♪ Narrator: The Okavango Delta in Botswana... We are in a pristine environment right now.

Narrator: one of Africa's last wildernesses...

The magnitude of life here is unparalleled.

Narrator: and it's a haven for Africa's big cats-- lion, cheetah, and leopard.

Big cat country.

Narrator: Armed with the latest filming technology, the "Big Cats 24/7" team is following individual big cats for 6 months... Buchanan: This is a unique opportunity to follow these cats round the clock.

Narrator: through the day... Rea Schulte to Brinke: I used to think I'd have a fair fight with a lion, not so sure now.

Narrator: and the night... Hartman: We've got the most sophisticated thermal imaging technology.

Narrator: capturing their behavior 24 hours a day.

I have never seen anything like this.

Epic!

♪ [Insects chirping] This program was made possible in part by... ♪ and by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

Sets Nthomiwa: They've got the drones.

Woodward: Got the drones.

OK. Narrator: The "Big Cats 24/7" team...

Pretty cool to have everyone back together.

Narrator: is reuniting after 6 months.

Really excited about the first day.

♪ [Motor running] ♪ [Lion roars] Nthomiwa: Ach, it is day one, and I am so excited because immediately, there's some ruckus going on.

[Roaring continues] Dimitriadis: What a start.

Things are already kicking off.

[Roar] ♪ Narrator: Based in a remote film camp, the team is working in 400 square kilometers of the Okavango Delta.

♪ It's the driest time of the year.

♪ Prey is scarce, but where it goes, the predators follow.

Buchanan: This is the southwestern part of Xudum Island.

Last time we were here, there wasn't a huge amount of lion traffic, but at the moment, this is where I suppose the core of the pride is.

Hey.

♪ Buchanan: Oh, wow.

Rush hour for the lions.

♪ My goodness, every one of them is on the move.

♪ That is incredible.

Narrator: The Xudum pride is now 40 strong.

♪ This is the largest pride of lions in the world.

♪ Gordon and Sets are with its most important part-- its mums and cubs.

Buchanan: It's so great to be back here to see all of those cubs that I met last year.

♪ Narrator: There are 16 cubs in the pride, aged between 8 weeks... ♪ and 18 months old.

♪ Buchanan: This is a picture of success.

They're here.

They're alive and doing well.

Narrator: The mothers of the oldest cubs are 3 of the most experienced females.

Nthomiwa: The matriarchs are all here-- Mmakgosi, Nosi, and Magogo.

She's experienced.

She's a phenomenal hunter, and that's why she's still prowling the savanna at 11 years old.

♪ Buchanan: Oh, my word, Mathata, you have grown.

Ha ha ha!

He's a giant.

♪ That's fantastic.

He was still a tiddler the last time I saw him.

He was much bigger than the other cubs.

Now he is enormous.

♪ He's become a really handsome young--young male.

♪ You see his mane across the top of his head, and around the neck, he's just got this sort of shagginess to him.

Hey, Mathata.

Hey, big boy.

Where are you off to?

Narrator: Mathata is 18 months old and maturing fast... Nthomiwa: He is big.

He's gotten big.

Narrator: but he's still not able to hunt for himself.

Nthomiwa: The cubs are growing at a rapid rate.

It puts a lot of pressure on these mums to provide for them.

Narrator: These older cubs now need to eat almost 11 pounds of meat a day, and their mums face the unrelenting task of providing all of this for them.

♪ ♪ What are we dealing with here?

Definitely just shifted into that hunting mode.

Narrator: Magogo, Nosi, and Mmakgosi have split off from the rest of the group.

♪ Buchanan: Oh, Mr. Piggy, the future is not looking too bright.

♪ Nthomiwa: OK.

This is Magogo here.

♪ Buchanan: Every time that she thinks that the warthog is gonna look round in her direction, she stops, and she sinks to the grass.

[Bird squawking] ♪ [Birds chirping and squawking] ♪ [Snorts] [Snorts] [Huffing] [Squealing] ♪ [Squealing continues] ♪ [Squeal] [Squeal] I was sure they had it.

[Grunts] For lions, life is incredibly difficult.

Narrator: Starvation accounts for a quarter of all cub deaths under the age of two.

Buchanan: They are hungry, and they are active.

Narrator: With so many cubs in the pride, the stakes for the lion mothers are higher than ever.

Gordon and Sets are sticking with them.

♪ Schulte to Brinke: Go ahead, Anna.

Hey, guys, we're just trying to sort of work out which way we should come.

Narrator: Anna is joining Rea.

Pobe, Pobe.

I've got Pobe east of the lagoon in the floodplains.

♪ [Growling] Dimitriadis: Ooh, I see her.

I can see her.

What an amazing start.

This is day one in the delta, and we have found Pobe.

♪ It's been 6 months since we last saw her... and we had some incredible news since we've been away.

[Clicks tongue] What?

[Purring] We're looking at two really beautiful, cute cubs here.

♪ It's quite the time since we've seen Pobe, and actually the first glance we've had of these cubs.

Dimitriadis: I reckon these two must be probably between 3 and 5 months old because they've got the remains of, like, a mohawk, and that's their silver mantle on their back.

Schulte to Brinke: Usually with cheetah mums, they try to keep cubs in nice, thick areas hidden away from big predators.

Big predators would be lions, leopards, basically anyone who might be a potential threat to the cubs.

♪ Dimitriadis: And can you see that one is a little girl and one is definitely a little boy.

♪ For most big cats, the females just develop so much faster than the males.

♪ The girl is just so much more boisterous than the little boy.

♪ She's constantly pouncing on him... ♪ and she seems to be the one that is always taking the lead.

No matter where they go, she's there with her mum first.

♪ She just seems super interested in what Pobe is doing.

♪ The fact that she's got this far with them already is incredible.

♪ Narrator: Only a quarter of cheetah cubs will make it to 3 months old.

Dimitriadis: The odds are so stacked against them.

Lions are the number-one killer of cheetah cubs... [Growls] and they are in a place that has the biggest lion pride in the world.

♪ Narrator: This is a critical stage for the cubs.

Pobe is going to have to work hard to keep them safe.

♪ [Bird squawks] ♪ Narrator: The oldest cubs of the Xudum pride need more food than ever.

[Whirring] Buchanan: That little guy's-- Narrator: Mothers Magogo, Nosi, and Mmakgosi now must hunt around the clock.

♪ Gordon is preparing for the night shift.

This is our thermal imaging camera.

This camera is a miracle worker.

So much of their lives are lived after dark.

Narrator: At night, lions can see 6 times better than humans.

♪ For Gordon, this incredible technology lets him see things even the cats can't.

[Insects chirping] Buchanan: Oh.

These females with their cubs, they need to hunt.

They need the food more than anyone.

Narrator: But the cubs... Buchanan: Oh, look at that.

Narrator: may be biting off more than they can chew.

Buchanan: It's a honey badger.

[Growls] Buchanan: For Mathata and all of these cubs, anything that moves is worth investigating.

♪ Narrator: Honey badgers might be small, but they have big attitudes.

Buchanan: Good.

Mathata and his partner in crime harassing this honey badger, but that is one animal that they really should not mess with.

It's, what, maybe a fifth the size of one of those cubs, but it is probably 50 times as tough.

They've got an incredibly powerful bite.

They're kind of skunklike, but instead of spraying, honey badgers kind of, like, do these stink bombs.

♪ It's got danger at both ends.

♪ Mathata's probably thinking, "OK.

This is maybe not something I want to eat."

♪ Honey badgers are nasty.

♪ Narrator: Looking for an easier meal... Lions are on the move.

Narrator: the cubs are following their mothers.

♪ Buchanan: They've left Xudum Island.

They've headed westward.

I've never been this far from the core territory.

[Birds chirping] ♪ There's always a few impala around.

♪ Every little herd has got at least sort of 15, 20.

♪ [Chuff] Impala alarm-calling.

[Chuff] ♪ Oi.

♪ Oh, think we've got-- I think they've got something.

♪ I think it's an impala... [Munching] smothered in lions, but this meal won't go very far.

♪ Oh, look.

Some big male has come in.

Who's this?

It's a big male.

Whoa.

Who is this guy?

♪ Who is he?

Ah, it's Madumo.

Look at his waistline.

I didn't recognize him, he's so skinny.

Huh.

Where have you been?

Narrator: An adult male lion will eat 8 times as much as a cub in one sitting, and Madumo's hunger is taking priority.

Buchanan: Madumo is one of two male lions that are the head of the Xudum pride.

Big Toe is the other one.

♪ Madumo and Big Toe haven't been seen together for weeks... ♪ so things are changing.

It's just not as it was.

Narrator: Without Big Toe...

This is the worst state that I've seen him in.

Narrator: Madumo will struggle to protect the pride.

Buchanan: We may be witnessing the end of Big Toe and Madumo's reign.

These cubs are really hungry, really persistent.

Incredibly bold.

[Roars] The best thing that all of them can do is just back off.

[Roars] What a temper.

[Roars] [Cries] We're seeing how difficult it is for a female with cubs... [Growling] who spend most of the night trying to hunt, and when you are eventually successful-- whoa-- they're having to share this small meal, and Madumo is getting more than the lion's share.

Narrator: Mathata and the cubs can only watch as their food disappears.

Buchanan: There's a desperation to him.

Just watching him hog that carcass on his own without Big Toe by his side, yeah, he's just an old, hungry lion.

Narrator: With empty stomachs, the mums and cubs leave.

Unable to follow, Gordon calls it a night.

♪ Narrator: It's morning.

I'll update on numbers soon.

Narrator: Brad has found the hungry lion mothers and older cubs.

♪ So she's running now.

Narrator: Mmakgosi, Magogo, and Nosi have spotted an opportunity.

Bestelink: This is a leopard up in this tree on a kill, and the pride has found him.

[Leopard growling] When it's really, really dry, prey is limited, and it's isolated, and everybody's just bottled up into one little ball.

This has brought the predator interaction to a peak.

[Hisses] Narrator: Leopards stash their food in trees to keep it safe... [Hisses] ♪ but these lion mothers will stop at nothing to feed their cubs.

♪ Bestelink: This group of lionesses are known for their tree-climbing, and I think this is an example of the advantage of that.

♪ [Growling] ♪ [Growls] Narrator: The leopard has no chance against a lion 3 times its weight.

Bestelink: So Mmakgosi has decided to eat the carcass up in the tree alone and not share it with everybody below-- what a thief-- strange thing for the cubs and the other lionesses.

She's being a little mean.

These cubs are hungry.

They can smell this pig, and they're desperately trying to get up and down, but none of them seem to be winning.

It's almost like she's trying to get these cubs to learn to climb trees, to go and get it.

If they want something to eat, they'd better climb.

[Growls] Oh, girl, Mathata.

It's the highest one of the cubs has gone.

Mmakgosi is coming down... everybody trying to get hold of it, and she's about to tumble down with the carcass and knock the cats out of tree so-- [Roars] Now we're gonna have absolute pandemonium trying to compete over this warthog.

[Growling] Finally, Mathata--ha!--is there, can actually eat something.

Everybody is now on the remains of the carcass.

Narrator: But scavenging will provide only a fraction of the food Mathata and the older cubs need.

Bestelink: 8 lions fighting over a warthog, totally insane.

Narrator: The mums must hunt bigger prey...soon.

[Hisses] ♪ Narrator: Away from the lions...

These cheetahs are on a completely different level this morning.

Narrator: Anna is with Pobe.

Her two cubs are now growing in confidence...

I can see two zebra ahead.

Narrator: which makes it even harder to keep them safe.

♪ Dimitriadis: What are you up to?

There's no chance they'd be able to take a fully grown zebra down.

They're way too big.

Narrator: At this age, cheetah cubs start to show an interest in hunting... Dimitriadis: Yeah.

They're moving straight towards them.

♪ What?

Hang on.

Pobe's running.

Pobe's running.

Pobe's running.

Narrator: but they don't always pick the right prey.

♪ That was really strange.

♪ That almost felt like she was teaching the cubs.

She's probably saying, "Look.

"These ones are a little bit too big for us.

This is not what we want."

Narrator: A kick from an adult zebra could seriously hurt a cub.

She's running again.

She's running again.

♪ All she wants to do is protect her cubs.

♪ Narrator: To keep them safe, it looks like Mum is stepping in.

♪ It's all playing out in front of these zebra, who are very confused.

♪ Oh, this is one thing I just love about cheetahs.

There's, like, never a dull moment, really.

They're just so much fun to watch... [Braying] and the zebra have kind of got the message, and they're trotting off into the distance.

♪ Crazy cubs.

[Mewing] ♪ Narrator: Anna has been following Pobe for over 3 hours.

I'll just scope you where you are... Narrator: so Greg is joining to lend a hand.

Thanks, Greg.

Hartman: Problem.

♪ Hartman, on radio: Anna, lions behind you.

♪ [Brays] We've got Pobe and her two cubs out in the open, and there are lions watching them.

♪ Pobe has just noticed them now.

♪ Lions are their number-one threat.

♪ They're all sat really still.

♪ Narrator: Lions are responsible for more than 3/4 of cheetah cub deaths by predation.

Greg, are the lions looking directly at her?

♪ Hartman: Yeah.

That's an affirm, eh?

♪ It's one lioness that's looking at it, and a subadult male... ♪ and I think there's lions in between that are still flat.

♪ This is literally the worst-case scenario for Pobe.

♪ She's out in the open.

What are you gonna do, Pobe?

♪ Go on.

Quickly, Mum.

Get down.

♪ Narrator: If Pobe runs, it could trigger the lions to chase.

♪ Hartman: Subadult male is up now.

♪ Dimitriadis: Ooh.

Stay low.

Stay low, Pobe.

Just stay low.

♪ That was seriously close.

I'm actually shaking.

Narrator: Pobe has kept her cubs safe...for now.

Classic Pobe, the lion dodger.

She's--she's too clever for this, touch wood.

Dimitriadis: That was terrible.

It's gonna take a while for my heart rate to go down.

♪ Brad, Brad for Tristan.

Narrator: Brad and Tristan... Go ahead.

Just spotted Xudum in a tree.

Narrator: are searching for female leopard Xudum.

Hey, well done.

Nice one.

Narrator: She's moved to a new area.

♪ She tends to spend less time around our camp now, comes in just for water and then heads out again, so it'll be very interesting to catch up with her and see what's going on in her life.

♪ It's really, really nice to see Xudum alive and well.

♪ I'm really liking this area she's moving into.

Narrator: Last year, both of Xudum's cubs were killed by an aggressive male leopard.

Bestelink: She's really pushed northwest, away from where all those male leopards are.

It's good for her if she secures this top section... much more conducive to cubs, so quite exciting that she's shifting her boundaries a little bit.

It's just really nice to be with Xudum again.

Wondering where she's gonna go.

Narrator: Xudum is trying to make this new territory home.

♪ Woodward: She's out in a very, very grassy little area.

Normally, this time of year, she's very interested in hunting from trees.

Ah.

Narrator: To be successful here in open grassland, Xudum must change her approach.

Woodward: This is a completely different tactic.

She's got to stalk in, get close, be patient.

Makes our lives a lot more difficult.

They blend in so easily, and they just evaporate, essentially... [Engine starts] so I'm hoping we can stick with her.

♪ Whoa, that's pretty cool.

She just erupted out of the grass.

Someone wasn't ready.

Woman: Ha ha ha!

Narrator: Leopards use their sense of smell and hearing to pinpoint hidden targets.

[Squealing] Woodward: Yes, girl.

Nice one.

Looks like she's just got a reedbuck.

She's right on top of it, and this is gonna be an amazing meal for her.

♪ Now, that is impressive.

That thing is so much bigger than her.

Probably weighs 1 1/2 times her body weight.

Well done, girl.

♪ Xudum's kill here gives me a lot of hope.

♪ She's making her own way and adapting to her surroundings.

It's a really good sign.

♪ ♪ Dimitriadis: There they are.

Narrator: Anna is with the cheetahs.

Dimitriadis: There are loads more little pockets of thick brush.

Narrator: Pobe is looking for somewhere safe to spend the night.

♪ OK. Looks like the sun's gonna set soon, and I'm gonna back off, give them a little bit more space and then switch to the thermal camera.

[Birds chirping] ♪ Unlike our lions and leopards, cheetahs are a predominantly diurnal species, which means that their eyes are much better suited to daylight hours.

At night, they actually really can't see a huge amount.

Narrator: This makes cheetahs most vulnerable after dark.

[Barks] Dimitriadis: There's always a chance that a lion could stumble upon Pobe and her cubs, and we really don't want that.

Lions kill cheetah cubs and cheetahs, so she needs to be alert to everything in the area.

[Cubs mewing] Narrator: Cheetahs' night vision may be poor, but with ears that rotate independently, Pobe can pinpoint danger from any direction.

[Engine thrumming] [Insects chirping] Dimitriadis: She's got herself right into the middle of a big, open floodplain, just so that she can hear any sounds of danger approaching.

Narrator: In a safe spot, Pobe is ready to settle down.

The cubs, however, have other ideas.

♪ God, you can really see that Pobe is just like, "Guys, it's bedtime.

"Please settle down.

Settle down.

It's way past your bedtime," and these two are like, "Come on, Mum, 5 more minutes of play."

♪ Think they're just getting rid of all of their pent-up energy from the day.

♪ [Engine starts] ♪ Ooh.

♪ OK.

They are finally settling down.

As good a mum as Pobe is, she's gonna need to be on high alert all night.

I really feel for her.

It's a really tough job being a cheetah mum.

So sweet to see them cuddled up like that.

Be safe, Pobe, please.

♪ Narrator: In the morning, Anna and Rea are still with the cheetahs... Dimitriadis: They are awake and they're looking around.

Narrator: but Pobe is on edge.

♪ Schulte to Brinke: Anna, I'm not sure what's happening here, but Pobe is looking a little bit scared or agitated.

♪ Dimitriadis: What?

Can you see what she's looking at?

♪ [Animal huffs] ♪ Actually, I can see another cheetah.

Yeah.

There's another cheetah here.

There's another cheetah?

What?

Oh, you will not believe it, Anna.

It's Sepoko.

♪ Yeah.

I can see him.

I can see him.

♪ We haven't seen Sepoko in about a year, and here he is again.

He's just emerged out of thin air.

He is the ghost that we named him after.

He is Sepoko.

♪ He hasn't seen them yet.

They look a bit terrified here.

I don't think they're gonna hang around.

She's getting away from this male.

Narrator: Male cheetahs can be aggressive towards adult females, but Sepoko isn't a threat to Pobe's cubs.

Dimitriadis: One really strange similarity between cheetahs and domestic cats is that they both have multiple paternities.

These two cubs could have completely separate dads.

Narrator: Female cheetahs mate with many partners and can carry cubs from different males in a single pregnancy.

♪ Dimitriadis: Sepoko could be one or both or neither of these cubs' dads... Narrator: This increases genetic diversity and also helps protect the cubs.

Dimitriadis: which means that he's not gonna come in and do them any harm because he simply doesn't know if they're his cubs.

♪ Great for Pobe because it means that she doesn't have to be concerned about a male cheetah coming in and potentially killing them, but I wonder what Pobe is thinking.

She's made a quick exit.

♪ ♪ Narrator: Brad and Tristan are on the trail of a new female leopard.

♪ Oh.

Oh, there she is.

Sorry.

Yes.

There's Lediba.

♪ The left-hand side of the face, she's got one massive whisker pad, very distinct, very easy to I.D.

her.

Ah, little cub.

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

♪ Narrator: Lediba has two cubs-- Woodward: Oh, they're so beautiful.

Narrator: a male and a female.

♪ Woodward: Cubs most likely around 3 to 4 months old, old enough to move around and climb and do a lot of things, but nowhere near being able to provide or fully look after themselves.

♪ Bestelink: She's a really incredible, little cat, very sly female, similar size to Xudum, but older.

♪ Being older means that she's more experienced-- more experienced hunting, more experienced staying alive.

keeping cubs alive.

♪ Woodward: I have a suspicion that Lediba is going to end up turning into one of if not my favorite cats.

Narrator: Over the next few months, Brad and Tristan will follow Lediba to see if she can be a successful mother.

♪ Bestelink: I've got a good feeling that these two cubs are gonna survive.

♪ Narrator: In film camp... Been chewed on.

Narrator: Greg is checking camera traps to see who's been visiting after dark.

♪ We've got a network of 6 camera traps set up all over the camp just to show us what sort of creatures have been moving around, particularly at night.

[Insects chirping] It's like being a spy.

♪ Oh, my word, there's a hyena.

This is right here in front of our main area.

Ha!

Hyena is snooping around.

♪ What?

Looks like a hyena has robbed somebody of a kill.

What has he got?

It's a young impala, and, I bet you, scavenged from a leopard.

It looks classic leopard crime, literally walking right by where I'm sitting.

[Grunting] There's an elephant here who's strolled right through.

♪ It's quite amazing.

We don't have any fences around the camp, and the wildlife just take over.

Oh.

There's Jake, our junior editor-- ha ha!--going off to bed.

♪ Oh, my word.

♪ It's a lioness.

What?

On the ramp.

♪ That's insane... ♪ and he wouldn't have had a clue.

♪ [Sniffing] I'm gonna be walking around this camp very differently now at night, considering what we're seeing on this camera trap.

♪ Just shows the sheer density of predators in this place.

Wow.

Huh.

No way.

♪ Got 1, 2, 3 big, male lions, and these are not Big Toe and Madumo.

♪ These lions are intruding right into the heart of the Xudum pride territory.

a serious threat to Madumo and Big Toe.

Part of their role as pride males is to secure the boundary of the territory from intruders like this, and it doesn't seem as though their security is watertight.

The only sign of Big Toe and Madumo of late has been Madumo on his own.

He was looking really skinny and concerningly ragged.

It seems like the big, dominant males are at a slight weak spot.

They seem fragile.

These intruders pose a significant threat to everyone involved.

♪ [Birds chirping] Narrator: Out on the night shift... Nthomiwa: It just got dark, and they're already active.

Narrator: Gordon and Sets, they're with Mmakgosi, Nosi, Magogo, and their cubs.

Buchanan: They haven't eaten a decent meal within the last few days.

♪ Narrator: Adult lions can survive two weeks without food... Nthomiwa: The cubs are looking a little bit skinny, and for their sake, I really hope they get something tonight.

Narrator: but Mathata and the cubs need to eat much more regularly.

Buchanan: Females have started moving.

♪ It's zebra they're interested in.

♪ [Whir] Nthomiwa: Looks like all the cubs are staying put... ♪ while the mums go out hunting.

[Braying] They can focus on finding a cub something to eat.

♪ [Grunts] This terrain they've chosen is advantageous.

It's thick, which means they can...stalk and get really close before pouncing.

♪ There's no moon, and it's the perfect cover for an ambush.

♪ Think I spoke too soon.

Ha!

One cub doesn't want to be left behind.

She's running after her mum... and they're all getting up to follow.

[Growling] Buchanan: Every single one of these cubs is making a little bit of noise as it walks through the dry grass.

♪ They're not exactly being discreet.

♪ Narrator: With so many curious cubs in the pride, hunting is almost impossible for these mums.

Buchanan: On a night like this, that noise carries.

♪ Whoa, the zebra know that something is out there.

♪ [Braying] ♪ Nthomiwa: Their cover's been blown.

♪ The zebras are gone.

♪ Narrator: Mathata and the cubs have lost another chance to eat.

♪ Nthomiwa: They'll ruin a couple hunts because they'll want to participate.

It'll be a learning curve for them.

The consequence of a failed hunt, it is going hungry.

♪ [Engine starts] Narrator: The lion mothers are getting desperate.

Buchanan: And it is ultimately life or death for the lion family.

If these lions cannot hunt, they can't survive.

♪ [Beep] Nthomiwa, on radio: Gordon, I've lost them in the bush.

♪ Looks like this is it for tonight.

We've lost the lions.

Buchanan: Time to head back to camp.

♪ [Birds chirping] ♪ Narrator: Anna has now been with Pobe and her cubs for 3 days and nights.

Hello.

Gorgeous.

Wow, that is so incredible... ♪ and now the other cub is gonna come in, I think.

Good morning.

Sleep well?

Have some good dreams of catching impala?

I feel like, as the younger sibling, I always did or wanted to do whatever my sister was doing, so I can see that playing out here.

Right, who wants to come and join the party?

With them coming so close to us here, feels like we're being accepted into the family.

I feel like I'm seeing a completely different side to Pobe this morning.

What I knew of her before was that she was basically, like, a bloodthirsty predator, but motherhood has just given her a whole new softer side.

She's been cleaning herself and her two cubs, and it's so cute to have seen them licking each other this morning.

They clearly love each other so much.

A lot of the time out here, it's just, like, go, go, go, go the whole time.

It's really high-octane, so it's also really important to have these moments where everything's just really chilled and relaxed and to properly take in what's happening around us.

♪ [Bird squawking] [Chittering] ♪ [Birds chirping] ♪ Pobe's two cubs, they've got beyond the most dangerous point of a cheetah cub's life, and seeing this family so comfortable here in this area and also so comfortable with us, it's just awesome, so awesome.

♪ Pobe's doing a really good job.

♪ Just behave, you two, OK?

♪ [Elephant bellowing] [Trumpets] ♪ I can see some lions huddled up.

Narrator: Sets has found the lion mothers and cubs.

Nthomiwa, on radio: Gordon, Gordon, copy... Narrator: After 5 days without a decent meal... Nthomiwa: Think they might have actually done it.

Narrator: they finally triumphed.

Nthomiwa: Think they might be on a kill.

♪ Buchanan: The cubs and the mums, they've had success, so it's fantastic.

They've got something to eat.

♪ Nthomiwa: It's Magogo, Nosi, Mmakgosi with their cubs.

I can see Mathata there with his scruffy, little mane.

♪ Buchanan: Whatever that is, not much remains.

♪ This looks like a crime scene.

It does.

What is it?

It's a zebra kill, well, what's left of it.

The remains of it.

Yeah.

They've polished through it quite quickly.

Mm.

I was thinking last year, it's really important for these mums to get regular meals for these cubs, but now the cubs are this size, it is even more-- even more important.

Yeah.

You can see Mathata is almost as big as a lioness, Mm.

so the pressure keeps growing each day.

♪ Buchanan: It makes me happy when I see well-fed, happy lions.

♪ This is easy as it gets.

They've done all of the hard work.

♪ Now they can enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Well, tomorrow will always bring its own set of challenges, but I think the challenge that remains for today is just--ha ha!-- trying to sleep off that meat coma, all of them.

They're all looking very fat and very happy.

It's exactly how I like to see this pride.

♪ Narrator: Mmakgosi, Magogo, and Nosi have finally provided for Mathata and the older cubs... Man, on radio: Copy that.

Narrator: but another, even bigger challenge is coming.

[Radio chatter] Hartman: What?

[Radio chatter continues] Hartman: No way.

♪ Oh, that is a big lion, a very, very big lion.

Narrator: It's the intruders from the camp's camera trap, and there are not just 3, but 4 of them.

Hartman: Major update on the lion front.

We've managed to find the intruder males.

That could be trouble.

Hartman: Here we are with 4 male lions-- a large prime male with 3 subadults, easily the greatest threat to the pride that we've had so far.

Narrator: Coalitions of 4 males are rare.

The team has never seen a group of this size here before.

Hartman: We're right in the Xudum pride territory.

Madumo and Big Toe normally would be pushing these intruders out, but there's absolutely no sign of them.

Narrator: With Big Toe and Madumo missing... Hartman: This is really, really bad news.

Narrator: All of the lion mums and cubs are dangerously exposed.

Buchanan: The biggest threat to any cub comes from a male lion, from infanticide.

[Mews] Buchanan: The smaller cubs, the more vulnerable.

They're not as fast, not as mobile.

♪ Hartman: It looks dark for the pride at the moment, and they are looking around with menace and intent, scent-marking almost every bush-- maybe they can smell other lions-- ♪ and they are moving straight through the heart of the Xudum pride territory.

♪ [Growls] ♪