1
00:00:12,300 --> 00:00:14,700
They are the two heavyweights
of the African bush,

2
00:00:14,700 --> 00:00:18,060
but rarely do their worlds collide,

3
00:00:18,060 --> 00:00:19,660
until now.

4
00:00:21,140 --> 00:00:25,340
A young pride of seven lions is
rewriting the rules of engagement,

5
00:00:25,340 --> 00:00:28,580
taking the fight
to their giant neighbours.

6
00:00:32,060 --> 00:00:33,140
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

7
00:00:33,140 --> 00:00:35,540
This is no chance conflict.

8
00:00:37,300 --> 00:00:38,860
Nature has played its part.

9
00:00:40,620 --> 00:00:41,660
LION GROWLS

10
00:00:45,220 --> 00:00:48,700
Exhausted by hunger,
Africa's largest herd of elephants

11
00:00:48,700 --> 00:00:52,140
are staring into the fearless eyes
of a pride of lions.

12
00:00:57,220 --> 00:01:01,500
This is a battle
of gigantic proportions,

13
00:01:01,500 --> 00:01:03,100
in the harshest of arenas.

14
00:01:14,100 --> 00:01:16,900
The dawn of the giant killers
has arrived.

15
00:01:31,500 --> 00:01:34,220
In the Northern Kalahari Desert
of Botswana,

16
00:01:34,220 --> 00:01:36,020
there's a natural phenomenon

17
00:01:36,020 --> 00:01:39,740
that occurs only once
every two or three generations.

18
00:01:43,260 --> 00:01:46,260
Seismic movements
deep beneath the ground

19
00:01:46,260 --> 00:01:50,460
release an immense body of water,
filling an ancient river -

20
00:01:50,460 --> 00:01:52,540
the Savute Channel.

21
00:01:55,900 --> 00:02:00,540
The name Savute means unpredictable,
as it's impossible to tell

22
00:02:00,540 --> 00:02:03,940
when the waters will arrive,
or when they will disappear.

23
00:02:09,140 --> 00:02:13,180
The returning river empties
into a dried-out marsh,

24
00:02:13,180 --> 00:02:15,620
miraculously bringing it
back to life.

25
00:02:25,300 --> 00:02:27,980
The parched landscape
becomes the stage

26
00:02:27,980 --> 00:02:31,220
for one of Africa's greatest
wildlife spectacles,

27
00:02:31,220 --> 00:02:34,300
attracting animals
from all over the Kalahari.

28
00:02:44,140 --> 00:02:47,140
They arrive in all shapes and sizes.

29
00:02:47,140 --> 00:02:48,940
From the most delicate...

30
00:02:51,380 --> 00:02:53,220
..to the most majestic.

31
00:03:04,100 --> 00:03:08,020
The marsh is ruled by five brothers.

32
00:03:08,020 --> 00:03:10,060
THEY GROWL AND SNARL

33
00:03:16,700 --> 00:03:20,300
But with thousands of prey animals
now flooding in,

34
00:03:20,300 --> 00:03:23,900
it's not long before new groups
of lions follow in their wake.

35
00:03:30,820 --> 00:03:34,660
The latest arrivals are
a young pride of seven -

36
00:03:34,660 --> 00:03:38,340
two mature lionesses,
and their offspring,

37
00:03:38,340 --> 00:03:40,420
three males and two females.

38
00:03:43,420 --> 00:03:45,180
They're heading intently

39
00:03:45,180 --> 00:03:48,140
towards the growing herds
at the centre of the marsh.

40
00:04:07,740 --> 00:04:11,900
The cubs are now roughly
12 months old, and like teenagers,

41
00:04:11,900 --> 00:04:14,980
are rapidly developing
their different characters.

42
00:04:20,660 --> 00:04:24,620
The youngest female is by far
the most adventurous

43
00:04:24,620 --> 00:04:26,820
and the most inquisitive.

44
00:04:29,940 --> 00:04:31,940
She has managed to catch a pelican.

45
00:04:42,900 --> 00:04:44,540
Like any sibling's new toy,

46
00:04:44,540 --> 00:04:47,820
the pelican is a source
of great interest to her sister.

47
00:05:30,500 --> 00:05:32,300
The young lions have another year

48
00:05:32,300 --> 00:05:34,820
before leaving the safety
of the pride.

49
00:05:37,860 --> 00:05:41,620
They'll use this precious time
to hone their hunting skills.

50
00:05:50,460 --> 00:05:53,540
The mother lioness has spotted
a family of warthogs.

51
00:06:01,220 --> 00:06:04,980
It's irresistible for young
predators, eager to learn.

52
00:06:09,460 --> 00:06:13,500
As usual, the youngest lioness
is first to step forward.

53
00:06:14,540 --> 00:06:19,980
Her brothers, typical male lions,
sit and watch.

54
00:06:35,460 --> 00:06:36,780
WARTHOG SQUEALS

55
00:06:42,340 --> 00:06:45,580
WARTHOG SQUEALS

56
00:06:50,460 --> 00:06:52,700
WARTHOG SQUEALS

57
00:06:59,300 --> 00:07:03,260
Like all cats, lions sometimes
play with their prey.

58
00:07:03,260 --> 00:07:04,700
CONTINUES SQUEALING

59
00:07:11,260 --> 00:07:15,780
This little warthog is fearless,
even in the face of death.

60
00:07:33,540 --> 00:07:37,300
Adult warthogs are
a much tougher proposition.

61
00:07:37,300 --> 00:07:40,420
The youngest lioness is now
joined by her older sister.

62
00:07:58,300 --> 00:08:02,740
Lions and warthogs can reach speeds
of up to 35 miles per hour.

63
00:08:04,740 --> 00:08:07,900
But lions can only keep it up
over a short distance,

64
00:08:07,900 --> 00:08:12,420
whereas warthogs have the stamina
to keep on running.

65
00:08:32,660 --> 00:08:34,580
If they want a decent meal,

66
00:08:34,580 --> 00:08:38,500
the young lions must learn
to bring down larger prey.

67
00:09:14,100 --> 00:09:17,060
Savute is home all year round

68
00:09:17,060 --> 00:09:20,220
to a small population
of bull elephants.

69
00:09:20,220 --> 00:09:25,020
These solitary males are the largest
land mammals on the planet.

70
00:09:29,940 --> 00:09:32,340
The bulls have
a special relationship

71
00:09:32,340 --> 00:09:34,780
with one of the smallest creatures
in Savute.

72
00:09:35,980 --> 00:09:37,860
The Carmine Bee-eater.

73
00:09:41,340 --> 00:09:45,380
As the bulls move gracefully
through the marsh, they flush out

74
00:09:45,380 --> 00:09:49,660
swarms of insects that are
snapped up by the bee-eaters.

75
00:10:14,660 --> 00:10:18,260
Elephants and lions generally
tolerate each other's presence.

76
00:10:21,900 --> 00:10:26,180
Lions don't normally consider
an elephant as potential prey.

77
00:10:26,180 --> 00:10:29,660
Their sheer size and brute strength
are ample deterrents.

78
00:10:35,740 --> 00:10:37,420
The elephants, for their part,

79
00:10:37,420 --> 00:10:39,580
feel no threat from the lions.

80
00:10:42,380 --> 00:10:45,940
For now, the elephants have
the upper hand,

81
00:10:45,940 --> 00:10:49,420
and the lions had better stay
out of their way.

82
00:11:20,140 --> 00:11:24,220
Giant herds of zebra are passing
through Savute

83
00:11:24,220 --> 00:11:26,220
on their annual migration south.

84
00:11:32,940 --> 00:11:36,460
The zebra will remain for several
weeks to have their young,

85
00:11:36,460 --> 00:11:40,540
and feed on the new grasses
before moving on again.

86
00:11:47,500 --> 00:11:51,700
The young pride of seven have their
sights locked onto their targets.

87
00:12:07,340 --> 00:12:10,180
The youngest lioness leads
the charge,

88
00:12:10,180 --> 00:12:12,420
with her older sister in tow
once again.

89
00:12:31,340 --> 00:12:34,180
The zebra's weapons
are their hooves.

90
00:12:34,180 --> 00:12:37,020
They're enough to slow the lions
down for a few vital seconds.

91
00:12:52,580 --> 00:12:54,900
With the zebra now on high alert,

92
00:12:54,900 --> 00:12:57,740
the young lions will need
to change tactics

93
00:12:57,740 --> 00:13:02,580
and learn to hunt as a team, if they
are to pull down such a large meal.

94
00:13:22,300 --> 00:13:24,460
Despite the lack of food,

95
00:13:24,460 --> 00:13:28,220
the younger members of the pride
spend much of their time playing.

96
00:13:35,540 --> 00:13:37,940
But their mother must always
remain vigilant,

97
00:13:37,940 --> 00:13:40,180
looking out for both prey...

98
00:13:41,180 --> 00:13:42,420
..and danger.

99
00:13:44,660 --> 00:13:48,100
The biggest threat comes from the
five brothers who rule the marsh.

100
00:14:00,100 --> 00:14:02,420
When one of them
approaches our pride,

101
00:14:02,420 --> 00:14:05,180
the younger male lion tries
to stand his ground.

102
00:14:05,180 --> 00:14:08,020
GROWLING

103
00:14:15,500 --> 00:14:18,380
Infanticide is common in lions.

104
00:14:18,380 --> 00:14:21,700
Rival males will often try to kill
the offspring of others.

105
00:15:11,780 --> 00:15:14,220
After a potentially
lethal stand-off,

106
00:15:14,220 --> 00:15:17,900
the mother lioness and her youngest
daughter intervene.

107
00:15:22,860 --> 00:15:26,460
They use their feminine charms
to disarm the intruder.

108
00:15:29,100 --> 00:15:32,300
By being submissive,
they've kept their family safe.

109
00:15:49,620 --> 00:15:53,820
The two lionesses will
now stay with the large males
for a number of weeks...

110
00:15:55,060 --> 00:15:58,300
..mating with each of them.

111
00:16:26,220 --> 00:16:30,220
In a few months' time
there will be a new litter or two.

112
00:16:30,220 --> 00:16:33,180
For the older male cubs,
that will be the cue

113
00:16:33,180 --> 00:16:35,740
to go and make their own way
in the world.

114
00:17:10,220 --> 00:17:13,260
Savute is moving
into the dry season.

115
00:17:16,180 --> 00:17:18,540
As the surrounding area dries out,

116
00:17:18,540 --> 00:17:21,780
all the animals are drawn
into the heart of the marsh,

117
00:17:21,780 --> 00:17:23,860
where some water still remains.

118
00:17:29,780 --> 00:17:34,740
There's a massive influx of
very thirsty elephants into Savute.

119
00:17:39,660 --> 00:17:43,060
These are the breeding herds
of the Kalahari -

120
00:17:43,060 --> 00:17:45,780
thousands of mothers
and their young,

121
00:17:45,780 --> 00:17:48,620
lured in by the promise of water,

122
00:17:48,620 --> 00:17:51,060
many coming to give birth.

123
00:17:54,620 --> 00:17:58,140
The pressure on the wettest parts
of the marsh is growing.

124
00:17:59,780 --> 00:18:02,420
Even these areas
are now beginning to dry out.

125
00:18:04,100 --> 00:18:07,260
The Savute River that feeds them
is shrinking,

126
00:18:07,260 --> 00:18:10,380
returning once again
to its dormant state.

127
00:18:12,220 --> 00:18:14,420
And the rains are still months away.

128
00:18:27,580 --> 00:18:29,820
The pride of seven remains split.

129
00:18:29,820 --> 00:18:32,740
The mother lioness
and her youngest daughter

130
00:18:32,740 --> 00:18:35,340
are still in the company
of the brothers.

131
00:18:37,980 --> 00:18:40,020
They'll be back, but for now

132
00:18:40,020 --> 00:18:43,020
the remaining five must go it alone.

133
00:18:46,500 --> 00:18:50,940
Driven by their hunger, they take
on a whole herd of Cape buffalo.

134
00:19:25,540 --> 00:19:30,980
Weighing up to 700 kilos,
buffalo are extremely aggressive.

135
00:19:40,140 --> 00:19:43,580
The inexperienced lions
over-reach themselves.

136
00:19:50,900 --> 00:19:53,740
The buffalo defend as a herd
against the threat,

137
00:19:53,740 --> 00:19:57,980
and prove more than a match
for a gang of foolhardy young lions.

138
00:20:08,980 --> 00:20:13,020
The pride comes away defeated
and hungry, but a little wiser.

139
00:20:22,380 --> 00:20:23,780
Experience is all,

140
00:20:23,780 --> 00:20:27,860
and one of the big males
from the pride of five brothers

141
00:20:27,860 --> 00:20:29,260
has killed a buffalo.

142
00:20:34,340 --> 00:20:37,860
He will have singled out
the weakest member of the herd

143
00:20:37,860 --> 00:20:41,580
having probably stalked it
under cover of darkness.

144
00:20:43,860 --> 00:20:47,220
Our young lions
still have a lot to learn.

145
00:20:57,740 --> 00:21:00,340
One of the five has caught
a little egret.

146
00:21:01,780 --> 00:21:03,620
It's not enough for a meal,

147
00:21:03,620 --> 00:21:06,860
and the young lions' frustrations
are beginning to show.

148
00:21:14,860 --> 00:21:18,340
The pride MUST catch bigger prey
or go hungry.

149
00:21:58,740 --> 00:22:01,300
BUBBLING

150
00:22:04,340 --> 00:22:06,180
The dry season advances,

151
00:22:06,180 --> 00:22:09,580
and the Savute River continues
to drain away.

152
00:22:13,900 --> 00:22:18,060
With water levels dropping,
a flock of Marabou storks clean up.

153
00:22:28,660 --> 00:22:34,180
These sinister-looking creatures
are the vultures of the stork world

154
00:22:34,180 --> 00:22:38,300
and gather in large numbers
to feast on the suffocating fish.

155
00:22:41,500 --> 00:22:44,780
These everyday
life and death dramas

156
00:22:44,780 --> 00:22:48,460
are a grim premonition
of events about to unfold

157
00:22:48,460 --> 00:22:50,660
on a far greater scale.

158
00:23:01,820 --> 00:23:04,700
More and more
breeding herds of elephant

159
00:23:04,700 --> 00:23:07,100
are pouring into the marsh,

160
00:23:07,100 --> 00:23:10,180
all seeking out
the same pockets of water.

161
00:23:11,780 --> 00:23:15,420
The sheer weight of numbers
is starting to take its toll.

162
00:23:26,700 --> 00:23:30,700
Each elephant must drink roughly
200 litres of water a day.

163
00:23:33,060 --> 00:23:35,140
Multiply that by several thousand.

164
00:23:36,580 --> 00:23:41,420
The elephants are literally sucking
Savute dry, sealing their own fate.

165
00:23:47,540 --> 00:23:50,980
There are no other sources of water
for more than 50 miles,

166
00:23:50,980 --> 00:23:54,060
a journey they are too weak to make.

167
00:24:00,020 --> 00:24:02,180
Trapped between hunger and thirst,

168
00:24:02,180 --> 00:24:05,860
the elephants have to roam
further and further to find food,

169
00:24:05,860 --> 00:24:09,940
but must always return to drink
at the centre of the marsh.

170
00:24:13,340 --> 00:24:18,300
As each day passes, the distances
grow and the elephants grow weaker.

171
00:24:28,980 --> 00:24:32,100
Temperatures are now
soaring into the 40s.

172
00:24:32,100 --> 00:24:35,620
The first casualty
has succumbed to exhaustion.

173
00:24:36,900 --> 00:24:40,740
A young mother has collapsed,
and as a last resort

174
00:24:40,740 --> 00:24:43,780
draws water from her stomach
to cool herself down.

175
00:24:46,220 --> 00:24:47,660
CALF CRIES

176
00:24:48,980 --> 00:24:51,140
Her calf looks on helplessly,

177
00:24:51,140 --> 00:24:54,180
confused by her mother's
desperate behaviour.

178
00:25:14,100 --> 00:25:16,500
The rest of the herd
cannot afford to wait.

179
00:25:17,740 --> 00:25:21,620
They move on, leaving the calf
with her dying mother.

180
00:25:29,700 --> 00:25:33,100
Without the protection of the herd,
she's vulnerable.

181
00:25:59,420 --> 00:26:03,980
Now back with the pride, the mother
lioness senses an opportunity.

182
00:26:05,020 --> 00:26:08,100
Her youngest daughter is
quick to follow.

183
00:26:43,660 --> 00:26:46,180
BIRDS CHITTER

184
00:26:57,260 --> 00:26:59,220
CALF CRIES OUT

185
00:27:07,300 --> 00:27:10,620
Some other members of the herd
have witnessed the attack

186
00:27:10,620 --> 00:27:12,900
and are clearly distressed.

187
00:27:12,900 --> 00:27:16,180
ELEPHANTS TRUMPET

188
00:27:22,460 --> 00:27:24,660
The elephants
try to defend the calf.

189
00:27:27,340 --> 00:27:29,780
But the lions are not giving up
their prize.

190
00:27:32,620 --> 00:27:36,980
In an act of brazen audacity,
the youngest lioness attacks again.

191
00:27:39,580 --> 00:27:42,340
ELEPHANTS TRUMPET

192
00:27:47,020 --> 00:27:49,020
The balance of power in Savute
is shifting.

193
00:27:50,260 --> 00:27:52,900
The mother lioness
has shown her cubs the way

194
00:27:52,900 --> 00:27:54,540
and the young pride of seven

195
00:27:54,540 --> 00:27:58,300
is getting its first taste
of elephant.

196
00:28:08,740 --> 00:28:11,340
The dry season tightens its grip
on the marsh.

197
00:28:13,220 --> 00:28:16,060
With the Savute River
continuing to recede,

198
00:28:16,060 --> 00:28:19,700
the elephants must battle on,
until the arrival of the rains.

199
00:28:35,180 --> 00:28:38,980
The elephants are stranded,
hostages of the marsh,

200
00:28:38,980 --> 00:28:42,060
and the lions can sense it.

201
00:28:51,220 --> 00:28:55,900
Many elephants are now
so malnourished and dehydrated,

202
00:28:55,900 --> 00:28:59,660
they are keeling over,
one after another.

203
00:29:20,060 --> 00:29:22,900
Like a gigantic grey sphinx,

204
00:29:22,900 --> 00:29:26,740
a bull elephant has died
on his knees -

205
00:29:26,740 --> 00:29:28,780
regal even in death.

206
00:29:50,860 --> 00:29:54,780
The marsh that was once
a paradise for all,

207
00:29:54,780 --> 00:29:58,380
is now a death trap for elephants.

208
00:30:11,660 --> 00:30:15,140
A male elephant has made it
all the way to the river

209
00:30:15,140 --> 00:30:18,140
but collapses at the end
of his journey.

210
00:30:35,300 --> 00:30:38,660
The rest of the herd try
desperately to revive him.

211
00:30:39,900 --> 00:30:41,500
But he is beyond their help.

212
00:31:42,580 --> 00:31:46,500
Growing weaker, the herds must now
run the same gauntlet each day.

213
00:31:49,620 --> 00:31:53,580
The lions just have to sit and wait
by the water's edge.

214
00:32:03,420 --> 00:32:05,340
After their first easy kill,

215
00:32:05,340 --> 00:32:08,620
the pride of seven now regard
elephants as fair game.

216
00:32:11,580 --> 00:32:14,820
They are becoming bolder and bolder.

217
00:32:26,220 --> 00:32:28,140
Ignoring the weak and dying,

218
00:32:28,140 --> 00:32:31,620
they are actively targeting
healthy individuals.

219
00:32:36,260 --> 00:32:38,780
They have managed to isolate
an adolescent male

220
00:32:38,780 --> 00:32:40,140
from the rest of the herd.

221
00:32:43,100 --> 00:32:47,700
He is around 12 years old
and will not go quietly.

222
00:32:53,540 --> 00:32:54,900
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

223
00:33:05,740 --> 00:33:07,620
The lions are now hunting as a team,

224
00:33:07,620 --> 00:33:10,820
and use their combined weight
to bring down their prey.

225
00:33:37,780 --> 00:33:41,060
This extraordinary behaviour
has been unleashed

226
00:33:41,060 --> 00:33:43,540
by a unique combination of forces -

227
00:33:43,540 --> 00:33:47,300
the drying up of the river,
the weakened herds,

228
00:33:47,300 --> 00:33:50,380
and a tenacious pride of young lions

229
00:33:50,380 --> 00:33:54,500
that has successfully challenged
the normal rules of engagement.

230
00:33:57,340 --> 00:34:00,380
The lions have come of age,

231
00:34:00,380 --> 00:34:04,820
transformed into fully-fledged
giant killers.

232
00:34:15,300 --> 00:34:19,500
It's not long before the scavengers
enter the battlefield.

233
00:34:19,500 --> 00:34:23,580
A clan of spotted hyena devours
the giant carcasses.

234
00:34:37,300 --> 00:34:40,180
Into the midst of this carnage...

235
00:34:42,020 --> 00:34:43,340
..a baby is born.

236
00:34:56,020 --> 00:35:00,900
A male calf. But his mother's
timing could not be worse.

237
00:35:08,780 --> 00:35:13,100
Elephants usually give birth
at the start of the rainy season,

238
00:35:13,100 --> 00:35:15,140
when there is ample food and water.

239
00:35:16,180 --> 00:35:18,100
But this year the rains are late.

240
00:35:19,380 --> 00:35:21,420
The calf has arrived too soon,

241
00:35:21,420 --> 00:35:24,260
in a time of deep crisis
for the herd.

242
00:35:31,780 --> 00:35:36,820
After 22 months in the womb,
the baby needs to stretch its legs.

243
00:35:45,500 --> 00:35:49,460
The other females in the herd
are fascinated by the new arrival

244
00:35:49,460 --> 00:35:51,260
and crowd round the mother.

245
00:35:57,980 --> 00:36:01,620
For now, the baby is safe behind
a fortress of legs and trunks.

246
00:36:06,340 --> 00:36:09,460
It's a brief moment of respite
for the herd,

247
00:36:09,460 --> 00:36:15,020
in sharp contrast to the scenes
of horror unfolding all around.

248
00:36:24,900 --> 00:36:28,660
The only hope for the new baby
and his herd

249
00:36:28,660 --> 00:36:32,900
is for the rains to come,
and free these prisoners of Savute.

250
00:36:38,180 --> 00:36:40,220
DISTANT RUMBLE OF THUNDER

251
00:36:55,420 --> 00:36:58,740
There is virtually no food
left on the marsh,

252
00:36:58,740 --> 00:37:01,140
and the remaining elephants
must continue

253
00:37:01,140 --> 00:37:03,580
their relentless daily march...

254
00:37:05,820 --> 00:37:09,260
..passing by the lifeless shells
of their own kind.

255
00:37:23,300 --> 00:37:27,780
The young pride of seven has
continued its killing spree.

256
00:37:27,780 --> 00:37:32,220
Over a two-month period, they have
brought down 15 elephants,

257
00:37:32,220 --> 00:37:37,100
and gorged themselves
on countless more that lay dying.

258
00:37:46,660 --> 00:37:49,300
No life goes to waste in Savute.

259
00:37:49,300 --> 00:37:52,340
One animal's tragedy is
another's good fortune.

260
00:37:57,900 --> 00:38:01,340
The White-backed Vultures
are now thriving.

261
00:38:04,660 --> 00:38:07,820
They and their fellow scavengers,
the Marabou Storks,

262
00:38:07,820 --> 00:38:10,620
will not go hungry
for a long time to come.

263
00:38:34,180 --> 00:38:39,380
Swallows returning from Europe
on their annual migration home

264
00:38:39,380 --> 00:38:41,500
are welcomed with a feast.

265
00:38:44,540 --> 00:38:48,380
The swallows normally bring
the rains, but not this year.

266
00:38:52,740 --> 00:38:56,340
Even in death, the elephants provide
a final meal

267
00:38:56,340 --> 00:38:58,780
for these returning travellers.

268
00:39:17,460 --> 00:39:21,940
With the dry season dragging on,
there are many more baby calves

269
00:39:21,940 --> 00:39:25,380
trying desperately to keep up
with the rest of the herd.

270
00:39:30,460 --> 00:39:35,540
Separated from the others, mothers
and infants roam the plains alone,

271
00:39:35,540 --> 00:39:38,300
trying to hold out
until the drought breaks.

272
00:39:39,980 --> 00:39:43,460
Some still look strong
and may yet escape from Savute,

273
00:39:43,460 --> 00:39:47,500
but others will not survive
much longer.

274
00:40:05,980 --> 00:40:08,460
This infant is on its last legs.

275
00:40:10,140 --> 00:40:12,060
His mother's milk has dried up.

276
00:41:54,260 --> 00:41:58,140
The mother stays by her baby's side
as he takes his last breath.

277
00:41:59,900 --> 00:42:01,980
And remains there...

278
00:42:01,980 --> 00:42:03,500
until the following day.

279
00:42:49,540 --> 00:42:53,580
Savute has been cruel
to the elephants,

280
00:42:53,580 --> 00:42:55,820
but kind to the lions.

281
00:42:59,420 --> 00:43:02,300
The youngest lioness
from the pride of seven

282
00:43:02,300 --> 00:43:04,580
has had her first litter of cubs,

283
00:43:04,580 --> 00:43:08,780
almost exactly four months after
mating with the large males.

284
00:43:10,020 --> 00:43:13,900
Savute's lion population
is thriving.

285
00:43:28,340 --> 00:43:31,700
The young lioness is moving
her litter to a new den.

286
00:43:32,980 --> 00:43:35,220
The cubs are highly vulnerable,

287
00:43:35,220 --> 00:43:37,100
and she must be constantly alert

288
00:43:37,100 --> 00:43:39,100
to the threat of predators.

289
00:43:46,820 --> 00:43:48,980
GROWLING

290
00:43:52,420 --> 00:43:54,500
One of the cubs keeps
lagging behind.

291
00:43:56,940 --> 00:44:00,500
It's carried safe from harm
in gentle jaws.

292
00:44:07,140 --> 00:44:09,540
Cubs of this age
are totally defenceless.

293
00:44:11,020 --> 00:44:15,060
The biggest danger
is from other lions.

294
00:44:15,060 --> 00:44:18,140
LION GROWLS

295
00:44:39,300 --> 00:44:41,860
But the cubs have nothing to fear.

296
00:44:41,860 --> 00:44:46,300
These lions are family,
from the pride of five brothers.

297
00:44:51,340 --> 00:44:55,060
As the young lioness mated
with all of the males,

298
00:44:55,060 --> 00:44:57,540
any one of them could be
the father.

299
00:44:57,540 --> 00:45:01,180
So they have all come
to stand guard outside the den

300
00:45:01,180 --> 00:45:04,380
and act as babysitters.

301
00:45:13,260 --> 00:45:15,780
For such powerful predators,

302
00:45:15,780 --> 00:45:18,500
they can be surprisingly gentle.

303
00:45:55,140 --> 00:45:58,580
Finally, the rains reach Savute.

304
00:45:58,580 --> 00:46:00,660
Although too late
for the baby elephant,

305
00:46:00,660 --> 00:46:03,100
for others, they bring life.

306
00:46:23,340 --> 00:46:26,180
The remaining herds
have been reprieved.

307
00:46:29,100 --> 00:46:30,740
They are free.

308
00:46:40,660 --> 00:46:42,700
As the waterholes fill up,

309
00:46:42,700 --> 00:46:46,660
they can now escape
from the growing prides of lions.

310
00:46:59,980 --> 00:47:03,820
Many mother elephants
and their young have survived.

311
00:47:05,460 --> 00:47:07,300
They will now find safer passage

312
00:47:07,300 --> 00:47:09,540
as they walk south,

313
00:47:09,540 --> 00:47:12,260
back into the Kalahari Basin.

314
00:47:25,660 --> 00:47:27,580
The pride of seven is breaking up.

315
00:47:29,540 --> 00:47:32,580
After two years of growing up
in each other's company,

316
00:47:32,580 --> 00:47:35,740
the young lions will now
separate for ever.

317
00:47:57,020 --> 00:48:00,060
The family has four
new mouths to feed,

318
00:48:00,060 --> 00:48:03,380
and with the large males
guarding the babies,

319
00:48:03,380 --> 00:48:07,820
the older male cubs are no longer
welcome and must now leave.

320
00:48:10,620 --> 00:48:12,300
The three head off together.

321
00:48:13,580 --> 00:48:17,380
One day,
they will form their own pride.

322
00:48:30,580 --> 00:48:34,860
Now that the rains have come,
the landscape can recover,

323
00:48:34,860 --> 00:48:37,940
and all the prey animals
can escape from the marsh.

324
00:49:01,500 --> 00:49:05,500
In time, the elephant herds
will return to full strength.

325
00:49:10,820 --> 00:49:13,620
The lions have been changed utterly.

326
00:49:15,460 --> 00:49:17,500
The taste for elephant
won't go away.

327
00:49:19,140 --> 00:49:22,380
These cubs will learn the skills
from their mother

328
00:49:22,380 --> 00:49:24,900
and are destined
to follow in her footsteps.

329
00:49:26,380 --> 00:49:28,980
Savute is already home

330
00:49:28,980 --> 00:49:30,300
to the next generation...

331
00:49:31,660 --> 00:49:33,540
..of giant killers.

332
00:49:44,700 --> 00:49:47,620
It's taken over 18 months
to document these events

333
00:49:47,620 --> 00:49:52,060
in one of Africa's most remote
and challenging environments.

334
00:49:52,060 --> 00:49:55,060
Filming from the ground,
from the air,

335
00:49:55,060 --> 00:49:58,100
and in the thick of the action,
has given the camera team

336
00:49:58,100 --> 00:50:02,180
a unique insight into
one of nature's rarest events.

337
00:50:03,940 --> 00:50:05,780
Savute has an interesting history.

338
00:50:05,780 --> 00:50:09,900
The river flows for a very short
period, once every 40 years.

339
00:50:09,900 --> 00:50:14,460
When it is flowing, it is
the most incredible environment.

340
00:50:14,460 --> 00:50:17,940
I knew that there is going to be
a moment here in time

341
00:50:17,940 --> 00:50:20,980
that is going to be
absolutely incredible.

342
00:50:20,980 --> 00:50:23,460
Wildlife cameraman Brad Bestelink

343
00:50:23,460 --> 00:50:26,420
is fourth generation
born and bred in Botswana.

344
00:50:26,420 --> 00:50:28,220
He grew up in the wilderness,

345
00:50:28,220 --> 00:50:30,820
and has lived there
for most of his life.

346
00:50:30,820 --> 00:50:33,900
The bush and the natural world,
specifically in Botswana,

347
00:50:33,900 --> 00:50:35,460
is sort of in my DNA,

348
00:50:35,460 --> 00:50:39,220
and the more time I spend there, the
more time I want to be out there.

349
00:50:39,220 --> 00:50:41,620
I don't think that
I could live any other life.

350
00:50:41,620 --> 00:50:45,460
Brad has drawn on a lifetime's
bushcraft experience

351
00:50:45,460 --> 00:50:49,700
to identify and document
this remarkable animal behaviour.

352
00:50:51,420 --> 00:50:52,980
This pride is up from the north,

353
00:50:52,980 --> 00:50:55,500
and the buffalo have been localised
on the marsh

354
00:50:55,500 --> 00:50:57,620
so they've come down,
looking for food.

355
00:50:59,060 --> 00:51:01,900
When you go into any area,
the first thing you do is

356
00:51:01,900 --> 00:51:04,980
start identifying the make-up
of the predators in the area.

357
00:51:04,980 --> 00:51:07,020
They kind of steer what goes on.

358
00:51:07,020 --> 00:51:10,620
So you work out prides, territories,
access routes that they use.

359
00:51:10,620 --> 00:51:13,260
It's like a big puzzle
that you sort of break up.

360
00:51:17,180 --> 00:51:20,380
It requires a lot of time,
tracking, moving.

361
00:51:20,380 --> 00:51:22,620
There's a certain amount of knowledge
one needs

362
00:51:22,620 --> 00:51:24,220
to be able to keep up constantly.

363
00:51:24,220 --> 00:51:27,100
And not just keep up with them,
but learn to anticipate them.

364
00:51:28,540 --> 00:51:31,740
Helping Brad locate and capture
the wildlife on film

365
00:51:31,740 --> 00:51:35,220
was fellow cameraman
and lifelong friend Richard Uren.

366
00:51:38,660 --> 00:51:42,540
Spending weeks at a time together
in the most isolated areas,

367
00:51:42,540 --> 00:51:45,140
they depend on each other
completely,

368
00:51:45,140 --> 00:51:47,820
especially when things
don't go to plan.

369
00:51:49,820 --> 00:51:53,700
It just so happens you're in the
middle of the bush and things break.

370
00:51:53,700 --> 00:51:57,700
We've, over time, learnt to deal
with most of the problems ourselves.

371
00:51:57,700 --> 00:52:00,220
We have to. We don't have
DHL here or anything.

372
00:52:00,220 --> 00:52:03,380
All right, so, some of it liquid.

373
00:52:03,380 --> 00:52:05,540
Water. Let's pour it in, yeah?

374
00:52:05,540 --> 00:52:06,900
See what we can do.

375
00:52:06,900 --> 00:52:09,740
Sometimes you have to improvise.

376
00:52:09,740 --> 00:52:13,940
It's little tricks
you've been taught along the way.

377
00:52:13,940 --> 00:52:17,380
You've got to be fairly well
equipped to cope with

378
00:52:17,380 --> 00:52:21,100
different circumstances -
fixing tyres, fixing cars.

379
00:52:21,100 --> 00:52:23,300
You've kind of got to be all
rounded to the elements

380
00:52:23,300 --> 00:52:24,740
that you are going to confront

381
00:52:24,740 --> 00:52:27,220
if you want to be independent
and living out in the bush.

382
00:52:28,420 --> 00:52:31,460
But perhaps the greatest challenge
in making this film was

383
00:52:31,460 --> 00:52:34,940
the emotional impact of witnessing
such harrowing events.

384
00:52:36,540 --> 00:52:40,500
Before this year, I'd never seen
lions hunting elephants.

385
00:52:40,500 --> 00:52:42,100
It's not nice to watch.

386
00:52:43,260 --> 00:52:46,740
They are the most incredible animals,
and to see them

387
00:52:46,740 --> 00:52:51,100
in the circumstance that we find them
in Savute, was very tough.

388
00:52:53,420 --> 00:52:55,460
For lions to hunt
and kill elephants

389
00:52:55,460 --> 00:52:58,860
takes layer upon layer
of circumstance to come together

390
00:52:58,860 --> 00:53:01,580
to allow that little piece
of behaviour to happen.

391
00:53:01,580 --> 00:53:04,700
It was a case where we had
a huge population of elephants,

392
00:53:04,700 --> 00:53:07,860
all focused in one particular place.

393
00:53:07,860 --> 00:53:11,500
And a pride of lions in a particular
phase in their development,

394
00:53:11,500 --> 00:53:14,500
that gave them
a specific type of character.

395
00:53:14,500 --> 00:53:17,220
Without all of those facets,

396
00:53:17,220 --> 00:53:20,620
you wouldn't get lions
actively predating elephants.

397
00:53:20,620 --> 00:53:24,900
One of the ele's that we watched
he really did fight for his life.

398
00:53:24,900 --> 00:53:27,860
It took the lions a long time
to get him down.

399
00:53:30,020 --> 00:53:34,740
The day when the pride of seven
broke up a herd to isolate

400
00:53:34,740 --> 00:53:38,940
a fairly healthy individual
in that herd and pull that down,

401
00:53:38,940 --> 00:53:42,500
was really the turning point for me,
in the story.

402
00:53:42,500 --> 00:53:45,140
It's one of those things
I'll always look back on

403
00:53:45,140 --> 00:53:49,500
and say it was a turning point in my
understanding of the natural world.

404
00:53:51,180 --> 00:53:55,380
For Rich, one particular scene
he filmed brought home

405
00:53:55,380 --> 00:53:57,020
the brutal reality of nature.

406
00:54:00,380 --> 00:54:03,100
To see a young,
newly-born elephant like it,

407
00:54:03,100 --> 00:54:07,260
struggling along dehydrated, tired,
probably come a long way.

408
00:54:07,260 --> 00:54:10,660
It was a very, very heart-wrenching
thing to see.

409
00:54:13,300 --> 00:54:16,580
We kind of knew
that he wasn't going to carry on.

410
00:54:19,140 --> 00:54:21,500
His legs shook
and he did a bit of a handstand

411
00:54:21,500 --> 00:54:22,980
and rolled over on his back.

412
00:54:28,100 --> 00:54:30,700
Then, that was it.
He didn't get up again.

413
00:54:35,580 --> 00:54:40,540
What I saw then is that elephants
definitely grieve.

414
00:54:40,540 --> 00:54:43,020
Mum hung around for the whole night

415
00:54:43,020 --> 00:54:46,940
and she was there the next morning
when we went back to have a look.

416
00:54:46,940 --> 00:54:49,580
That was harsh to see actually.

417
00:54:52,660 --> 00:54:55,780
You kind of feel helpless because
you can't do anything.

418
00:54:55,780 --> 00:54:59,140
You... It's...it's hard.

419
00:54:59,140 --> 00:55:00,900
It's not nice.

420
00:55:09,820 --> 00:55:12,980
To help return normality
to such a demanding shoot,

421
00:55:12,980 --> 00:55:15,300
Brad's wife Andi
and their two children

422
00:55:15,300 --> 00:55:17,660
visit him in the bush
whenever possible.

423
00:55:19,300 --> 00:55:23,540
I need to be in the bush long
periods of time for long hours,

424
00:55:23,540 --> 00:55:26,140
and often it's more productive
to get them out here.

425
00:55:26,140 --> 00:55:28,340
They get the experience
and I get to stay out here

426
00:55:28,340 --> 00:55:30,260
and keep in touch with
what's going on.

427
00:55:30,260 --> 00:55:33,580
For Brad and I, it's incredibly
important that our children have

428
00:55:33,580 --> 00:55:37,140
experience of the bush, experience
the wildlife, experience nature,

429
00:55:37,140 --> 00:55:39,700
rather than just seeing it
on television or having

430
00:55:39,700 --> 00:55:41,700
some sort of vicarious
experience of it.

431
00:55:41,700 --> 00:55:45,940
It's very important for us
that they immerse themselves in it.

432
00:55:45,940 --> 00:55:48,740
I was fortunate enough to grow up
in the bush and I think it does

433
00:55:48,740 --> 00:55:52,580
give you a different perspective
on life, and to be able to

434
00:55:52,580 --> 00:55:55,820
bring my kids to the bush and let
them experience what I have,

435
00:55:55,820 --> 00:55:59,060
is probably one of the most
important things that I can do.

436
00:56:05,180 --> 00:56:07,420
The kids love seeing
the baby animals.

437
00:56:07,420 --> 00:56:09,140
That really piques their interest.

438
00:56:09,140 --> 00:56:11,700
When they see these little things
that they can relate to,

439
00:56:11,700 --> 00:56:13,740
and they're cute and they're lovely,

440
00:56:13,740 --> 00:56:16,820
they get such an idea
of how things are out there.

441
00:56:18,580 --> 00:56:21,900
To capture footage of the lioness
and her new litter of cubs

442
00:56:21,900 --> 00:56:24,060
was a crucial moment
for Brad and Rich,

443
00:56:24,060 --> 00:56:26,060
bringing the incredible story

444
00:56:26,060 --> 00:56:28,860
of death and life in Savute
full circle.

445
00:56:31,980 --> 00:56:35,020
You've got these quite
heart-wrenching situations

446
00:56:35,020 --> 00:56:37,460
where lions are bringing down
elephants.

447
00:56:37,460 --> 00:56:39,060
But then the other side, you know,

448
00:56:39,060 --> 00:56:42,060
they've got their young to feed,
they've got themselves to feed,

449
00:56:42,060 --> 00:56:45,100
you've got this whole cycle
that goes on and there's these

450
00:56:45,100 --> 00:56:48,620
brand-new little baby cubs
which is an amazing thing to see.

451
00:56:48,620 --> 00:56:52,540
The whole story and the whole project
is very much part of a greater cycle.

452
00:56:52,540 --> 00:56:54,940
There are too many elephants
in one particular area.

453
00:56:54,940 --> 00:56:56,580
The lions are killing elephants

454
00:56:56,580 --> 00:57:00,340
because of that particular moment
in time and they go on and breed.

455
00:57:00,340 --> 00:57:02,620
The elephants then
move on to different areas

456
00:57:02,620 --> 00:57:04,300
and they go on and feed
and continue.

457
00:57:04,300 --> 00:57:05,700
That is the joy of Savute.

458
00:57:05,700 --> 00:57:08,660
All these things are in waves
and ebbs and flows,

459
00:57:08,660 --> 00:57:11,180
and that is just the natural cycle.

460
00:57:11,180 --> 00:57:15,540
This unforgiving landscape,
a unique set of circumstances,

461
00:57:15,540 --> 00:57:18,700
and such unforgettable
animal behaviour

462
00:57:18,700 --> 00:57:22,260
has pushed Brad and Rich
to the limit on every level.

463
00:57:22,260 --> 00:57:26,420
But it's also rewarded them, with
a once-in-a-lifetime experience,

464
00:57:26,420 --> 00:57:30,500
of one of Africa's
most powerful dramas.

465
00:57:31,740 --> 00:57:34,940
The greatest thing about making
this film is it's a journey

466
00:57:34,940 --> 00:57:37,060
and you get to know
all the characters

467
00:57:37,060 --> 00:57:40,220
and it was the personality
of this one particular pride

468
00:57:40,220 --> 00:57:41,660
that really drove it.

469
00:57:41,660 --> 00:57:45,940
It says so much about lions
and lions' capability to adapt

470
00:57:45,940 --> 00:57:48,860
very specifically
to an unusual circumstance.

471
00:57:48,860 --> 00:57:51,260
That was the most rewarding
thing for me

472
00:57:51,260 --> 00:57:53,660
out of the entire filming process,

473
00:57:53,660 --> 00:57:57,580
and I look at lions totally
differently from now on.

474
00:57:58,540 --> 00:58:00,980
LION ROARS