Lions primarily inhabit a variety of land-based ecosystems, including grasslands, savannas, open woodlands, and scrublands, with a preference for areas with abundant prey. They are well-adapted to diverse terrain and can be found in various regions, including those with mountains, thick bushes, and even along the edges of forests. However, they generally avoid dense, closed forests and extreme deserts.
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00The two and a half year old has been isolated from the pride, his own pride.
00:06Today, his own fathers are driving him out.
00:10His only sin was to develop the beginnings of a mane.
00:21If one of these was not his father, he would be dead already.
00:26If he resists, he will be.
00:30I will be.
00:34I am so tired of that.
00:39To be continued.
00:45Hi.
00:51I am so tired.
00:55The betrayal by his own blood may be confusing to him,
01:13but this is an ancient rite,
01:16the casting out of young males into a world of unknowns,
01:20a world where he will either make it or die.
01:25Decisions today will determine who survives to be king
01:29and what genetic material is destined for failure.
01:38To understand what it takes to be a survivor,
01:42we have to rewind every success story
01:45and follow the bloodlines of strength.
01:51It is the life lived by claw and tooth
01:54but for male lions, the puzzle is in the numbers.
02:01Lions are born in equal numbers, males to females,
02:04a tumbling mess of small bodies
02:06born roughly the same time in a pride,
02:09courtesy of the magic of the synchronicity
02:11of their mother's body cycles.
02:16Their nurseries of almost same-aged cubs
02:19and equal genders make for a very social upbringing.
02:30It's a training ground, a playing field,
02:33a time when lifelong bonds are developed,
02:36bonds that may one day be the foundation
02:38of a strong brotherhood to fight the territory.
02:41For now, soft-mouthed spikes and gentle paws slap out.
02:56At this age, any young male that is more adventurous
03:00will attract accidents.
03:02A heavy rock may be an innocent toy,
03:07but dropping on his tender paw
03:09and this young male might just become an early victim.
03:16A small male learns here
03:18that when someone ambushes you,
03:21someone else has your back.
03:23Soft fur protects them from needle-sharp teeth.
03:44The nursery system works.
03:47Cubs are seldom much more than a few months different in size,
03:50so older cubs can't do too much damage.
03:58The danger now is that cubs can sometimes get picked on
04:02and played to exhaustion.
04:06It seems as though mothers have developed
04:08a surprising protectiveness to male cubs in particular,
04:13perhaps understanding that the odds
04:15are already stacked against them.
04:17So, ironically, because of this protectiveness
04:23and perhaps a more robust style of playing,
04:26little males slightly edge out the female cubs.
04:30By three months, male cubs often outnumber their sisters.
04:34It's a male aggression that can well up inside of them
04:51at any moment, at any age.
04:53A fully-grown female collapsing at the wrong time
05:03on a cub one-tenth of her size
05:05might be the end of him.
05:08Being a cub is always a risky business.
05:14If there is a loner looking out at the horizon,
05:18it's probably a young male looking to his future.
05:21Will he be number one or number seven?
05:26A survivor or a lost nomad?
05:31Across the grassland, across whole countries,
05:34this outcast is a perfect example
05:36of why most cubs are born at roughly the same time in a pride.
05:40If you're a single tribe, you get a lot of attention,
05:44perhaps even better training,
05:46but when it's time to leave, you leave alone.
05:50This young male in the Okabanga Delta in Botswana
05:53has challenges mounting up every day.
05:56His genetic job now is to survive
05:58and carry his father's genes to another kingdom,
06:01to conquer it for them by spreading their bloodline.
06:04But this vast, wet wilderness
06:07will swallow up a solitary, inexperienced hunter,
06:10a young male that every resident lion wants dead.
06:15His only escape is to live on the fringes of territories now.
06:20He'll work a no-man's-land
06:21between his old family's range and the next,
06:24hoping to stay silent, undetected.
06:28The pride males are alert to prey and interlocals.
06:36Mail lines are not well adapted to the hunt.
07:01Their manes are territorial flags, not camouflage in the long grass.
07:06So when the herd breaks away, the buffalo target the dark-maned male.
07:11It's like a deadly hit and run.
07:13A sharp thrust into the side punctures a lion.
07:27For this male, it is over.
07:36The battle rages on, its combatants oblivious to the fallen male and also to the young
07:46castaway watching the family he once was a part of.
07:51As they chase down and wrestle a buffalo to the ground for a feast at which he would once
07:56have been a favoured guest, and now he can only watch.
08:19The surviving male is now the only master.
08:36This is how the young nomad will eke out his small living.
08:42He will wait for the family to cause chaos and for them to become too engaged in their
08:47own more immediate business to take notice of him.
08:54The water has always been an uncomfortable place for him.
08:58All cats tackle the dark waters with caution.
09:02Crocodiles use it as their hunting ground.
09:09But if he can just keep the herd outside the pride's territory, he will be able to hunt with immunity.
09:18If he manages this badly though, and they turn back into his father's land, the opportunity
09:23will have been lost.
09:26He sets up a one-lion blockade, though not with much confidence.
09:33If he can frighten the herd away with a roar, he will have a little more time.
09:39But roaring will definitely attract his father, so he does something quite sneaky.
09:45He almost whispers his roar to the buffalo, making sure it doesn't reach the pride.
09:52But then, an opportunity he could not have predicted.
09:58A buffalo calf was born during the chaotic chase and crossing.
10:03A buffalo calf was born during the chaotic chase and crossing.
10:32The calf is growing stronger by the second, but if he pushes in fast now, the pride may
10:37notice the disturbance and come over.
10:40If he waits, the newborn might stand up and disappear among the protected legs of the
10:46herd.
10:49It's a tightrope of risk and reward.
10:54It was a game well thought out and executed, virtually under the nose of his new nemesis,
11:19his own father.
11:22Buffalo hunting is a skill he might just develop as his speciality.
11:28So will this be this young male's future, condemned to a life of loneliness and high risk?
11:37Or will this young cub break away with his siblings when his time comes?
11:43These nomads don't have to leave in ones or twos like the buffalo hunter.
11:48Sometimes strong bonds formed by cubs playing make the young females leave with their brothers
11:54and cousins as a whole teenager group.
12:01It happens suddenly when the regent turns on them, foaming at the mouth and shooting looks
12:06of threat and dismissal.
12:14But as they show the first signs of adolescent rebellion, he won't tolerate them in his territory
12:19one more day.
12:21Compared to the solitary young male, this subdivision seems like a far better option for them.
12:28But it's not always what it seems.
12:31Their lives will be transformed now as they are driven deeper into the interior, where the
12:36water dries out.
12:40Lions lose condition fast.
12:44Ironically, their strength in numbers is now their weakness.
12:52Further from the water, prey is scarce.
12:58A fully grown impala antelope lasts under 12 seconds and is devoured so fast that any late
13:04cover gets nothing at all.
13:09In just one season, they lower their standards and go on the prowl for anything.
13:26Even a five-day-old elephant carcass reeking of hyena and vulture stench is attractive, attractive
13:33enough.
13:34But they can't afford to be fussy now, not tonight, not this close to the fragile fringe
13:40of life, where even the writhing mass of maggots are not off-putting to the young lions.
13:46They are desperate.
13:47They are desperate.
13:53They are desperate.
14:03They are desperate.
14:08it's a token defense a feeble attempt at dominating the carcass and just a game for the lions
14:16the meat is too far gone rotten beyond the stage that even these wanderers can tolerate
14:38and when finally they leave the months of fighting over scraps and eating putrid remains
14:48wherever they can find them thins down their numbers one by one
14:54day after day they weave their way through life into ever increasingly dry country
15:14fate cast these youngsters out at just the wrong time of the year for them
15:18into the dry season when the searing heat drains the last moisture from their bodies
15:35early rains might yet save them
15:48of the original 12 nomads in this group only three will make it through the first season
16:02of the last season
16:14of the last season
16:18As each lost nomadic male succumbs to this inevitable process of elimination, his body
16:38adds to the life of someone else.
16:40It is the harshness of this incredible system that makes it so beautiful.
16:49The success of Africa is in its elaborateness, its balance of life and death, its harmony.
16:57For every dark shadow, there is a shaft of light, a prize for those who want to reach
17:03for it.
17:05Of all the stages of males' lives, this nomadic phase is the one that most determines their
17:11fate.
17:14Those lost wanderers that make it out of the wilderness will be hardened and beaten but
17:20alive, the ultimate survivors ready to rule.
17:28But which will he be, a lost loner or a nomad in a group whose success seemed assured but
17:36became victims to competition?
17:40This system of expulsion seems unfair and even an instinct that works against their own survival,
17:48against the future of all lions.
17:54Some prides, like this one that lives along a river hundreds of lion territories to the
18:00north in East Africa, hold their grown cubs in the family a little longer, perhaps too
18:06long.
18:09A large female is keeping a secret and no one notices.
18:14She's been hunting with the pride at night and sneaking off during the day.
18:20Actually, she has three secrets, all ten days old, hidden a good distance from the hunting
18:28grounds in the dense bush of a small river.
18:34She has given birth to cubs out of sync with her sisters, so she has to be more attentive.
18:39She can't add her cubs to a nursery like they all did.
18:43And she often has to miss out on the hunt.
18:49At this time of the year, zebras and wildebeest are heading south and close to where the cubs
18:55are hidden.
18:57She must conceal them, and she has to do it alone.
19:16The rivers are always choke points, often causing anxiety for animals that are dependent upon
19:23solid footing to make an immediate escape.
19:38The hunters know these vulnerabilities, and often listen for the splashes of water and
19:43frantic calls of their prey as family members get separated and they lose focus on their surroundings.
20:00This is a threat and an opportunity.
20:04Zebras have sharp hooves and the herds bunch together in the thick bush at these crossings.
20:10Cubs would stand no chance at all if they were found.
20:21But she missed out on last night's kill, and so she takes a calculated risk as the herd moves
20:48away from the den site.
20:50She leaves the cubs and follows it into the dusk.
21:09The further into the night they move, the better it is for the solitary nocturnal hunter disguised
21:16in the grass, hidden by the noise and the darkness.
21:23The zebras are alert but at a disadvantage.
21:24The lioness springs her trap.
21:25The zebras are alert but at a disadvantage.
21:30The lioness springs her trap.
21:37The zebras are alert but at a disadvantage.
21:38The lioness springs her trap.
21:44The lioness springs her trap.
21:45The lioness springs her trap.
21:51Her near success drives her to follow on and hunt into the herd even further and further
21:53over the plains.
21:58chasing the zebra, testing their strength.
22:05The taste of blood in her mouth keeps her going, not just for herself but so she can produce
22:12milk for her three cubs.
22:14But the hunt takes her a long way away from their den.
22:21It is not uncommon for single mothers to be away for hours, even days.
22:28Another solitary nomad is also following the herds.
22:42He risks a lot more than just being seen by males.
22:59This tactic of living on the fringes of the mosaic of lion territories, weaving a delicate
23:05path so as not to attract attention, is working quite well for him.
23:11Until now.
23:22By following the zebras and not paying enough attention, this young male has walked into trouble.
23:28The large females pried from the river.
23:31The adolescents are out just spoiling for a fight.
23:36.
23:50.
23:54Every lion is a dangerous, well-armed animal.
24:11Sometimes it's more effective just to injure your opponent quickly and let him go.
24:17A single nomad's vulnerability is that a gashed thigh will lead to infection.
24:24Forever putting him out of the game.
24:29The young males have numbers in their favor and for some reason a free pass to stay a little longer in the pride.
24:44Adolescent males are always up to something.
24:48The river pride has seven of them.
24:51They spot something in the grass.
24:55And they want it.
24:56A ten-day-old cub.
25:08The cub has strayed from the riverbank while its mother was out hunting a zebra.
25:12This fragile being, new to the world, has never before seen a fully grown lion other than his benevolent mother.
25:23This rough-and-tumble must be totally confusing.
25:27Suddenly, something even stranger happens.
25:43One young male, not even the biggest, lashes out at anyone who comes close.
25:48And takes possession of the disorientated cub.
25:59Even though he's years older, he approaches the cub with a soft mouth reminiscent of cubs at play.
26:05But with a force that is barely restrained.
26:08A second cub is on the move, heading for the thicket.
26:11But she's going nowhere.
26:12Everyone is now interested in these tiny lions.
26:14A second cub is on the move, heading for the thicket.
26:15But she's going nowhere.
26:16Everyone is now interested in these tiny lions.
26:20Some instinct tells her she needs to escape.
26:21A second cub is on the move, heading for the thicket.
26:26But she's going nowhere.
26:29Everyone is now interested in these tiny lions.
26:35Some instinct tells her she needs to escape.
26:49Now.
26:50The mother is on her way home, blissfully unaware.
26:56The danger now is that the cubs will be crushed by enthusiastic possessiveness.
27:15They have a small window of safety.
27:18Gentle investigations may risk tiring them out.
27:22While the novelty holds, they might still remain safe until their mother returns.
27:28With this much tension, something is going to break.
27:45Someone will get hurt.
27:47Instead of getting bored with their playthings, the older cousins get even more worked up.
28:04The caretaker male fights off anyone who touches his cub and crushes the little body under him.
28:17At this stage, the tiny male cub has only one weapon.
28:32Attitude.
28:34Attitude.
28:35It holds them at bay for now.
28:41But every desperate attempt at escape is foiled.
28:44And slowly, both cubs start taking a beating that will sap their strength.
28:49Yep.
28:51Yep.
28:52Ow.
28:53Ow.
28:54Ow.
28:58Ow.
28:59Ow.
29:00Ow.
29:02Oh.
29:06Ow.
29:08Ow.
29:11Ow.
29:16over the next five hours two of the three cubs are played with bitten and fought over and while
29:30the one possessive male keeps trying to rescue one cup for himself it is getting rougher each time
29:37so far though possibly because of a thick winter coat of fur the sharp teeth and claws of the
29:45adolescents haven't caused any serious damage to the cubs she's still a long way off this constant
29:54violence will break the back of their spirit and sap their will to continue the cousins will have
30:01committed infanticide but then fate selects once again in their determination to escape the cubs
30:09overshoot their original hiding place straight into the river it's a fortress of thorns and the
30:22steep bank prevents the males from getting to the cubs but down below the weakest just manages
30:28to hang on without slipping down into the cold water he is determined to get to the cubs
30:43life hangs by a thread in this case a single root or vine that could snap at any moment just before
31:00stepping on the foliage and breaking that silken vine the young male hears a commotion the rest of the
31:09lions have discovered the third cub whether it's curiosity or possessiveness he's desperate to get to
31:18the third cup and either claim it as his prize or stop the others from claiming it as theirs in the afternoon
31:28the play turns more serious darker
31:32it's had enough too many heavy bodies pulled at it from every direction and fought over it for too long
31:50and for this young male the game is at an end
32:08the rain further upstream turns the river cold it starts to rise flooding steadily towards the thicket
32:15where the two survivors lie entangled in the undergrowth already half submerged
32:45fear of the rising water forces one cup to drag himself up again away from one danger but towards another
33:06the second cub barely has the strength to move he clings desperately to twigs and vines but as he
33:12struggles more of the soil that anchors his precious lifeline is washed away beneath him
33:18the day has taken its toll she has no energy left
33:48but then suddenly she finds the strength from somewhere
33:54her mother is back she must quickly move the one cup she has found to higher ground
34:01she has saved one cub her next instinct is to move it away from the water and hide it from the
34:19adolescence
34:34an impossible choice stay with one and protect it or leave it vulnerable and search for her second cub
34:49Especially while those males cannibalize one of her cubs right in front of her.
34:56What conditions make some of these cubs survive and not all of them?
35:01All share the same genes, the same experiences.
35:04So is it all chance?
35:07Perhaps, in this case, it's simply the fact that the mother won't give up on a single one of them while there is still hope.
35:16This time, she's rescued two of her cubs and managed the impossible.
35:29But this is exactly why young males are thrown out of the pride at a certain age.
35:33They start to cannibalize the very core of the family itself, its future.
35:38When she returns, she knows what has happened to her third cubs, a male.
35:47Her legacy to this game of lions.
35:50She can smell how his story ended.
35:53But as she approaches, growling her anger, her loss, her displeasure, she sends a more defining message.
36:03That the seven adolescents' time as family members is over.
36:08It'll take a few weeks from this moment.
36:23But ultimately, the cousins will be cast out to wander into the back country to starve,
36:29or to sneak into the forgotten corners of their father's territory.
36:45Only one of these seven males will make it to adulthood.
36:50And one day, from the deep swamplands and rivers, the buffalo hunter emerges like the phoenix risen,
37:14fortified by his hardships, proven stronger than the others of his generation.
37:25He may not be totally confident or dignified as he navigates the tricky reed beds,
37:31but he is ready for his final round.
37:37He is enticed to an island.
37:39It has buffalo and strong residents, a pride and a male.
37:44And he's here for both.
37:47He will want to take them all by surprise.
37:53And there's no better time for surprise than when everyone is busy hunting.
38:09He bides his time and attacks.
38:24It is the culmination of his lessons.
38:26A direct, confident attack.
38:28No compassion for his victim.
38:30Draw first blood and draw it fast.
38:40Hit hard and step back.
38:42His first order of business is to slay or fight any lion he sees, male or female.
38:49It defines his intention.
38:52It states his dominance.
38:54He is here to win.
38:56To win.
38:59This is the game of kings.
39:00The game of lions.
39:02The game that has made them icons of Africa.
39:06Fearsome symbols of nobility and power for millions of years.
39:11It is what we humans have revered and modeled ourselves on since ancient times.
39:16And finally, when the dominance declared at one, the throne claimed, females gathered around him, the game has one final hurdle.
39:37This one does not select the weakest, those destined not to make it, but carefully selects the strongest.
39:50The biggest.
39:55The best.
39:56Of the 20,000 lions left in the wild, less than 3,000 are males that make it this far.
40:07Each year, 600 of those battle-weary warriors, survivors of this arduous game of kings, are shot for sport and recreation.
40:17Today, we have more statues of lions than we have real lions.
40:22Unless we change our values very soon, we'll have only these cold, empty eyes to remind us of how much we want.
40:30Thank you very much.
40:31Thank you very much.