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Leopards are
the most supreme predator.
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Their skill to hide...
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their skill to climb, their skill to hunt...
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it's very calculating.
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It's very smart.
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00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,760
I've lived with and filmed
multiple leopards over the years,
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and each one has a unique personality.
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The first time I met Mochima,
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she easily jumped up
into the top of these branches,
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10 or 12 meters high,
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and positioned herself
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very deliberately.
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I had no idea what she was doing.
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Then
something extraordinary happened.
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I'd never seen a leopard
take such a risk
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to get prey.
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But pretty soon after,
she revealed the reason why.
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Getting a glimpse into the den
and seeing these tiny cubs,
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I really began to understand
how vulnerable they are.
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The first two years
are incredibly dangerous
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and why less than half of all cubs
make it to maturity.
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I had no idea
where this story was going to go.
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But I knew, by following this family,
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I would open a window
into a leopard's world nobody's ever seen.
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♪ I, I cry like crocodile ♪
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♪ Then drink opinions out ♪
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{\an8}♪ I've always got an answer ♪
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♪ The sun shines out my mouth ♪
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- ♪ There ain't a rule I'd wanna break ♪
- ♪ There ain't a rule I'd wanna break ♪
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♪ I'd rather kill than show my face ♪
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♪ Man, I guess I was scared ♪
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♪ Feet, don't fail me now ♪
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♪ I got to stand my ground, my ground ♪
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♪ And though I'm down for trying ♪
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♪ My feet don't fail me now ♪
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Filming leopard cubs
is always challenging
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as a good mother will keep them
completely concealed
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and unknown to the world.
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As the cubs get older,
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they are relatively alert to the world.
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But they won't venture
beyond the boundaries of the den.
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It is only after about three months
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that the cubs start to explore
outside of the den.
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This is the time
where their real characters are revealed.
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And it's a good time to name them.
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{\an8}Kutjira means "the shy one."
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{\an8}And she was the image of her mother.
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Not only by looks but by personality.
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You could see her watching
and puzzling out the world around her.
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There was a real sense of intelligence
behind her eyes.
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I called her son Dakunga,
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which means "the one who wants power."
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He was the complete opposite
of his sister.
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He was a lot more cavalier.
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A lot more clumsy.
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If you're gonna survive
in the wild,
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you can't throw caution to the wind.
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It's a dangerous place to grow up.
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♪ Free to believe ♪
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♪ In words I didn't mean ♪
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♪ Used to get by ♪
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♪ I'd rather die than to cry... ♪
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♪ It's a hard life ♪
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♪ It's a hard life ♪
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♪ It's a hard life ♪
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♪ You make me happy... ♪
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Filming leopards requires
a large amount of dedication and passion.
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And I knew that if I was going to be able
to keep up with this family,
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there's no way that I could do it alone.
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♪ It's a... ♪
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♪ Straw that broke the camel's back ♪
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♪ Don't think I can live with that ♪
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♪ Always seem to fall ♪
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{\an8}♪ Harder than before... ♪
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I had to build a team
that were incredibly driven
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and were prepared to commit
several years of their lives
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to following these leopards.
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I grew up in the city,
and, coming here,
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I didn't really know
how to cope in the bush.
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My mom especially was not happy.
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She thought that one of the wild animals,
the predators, is going to get me.
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- ♪ Straw that broke the camel's back ♪
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♪ Don't think I can live with that ♪
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♪ Always seem to fall ♪
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♪ Harder than before... ♪
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I had no idea
I was gonna end up here.
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And I had minimum experience
of the camera and the bush.
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So I was thrown in the deep end,
and I had to prove myself.
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Yeah, so Mochima stashed her cubs
in Leopard Central
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and she's heading east
towards Mongoose Tree Line.
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It looks like she's hunting.
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So you can see her concentration.
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There's one thing on her mind.
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She's here to get food on the table.
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Because, if you fail,
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you might have to go three days
without feeding your kids,
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which starts to get dangerous.
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Every move that they make
is very deliberate,
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and you can see
the thought process playing out.
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As a hunt unfolds...
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that intelligence,
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combined with its ability
to remain concealed,
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is what really defines a leopard.
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It's extraordinary
how close a leopard can get,
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and how completely oblivious the prey is.
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I've seen Mochima stalk
within a few feet of prey
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and spend up to an hour
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in that position before actually pouncing.
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An experienced hunter
might suffocate its prey
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by biting over its mouth and nose
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to prevent any noise
that may alert other predators.
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The quieter a leopard can kill,
the more successful they are.
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Leopards can pull a carcass
up into a tree
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to keep it away from scavengers,
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but a mother with very young cubs
will often hide it on the ground.
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When Mochima called for the cubs,
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Kutjira, as per character,
responded immediately.
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But there was no sign of Dakunga.
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He had obviously been playing
well away from where he should've been.
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And pushing your boundaries
in these environments could be fatal.
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Mochima had to call several times
before she got an answer.
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He didn't really care.
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He feels like he's in charge already.
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The carcass provides an opportunity
for the cubs to learn.
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And there's this very comical
sort of ritual that plays out...
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where they almost relive the hunt
in their heads.
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This is vital
because it ignites their bloodlust
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and is an important step
to them becoming independent hunters.
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Now that the cubs are well-fed
and fat and happy,
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Mochima has to go
and maintain her territory
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that is about
20 square kilometers in size.
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To do this,
she has to patrol her boundaries,
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scent-marking as she goes.
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When you're following her,
it's a huge challenge.
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She could walk
for seven, eight hours straight.
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Your body is in a stressed state
trying to keep up.
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During that time,
sometimes we forget to eat
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because you don't want to lose her.
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This scent-marking
lets other female leopards know
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that this is her land
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and to keep out.
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But this doesn't deter nomadic males
venturing into her territory.
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The biggest killer of leopard cubs
is other leopards.
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And this nomadic male was
a threat to Kutjira and Dakunga.
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They will deliberately kill the cubs
to bring a female back into estrus
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so they can mate with her.
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The only thing
that could stand in his way...
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is Mokhanyo...
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...the area's dominant male,
and the cubs' father.
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As soon as Mokhanyo picked up
the scent of the intruder,
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he immediately started to track him down.
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It wasn't long before
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Mokhanyo caught up
with the slightly pale male.
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So we had this situation
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where these two males,
they were sizing each other up.
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The tension was building,
and building, and building.
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Eventually, a point broke
where these two males had to fight.
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It happened
in a thick scrubby area, out of sight.
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The stakes were high.
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This was a fight
that would ultimately determine
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the life or death of Kutjira and Dakunga.
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The young intruder
was the first to emerge.
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But there was no sign of Mokhanyo.
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The uncertainty was horrible.
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He finally emerged,
properly beaten up.
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But, because the nomadic male
started to leave,
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he was clearly the victor.
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We all breathed
a huge sigh of relief,
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knowing that Mochima's family was safe
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and that we could continue their story.
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♪ I woke up to the morning sky, first ♪
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♪ Baby blue, just like we rehearsed ♪
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♪ When I get up off this ground ♪
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♪ I shake leaves back down
To the brown, brown, brown, brown ♪
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♪ Till I'm clean... ♪
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There's been days and weeks
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where you don't interact
with a single person.
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00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:39,320
So it's important to be comfortable
with your own mind space.
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♪ Then I walk
Where I'd be shaded by the trees ♪
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♪ By a meadow of green ♪
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♪ For about a mile ♪
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♪ I'm headed to town, town, town ♪
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♪ In style... ♪
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I've always been
a bit of an introvert,
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and I guess that being out here
in the peace and the quiet
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aligned with my character.
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♪ Little bitty blues bird flies ♪
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♪ And gray clouds
Or white walls, or blue skies ♪
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♪ We gon' fly, feel all right... ♪
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Sleeping out at night,
you have to keep your wits about you.
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There's always a chance of snakes
and scorpions and lions walking past.
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But also,
you're underneath a blanket of stars,
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uh, which nowadays
people don't really get to experience.
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♪ All my favorite colors ♪
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♪ Right on ♪
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♪ My sisters and my brothers ♪
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♪ They see 'em like no other ♪
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00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:05,200
♪ All my favorite colors ♪
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When you wake up,
you immerse yourself in the environment.
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When you're looking out,
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you're not just looking for leopards,
say on trees or walking.
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You're also looking at other game
in the area
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to see if they are relaxed
or if they are alert.
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00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:46,840
And that will also give you signs
if there's, uh, a leopard nearby or not.
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00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:11,640
Uh, gents,
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00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:14,560
I have some female leopard tracks
on the link road
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00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:16,520
heading towards Pangolin Forest.
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00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:19,960
Uh, looking quite fresh. I'll follow them.
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00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,600
You have to become a leopard
and think like one, act like one.
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00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:34,640
That's the key to finding them.
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00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:39,600
That comes with time
and putting in the miles every day.
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00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:03,520
Yeah, so I've managed to pin down Mochima.
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00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:07,800
She's with Kutjira, and they're heading
towards Mangosteen Crossing.
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00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:31,480
When a leopard cub
gets to about a year of age,
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00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:35,960
their hunting instincts
really begin to kick in.
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00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:39,160
And at this stage,
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00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:42,960
Mochima was taking Kutjira out
on a number of hunts
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00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:45,920
so that she could watch and learn.
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00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:08,280
There's this one time
when Kutjira is watching Mom hunting.
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00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:12,880
And Mom is in full stalk mode.
223
00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,040
Fully elusive, doesn't want to be seen.
224
00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:55,600
And then, all of a sudden,
Kutjira pulls in
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00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:58,280
'cause she wants a little snuggle
with her mom.
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00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:03,800
I mean,
you gotta give your kids attention,
227
00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:05,600
but not at work.
228
00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:19,080
Kutjira has the best intention,
229
00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:22,480
but she hasn't got the skill yet,
the experience.
230
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But at least she's willing to learn.
231
00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:37,000
Dakunga was completely different
to his sister.
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He didn't have the focus
to want to learn from anybody.
233
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He was kind of on his own mission.
234
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:56,720
He was always
getting himself into trouble.
235
00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:16,520
Out of Mochima's two cubs,
236
00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,600
there was always a concern
that Dakunga might not make it.
237
00:28:26,360 --> 00:28:30,440
There was one particular period
when he was gone for a number of days.
238
00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:33,840
It was unusual. We couldn't find him.
We didn't know where he was.
239
00:28:34,360 --> 00:28:37,840
It's very, very easy
for a leopard at that stage of their lives
240
00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:39,840
to be killed by predators.
241
00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:48,560
Yeah, so I'm up
by Velvet Tree Line now,
242
00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,880
and, um, there's no sign of Dakunga.
243
00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:56,600
There's a cheetah family nearby,
so I'll probably spend my time with them.
244
00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:02,480
It was a mother
with two big subadult boys.
245
00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:10,160
And they managed to kill an impala.
246
00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:20,280
I checked them eating a bit.
247
00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,200
And then, who do I see?
248
00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:28,320
Dakunga.
249
00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:35,280
His direction is the impala carcass
with the cheetah family.
250
00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:43,680
And he's getting closer,
getting closer, getting closer.
251
00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:47,320
Only him will try to claim this impala,
252
00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:51,640
as a little boy, from three big cheetahs.
253
00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:00,120
This describes
Dakunga's personality to a T.
254
00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:44,360
I never heard a leopard
getting chased by a cheetah.
255
00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:48,960
And I never heard a leopard
being up in a palm tree.
256
00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:58,080
We sit and watch these leopards
for hours, and days, and weeks
257
00:30:58,080 --> 00:30:59,640
not doing anything.
258
00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:03,640
But that one day,
you need to make sure you are on point.
259
00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:15,840
Dakunga must have thought
his luck was in
260
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:19,120
when he caught the scent of another kill.
261
00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:26,680
So he followed his nose, only to find
that this was Mokhanyo's, his father.
262
00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:34,800
You don't push in
on a dominant male's kill.
263
00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:44,400
But Dakunga was led by his stomach.
264
00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:53,240
It made little difference
that it was his father.
265
00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:01,880
He was playing with fire.
266
00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:49,240
Each time Dakunga failed,
267
00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:52,240
I thought that he would
come to his senses and give up.
268
00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:59,280
But he has no sense of danger,
and he just persisted.
269
00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:16,880
Incredibly, his boldness paid off.
270
00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:26,440
I would never have expected
this situation to end like this,
271
00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:30,080
and I'm not sure why Mokhanyo conceded.
272
00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:49,200
Maybe there was an acknowledgement
from his father, which'd be astounding.
273
00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:57,400
It's a real testament
to Dakunga's character.
274
00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:02,560
And moments like these really
275
00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:05,800
show a different side to leopards
276
00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:07,760
that we've never really seen before.
277
00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:28,760
At the end of the day,
the family reunited.
278
00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:45,840
The bonding over that moment
is incredible.
279
00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:49,320
There's a lot of playfulness,
a lot of jumping.
280
00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,560
And in Dakunga's case,
arsing about, really.
281
00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:25,400
Those moments of joy
were getting fewer and fewer.
282
00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:29,120
They're definitely approaching
a time where...
283
00:35:30,240 --> 00:35:32,280
...they're gonna be more independent...
284
00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:37,000
which is inevitable as a leopard.
285
00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:47,400
Noah, Noah?
286
00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:49,640
Yeah, Greg, go.
287
00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:53,880
Quiet on my side.
Um, I haven't found any signs,
288
00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:57,240
so I'm thinking
I'm gonna go into camp to refresh.
289
00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:00,760
Uh, copy that, Greg.
290
00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:04,200
It's very quiet my side as well,
so I'll be shortly after you.
291
00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:07,360
I'll see you in camp.
292
00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:13,240
Sitting in a car for almost a week,
without moving, is not ideal.
293
00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:17,080
And so getting into camp,
playing a bit of sport,
294
00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:18,520
having a shave, you know,
295
00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:21,360
just looking after yourself
as well is important.
296
00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:27,200
The crew have become
like an extended family.
297
00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:30,640
Without that level of team dynamic,
298
00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:34,000
the whole operation
just wouldn't be possible.
299
00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:51,720
A lot of us have this disease
of coming back to camp,
300
00:36:51,720 --> 00:36:55,760
you feel like you're missing out
on all the action out in the bush.
301
00:36:57,440 --> 00:36:59,640
So you do as much as you can in camp,
302
00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:02,640
but try as much as possible
to get back out there.
303
00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:24,160
When the Okavango
is at its hottest,
304
00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:25,840
winds blow across the land...
305
00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:29,160
...and thunderstorms start to build.
306
00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:41,160
But when it finally breaks,
it pours down.
307
00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:52,640
Everything seems to celebrate its arrival.
308
00:37:54,720 --> 00:37:57,080
It's a relief from the relentless heat
309
00:37:57,680 --> 00:37:59,720
and a promise of easier times...
310
00:38:01,880 --> 00:38:05,800
when life is breathed
into the environment.
311
00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:37,720
Almost everything gives birth
in this season.
312
00:38:57,400 --> 00:39:01,720
There's no better time
for 18-month-old leopard cubs...
313
00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:08,320
to get familiar with what their prey
will be in the future.
314
00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:18,840
I've been tracking Kutjira.
315
00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:21,680
We are near Mongoose Tree Line
at the moment.
316
00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:24,200
Um, she's bedding down for a rest.
317
00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:32,720
She'd been in this bush
for a couple of hours...
318
00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:38,880
...and that's when a big troop of baboons
started coming into the area.
319
00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:46,600
And Kutjira might have thought,
"Maybe I could grab a youngster."
320
00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:51,520
And she'd stuck around
too long in that bush.
321
00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:12,800
She was surrounded
by big male baboons
322
00:40:13,880 --> 00:40:19,280
that have massive, formidable teeth
that are made for causing damage.
323
00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:33,360
She was in big trouble.
324
00:41:13,880 --> 00:41:17,200
I don't think
she's ever ran so fast in her whole life.
325
00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:23,080
But she realized that things can change
very quickly out here.
326
00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:47,040
We spent more time
with the leopards
327
00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:51,600
during the period of this project
than with any other being on this planet.
328
00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:59,800
It was amazing to be let into
this super elusive and secretive family,
329
00:42:00,680 --> 00:42:02,600
into their deepest secrets.
330
00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:09,320
You really get, uh,
emotionally attached to these cats
331
00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:12,120
because every week and day,
you are with them,
332
00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:15,080
and there's a point
where you start rooting for them.
333
00:42:18,760 --> 00:42:20,520
You laugh
and you cry with themk
334
00:42:20,520 --> 00:42:23,720
and you know, there's times
where you think to yourself,
335
00:42:23,720 --> 00:42:25,640
"I really love this cat."
336
00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:29,640
But you need to be able
to draw a line in the sand.
337
00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:34,360
And it comes down to letting them
live their lives as leopards
338
00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:37,280
and being an observer.
339
00:42:57,840 --> 00:43:01,200
It was inevitable
that Mochima would look to mate again.
340
00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:06,800
And when the cubs were two years old...
341
00:43:11,880 --> 00:43:13,280
she came into season.
342
00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:33,000
She wanted to get
the attention of Mokhanyo,
343
00:43:33,720 --> 00:43:37,800
and began to leave her scent
all around her territory.
344
00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:50,560
When two leopards come together,
345
00:43:51,360 --> 00:43:52,720
it's an intense affair.
346
00:43:54,320 --> 00:43:58,480
They will mate hundreds of times
over four or five days.
347
00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:13,280
Typically, the female is gonna be the one
who's gonna push the mating behavior.
348
00:44:25,200 --> 00:44:26,600
She'll flirt with him...
349
00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:32,400
and smother him in love and attention.
350
00:44:45,200 --> 00:44:49,400
Cut to three days of mating,
and the male is tired.
351
00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:51,440
He's exhausted. He's drained.
352
00:45:06,280 --> 00:45:08,280
And she still wants to make sure
353
00:45:08,280 --> 00:45:11,240
that this mating behavior
is gonna be successful.
354
00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:24,400
She's really just trying to make sure
that he knows these are gonna be his cubs.
355
00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:58,000
Having mated,
Mochima is expected to have a new family.
356
00:46:01,080 --> 00:46:07,040
And both Kutjira and Dakunga pose
a... a real danger to her unborn cubs.
357
00:46:14,400 --> 00:46:17,720
Mochima now only has three months
358
00:46:18,920 --> 00:46:23,240
to get them both out of the door
before the new family arrives.
359
00:46:27,000 --> 00:46:28,560
It's a real ticking clock.
360
00:46:35,360 --> 00:46:38,200
Kutjira was showing
great signs of progress,
361
00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:42,960
but still hasn't managed
to nail her own first kill.
362
00:46:46,080 --> 00:46:50,200
Dakunga, on the other hand,
was still making big mistakes.
363
00:46:52,880 --> 00:46:55,200
And a considerable worry.
364
00:47:01,680 --> 00:47:03,880
Mochima knew he needed help.
365
00:47:09,000 --> 00:47:10,800
And, as a good mother,
366
00:47:10,800 --> 00:47:13,640
she deliberately showed him
where to find his prey.
367
00:47:26,960 --> 00:47:28,440
Mochima obviously knew
368
00:47:28,440 --> 00:47:31,320
that there were warthog piglets
inside this hole
369
00:47:31,320 --> 00:47:35,400
and was bringing her son
to a perfect opportunity.
370
00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:40,440
That's a thought-out process.
That's nothing instinctual.
371
00:47:42,120 --> 00:47:45,040
It was an incredible piece of behavior
to witness.
372
00:47:56,200 --> 00:47:59,040
What she didn't expect
was the mother to be home.
373
00:48:00,760 --> 00:48:03,840
Confronting an adult warthog in a hole
is almost impossible.
374
00:48:05,880 --> 00:48:08,520
Their razor-sharp tusks
would rip them apart.
375
00:48:22,600 --> 00:48:25,960
Kutjira has been observing
Dakunga and Mochima,
376
00:48:26,800 --> 00:48:28,520
learning from their mistakes.
377
00:48:29,280 --> 00:48:31,640
Fighting a battle they never can win.
378
00:48:56,680 --> 00:48:59,880
And then a week or so later,
379
00:48:59,880 --> 00:49:04,200
Kutjira is just sitting 25 meters away
from a warthog burrow.
380
00:49:05,320 --> 00:49:06,800
And she waits.
381
00:49:10,400 --> 00:49:11,600
An hour later,
382
00:49:12,120 --> 00:49:14,880
I look at the warthog mother
walking out the burrow.
383
00:49:52,400 --> 00:49:56,080
It all made sense to me afterwards
that she's been calculating this
384
00:49:56,080 --> 00:49:59,040
from the moment
we stopped next to this warthog burrow.
385
00:49:59,840 --> 00:50:01,120
That's incredible!
386
00:50:17,560 --> 00:50:19,520
♪ Oh, gracious ♪
387
00:50:20,640 --> 00:50:22,800
♪ How sweet to find ♪
388
00:50:23,880 --> 00:50:26,440
♪ The loved ones ♪
389
00:50:27,080 --> 00:50:29,680
♪ The meeting of minds ♪
390
00:50:30,240 --> 00:50:32,600
♪ I will be finding out ♪
391
00:50:33,400 --> 00:50:35,920
♪ Just where to find you ♪
392
00:50:36,640 --> 00:50:38,480
♪ Over mountains ♪
393
00:50:39,760 --> 00:50:41,920
♪ Just where to find you... ♪
394
00:50:48,320 --> 00:50:53,320
Kutjira was not only growing
in skill but growing in size
395
00:50:54,360 --> 00:50:56,560
and becoming sexually mature.
396
00:51:00,120 --> 00:51:02,360
She began to scent-mark
397
00:51:02,960 --> 00:51:04,800
all around her mother's territory.
398
00:51:08,520 --> 00:51:11,000
That will attract nomadic males in,
399
00:51:11,000 --> 00:51:14,720
and they pose a real threat
to Mochima's unborn cubs.
400
00:51:14,720 --> 00:51:17,240
♪ Oh, icicles will melt ♪
401
00:51:17,240 --> 00:51:19,720
♪ When I have found you ♪
402
00:51:21,120 --> 00:51:26,000
♪ And we will melt the snow ♪
403
00:51:40,640 --> 00:51:44,560
Mochima had very little choice
but to push Kutjira out.
404
00:51:50,600 --> 00:51:53,760
She picked up Kutjira's scent very quickly
405
00:51:54,440 --> 00:51:56,280
and got on her trail.
406
00:52:04,880 --> 00:52:06,800
Kutjira recognized her mother.
407
00:52:10,200 --> 00:52:12,640
But her body language was different.
408
00:52:13,560 --> 00:52:16,360
Her approach was more serious and focused.
409
00:52:43,600 --> 00:52:48,800
When the fight broke up,
you could see confusion in Kutjira's face.
410
00:52:51,880 --> 00:52:55,080
She couldn't understand the aggression.
411
00:53:00,320 --> 00:53:02,680
Mochima kept pushing her
further and further
412
00:53:02,680 --> 00:53:04,560
towards the edge of her territory.
413
00:53:17,480 --> 00:53:20,560
When Kutjira felt
that there was no further to go
414
00:53:20,560 --> 00:53:25,120
and needed to push back
and try and hold her ground,
415
00:53:26,160 --> 00:53:27,840
it was seen as a challenge.
416
00:54:04,360 --> 00:54:06,720
That was the end
of that relationship.
417
00:54:10,360 --> 00:54:12,880
Mother and daughter
had to go their different ways.
418
00:54:19,000 --> 00:54:21,400
It's hard to understand
in human terms.
419
00:54:22,400 --> 00:54:24,800
The separation we have with our offspring
420
00:54:25,920 --> 00:54:27,360
are never so abrupt.
421
00:54:32,880 --> 00:54:34,960
To see it in a leopard's life
422
00:54:35,760 --> 00:54:36,880
is brutal.
423
00:54:40,800 --> 00:54:44,000
But that's the way
the natural world works.
424
00:54:45,280 --> 00:54:49,240
And Kutjira was pushed out
into the unknown,
425
00:54:50,200 --> 00:54:51,960
and she was not welcome back.
426
00:55:01,080 --> 00:55:04,320
For Mochima to safely have a new litter,
427
00:55:05,080 --> 00:55:07,880
she needed both her cubs to leave home,
428
00:55:08,720 --> 00:55:11,160
but Dakunga was still hanging around.
429
00:55:34,880 --> 00:55:36,200
Instead of thinking
430
00:55:36,200 --> 00:55:39,760
and using the skills
that his mother had passed onto him,
431
00:55:39,760 --> 00:55:42,480
he would charge into situations,
432
00:55:43,880 --> 00:55:45,920
which is not how a leopard should hunt.
433
00:56:26,800 --> 00:56:28,760
He was failing dismally,
434
00:56:29,600 --> 00:56:30,880
time and time again.
435
00:56:35,800 --> 00:56:37,120
Dakunga was not ready,
436
00:56:37,120 --> 00:56:40,920
and if he was pushed out now,
he wouldn't survive.
437
00:57:05,280 --> 00:57:08,960
So there's this one day,
when Dakunga climbs this warthog burrow.
438
00:57:12,040 --> 00:57:15,640
I've seen all of the leopards
checking warthog burrows before...
439
00:57:17,680 --> 00:57:21,840
but I've never seen one attempting
the biggest warthog in the area.
440
00:57:24,480 --> 00:57:25,560
Sabretooth.
441
00:58:08,320 --> 00:58:12,240
He's not gonna take fail
for an answer, so he follows this warthog,
442
00:58:12,240 --> 00:58:13,680
and he tries again.
443
00:58:42,480 --> 00:58:45,080
To kill a fully adult male warthog.
444
00:58:47,560 --> 00:58:49,160
He proved us all wrong.
445
00:58:52,360 --> 00:58:53,800
Yeah, it was a proud moment.
446
00:59:05,200 --> 00:59:09,040
The warthog kill
really changed Dakunga's mindset,
447
00:59:10,920 --> 00:59:14,080
and this was now impacting on his mother.
448
00:59:28,680 --> 00:59:33,440
Physically, he was dominating her
and becoming a threat,
449
00:59:33,440 --> 00:59:37,120
not just to her but to her unborn cubs.
450
00:59:42,800 --> 00:59:46,160
You could see the relationship
beginning to break apart.
451
00:59:56,080 --> 00:59:59,800
Every time they met,
the aggression was growing.
452
01:00:26,480 --> 01:00:28,320
Finally, Mochima snapped.
453
01:01:10,800 --> 01:01:13,560
The familiarity
and the kindness was gone.
454
01:01:48,680 --> 01:01:51,440
He turned his back
on his mother's territory
455
01:01:52,360 --> 01:01:55,160
and decided to take his own path.
456
01:02:04,400 --> 01:02:07,840
Mochima had done everything
that she could for Dakunga.
457
01:02:10,880 --> 01:02:14,080
And he went out into the world
with the best chance.
458
01:02:16,880 --> 01:02:18,840
We had to just watch him leave,
459
01:02:18,840 --> 01:02:21,880
and we never knew
whether we would see him again.
460
01:02:28,320 --> 01:02:30,280
It is a bittersweet moment.
461
01:02:30,800 --> 01:02:32,920
Regardless of what you may be feeling,
462
01:02:32,920 --> 01:02:37,920
he has to leave to get his own territory
and one day start his own family.
463
01:02:40,640 --> 01:02:44,200
There's this sense of pride
that he's made it this far.
464
01:02:44,200 --> 01:02:46,840
He's done the hardest part of his journey.
465
01:02:55,040 --> 01:02:57,880
You know that he's gonna
go out there and be successful.
466
01:02:57,880 --> 01:03:02,400
He's a big, strong boy,
and you take comfort in that.
467
01:03:07,520 --> 01:03:09,440
With Dakunga departing,
468
01:03:09,440 --> 01:03:13,320
this unique window
into a family life of leopards was over.
469
01:03:32,040 --> 01:03:34,520
I don't think anybody
could be part of this
470
01:03:34,520 --> 01:03:38,680
and not be changed
by the experiences that we shared.
471
01:03:47,560 --> 01:03:50,880
Spending two and a half years
filming with these leopards
472
01:03:50,880 --> 01:03:54,160
has given me
a different view on our lives.
473
01:04:00,680 --> 01:04:03,640
There's something pure
about the life they live.
474
01:04:06,000 --> 01:04:08,360
It's very uncluttered and uncomplicated,
475
01:04:09,080 --> 01:04:13,480
and I think if I could be
more like that in my life...
476
01:04:15,520 --> 01:04:16,760
it'd be a good thing.
477
01:04:37,280 --> 01:04:40,400
A couple of months
after we stopped following Mochima,
478
01:04:42,400 --> 01:04:46,360
Noah called me
and said that he had found her...
479
01:04:51,080 --> 01:04:53,880
lying in the forest line, dead.
480
01:05:13,600 --> 01:05:17,240
The irony of only being able
to touch her once she was dead...
481
01:05:20,240 --> 01:05:22,120
was... terrible.
482
01:05:23,800 --> 01:05:26,880
You know, it was
one of the hardest moments
483
01:05:26,880 --> 01:05:28,560
I've had to deal with...
484
01:05:30,840 --> 01:05:34,600
is seeing a cat that I got to know
and loved so much...
485
01:05:37,000 --> 01:05:37,840
gone.
486
01:05:44,280 --> 01:05:47,200
I can never be certain
as to what happened to her.
487
01:05:48,600 --> 01:05:52,440
But these animals have
very sharp, short lives.
488
01:05:54,400 --> 01:05:55,880
And hers was exceptional.
489
01:05:56,800 --> 01:05:59,400
We were just lucky enough
to witness a part of it.
490
01:06:08,320 --> 01:06:09,960
After Mochima's death,
491
01:06:09,960 --> 01:06:13,400
it was as though
our world had completely emptied out.
492
01:06:15,800 --> 01:06:18,680
There were no leopards around us.
493
01:06:23,200 --> 01:06:26,960
That was until Greg called in
that he had found Kutjira.
494
01:06:42,840 --> 01:06:45,280
She was on the edge
of her mother's territory.
495
01:06:51,400 --> 01:06:54,400
There was clear excitement
right through the crew
496
01:06:55,120 --> 01:06:56,240
that she was back.
497
01:06:58,200 --> 01:07:00,920
♪ Keep looking through the window pane ♪
498
01:07:00,920 --> 01:07:03,840
♪ Just trying to see
Through the pouring rain ♪
499
01:07:03,840 --> 01:07:05,880
♪ It's hearing your name ♪
500
01:07:06,400 --> 01:07:08,480
♪ Hearing your name ♪
501
01:07:08,480 --> 01:07:11,040
♪ I really never felt quite the same ♪
502
01:07:11,040 --> 01:07:12,880
♪ Since I lost what I had... ♪
503
01:07:12,880 --> 01:07:16,400
She perched high up
in the branches of a tree.
504
01:07:16,920 --> 01:07:18,760
♪ No one to blame ♪
505
01:07:18,760 --> 01:07:20,920
♪ Seems to me ♪
506
01:07:21,760 --> 01:07:25,040
♪ Can't turn back the hands of time... ♪
507
01:07:28,360 --> 01:07:30,840
I did notice
some impala fairly close by.
508
01:07:35,320 --> 01:07:36,960
And in the back of my mind,
509
01:07:36,960 --> 01:07:40,240
I had an inkling
that if the impala get under the tree,
510
01:07:40,240 --> 01:07:42,160
she might actually try to hunt.
511
01:07:47,400 --> 01:07:50,920
Eventually, some of the rams
get underneath the tree.
512
01:08:02,360 --> 01:08:04,960
My goodness,
you... you just see this head pop out.
513
01:08:23,680 --> 01:08:26,040
She nailed it.
Absolutely nailed it.
514
01:08:38,680 --> 01:08:40,080
It gave us a lot of comfort,
515
01:08:40,080 --> 01:08:44,080
knowing that Mochima's legacy
was continuing.
516
01:08:46,760 --> 01:08:50,880
It made the end of the story
more of a beginning.
517
01:08:57,480 --> 01:09:01,880
A new chapter in Kutjira's life,
where she was evolving
518
01:09:03,480 --> 01:09:06,520
into an exceptional cat in her own right.
519
01:09:06,520 --> 01:09:09,440
♪ Whoa, it seems to me ♪
520
01:09:09,960 --> 01:09:13,360
♪ Can't turn back the hands of time ♪
521
01:09:17,800 --> 01:09:19,760
♪ Seems to me ♪
522
01:09:20,560 --> 01:09:24,480
{\an8}♪ Can't turn back the hands of time ♪
523
01:09:28,360 --> 01:09:30,440
{\an8}♪ Seems to me ♪
524
01:09:31,040 --> 01:09:34,840
{\an8}♪ History was left behind ♪