0:00:13 > 0:00:17Cheetahs are the fastest animals on land.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Just one of a remarkable family.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04LOW SNARLING
0:01:06 > 0:01:07One family...
0:01:08 > 0:01:11..40 different faces.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23CAT MEWS
0:01:36 > 0:01:38From the fastest...
0:01:41 > 0:01:42..to the strongest...
0:01:45 > 0:01:47..the smallest...
0:01:51 > 0:01:53..to the biggest...
0:02:01 > 0:02:05..these are the cats.
0:02:25 > 0:02:26Africa...
0:02:28 > 0:02:31..home to the king of the beasts.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Lions may be legendary
0:03:04 > 0:03:06but among cats they're strange.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14That's because they're the only ones to live together,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16the only truly social cat.
0:03:21 > 0:03:22The pride is a family...
0:03:24 > 0:03:25..and an alliance.
0:03:47 > 0:03:52Here in Ruaha, Tanzania, they're famous for forming super prides...
0:03:56 > 0:04:00..huge groups that can tackle the most formidable prey in Africa.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15This buffalo herd is hundreds strong.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Each weighs more than three lions combined.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47And they fight back.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Lions suffer more injuries and fatalities from buffalo...
0:05:04 > 0:05:06..than any other adversary.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23This female is nursing three cubs...
0:05:23 > 0:05:26CUBS SNARL AND MEW
0:05:31 > 0:05:33..and also a serious wound inflicted by a buffalo.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55A debilitating injury like this is not just very painful...
0:05:59 > 0:06:03..it's potentially life-threatening for both her and her cubs.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15They are all hungry.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15On her own...
0:07:16 > 0:07:18..this is hopeless.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29But she's not alone.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33She's part of the pride.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07LIONS GRUNT
0:08:52 > 0:08:55No other cat can bring down a giant like this.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57BIRDS CHIRRUP
0:09:04 > 0:09:10And now she will be able to feed her family and allow wounds to heal.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Living in a pride sets lions apart.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23It's an extraordinary alliance.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27But it's not just about big game hunting.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29This is an extended family
0:09:29 > 0:09:33that supports and protects every mother and their cubs.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45But for all other cats it's a different story.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56Hiding in this Sri Lankan jungle is a cat so rare few have ever seen it.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Exploring the world beyond his den for the first time
0:10:05 > 0:10:08is a miniature predator.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24The smallest feline in the world...
0:10:34 > 0:10:36He may look like a kitten... CAT MEWS
0:10:38 > 0:10:40..he'd still fit in the palm of your hand...
0:10:42 > 0:10:45..but this little male is very nearly fully grown.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49He'll soon be setting off on a solitary life...
0:10:51 > 0:10:54..fending entirely for himself.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04What he lacks in size
0:11:04 > 0:11:07he makes up for in daring.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Young cats are born curious.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30It's how they learn about their world...
0:11:35 > 0:11:37..even if it can get them into trouble.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Straight away he puts his super senses through their paces.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02His eyes are six times more powerful than our own,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05and sensitive to the slightest movement.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13His whiskers, rooted in a bed of nerves,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16detect the faintest touch
0:12:16 > 0:12:18or the gentlest breath of wind.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23His hearing is better than ours, too,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26tuned to sounds that are completely imperceptible to the human ear.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28BIRD CAWS
0:12:31 > 0:12:33And his sense of smell is
0:12:33 > 0:12:35capable of distinguishing between
0:12:35 > 0:12:37a billion different odours.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50This little cat is alert to every change in his surroundings.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58But now it's time to learn which sounds...
0:13:00 > 0:13:02..or sights...
0:13:05 > 0:13:06..signal danger.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25Every step of today's adventure has been stored away in his memory.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30He's building a 3-D map of the jungle in his head...
0:13:35 > 0:13:37..so he can find his way home...
0:13:38 > 0:13:40..in a flash.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49All cats,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51from the smallest
0:13:51 > 0:13:53to the biggest,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56share extraordinary skills and abilities that have allowed them
0:13:56 > 0:13:59to conquer all four corners of the globe.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Siberian tigers prowl frozen forests.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14They are 200 times bigger than a rusty-spotted cat...
0:14:17 > 0:14:18..but just as elusive.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29In the Pantanal,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32the world's largest wetland,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36jaguars are on the hunt for monsters.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55For their size, they have the strongest bite of any cat...
0:14:59 > 0:15:03..even making short work of huge caiman crocodiles.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14The jungle canopy of South and Central America
0:15:14 > 0:15:17is the realm of the tree-climbing margay.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25They can judge distances perfectly.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33A critical skill if you're to clear a gap of nearly four metres
0:15:33 > 0:15:36with a single leap, high above the forest floor.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49And when it's time to descend,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53their ankles rotate 180 degrees
0:15:53 > 0:15:56so they can walk vertically down.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Whether it's hunting in the swamps of Asia
0:16:03 > 0:16:05or patrolling the oldest desert in Africa...
0:16:10 > 0:16:13..cats thrive everywhere.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33They've even conquered the highest mountains on Earth...
0:16:36 > 0:16:38..the Himalaya.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46It's a place where food is scarce...
0:16:53 > 0:16:56..so to survive you need a huge territory.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19This vast wilderness of sheer cliffs and bare rock
0:17:19 > 0:17:23is home to the snow leopard...
0:17:26 > 0:17:31..the world's highest and, just maybe, most lonesome cat.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43This ageing male is searching...
0:17:51 > 0:17:52..but not for food.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00He's looking for a mate.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21The task would be nigh impossible
0:18:21 > 0:18:27if it wasn't for a cat's unique ability for long-distance romance.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37His long-lasting and pungent spray carries his dating profile.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Male, single, would like to meet.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Both males and females spray...
0:19:01 > 0:19:05..posting their romantic status to any and every one that passes by.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12So he diligently walks these paths every day
0:19:12 > 0:19:15in the hope that a potential mate has passed through.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27At his most eager, he'll scent mark 20 times an hour.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45It may take a week or more to cover his entire territory...
0:19:47 > 0:19:51..but his search must go on, day after day...
0:19:53 > 0:19:55..in spite of the Himalayan weather.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28You never know what might be around the next corner.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47Here he discovers a female has left her mark.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Rubbing his own scent over hers,
0:20:54 > 0:20:55he declares his interest.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24This male might just have one last chance to mate.
0:21:38 > 0:21:39Could this be it?
0:21:43 > 0:21:46ECHOING CRY
0:21:46 > 0:21:49On the wind, the call of a distant female.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26HE GRUNTS
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Just maybe...this male's search is over.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04For male cats, life is a lonely existence.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13But for female cats,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15it's very different.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29This is Honey...
0:23:36 > 0:23:38..a female African leopard...
0:23:39 > 0:23:41..and a mother.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48A radio collar has given researchers an insight into the life
0:23:48 > 0:23:51of the most elusive of Africa's big cats.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18Leopards thrive in more environments than any other cat.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22But that doesn't mean that life is easy.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30At ten years old, Honey has outlived her brothers and sisters...
0:24:32 > 0:24:34..somehow survived a broken leg
0:24:34 > 0:24:39and now, during the worst drought in decades,
0:24:39 > 0:24:40she's hunting for two.
0:24:45 > 0:24:51For mother cats, childcare is a balancing act between protection
0:24:51 > 0:24:52and provision.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59If they're to hunt successfully,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01a leopard must do so alone...
0:25:04 > 0:25:06..so she's left her young cub behind.
0:25:17 > 0:25:18A tail twitch.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21Honey is onto something.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41The drought has withered all vegetation...
0:25:44 > 0:25:45..so there's little cover.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53She needs to get within 12 feet to stand any chance of success.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04BIRDS CHIRP And anything
0:26:04 > 0:26:06could give the game away.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16BIRD CHIRPS
0:26:33 > 0:26:37Foiled by Africa's most annoying alarm call.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47She might be empty-handed...
0:26:49 > 0:26:51..but it's time to get back to her cub.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Her calls are unanswered.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Half of leopard cubs don't survive their first year.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32Their best chance is to stay hidden until they're sure it's safe.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Honey's young cub already has a leopard's knack for stealth.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56She can already give her mother a surprise.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07For the six last months, she's grown strong on milk.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13But now she's developing a cat's appetite for meat.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26A mother leopard always has a backup plan.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Honey has stashed a kill safely out of the reach of thieves.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11For her cub, this is an important lesson,
0:29:11 > 0:29:12and the first of many.
0:29:22 > 0:29:27Across the cat family, kittens and cubs have a long infancy.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33It takes time to learn the skills needed to hunt for themselves.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51Often brothers and sisters are on hand for training.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10Play is the key to honing co-ordination...
0:30:12 > 0:30:14..building strength...
0:30:18 > 0:30:20..and agility.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29The bond between them might endure for years,
0:30:29 > 0:30:32probably the closest relationship they'll ever have with another cat.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43But there is one life skill
0:30:43 > 0:30:45which they must master alone...
0:30:49 > 0:30:51..the surprise attack.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13Patagonia - an unforgiving wilderness
0:31:13 > 0:31:16where South America ends
0:31:16 > 0:31:18and the Antarctic begins.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43It's home to a secretive cat
0:31:43 > 0:31:46that can only survive here
0:31:46 > 0:31:48thanks to an eye for opportunity.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05Puma, the most southerly cat.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20PENGUINS CALL
0:32:20 > 0:32:24Once a year these Magallenic penguins come ashore to nest...
0:32:29 > 0:32:33..perhaps a lifeline for a hungry cat.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36PENGUIN SCREECHES
0:33:43 > 0:33:45This may seem ruthless,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48even callous,
0:33:48 > 0:33:53but pumas must take what's here today in case tomorrow it's gone.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02This is what it takes to survive in Patagonia.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39As night falls...
0:34:41 > 0:34:43..more cats arrive.
0:34:50 > 0:34:51It's an extraordinary moment.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59The abundance of prey means territorial boundaries are ignored
0:34:59 > 0:35:05and for now these usually solitary creatures rub shoulders.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26It won't last.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39The nesting season is soon over
0:35:39 > 0:35:41and the penguins return to the sea.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54The cats move on.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09Thanks to their adaptability,
0:36:09 > 0:36:12they are the most widespread mammal in the Americas.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27At the other end of this continent,
0:36:27 > 0:36:32the planet's most northerly cats have chosen a very different path...
0:36:34 > 0:36:39..in a wintry wonderland with a record low of minus 63 Celsius.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44The Yukon is the coldest place in North America.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54This is Bigfoot country.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01The prints belong to a very unusual cat...
0:37:15 > 0:37:17..a Canada lynx...
0:37:25 > 0:37:28..one whose hi-tech accessories are at last
0:37:28 > 0:37:30letting us in on a secret life.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38This is L40...
0:37:40 > 0:37:42..aka Kronk.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49Scientists and shaman agree,
0:37:49 > 0:37:52lynx are the keepers of secrets.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59You could spend years
0:37:59 > 0:38:01looking for a lynx
0:38:01 > 0:38:03and never see more than a footprint.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14And even if you did spot one,
0:38:14 > 0:38:16they would soon give you the slip.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Until now.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28Kronk's every move is tracked, offering an insight into
0:38:28 > 0:38:32the world's ultimate game of cat and mouse.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Or, rather, cat and hare.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Throughout these cold days, a lynx needs to eat often.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57And up here, there's only one thing on the menu...
0:39:00 > 0:39:02..snowshoe hares.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08In fact, a lynx's very survival depends on them.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16Helpfully, there's plenty around.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19These hares breed like, well...
0:39:21 > 0:39:22..rabbits.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31So it's just a matter of spotting one.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45Although Kronk seems to be struggling,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48cats eyes are fine-tuned for detecting movement...
0:39:50 > 0:39:52..so his is a game of patience.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36To survive in these freezing conditions,
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Kronk must catch at least a hare every day...
0:40:43 > 0:40:45..and use as little energy as possible in doing so.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01If he can avoid a chase,
0:41:01 > 0:41:02he will.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40So much about the lives of cats has remained a mystery.
0:41:43 > 0:41:48But now technology offers a window into their secret world.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54Dawn in the Namibian desert.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18This cheetah family is restless.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32Few cats can resist a chase.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39But none give chase quite like a cheetah.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10The latest science has shown cheetahs rarely
0:43:10 > 0:43:12reach their record top speed.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15So if cheetahs don't rely on sheer pace,
0:43:15 > 0:43:18how do they catch their prey?
0:43:18 > 0:43:21It's a question that requires a new perspective.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28This high-speed buggy is mounted
0:43:28 > 0:43:31with a stabilised slow-motion camera...
0:43:32 > 0:43:35..to give us the prey's eye view.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59Their sprinting prowess is unrivalled.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21But this new approach reveals that there's far more to cheetahs
0:44:21 > 0:44:23than just straight-line speed.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27Cheetahs must not only keep up with their target...
0:44:28 > 0:44:31..but react to their every twist and turn.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44Their blunt claws are running spikes that provide traction.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53Even at 50mph,
0:44:53 > 0:44:57the grip allows them to change direction...
0:44:57 > 0:44:59..instantly...
0:45:01 > 0:45:04..and their long tail whips around to keep them upright.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18They can also brake hard.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27Strong bones are shock-absorbers...
0:45:29 > 0:45:31..dissipating forces that could break a human leg.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44Cheetahs are more than just sprinters
0:45:44 > 0:45:46outrunning prey on open plains.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51They're agile and manoeuvrable.
0:45:56 > 0:45:57They're athletes.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11And where that really counts...
0:46:14 > 0:46:16..is here...
0:46:17 > 0:46:19..in woodland.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31This is an obstacle course where the prey's best chance
0:46:31 > 0:46:33is to weave and turn to escape.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43So a cheetah can rarely hit top speed.
0:46:56 > 0:46:57This chase is not a race...
0:47:00 > 0:47:02..it's a dance.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08The prey leads...
0:47:12 > 0:47:14..and the predator must follow.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52Cheetahs are the fastest animals on land...
0:47:55 > 0:47:57..incredible sprinters,
0:47:57 > 0:47:58but so much more.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06The more we learn about cats, the more we realise there's still
0:48:06 > 0:48:11so much more to discover about this remarkable animal family.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27Over two years,
0:48:27 > 0:48:31the Big Cats team mounted filming expeditions across the globe.
0:48:32 > 0:48:33Whoa!
0:48:49 > 0:48:52All cats are elusive and shy creatures...
0:48:53 > 0:48:55..and notoriously hard to film.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05None more so than snow leopards.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12The Big Cats team set out to film a lonely male leopard's
0:49:12 > 0:49:13search for a mate.
0:49:20 > 0:49:21After months of planning,
0:49:21 > 0:49:23director Anna
0:49:23 > 0:49:26and cameraman Hector
0:49:26 > 0:49:30embark on a five-day journey high into the Indian Himalayas...
0:49:31 > 0:49:34..the home of the snow leopard.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37We're on our way up to the mountains,
0:49:37 > 0:49:40it's starting to get a little bit windy and a little bit steep,
0:49:40 > 0:49:44and it's going to get a bit more hairy from here on in.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47In winter, there's only one road in.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55At 4,000 metres they're still climbing.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58This is the bit I've been dreading.
0:50:00 > 0:50:05This is where it gets icy, narrow and quite steep.
0:50:10 > 0:50:14Their final destination is Kibber, one of the highest villages
0:50:14 > 0:50:18in the world, and their base for the next five weeks.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24From now on the crew will be on foot.
0:50:31 > 0:50:35With snow leopard expert Lama-ji and a team of spotters,
0:50:35 > 0:50:39Anna and Hector spend their days scouring the sheer-sided gorges.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41Any sign of any leopards, Lama-ji?
0:50:46 > 0:50:50But there are telltale signs that the cats do pass this way.
0:50:50 > 0:50:51You can see all the markings
0:50:51 > 0:50:54where they've sprayed loads over the years.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56It's a lot darker, isn't it?
0:50:56 > 0:50:58Was this recent or not, this one?
0:50:58 > 0:50:59Cos it looks quite clear.
0:51:01 > 0:51:02Not that recent.
0:51:05 > 0:51:06Probably not that recent.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08I'll go with not that recent.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13There might be a good reason why they're yet to see a leopard.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16The big surprise so far is that it hasn't snowed,
0:51:16 > 0:51:20it's almost a month overdue.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22Snow brings the snow leopards down to lower altitude
0:51:22 > 0:51:24as they follow their prey.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28However, this morning we actually heard some
0:51:28 > 0:51:30calling down in the gorge here.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32It was echoing around, so, obviously, it's hard to know where
0:51:32 > 0:51:34it was from, but we think it was in this area.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36That's a very, very good sign.
0:51:40 > 0:51:41With a cat clearly nearby,
0:51:41 > 0:51:43a flurry of snow is just what the crew need.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50And it arrives right on cue.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54But be careful what you wish for.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58We've been stuck inside for the last two days.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01Just had horrendous wind and snow,
0:52:01 > 0:52:04so we haven't been out to film anything.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06The snow is super thick,
0:52:06 > 0:52:09but that should make it easier to find a leopard.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13As the crew had hoped, the snow has brought
0:52:13 > 0:52:16the prey down the mountain
0:52:16 > 0:52:18and the leopard has followed.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20We've come across these prints,
0:52:20 > 0:52:23they tracked up and over into the next gorge.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26That's really exciting and the first signs of a leopard.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30There may be prints to follow
0:52:30 > 0:52:34but in this landscape the snow leopard has the advantage.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38It could still take days for the crew to track it down.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43It's such hard going at, like, 15,000 feet.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45Obviously, the leopard has just sprinted up here.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49At these high altitudes, the thin air is taking its toll
0:52:49 > 0:52:51on Anna and Hector.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53THEY GASP
0:52:56 > 0:53:00It's steep. We're up high
0:53:00 > 0:53:01and it's a really long way.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06The ghost of the Himalaya is still one step ahead...
0:53:10 > 0:53:12..but finally the crew are closing in.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18We've just had word that a leopard is on its way over, down,
0:53:18 > 0:53:21further down the gorge from where we are now, so it's been quite a trek
0:53:21 > 0:53:23to get here this morning, however, we've just got to go a little bit
0:53:23 > 0:53:26further and, with any luck, the leopard will still be there
0:53:26 > 0:53:29and we can pick it up and, if the weather stays like this,
0:53:29 > 0:53:31it's going to be absolutely beautiful.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37- WHISPERS:- There's a snow leopard down over the ridge.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40Hector's just gone down with the camera.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42And it's over there somewhere.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45We're going to go down and see if we can see it now.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48It's quite exciting. OK.
0:53:48 > 0:53:49Ready now, OK.
0:53:49 > 0:53:55After weeks of relentless effort, it's all rather overwhelming.
0:53:55 > 0:53:56- WHISPERS:- You can see?
0:53:56 > 0:53:58- WHISPERS:- We've got a snow leopard just over there.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05And to actually see one is just...
0:54:05 > 0:54:08It's just, like, the most amazing thing.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17There's a snow leopard just down there.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20I can't stop crying.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26I think all these guys must think I'm completely insane.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29The guys are laughing at us cos we're so amazed.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31Obviously, they see them now and again
0:54:31 > 0:54:35but they're not quite as enthralled as we are, maybe.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42I've just been concentrating on, I don't know,
0:54:42 > 0:54:45getting us all in the right place,
0:54:45 > 0:54:49but I'm just sat watching a snow leopard!
0:54:53 > 0:54:56Over the next few days the crew keep up with the leopard.
0:55:03 > 0:55:08But unfortunately finding a mate doesn't seem to be a priority.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10He's lying on his back with
0:55:10 > 0:55:12a foot pressed up against the wall,
0:55:12 > 0:55:14eyes closed, deep in sleep.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18It's just like cats at home,
0:55:18 > 0:55:21when they're sat by the radiator, all snuggled in.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28Seven hours on and the cat's still sleeping.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31He's turned and stretched a little bit, but that's about it.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34He's sleeping, he's just sleeping all day.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39He likes to sleep, this one.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48Ooh, the cat's moving, cat's moving, cat's moving.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50Having caught up on some sleep,
0:55:50 > 0:55:52it seems like the leopard might be ready for action...
0:55:54 > 0:55:56..at last.
0:55:56 > 0:55:59Finally, Hector starts getting the shots the crew came
0:55:59 > 0:56:01all this way for.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04He's definitely scent marking.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06Cheek rubbing, spraying.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30We've been here all day, the snow's obviously coated everything,
0:56:30 > 0:56:32I'm freezing, but it was worth the wait.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38Absolutely amazing. That was such an incredible thing to see.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42Time to go and get a bit warmer, I think, now.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49Life in the Himalaya is tough for the world's highest cat...
0:56:53 > 0:56:57..but after weeks spent living alongside this lonesome leopard...
0:56:58 > 0:57:01PLAINTIVE CRY
0:57:01 > 0:57:05..the crew left hopeful he might soon find romance.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13Next time -
0:57:13 > 0:57:15the most secretive cats,
0:57:15 > 0:57:18with surprising lives,
0:57:18 > 0:57:21living in the world's most remote
0:57:21 > 0:57:23and unexpected places.
0:57:25 > 0:57:29Discover how cats have conquered the planet.