Superior King Lion Of The Desert - National Geographic Documentary 2020

[Music] hello on earth for some but for others a land of opportunity lions the size of grizzly bears with appetites to match dominate this [Music] desert and turn the desperation into profit but this year drought pushes the lions to the brink will this be the first dry season to defeat them or will this hell remain the domain of these kings of the desert lions are africa's biggest cats and kalahari desert lions are the biggest on earth here in naipan on the fringes of the desert a big male lion can weigh over 500 pounds and measure 10 feet from nose to tail tip the power of a pride usually rests with one such dominant male but naipan is unique and so are its lions this pride is ruled by not one but two mighty kings brothers in arms [Music] six lionesses form their principal pride a small pride compared to most but only the fittest and biggest are needed to rule this harsh land all 800 square miles of it but this power comes at a cost the pride is isolated from other lions and this threatens their bloodline [Music] there's a natural but unusual solution to prevent inbreeding the kings have formed a secondary pride with two powerful foreign sisters they must provide the kings with pedigree heirs soon or be expelled from the pride lands these mistresses keep to the outskirts of the territory away from the principal pride never crossing their path as long as they keep their distance the two groups can coexist together these ten lions dominate this [Music] empire and everyone must pull their weight because big lions need big prey but hunting giants isn't easy even for the king of beasts after the rains last summer naipan was a wilderness utopia but not anymore now the water is mostly vanished lush grasses shriveled the earth is scorched and fractured this is all that remains surviving this annual dry season is tough enough for the animals that live here and this year the most devastating drought in nearly half a century is ravaging the land but it could be the lion's biggest windfall ever for in times like this even the biggest and strongest animals are under stress [Music] and on the menu [Music] thirsty animals congregate at the shrinking water holes so many species all part of the pride's diet the lions have only to position themselves nearby wait and consider their options ah as the afternoon fades the principal pride gathers watching waiting [Music] their mission is to divide [Music] create chaos [Music] and in the confusion an opportunity just might arise [Music] two miles out a pair of stragglers is trying to catch up with the herd [Music] but they're not alone the mistress sisters are hot on their trail the elephant mother hurries her newborn calf along he's only hours old and usually the herd wouldn't leave them but the heat and their daily thirst has driven them ahead leaving mother and calf far behind safety is in numbers out here even for giants [Music] but they can only go as fast as the calf's failing back leg it's a weakness that could cost him his life desert lions don't survive by being kind three tons of potential maternal rage would intimidate most [Music] but the mistress sisters don't spook easily they know there's a weakness and they're confident they can exploit [Music] it they're just waiting for nightfall elephant eyesight is average at best [Music] just good enough to keep an eye on the lurking predators in daylight lions have excellent night vision allowing them to get even closer [Music] [Music] in the confusion the calf is separated from his mother [Music] exactly what the sisters have been waiting for [Music] [Applause] as dawn breaks the scattered elephant herd regroups without their youngest family member the principal pride had no luck with the main herd but the mistresses power and patience paid off one king gets wind of their success and tracks them down it's a small prize for a lion his size but every morsel counts [Music] hours later the scraps are a free-for-all [Music] nothing goes to waste here [Music] even the principal pride scavenges once the mistresses move on never turn down a snack [Music] even if you've got eyes on a bigger prize there's been no rain in half a year the green kingdom has vanished with it almost all surface water all but this waterhole and it's shrinking by the day only overcrowding and despair lie ahead for the tiniest birds to earth's greatest land mammals tempers flare in the heat [Music] [Music] the heavyweights use size to bully their way through to steal the sick with no other water holes left all are drawn here the natural balance of naipan is shifting [Music] in favor of the lions as the only apex predators here the waterhole belongs to them [Music] all their prey in one convenient place the six females spread out testing the herds the heat drains them quickly here but it takes an even heavier toll on their prey the water hole is surrounded by so many animals so desperate for water [Music] opportunity must come the lion's way [Music] soon surely [Music] [Music] they must be patient [Music] choose their targets wisely know when to step back [Music] and wait for the right opportunity will present itself while the principal pride rests up in the thickets away from the waterhole it's a good time for the sisters to drop in for a drink and spend some quality time with their kings [Music] the sisters must produce cubs to justify their place here or they'll be forced to leave [Music] breeding during drought is not an option for most but the lions are still strong it's others that are gambling just to stay alive these giraffes aren't brave just desperately thirsty [Music] enough to drink only feet from the sisters a gap the lions can close in less than a second [Music] [Music] a 3 000 pound 19 foot tall giraffe is a tall order but the sisters count on the combined strength of their kings [Music] giraffe usually make up less than one percent of lions diets because they're dangerous and difficult to hunt even for a large pride but the kings and their mistresses are big and tough and waiting for nightfall has worked well for them so far [Music] a cloth of the hamstring finds his mark yet the giraffe keeps running the hunt isn't over yet brute strength and the cover of darkness has earned the lions their first big meal of the drought thousands of pounds of giraffe is the perfect meal for a grizzly sized lion for the mistress sisters it couldn't have come at a better time pride structure and predator hierarchy dictates feeding shifts over days by the morning of day two not much is left and some are tired of waiting their turn but their place in the pecking order is quickly established there are other big cats around naipan but they're struggling cheetahs are smaller and weaker than lions they also eat less but when it comes to food lions see them as competition so she's forced to stay out here away from the privilege of the waterhole she has a family to feed cubs too young to hunt providing food is her job alone [Music] out here prey is scarce there's no water hole to attract them it's so barren there's little cover for hunted for hunter [Music] her speed is not enough the family will go hungry for today this lion enforced exile will last as long as the dry season if the rains are late there's no guarantee they'll survive more herbivores flock to the water hole every day they're coming from further afield and staying longer lesser carnivores like jackals and vultures prowl always on the lookout for something to scavenge but theirs is the only free pass as the drought intensifies no other hunters like hyenas are permitted here so they steal through like ghosts stopping isn't worth the risk but some don't get out in time these wild dogs looking for water overstay their welcome and it's cost them dearly [Music] coming into contact with the lions means serious injury or death the mistress sisters strike again there's no room for competition this last waterhole is their lifeline and they must defend it at all costs but there's more to it wild dogs will kill lion cubs given half a chance and the sisters aren't taking chances for one of them is pregnant [Music] daytime temperatures soar the main pride looks listless but in spite of the blazing heat they never lose sight of the game and their big game prey [Music] but visibility is a lion's worst enemy [Music] during the day their heavyweight targets can see them coming a mile away but that doesn't stop them from trying a kudu bull is one of the biggest most difficult antelope to hunt they're taller and a hundred pounds heavier than the biggest male lion double the weight of lionesses and their arm with deadly horns up to five feet long the length of a lion's body [Music] uh [Music] so saves the kudu this time there's just no sneaking up on prey in daylight [Music] hunting by night is much more productive [Music] ambushed just before sunrise this kudu bull couldn't see them coming lioness her new strategy works a jackal on the lookout is already moving in but he'll have to wait the lioness guards her fresh kill during drought there's no time for charity it's not selfishness or gluttony just simple survival the rest of the pride has abandoned their breakfast carcass they've eaten their fill it's too hot to eat too hot to defend [Music] the deserted carcass is soon heating with looters the spoils turn into a turf war for the scavengers this is their biggest windfall of the drought building clouds bring a sliver of hope but race past [Music] there's no relief for the scorched earth and animals today while the lions benefit from this drought it's breaking point for everyone else that lives here there's no food water hole is reduced to pools of sludge [Music] the rains are long overdue there's no guarantee they'll arrive at all but it's okay for the lions they drink daily when water is available but they can also survive on just the moisture they get from their prey the uncertainty of rain isn't threatening their future here it's the lack of fresh new blood in their family but that's all about to change with the birth of two new desert kings but the pride isn't home free [Music] the cubs chances of survival are slim only one in five make it to adulthood [Music] they need their father's strength and protection [Music] their mother calls out the cubs must meet their family um [Music] um [Music] [Music] he's gruff but approving [Music] raising them in this hell will not be [Music] easy but their aunt will help and in time she too will hopefully give birth to her own set of cups the mistresses and their new cubs are now assured of the king's continued protection and a guaranteed share of territory alongside the principal pride [Music] but the desert lion bloodline remains under threat dominating the waterhole season through these tough months each dry season [Music] but their big prey lifeline is about to disappear unless this year's drought breaks soon the last remaining sludge pools will dry up completely and all the animals will leave the area the lions will have to leave their home and follow them [Music] or starve storm clouds gather once again so naipan is released from the hellish grip of drought the rains will soon wash away the desperation of all who live here [Music] [Music] the water hole becomes one of many using their size and strength to dominate even the biggest prey during the worst drought in decades the desert kings have come full circle [Music] [Music] you

Channel: National Geographic Documentary I

Views: 363,062

Rating: 4.7099843 out of 5

Keywords: lion documentary, wildlife documentary, lion documentary hd, nature documentary, animals documentary, african animals, lion superior documentary hd, africa wildlife documentary, african wildlife, wildlife documentary hd, wildlife documentary africa, lion documentary 2020 new, animal documentary, african lions, lions documentary, africa wildlife hd, african lion, african wildlife documentary, wildlife documentary lions, lion, lions, national geographic documentary, jumi taura

Id: FUvAR_6H4VY

Length: 50min 24sec (3024 seconds)

Published: Mon Sep 14 2020