0:00:12 > 0:00:15They are the two heavyweights of the African bush,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18but rarely do their worlds collide,
0:00:18 > 0:00:20until now.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25A young pride of seven lions is rewriting the rules of engagement,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29taking the fight to their giant neighbours.
0:00:32 > 0:00:33ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
0:00:33 > 0:00:36This is no chance conflict.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Nature has played its part.
0:00:41 > 0:00:42LION GROWLS
0:00:45 > 0:00:49Exhausted by hunger, Africa's largest herd of elephants
0:00:49 > 0:00:52are staring into the fearless eyes of a pride of lions.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02This is a battle of gigantic proportions,
0:01:02 > 0:01:03in the harshest of arenas.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17The dawn of the giant killers has arrived.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34In the Northern Kalahari Desert of Botswana,
0:01:34 > 0:01:36there's a natural phenomenon
0:01:36 > 0:01:40that occurs only once every two or three generations.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Seismic movements deep beneath the ground
0:01:46 > 0:01:51release an immense body of water, filling an ancient river -
0:01:51 > 0:01:53the Savute Channel.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01The name Savute means unpredictable, as it's impossible to tell
0:02:01 > 0:02:04when the waters will arrive, or when they will disappear.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13The returning river empties into a dried-out marsh,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16miraculously bringing it back to life.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28The parched landscape becomes the stage
0:02:28 > 0:02:31for one of Africa's greatest wildlife spectacles,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34attracting animals from all over the Kalahari.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47They arrive in all shapes and sizes.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49From the most delicate...
0:02:52 > 0:02:53..to the most majestic.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08The marsh is ruled by five brothers.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10THEY GROWL AND SNARL
0:03:17 > 0:03:20But with thousands of prey animals now flooding in,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24it's not long before new groups of lions follow in their wake.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35The latest arrivals are a young pride of seven -
0:03:35 > 0:03:39two mature lionesses, and their offspring,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41three males and two females.
0:03:44 > 0:03:45They're heading intently
0:03:45 > 0:03:48towards the growing herds at the centre of the marsh.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12The cubs are now roughly 12 months old, and like teenagers,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15are rapidly developing their different characters.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25The youngest female is by far the most adventurous
0:04:25 > 0:04:27and the most inquisitive.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32She has managed to catch a pelican.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Like any sibling's new toy,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48the pelican is a source of great interest to her sister.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32The young lions have another year
0:05:32 > 0:05:35before leaving the safety of the pride.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42They'll use this precious time to hone their hunting skills.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54The mother lioness has spotted a family of warthogs.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05It's irresistible for young predators, eager to learn.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14As usual, the youngest lioness is first to step forward.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20Her brothers, typical male lions, sit and watch.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37WARTHOG SQUEALS
0:06:43 > 0:06:46WARTHOG SQUEALS
0:06:51 > 0:06:53WARTHOG SQUEALS
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Like all cats, lions sometimes play with their prey.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05CONTINUES SQUEALING
0:07:11 > 0:07:16This little warthog is fearless, even in the face of death.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Adult warthogs are a much tougher proposition.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41The youngest lioness is now joined by her older sister.
0:07:58 > 0:08:03Lions and warthogs can reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08But lions can only keep it up over a short distance,
0:08:08 > 0:08:13whereas warthogs have the stamina to keep on running.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35If they want a decent meal,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39the young lions must learn to bring down larger prey.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Savute is home all year round
0:09:17 > 0:09:20to a small population of bull elephants.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25These solitary males are the largest land mammals on the planet.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32The bulls have a special relationship
0:09:32 > 0:09:35with one of the smallest creatures in Savute.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38The Carmine Bee-eater.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45As the bulls move gracefully through the marsh, they flush out
0:09:45 > 0:09:50swarms of insects that are snapped up by the bee-eaters.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Elephants and lions generally tolerate each other's presence.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Lions don't normally consider an elephant as potential prey.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Their sheer size and brute strength are ample deterrents.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38The elephants, for their part,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40feel no threat from the lions.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46For now, the elephants have the upper hand,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50and the lions had better stay out of their way.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24Giant herds of zebra are passing through Savute
0:11:24 > 0:11:26on their annual migration south.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37The zebra will remain for several weeks to have their young,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41and feed on the new grasses before moving on again.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52The young pride of seven have their sights locked onto their targets.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10The youngest lioness leads the charge,
0:12:10 > 0:12:13with her older sister in tow once again.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34The zebra's weapons are their hooves.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37They're enough to slow the lions down for a few vital seconds.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55With the zebra now on high alert,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58the young lions will need to change tactics
0:12:58 > 0:13:03and learn to hunt as a team, if they are to pull down such a large meal.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Despite the lack of food,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28the younger members of the pride spend much of their time playing.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38But their mother must always remain vigilant,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40looking out for both prey...
0:13:41 > 0:13:43..and danger.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48The biggest threat comes from the five brothers who rule the marsh.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02When one of them approaches our pride,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05the younger male lion tries to stand his ground.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08GROWLING
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Infanticide is common in lions.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Rival males will often try to kill the offspring of others.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14After a potentially lethal stand-off,
0:15:14 > 0:15:18the mother lioness and her youngest daughter intervene.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27They use their feminine charms to disarm the intruder.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32By being submissive, they've kept their family safe.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54The two lionesses will now stay with the large males for a number of weeks...
0:15:55 > 0:15:58..mating with each of them.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30In a few months' time there will be a new litter or two.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33For the older male cubs, that will be the cue
0:16:33 > 0:16:36to go and make their own way in the world.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Savute is moving into the dry season.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19As the surrounding area dries out,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22all the animals are drawn into the heart of the marsh,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24where some water still remains.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35There's a massive influx of very thirsty elephants into Savute.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43These are the breeding herds of the Kalahari -
0:17:43 > 0:17:46thousands of mothers and their young,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49lured in by the promise of water,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51many coming to give birth.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58The pressure on the wettest parts of the marsh is growing.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Even these areas are now beginning to dry out.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07The Savute River that feeds them is shrinking,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11returning once again to its dormant state.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15And the rains are still months away.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30The pride of seven remains split.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33The mother lioness and her youngest daughter
0:18:33 > 0:18:36are still in the company of the brothers.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40They'll be back, but for now
0:18:40 > 0:18:43the remaining five must go it alone.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Driven by their hunger, they take on a whole herd of Cape buffalo.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31Weighing up to 700 kilos, buffalo are extremely aggressive.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44The inexperienced lions over-reach themselves.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54The buffalo defend as a herd against the threat,
0:19:54 > 0:19:58and prove more than a match for a gang of foolhardy young lions.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13The pride comes away defeated and hungry, but a little wiser.
0:20:23 > 0:20:24Experience is all,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28and one of the big males from the pride of five brothers
0:20:28 > 0:20:29has killed a buffalo.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38He will have singled out the weakest member of the herd
0:20:38 > 0:20:42having probably stalked it under cover of darkness.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Our young lions still have a lot to learn.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01One of the five has caught a little egret.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04It's not enough for a meal,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07and the young lions' frustrations are beginning to show.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19The pride MUST catch bigger prey or go hungry.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01BUBBLING
0:22:04 > 0:22:06The dry season advances,
0:22:06 > 0:22:10and the Savute River continues to drain away.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18With water levels dropping, a flock of Marabou storks clean up.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34These sinister-looking creatures are the vultures of the stork world
0:22:34 > 0:22:38and gather in large numbers to feast on the suffocating fish.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45These everyday life and death dramas
0:22:45 > 0:22:49are a grim premonition of events about to unfold
0:22:49 > 0:22:51on a far greater scale.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05More and more breeding herds of elephant
0:23:05 > 0:23:07are pouring into the marsh,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10all seeking out the same pockets of water.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16The sheer weight of numbers is starting to take its toll.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Each elephant must drink roughly 200 litres of water a day.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Multiply that by several thousand.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42The elephants are literally sucking Savute dry, sealing their own fate.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51There are no other sources of water for more than 50 miles,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54a journey they are too weak to make.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Trapped between hunger and thirst,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06the elephants have to roam further and further to find food,
0:24:06 > 0:24:10but must always return to drink at the centre of the marsh.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18As each day passes, the distances grow and the elephants grow weaker.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Temperatures are now soaring into the 40s.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36The first casualty has succumbed to exhaustion.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41A young mother has collapsed, and as a last resort
0:24:41 > 0:24:44draws water from her stomach to cool herself down.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48CALF CRIES
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Her calf looks on helplessly,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54confused by her mother's desperate behaviour.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17The rest of the herd cannot afford to wait.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22They move on, leaving the calf with her dying mother.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Without the protection of the herd, she's vulnerable.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Now back with the pride, the mother lioness senses an opportunity.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Her youngest daughter is quick to follow.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46BIRDS CHITTER
0:26:57 > 0:26:59CALF CRIES OUT
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Some other members of the herd have witnessed the attack
0:27:11 > 0:27:13and are clearly distressed.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16ELEPHANTS TRUMPET
0:27:23 > 0:27:25The elephants try to defend the calf.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30But the lions are not giving up their prize.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37In an act of brazen audacity, the youngest lioness attacks again.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42ELEPHANTS TRUMPET
0:27:47 > 0:27:49The balance of power in Savute is shifting.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53The mother lioness has shown her cubs the way
0:27:53 > 0:27:55and the young pride of seven
0:27:55 > 0:27:58is getting its first taste of elephant.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12The dry season tightens its grip on the marsh.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16With the Savute River continuing to recede,
0:28:16 > 0:28:20the elephants must battle on, until the arrival of the rains.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39The elephants are stranded, hostages of the marsh,
0:28:39 > 0:28:42and the lions can sense it.
0:28:51 > 0:28:56Many elephants are now so malnourished and dehydrated,
0:28:56 > 0:29:00they are keeling over, one after another.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Like a gigantic grey sphinx,
0:29:23 > 0:29:27a bull elephant has died on his knees -
0:29:27 > 0:29:29regal even in death.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55The marsh that was once a paradise for all,
0:29:55 > 0:29:59is now a death trap for elephants.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15A male elephant has made it all the way to the river
0:30:15 > 0:30:18but collapses at the end of his journey.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39The rest of the herd try desperately to revive him.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42But he is beyond their help.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47Growing weaker, the herds must now run the same gauntlet each day.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54The lions just have to sit and wait by the water's edge.
0:32:04 > 0:32:05After their first easy kill,
0:32:05 > 0:32:09the pride of seven now regard elephants as fair game.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15They are becoming bolder and bolder.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28Ignoring the weak and dying,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32they are actively targeting healthy individuals.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39They have managed to isolate an adolescent male
0:32:39 > 0:32:40from the rest of the herd.
0:32:43 > 0:32:48He is around 12 years old and will not go quietly.
0:32:54 > 0:32:55ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
0:33:06 > 0:33:08The lions are now hunting as a team,
0:33:08 > 0:33:11and use their combined weight to bring down their prey.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41This extraordinary behaviour has been unleashed
0:33:41 > 0:33:44by a unique combination of forces -
0:33:44 > 0:33:47the drying up of the river, the weakened herds,
0:33:47 > 0:33:50and a tenacious pride of young lions
0:33:50 > 0:33:55that has successfully challenged the normal rules of engagement.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01The lions have come of age,
0:34:01 > 0:34:05transformed into fully-fledged giant killers.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20It's not long before the scavengers enter the battlefield.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24A clan of spotted hyena devours the giant carcasses.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40Into the midst of this carnage...
0:34:42 > 0:34:44..a baby is born.
0:34:56 > 0:35:01A male calf. But his mother's timing could not be worse.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13Elephants usually give birth at the start of the rainy season,
0:35:13 > 0:35:15when there is ample food and water.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18But this year the rains are late.
0:35:20 > 0:35:21The calf has arrived too soon,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24in a time of deep crisis for the herd.
0:35:32 > 0:35:37After 22 months in the womb, the baby needs to stretch its legs.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50The other females in the herd are fascinated by the new arrival
0:35:50 > 0:35:51and crowd round the mother.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02For now, the baby is safe behind a fortress of legs and trunks.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10It's a brief moment of respite for the herd,
0:36:10 > 0:36:15in sharp contrast to the scenes of horror unfolding all around.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29The only hope for the new baby and his herd
0:36:29 > 0:36:33is for the rains to come, and free these prisoners of Savute.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40DISTANT RUMBLE OF THUNDER
0:36:56 > 0:36:59There is virtually no food left on the marsh,
0:36:59 > 0:37:01and the remaining elephants must continue
0:37:01 > 0:37:04their relentless daily march...
0:37:06 > 0:37:09..passing by the lifeless shells of their own kind.
0:37:23 > 0:37:28The young pride of seven has continued its killing spree.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Over a two-month period, they have brought down 15 elephants,
0:37:32 > 0:37:37and gorged themselves on countless more that lay dying.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49No life goes to waste in Savute.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52One animal's tragedy is another's good fortune.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02The White-backed Vultures are now thriving.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08They and their fellow scavengers, the Marabou Storks,
0:38:08 > 0:38:11will not go hungry for a long time to come.
0:38:21 > 0:38:26Once they've eaten their fill, the next wave of beneficiaries arrives.
0:38:34 > 0:38:40Swallows returning from Europe on their annual migration home
0:38:40 > 0:38:42are welcomed with a feast.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49The swallows normally bring the rains, but not this year.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57Even in death, the elephants provide a final meal
0:38:57 > 0:38:59for these returning travellers.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22With the dry season dragging on, there are many more baby calves
0:39:22 > 0:39:26trying desperately to keep up with the rest of the herd.
0:39:31 > 0:39:36Separated from the others, mothers and infants roam the plains alone,
0:39:36 > 0:39:38trying to hold out until the drought breaks.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44Some still look strong and may yet escape from Savute,
0:39:44 > 0:39:48but others will not survive much longer.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09This infant is on its last legs.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12His mother's milk has dried up.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58The mother stays by her baby's side as he takes his last breath.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02And remains there...
0:42:02 > 0:42:04until the following day.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54Savute has been cruel to the elephants,
0:42:54 > 0:42:56but kind to the lions.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02The youngest lioness from the pride of seven
0:43:02 > 0:43:05has had her first litter of cubs,
0:43:05 > 0:43:09almost exactly four months after mating with the large males.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14Savute's lion population is thriving.
0:43:28 > 0:43:32The young lioness is moving her litter to a new den.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35The cubs are highly vulnerable,
0:43:35 > 0:43:37and she must be constantly alert
0:43:37 > 0:43:39to the threat of predators.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49GROWLING
0:43:53 > 0:43:55One of the cubs keeps lagging behind.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01It's carried safe from harm in gentle jaws.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10Cubs of this age are totally defenceless.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15The biggest danger is from other lions.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18LION GROWLS
0:44:39 > 0:44:42But the cubs have nothing to fear.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46These lions are family, from the pride of five brothers.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55As the young lioness mated with all of the males,
0:44:55 > 0:44:58any one of them could be the father.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01So they have all come to stand guard outside the den
0:45:01 > 0:45:04and act as babysitters.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16For such powerful predators,
0:45:16 > 0:45:19they can be surprisingly gentle.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59Finally, the rains reach Savute.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01Although too late for the baby elephant,
0:46:01 > 0:46:03for others, they bring life.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26The remaining herds have been reprieved.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31They are free.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43As the waterholes fill up,
0:46:43 > 0:46:47they can now escape from the growing prides of lions.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04Many mother elephants and their young have survived.
0:47:06 > 0:47:07They will now find safer passage
0:47:07 > 0:47:10as they walk south,
0:47:10 > 0:47:12back into the Kalahari Basin.
0:47:26 > 0:47:28The pride of seven is breaking up.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33After two years of growing up in each other's company,
0:47:33 > 0:47:36the young lions will now separate for ever.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00The family has four new mouths to feed,
0:48:00 > 0:48:03and with the large males guarding the babies,
0:48:03 > 0:48:08the older male cubs are no longer welcome and must now leave.
0:48:11 > 0:48:12The three head off together.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18One day, they will form their own pride.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35Now that the rains have come, the landscape can recover,
0:48:35 > 0:48:38and all the prey animals can escape from the marsh.
0:49:02 > 0:49:06In time, the elephant herds will return to full strength.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14The lions have been changed utterly.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18The taste for elephant won't go away.
0:49:19 > 0:49:23These cubs will learn the skills from their mother
0:49:23 > 0:49:25and are destined to follow in her footsteps.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29Savute is already home
0:49:29 > 0:49:31to the next generation...
0:49:32 > 0:49:34..of giant killers.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48It's taken over 18 months to document these events
0:49:48 > 0:49:52in one of Africa's most remote and challenging environments.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55Filming from the ground, from the air,
0:49:55 > 0:49:58and in the thick of the action, has given the camera team
0:49:58 > 0:50:02a unique insight into one of nature's rarest events.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06Savute has an interesting history.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10The river flows for a very short period, once every 40 years.
0:50:10 > 0:50:15When it is flowing, it is the most incredible environment.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18I knew that there is going to be a moment here in time
0:50:18 > 0:50:21that is going to be absolutely incredible.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24Wildlife cameraman Brad Bestelink
0:50:24 > 0:50:27is fourth generation born and bred in Botswana.
0:50:27 > 0:50:28He grew up in the wilderness,
0:50:28 > 0:50:31and has lived there for most of his life.
0:50:31 > 0:50:34The bush and the natural world, specifically in Botswana,
0:50:34 > 0:50:36is sort of in my DNA,
0:50:36 > 0:50:39and the more time I spend there, the more time I want to be out there.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42I don't think that I could live any other life.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46Brad has drawn on a lifetime's bushcraft experience
0:50:46 > 0:50:50to identify and document this remarkable animal behaviour.
0:50:52 > 0:50:53This pride is up from the north,
0:50:53 > 0:50:56and the buffalo have been localised on the marsh
0:50:56 > 0:50:58so they've come down, looking for food.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02When you go into any area, the first thing you do is
0:51:02 > 0:51:05start identifying the make-up of the predators in the area.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07They kind of steer what goes on.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11So you work out prides, territories, access routes that they use.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13It's like a big puzzle that you sort of break up.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20It requires a lot of time, tracking, moving.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23There's a certain amount of knowledge one needs
0:51:23 > 0:51:24to be able to keep up constantly.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27And not just keep up with them, but learn to anticipate them.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32Helping Brad locate and capture the wildlife on film
0:51:32 > 0:51:35was fellow cameraman and lifelong friend Richard Uren.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43Spending weeks at a time together in the most isolated areas,
0:51:43 > 0:51:45they depend on each other completely,
0:51:45 > 0:51:48especially when things don't go to plan.
0:51:50 > 0:51:54It just so happens you're in the middle of the bush and things break.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58We've, over time, learnt to deal with most of the problems ourselves.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00We have to. We don't have DHL here or anything.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04All right, so, some of it liquid.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06- Water.- Let's pour it in, yeah?
0:52:06 > 0:52:07See what we can do.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10Sometimes you have to improvise.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14It's little tricks you've been taught along the way.
0:52:14 > 0:52:18You've got to be fairly well equipped to cope with
0:52:18 > 0:52:21different circumstances - fixing tyres, fixing cars.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23You've kind of got to be all rounded to the elements
0:52:23 > 0:52:25that you are going to confront
0:52:25 > 0:52:27if you want to be independent and living out in the bush.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32But perhaps the greatest challenge in making this film was
0:52:32 > 0:52:35the emotional impact of witnessing such harrowing events.
0:52:37 > 0:52:41Before this year, I'd never seen lions hunting elephants.
0:52:41 > 0:52:42It's not nice to watch.
0:52:43 > 0:52:47They are the most incredible animals, and to see them
0:52:47 > 0:52:51in the circumstance that we find them in Savute, was very tough.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56For lions to hunt and kill elephants
0:52:56 > 0:52:59takes layer upon layer of circumstance to come together
0:52:59 > 0:53:02to allow that little piece of behaviour to happen.
0:53:02 > 0:53:05It was a case where we had a huge population of elephants,
0:53:05 > 0:53:08all focused in one particular place.
0:53:08 > 0:53:12And a pride of lions in a particular phase in their development,
0:53:12 > 0:53:15that gave them a specific type of character.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Without all of those facets,
0:53:17 > 0:53:21you wouldn't get lions actively predating elephants.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25One of the ele's that we watched he really did fight for his life.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28It took the lions a long time to get him down.
0:53:30 > 0:53:35The day when the pride of seven broke up a herd to isolate
0:53:35 > 0:53:39a fairly healthy individual in that herd and pull that down,
0:53:39 > 0:53:43was really the turning point for me, in the story.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45It's one of those things I'll always look back on
0:53:45 > 0:53:50and say it was a turning point in my understanding of the natural world.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55For Rich, one particular scene he filmed brought home
0:53:55 > 0:53:57the brutal reality of nature.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03To see a young, newly-born elephant like it,
0:54:03 > 0:54:07struggling along dehydrated, tired, probably come a long way.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11It was a very, very heart-wrenching thing to see.
0:54:13 > 0:54:17We kind of knew that he wasn't going to carry on.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22His legs shook and he did a bit of a handstand
0:54:22 > 0:54:23and rolled over on his back.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31Then, that was it. He didn't get up again.
0:54:36 > 0:54:41What I saw then is that elephants definitely grieve.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43Mum hung around for the whole night
0:54:43 > 0:54:47and she was there the next morning when we went back to have a look.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50That was harsh to see actually.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56You kind of feel helpless because you can't do anything.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59You... It's...it's hard.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01It's not nice.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13To help return normality to such a demanding shoot,
0:55:13 > 0:55:15Brad's wife Andi and their two children
0:55:15 > 0:55:18visit him in the bush whenever possible.
0:55:19 > 0:55:24I need to be in the bush long periods of time for long hours,
0:55:24 > 0:55:26and often it's more productive to get them out here.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28They get the experience and I get to stay out here
0:55:28 > 0:55:30and keep in touch with what's going on.
0:55:30 > 0:55:34For Brad and I, it's incredibly important that our children have
0:55:34 > 0:55:37experience of the bush, experience the wildlife, experience nature,
0:55:37 > 0:55:40rather than just seeing it on television or having
0:55:40 > 0:55:42some sort of vicarious experience of it.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46It's very important for us that they immerse themselves in it.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49I was fortunate enough to grow up in the bush and I think it does
0:55:49 > 0:55:53give you a different perspective on life, and to be able to
0:55:53 > 0:55:56bring my kids to the bush and let them experience what I have,
0:55:56 > 0:55:59is probably one of the most important things that I can do.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08The kids love seeing the baby animals.
0:56:08 > 0:56:09That really piques their interest.
0:56:09 > 0:56:12When they see these little things that they can relate to,
0:56:12 > 0:56:14and they're cute and they're lovely,
0:56:14 > 0:56:17they get such an idea of how things are out there.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22To capture footage of the lioness and her new litter of cubs
0:56:22 > 0:56:24was a crucial moment for Brad and Rich,
0:56:24 > 0:56:26bringing the incredible story
0:56:26 > 0:56:29of death and life in Savute full circle.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35You've got these quite heart-wrenching situations
0:56:35 > 0:56:38where lions are bringing down elephants.
0:56:38 > 0:56:39But then the other side, you know,
0:56:39 > 0:56:42they've got their young to feed, they've got themselves to feed,
0:56:42 > 0:56:45you've got this whole cycle that goes on and there's these
0:56:45 > 0:56:49brand-new little baby cubs which is an amazing thing to see.
0:56:49 > 0:56:53The whole story and the whole project is very much part of a greater cycle.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55There are too many elephants in one particular area.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57The lions are killing elephants
0:56:57 > 0:57:00because of that particular moment in time and they go on and breed.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03The elephants then move on to different areas
0:57:03 > 0:57:04and they go on and feed and continue.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06That is the joy of Savute.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09All these things are in waves and ebbs and flows,
0:57:09 > 0:57:11and that is just the natural cycle.
0:57:11 > 0:57:16This unforgiving landscape, a unique set of circumstances,
0:57:16 > 0:57:19and such unforgettable animal behaviour
0:57:19 > 0:57:22has pushed Brad and Rich to the limit on every level.
0:57:22 > 0:57:26But it's also rewarded them, with a once-in-a-lifetime experience,
0:57:26 > 0:57:31of one of Africa's most powerful dramas.
0:57:32 > 0:57:35The greatest thing about making this film is it's a journey
0:57:35 > 0:57:37and you get to know all the characters
0:57:37 > 0:57:40and it was the personality of this one particular pride
0:57:40 > 0:57:42that really drove it.
0:57:42 > 0:57:46It says so much about lions and lions' capability to adapt
0:57:46 > 0:57:49very specifically to an unusual circumstance.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51That was the most rewarding thing for me
0:57:51 > 0:57:54out of the entire filming process,
0:57:54 > 0:57:58and I look at lions totally differently from now on.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01LION ROARS