions interact
348
00:52:46,480 --> 00:52:47,760
with the dogs.
349
00:52:47,760 --> 00:52:52,000
But to then catch a buffalo
under the very same tree,
350
00:52:52,000 --> 00:52:53,960
that's just ridiculous.
351
00:52:55,280 --> 00:52:58,760
I tell you, I just, like, stood
there dumbfounded,
352
00:52:58,760 --> 00:53:02,840
mesmerised, seeing the whole
scene that was going on,
353
00:53:02,840 --> 00:53:05,320
it was like a dream, really.
354
00:53:05,320 --> 00:53:08,760
To try to capture every aspect
of the unfolding story,
355
00:53:08,760 --> 00:53:11,840
it was sometimes necessary
to have five camera teams
356
00:53:11,840 --> 00:53:13,920
working simultaneously.
357
00:53:20,040 --> 00:53:25,800
We've got 52 cases of kit, Cineflex,
a night thermal camera,
358
00:53:25,800 --> 00:53:27,600
and umpteen other things.
359
00:53:27,600 --> 00:53:29,880
It's very ambitious,
what we're trying to achieve.
360
00:53:29,880 --> 00:53:33,880
Not wanting to miss a thing,
our teams follow both packs,
361
00:53:33,880 --> 00:53:35,680
on the ground...
362
00:53:35,680 --> 00:53:36,800
..and in the air.
363
00:53:38,000 --> 00:53:41,800
One ground team with Tait,
the other with Blacktip.
364
00:53:43,840 --> 00:53:47,480
Employing the latest in unmanned
aerial camera technology allows
365
00:53:47,480 --> 00:53:50,600
the crew to capture unique
views as the pack go
366
00:53:50,600 --> 00:53:53,000
about their business undisturbed.
367
00:53:55,200 --> 00:53:58,160
To cover more ground,
the crew bring in a helicopter.
368
00:54:00,160 --> 00:54:04,280
And as the days draw to an end,
the latest ultra-high-definition
369
00:54:04,280 --> 00:54:06,960
lowlight cameras capture the action.
370
00:54:08,680 --> 00:54:11,680
Even when it's almost
too dark to see.
371
00:54:16,000 --> 00:54:19,240
And, once complete darkness falls,
the night team take over.
372
00:54:21,880 --> 00:54:25,520
A thermal camera can penetrate
the darkness with no need
373
00:54:25,520 --> 00:54:28,640
for any artificial light.
374
00:54:28,640 --> 00:54:31,600
You know, to get those shots,
it takes a lot of skill.
375
00:54:31,600 --> 00:54:35,120
And that is not our skill,
that is our guides' skill.
376
00:54:35,120 --> 00:54:36,360
Oh, they're there.
377
00:54:39,240 --> 00:54:41,840
The yield of shots has got better
and better on every shoot.
378
00:54:41,840 --> 00:54:44,840
On the last shoot,
we were with them every day.
379
00:54:44,840 --> 00:54:48,680
And that's what's brilliant about
being able to put true time in.
380
00:54:48,680 --> 00:54:51,200
And it's tough, actually,
because you spend day in,
381
00:54:51,200 --> 00:54:53,720
day out with these animals
for months and months and months,
382
00:54:53,720 --> 00:54:56,280
and their lives become
very important to you and the story
383
00:54:56,280 --> 00:54:58,600
can be incredible,
but it's actually quite an emotional
384
00:54:58,600 --> 00:55:00,840
roller-coaster to see
what happens to them.
385
00:55:05,240 --> 00:55:09,320
This story of family rivalry only
began because Blacktip was unable
386
00:55:09,320 --> 00:55:13,520
to expand her territory away
from Tait, and was forced instead
387
00:55:13,520 --> 00:55:15,800
to invade her mother's lands.
388
00:55:15,800 --> 00:55:19,200
You know, the biggest problem facing
painted wolves today
389
00:55:19,200 --> 00:55:20,720
is habitat loss.
390
00:55:20,720 --> 00:55:23,640
Basically, they're
running out of space.
391
00:55:23,640 --> 00:55:29,240
We have isolated national parks
surrounded by human settlements.
392
00:55:29,240 --> 00:55:31,880
In the modern world, that means
they're running across roads,
393
00:55:31,880 --> 00:55:35,520
they're hitting snares, getting
poisoned.
394
00:55:35,520 --> 00:55:37,480
It's a tough world
out there for them.
395
00:55:41,200 --> 00:55:47,040
70% of painted wolves actually live
outside of the national park system.
396
00:55:47,040 --> 00:55:49,840
Their future is very bleak,
it's not looking good.
397
00:55:52,280 --> 00:55:56,000
So, the wild dogs of the Zambezi
valley are lucky, because these dogs
398
00:55:56,000 --> 00:56:00,520
can travel from park to park,
through corridors.
399
00:56:00,520 --> 00:56:04,320
But that's not the case
in most areas in Africa.
400
00:56:06,280 --> 00:56:09,160
If you came back in ten years' time,
I think Tammy's descendants
401
00:56:09,160 --> 00:56:11,600
will still be around,
battling it out against
402
00:56:11,600 --> 00:56:13,160
the lions and hyenas.
403
00:56:13,160 --> 00:56:16,000
It's a tough life,
never mind the human conflict.
404
00:56:21,440 --> 00:56:26,600
Painted wolves individually may lack
the nobility of a lion.
405
00:56:27,960 --> 00:56:31,600
But the subtlety of
their communications
406
00:56:31,600 --> 00:56:34,840
and the complicity of their social
organisation gives them
407
00:56:34,840 --> 00:56:37,880
a fascination all of their own.
408
00:56:37,880 --> 00:56:41,880
Surely, they deserve to hold
their place alongside
409
00:56:41,880 --> 00:56:45,160
the great hunters
of the African plain.
410
00:57:14,080 --> 00:57:15,520
Next time...
411
00:57:15,520 --> 00:57:18,760
A tigress struggles
to rear her new family.
412
00:57:21,640 --> 00:57:24,040
Rivals are trespassing
on her territory.
413
00:57:30,360 --> 00:57:33,320
Can she raise her cubs to adulthood?