♪ ♪
NARRATOR: Hell on Earth
for some.
But for others...
a land of opportunity.
Lions the size
of grizzly bears
with appetites to match
dominate this desert
\h\h\h\h\h\hand turn the desperation into profit.
\h\h\h\hBut this year drought pushes the lions to the brink.
\h\hWill this be the first dry season to defeat them,
or will this hell remain the domain
of these Kings of the Desert?
[bird wings flapping]
\hNARRATOR: Lions are Africa’s biggest cats,
and Kalahari Desert lions are the biggest on earth.
\h\hHere, in Nxai Pan, on the fringes of the desert,
\ha big male lion can weigh over 500 pounds
\hand measure 10 feet from nose to tail tip.
\h\h\hThe power of a pride usually rests
with one such dominant male.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBut Nxai Pan is unique, and so are its lions.
This pride is ruled by not one,
but two mighty kings,
brothers in arms.
[lioness roaring]
\h\hSix lionesses form their principal pride,
\h\ha small pride compared to most.
But only the fittest and biggest
are needed to rule this harsh land --
all 800 square miles of it.
But this power comes at a cost.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hThe pride is isolated from other lions,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hand this threatens their bloodline.
\h\hThere’s a natural but unusual solution.
To prevent inbreeding, the kings have formed a secondary pride
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hwith two powerful foreign sisters.
\h\h\h\hThey must provide the kings with pedigree heirs soon
\h\h\h\hor be expelled from the pride lands.
\h\h\h\hThese mistresses keep to the outskirts of the territory,
away from the principal pride, \hnever crossing their path.
\h\hAs long as they keep their distance,
the two groups can coexist.
\h\h\h\h\h\hTogether, these 10 lions dominate this empire...
[lion roaring]
\h\h\h\h...and everyone must pull their weight,
because big lions need big prey.
\hBut hunting giants isn’t easy -- even for the king of beasts.
After the rains last summer,
\h\hNxai Pan was a wilderness utopia.
But not anymore.
\h\h\hNow, the water has mostly vanished.
Lush grasses shriveled.
The earth is scorched
and fractured.
This is all that remains.
\h\hSurviving this annual dry season is tough enough
for the animals that live here,
\h\h\hand this year, the most devastating drought
in nearly half a century \his ravaging the land.
\h\h\h\h\hBut it could be the lions’ biggest windfall ever.
For in times like this, even the biggest and strongest animals
are under stress
and on the menu.
\hThirsty animals congregate at the shrinking waterholes.
So many species,
all part of the pride’s diet.
\h\h\hThe lions have only to position themselves nearby,
wait,
and consider their options.
[elephant cries]
[fly buzzing]
\h\hAs the afternoon fades, the principal pride gathers,
watching,
waiting.
♪ ♪
Their mission is to divide,
create chaos,
\h\hand, in the confusion, an opportunity just might arise.
[elephant cry]
\hTwo miles out, a pair of stragglers
\h\h\h\h\h\his trying to catch up with the herd.
But they’re not alone.
\h\hThe mistress sisters are hot on their trail.
\h\h\h\h\h\hThe elephant mother hurries her newborn calf along.
\hHe’s only hours old, and usually,
the herd wouldn’t leave them.
But the heat, and their daily thirst, has driven them ahead,
\h\h\hleaving mother and calf far behind.
\h\h\hSafety is in numbers out here, even for giants.
\h\hBut they can go only as fast as the calf’s failing back leg.
\h\hIt’s a weakness that could cost him his life.
\h\hDesert lions don’t survive by being kind.
Three tons of potential maternal rage would intimidate most.
\h\h\h\h\h\hBut the mistress sisters don’t spook easily.
They know there’s a weakness,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hand they’re confident they can exploit it.
\h\h\h\h\hThey’re just waiting for nightfall.
♪ ♪
Elephant eyesight is average \hat best, just good enough
\h\h\h\hto keep an eye on the lurking predators in daylight.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hLions have excellent night vision,
allowing them to get even closer.
♪ ♪
[elephant screaming]
♪ ♪
\h\hIn the confusion, the calf is separated from his mother.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hExactly what the sisters have been waiting for.
[elephant screaming]
[lionesses growling]
\h\h\hNARRATOR: As dawn breaks,
\h\h\h\h\h\hthe scattered elephant herd regroups...
\h\h\h\h\hwithout their youngest family member.
♪ ♪
\h\hThe principal pride had no luck with the main herd.
\h\h\h\hBut the mistresses’ power and patience paid off.
One king gets wind \hof their success
and tracks them down.
\h\hIt’s a small prize for a lion this size,
but every morsel counts.
\h\h\h\h\hHours later, the scraps are a free-for-all.
Nothing goes to waste here.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hEven the principal pride scavenges
once the mistresses move on.
Never turn down a snack,
\h\h\heven if you’ve got eyes on a bigger prize.
♪ ♪
\h\hThere’s been no rain in half a year.
The green kingdom has vanished.
\hWith it, almost all surface water.
All but this waterhole.
And it’s shrinking by the day.
\h\hOnly overcrowding and despair lie ahead
\h\h\hfor the tiniest birds to earth’s greatest land mammals.
♪ ♪
[elephants screaming]
Tempers flare in the heat.
♪ ♪
[snarling]
[elephant screaming]
\hThe heavyweights use size to bully their way through,
others, their wit -- to steal a sip.
With no other waterholes left,
all are drawn here.
♪ ♪
\h\hThe natural balance of Nxai Pan is shifting
in favor of the lions.
♪ ♪
As the only apex predators here,
the waterhole belongs to them,
\h\hall their prey in one convenient place.
♪ ♪
\h\hThe six females spread out -- testing the herds.
♪ ♪
\hThe heat drains them quickly here.
\h\h\h\hBut it takes an even heavier toll on their prey.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hThe waterhole is surrounded by so many animals
so desperate for water.
\h\h\h\h\hOpportunity must come the lions’ way soon,
surely.
♪ ♪
They must be patient;
choose their targets wisely;
know when to step back
and wait,
for the right opportunity \h\h\hwill present itself.
\h\h\h\h\hWhile the principal pride rests up in the thickets
away from the waterhole,
\h\h\hit’s a good time for the sisters to drop in for a drink
and spend some quality time with their kings.
The sisters must produce cubs \hto justify their place here,
or they’ll be forced to leave.
[lion growling]
\hBreeding during drought is not an option for most.
But the lions are still strong.
\h\h\h\hIt’s others that are gambling just to stay alive.
These giraffes aren’t brave,
just desperately thirsty --
\henough to drink only feet from the sisters,
\h\h\h\ha gap the lions can close in less than a second.
♪ ♪
A 3,000-pound, 19-foot-tall \h\hgiraffe is a tall order.
\hBut the sisters count on the combined strength
of their kings.
\h\hGiraffe usually make up less than 1% of lions’ diets
because they’re dangerous \h\hand difficult to hunt,
even for a large pride.
\h\h\hBut the kings and their mistresses are big and tough,
and waiting for nightfall has \hworked well for them so far.
♪ ♪
\h\h\h\h\h\hA claw to the hamstring finds its mark,
yet the giraffe keeps running.
The hunt isn’t over yet.
\h\h\h\h\h\hBrute strength and the cover of darkness
\h\hhas earned the lions their first big meal of the drought.
Thousands of pounds of giraffe
\h\h\his the perfect meal for a grizzly-sized lion.
For the mistress sisters,
\h\h\hit couldn’t have come at a better time.
\h\h\h\hPride structure, and predator hierarchy,
\hdictates feeding shifts over days.
By the morning of day two, not much is left,
\h\hand some are tired of waiting their turn.
[whining and whimpering]
But their place in the pecking order is quickly established.
[yelping]
[snarling]
\hThere are other big cats around Nxai Pan,
but they’re struggling.
\hCheetahs are smaller and weaker than lions.
They also eat less.
\h\hBut when it comes to food, lions see them as competition.
\hSo she’s forced to stay out here,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\haway from the privilege of the waterhole.
♪ ♪
She has a family to feed:
cubs, too young to hunt.
Providing food is her job alone.
Out here, prey is scarce;
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hthere’s no waterhole to attract them.
It’s so barren, there’s little \hcover for hunted or hunter.
♪ ♪
Her speed is not enough.
\h\hThe family will go hungry for today.
\hThis lion-enforced exile will last as long as the dry season.
If the rains are late,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hthere’s no guarantee they’ll survive.
More herbivores flock to the waterhole every day.
They’re coming from \h\hfurther afield,
and staying longer.
\h\hLesser carnivores, like jackals and vultures, prowl,
\h\halways on the lookout for something to scavenge.
\h\h\hBut theirs is the only free pass.
As the drought intensifies,
\h\h\hno other hunters, like hyenas, are permitted here.
\h\h\hSo they steal through like ghosts.
Stopping isn’t worth the risk.
But some don’t get out in time.
\hThese wild dogs, looking for water, overstay their welcome,
and it’s cost them dearly.
\h\h\hComing into contact with the lions means serious injury
or death.
\h\h\h\h\hThe mistress sisters strike again:
There’s no room for competition.
This last waterhole is their lifeline --
\h\h\h\h\hand they must defend it at all costs.
But there’s more to it.
\hWild dogs will kill lion cubs, given half a chance.
\h\h\hAnd the sisters aren’t taking chances,
for one of them is pregnant.
Daytime temperatures soar.
The main pride looks listless.
\hBut in spite of the blazing heat,
they never lose sight \h\h\h\h\hof the game
and their big game prey.
♪ ♪
But visibility is a lion’s worst enemy.
\h\h\h\h\h\hDuring the day their heavyweight targets
can see them coming a mile away.
\h\h\hBut that doesn’t stop them from trying.
\h\h\hA kudu bull is one of the biggest,
most difficult antelope to hunt.
They’re taller and 100 pounds heavier
than the biggest male lion;
double the weight of lionesses.
And they’re armed with deadly horns up to five feet long --
the length of a lion’s body.
♪ ♪
A slip saves the kudu -- \h\h\h\h\h\h\hthis time.
There’s just no sneaking up on prey in daylight.
\hHunting by night is much more productive.
Ambushed just before sunrise,
\h\h\h\h\h\hthis kudu bull couldn’t see them coming.
It’s a meal big enough to feed the pride for a week.
But lions this size want more.
And it’s in their nature to exploit
every opportunity.
♪ ♪
\h\hIt’s less than an hour since breakfast,
\h\h\hbut a principal pride female spots an opportunity,
one she can’t resist.
♪ ♪
There’s no way to stay hidden,
so she’s trying out new tactics.
♪ ♪
\h\h\hAs water evaporates, and levels drop, animals must dip
their heads into the trenches to reach it, blocking their view.
She waits for the perfect moment
\hwhen the big male kudu’s eyes drop below the banks.
The kudu is relying only on hearing now.
[kudu crying; lioness growling]
[scuffling]
\h\h\h\h\hAn expert bite delivers death quickly.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hShe’s banked another meal for her pride,
no small feat for a single lioness.
Her new strategy works.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA jackal on the lookout is already moving in.
[lioness snarls; jackal yelps]
But he’ll have to wait.
\h\h\h\h\hThe lioness guards her fresh kill.
\h\h\h\h\h\hDuring drought, there’s no time for charity.
It’s not selfishness or gluttony -- just simple survival.
The rest of the pride \h\h\h\hhas abandoned
their breakfast carcass.
They’ve eaten their fill.
\h\h\h\hIt’s too hot to eat, too hot to defend.
\hThe deserted carcass is soon heaving with looters,
\h\h\h\hand the spoils turn into a turf war.
[animals snarling]
\hFor the scavengers, this is their biggest windfall
of the drought.
\h\h\h\h\h\hNARRATOR: Building clouds bring a sliver of hope,
but race past.
There’s no relief
\h\h\h\hfor the scorched earth and animals today.
\h\h\h\h\hWhile the lions benefit from this drought,
\h\h\hit’s breaking point for everyone else that lives here.
There’s no food.
\h\h\h\h\h\hThe waterhole is reduced to pools of sludge.
The rains are long overdue.
\hThere’s no guarantee they’ll arrive at all.
But it’s okay for the lions.
\h\h\h\hThey drink daily when water is available,
but they can also survive
\h\h\hon just the moisture they get from their prey.
The uncertainty of rain isn’t threatening their future here.
\h\hIt’s the lack of fresh new blood in their family.
But that’s all about to change
\h\hwith the birth of two new desert kings.
But the pride isn’t home free.
The cubs’ chances of survival are slim --
\h\h\honly one in five make it to adulthood.
\hThey need their father’s strength and protection.
[lioness roaring]
Their mother calls out.
[lioness whuffing]
The cubs must meet their family.
♪ ♪
[lion grunts]
[cubs mewl]
[lion snarls]
He’s gruff -- but approving.
♪ ♪
\hRaising them in this hell will not be easy.
But their aunt will help,
and in time she, too,
\h\h\h\h\hwill hopefully give birth to her own set of cubs.
The mistresses and their new cubs are now assured
\h\h\hof the kings’ continued protection
\hand a guaranteed share of territory
alongside the principal pride.
[cubs squawking]
\h\h\h\h\h\hBut the desert lion bloodline remains under threat.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDominating the waterhole sees them through
\h\h\h\h\h\hthese tough months each dry season.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBut their big prey lifeline is about to disappear.
\hUnless this year’s drought breaks soon,
\hthe last remaining sludge pools will dry up completely
and all the animals will leave the area.
The lions will have to leave their home and follow them
or starve.
[thunder]
Storm clouds gather once again.
[rain falling]
\hNxai Pan is released from the hellish grip of drought.
[lion growling]
The rains will soon wash away
the desperation of all who live here.
♪ ♪
\h\h\hThe waterhole becomes one of many.
Using their size and strength to dominate
\heven the biggest prey during the worst drought in decades,
\h\h\hthe Desert Kings have come full circle.
And for now, their legacy, and home here, is secure.