Nature (1982–…): Season 37, Episode 1 - Super Cats: Extreme Lives - full transcript
The ultimate cats, including cheetahs, snow leopard, and Canadian Lynx.
♪♪
From the iconic big
cats that enthrall us...
♪♪
To the little-known small cats
that are just coming
into the light...
this is a remarkable
family of predators.
♪♪
They are super athletes...
Super hunters...
Possessing super senses.
Now, groundbreaking
filming techniques
and a surge in
scientific research
are revealing new
facets of this amazing
super family.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Dawn in the Namibian desert.
♪♪
Cheetahs are one of the few cats
to form long-term
coalitions with their siblings.
♪♪
For males, the relationship
might be life-long.
They'll do
everything together...
♪♪
Even hunt.
♪♪
Few cats can resist a chase...
but none give chase
quite like a cheetah.
♪♪
The latest science tells us
cheetahs rarely reach
their record top speed.
So, if cheetahs don't
rely simply on being fast,
how do they catch their prey?
It's a question that
requires a new perspective.
This high-speed
buggy is mounted with
a stabilized slow-motion camera
to give us the prey's-eye view.
♪♪
Their sprinting
prowess is unrivaled.
♪♪
But this new approach
reveals that there's far more
to cheetahs than just
straight line speed.
Cheetahs must not only
keep up with their targets,
but react to every
twist and turn.
♪♪
Their blunt claws are running
cleats that provide traction.
♪♪
Even at 50 miles an hour,
the grip allows them to
change direction, instantly...
And their long tails whip
around to keep them upright.
♪♪
They can also brake hard.
♪♪
Strong bones are
shock absorbers,
dissipating forces that
could break a human leg.
♪♪
Cheetahs are more than
just sprinters outrunning prey
on open plains...
They're agile...
and maneuverable.
They're elite athletes.
♪♪
And where that really counts
is here, in woodland.
♪♪
This is an obstacle course
where the prey's best chance
is to weave and turn to escape.
♪♪
So a cheetah can
rarely hit top speed.
♪♪
This chase is not a race...
It's a dance.
♪♪
The prey leads...
♪♪
And the predator must follow.
♪♪
Cheetahs are the
fastest animals on land,
incredible sprinters,
but so much more.
♪♪
Even now, iconic cats like
cheetahs can still surprise us.
♪♪
And there are other members
of this extraordinary family
about which we know even less.
♪♪
Hiding in this Sri Lankan jungle
is a cat so rare, few
have ever seen it.
♪♪
Exploring the world beyond
his den for the first time
is a miniature predator.
♪♪
The smallest
feline in the world...
A rusty spotted cat.
♪♪
He may look like a kitten...
He'd still fit in the
palm of your hand.
But this little male
is nearly full grown.
He'll soon be setting
off on a solitary life,
fending entirely for himself.
What he lacks in size,
he makes up for in daring.
♪♪
Young cats are born curious...
It's how they learn
about their world...
♪♪
Even if it can get
them into trouble.
Right away, he puts his super
senses through their paces.
♪♪
His eyes are six times
more powerful than our own
and sensitive to the
slightest movement.
♪♪
His whiskers, rooted
in a bed of nerves,
detect the faintest touch or
the gentlest breath of wind.
His hearing is
better than ours too...
tuned to sounds that are
completely imperceptible
to the human ear.
And his sense of smell is
capable of distinguishing
between a billion
different odors.
♪♪
This little cat is
alert to every change
in his surroundings...
♪♪
But now it's time to
learn which sounds...
or sights...
signal danger.
♪♪
Every step of today's adventure
has been stored
away in his memory.
He's building a 3-D map
of the jungle in his head...
♪♪
So he can find his
way home in a flash.
♪♪
All cats, from the
smallest to the biggest,
share extraordinary
skills and abilities
that have allowed them
to conquer all four corners
of the globe.
♪♪
Siberian tigers
prowl frozen forests.
They are 200 times bigger
than a rusty spotted cat...
but just as elusive.
♪♪
In Brazil's Pantanal, the
world's largest wetland,
jaguars are on the
hunt for monsters.
♪♪
For their size,
they have the strongest
bite of any cat...
even making short work
of huge caiman crocodiles.
♪♪
The jungle canopy of
South and Central America
is the realm of the
tree climbing margay.
♪♪
They can judge
distances perfectly...
A critical skill if you're
to clear a gap of 12 feet
with a single leap, high
above the forest floor.
♪♪
And when it's time to descend,
their ankles rotate 180 degrees
so they can walk
vertically down.
♪♪
Whether it's hunting
in the swamps of Asia...
♪♪
Or patrolling the
oldest desert in Africa...
♪♪
Cats thrive everywhere.
♪♪
♪♪
They've even conquered the
highest mountains on Earth:
the Himalayas.
♪♪
It's a place where
food is scarce...
♪♪
So, to survive, you
need a huge territory.
♪♪
This vast wilderness of
sheer cliffs and bare rock
is home to the snow leopard...
the world's highest,
and just maybe
most lonesome cat.
♪♪
This aging male is searching...
♪♪
But not for food...
He's looking for a mate.
♪♪
The task would be
nearly impossible
if it wasn't for a
cat's unique ability
for long distance romance.
♪♪
His long-lasting
and pungent spray
carries his dating profile.
"Male, single,
would like to meet."
♪♪
Both males and females spray,
posting their romantic status
to any and every
one that passes by.
♪♪
So he diligently patrols
these paths every day
in the hope that a potential
mate has passed through.
♪♪
At his most eager, he'll
scent mark 20 times an hour.
♪♪
It may take a week or more
to cover his entire territory,
but his search must
go on, day after day,
in spite of the
Himalayan weather.
♪♪
He checks for scent...
then leaves his own.
♪♪
Here, he discovers a
female has left her mark.
♪♪
Rubbing his own scent over hers,
he declares his interest.
♪♪
This male might just have
one last chance to mate.
♪♪
Could this be it?
♪♪
On the wind, the call
of a distant female.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Just maybe this
male's search is over.
♪♪
♪♪
For male cats, life is
a lonely existence...
♪♪
♪♪
But for females,
it's very different.
♪♪
This is Honey...
♪♪
A female African leopard...
And a mother.
A radio collar is giving
researchers an insight into
the life of the most
elusive of Africa's big cats.
♪♪
♪♪
Leopards thrive in more
environments than any other cat,
but that doesn't mean
their lives are easy.
At 10 years old,
Honey has outlived
her brothers and sisters.
Somehow, she's
survived a broken leg,
and now, during the
worst drought in decades,
she's hunting for two.
For mother cats,
childcare is a balancing act
between protection
and provision.
♪♪
If they're to hunt successfully,
a leopard must do so alone.
So she's left her
young cub behind.
♪♪
A tail twitch...
Honey is on to something.
♪♪
The drought has
withered all vegetation,
so there's little cover.
She needs to get
close— Within 12 feet...
To stand any
chance of success...
♪♪
And anything could
give the game away.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Foiled by Africa's most
annoying alarm call.
♪♪
She might be empty-handed,
but it's time to get
back to her cub.
♪♪
It's been 36 hours
since she left...
and young cubs
are prone to wander.
♪♪
♪♪
Her calls are unanswered.
♪♪
Half of all leopard cubs
don't survive their first year.
A cub's best chance
is to stay hidden until
she's sure it's safe.
♪♪
Honey's youngster already
has a leopard's knack for stealth.
She can even give
her mother a surprise.
♪♪
♪♪
For the last six months,
she's grown strong on milk.
But now she's developing
a cat's appetite for meat.
♪♪
A mother leopard
always has a backup plan.
Honey has stashed a kill
safely out of the
reach of thieves.
♪♪
For her cub, this is
an important lesson...
And the first of many.
Across the cat family, kittens
and cubs have a long infancy.
It takes time to learn
the skills needed
to hunt for themselves.
♪♪
Often brothers and sisters
are on hand for training.
♪♪
Play is the key to
honing coordination...
Building strength...
And agility.
♪♪
The bond between them
might endure for years,
probably the closest
relationship they'll ever have
with another cat...
♪♪
But there is one life skill
which they must master alone...
♪♪
The surprise attack.
♪♪
Patagonia.
An unforgiving wilderness
where South America ends
and the Antarctic begins.
♪♪
It's home to a secretive cat
that can only survive here
thanks to an eye
for opportunity.
♪♪
Puma, the most southerly cat.
♪♪
♪♪
Once a year, these Magellanic
penguins come ashore to nest...
♪♪
A lifeline for a hungry cat.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
This may seem
ruthless, even callous,
but pumas must
take what's here today
in case tomorrow it's gone.
♪♪
This is what it takes
to survive in Patagonia.
♪♪
As night falls,
more cats arrive.
♪♪
It's an extraordinary moment.
The abundance of prey
means territorial
boundaries are ignored,
and, for now, these
usually solitary creatures
rub shoulders.
♪♪
It won't last.
♪♪
The nesting season is soon over,
and the penguins
return to the sea.
♪♪
The cats move on.
♪♪
Thanks to their adaptability,
they are the most widespread
mammal in the Americas.
♪♪
At the other end
of the continent,
the planet's most northerly cats
have chosen a
very different path...
In a wintry wonderland
with a record low
of minus 80 degrees.
The Yukon is the coldest
place in North America.
♪♪
This is Big Foot country.
But these prints belong
to a very unusual cat...
♪♪
A Canada lynx...
♪♪
One whose high tech accessories
are at last letting us in on
a life almost
impossible to observe.
♪♪
This is L4 Zero, aka Kronk.
♪♪
Scientists and shaman agree,
lynx are the keepers of secrets.
♪♪
You could spend
years looking for a lynx
and never see
more than a footprint.
♪♪
And even if you did
catch a glimpse of one,
it would soon give you the slip.
♪♪
Until now.
Kronk's every move is tracked,
offering insight into the
world's ultimate game
of cat and mouse...
Or rather, cat and hare.
♪♪
Throughout these cold days,
a lynx needs to eat often...
♪♪
And up here there's only
one thing on the menu.
♪♪
Snowshoe hares.
In fact, a lynx's very
survival depends on them.
♪♪
Helpfully, there's
plenty around.
These hares breed like, well...
rabbits.
♪♪
So it's just a matter
of spotting one.
♪♪
Although Kronk
seems to be oblivious,
cats' eyes are fine-tuned
for detecting movement...
so his is a game of patience.
♪♪
To survive in these
freezing conditions,
Kronk must catch at
least a hare every day...
♪♪
And use as little energy
as possible doing it.
♪♪
If he can avoid
a chase, he will.
♪♪
No cat is looking to make
life any harder than it has to be.
For most cats, survival
is a solitary endeavor...
But there is one
famous exception.
Africa...
Home to the King of Beasts.
♪♪
Lions may be legendary,
but among cats they're strange.
That's because they're the
only ones who live together,
the only truly social cat.
♪♪
The pride is a family
and an alliance.
♪♪
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania.
Here they're famous
for forming super prides...
Huge groups can tackle the
most formidable prey in Africa.
In the dry season, lions come
together to defend riverbeds...
♪♪
Where they need only wait
for thirsty prey to come to them.
♪♪
In numbers, lions find
the strength and audacity
to face Africa's giants.
♪♪
But once they're discovered,
their chance has gone.
It won't be long before
another comes their way.
This buffalo herd
is hundreds strong.
Each one weighs more
than three lions combined.
♪♪
And they fight back.
♪♪
Lions suffer more injuries
and fatalities from buffalo
than from any other adversary.
♪♪
♪♪
This female is
nursing three cubs...
And also a serious
wound inflicted by a buffalo.
♪♪
A debilitating injury like
this is not just painful...
It's potentially
life threatening
for both her and her cubs.
♪♪
They are all hungry.
♪♪
On her own, this is hopeless.
♪♪
But she's not alone...
She's part of the pride.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
No other cat can bring
down a colossus like this.
♪♪
And now she will be
able to feed her family
and allow her wounds to heal.
Living in a pride
sets lions apart.
It's an extraordinary alliance,
but it's not just about
big game hunting...
♪♪
This is an extended family
that supports and protects
every mother and her cubs.
♪♪
That makes lions, surely,
the most extraordinary members
of a remarkable animal family.
♪♪
♪♪
From the iconic big
cats that enthrall us...
♪♪
To the little-known small cats
that are just coming
into the light...
this is a remarkable
family of predators.
♪♪
They are super athletes...
Super hunters...
Possessing super senses.
Now, groundbreaking
filming techniques
and a surge in
scientific research
are revealing new
facets of this amazing
super family.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Dawn in the Namibian desert.
♪♪
Cheetahs are one of the few cats
to form long-term
coalitions with their siblings.
♪♪
For males, the relationship
might be life-long.
They'll do
everything together...
♪♪
Even hunt.
♪♪
Few cats can resist a chase...
but none give chase
quite like a cheetah.
♪♪
The latest science tells us
cheetahs rarely reach
their record top speed.
So, if cheetahs don't
rely simply on being fast,
how do they catch their prey?
It's a question that
requires a new perspective.
This high-speed
buggy is mounted with
a stabilized slow-motion camera
to give us the prey's-eye view.
♪♪
Their sprinting
prowess is unrivaled.
♪♪
But this new approach
reveals that there's far more
to cheetahs than just
straight line speed.
Cheetahs must not only
keep up with their targets,
but react to every
twist and turn.
♪♪
Their blunt claws are running
cleats that provide traction.
♪♪
Even at 50 miles an hour,
the grip allows them to
change direction, instantly...
And their long tails whip
around to keep them upright.
♪♪
They can also brake hard.
♪♪
Strong bones are
shock absorbers,
dissipating forces that
could break a human leg.
♪♪
Cheetahs are more than
just sprinters outrunning prey
on open plains...
They're agile...
and maneuverable.
They're elite athletes.
♪♪
And where that really counts
is here, in woodland.
♪♪
This is an obstacle course
where the prey's best chance
is to weave and turn to escape.
♪♪
So a cheetah can
rarely hit top speed.
♪♪
This chase is not a race...
It's a dance.
♪♪
The prey leads...
♪♪
And the predator must follow.
♪♪
Cheetahs are the
fastest animals on land,
incredible sprinters,
but so much more.
♪♪
Even now, iconic cats like
cheetahs can still surprise us.
♪♪
And there are other members
of this extraordinary family
about which we know even less.
♪♪
Hiding in this Sri Lankan jungle
is a cat so rare, few
have ever seen it.
♪♪
Exploring the world beyond
his den for the first time
is a miniature predator.
♪♪
The smallest
feline in the world...
A rusty spotted cat.
♪♪
He may look like a kitten...
He'd still fit in the
palm of your hand.
But this little male
is nearly full grown.
He'll soon be setting
off on a solitary life,
fending entirely for himself.
What he lacks in size,
he makes up for in daring.
♪♪
Young cats are born curious...
It's how they learn
about their world...
♪♪
Even if it can get
them into trouble.
Right away, he puts his super
senses through their paces.
♪♪
His eyes are six times
more powerful than our own
and sensitive to the
slightest movement.
♪♪
His whiskers, rooted
in a bed of nerves,
detect the faintest touch or
the gentlest breath of wind.
His hearing is
better than ours too...
tuned to sounds that are
completely imperceptible
to the human ear.
And his sense of smell is
capable of distinguishing
between a billion
different odors.
♪♪
This little cat is
alert to every change
in his surroundings...
♪♪
But now it's time to
learn which sounds...
or sights...
signal danger.
♪♪
Every step of today's adventure
has been stored
away in his memory.
He's building a 3-D map
of the jungle in his head...
♪♪
So he can find his
way home in a flash.
♪♪
All cats, from the
smallest to the biggest,
share extraordinary
skills and abilities
that have allowed them
to conquer all four corners
of the globe.
♪♪
Siberian tigers
prowl frozen forests.
They are 200 times bigger
than a rusty spotted cat...
but just as elusive.
♪♪
In Brazil's Pantanal, the
world's largest wetland,
jaguars are on the
hunt for monsters.
♪♪
For their size,
they have the strongest
bite of any cat...
even making short work
of huge caiman crocodiles.
♪♪
The jungle canopy of
South and Central America
is the realm of the
tree climbing margay.
♪♪
They can judge
distances perfectly...
A critical skill if you're
to clear a gap of 12 feet
with a single leap, high
above the forest floor.
♪♪
And when it's time to descend,
their ankles rotate 180 degrees
so they can walk
vertically down.
♪♪
Whether it's hunting
in the swamps of Asia...
♪♪
Or patrolling the
oldest desert in Africa...
♪♪
Cats thrive everywhere.
♪♪
♪♪
They've even conquered the
highest mountains on Earth:
the Himalayas.
♪♪
It's a place where
food is scarce...
♪♪
So, to survive, you
need a huge territory.
♪♪
This vast wilderness of
sheer cliffs and bare rock
is home to the snow leopard...
the world's highest,
and just maybe
most lonesome cat.
♪♪
This aging male is searching...
♪♪
But not for food...
He's looking for a mate.
♪♪
The task would be
nearly impossible
if it wasn't for a
cat's unique ability
for long distance romance.
♪♪
His long-lasting
and pungent spray
carries his dating profile.
"Male, single,
would like to meet."
♪♪
Both males and females spray,
posting their romantic status
to any and every
one that passes by.
♪♪
So he diligently patrols
these paths every day
in the hope that a potential
mate has passed through.
♪♪
At his most eager, he'll
scent mark 20 times an hour.
♪♪
It may take a week or more
to cover his entire territory,
but his search must
go on, day after day,
in spite of the
Himalayan weather.
♪♪
He checks for scent...
then leaves his own.
♪♪
Here, he discovers a
female has left her mark.
♪♪
Rubbing his own scent over hers,
he declares his interest.
♪♪
This male might just have
one last chance to mate.
♪♪
Could this be it?
♪♪
On the wind, the call
of a distant female.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Just maybe this
male's search is over.
♪♪
♪♪
For male cats, life is
a lonely existence...
♪♪
♪♪
But for females,
it's very different.
♪♪
This is Honey...
♪♪
A female African leopard...
And a mother.
A radio collar is giving
researchers an insight into
the life of the most
elusive of Africa's big cats.
♪♪
♪♪
Leopards thrive in more
environments than any other cat,
but that doesn't mean
their lives are easy.
At 10 years old,
Honey has outlived
her brothers and sisters.
Somehow, she's
survived a broken leg,
and now, during the
worst drought in decades,
she's hunting for two.
For mother cats,
childcare is a balancing act
between protection
and provision.
♪♪
If they're to hunt successfully,
a leopard must do so alone.
So she's left her
young cub behind.
♪♪
A tail twitch...
Honey is on to something.
♪♪
The drought has
withered all vegetation,
so there's little cover.
She needs to get
close— Within 12 feet...
To stand any
chance of success...
♪♪
And anything could
give the game away.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Foiled by Africa's most
annoying alarm call.
♪♪
She might be empty-handed,
but it's time to get
back to her cub.
♪♪
It's been 36 hours
since she left...
and young cubs
are prone to wander.
♪♪
♪♪
Her calls are unanswered.
♪♪
Half of all leopard cubs
don't survive their first year.
A cub's best chance
is to stay hidden until
she's sure it's safe.
♪♪
Honey's youngster already
has a leopard's knack for stealth.
She can even give
her mother a surprise.
♪♪
♪♪
For the last six months,
she's grown strong on milk.
But now she's developing
a cat's appetite for meat.
♪♪
A mother leopard
always has a backup plan.
Honey has stashed a kill
safely out of the
reach of thieves.
♪♪
For her cub, this is
an important lesson...
And the first of many.
Across the cat family, kittens
and cubs have a long infancy.
It takes time to learn
the skills needed
to hunt for themselves.
♪♪
Often brothers and sisters
are on hand for training.
♪♪
Play is the key to
honing coordination...
Building strength...
And agility.
♪♪
The bond between them
might endure for years,
probably the closest
relationship they'll ever have
with another cat...
♪♪
But there is one life skill
which they must master alone...
♪♪
The surprise attack.
♪♪
Patagonia.
An unforgiving wilderness
where South America ends
and the Antarctic begins.
♪♪
It's home to a secretive cat
that can only survive here
thanks to an eye
for opportunity.
♪♪
Puma, the most southerly cat.
♪♪
♪♪
Once a year, these Magellanic
penguins come ashore to nest...
♪♪
A lifeline for a hungry cat.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
This may seem
ruthless, even callous,
but pumas must
take what's here today
in case tomorrow it's gone.
♪♪
This is what it takes
to survive in Patagonia.
♪♪
As night falls,
more cats arrive.
♪♪
It's an extraordinary moment.
The abundance of prey
means territorial
boundaries are ignored,
and, for now, these
usually solitary creatures
rub shoulders.
♪♪
It won't last.
♪♪
The nesting season is soon over,
and the penguins
return to the sea.
♪♪
The cats move on.
♪♪
Thanks to their adaptability,
they are the most widespread
mammal in the Americas.
♪♪
At the other end
of the continent,
the planet's most northerly cats
have chosen a
very different path...
In a wintry wonderland
with a record low
of minus 80 degrees.
The Yukon is the coldest
place in North America.
♪♪
This is Big Foot country.
But these prints belong
to a very unusual cat...
♪♪
A Canada lynx...
♪♪
One whose high tech accessories
are at last letting us in on
a life almost
impossible to observe.
♪♪
This is L4 Zero, aka Kronk.
♪♪
Scientists and shaman agree,
lynx are the keepers of secrets.
♪♪
You could spend
years looking for a lynx
and never see
more than a footprint.
♪♪
And even if you did
catch a glimpse of one,
it would soon give you the slip.
♪♪
Until now.
Kronk's every move is tracked,
offering insight into the
world's ultimate game
of cat and mouse...
Or rather, cat and hare.
♪♪
Throughout these cold days,
a lynx needs to eat often...
♪♪
And up here there's only
one thing on the menu.
♪♪
Snowshoe hares.
In fact, a lynx's very
survival depends on them.
♪♪
Helpfully, there's
plenty around.
These hares breed like, well...
rabbits.
♪♪
So it's just a matter
of spotting one.
♪♪
Although Kronk
seems to be oblivious,
cats' eyes are fine-tuned
for detecting movement...
so his is a game of patience.
♪♪
To survive in these
freezing conditions,
Kronk must catch at
least a hare every day...
♪♪
And use as little energy
as possible doing it.
♪♪
If he can avoid
a chase, he will.
♪♪
No cat is looking to make
life any harder than it has to be.
For most cats, survival
is a solitary endeavor...
But there is one
famous exception.
Africa...
Home to the King of Beasts.
♪♪
Lions may be legendary,
but among cats they're strange.
That's because they're the
only ones who live together,
the only truly social cat.
♪♪
The pride is a family
and an alliance.
♪♪
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania.
Here they're famous
for forming super prides...
Huge groups can tackle the
most formidable prey in Africa.
In the dry season, lions come
together to defend riverbeds...
♪♪
Where they need only wait
for thirsty prey to come to them.
♪♪
In numbers, lions find
the strength and audacity
to face Africa's giants.
♪♪
But once they're discovered,
their chance has gone.
It won't be long before
another comes their way.
This buffalo herd
is hundreds strong.
Each one weighs more
than three lions combined.
♪♪
And they fight back.
♪♪
Lions suffer more injuries
and fatalities from buffalo
than from any other adversary.
♪♪
♪♪
This female is
nursing three cubs...
And also a serious
wound inflicted by a buffalo.
♪♪
A debilitating injury like
this is not just painful...
It's potentially
life threatening
for both her and her cubs.
♪♪
They are all hungry.
♪♪
On her own, this is hopeless.
♪♪
But she's not alone...
She's part of the pride.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
No other cat can bring
down a colossus like this.
♪♪
And now she will be
able to feed her family
and allow her wounds to heal.
Living in a pride
sets lions apart.
It's an extraordinary alliance,
but it's not just about
big game hunting...
♪♪
This is an extended family
that supports and protects
every mother and her cubs.
♪♪
That makes lions, surely,
the most extraordinary members
of a remarkable animal family.
♪♪
♪♪