This African landscape
of sandstone hills and open savanna is divided by lion prides
into hard-won territories, giving lionesses like Manyari
the chance to raise their young in relative peace. Manyari tries to get some rest while keeping an eye
on her one-year-old cubs. Most evenings
she's out hunting with her sisters. Their role is to provide food
for the whole pride. In return,
the job of Sjambok, the pride male, is to defend their territory,
giving the cubs the sanctuary they need to grow and mature. However,
there's a cruel twist in lion society. Danger comes from their own kind. Out in the bush, two marauding young males
seek a territory and pride of their own. Their goal is to defeat the veteran king
and take his lionesses for themselves. If they succeed,
they will try and kill any cubs under two years old. Manyari is on the alert. It's as if she senses
the imminent threat to her offspring. Most lionesses submit
to the superior strength of the males. However, Manyari is different. She will do anything to save her cubs. Trouble for Manyari's pride begins soon
after the summer rains have fallen. In this lush corner of southeast Zimbabwe,
the game fans are out to take advantage of the new growth,
making the defense of a good territory even more crucial to each lion pride. Manyari is lucky. She was born into the Onduna Pride, named after this area with its year
round waterholes and plenty of game. The Onduna pride
controls the best territory within a protected area of Zimbabwe,
known as the Malilangwe Game Reserve. Malilangwe is 100,000 acres. Are famous for their variety of habitats, hosting a rich diversity of wildlife
which rivals any in East Africa. However,
this bounty means that other lions covet the Onduna Pride's territory. With five lionesses
and 11 cubs of assorted ages, Sjambok, the only adult male,
has his work cut out. At nearly ten years old, he's done well to keep this large pride
together for so long. Perhaps, because he knows
when to conserve his energy. The secret of his success lies in Manyari, the most experienced
of the pride lionesses and Magwaza her sister
and hunting partner. Manyari has three cubs. Two young males and a playful female
who likes to stick close to her mother. Magwaza's two cubs
are several weeks younger. Lionesses spend their lives
in their native pride, and the sisterhood is the bond
which keeps the pride strong, as they share the task
of looking after each other's young. Right now, Sjambok is not sleeping. The whole pride is unusually restless. One of the cubs'
showers Manyari's daughter with affection. Only a year old,
she's oblivious to any danger. However, Sjambok
and Manyari need little reminder. The distant roaring
signals that the two nomadic males are trespassing on Onduna Pride territory. They make their intention clear to Sjambok
and everyone else in the neighborhood. The adults
do a quick check on their 11 cubs. Manyari heads for the lookout post. The power-hungry brothers are moving further
inside Sjambok's territory. They've picked up
the scent of the females. Sjambok patrols well-worn paths,
making sure his presence is known. As darkness falls, the young bloods
ignore Sjambok's scent marks and throw down
their challenge loud and clear. For the pride, it's like the drums of war. The Onduna lions fight back. They unite together
in a show of vocal strength to make themselves
sound larger and fiercer than they are. Manyari and Magwaza
should be out hunting for their pride. Now they're shouting hard,
to try and save the lives of their cubs. Finally, in the small hours,
their aggressors fall silent. The ruse seems to have worked, for now. It's been a long night. The pride wakes on empty stomachs. Manyari is up first. With the nomads in the neighborhood,
she daren't go far. She checks out the local game. The nearest big prey
are also the most dangerous. Manyari means buffalo killer,
but a large bull is almost five times
heavier than a lioness. Many of her kin
have been gored by horns like these. It would be foolhardy
to tackle buffalo alone. However, the other lionesses
have turned out to help. With the herd spooked,
the risk is too great. The females wait until cover of darkness
gives them an advantage. They will have to rely on Sjambok
to do his job and keep his rivals at bay
while they are out hunting. In the shadows, the sisters
work as a team and isolate a male. One of them needs to attack. It's Manyari who strikes first. She grapples the rump
to avoid the dagger-like horns while the others keep the bull surrounded. Suddenly,
two male intruders are on the scene. The other lionesses back off. However, Manyari is reluctant to concede. She has no choice. The two marauding nomads
have stolen her prey. These young princes
are not expert buffalo hunters like the lionesses. By morning, they're still trying
to wear down their tenacious quarry. For these two groups of lions, this is far more
than a tussle over one meal. By stealing this kill from the lionesses right inside the heart
of Sjambok's territory, these young bloods
have thrown down a second gauntlet and a blatant warning
to the whole Onduna pride. With no sign of Sjambok,
instinct forces Manyari to take action. She greets each of her cubs in turn. Then, ever so casually, she slips away. Her cubs
watch her disappear into the bush. Slowly, the three youngsters follow. They seem to understand the need
not to draw attention to themselves. However, their departure has been spotted
by one of the older male cubs. He follows and four more cubs,
including Magwaza's two younger ones, trek out after Manyari. Her bid to escape
has turned into an exodus. A lioness never usually leaves her pride. It's a huge step and a big risk
which Manyari took to save her cubs. However, now she has far more
than she bargained for. She has got eight inexperienced
youngsters relying totally on her. Not only will she have
the nomads on her back by disappearing with so many cubs,
she'll also have angered Sjambok. She has to get this unlikely gang
as far away as fast as she can. However, the pace is slow,
maybe because the younger ones don't see the need for urgency. Sjambok
has lost his best hunter and eight cubs, but he still has four lionesses
and three cubs to fight for. The two assailants are closing in. Sjambok has no choice. He has to assert his authority. He heads out to confront the intruders. It's time to make a last stand
and save the rest of his pride. The battle was swift. The veteran stood little chance against two young bloods
spoiling for a fight. Cast out into the wilderness
for the first time in years, he will have to fend for himself
until old age overwhelms him. A day later,
Manyari is still trying to cover the miles with her eight dependents. The cubs are beginning to flag. It seemed like a big adventure, but now they're bored
with the long journey. Some of them just want to play. Manyari chivvies them on. They reach a rocky outcrop
where she can keep a lookout with a bit of unwanted help
from the baboon troop. At last, she gives them a break. Manyari can't afford to stop. These cubs haven't yet learned to hunt. They're all relying on her
to provide food. She's used to working with her sisters. Now she'll have to hunt alone. She targets buffalo,
risky without Magwaza, but she has eight hungry mouths to feed. She's not alone. The youngsters are keen to join in. With the bravado of youth,
they seem oblivious of the danger. Manyari has the calf. She leaves it to her eager apprentices
to make their first kill. However, the buffalo haven't given up. Females with calves
are the most dangerous of all. They bunch together
to form a battering ram. This calf had a lucky escape
and might even survive. By letting naive youngsters
face this herd of buffalo, Manyari gambled with their lives. It's as if she knows
that her cubs will have to grow up faster than they should. Manyari's young may be seriously hungry,
but at least they're alive. Back in Onduna, the two brothers
have made themselves at home. They have claimed
Sjambok's old territory and his females. Daylight reveals why Manyari
took such enormous risks to flee with her cubs. The lionesses which stayed behind,
paid the ultimate price. Awful though it seems, incoming male lions kill young cubs for good reason. Their own reign
as head of the pride may be short. By killing the cubs,
they bring the females into estrus sooner, giving them a chance
to father their own offspring to maturity before other males
move in to steal their lionesses. Days later and Manyari must hunt again. This is the relentless life
she has chosen, teaching her charges,
and keeping them fed. Gone are the days when she could snooze
through the sunlit hours. With the cubs
more a hindrance than a help, she sneaks off without them. She finds some wildebeest. In Malilangwe, small wildebeest herds
are resident all year round. She's vulnerable out in the open
and tries to drag the meal into cover. The hungry adolescents
have noted her absence. They're ready and waiting. The alarm calls of the baboons
suggest that Manyari is nearby. It's a small kill, and Manyari takes
the opportunity to feed first. She needs to keep her own strength up. However, the youngsters are too hungry
to show their elder any respect. One calf doesn't divide into nine easily. Each has to fight
for their share of the action. Manyari has only had scraps. However, with the meal demolished,
they're all friends again. Every moment she shares
with these affectionate juveniles is borrowed time. Sound travels in the still of the night and she can hear the power
hungry brothers laying their claim. Now the Onduna pride females
have accepted their reign. The princes spend more time
exploring their new territory. They pick up Manyari's scent
from one of her hunting forays. For these males,
Manyari is unfinished business. They know she's out there
with the youngsters. They need to track down the cubs. They can't allow
any young lions on their turf, which could one day
be a threat to their reign. Manyari is aware
the brothers are on her trail. She rouses the group. Once again, like refugees,
they're forced to up sticks and move on. The dry season is beginning to bite and the game will concentrate
around familiar waterholes. However, Manyari takes them
beyond the borders of her homeland into unknown territory. Her pupils are older now. They're learning fast, but they're still
not ready for independence. Somehow, Manyari needs to buy
these young lions more time. The brothers
have brought down an adult giraffe. They've been traveling
in the same direction as Manyari's group. These two strong males are in their prime and they're not afraid
to extend their hunting territory. While the brothers have more than enough
meat to sustain them, eight large cubs
are too many for one lioness. Manyari is struggling
to keep their bellies full. She needs to bring down larger prey. Zebra stripes are designed to confuse her. As they twist and turn,
she must keep her focus on her target. In full flight, she didn't even see
the jagged stump which tore into her. Injuries as bad as these
are usually fatal. Yet, slowly, incredibly,
Manyari keeps herself moving. If she lies down, she will give up. Loss of blood
means she is dangerously dehydrated. She needs to find water,
yet she can barely walk. She licks her lips trying to find moisture
to clean her wounds, but it's too painful to reach them. Her eight dependents
are still waiting in hope of a meal. The oldest
and most impatient leads the search. There is no food. There is only Manyari
with life draining from her body. Her daughter tries to rouse her. The youngsters are a reminder
that she has something to fight for. She collapsed only a few feet from water. With her daughter hovering protectively,
she slakes her thirst. She cleans her wounds. The risk of infection
and blood poisoning is huge. She can barely tolerate
her daughter near her. The other hungry youngsters are on edge. The brothers are still hot on their trail. These sub-adults seem to accept
that their mentor can no longer help them. Five of them abandon her. The female tries
one last time to rally her mother. Hunger wins and she and her brother
follow the other siblings into the night. Manyari calls them back. She's aware
the marauding males are out there. This time, there's nothing she can do. The naive youngsters
have already picked up the irresistible sound of a lion hunt. They're wary
yet hunger makes them reckless. They move headlong toward danger. Surprisingly, the killer
makes way for them at the feast. For this is Magwaza's kill. Mealtime is not the place for greetings. But for once, the cubs get a lucky break. Magwaza, Manyari's sister,
has found her own long-lost cubs. The wounded lioness can hear the feasting. Fighting searing pain,
she forces her body to move. Manyari makes it to her family. For the first time in months,
someone has provided for her. It looks as though Magwaza
plans to stay around and keep an eye
on her wayward accident-prone sister. She's so far from Onduna, that this is unlikely
to be a chance encounter. Like the brothers,
Magwaza must have been tracking her sister and their offspring. For Manyari, it will be a long,
painful road to recovery. However, with her sister on hand to help,
she stands a chance. Magwaza instinctively takes over
from the injured lioness, hunting and providing
for the fledgling pride. The juveniles don't care
who catches their food. With the oldest cub now nearly two years,
they're just happy to be well-fed. As the days pass, Manyari
has been cleaning her wounds scrupulously. She's healing well. This ragtag group
is beginning to look less like refugees and more like a normal pride. Just occasionally,
they even snooze in the sunshine. However, Magwaza is aware of the urgency
and there is room for improvement in the hunting technique
of the youngsters. She gives them a crash course
in who best to avoid. Finally, one evening, Magwaza leads all eight sub-adults out
on a serious hunting mission. Manyari joins them. After everything she's done for the cubs, she's not going to miss
their ultimate test, buffalo at night. It's a big challenge for Manyari too. Will she still have the strength
and agility to live up to her name and face down Africa's most volatile prey? The sisters
have done their bit and back off, leaving their pupils to finish the job. It's a coming of age. In the weeks and months to come,
these half brothers and sisters will have to sort out their own squabbles
and form a new hierarchy. Against the odds,
Manyari, with Magwaza's help, has raised all eight cubs,
so they're ready for independence. This family
cannot stay together as a pride because the two princes
will always covet the females and see these young males
as a threat to their reign. The sisters
risked their lives for their cubs. Now, the best thing
they can do for their young is drive them away. Suddenly the moment is upon them. The brothers have sneaked up unawares. This is not the time to linger
over lengthy farewells. Manyari turns back to face her challenger. Once again, she risks her life. If she can just distract
the males for long enough. Her sister tries the same ruse, giving the youngsters a chance to escape. Now these young lions
really are on their own. They had a shaky start
and had to grow up fast. Thanks to the courage
of two unusual lionesses, they have a fair chance of making it. For Manyari and Magwaza,
it's time to return from exile and resume their place
back in their old pride. The sisters will accept the same males who are determined to kill their cubs,
as their new protectors, as if their flight
into the wilderness never happened. The lionesses
will hunt buffalo for the whole pride and consort with their old enemies because
this is how it works in lion society. Only Manyari did things differently. She defied the usual order
and saved her cubs. Truly an extraordinary lioness.
