0:00:05 > 0:00:10The power of the sun drives the seasons, transforming our planet.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Vast movements of ocean and air currents bring dramatic change
0:00:16 > 0:00:18throughout the year.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26And in a few special places, these seasonal changes
0:00:26 > 0:00:30create some of the greatest wildlife spectacles on earth.
0:00:35 > 0:00:40One of the most awe-inspiring events takes place in the vast open plains
0:00:40 > 0:00:41of East Africa.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Once a year, three million animals
0:00:46 > 0:00:49gather in a small corner of the Serengeti.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53This is the greatest concentration of grazing animals on the planet.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58But the herds only stay for a few months
0:00:58 > 0:01:00before continuing on their epic journey.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08And when the great migration moves on, the predators they leave behind
0:01:08 > 0:01:11become suddenly vulnerable.
0:01:11 > 0:01:16How can they survive until the Great Migration returns?
0:01:45 > 0:01:50The eastern edge of the Serengeti is dominated by a volcano,
0:01:50 > 0:01:56known to the Maasai people as Ol Doinyo Lengai, the Mountain of God.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04It's one of the many volcanoes that have shaped the landscape
0:02:04 > 0:02:09here for millions of years that lie along Africa's Great Rift.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15To the west lie the grasslands of the Serengeti
0:02:15 > 0:02:20and a particularly fertile area known as the short grass plains.
0:02:26 > 0:02:31For a few months each year, hundreds of thousands of grazers
0:02:31 > 0:02:33cram into this corner of the Serengeti.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39And, of course, wherever you find grazers, you find predators.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46More meat-eaters hunt and scavenge
0:02:46 > 0:02:51on the short grass plains than anywhere else in Africa.
0:02:59 > 0:03:06For lions in particular, this is, for the moment, a savannah paradise.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25With so much food on offer, it's a good time to raise young cubs.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30But lions are territorial.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35Each pride only controls a small area of grassland.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39They can only hunt the animals that come into their territory.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49So, to give these cubs a good start,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53they'll have to make the most of this bonanza while it's here.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00When the great herds move on, the lions can't go with them,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03and prides like this one face a stern test.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10What happens next is a side of lion life that is rarely seen.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21It's May. The rains that watered the short grass plains have moved north,
0:04:21 > 0:04:26and the vast herds follow, seeking out fresh green pastures.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Wildebeest are so in tune with the seasons that they can hear
0:04:38 > 0:04:41thunderstorms 30 miles away, and they home in
0:04:41 > 0:04:46on the scent of wet soil that carries the promise of fresh grass.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Unlike lions, wildebeest are free to travel
0:04:57 > 0:05:00wherever the quest for food leads them.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08This young calf is at the start of an incredible seven-month journey.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22Without rain, the grasslands behind them wither and die.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Within weeks, the short grass plains start to turn brown.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Within a few months, they're unrecognisable.
0:05:36 > 0:05:3990% of grazing animals have moved on.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43Not a single wildebeest remains.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52It's now August.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55With so few animals here, the short grass plains
0:05:55 > 0:05:58are no longer a great place to be a lion.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06For the lion pride living at the southern edge of these plains,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10in a place known as Ndutu, the test now is to survive
0:06:10 > 0:06:13until the herds return again.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21The Ndutu pride has four lionesses and seven cubs
0:06:21 > 0:06:25and already they're struggling to find enough food and water.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31The youngest are weak and underweight.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Surrounded by other lion prides with their own territories,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53the Ndutu pride must make the most of what they can find here.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01But there isn't enough food for them all.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05This male cub is not only hungry, he's sick.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18On this morning, the pride is heading for a woodland
0:07:18 > 0:07:22where there is more cover and more animals to hunt.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30It's a long journey for the exhausted cubs.
0:07:40 > 0:07:46For the weakest male, it's a real struggle to keep up.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48He's trying,
0:07:48 > 0:07:52but slowly he gets left behind.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03This is a brutal world.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05The lionesses simply cannot wait.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08If they don't keep hunting and eat soon,
0:08:08 > 0:08:14they too will become weak, and then there'll be no hope for any of them.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Warthogs are a valuable catch at this time of year.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41The lives of the cubs depend on a successful outcome.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44While one lioness slowly creeps forward...
0:08:50 > 0:08:52..another approaches from cover.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27It's been a while since their last kill,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30and all the hungry pride pile in.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42All, that is, except one.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49A mile away, a young life is fading away.
0:09:49 > 0:09:50HE MEWS WEAKLY
0:09:50 > 0:09:54The kill has come too late for him.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00At less than a year old,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03these cubs are still totally dependent on the lionesses.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08To survive, they must keep up.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Only three months into the dry season,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18the Ndutu pride is down to six cubs.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25Sadly, this young male will not survive.
0:10:42 > 0:10:48It's late August, and the rains are still moving north, taking the grass
0:10:48 > 0:10:52and the wildebeest even further away from the Ndutu lions.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06With no territory to enclose them,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09the wildebeest can travel wherever they like.
0:11:09 > 0:11:15But a calf, just like a lion cub, still has to stick close to Mum.
0:11:26 > 0:11:32The biggest danger is getting lost in the vastness of the herd,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34as it treks up to 30 miles a day.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02Back at Ndutu, the dry season is biting harder.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08There's little grass here, but that's not a problem for some.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Giraffe find most of the nutrients and moisture
0:12:21 > 0:12:24they need in acacia leaves.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29And, like impala, they can cope well in the dry season.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39Serengeti mice positively thrive in the drier months,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42thanks to the abundance of seeds.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45So some of the smaller predators, like wild-cats,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48still find plenty of food.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56This kitten is unlikely to go hungry.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Perhaps surprisingly, it's the creature often called
0:13:11 > 0:13:15the king of the beasts that is suffering the most.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23It's early September,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26and on this afternoon, there are only two male cubs
0:13:26 > 0:13:28with the Ndutu lionesses.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32And they're little more than skin and bone.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37What's happened to the rest?
0:13:40 > 0:13:45Sadly, it seems, others have been left behind.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54One young female cub is just two miles away.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57She's limping and the black patches on her face
0:13:57 > 0:14:00reveal that she's losing her fur.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10But she hasn't given up. She calls for her pride.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18FAINT CALL
0:14:18 > 0:14:22She's hears a faint call and hurries towards it.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29And is reunited with one of her brothers.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Nearby, there is prey.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45But these cubs are unable to hunt.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48They are still too young.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54If they're going to survive, they must rejoin the pride.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07While she still has strength, she continues to try and make contact.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10SHE CALLS FAINTLY
0:15:18 > 0:15:23Far away, the lionesses also call constantly
0:15:23 > 0:15:26and listen for their lost youngsters.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38Even a sick cub joins in the search for his sisters and brothers.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53But there are no replies.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58After an hour of calling, the lionesses can wait no longer.
0:15:58 > 0:15:59They must move on.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09The pride will have to move to another part of their territory
0:16:09 > 0:16:11if they are to find food.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20None of them have eaten for days, and now the chances of being
0:16:20 > 0:16:25reunited with the lost cubs seems remote indeed.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42It's September, one of the driest months in Ndutu.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46The wildebeest herds are over 100 miles away,
0:16:46 > 0:16:50having followed new pastures to the northern edge of the Serengeti.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56But they have a huge challenge of their own to face -
0:16:56 > 0:17:00they must cross the Mara River.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Over several days, the herds crowd together at the water's edge.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25The adults seem to sense a hidden danger...
0:17:25 > 0:17:28THEY SNORT AND GROAN
0:17:29 > 0:17:31..but the numbers keep piling up
0:17:31 > 0:17:35on the river's edge, and ultimately they face the danger together.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50The crocodiles are spoilt for choice.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56But they can only take one victim at a time.
0:18:21 > 0:18:26There is safety in numbers here, and most of the wildebeest make it
0:18:26 > 0:18:29across to the grasslands beyond.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42Back in the south, the Ndutu plains are tinder dry.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53Seed and insect-eaters can scratch a living and the smaller cats
0:18:53 > 0:18:57like serval that hunt them can still find plenty to eat.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06And a cheetah mother is managing to keep her cubs fit and healthy
0:19:06 > 0:19:09on the small antelope that remain.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29It's now October, the peak of the dry season,
0:19:29 > 0:19:33and the Ndutu pride are resting in the heat of the day.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40In a bizarre twist of fate, one of the two male cubs has died,
0:19:40 > 0:19:44but amazingly, the lost female with the black face patches
0:19:44 > 0:19:46has found her way back.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58She's still weak, and clearly hasn't eaten for days.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Meanwhile, it's getting hotter.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Just when it seems life couldn't get any worse, it does.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Flames race across the Ndutu pride territory,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40burning the last of the grass and any remaining bush cover.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20At first glance, there's little left here.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Yet animals like impala quickly return to investigate.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30The impala's world has changed beyond recognition.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34There's nowhere left to hide.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41The Ndutu pride has also lost the cover they use for hunting.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48The young female may have survived her first fire,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51but her chances of a meal have fallen even lower.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07For the cheetah family, the fire is not such bad news...
0:22:07 > 0:22:09CUBS SQUEAL
0:22:09 > 0:22:12..as their prey can actually become easier to find.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21The steenbok relies on blending into its surroundings
0:22:21 > 0:22:24and sitting still to avoid being spotted.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29But in this emptiness, its camouflage is useless.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33It's a sitting target...
0:22:36 > 0:22:39..and apparently unaware of the approaching danger.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30Larger prey, like Grant's gazelle, are constantly on the lookout
0:23:30 > 0:23:35for danger, and easily see the Ndutu pride in the distance.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42The task for the hunters now seems virtually impossible.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54But they do have one advantage.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02There are four lionesses, and they've been hunting together for years.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08It'll be hard to get close to the warthogs.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16But if they can split up and attack on two sides,
0:24:16 > 0:24:18they may stand a chance.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24This is how a young lioness learns.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36As ever, teamwork is critical.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58In a well-practiced routine,
0:24:58 > 0:25:03a lioness moves round to block the warthogs' escape.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29As one is flushed into the open,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32the flanking lioness rushes in for the kill.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36WARTHOG SQUEALS
0:25:39 > 0:25:41LIONS GROWL
0:25:43 > 0:25:48Warthogs are a favourite food. It's a welcome feast enjoyed by all.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52At the toughest of times,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54the lionesses have provided for the cubs.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04But it's an unpredictable year, in more ways than one.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14For the first time in 40 years, the sleeping Mountain of God,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Ol Doinyo Lengai, awakens.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23THUNDEROUS BOOMING
0:26:43 > 0:26:49Vast clouds of volcanic ash drift towards the short grass plains,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52and the home of the Ndutu pride lions.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03Ravaged by fire, scorched by the sun, the plains now become shrouded
0:27:03 > 0:27:06in a layer of ash.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20It's November, and the rains that would bring the return
0:27:20 > 0:27:23of the grass and the herds are now overdue.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33The Ndutu lionesses rest
0:27:33 > 0:27:38in the intense heat and the cubs' batteries are now running very low.
0:27:42 > 0:27:47But the winds are changing - a sign that the season is turning.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01The wildebeest seem to know what's about to happen.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03They begin heading south.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08One and a half million wildebeest
0:28:08 > 0:28:12start their journey back to the short grass plains.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31The Great Migration of the wildebeest is
0:28:31 > 0:28:35one of the longest treks of any land animal on our planet.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38As they follow the rains around the Serengeti,
0:28:38 > 0:28:42many will travel over 1,000 miles.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51But there's no guarantee that these wildebeest will return
0:28:51 > 0:28:54to the territory of the Ndutu pride.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02They will feed only where the best grasses grow.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09All that's needed now is rain.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29THUNDER RUMBLES
0:30:08 > 0:30:11For the Ndutu pride, rain brings hope,
0:30:11 > 0:30:14but how long will it take for the grass to grow
0:30:14 > 0:30:16and the herds to return?
0:31:22 > 0:31:27Within a matter of days, fresh grass transforms the arid plains
0:31:27 > 0:31:31into the lush pastures that will lure the herds to return.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43It's December, and the migrating herds
0:31:43 > 0:31:45start to arrive at the northern boundary
0:31:45 > 0:31:50of the short grass plains, just 30 miles from the Ndutu lions.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20After seven months away, the herd is returning.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Stretching back some 25 miles,
0:32:30 > 0:32:35it will take weeks for all the wildebeest to arrive.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50And nothing will stop them now.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10The Mountain of God chooses this moment to throw up a column of ash
0:33:10 > 0:33:1315,000 metres into the air.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27But the link between this ash and these herds
0:33:27 > 0:33:30is more than a mere coincidence.
0:33:36 > 0:33:42For this ash is rich in minerals, and over several million years,
0:33:42 > 0:33:45as volcanoes in the Great Rift have erupted,
0:33:45 > 0:33:47layer upon layer of ash
0:33:47 > 0:33:52has fertilised the ground, creating this uniquely fertile grassland.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59It's this that draws animals from all over the Serengeti.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09The ash also discourages the growth of trees.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13So, on these plains that might otherwise be covered in woodland,
0:34:13 > 0:34:15little grows except grass.
0:34:24 > 0:34:29It's possibly the best grazing land in all of Africa.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37And probably the only place where
0:34:37 > 0:34:42one and a half million wildebeest could feed together.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10In the northern half, the short grass plains
0:35:10 > 0:35:12have once again become a savannah paradise.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19The conditions are so good that the wildebeest also use these plains
0:35:19 > 0:35:22for another important purpose.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28The females are carrying the next generation,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31and they've come here to calve.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44It only takes seconds.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04Some calves are on their feet in just two minutes.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Others take a little longer.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24Then they're good to go.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40Phosphorus and calcium in the volcanic ash pass through the grass
0:36:40 > 0:36:44into the mother's milk and into the growing calves.
0:36:47 > 0:36:48Nowhere else on their epic journey
0:36:48 > 0:36:52could young wildebeest get such a good start in life.
0:37:03 > 0:37:04In just two to three weeks,
0:37:04 > 0:37:09over half a million wildebeest calves are born here.
0:37:12 > 0:37:17And of course, this provides an irresistible opportunity
0:37:17 > 0:37:20for all of Africa's top predators.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25This is boom time for meat-eaters.
0:37:27 > 0:37:32The Ndutu lions to the south have yet to enjoy this feast,
0:37:32 > 0:37:38but this cheetah family now has an endless supply of fresh meat.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52There is certainly enough to feed the six cubs.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29She'll make a kill every day to keep her cubs properly fed.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34THEY HISS
0:38:43 > 0:38:47And it's not just wildebeest the predators have come to eat.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52Many of Africa's antelope are here too.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58Eland, Africa's largest.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04And they're joined by more than half a million
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Thomson and Grant's gazelles.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12And 200,000 zebra.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Just north of the Ndutu lion territory,
0:39:22 > 0:39:26these lions are now lucky enough to enjoy a time of plenty.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33A favourite lion ploy is to wait by waterholes,
0:39:33 > 0:39:37knowing that the herd will ultimately have to drink.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33As the herds move further south,
0:40:33 > 0:40:37they at last enter the homeland of the Ndutu pride.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39The question is,
0:40:39 > 0:40:44have the weak cubs managed to survive to witness the great return?
0:40:56 > 0:40:59The Ndutu pride is still together.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01They are healthy and strong.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09Somehow they have managed to make it through the long dry season
0:41:09 > 0:41:13and the endless wait for the returning herds.
0:41:14 > 0:41:19The young male now has the beginnings of a mane.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23And though still limping, the female has grown new fur
0:41:23 > 0:41:25over her black patches.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Now, at last, with endless food around them,
0:41:44 > 0:41:48the lion cubs have the time and the energy to play.
0:41:56 > 0:42:01And they can relax in a way that only lions know how.
0:42:20 > 0:42:25By March, the great event on the Ndutu plains is in full swing,
0:42:25 > 0:42:30and where there are kills, there are scavengers.
0:42:31 > 0:42:36Vultures fly in from all over the Serengeti.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50On her own, a mother cheetah has little chance
0:42:50 > 0:42:52of keeping this mob off her kill.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58VULTURES SCREECH
0:42:58 > 0:43:02She may be agile, but she lacks the necessary brute force.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08Even now, it's not easy raising cheetah cubs.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12Over half her kills will be stolen by thieves.
0:43:17 > 0:43:22Spotted hyenas are notorious scavengers, and they arrive in force.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24HYENAS CACKLE
0:43:29 > 0:43:34Hyenas now become the most numerous carnivores on the Ndutu plains.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37They'll even take on a lion pride.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48As the Ndutu lions finish off a wildebeest,
0:43:48 > 0:43:52the hyena clans gather around, trying to intimidate them.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06The young male cub faces up to them.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09He's finally coming of age.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12He's learning how to protect a pride.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15HYENAS CACKLE, CUB GROWLS
0:44:27 > 0:44:29But this time, with their bellies full,
0:44:29 > 0:44:32the pride decide the bones aren't worth the hassle.
0:44:45 > 0:44:47Well-fed at last,
0:44:47 > 0:44:51the two young cubs are beginning to look more like adults.
0:44:54 > 0:44:58But it will be another six months before they can hunt on their own.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12It's April, and there's a flurry of excitement as the wildebeest
0:45:12 > 0:45:15turn their attention to courting.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29Or at least, the males do.
0:45:29 > 0:45:34The young bulls limber up for the rut, when they will have to fight
0:45:34 > 0:45:36for the right to mate with a female.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51High spirits are infectious.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00In three months, the young calves become boisterous,
0:46:00 > 0:46:03and bounce with good health.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22These plains have been a nursery.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29But change is in the air.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32The season is turning again.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46The arrival of seed-eating quelea is
0:46:46 > 0:46:51a sign that the grass on the Ndutu plains is changing.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14Once the grass flowers and sets seed,
0:47:14 > 0:47:18it loses the succulent green leaves that the wildebeest prefer.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31Time for them to move on again,
0:47:31 > 0:47:36to follow the distant storms that are now rumbling to the north.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44Despite the arduous journey that lies ahead,
0:47:44 > 0:47:48a wildebeest calf in the Serengeti still has a better chance
0:47:48 > 0:47:51of surviving its first year than a lion cub.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01The Great Migration is leaving Ndutu,
0:48:01 > 0:48:05and once again the pride will have to face life without the herds.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12A brother and sister have survived an eventful year
0:48:12 > 0:48:15that has brought sickness and drought,
0:48:15 > 0:48:17fires and volcanic eruptions.
0:48:21 > 0:48:26Theirs is just one of countless stories that unfold every year
0:48:26 > 0:48:28on the short grass plains -
0:48:28 > 0:48:32the grasslands at the centre of this great event.
0:48:34 > 0:48:38All in the shadow of the Mountain of God.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55To film intimate animal stories in the vast Serengeti
0:48:55 > 0:49:00was the toughest challenge faced by the Great Migration team.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06Especially when a major part of the mission was to follow the fortunes
0:49:06 > 0:49:10of a single Serengeti lion pride.
0:49:18 > 0:49:22For filmmaker Owen Newman to tell the full story of a pride,
0:49:22 > 0:49:24he had to follow them before and during
0:49:24 > 0:49:27the annual wildebeest migration.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31The filming would take seven months - a rather long time
0:49:31 > 0:49:34to be stuck in a rather small car.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36There's just one tiny space in here
0:49:36 > 0:49:39where I can move, and it's the bit for
0:49:39 > 0:49:41using these pedals, for steering with
0:49:41 > 0:49:46and for being able to turn round like that and operate the camera.
0:49:46 > 0:49:52That's the only moving space I have in here, so, I mean...
0:49:52 > 0:49:55Every day for 14 hours, that's it.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59But out of here is this phenomenal view on the world
0:49:59 > 0:50:03and all the animals that are out there.
0:50:03 > 0:50:04I wouldn't swap it for anything.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09If Owen was to stand any chance of keeping up with his lion pride,
0:50:09 > 0:50:14he would have to cover thousands of miles alone in his cramped car.
0:50:17 > 0:50:21Owen has filmed many lion stories, but not even he could have known
0:50:21 > 0:50:23how dramatic and harrowing the story
0:50:23 > 0:50:26of the pride's youngest lioness would become.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32The drama started in the dry season,
0:50:32 > 0:50:36when Owen first found the lions known as the Ndutu pride.
0:50:40 > 0:50:44The cubs were already suffering, and even with 20 years' experience
0:50:44 > 0:50:50of filming big cats, for Owen these scenes were hard to witness.
0:50:50 > 0:50:55I was so appalled with the condition that the cubs were in.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59They were all around a year old and I'd never, ever
0:50:59 > 0:51:02seen lions so thin as they were.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04It was absolutely shocking.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10As the litter of seven cubs dwindled to only four,
0:51:10 > 0:51:12the drama continued to unfold.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14Just as the dry season dragged on,
0:51:14 > 0:51:19they got mange, the skin was falling apart.
0:51:19 > 0:51:25The little female in particular looked as though she had no chance.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28One awful day, Owen found that more cubs
0:51:28 > 0:51:30had been left behind by the pride.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32The little female and a brother.
0:51:32 > 0:51:36Hungry and alone, their death seemed inevitable.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40Quite late in the afternoon,
0:51:40 > 0:51:43but earlier than I would have done ordinarily,
0:51:43 > 0:51:45I left cos it was actually getting to me so much -
0:51:45 > 0:51:47I couldn't stand being there.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49It was really so sad.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56I went back the next day and there was no sign of either
0:51:56 > 0:52:00of the cubs and I just assumed that probably they'd died.
0:52:02 > 0:52:07Amazingly, in a dramatic twist, the little lioness did survive
0:52:07 > 0:52:10and rejoin her family.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13But when the rains came, the whole pride disappeared.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24As filming resumed at the start of the wet season,
0:52:24 > 0:52:28all eyes were on the lookout for the Ndutu lions.
0:52:32 > 0:52:36Although the plains were now teeming with animals,
0:52:36 > 0:52:39what Owen really wanted was to find his lion cubs.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46All he could do was to sit, watch and wait.
0:52:48 > 0:52:53This is what happens for hours on end - nothing.
0:52:57 > 0:53:01With spotters continuing the search for the Ndutu pride,
0:53:01 > 0:53:05Owen got on with filming the Great Migration of the wildebeest
0:53:05 > 0:53:07and its newest recruits.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12What's really nice about the calves being born
0:53:12 > 0:53:17is that for about eight months, while they've been developing,
0:53:17 > 0:53:21they've been carried around by the mums across the plains.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24They've been stampeded by hyenas and lions.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28They've criss-crossed crocodile-infested rivers,
0:53:28 > 0:53:32and here they are, being born to join in.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44It never fails to be a really wonderful thing to see.
0:53:46 > 0:53:51The calf's born and the mother gets up and starts licking it.
0:53:51 > 0:53:56And the little thing tries to stand up on incredibly wobbly legs,
0:53:56 > 0:53:59and within two minutes,
0:53:59 > 0:54:01it's walking away with its mum.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05Look, it's nearly found the udder.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11With shots of wildebeest calving in the can,
0:54:11 > 0:54:14Owen could get on with his search for the lion cubs.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19The lions' story was still hanging in the balance.
0:54:19 > 0:54:23All Owen could do was persevere with his daily filming routine.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29Do you think it's breakfast time?
0:54:49 > 0:54:51That is a good cup of tea.
0:55:01 > 0:55:06Another month had passed, and even with Owen's years of experience,
0:55:06 > 0:55:09the fate of the Ndutu pride lions was still a mystery to him.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13To recognise them,
0:55:13 > 0:55:16Owen had photographs of their whisker patterns.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19They're as unique as a fingerprint.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22If only he could find them.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28Jeez!
0:55:28 > 0:55:30There's no peace!
0:55:30 > 0:55:32I am stalked!
0:55:32 > 0:55:36OK, well, it's a low moment, I have to admit.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40Time seems to be dragging.
0:55:40 > 0:55:41We need to be doing something.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45We can't just be sitting here admiring every small bird
0:55:45 > 0:55:47that hops by!
0:55:56 > 0:56:01Then, one morning, a report came in from a spotter who had
0:56:01 > 0:56:05found a group of lions matching the Ndutu pride's description.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10- They're over there. - You think they're there?
0:56:10 > 0:56:12What a place to be!
0:56:13 > 0:56:17- And there were two cubs? - Yeah. And the male...
0:56:17 > 0:56:20There is not much mane.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23- On the cub?- Yeah. - Yeah, he's just got a little line.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25- A little line. That's them. - That's it.
0:56:27 > 0:56:30Finally, after months of worry and total dedication,
0:56:30 > 0:56:34Owen would discover the fate of his thin female cub,
0:56:34 > 0:56:37the one with the black face patches.
0:56:37 > 0:56:38Had she managed to survive?
0:56:42 > 0:56:46The news was good.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48Yeah, she's my favourite.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51Cos by all rights...
0:56:53 > 0:56:58..I think she should be dead, from what I saw in the dry season.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01But here she is, still alive.
0:57:08 > 0:57:13Wow. She's still got a tiny limp on her front right foot,
0:57:13 > 0:57:17but otherwise is in really good shape.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19Wow.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24They're so friendly.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29Ah, it's such a fantastic day.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39And they're all playing together as well and reacting,
0:57:39 > 0:57:41which they never did in the dry season.
0:57:41 > 0:57:43It's absolutely wonderful.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57They've turned into proper lions.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02You can spend a long time in the Serengeti
0:58:02 > 0:58:04and they're all fantastic days,
0:58:04 > 0:58:10but suddenly you get a day like this which is...absolutely fantastic.
0:58:11 > 0:58:13For the healthy cubs,
0:58:13 > 0:58:16it was just another day in the short grass plains.
0:58:16 > 0:58:19For Owen, a wonderful moment within
0:58:19 > 0:58:23the most harrowing lion story he had ever filmed.
0:58:44 > 0:58:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:47 > 0:58:50E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk