Narrator:
 For young milo...
 Born into
the strongest pride in luangwa,
 The future looks bright.
 But, as a tragedy strikes,
 The pride's power
 vanishes overnight.
 Abandoned by his father...
 Rejected by his mother...
 Milo struggles to survive.
 He must face his fears...
 And his enemies...
 To win back his mother's love.
 But only the return
 of his father
 Can ultimately
secure the future of the pride.
 This is the mwamba pride,
 A 20-strong family of lions
 that lives in the
 Vast wilderness
 of the luangwa valley
 In eastern zambia.
 Leading the pride
 are three males
 Known as the punks.
 Mohawk, axel
 and their brother spike.
 Between them,
 these six-year-olds
 Have managed to carve out
 an impressive territory.
 It's their job,
 like all male lions,
 To protect
 their pride from danger.
 Their family is a large one...
 Nine fully grown lionesses
 and six adolescent cubs.
 And then there are
 the latest additions.
 Two months ago,
 one of the lionesses,
 Five year-old mopane,
 Gave birth to a female
 called poppy
 And her brother, milo.
 They've been born
 into the strongest pride
 In the area,
 So for them,
 the future should be ensured.
 Like most new-born cubs,
 poppy and milo
 Live a carefree life.
(both growling)
 Lions are truly social animals
 and the cubs are inseparable.
 Learning to interact
 with other lions
 Is vital to their future lives
 as part of a pride structure.
 For some reason,
 only one other female
 Had a cub this year,
 but it died six weeks ago.
 So, as the only young cubs
 in this pride,
 Poppy and milo
 get all the attention
 From their aunts and cousins.
 The family dotes on them.
 But there's only
 so much fun a cub can have
 Before it needs to find mum
 for a meal of her rich milk.
 It's October,
and the temperatures in luangwa
 Are at their hottest.
 By mid-morning,
 it's already
 Over 80 degrees fahrenheit
 And it's only
 going to get hotter.
 Despite the heat,
 with new cubs around,
 The pride
 must always be on guard.
 They have one enemy
that'll not miss an opportunity
 To kill a vulnerable cub...
 The leopard.
 It's a close competitor
 and adult lions
 Are a direct threat
 to a leopard.
 So it'll try to kill
 a lion cub whenever it can.
 Take them out early and
 they won't be a threat later.
It's that simple for a leopard.
 To keep the cubs safe,
 the pride makes daily patrols
 Of its territory.
 It's not long before mohawk
 and a female leopard
 Come face to face.
 Mohawk means business.
 If he catches the leopard,
 he'll kill her.
 The leopard uses
 Her superior
 tree-climbing skills...
 But she's not out of danger.
 Mopane joins mohawk,
 And the two lions
 have the leopard trapped.
 They're too heavy
 to climb up after her,
Instead they'll make her suffer
 in the blazing sun.
 Eventually, having made their
 point
 They head home.
 This leopard escapes.
 But she's got the message
 Keep away from the new cubs.
 The pride's home
 is a large territory
 Spanning
 over nine square miles.
 It's a mosaic of woodland
 and savannah
 Hosting a diverse mix
 of species.
 Anchoring it all
 is the luangwa river,
 One of the largest
 in southern africa.
 Water is vital in a place
 where summer temperatures
Can top 180 degrees fahrenheit.
 The luangwa is
 one of the only
 Reliable water sources
 for many miles...
 Not just for the
 mwamba pride members
 But, more importantly,
 their prey.
 Thirst forces grazers
 and browsers
 Of all descriptions
 Right onto
 the mwamba's doorstep.
 Access to water
 and therefore prey
 Is what makes
 this pride's territory
 So valuable.
 The pride specialises
 In hunting some of
 africa's biggest prey.
 Buffalo.
 As the sun sets
 And the temperature
 begins to drop,
 A cool breeze stirs the pride.
 As they wake
 and greet one another,
 Thoughts turn to food.
 Milo and poppy
 grab the opportunity
 For one last feed
 Before their mother
 goes hunting.
 The pride will leave
 the youngsters alone
 For the night.
 The adults can sometimes
 be gone
 For 24 hours at a time,
 So the cubs seem relaxed
 as the pride leaves.
 They must wait silently.
 Hyenas and leopards
 become more active
 As darkness approaches,
 So they retreat
 to the safety
 Of deep vegetation.
 They mustn't give away
 their hiding place.
 As night falls,
 The beautiful, nocturnal world
 of luangwa emerges.
 Despite the darkness,
 The mwambas are at their best
 on these moonless nights.
 The lions' prey is laid out
 like a giant buffet.
 The pride is on home territory
and knows every bluff and ditch.
 Thirsty prey
that's travelled here from afar
 Won't know the ground
 nearly so well.
 The pride's target tonight
 is puku,
 A strong and stocky antelope
 nearly three feet high,
 At the shoulder.
 They're not large,
 But an adult provides
 over 150 pounds of meat.
 It won't feed the whole pride,
 but it'll help.
 The pride spreads out.
 There are plenty of targets...
 But that also means
 lots of eyes and ears
 To sound the alarm.
 Neither the pride
 nor the puku
 Are distance runners,
 Both rely
 on short bursts of speed.
 So far, the pride
 has not been detected.
 They'll need to get
 within 30 yards to succeed.
 Lions have a top speed
 of nearly 40 miles per hour,
 But they can't
 sustain it for long.
 Once they launch their attack,
 all the puku will flee.
 Tonight, the puku were faster.
 The hunt has failed.
 Prey beats predator.
 Like all lions,
The mwambas are only successful
 30 percent of the time.
 But no matter.
 A healthy pride like this
 Can go for bigger prey
 to make up the shortfall.
 And with this much prey
 moving into their territory,
 They'll have plenty
 of opportunities
 To hunt tomorrow.
 By the time the pride returns,
 the sun has already risen.
 Mopane, the cubs' mother,
 calls,
 Letting them know
 it's safe to emerge
 From their hiding place.
 But her calls
 are left unanswered.
 Unaware,
 the rest of the pride
 Settles down to rest.
 Mopane heads for
 where she left milo and poppy.
 Her calls become
 more distressed.
 At night, luangwa
 is a dangerous place,
Even for the king of the beasts.
 Hyenas are always
 on the lookout
 For an unprotected cub.
 And, of course,
 The leopards are
 also on the prowl.
 The mwamba pride lands
 Are home to five
 fully grown adults.
Finally, after hours searching,
 mopane returns to the pride...
 But she only has
 one cub at her side.
 It's milo.
One of the night's many dangers
 has taken poppy.
 Milo has lost
 his only sibling and playmate.
 He's lucky to survive,
 but being the only cub left
 In a pride has repercussions.
 For the family,
 Milo is now
 an expensive investment.
 It takes the same effort
 to look after one cub
 As it does two.
 So lionesses usually
 synchronise their breeding,
 Meaning mothers
 can help each other
 With the parenting duties.
 Unfortunately,
 without this help,
 Most single cubs
 like milo are abandoned.
 In only a few hours,
 The pride's attitude
 towards milo changes.
 One of
 the yearling's approaches...
 But her play
 has a hint of menace.
 Affection
 is turning to bullying.
 Milo's world has been
 turned upside down.
 Those that once protected,
 he now fears.
 Even mopane,
 his own mother,
 Seems not to care,
 Doing nothing to intervene
 As the yearling
 toys with her cub.
 Over the coming days,
 the harassment is non-stop.
 Milo can't seem
 to get a moment's peace.
 But even when mopane
 eventually intervenes,
 It's clear their relationship
 is unravelling.
 As the days pass,
 she becomes ever more distant.
 Milo seems confused
 by what's happening.
 He slinks off,
 Finding safety
 amongst the thorn brush.
 For the first time
 in his short life,
 He's truly alone.
 The loss of poppy
 Is a turning point
 for this pride.
 It has the potential
 to tear them apart.
 For male lions,
 The average time in charge
 of a pride is only two years,
 And the punks have
 already been the mwamba males
 For one and a half.
 At six years old,
 They're at their
 fittest and strongest.
 They're only going
 to get weaker
 As they grow older.
 Their remaining window
 of opportunity to pass on
 Their genes is shrinking.
 So, with only one cub to show
 for their efforts this year,
They're cutting their losses...
 Abandoning the mwamba pride
 to find new females.
 For milo and the pride,
 the loss of their protectors
 Is a disaster...
 A pride that loses its males
 will fragment,
 Leaving all its members
 more vulnerable.
 The mwambas
 are on borrowed time.
 The punks strike out
 in the search for new females
 To carry their line.
 Their journey
 takes them east,
 Across the river
 that marks the edge
 Of the mwamba's territory.
 Leaving the safety
 of a pride territory
 Rarely happens.
 This is the land
 of the hollywood pride.
 It's a small pride
 of four females.
 Last year they were led
 by a roaming male.
 He sired three cubs,
 But not one of them made it
 through the wet season.
 Axel,
 the bravest of the punks,
 Is first to venture
 up the river bank.
 In most cases,
 Wandering onto
 another pride's turf
 Would be an extremely
 hostile and dangerous act.
 The leading cause of death
 for male lions
 Is violent battles
 over territories.
 Initially the punks are wary,
 taking a cautious approach.
(roaring)
 They roar
 to signal their arrival.
 If there are other males about
 They'll be met with
 a confrontational reply.
 The punks
 are ready for a fight.
 But what comes to meet them
 isn't a male.
 It's a beautiful female...
 And she seems pretty friendly.
 Instead of a brawl,
 They're welcomed
 with open arms.
 Having lost their cubs,
 these four hollywood sisters
 Are ready to start
 a new family.
For that they need strong males,
 Both to sire and protect
 any new cubs
 That may come along.
 And the punks fit the bill.
 So, all the females
 are in full-on flirt mode.
 Coalitions don't fight
 over breeding rights.
 So, spike,
 mohawk and axel
 Mate with all the females.
 It's an epic affair...
 Every 20 minutes
 for four days.
 They may seem ready
 to have cubs,
 But these females
 are playing their own game.
 Although they're mating,
 they won't get pregnant.
 They're in false oestrus,
 a survival mechanism
 To prevent unknown males
 From fighting with them
 or their family.
 They're deliberately behaving
 As if they were ready
 to have cubs.
 This manipulates the males
 into being less aggressive.
 Mating might also help
 create a bond with the punks
 And entice the brothers
 to stick around,
 Forming a lasting pride
 with the sisters.
 But there is a trade-off.
 Now the sisters will
 have to share their food
 With the punks.
The hollywood pride's territory
 is rich in prey.
 Impala...
 Kudu...
 And warthogs.
 They're the only members
 of the pig family
 To feed predominantly
 on grass.
 But they have a hard time
 Bending down low enough
 to graze.
 Horny kneepads
 help them shuffle about
 On their knees instead.
 This female has
 eight-week-old piglets,
 Just emerged from their den.
 Their first excursion
is already attracting attention.
 One of the hollywood sisters
 has spotted them.
 But have they spotted her?
 They have!
 It's over quickly.
 But she won't get
 to keep it for long.
 Mohawk is quick to muscle in.
 Unlike the lioness,
 He's too large to hunt
 smaller prey.
 His body isn't designed
to move with speed and agility.
 For that,
 the males rely on the females.
 The hollywood lioness
 forfeits her prize.
 So, under sufferance,
 The females will put up
 with sharing their kills
 In return
 for the punks' protection.
 The punks
 are settling in nicely.
 Five miles away,
 for the mwamba lionesses,
 Things are going
 from bad to worse.
 They've lost their males,
 They've got six adolescents
 to feed
 Who are too inexperienced
 To be much help
 with the hunt,
 And they have a
 young cub, milo,
 Who's struggling
 to keep up.
 The dry season should be
 the time of plenty for lions.
 With game concentrated
 around water,
 Hunting should
 be at its easiest.
 But they're failing
 to make enough kills
 To feed the
 16 remaining members
 Of the pride.
 Everyone is hungry,
 And soon mopane
won't have enough milk for milo.
 If she goes
 five days without food
 Her supply will dry up.
 To feed everybody,
 A pride this size
 should be catching these...
 Buffalo.
 The biggest,
 meanest grazers in africa.
 Weighing over
 twelve hundred pounds,
 With a hide-like armour
 And horns that are designed
 to impale and flip a lion...
 They're not
 to be underestimated.
 Lionesses might have
 speed and agility,
 But to bring down buffalo
 They need the weight
 and power of the punks.
 It's a common misconception
 that male lions don't hunt.
 They do.
 But only
 when the prey demands it.
 With their bigger bulk,
 Male lions can help
 drag down buffalo,
 Enabling the lionesses
 to move in for the kill.
 So, the mwamba lionesses
 are really missing the punks.
 Despite repeated attempts
 to hunt buffalo,
 They can't manage
 to bring one down.
 But in their desperation
 for a meal
 That will feed
 the entire pride,
 They have to try again.
 Clouds form as evening comes.
 It's time
 to go hunting once more.
 The younger members
 of the pride
 Seem to want reassurance
 from their mothers.
 In preparation for the hunt,
 Mopane takes milo
 to a hiding place...
 An ominous throwback
 to the loss of his sister.
 As the light fails,
 The pride switches
 into hunting mode.
 They spread out
 looking to separate
 A likely victim.
 They manage
 to single one out...
 But he's a huge,
 well-armed bull.
 They can't seem
 to get close enough,
 Held back by swinging horns.
 Even with
 inch-and-a-half long claws,
They fail to penetrate the hide
 They can't hold on.
 The buffalo escapes
 To the safety
 of the marsh.
 Unsuccessful,
 the pride goes to bed,
 Hungry once more.
 Dawn breaks to find milo
 still alone in the brush.
 With the pride needing
 to hunt the entire night,
This is becoming all too common.
 With no siblings his own age,
 He lacks a vital part
 of any lion's development...
 Play.
 The rough and tumble
 of play fights helps predators
 Learn to tackle prey.
 All milo has to wrestle with
 is a stick.
 But it offers
 little resistance.
 He must also learn
 to be vigilant,
 Keeping his eyes and ears
 open for danger.
 And there are few things
 as dangerous
 To a young lion cub as this.
 The leopard watches,
 intently...
 Just waiting for her moment.
 Luckily,
the pride returns from the hunt
 Just in time.
 With this many
 lionesses about,
 The leopard
 won't try anything...
 For now...
 But as mopane and the pride
spend more time away hunting...
 And their relationship
 with milo
 Becomes more distant...
 The more chances
 the leopard will have.
 October is luangwa's
 hottest month,
 But change is coming.
 It hasn't rained since may,
 but the skies are darkening.
 The drought is about to break.
(thunder rumbling)
 The rains are welcomed
 by most animals,
 But not the lions.
 Water and new shoots
 are now everywhere,
 So their prey is no longer
 concentrated at the river.
 For the mwambas,
 whose males have been awol
 For nearly a week,
 Catching enough food
 is already difficult.
 Now it's going to get harder.
 It's been days
 since the pride last ate.
 And mopane's milk
 will soon run dry.
 If they're to survive,
They need to lure back the punks
 as soon as possible
 And start bagging
 some buffalo.
So, the pride takes a huge risk.
 Led by mopane,
 they travel east,
 In search of the males.
 They'll have to
 cross the river
 And enter the
 hollywood pride lands.
 If milo can't keep up,
 he'll be abandoned.
 Despite the rains,
 the river's still shallow.
 They're lucky.
 But deep water
 isn't the main danger.
These are croc-infested waters.
 Huge numbers patrol the river
 seeking opportunity.
 These are nile crocodiles.
 At over 16 feet,
 They're amongst the largest
 crocodiles in the world.
 They may not have
 eaten for weeks,
 Just waiting
 for a chance like this.
 There's little time
 for table manners.
 Some of the
 most powerful jaws
 In the animal kingdom
 Clamp down
 on slippery hippo flesh...
 Then, with muscular tails,
 They spin on their axis
 and twist off a mouthful.
 Regardless of the danger,
 The pride must
 cross the river.
 But someone's
 been left behind...
 Milo.
 Keenly focused,
 the lionesses forge ahead.
 The whole family is on edge.
 Milo is petrified.
 He's never seen water
 like this before.
And mopane doesn't seem to care.
(whimpering)
 Perhaps this is the moment
 their bond is finally broken.
(whimpering)
But something draws mopane back.
(whimpering)
 It's now, or never.
 But the worst possible thing
 he can do is stop.
(milo whimpering)
 Bravely he ventures on...
 It's getting deeper.
 Milo must swim
 if he's going to make it.
 The croc moves in
 for the grab...
(growling)
 But mopane's growl
 sends it on its way.
 An external threat
 to her cub
 Has triggered
 her maternal instincts.
 Perhaps this
 will rekindle their bond.
 Having survived the river,
 the pride has a new hurdle.
The huge riverbank looms ahead.
 It's barely passable
 for the adults.
 For milo, it's impossible.
 Once again,
 he's left behind.
 But this time mopane
 hasn't forgotten him.
 Gently,
 she carries her cub to safety.
 After the drama
 of the river crossing,
 Mother and cub immediately
 settle down to nurse.
 An intimacy and tenderness
 has returned.
 Mopane's change in behaviour
 towards milo
 Instantly seems to ripple
 through the rest of the pride.
 They're already
 treating him differently.
 One of the yearlings
 Initiates the
 "greeting ceremony."
 Head rubbing and raised tails
 Are a lion's way of showing
 they mean no harm.
 The family's bond
 has kept the pride together,
 But they still need
 the males' hunting abilities
 And protection
 to ensure it succeeds.
 That's what brought them
 across the river
(growls)
 Mopane sends her call out
 into the hollywood territory.
 A lioness's call can carry
 more than a mile.
 If the punks hear her,
 they should respond.
 The trespassing lionesses
 Won't risk venturing farther
 into enemy territory.
 So,
the mwamba's wait here instead.
 Hours pass, with no response.
 Night begins to fall.
 It seems as though
their efforts to find the punks
 Are in vain.
 As the sun rises, it's time
 to reluctantly head for home.
 But a familiar sound
 Cuts through
 the still morning air.
 It's mohawk.
 And flowing closely behind
 is axel.
 It's been a week
 since the lionesses
 Have seen their males
 And they greet them
 with great affection.
 Then, last but not least,
 spike also returns.
 After spending some time
 With the four
 hollywood beauties,
 Perhaps the punks have decided
 that the mwambas
 Have better odds
 when hunting.
 With the family reunited,
 they can cross the river,
 Back into mwamba territory.
 With the support
that the reformed pride brings,
 Mopane can relax
 And devote all her attention
 to milo.
 With regular suckling,
 he's growing strong.
 And the rest of the pride
 Are also seeing changes
 for the better.
 The punks' power
 Has helped them
 bring down a buffalo...
 Giving them the big meal
 they've been missing.
 The pride gets
 the best feed it's had
 Since the males left,
 Enjoying full bellies
 for the first time in a week.
 And there are other signs
 the family is back on track.
 The lionesses
 seem receptive once more.
 It's been a trying week.
 Abandoned by their males,
 the mwamba pride
 Has overcome hunger...
 Fear...
 And rival females.
 For milo,
 the loss of his sister
 And rejection by his mother
 Could have meant
 his time was up.
 But the plucky young cub
 has a bright future ahead.
 And soon, milo will have
a gang of cousins to play with.
 At last, the future
 of the pride seems secure.
