Nature (1982–…): Season 36, Episode 5 - The Cheetah Children - full transcript

♪♪

There are few sights in nature

as dramatic as a big
cat battling its prey.

But cheetahs aren't
born ready to hunt.

It's a skill their
mothers teach them

over many challenging months.

What does it take to turn
tiny cubs into predators?

To find out, one
filmmaker forged

an extraordinary bond
with a wild cheetah family

and, over a year and a half,

recorded their lives in
remarkably intimate detail.



Thanks to his
unique relationship,

we can witness cheetah
family life extremely close-up.

And reveal the
heartbreak and triumph

a cheetah mother
faces as she battles

to raise the next generation.

♪♪

On Malilangwe Game
Reserve in Zimbabwe,

a female cheetah has
been keeping a secret.

♪♪

She's the mother
of five new cubs.

This is a dangerous
place for such small ones,

so she's been hiding
them in thick undergrowth.

But her secret is
about to be discovered.

Conservationist and cameraman
Kim Wolhuter has spent



his entire adult life filming
Africa's wild animals.

He'd been following the
female, gaining her trust,

until she suddenly disappeared.

I had a call on the radio

that it was a cheetah
with small cubs.

And I thought,
ah, maybe it's her.

And Io and behold, it was
the same mother cheetah,

and she had five
new little cubs.

And they were tiny,

they were probably
nearly three months old.

Like all cheetah mothers,

she has no partner or
sisters to help her feed

and protect these
vulnerable cubs.

That responsibility
is hers alone.

And she has just over
a year to teach them

how to survive in the
wilderness without her.

♪♪

But the question for Kim

was would she allow
him back into her world?

And it must have been
within the first week, I think,

I got out and I was filming,

and the cubs
came right up to me.

♪♪

And the mother just lay over
there, she wasn't even looking.

♪♪

And that was how
the whole thing started,

and it was wonderful.

The mother's incredible
acceptance of Kim

would allow him to witness

the lives of a wild
cheetah family

in a way he never imagined.

It wasn't long and I
was walking with them,

sleeping with them, and even
following them on the hunt.

It's spring, and
for a single mother,

it's no easy task
herding five small cats.

But her cubs know
her by her call.

Over the coming months,

they will pay attention
when they hear her voice.

It's a language we can't
understand, but for them,

her meaning is always clear.

Her home spreads
for 200 square miles

between these forested hills

and a seasonal
river to the west.

While this wooded
terrain doesn't seem like

typical cheetah habitat,

she's already successfully
raised four cubs

beneath this canopy.

♪♪

But this doesn't mean her
role as a single parent is easy.

The forest harbors many
enemies, like leopards and lions.

Even baboons are too powerful

for the lightweight
mother to stand up to.

♪♪

Their fluffy coats
help to disguise them

in the undergrowth,

but when they're on the move,

they need to stay
close by her side.

♪♪

Right now, with five hungry
cubs depending on her milk,

she must seize every
chance to feed herself.

Her prey... the impala that
thrive in these woodlands.

♪♪

Every other day,
she must wrestle

one of these powerful
antelope to the death.

But first, she must
lose five little shadows.

When those cubs
were really small,

it was quite interesting how
she would sneak off hunting,

and the little guys would
just know that they had

to go and hide in
their sort of hideaway

in their little bush
and wait there.

♪♪

Her hyperactive
cubs can't be trusted

to keep still for long.

Their play could attract
unwelcome attention,

but their mother simply
can't be in two places at once.

In open terrain, she can reach

a top speed of nearly
60 miles an hour...

Twice as fast as
an Olympic sprinter.

But the forest is a
hazardous obstacle course.

For a high-speed hunter,
as well as her prey.

Dinner's ready, and she
calls her family to join her.

But they wonder what she wants.

Their bellies are
full with her rich milk,

and they're not too eager
to share her strange meal.

♪♪

In those early days,
when she would take them

to a carcass, and
they'd sort of look

at this thing and
they would be terrified.

What is this thing?

What are we supposed
to do with this thing?

And then they'd come and
they'd start playing with it

and they weren't
even bothering to eat,

they were just biting
and pulling and stuff.

♪♪

It's been a hard day,

and she still needs to get
a long line of cubs bathed.

Grooming keeps
them clean, but it's also

the cheetah's version of a
hug, strengthening their bond.

♪♪

And then, she still has
energy for a bedtime game...

that requires unlimited
patience from one of the players.

But she can never
totally let her guard down.

The hours of darkness are
perilous for these diurnal cats.

And tonight, the mother
cannot protect her family

from their deadliest enemy.

Kim had only been filming
them for a few short weeks

when tragedy struck.

The next morning,
when I came back,

one of the cubs was missing.

♪♪

I searched around, and not
far from where I found them,

there were lion tracks.

I can only presume
they'd killed the cub.

But normally,
lions don't eat them,

so they just kill it
and leave it there.

And I searched and
searched the area for ages

trying to find something, but
I never could find anything.

The mother has no choice.

She has to share her
range with larger predators

that readily kill
the competition.

♪♪

To survive in this forest, she
must keep moving her family

as far away from
the pride as possible.

Four cubs follow her today.

They're all females
except for one...

and he soon captured
Kim's attention.

I started developing
a relationship

with the little male,
and I called him Solo.

What happens when
cheetah reach adulthood,

the males will go off together,

and the females will go
and have their own cubs.

But Solo was the only male, so
he was gonna go off on his own.

And it was going to be Solo
and my little journey together.

By late spring,
the hot, dry season

has reached its peak.

And soaring temperatures
make the family thirsty.

The only water remains
in a shrinking dam,

where hundreds of
birds flock to drink.

African waters are treacherous
places to take a young family.

The mother is
impatient to move on.

They can't linger here.

There's no cover for her cubs,

and they're still too
small to outrun danger.

But she won't need to rely
on the dam for much longer...

because the summer wet
season is about to begin.

Rain is a whole new
experience for the cubs,

and within a few short weeks

the only world they've ever
known looks very different.

♪♪

The dry river bed
becomes a stream.

Then a river, cutting
off the western edge

of the mother's territory.

And in secluded
corners of the forest,

hidden from the family's view,

new life begins.

♪♪

The cubs' first summer will
be a season of discovery...

and peculiar playmates.

Aroused by rain from
its dry season burrow,

this one's a little
withdrawn around strangers.

♪♪

His sisters soon lose interest,
but Solo, always inquisitive,

is determined to play.

♪♪

Now, if only he could figure
out which end is the front?

♪♪

It's been four months
since her cubs were born,

and the mother's milk
is no longer enough

to sustain their
growing appetites.

They need to eat meat,

and today, they're
going to find out

just what she has
to do to feed them.

The forest provides
a choice of lookouts

to help her locate food.

Her cubs love imitating her and
an impromptu lesson in hunting

is about to begin.

First... scan for prey.

♪♪

Next... get down and stalk it.

Climbing up is one thing,

reversing quite another.

This is going to take a whole
lot longer than she thought.

♪♪

Their stalking technique
will improve with practice.

For now, Solo is the only
one showing any aptitude.

♪♪

As she closes in on her prey,

the lesson suddenly
becomes more compelling.

Watching her is the best
way to learn how to hunt.

♪♪

A signal from her
tells them to keep still...

for the next few
critical seconds.

♪♪

The wait is over,

and they're eager to
get closer to the action.

They've never seen
her do this before,

and their murmurs
betray their anxiety.

The ram is almost
twice her weight.

His sharp horns
are a lethal weapon.

And front row seats have
become too close for comfort.

♪♪

She needs to clench her
small jaws around his throat

until he suffocates.

♪♪

It seems to be a textbook kill.

Except, down does
not always mean out.

But Kim has faith in the
skills of this superb huntress.

When you see how
this mother cheetah

would catch a big male impala

and then wrestle
with this thing,

I mean, it was incredible.

The strength and
the power that she has

just to hold onto that thing
and then to bring it down.

♪♪

Now it's safe.

♪♪

Her kill is a triumph
for the family,

and the little cats
have finally developed

a big appetite for meat.

Even the cold, hard rain
is not going to chase them

from this meal.

But tonight, by
lingering at the carcass,

the mother is making
a fatal mistake.

I left the cheetah
in the evening,

and they had a fresh kill,

and when I got back
there the next morning,

the kill had disappeared.

And I found them about
half a kilometer away,

just the three cubs.

And my little friend,
Solo, was missing.

So I searched and
searched the area.

And I found Solo lying
at the base of a tree, dead

and partially eaten.

Probably because
they were on a kill,

a leopard had come
into the smell or whatever

and surprised them.

This journey that I was
going to go on with Solo

had now just suddenly
come to an end.

And that whole little bubble
just got burst instantly.

♪♪

Predators have
killed two of her cubs

in the space of a month.

This is the fate of
many cheetah cubs.

And a huge challenge

for Africa's most
threatened big cat.

If she's to keep her last
three little ones alive,

she can't afford
any more mistakes.

♪♪

So now we were
left with 3 females.

And they were doing really well.

Two months have
passed since Solo's death,

and the seven-month-old cubs

have outgrown
the protective cloak

of downy fur on their backs.

Over the weeks,

they've witnessed their
mother's hunting prowess.

And now every free
moment is their chance

to play at predator and prey.

♪♪

They're also beginning
to make themselves known

in the neighborhood.

Some neighbors are less
approachable than others.

♪♪

It's been a successful
few weeks for the mother

and her daughters,

but that's about to change.

One summer morning, Kim
arrived to find the family scattered.

The cheetah were
everywhere and I just heard

cubs, you know,
their little whistle...

all over the place, so
something had happened.

♪♪

I found one of the youngsters,

and this cub was
obviously in a bad way.

And then I realized
it had a serious injury

and it looked like...

I think a baboon had probably
bit her across the shoulder.

Baboons and cheetahs
are a serious problem,

and baboons do go for
them and chase them.

And whenever the
mother heard baboons

she would just move
away from them.

Her priority is to gather
her family together.

But her injured
daughter cannot keep up.

♪♪

The cub is traumatized.

And to make matters worse,

biting ants soon begin
to swarm all over her.

Kim's concerned that
the ants will eat her alive.

♪♪

Until now, he has
simply been a witness,

documenting the
family's fortunes.

He faces a dilemma...
Should he help the cub or not.

We sort of have a policy that,

if it's a man-made injury,

then you come in and you
try and sort the animal out.

But if it's a natural
injury, then you don't.

Unless it's an
endangered species.

And in this case, we called a
vet in and he came and helped.

We stitched up the cheetah

and then we took her
back to her mother.

Kim's intervention
saved her life

and brought him even
closer to the family.

♪♪

So she would have that scar

for the rest of her life now.

And then, that day, I
decided to name her,

and I named her Shanatse.
I just like that name.

It's the name of a mopane tree
in the local Shangaan language.

And I just liked the sound
of the name and it suited her.

♪♪

In no time at all, little
Shanatse is on the mend.

Although it will take a few
days before she's well enough

to run around with her sisters.

♪♪

But the mother's
trials are not over yet.

There's more upheaval to come.

Just days later, one of
the other cubs appears thin

and unsteady on her feet.

♪♪

Within hours, she's collapsed
and is bleeding from her nose.

♪♪

She has contracted a
mysterious and deadly illness,

and the mother is helpless.

She can only offer
comfort, nothing more.

♪♪

The disease has
taken hold so quickly

that even Kim is unable to help.

♪♪

Her calls urge her daughter
to get up and follow her.

♪♪

But she can't.

By nightfall, her
little one is dead.

Despite her best efforts,

the mother has lost three
cubs in seven months.

As far as providing
goes, she could provide.

And that was never a problem.

She was a really good hunter
and she could provide food.

But she couldn't protect
them from all that other stuff

and that's stuff which a
lot of cheetah can't do.

Now only two cubs follow,

where once there were five.

It will take all her skill
and a huge dose of luck

to get her surviving
daughters through to adulthood.

♪♪

Soon, Kim began to notice
that the two little females

had very different
personalities.

You know, Shanatse was
always more calculating

and quite independent.

While the other cub,
which I named Chindzvi,

she was more of a baby,

and a real mommy's girl,
she just loved her mommy.

And she was really
obliging, and later,

when I needed to track them,

she'd let me just walk up to
her and put on a radio collar.

♪♪

Weeks pass, and the rainy
season draws to a close.

It's difficult to
find suitable prey

in late summer's long grass.

♪♪

The family spots
impala on the far shore.

The river's gone down
since the rains ended,

but they still need to find
a shallow place to cross.

And these cats don't
like to get their paws wet.

♪♪

True to their characters,

Shanatse makes her
way across with finesse.

Chindzvi, on the other hand,
would rather stay on dry land...

and she wants to be sure
her mother's coming along.

♪♪

There's no turning back now.

The lush summer
grazing has left the herds

in peak physical condition.

The mother must get close.

She can't sustain top
speed for very long.

♪♪

It's an exhausting struggle,

but today, for the first time,

her daughters are
eager to help her.

They might have
enthusiasm and instinct,

but at eight months
old, they still lack skill.

And it's not clear exactly
what Chindzvi's contribution is.

♪♪

They've participated
in their first big hunt.

And Shanatse is eager
to claim the trophy.

But Kim knew what
was coming next.

♪♪

Cheetah have this funny
thing that, youngsters,

especially, once
they've caught this thing

and once it's down
on the ground,

then that's... okay, it's
dead now, so we can let go.

And then they're surprised
that, hey, it's got up again.

Everyone will go hungry today.

By autumn, their
forest changes color.

And the mopane trees that
gave Shanatse her name

start to lose their leaves.

Change blows in
on the cool winds.

One morning, two
strangers arrive.

♪♪

It's a coalition of brothers

with only one thing
on their mind...

To mate with the mother.

Unlike other big cats,
cheetahs do not typically kill cubs

that don't belong to them.

All the same, Chindzvi
seems frightened.

♪♪

The mother's aggressive response
should leave them in no doubt

that she's not ready to mate.

♪♪

But they're not taking
no for an answer.

They follow the family
deeper into the forest.

Chindzvi's persistent cries
are not helping the situation.

♪♪

The brothers aren't giving up.

They're after a scent
that will let them know

she's coming back into estrus.

♪♪

And when that happens,
she will abandon her cubs

to begin a new family.

It's as if Chindzvi
knows this...

and objects.

♪♪

Their advances are
premature, but they'll be back.

Months pass, and the
chilly start of winter marks

the sisters' first birthday.

They're growing in
confidence and now approach

hunting practice
with determination.

♪♪

A bush piglet is
hiding in the grass

while its mother
is away foraging.

♪♪

Catching and killing
such small prey

should be a walk in the park.

♪♪

But their mother is
still providing for them,

and they seem to think
this ferocious little snack

is not worth the effort.

For the moment, elephant dung
is a much more compliant prey.

♪♪

They'll sometimes see a
piece of dung over there

and they'll go tearing after it

and then grab it and hit it
and then go over for that

and then the other one
will come in from this side.

And it's like a game
of soccer to them.

They love playing
those sort of games.

And they'll stand there with
this piece of elephant dung

in their mouth, looking
really stupid and...

Hello?

It didn't run away.

By late winter, the
forest is bare and cold.

It's over a year since Kim
began filming the mother

and her five tiny cubs,

and now her daughters are
nearly the same size as she is.

But they still depend on
her guidance and wisdom.

Especially when it
comes to their archenemy.

This morning, they've
wandered into a pair of lions...

Members of the same
pride that killed her cub.

In their evolution, cheetahs
sacrificed strength for speed.

And now their only defense
against these powerful cats

is to flee.

♪♪

Chindzvi and her
mother are ready to run.

But Shanatse's sudden
bravado could cost her her life.

She is no match for a male
lion four times her weight.

♪♪

The mother has already
lost one cub to lions.

She'll do whatever
she can to save another.

And she sees to it
that they quickly retreat.

Shanatse needs to be
much smarter next time

if she's to survive alongside
these deadly enemies.

As the months fly by, time
is running out for the sisters

to perfect their hunting skills.

Today, they've managed
to catch a grysbok,

a secretive forest antelope.

♪♪

This adult might be
small enough to wrestle,

but their technique still
needs considerable practice.

If they don't
silence it quickly,

its cries will attract
other predators.

Shanatse finally gets it right.

It's a small victory for the
sisters, and not their last.

Over the coming months,
the demands on their mother

to feed them will lessen.

Until, one day, she will
know that the time has come.

♪♪

Nearly a year and
a half has passed

since Shanatse and
Chindzvi were born.

And although their mother has
made mistakes along the way,

she's done
everything in her power

to get these two
survivors this far.

♪♪

Now a fresh instinct is
beginning to take hold of her.

She is preparing for another
journey into motherhood

and leaves her scent where
it will lure passing males.

♪♪

Her daughters might
not realize it yet,

but this simple action marks
the end of their childhood.

Everything will be different
from this day onwards.

This remarkable mother's
work is finally done.

♪♪

By some mysterious
communication,

her cubs know that, this
time, they cannot follow.

♪♪

These strong, healthy cheetahs
are a product of her labor

and devotion.

But are they ready
for a life on their own?

♪♪

Kim had been anticipating this
bittersweet moment for months.

Well, I knew from
the start that one day

the mother would just up

and leave them and the
family would begin to dissolve.

And I suppose I
was prepared for it.

But their mother's
abrupt departure

hits Chindzvi hard.

She was so distraught at
mom having disappeared,

and she called and
called for a couple of days.

Now, Shanatse was
just very different.

When mom was gone, she
didn't seem to be too fazed.

It was almost like,

well, now I'm going to
be a normal cheetah,

I don't have to run around
after my mommy anymore.

The sisters only
have each other now,

and the next few critical weeks
will either make or break them.

As they begin to patrol
their forest as adults,

a daunting reality
soon confronts them.

If they're to survive,

they'll have to apply their
mother's hunting lessons.

First, climb a tree.

♪♪

Scan the area for suitable prey.

Too big.

Too tall.

Way too big.

♪♪

Just right.

Kim had been an intimate witness

to the milestones
in their lives,

almost from the start.

But the ultimate test of
their mother's success

was still to come.

You know, I'd seen
them catch small prey,

but one day, they'd have
to catch adult impala,

like their mother.

They see an opportunity.

♪♪

It's summer's end,
and shorter days

have triggered the
annual impala rut.

Throughout the forest, rams
are jousting for the right to mate.

♪♪

Days of fighting have
weakened the contenders.

If the sisters hope
to succeed today,

they need to work together...

and they seem to have a plan.

Chindzvi sneaks off...

to lie in ambush.

♪♪

Using the forest as cover,

Shanatse stalks
closer to the ram,

aiming to flush it out.

♪♪

All their mother's
teaching has culminated

in this crucial moment.

♪♪

♪♪

Shanatse launches the attack.

Chindzvi gets ready
and leaps into action.

♪♪

♪♪

They've done it.

They'd killed their
own impala and...

And once I'd seen that
they were successful

and looking after themselves,

it was just time that the
project should come to an end.

♪♪

They were going
off on their own,

and they weren't going
to stay together for long,

and I was going to
go off and do my thing.

In the months that followed,

Kim no longer spent
his days with the sisters,

and he began filming
a wild dog family.

But there was one
farewell still to come.

♪♪

I finished working with
them and I hadn't seen them

for a year,

and I was going for this walk,

and I saw this
cheetah in the distance,

and I started whistling, and
it doesn't even look at me.

And eventually, I get closer,
and she still doesn't look.

Now I realize
that it's Chindzvi.

So I go and I sit down a
couple of meters from her,

and she still
doesn't look at me,

and I'm thinking,
come on, chick.

I haven't seen you for a year,

surely you can
acknowledge my presence.

I mean we were quite
good buddies at one stage.

And then...

a couple of minutes
later, she got up,

and she came to me, and
she started licking my face.

And that, for me,

is why I do what I do,
because it's so special.

It was very special.

♪♪

♪♪

To learn more about what you've
seen on this "Nature" program,

♪♪

♪♪