0:00:02 > 0:00:03ANIMALS CALL
0:00:10 > 0:00:11THUNDER RUMBLES
0:00:27 > 0:00:28LEOPARD GRUNTS
0:00:28 > 0:00:31In a remote corner of Africa...
0:00:32 > 0:00:34..an extraordinary bond has formed.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44BRAD BESTELINK: The female is now the one that is accepting us more.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48She's completely unfazed by us.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Wild leopards have no reason to trust humans.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03When they do, a magic door is opened...
0:01:06 > 0:01:11..into the private life of Africa's most secretive predator.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13I knew that from that point
0:01:13 > 0:01:16the dynamic between those two was going to change.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17SNARLING
0:01:21 > 0:01:25This is the story of a remarkable two-year journey...
0:01:28 > 0:01:30He seems to be a bit of a fumbling fool.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38..with a family that's under pressure.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41If anybody's going to get into trouble,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43it's probably going to be him.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46Their enemies are strong...
0:01:48 > 0:01:50..and for these cats,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53nine lives may not be enough.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58You don't know how this is going to play out.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59SNARLING
0:02:01 > 0:02:03If they're going to make it...
0:02:06 > 0:02:09..they will have to seize every opportunity.
0:02:30 > 0:02:36The Savuti River in northern Botswana is a magnet for wildlife.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46And where the herds graze, predators follow.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55Leopards, however, are surprisingly vulnerable.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00As solitary animals, they are no match for the prides
0:03:00 > 0:03:02and packs of their rivals.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10For a mother with young cubs, this is a dangerous place.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15I remember the first time that I saw this leopard,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17she had killed an impala.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22I knew that this leopard had young cubs,
0:03:22 > 0:03:23so I gave it quite a lot of space.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39After a little while, slowly, one of the cubs emerged.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43The mother climbed a tree right in front of us,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and naturally the cubs followed the mother.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55In a weird way, it was almost as if she was presenting those cubs to us.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04I guessed the cubs to be three to four months old...
0:04:06 > 0:04:10..in human terms, the equivalent of a two- or three-year-old.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30My initial instinct was not to get involved with this...
0:04:30 > 0:04:31with this family.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41I've had a bad experience in the past
0:04:41 > 0:04:44where I followed a mother leopard and she,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47over a period of a year-and-a-half, lost all three of her cubs.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54It was incredibly sad.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57I didn't know if I wanted to go through that again.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07For film-maker Brad Bestelink, the chance encounter was
0:05:07 > 0:05:10the start of a long and nerve-racking journey.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Despite his misgivings, Brad teamed up with friend
0:05:15 > 0:05:18and fellow cameraman Richard Uren
0:05:18 > 0:05:22to try to document the fate of their newly-adopted leopard family.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31This place is peppered with lions, wild dogs, hyenas.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37There's a whole bunch of threats
0:05:37 > 0:05:41that could impact on a really young family of leopards.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46It's going to be...
0:05:46 > 0:05:49it's going to be a tough job for her to keep those cubs alive.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53LION ROARS
0:06:10 > 0:06:15It will take around two years for the mother to raise her family.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21To succeed, she'll have to work hard to feed her youngsters -
0:06:21 > 0:06:24an impatient young male...
0:06:25 > 0:06:27..and his more cautious sister.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Today, all three of them are having to wait their turn.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48Adult males are known to kill cubs that aren't their own.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53But judging from the mother's relaxed attitude,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56the gate-crasher is almost certainly her mate.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07The young male is eager to meet his father.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28Alas, leopards are not among nature's doting dads.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42For the snubbed son, it's a bad start
0:07:42 > 0:07:46to a day that's about to get a whole lot worse.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Seeking to assert himself perhaps,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57the young male lays claim to the carcass.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02There are still plenty of leftovers.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03FLIES BUZZ
0:08:07 > 0:08:12His mother seems to be content to watch him feed...
0:08:14 > 0:08:18..just so long as he keeps the family's dinner safely stashed.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Trees ought to provide secure storage for hard-won spoils -
0:08:29 > 0:08:34a place beyond the reach of hyenas
0:08:34 > 0:08:36and other thieves.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04It's a juvenile blunder...
0:09:05 > 0:09:08..and his timing could hardly be worse.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23African wild dogs are formidable pack hunters...
0:09:26 > 0:09:29..capable of killing adult leopards, as well as cubs.
0:09:32 > 0:09:33The cats need to move fast.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Right now, he is not his mother's favourite
0:10:07 > 0:10:09yet for both cubs
0:10:09 > 0:10:11this has been a useful lesson.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15To stay alive, you must stay alert.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22The pack soon gives up and moves on.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26In their hurry to steal from the leopards,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29they've missed a far easier opportunity...
0:10:34 > 0:10:37..an opportunity that hasn't escaped the mother.
0:10:39 > 0:10:40If she can catch it,
0:10:40 > 0:10:45the impala fawn will provide a welcome bonus for her own offspring.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45One mother's loss is another's gain.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53And she seems to have forgotten about her son's earlier blunder.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58The young male is quick to accept the gift.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04It's just what he needs to improve his handling skills.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20He grabs the carcass and pounces on it and rolls with it
0:12:20 > 0:12:22and tries to kill it and claw it...
0:12:34 > 0:12:37..living out his fantasy of what he wanted to be when he grew up.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58He's a really... quite a comical character to watch.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Having seen his mother take the carcass up the tree,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18he really made an effort to do the same.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25There's no shame in trying...
0:13:26 > 0:13:29..and at least he's got the right idea.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36If he can stay out of trouble,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39his enthusiastic spirit should serve him well.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51The family's territory is a patchwork
0:13:51 > 0:13:53of thickets and grassy clearings
0:13:53 > 0:13:58overlooked by a small hill known as Leopard Rock.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09To keep her cubs alive in this dangerous neighbourhood,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11the mother must make sure they stay hidden.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19That is no easy task when the guinea fowl are constantly giving you away.
0:14:20 > 0:14:21GUINEA FOWL CALLS
0:14:32 > 0:14:35The anxious mother needs to hurry her cubs along.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51She has literally taken a piece of meat away from the cub
0:14:51 > 0:14:54and is moving them a bit further on
0:14:54 > 0:14:58to some more dense bush, somewhere where there's a bit more cover.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00It's just to get them out of harm's way.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05Hyenas will pick up their scent -
0:15:05 > 0:15:08they will slowly move in trying to find the cubs.
0:15:10 > 0:15:11They are very easy prey.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Cleaning the cubs will help them go undetected.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Bath time, however, requires co-operation
0:15:27 > 0:15:29which isn't always forthcoming.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33The daughter is very disciplined, she stays put and...
0:15:33 > 0:15:35and goes through the process
0:15:35 > 0:15:38but, er, trying to pin the young boy down for a cleaning
0:15:38 > 0:15:40is a difficult task.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59When he goes through his bath process,
0:15:59 > 0:16:04he really doesn't like it, he is always trying to wriggle away,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07and just rebels against anything the mother tries to enforce on him.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36The mother has already done well to get both of her cubs
0:16:36 > 0:16:40through their first few months, but she has a long way to go.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43The mothers are solitary.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46There's no baby-sitting or other individuals that'll help
0:16:46 > 0:16:47in the raising of these cubs.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Having an anchor point within their territory
0:17:15 > 0:17:18where the mother can safely leave those cubs
0:17:18 > 0:17:20is vital to their survival.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Leopard Rock, with its steep sides and secret crevices,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30is a place where the youngsters can sit tight,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33beyond the reach of more powerful predators.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43With her two cubs carefully hidden away,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45the mother is free to go and hunt.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55It could be days before she returns.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37As the land dries, thirsty animals are starting to gather at the river.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Its shrinking pools contain the only water for miles around...
0:19:05 > 0:19:09..and, with each passing week, the volume of traffic is increasing.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25It was several months ago that Brad and Richard first saw the cubs...
0:19:28 > 0:19:33and, since that time, the young leopards have grown rapidly,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35almost doubling in size.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42These adolescents, however, have a lot to learn.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49If they're going to succeed, they need to leave Leopard Rock
0:19:49 > 0:19:51and start hunting for themselves.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11It isn't long before the daughter spots a bite-sized target,
0:20:11 > 0:20:16a fat little ostrich chick would be
0:20:16 > 0:20:17a delicious mouthful.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23But its sharp-eyed mother is no fool.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Flapping her wings, she distracts the hunter
0:20:31 > 0:20:35and then lures it away on a wild-goose chase.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55By the time the daughter realises she's been conned...
0:20:58 > 0:21:00..her meal is nowhere to be seen.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05GRUNTING AND SPLASHING
0:21:13 > 0:21:17The male, meanwhile, is intrigued by the commotion at the river.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Leopards are loners that live by their wits.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Their entire survival strategy depends on their ability
0:21:28 > 0:21:30to notice things...
0:21:32 > 0:21:33..and learn quickly.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56However, the young male's naturally inquisitive nature
0:21:56 > 0:21:58could be his downfall.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05Curiosity can sometimes kill the cat.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14As the male has grown up,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17his personality has really started to become obvious.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20He's a typical boy...
0:22:24 > 0:22:28..bolder than he needs to be, and, er, continually making mistakes.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33There's very little caution.
0:22:48 > 0:22:49ELEPHANT ROARS
0:22:50 > 0:22:51ELEPHANT BELLOWS
0:22:55 > 0:22:58He doesn't seem to realise scale and size.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03If anybody's going to get into trouble,
0:23:03 > 0:23:04it's probably going to be him.
0:23:06 > 0:23:07ELEPHANT BELLOWS
0:23:10 > 0:23:12The young female, still hungry,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15has now caught up with her brother at the river.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17ELEPHANT CONTINUES TO BELLOW
0:23:21 > 0:23:25The amount of activity here must be intimidating...
0:23:28 > 0:23:30..and without their mother to look after them,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33the young explorers could be getting into trouble.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13GUINEA FOWL CALLS
0:24:19 > 0:24:21GUINEA FOWL CONTINUES TO CALL
0:24:46 > 0:24:48The wildebeest might have escaped
0:24:48 > 0:24:52but the cubs have not gone unnoticed.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59Given the chance, lions will kill other predators,
0:24:59 > 0:25:00especially leopards.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04I've seen lions kill leopards before.
0:25:07 > 0:25:08Particularly at a young age,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11they don't have the skills to escape them.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30The smaller cats are only safe as long as they hold their nerve
0:25:30 > 0:25:31and stay put.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53When it looks as if the lions are less alert...
0:25:54 > 0:25:56..the would-be hunters prepare
0:25:56 > 0:25:58to run for their lives.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Badly shaken, the cubs retreat to Leopard Rock.
0:26:28 > 0:26:29The daughter, in particular,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32is quick to seek her mother's reassurance.
0:26:35 > 0:26:36Over the past few months,
0:26:36 > 0:26:41it appears that the two females have become closer and more affectionate.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54With two growing teenagers still depending on her,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58it's the mother who's now coming under pressure.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02Feeding her family is only going to get harder.
0:27:08 > 0:27:09ANIMAL CALLS
0:27:20 > 0:27:25This year, the dry season is unusually harsh.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Even the river, normally a lifeline for the animals,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33has almost disappeared.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41Yet the mud soup that remains could be concealing a free lunch...,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48..if only the leopards can figure out what it is...
0:27:49 > 0:27:50..and how to get it.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Are these weird apparitions something to fear...
0:28:16 > 0:28:20..or a harmless and much-needed source of food?
0:28:33 > 0:28:35The mother has probably never seen
0:28:35 > 0:28:37a live catfish before.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Eventually she loses courage...
0:29:04 > 0:29:06..perhaps her son will be bolder.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14He has spotted some fish of his own -
0:29:14 > 0:29:16when they stop moving, though,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19he seems not to know where they've gone.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41It's the elephant that finally reveals them.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45You could almost see like a light bulb going on...
0:29:47 > 0:29:48..and literally,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51right after the elephant pulled out, he went straight in.
0:30:16 > 0:30:17It was like playing
0:30:17 > 0:30:18with soap in the shower -
0:30:18 > 0:30:20he just sort of fumbled around
0:30:20 > 0:30:21and didn't know what to do.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24There's mud being splattered
0:30:24 > 0:30:25on his body and on his face.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Finally he actually bit it,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36which gave him a grip on it.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44I just remember that expression when he stood up.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49He was so proud of his achievement.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52He was quite stoked.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05Over the next two weeks,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08the leopards continue to plunder the mud-choked pools.
0:31:13 > 0:31:19In times of plenty, leopards, like other cats, will gorge themselves,
0:31:19 > 0:31:23eating up to a quarter of their bodyweight at a single sitting.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33It's only a new development that threatens to bring
0:31:33 > 0:31:34an end to the feast.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Rain that fell several months ago
0:31:43 > 0:31:48and over a thousand miles away is at last arriving here.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09For the stranded catfish, the water can't come fast enough.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Another week of flooding,
0:32:27 > 0:32:29and this will be a river
0:32:29 > 0:32:31several metres deep.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37Unless they've got the nerve to jump in,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40the leopards are going to have to find their meals elsewhere.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Away from the river, the land is still bone dry.
0:33:08 > 0:33:13By now, the cubs should be starting to hunt more regular prey,
0:33:13 > 0:33:17but with little in the way of cover, it's difficult to stalk anything.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30While the young female targets a guinea fowl...
0:33:34 > 0:33:39..the male, typically, is being a little more ambitious.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28LEOPARD GROWLS
0:34:28 > 0:34:29GUINEA FOWL SQUAWK
0:34:35 > 0:34:38The longer the cubs fail to feed themselves,
0:34:38 > 0:34:40the greater the strain on their mother.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Perhaps the frustrated hunters will fare better
0:34:54 > 0:34:56under the cover of darkness.
0:34:59 > 0:35:04Like all cats, leopards have superb night vision and acute hearing.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06ANIMALS GRUNT AND CROAK
0:35:07 > 0:35:11The waters are brimming with noisy new nightlife
0:35:11 > 0:35:15and some of the river's former residents have now returned.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22Could the channel, once again,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26prove a successful hunting ground even though it's full?
0:35:31 > 0:35:32The catfish are still here
0:35:32 > 0:35:35chasing smaller fish into the shallows.
0:35:38 > 0:35:39If only they can catch them,
0:35:39 > 0:35:43the hungry leopards know that they will be good to eat.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01You could see they were totally intrigued
0:36:01 > 0:36:03by the snaking movement in the water.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Heads right down, following the swirls of the catfish
0:36:11 > 0:36:12as they moved up and down.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21So curious and so focused on them.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36I had no idea what they were going to do.
0:36:40 > 0:36:45It's the daughter, normally so cautious, who tries first.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58Her second strike is more daring...
0:37:03 > 0:37:06..but her claws just aren't long enough to get a grip.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11She needs to pluck up her courage
0:37:11 > 0:37:15and, quite literally, sink her teeth into the problem.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43Take three,
0:37:43 > 0:37:44and she's got it!
0:37:51 > 0:37:55Having watched her, the rest of the family are soon following suit...
0:37:58 > 0:37:59..and getting in on the act.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08While leopards are known to collect fish from drying rivers,
0:38:08 > 0:38:11to actually hunt them when the water's high
0:38:11 > 0:38:13is something rarely witnessed.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Certainly, after a lifetime in the African bush,
0:38:21 > 0:38:24it's behaviour that Brad has never seen before.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32To see these individuals, the two cubs and mom...
0:38:34 > 0:38:36..actually run and dive into the river...
0:38:45 > 0:38:48..to see that, that really is a remarkable piece of behaviour.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55All three of these leopards are using the same technique
0:38:55 > 0:38:57to catch these catfish.
0:39:00 > 0:39:05They dive in, pin the thing down and use their mouths to actually bite it.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11That's hunting - active predation on fish out of a river.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25They caught catfish that the necks of the catfish were bigger
0:39:25 > 0:39:26than their own.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Their new-found knowledge of catfish and how to catch them
0:39:35 > 0:39:38won't just help them fill their bellies tonight...
0:39:43 > 0:39:46..it will stick with these leopards for the rest of their lives.
0:39:48 > 0:39:49THUNDER CRASHES
0:39:52 > 0:39:56The family has taken a giant leap towards survival
0:39:56 > 0:39:59and the cubs are starting to come of age.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34Over the next month,
0:40:34 > 0:40:38these fully-fledged fishing leopards continue to feast.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45Their talent for exploiting opportunities,
0:40:45 > 0:40:51no matter how fleeting, is enabling them to thrive, at least for now.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58The catfish could melt away at any moment,
0:40:58 > 0:41:02but for a family that's continually under pressure,
0:41:02 > 0:41:06this is a rare period when everyone can relax.
0:41:09 > 0:41:10CONTENTED GROWLING
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Having held back for so long,
0:41:23 > 0:41:26the daughter appears to be gaining in confidence.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32It's a change the film team is noticing.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39The female is now the one that is accepting us more.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44There's a natural tendency for the mom
0:41:44 > 0:41:47and the male to sort of circle us and keep their distance...
0:41:50 > 0:41:53..but the young female, she's definitely taken a shine to us.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29Very often we've had her stick her head in
0:42:29 > 0:42:31and sort of just has a good look.
0:42:37 > 0:42:38You've got these eyes sort of peeping,
0:42:38 > 0:42:40and the head moving, watching you...
0:42:41 > 0:42:44..completely unfazed by us.
0:42:44 > 0:42:45We've never had that response out of the male.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50She's definitely the most trusting of the two.
0:43:09 > 0:43:10THUNDER RUMBLES
0:43:21 > 0:43:23November -
0:43:23 > 0:43:27and the first big storm signals the arrival of the wet season.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40Within the family, a storm of a different kind is brewing.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48For one of the cubs, it heralds a perilous new chapter.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29The cubs are almost fully grown...
0:44:29 > 0:44:30ROARING
0:44:30 > 0:44:33..and they're starting to act their age.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38Over the past few days, brother and sister have been together...
0:44:40 > 0:44:44..very active, very playful, which is quite unusual.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56There's definitely something going on.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00She's definitely starting to give off a signal.
0:45:14 > 0:45:19At around two years old, a female leopard reaches a turning point.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23She's obviously becoming sexually mature,
0:45:23 > 0:45:26and that is triggering something in his behaviour.
0:45:27 > 0:45:28GROWLING
0:45:37 > 0:45:40It's only play but sooner or later
0:45:40 > 0:45:42her scent will attract
0:45:42 > 0:45:44the big boys...
0:45:46 > 0:45:48..and no suitor is going
0:45:48 > 0:45:50to tolerate the young male.
0:45:55 > 0:45:56Yet the daughter, too,
0:45:56 > 0:45:58is courting danger.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03With leopards, the female when she becomes
0:46:03 > 0:46:06ready to mate, all of a sudden poses a threat to the mother.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13She almost takes the place of the mother,
0:46:13 > 0:46:15which obviously wouldn't really be tolerated.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22When she picks up her daughter's scent, the mother seems displeased.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29It was as if she was smelling a female from another territory,
0:46:29 > 0:46:30rather than her daughter.
0:46:30 > 0:46:31FIERCE GROWLING
0:46:36 > 0:46:39I knew that from that point,
0:46:39 > 0:46:41the dynamic between those two was going to change.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52When they first made contact,
0:46:52 > 0:46:53the mother just lay down
0:46:53 > 0:46:55and let the cubs approach her.
0:46:55 > 0:46:56The male sort of came up to her
0:46:56 > 0:46:58and brushed past and moved off.
0:47:03 > 0:47:07As the female started to approach, the mother really started to snarl.
0:47:07 > 0:47:08SNARLING
0:47:14 > 0:47:16Every time the young female came close to her,
0:47:16 > 0:47:20she was very hostile towards her, and the daughter was, you know,
0:47:20 > 0:47:23obviously not understanding what was going on, persisting
0:47:23 > 0:47:27and trying to make contact - that familiarity that she's so used to.
0:47:31 > 0:47:32SNARLING CONTINUES
0:47:42 > 0:47:43FIERCE SNARLING
0:47:45 > 0:47:48She eventually got too close,
0:47:48 > 0:47:50and it ended up in quite a serious fight.
0:48:04 > 0:48:05GROWLING AND ROARING
0:48:22 > 0:48:25You can imagine the surprise on the daughter's face.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29It's just not something that she would ever expect from her mother.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31SNARLING CONTINUES
0:48:38 > 0:48:41The message is unmistakable...
0:48:44 > 0:48:47..the daughter is no longer one of the family.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02If the female cub gets pushed out
0:49:02 > 0:49:03at this stage of her life,
0:49:03 > 0:49:04she's not equipped
0:49:04 > 0:49:06to survive on her own.
0:49:09 > 0:49:10THUNDER CRASHES
0:49:16 > 0:49:20I haven't seen her take down a fair-sized animal yet.
0:49:22 > 0:49:26It's kind of worrying - you don't know how this is going to play out.
0:49:26 > 0:49:27THUNDER CRASHES
0:49:43 > 0:49:44RAIN POURS
0:49:52 > 0:49:55The wet season is now well established
0:49:55 > 0:49:58and for the evicted daughter, it's crunch time.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13She may be old enough to start a family of her own,
0:50:13 > 0:50:17yet she's never been so alone
0:50:17 > 0:50:18or so hungry.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24As days stretch into weeks,
0:50:24 > 0:50:28her struggle to stay alive becomes increasingly obvious.
0:50:40 > 0:50:44Ever more desperate, she's snatching at any opportunity...
0:50:55 > 0:51:00..but a cat of this size can't live off squirrels forever.
0:51:03 > 0:51:08If she's going to survive, the young female needs to up her game.
0:51:15 > 0:51:20For the starving outcast, the clouds may have a silver lining.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23The wet season is also the birth season,
0:51:23 > 0:51:26and babies offer promising targets.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36A zebra foal would keep her fed for a week...
0:51:42 > 0:51:45..but she's quickly spotted by its vigilant mother.
0:51:50 > 0:51:54Unwilling to give up, the daughter tries a riskier tactic...
0:51:56 > 0:52:00..perhaps by flaunting herself she will create enough panic
0:52:00 > 0:52:02to separate the foal from its mother.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09It's a dangerous game of bluff.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14One well-aimed hoof could kill the leopard...
0:52:17 > 0:52:19..and the herd seems determined to do so.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44Her botched hunt is yet another serious setback...
0:52:49 > 0:52:51..and those who have watched her fail
0:52:51 > 0:52:53seem to delight in taunting her.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55BIRDS CHIRRUP
0:53:24 > 0:53:25Elsewhere, her brother
0:53:25 > 0:53:28is enjoying a life of ease.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41Thanks to mother, his belly, at least, is full.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49In fact, the male has now outgrown his provider.
0:53:52 > 0:53:57At around 50 kilos, his prospects of survival are now stronger than ever.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09It's the fate of the weakening daughter
0:54:09 > 0:54:11that continues to worry Brad.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22Alone and pushed to the edge of her mother's territory,
0:54:22 > 0:54:25she's failing to make the grade as a hunter.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43Today it's a young kudu that has caught her eye...
0:54:46 > 0:54:52..but she's got as close as this many times before and still failed.
0:55:07 > 0:55:08LEOPARD GROWLS
0:55:57 > 0:55:59LEOPARD GROWLS
0:56:00 > 0:56:01KUDO CRIES OUT
0:56:07 > 0:56:09KUDO CONTINUES TO CRY OUT
0:56:28 > 0:56:32She hasn't made the quickest or cleanest of kills.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39Its significance however could hardly be greater.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43To the huge relief of the film team,
0:56:43 > 0:56:46the daughter has finally come of age.
0:56:50 > 0:56:52Two years ago when we started this project,
0:56:52 > 0:56:56I didn't expect that I'd be in this situation now.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02It's quite astounding that this family has managed to survive.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07The young female, she's very able,
0:57:07 > 0:57:11she's made her first really big kill and is a competent hunter.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19The male, he's no threat to his mother,
0:57:19 > 0:57:22so he will linger in her territory for quite a long time...
0:57:30 > 0:57:33..scrounging carcasses from her
0:57:33 > 0:57:35and sort of piggy-backing on her success.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42In time, a big male will come in
0:57:42 > 0:57:45and probably give the young boy the hiding he's
0:57:45 > 0:57:50due and send him on his way, make him work for a living.
0:57:58 > 0:58:02The mother is one of the most exceptional leopards
0:58:02 > 0:58:04I've ever spent time with.
0:58:05 > 0:58:09She really has done an amazing job, she's raised both of them...
0:58:11 > 0:58:14..quite a feat for a leopard -
0:58:14 > 0:58:17to successfully raise two cubs to full maturity.
0:58:30 > 0:58:32These special cats have coped
0:58:32 > 0:58:35with everything nature has thrown at them -
0:58:35 > 0:58:38breaking boundaries, they've even learnt to fish.
0:58:48 > 0:58:50In this toughest of places,
0:58:50 > 0:58:52they've shown what it takes
0:58:52 > 0:58:55for not one leopard,
0:58:55 > 0:58:58but an entire family, to survive.