Narrator:
This is chipadzua.
A grown-up leopardess
Still reliant on her mother.
But life for this
pampered princess
Is about to get
a whole lot harder.
Tired of her daughter's
freeloading,
Her mother has had enough.
Alone, with no one
to guide her,
Chipadzua must grow up fast.
(growls)
Hunger drives her to danger.
(hyena grunts)
But not all who roam here
are the enemy.
Chip is on the perilous path
to adulthood.
But has she got
what it takes to survive?
(♪♪♪)
It's early morning.
And the bush is already
wide awake,
It's breakfast-time.
But not everyone
is being so industrious.
Leopardess chipadzua is having
a lazy start to her day.
The three-year-old adult
Should be on the hunt
for her own meal.
But the pampered princess
doesn't need to.
She'll just steal food
from her hard-working mother.
Malaika,
her seven-year-old mom,
Has been busy.
During the night she dragged
an impala up here,
Away from thieves.
Like all leopards,
Malaika can haul prey
twice her own body weight
High into trees.
She's held this territory
Since becoming
an independent adult,
At the age of two.
Malaika's done well.
She's a masterful hunter,
And successfully raised
chipadzua to maturity.
But that's where she's hit
a stumbling block.
Her adult daughter should be
living a solitary life
In her own territory,
Only mixing with other leopards
to mate or raise young.
But this lazy leopard
Is still hanging around
her mother.
Chipadzua and malaika
Share five square miles
of territory
In zambia's luangwa valley
With some of africa's
least friendly neighbors.
Lions,
Hyenas,
Wild dogs,
All compete for the same food
And show little tolerance
for their rivals.
Lying low is the key
to a leopard's survival.
At three years old,
chip should have established
Her own neighboring territory
by now.
Malaika has been trying
to prepare her daughter
For that solitary life,
Teaching chip to hunt
since she was a cub.
The now grown-up daughter
Should have been
catching food by herself
For at least the last year.
But she still
hasn't made any kills.
Chipadzua
would rather scavenge
From her reluctant mother.
As usual, this morning,
Chip is trying to freeload
malaika's breakfast.
Mothers don't share kills
with grown-up offspring.
But chip is demanding
a seat at the table.
(growls)
Her noisy presence
is attracting attention,
The last thing malaika wants.
The baboon's alarm call
Could entice other predators
to the area,
Putting both leopards at risk.
(baboons barking)
The mother grudgingly
retreats to quiet chip
And the baboons down.
Leaving the spoils
to her greedy daughter.
Malaika watches
as her breakfast disappears.
Her annoyance is clear.
Chip has pushed
too far this time.
She's about to learn
a very hard lesson.
It's late in the day.
Full-bellied chip
is heading to drink
And to find her mother.
But malaika
isn't at the river.
Chip waits.
Her mother usually drinks
in this spot.
The hours tick by.
Eventually, it becomes clear
That her mother
is not coming back.
Sick of her
daughter's stealing,
Malaika has migrated
to a patch
Two miles north.
It's incredibly unusual
For a mother to leave
her established territory.
Usually they would share
overlapping ranges
While living
independent lives,
But malaika has opted
for complete separation.
Chip is alone
for the first time,
In this vast wilderness.
The princess faces
a huge learning curve.
If she's to survive,
she must learn to hunt,
And to navigate
potential danger.
(hippos grunting)
It's time to grow up.
Night time brings danger
for most species
Because carnivores
are on the prowl.
However, chip is not
among them.
She's snoozing
in an ebony tree.
But she isn't alone.
(roars softly)
Mohawk,
The fiercest lion
in this territory,
Rests just 300 yards
from her.
He's more than three times
the weight of the leopard.
Nothing else here outranks him
for muscle power.
Chip's safe in the tree,
But the inexperienced leopard
decides to move.
This is the center
of mohawk's patch.
He would kill a leopard
who gets in his way.
(♪♪♪)
Chip mistakenly starts
to head in his direction.
(mohawk roars)
His call stops her
in her tracks.
She quickly changes course.
(♪♪♪)
The lion picks up a scent,
But it's not from chip.
He heads away from her.
The leopard
has dodged a bullet.
But she's about to walk
into danger
Of a different kind.
Hyenas...
(squealing)
With the remains
of an impala kill.
Chip is completely outgunned.
Hyenas have the strongest jaws
of any mammal in africa.
Perfect for crushing
the bones of prey,
Or biting leopards
that get too close.
She should avoid them.
But a combination
of hunger and naivety
Has made her reckless.
Leopards rarely scavenge,
But scrounging
off her mother's kills
Has become
second nature to her.
The hyenas don't yet realize
they have a hungry audience.
Their eyesight
isn't as good as hers.
She creeps closer.
They still don't see her.
But one of them
hears something.
Chip freezes.
(♪♪♪)
But her brazen approach
finally gives her away.
(hyena squealing)
(hissing)
Most leopards wouldn't go
anywhere near
This kind of danger,
(growling)
But chip
foolishly tries again.
(roaring)
(hyena barks)
She won't back off.
She grabs a piece
of entrails,
(hyena screaming)
But they won't let her have
even this tiny morsel.
The exasperated hyenas
Might think
they've gotten rid of her.
They gamble on a rest.
But the tenacious leopard
Doesn't know
when it's time to quit.
(chip growls)
(♪♪♪)
(hyenas laughing)
They've had enough of her.
And call in reinforcements.
(howling)
It's now three angry hyenas
Against one reckless leopard.
Despite the clear danger,
Chip creeps close again.
(roars softly)
(hyenas squeal and bark)
(♪♪♪)
She finally gets the message
and retreats.
She's lucky to emerge
from this encounter
Without serious injury.
Morning.
Chip has managed
to stay out of trouble
For the rest of the night.
Scratches around her face,
The only sign of how close
she came to disaster.
She's used to getting
free handouts,
But if chip doesn't change
her spots,
She may not last the week.
Leopards must remain elusive,
And independent,
if they're to thrive.
Like this older male, luambe.
His larger range encompasses
chip's smaller territory,
And the veteran 15-year-old
has survived to old age
By being completely
self-sufficient.
He's bagged an impala.
But down on the ground,
He won't get
to keep it for long.
This grove is a favorite haunt
for lions and hyenas.
Luambe must get the carcass
to a safer position.
He easily drags
the 130-pound antelope
Up into a fork of the tree.
A much more secluded spot
in which to eat.
Chip wanders into the grove,
Lured by the scent
of the carcass.
Luambe will tolerate
the presence of a female
In his much larger territory,
But sharing
does not extend to food.
He will aggressively
defend his dinner.
But chip can't resist
the opportunity.
His open hostility stops her.
But perhaps she can get
a free handout
If she waits a while.
It's worked with her mother.
Maybe it'll work
with this strange, old male.
Once again, her presence
is drawing unwelcome attention.
(barks)
Soon there's a cacophony
of alarm calls.
The last thing luambe wants
Is other scavenging predators
to be alerted.
(clamoring)
Vervet monkeys
join the chorus.
As do squirrels.
They're ganging up
to drive the leopards away.
Chip tries to lie low.
A nearby hyena
Comes to investigate
the commotion.
The leopard's
solitary existence
Requires he avoids any risk.
The baboons are an annoyance,
(snarls)
But their noisy chorus
is drawing a much bigger problem
Into the grove.
As he disappears
into the bush,
It soon becomes clear
Why luambe was so quick
to abandon his kill.
Mohawk,
And the whole of his pride,
Patrolling on the edge
of the grove.
Chip makes a run for it.
Luckily for her,
they don't give chase.
A close call for the leopards.
Without her mother,
Chip's attempts to scavenge
are so far proving fruitless.
The princess needs
to find a better way
To bag her dinner.
She will wait for darkness.
Chip patrols
her mother's old territory,
Beginning to assert
her claim on the real estate.
It's been 48 hours
Since she was abandoned
by malaika.
She's hungry.
But she's not looking
for scraps this time.
She's learned her lesson.
She plans to hunt.
She must pick
her prey wisely.
A porcupine, with its baby,
a porcupette.
The diminutive mother
rattles her razor sharp quills
To warn chip away.
It's not worth the gamble.
But puku, resting
in an open area?
Perfect.
Chip has watched
her mother hunt.
But she's never put
her own skills into practice.
Leopards are the masters
of ambush hunting,
And rarely attempt a pursuit
From more than 15 feet away.
They can't keep up in a chase.
Chip must sneak up
without being spotted.
The pukus' night vision
isn't as good as hers.
They can't see her.
If she waits for them
to fall sleep,
She has a chance.
But waiting is boring.
And patience isn't her forte.
While she's waiting for sleep
to descend on the herd,
She succumbs to its charms.
Chip has utterly failed
in her task.
It doesn't bode well
for her future.
Morning
And chipadzua
is on the move again.
Well rested,
But even hungrier.
She must hunt.
She patrols what was
her mother's territory.
Scent marking to indicate
That this is now her patch.
Hungry though she is,
She won't try to chase
these puku.
Out in the open,
and in broad daylight,
There's little point.
What's needed
is the element of surprise.
She heads for the cover
of a gully,
Close to a grazing spot.
She must avoid being seen
for as long as possible.
(♪♪♪)
But the nervous herd
detects movement.
(♪♪♪)
Spotted!
It's now 95 degrees,
But she must push on.
She needs food.
Further ahead, antelope
are grazing in the bushes.
(♪♪♪)
She's doing everything right.
(♪♪♪)
Perhaps the tree-line
will give her cover.
(♪♪♪)
Chip keeps low,
Hiding in a dip.
(♪♪♪)
But yet again her patience
wears thin.
She can't resist a peek.
A rookie error.
(♪♪♪)
(♪♪♪)
Spotted again.
As all hope seems lost,
She stumbles onto a lifeline.
An abandoned kill,
at the mercy of scavengers.
Chip doesn't hesitate.
(vultures squawk)
It's scraps, but she'll take
what she can.
Her learning curve,
to stand on her own four paws,
Isn't getting much easier.
Male leopards
can have an even tougher time.
Like all leopards,
At adulthood, they must migrate
to a new territory.
But unlike females,
who'll tolerate sharing ranges,
Males will not.
They'll fight each other
To become the sole
dominant male.
The victor has access to prey,
And to females.
(fly buzzing)
Yesterday,
three-year-old kaingo
Confidently won this territory
from older male luambe.
And now he's sharing
the area with chip.
Kaingo sets off to patrol
his new kingdom.
Scenting as he goes
to attract potential mates.
He's an accomplished hunter,
And has carefully stashed away
today's breakfast
During the night.
Warthog.
But kaingo hasn't got
the lay of the land yet.
He's hidden his kill
less than 100 yards
From enemy hq.
A wild dog den.
The dogs and their puppies,
Have caught the scent
from the carcass.
Wild dogs
don't usually scavenge,
But this snack
is on their doorstep.
And the opportunity
to taunt kaingo
Is too much to resist.
(wild dog squeals)
(growls)
These dogs
are the endurance athletes
Of the carnivore family.
They can easily roam
hundreds of miles
In their search for food.
Unfortunately for kaingo,
they're re-directing
That boundless energy
towards him.
The leopard can't hide
his irritation.
But he doesn't dare retaliate.
Not only are the dogs better
long-distance runners,
They're faster sprinters too.
He can't outrun them.
Safer to stay put.
The pack change tactics.
Perhaps they can dislodge
the leopard.
Kaingo must wait it out,
And be thankful
the dogs can't climb trees.
The pack finally gets bored,
And heads off to find
an easier target.
Kaingo takes his chance
to leave,
Before his tormentors return.
The warthog isn't worth
the attention.
And the male leopard
Has a much more
important mission.
He's on the lookout
for a mate.
He doesn't know it,
But he's just
half a mile from chip.
(♪♪♪)
It's been almost a week
since chip's mother left.
Over the last few days,
She's scavenged abandoned scraps
where she can.
She's been spending
more time up in trees,
Where she's safe,
And where she can try
to ambush antelope.
Chip's finally taking
fewer risks
By not provoking
rival predators in the valley.
But she still hasn't caught
any prey herself.
This morning
She's patrolling her favorite
acacia grove.
But today there's something
different about it.
She discovers a new scent,
And it's driving her
to distraction.
It's the scent
of a male leopard.
Kaingo.
And chip likes what she smells.
For the first time
in her life,
She's in estrus
and ready to mate.
Kaingo shows himself.
Life is suddenly looking
a lot less solitary.
Kaingo may be hanging around,
But he's also inexperienced
in the ways of mating,
And is unsure
of this forward female.
He heads away,
with chip on his tail.
Her urge to mate
is all consuming.
Usually it's males
who do the pursuing,
But chip is characteristically
doing things her way.
She tries flirtation.
Rubbing her scent
to attract him.
It's not working.
(roaring)
Chip is not one
to give up easily.
But her amorous pursuit is about
to be rudely interrupted.
(♪♪♪)
Mohawk. Again.
He's patrolling
with a pride female,
And they're heading straight
towards the leopards.
They spot kaingo.
He sprints to a tree.
Chip, unseen,
has the chance to flee.
But her urge
to mate with kaingo
Keeps her rooted
To a hiding place
in the distance.
Mohawk and his mate settle in.
Kaingo is trapped.
(♪♪♪)
He won't dare to venture down.
At 400 pounds
mohawk could easily kill him.
The lions still
haven't seen chip
But, rather than take
the opportunity to escape,
The tenacious leopardess
Waits for the lions
to tire of this game.
After two hours,
Mohawk and the lioness
finally move off,
Their point made.
They are the rulers
of this patch.
Frustrated chip can finally
continue her flirtation.
As the light fades,
The couple reunites.
Chip is keen to move
this liaison forward.
But this is kaingo's
first attempt at mating too,
And he's yet
to be won over by her.
She tries to be direct,
And brazenly sits on his head.
(growling)
A clumsy move,
(roars)
But her innate instincts
To present herself
to him are right.
Perhaps darkness
will relax nervous kaingo.
As they step out
under the full moon,
The young leopards
finally seem to be in sync.
Even nearby prey
doesn't distract them.
This time
kaingo doesn't flinch.
Chip is giving off
intoxicating pheromones
That tell him
she's ready for mating.
When she presents
herself again,
It seems
he's finally ready too.
(growls)
(roars)
Her reaction as he withdraws
each time is understandable.
(hissing)
His penis is covered in barbs,
Thought to help
induce ovulation.
But it doesn't drive her away.
On the contrary,
They'll mate roughly
every 15 minutes
For many hours.
(hissing)
This stimulates
the release of her eggs
And gives the best chance
of conceiving.
Even with
this impressive effort,
The odds of her
becoming pregnant
Are less than 50%.
But perhaps
that's just as well.
Kaingo would have
no parental role,
And chip will have
little chance
Of successfully raising cubs
If she can't master
the art of the hunt.
Leopard mating can go on
for three days
But by morning, the pair
have gone their separate ways.
This first sexual encounter
may have been brief,
But it is
an important milestone
On chipadzua's
eventual path to motherhood.
As she surveys her turf,
She seems to have
a new confidence.
However, there is one thing
she must achieve
Before she's fully independent.
It's time to hunt.
This morning chip isn't
wasting energy in open areas
With little chance of success.
She heads to a sausage tree.
An ambush spot
her mother preferred,
And a favorite location
for grazing antelope
Drawn to its sweet flowers.
Now, she waits to pounce.
(♪♪♪)
Timing is everything.
(♪♪♪)
She's finally done it.
Bringing down a puku
weighing more than her
Is a huge achievement.
She finds a safe spot
to enjoy her spoils.
The once pampered princess
has become a warrior.
(♪♪♪)
Chip has risen
to the challenge
Of her sudden independence.
She's learned
how to keep herself
Safe from danger.
(hyena squealing)
And she's finally mastered
ambush hunting,
So vital
to her future survival alone.
Though her recent
dalliance with kaingo
Means she might
soon be joined
By a family of her own.
(♪♪♪)
Chipadzua has finally grown up.
(♪♪♪)
(♪♪♪)
