Staking Out Killer Lions (Lion Documentary) | Austin Stevens Adventures | Real Wild

my name is austin stevens i photograph the most dangerous animals in the world now I pick my wits against the ultimate predator in the line tuned on a car before attempting to capture it struggled to survive [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] I've lived in Africa all my life and for most of that time I've made my living getting close to the deadliest animals on the continent mostly I focused on snake these guys have got a neurotoxic venom x-ray but one drop would be enough to kill you suddenly turn on me I know they're more spectacular the better manners though have proved a more challenging something [Music] but there's one African beast whose photo I've never been asked to take until now and surprisingly it's the most famous of them all the lion most tourist shots capture them resting or sleeping but I need to photograph some at their very best on the hunt it's going to be the ultimate test and extremely dangerous once a lion gets within range of its prey and identifies its victim the execution is deliberate precise and very very fast I'll need to be in exactly the right place at just the right time having lived in Africa all my life you think I had plenty of opportunity to photograph lions and indeed I have but to get the specific photographs I'm looking for you need all the cards stacked in your favor best place to do that the plains of Serengeti stretching across northern Tanzania Serengeti is famed for its grassy savanna Tanzania is home to over 3,000 lines more than anywhere else in the world I'm heading for Layton due to an area perfect for big cancer I've timed my assignment to coincide with the arrival of the great migration over 1 million wildebeest and zebra travel an annual circuit of close to 3,000 kilometers chasing the promise of rain and fresh growth but despite there being so much potential prey about I'm not expecting to get my shots out here although the plains are covered with huge herds of game Lions actually prefer more wooded areas especially it is water available they're ambush predators they like to sneak up on their prey or mail them so that's what I'm looking for waterholes fringed by plenty of trees and tall grass for cover I set out to scour the woodlands surrounding the plains to find my perfect steak up the only problem is strange noises are coming from my vehicle giving me real cause for concern herds of zebra are already migrating down from the plains they clear the longer vegetation for the grass loving role the decent who won't be too far behind this is prime big cat habitat plenty of shade plenty of ambush cover and lots of prey about and it's not long before my instinct is proved correct look at these I'll take great I've got big and also hands you look at the size these prints enacted on and I've got Cubs has Cubs of you as well I'm seeing at least one here this one there's at least two adults and maybe two Cubs as well perfectly form prints in the softs and this is exactly what I've been looking for when they're going in their direction so it's back to the car and after them the fresh tracks lead me down into a flooded galley this is it this Marsh is exactly what I've been looking for it's not only that I found some wine prints down yeah and they pull the water dotted throughout these reeds that'll attract not only the lines but they pray as well this is gonna be a great place to stay [Music] in the intense afternoon heat animals of all kinds are drawn to the marshes cooled water [Music] so I wait all day for a lion [Music] but with my vehicle in such poor shape it's too dangerous to risk staying out overnight I'll resume my search in the morning I get up early because it gives me the best chance to find lions before they hide from the heat of the day I specially chose this vehicle because it's an open-top I know that's taking a bit of a chance because lions have been known to climb into vehicles but I really need this wherever the Lions are moving around me I need to be able to move with my camera and get my shots gonna see what I come on problem is this open-top vehicle may look the part but it's turning out to be a heap of junk my worst fears if the crown and pinion is jammed and I think the axle is snapped as well that's jammed that's the worst thing that can happen out yet I'm not gonna get this moving in a hurry I'm gonna have to get some help maybe even another vehicle did see a village quite a few miles back a long way my only chance that I can find it head in that direction I can take a few things with come all the way out yet to find life I know I'm in the middle of lion country let's hope the Lions don't find me first [Music] I'm on foot and I'm in lion country the temperature is already at crashing thirty five degrees I've got to get to help soon the Maasai are generally peace-loving but I have no idea how they'll react to a stranger I choose the most impressive house and ask for help now you speak some English happy to help but at a price yes there buddy too close to you it'll cost me yeah can I check it out yes best I was hoping for was a mechanic for at least some spare parts but this guy goes one better what how much we make one hundo see you look see 4x6 good look a lot Devin it's no time to bargain this is the perfect vehicle for my lion stakeout all right thank you thank you very much okay believe that for luck I actually found the land over all the way out yep not only that it's a-workin letting go back to tell you what looked off no this means permission really amazing bit of luck getting this Land Rover never thought that would happen and its owner even threw in some Masai advice while I was talking to the guy explaining that my mission hitting lions photographing lines immediately jumped on the subject said to me two kinds of lions one was a lot of fur on its neck and he insisted that one was fur on snake you don't have to worry about the others that you got to worry about of course he's comparing male and female probably sees that the female of the hunters are they more worried about the females he's right to photograph lion hunting I'm actually after the queen of beasts not the king I may have lost a day changing vehicles but if the prints I've found are from cogs that means lionesses are yeah - but lionesses keep their cubs very well-hidden which means I'll need all my push skills to find them these prints in the past of fresh and their owner suddenly appears just meters ahead my first lion and it's a male it's walking right on a side that tracks ready for you we've got a solid gait like he's going somewhere he's heading for the marsh and he could lead me to the pride and he's marking territory drive day I kept a little squirt right on that Bush of the letting me know that this is his land my open-top vehicle allows me an exceptional view but it's dangerous I've seen the line of TECA car before you know what's scary every now and then he turns directly towards when he looks straight into my eyes people always say don't look directly into a cat's eyes because it's a threat but I can't afford to let him out of my sight I know how easily a cat can melt into the landscape even one is the biggest this it's as well to give the king of beasts a wide berth even though this lion seems uninterested in hunting it's pretty obvious this guy staying on this track so what I'm going to do is I'm going to go way ahead 9 wait then he walked towards me and gets a really good shot [Music] this is fantastic and giving some great shots just like I thought he's headed straight for the marsh he seems to be looking out for something it's not prey because it was plenty of prey on the plains and he didn't pay any attention he wanted to get yet to the wash so it's just a chance that he is looking for the females and maybe the Cubs or alternatively if he finds them and then Artie's Cubs they might be trouble he might actually kill them so I'm just gonna move out the way and wait to see what happens giving me space if the lionesses and Cubs are yeah I want to find them before he does so I make an urgent circuit around the marsh [Music] there's some blinds I found some blinds I can see one there's one female over there this - there's more than one there's two females like I care I've been riding all over the place they rakia there's what these cups as well they've got cups this is what I've been looking for I've got two seen there's like one two I got three I've got a third one I've got three female line three feed my lines so he comes three or four cups one two three four is another cup I've got one two three I've got four comes with three females I think there's another cup this six young cub I've got Cubs coming out of white music this pride is exactly what I was hoping for but Cubs this size are extremely vulnerable and that lone male is a major threat he may even try to kill them to bring their mothers back into heat so I'll need to keep track of his movements as well which comes belong to which I'm not sure but they're all looking after each other they all playing together and everything so it's obviously one happy group two females are staying you know the other ones right over here this one's close now she's really close to me she's really enjoying the Cubs he lets the Cubs play with it you know what I'm seeing you don't notice it that easily I just saw now she'd turned into light she's actually only got one eye or at least one eyes been damaged it looks like a scar going through her face of you and her one eye is more closed than the other this is something that can happen very easily I mean they get into fights or she tackles something that fights back and she might get hurt this is amazing but to know it's the best of all is now I know I've got this group if I can stay with this group go with him day and night if possible sooner or later they go to make a kill they gonna make a number of kills because we've got six cubs to look off they're three big females that have to eat as well and they're gonna be hunting regularly and that means I've got a good chance of getting my photos a good chance the lion stakeout begins [Music] [Music] it may not seem Sun but the rain is good news it will draw in wildebeest searching for fresh grazing the Lions are ready and waiting and I'm in a perfect place to get my shots [Music] but the next morning the trail is cold I thought this might happen whilst the Irenaeus say these lines are so frisky they were burning up energy they were so active and this morning they're gone there's no sign of them at all I suspect that they've gone to hunt the females have gone to hunt which means they might have stashed the Cubs right here they probably stashed in there they're gone time I don't think they take the Cubs with but I found no Trek at all until I came yeah right out here right through my old car tracks where I've been riding on this track I've got a couple of strands just very very light prints in the mud and they leading off here and it looks like only adults no babies with babies are definitely stashed out there and you can see the clothes the pads of yeah yeah one good solid printer going that way see how they've gone off then going into the grass so I suspect that going onto planes they're gonna hunt what happens now I don't know I got to try and find them or wait for them to come back to the country the lionesses may just have gone ahead to meet the oncoming migration so this could be the chance to get my shots of hunting lions but scavengers on the horizon suggest I'm too late get a look at this always rely on the vultures to bring you in to me there's some action I heard this last night I heard some squabbling I thought it was to my heat effects coming together but I think there were lions are seeing some footprints over yeah and they've come over you and they put up a heck of a fight and somehow they've killed one of the young ones and I see the den looks deserted not and see any sign of Irina's at all I suspect these iron is a quart of right now and it moved on somewhere else very interesting [Music] that's one less enemy for the lion cubs but they are plenty more out there the cooler weather means Lions could be out hunting longer than usual I don't want to waste a minute [Music] searching the woodland connecting the planes to the marsh something unusual catches my eye [Music] okay well like just this young to offer that must mean seconds away just seconds away mother it's just in the background walking around and round around they just nailed a little chair off the manager office actually coming closer now she's walking straight in the calf was just a day or two old these were probably the first and last lines it ever saw they seemed satisfied now that the Pfister office did they're just checking are they gonna open it up a softest part is where they're gonna go first but they're not starving these lines they're not starving so they're taking their time there's no no penny cobia they studying the surroundings making sure everything's clear they just gotta watch I think your mother giraffe comes closer they might just go for it but their markings reveal they not my lions the faint rosettes on their flanks mean they still young considering how close we are to the marsh these could be last year's Cubs so I head back to the marsh to see if the Cubs of emerge from hiding or if the mothers have returned [Music] the marsh is a mecca for wildlife but it's a dangerous oasis look at this inna the lion's arch rivals haven't abandoned the area completely or maybe fatten food eaten something lying down in the shade just keepin cool this is what I'm worried about those Cubs are some way Indian if they start calling if the parents haven't come back and as I hear picks it up that's how he will kill those cups for sure lions and hyenas absolute enemy I can't help wondering if the hyenas already got the cups so I'm keener than ever to find him they they are i back they back I'm so glad but they look anxious sooner or later they're gonna start quoting one that's already hitting into the marsh this one's scanning the whole horizon yeah the other one is just sitting down on the far side this is so great they're all back there right yeah with IEDs the hyena is not far from you they're right in the reads I'm losing track of them every now and then I see a slight movement but I don't know if they found the Cubs I don't know if the Cubs are safely they're not it's getting dark now it's getting late I'm not going to see anything my best chance is to come back in the morning you see what's developed [Music] with the male lion and a fully-grown Idina on their patch these are tense times for the pride and my assignment [Music] next morning the marsh is alive with activity more and more zebras are pouring into the area they need to drink every day so the marsh is a perfect place for the Lions to set up ambush but I've spent the night wondering whether my pride still has any Cubs defeat just seen some movement of writing that in the grass I think it may have been one of the few months it's difficult to know if they moving or they do oh I see a cub seeing a cup oh there's the Cubs the Cubs are yeah I see really two cups and more they William oh there's a kill and made a kill it's a zebra kill one two three four cubs oh okay this is okay I'm in later to find them but it's important to gauge the mood of the lionesses it's dangerous to mess with them when they're on a kill just mr. dimma just just mr. day this is the problem I can sit with these guys all day and if you just turn your back one so you disappear for the evening because you can't see them at night they gonna kill straight away now mrs. noh was yeah at the crack of dawn and they just done it my plan to be yeah first thing in the morning was right but it looks like these cats are killing just before dawn she's gonna try and take it away into the bush she's gonna try and hide it a bit more it's incredible I'm very nervous then looking around or time make turkey aware that they could be other predators that would now move in and try and get over this carcass especially are heinous I know one thing this is the perfect prize with plenty of mouths to feed these lines will need to hunt again soon all that great was fantastic this Cubs are fine but first I thought they suddenly happened to those Cubs I lose everything but they're 100% in good hands only pretty is that I didn't actually get the kill probably happened just a few hours before I got you you never know this lines and probably one little zebra came straddling down to the water quite now last night they eat you well now they're probably gonna stay this was quite a while the best thing I can do set myself up getting as comfortable as I can I just weighed it up [Music] with water in short supply up on the planes it's not long before thirsty animals arrive I know that when a chance arises the Lions hunting instincts will kick in when the mothers start hiding their cubs in the reeds I realized they sense an opportunity it's positioned themselves in strategic positions down there close to the water if something came down if something came down to drink they would be in a good position to actually make a kill [Music] the zebras haven't noticed the big cats lying in wait but the direction of their approach is working against me zebras have come down yeah they've come to where the water is on this side but the lines on this on this pools all over years there's so many different places they can drink it's like a hit and miss business listen and if you're waiting for it to happen it's dicey here but waiting is the best option the Lions won't charge until their fleet for the prey come within 30 meters eventually one zebra strays from the herd this looks very promising until the Cubs in patience blows their cover and the hunters lose their advantage scattering get a bit close in case there's something ever all right gang all direction the lines are bigger standing yeah it's too late the zebra make a clean getaway that much maybe toast Wow I tell you you just got to be on the watch all the time any animals coming down to the marsh where those lines are at the moment we've got a chance maybe it'll get out maybe something left it's a numbers game fewer than one in three hunts are successful I'm going to need all the patients I can muster with the security of first light I'm back with the pride just off to the side everybody's got a little piece of something these two females are still working on this Chewie looks like they do Feeny walk throughout the night it comes to just playful now all they're doing is playing a little piece of meat dragging around and fighting over Cubs often get a raw deal prevent it from eating until the adults of have their for this time at least there's plenty of zebra to go round this is wonderful to see that there's so much love and affection among these cats they all feathered follow them there well everything's good the reality of it is that just two weeks that's all it would take two weeks away from starvation if they don't kill the game feed again it's all over luckily for these Cubs making kills is about to become a whole lot easier the world of beasts are coming soon they will be prey everywhere [Music] [Music] but once again they disappear it's two days before I find the pride again thanks to some old friends [Music] and they've made another kill [Music] look at this I found them the two females over there one female yeah and all the Cubs all together yeah it's the first time the Cubs have come so far from the marsh obviously made this killing the night the females must have come up here killed this little bit and then ate their fall then went back and connected the Cubs and brought them all the way out here onto the plains that's amazing I always just missed the kilim just too late I'm not having the luck of being able to photograph it I [Music] need to photograph the hunt in daylight so my only chance is to be with these lions at dawn [Music] now they've moved into more open territory I've got a way of making that happen but it's going to be risky it's getting to late evening down the lines of still dozing they've been dozing all day but that's natural because it's been hot I think they're gonna move at night and they seem to prefer hunting by night so the best thing I can do is try and stay with them through the night that's not gonna be easy to do but it's important to see what they're up to and more important where they're gonna be tomorrow and I need to find them but to follow them at night I'm gonna need some special equipment not quite just what I need these black lights enable me to use my night-vision camera and I've got this red gel typed under the locks but won't affect the Lions eyes I won't even see this I've got the thermal camera and a night-vision camera the combination of these two I should be able to follow the lines see exactly what they're up to at night without this kit I wouldn't be able to see more than a meter in front of me but a lion's eyes are six times more sensitive than ours and they have excellent night vision which gives them a distinct advantage in the dog now I've just got to get back to where I left the pride before they disappear absolutely pitch black can't see a thing as far as I can reckon this is more or less where I left them this afternoon only one thing to do this is why I've got the thermal camera this is my best rack this will tell me if there's anything warm out there any movement and see trees actually pick up everything I got that looks like them they flew yes it's difficult the judge on the screen just how far they are from me but they must be within a couple well maybe in about 20-30 meters and I can't see them can you believe that move class I'll use the thermal emission to guide me mustn't be fooled by this because it's a wide lens and I can get really close without knowing it and I've never put myself in this situation before so I have no idea how lines will react to my car at night I mean watching these guys but days not exactly what they did in a day which is not always that much that's not who knows what happens in life sounds a much more active at night I see a whole group of lions together like this I see them clearly on the thermal and when I'm looking at it's pitch black I can't see a thing I just imagine being stuck out here somehow a car breaks down you start walking you would never know you would walk right into this pride of lions they would be frightened you just don't know what's going on earth yeah well if there's one thing I've learned with lions it's a waiting game at least they're on the move this time it's quite frankly we just don't know what to interview can't see it's pitch black relying entirely on this thermal to guide me and to stay with the lines the thermal image gives a clearer picture of just how protective the mothers are one straight line is that incredible female in front comes in between and a female at the back making sure that calves are safe there we go I write it to watch we're right at the edge of the water I still can't see it I have to look on the thermal it's only way yeah they're gathering or they get a drink or look at that see another white speck way out in the marsh not sure what that is something else over there whatever it is the Lions have spotted it who knows what's gonna happen next the white speck turns out to be another lion it's a lone male this could be deadly for the Cubs the lionesses only hope is to gang together there's the third - listen to that they won't let him anywhere near those Cubs but the male's presence has the pride heading for cover what is moving see if I get a bit closer disappearing into the bush thick bush again this makes me nervous because I don't know where I'm going and we're driving to something company very slow I think they're going to exactly where they were before I'm telling you they going straight back to the caucus that's incredible it means they came all this way brought the cup fools way to drink and now taking them back to the caucus again I said it looks like the caucus yesterday on the caucus and I wish I could see on the Cox and mother speaking again yeah I see they're gonna set it down here for the line I can see that comes with on with playing the truths again they love climbing trees these cup you think they were left the way they can yeah now I know they back at the caucus don't catch up some sleep myself maybe even eat something you can find them in the morning I'm sure there'll be a fish to back they've got just a few scraps left these guys will hunt again at the first opportunity finally all the pieces are in place there's plenty of game and I'm in the perfect position with these expert hunters first light and my lion pride are in sight by sunup they move down to the marsh to meet the migration head-on even the Cubs seem interested but it's the lionesses I've got to focus on they are potential targets everywhere and the hunters are fanning out amongst the trees but it's the experienced one-eyed female who seems to be in control so I'm keeping my eye on her - is a waiting day this one's moved around the bat by making a complete circle yeah she's gonna push them one way or the other they get a sketch of this kamischka she's sitting that's the first sign she's committed to the hunt the world of these know something's wrong but they don't know what or where the danger is coming from she's watching she's moving again she's moving forward she's moving forward I've got the stalk she's talking she stopped again she's just sitting down she's just watching she's just watching she's keeping absolutely dead store it's incredible she's going to freeze mother she's so concentrated she's focused on exactly what's going with me there's a little group of Olivia's yeah that seem to be isolated they seem to be confused and know which way to go I think the lioness is all right behind them this one's right yeah they actually trapped in the middle and she's moving again she's moving cautiously she's getting really Catholic and somehow she's waiting for a signal or one of them is waiting for a signal that's all gonna happen at the same time did she go this your fake Fitness guess so much believe it see too much dust I say to female-to-female 16-7 does not defeat the Bolivia [Music] it's the one-eyed Linus who's made the hit she's suffocating the wildebeest oh man this was perfectly planned perfectly executed and they got their little business in camera and they all pull together and they all did it together while the older lioness finishes off the kill the younger female heads out to retrieve the Cubs that's the way of nature hours and hours of nothing ten seconds of mad chaos luckily even in that flurry of action I managed to get the shots I was after it's tough to see an animal die but I'm relieved for the Lions [Music] being born during the migration gives these Cubs a great stock and a good chance of survival [Music] everyone seems quite content right now I'm not banking too much effort to don't actually eat the caucus resting up at resting up in the Cubs are restless they moving around they think hang one when can we start eating you know this guy's coming to have a look at the caucus can we have a look they not sure what to do with it look at that their eyes taking a little nip out of it finally they're eating two females together at one time the Cubs are still holding back and white female holding back - these guys are climbing it it won't be long before they're hungry again but there's plenty of prey for them yeah now once again the pride made its kill in sight of the marsh proof that the lionesses have chosen the perfect place to bring up their young now they just need to teach the Cubs to hunt like lions rather than play like leopards this assignment promised to be difficult from the beginning and it was but eventually I got my kill and a lot of good photographs to go with it but more importantly I got to spend time with a unique group of lions and especially the Cubs who I'm sure all going to grow up to be big and strong and one day also hunt these Plains [Music] I'm just in time the rains will soon make driving year impossible my stakeout was a success and it's time for me to leave the Serengeti to its ancient rulers [Music] [Music]

Channel: Real Wild

Views: 1,276,184

Rating: 4.4416327 out of 5

Keywords: nature documentary, full documentary, documentary movie, big cats, wildlife documentary, discovery channel, national geographic, natgeo wild, Nature documentaries - topic, Animals - topic, planet earth, david attenborough, Full Animal Documentary, wild animals, wild animal, lions, dangerous animals, africa, south africa, namibia, safari, photography, austin stevens

Id: BDEAyLSZeRE

Length: 50min 0sec (3000 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 28 2018