0:00:28 > 0:00:30This is the Masai Mara in Kenya,
0:00:30 > 0:00:34one of the best places on Earth for watching wildlife.
0:00:34 > 0:00:39But in this series we'll be looking at it in an entirely new way.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Over six weeks, we'll be following in intimate detail
0:00:43 > 0:00:46the lives of Africa's big cats,
0:00:46 > 0:00:51in a weekly diary of their hardships and good fortunes - as they happen.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59We'll be focusing on a few individual cats in particular -
0:00:59 > 0:01:01a female leopard and her cub...
0:01:03 > 0:01:07..two families of cheetah, one with quite old cubs
0:01:07 > 0:01:11and another with very young offspring...
0:01:12 > 0:01:16..these lions, which spend most of their time in the marsh,
0:01:16 > 0:01:22and another lion pride living a few kilometres away to the east of me.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24The Big Pride is aptly named:
0:01:24 > 0:01:27seven adult females, four males
0:01:27 > 0:01:29and an incredible 17 cubs!
0:01:29 > 0:01:34With the care of so many adults, these cubs' future looks bright.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39They even suckle any female with enough milk in the group.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44No-one knows what will happen with these cats over the next few weeks.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49It's fair to assume there'll be fun, grief and a great deal of fireworks.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53To help me cover these events, I'm joined by Jonathan Scott.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58To have any chance of following these cats,
0:01:58 > 0:02:03we have to be up at dawn, and this is what it's like at base camp.
0:02:03 > 0:02:09We've got six camera crews, but we've also got people simply as spotters,
0:02:09 > 0:02:14using binoculars to pick up the cats before they go to sleep for the day.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Our area is about 300 square km,
0:02:16 > 0:02:22so it's a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack. I'd better go!
0:02:26 > 0:02:30We've assigned a camera team exclusively to each of the big cats,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33and well before sunrise
0:02:33 > 0:02:38the whole operation fans out across the Mara, linked by radio.
0:02:38 > 0:02:45- RADIO: - 'Jonathan, can you team up with Gavin and try and find the leopard?
0:02:45 > 0:02:49'OK, Keith. I'm on my way to Victory Ridge.'
0:02:50 > 0:02:54The variety of habitats and abundance of prey
0:02:54 > 0:02:59makes the Mara the best place in the world to see big cats.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Finding lions and cheetahs is relatively simple,
0:03:03 > 0:03:08but tracking down a leopard is quite another matter.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15So it was unbelievably lucky that on the first day of filming
0:03:15 > 0:03:18I chanced upon an old friend in a favourite haunt.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Leopards shun the open spaces,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34seeking the cover of long grass or thick bush,
0:03:34 > 0:03:39relying on their natural camouflage to remain hidden.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43Sometimes I've gone weeks, even months, between sightings.
0:03:47 > 0:03:52But this is no ordinary leopard. She's tamer than any other I know.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57What's more, she has a cub with her!
0:03:57 > 0:04:02This is Half-Tail, a leopard that first appeared here seven years ago.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08She's about nine now, and her cub is six to seven months old,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10a little female.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20You can see the cub is just as relaxed as her mother with vehicles.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25It's because the animals are so relaxed near vehicles in the Mara
0:04:25 > 0:04:29that we chose this location for Big Cat Diary.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Half-Tail has produced four litters of cubs,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37but has only managed to raise two of them.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41This female cub was one of a litter of two,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44but her brother disappeared when only a few weeks old.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47She still suckles her mother,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51but she's eaten meat since she was a month old.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Leopards mainly hunt at night,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57but to satisfy the cub's need for meat,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Half-Tail must also hunt during the daytime.
0:05:03 > 0:05:09We've been so fortunate to find them and to get pictures like this.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13But they could vanish tomorrow, and, what's more,
0:05:13 > 0:05:18there's no guarantee the little female will survive the next weeks.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22It's a long and dangerous path to independence.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35This is one of two families of cheetah
0:05:35 > 0:05:37we'll be following.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40It's made up of three individuals:
0:05:40 > 0:05:45an adult female, on the mound, called Fundi - "craftsman" in Swahili -
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and her two cubs, which are easy to distinguish
0:05:48 > 0:05:53by the ridge of fluffy hair along the backs of their necks.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I've followed them for two days,
0:05:55 > 0:06:00and their characters are starting to shine through.
0:06:00 > 0:06:07The female is timid, but follows her brother into trouble. He finds it rather a lot!
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Fundi's cubs, though almost as big as her,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16are still incredibly playful.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23In the cool of the day they've been chasing and play-fighting -
0:06:23 > 0:06:27essential for developing the hunting skills of their mother.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Sometimes, though, chasing isn't good enough,
0:06:31 > 0:06:36and any other creatures in firing range have come in for some stick.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46A bat-eared fox isn't a common item on cheetah menus,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49but it certainly does for target practice!
0:06:54 > 0:06:58The truth is, they could easily outrun the fox,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02but they're more interested in the chase than a meal.
0:07:17 > 0:07:23Next day, the male starts trouble with a more confusing character...
0:07:26 > 0:07:29..an aardwolf.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Aardwolves are small hyenas which eat termites,
0:07:39 > 0:07:43but despite their tiny teeth, they do a good line in bluff.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50It's enough to convince the female cub that a little respect is due!
0:07:54 > 0:07:58After a while, it turned into a bit of a staring match.
0:07:58 > 0:08:04The extraordinary thing is that aardwolves are usually nocturnal,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06and you very rarely see them -
0:08:06 > 0:08:10let alone see them being chased by a cheetah.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16A couple of days later, the cubs met their match.
0:08:22 > 0:08:28No matter how brave or fierce you are, don't mess with an elephant.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30ELEPHANT ROARS
0:08:30 > 0:08:35In fact, Fundi and her cubs were quietly minding their own business
0:08:35 > 0:08:38when this herd moved in,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42and though cheetahs are no threat to these great animals,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46the cats were persuaded to leave in no uncertain terms.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57ELEPHANTS TRUMPET
0:08:57 > 0:09:02Though we've been lucky to witness such a variety of events,
0:09:02 > 0:09:07cheetahs spend most of their time doing absolutely nothing.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13This isn't simply laziness.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18Conserving energy is as important as hunting, especially for Fundi.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22She's still sole provider for her cubs,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24who, despite their size and speed,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28won't be able to kill efficiently for five months or so.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40Meanwhile, they depend on their mother's superb ability as a hunter.
0:09:40 > 0:09:46This is one of four hunting attempts made by Fundi during the week.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01Even from my position on top of the vehicle, I could barely see her
0:10:01 > 0:10:06 as she stalked through the trees to the right of the impala.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27The two cubs join in the chase.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Just as I lose them in the trees, another car moves into a clearing
0:10:31 > 0:10:34and Richard manages to record the end.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42Fundi swiftly suffocates the prey whilst her cubs help pull it down.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48With the cheetah now feeding,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50I can move in closer.
0:10:54 > 0:11:00They've just managed to kill, on very last light, an adult female impala.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03From my point of view with the camera,
0:11:03 > 0:11:08it was unfortunate it occurred behind very thick cover.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11It's also a problem for the cheetahs
0:11:11 > 0:11:13when they kill in this habitat.
0:11:13 > 0:11:18They are likely to lose part or all of it to another predator.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22They can't see a lion or a hyena coming.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27So they are going to have to eat as quickly as they can,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30in a shorter time.
0:11:30 > 0:11:36And, that night, they did indeed lose most of this kill to hyenas.
0:11:37 > 0:11:43As soon as these events are recorded, the tapes are rushed back to camp for editing.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48You see the action just days after it's been recorded.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52At this stage, nobody knows what will be in our next show.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57THUNDER RUMBLES
0:12:04 > 0:12:09Most people expect Africa to have lovely blue skies and hot weather,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12but this week, it's been bucketing down.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16It's been very hard for our film crews just to get around.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21But without rain, this area wouldn't support such amazing wildlife.
0:12:21 > 0:12:27Every day this week, storm clouds have gathered in the afternoon,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30 and then the skies have opened.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Soon our cats were looking decidedly bedraggled.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46Even though it looks miserable, the rains have advantages.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50The cooler conditions are good for hunting
0:12:50 > 0:12:54and the fresh grass attracts more prey to the area.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09But one day last week, it just never stopped raining.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13A dry stream bed in Half-Tail's territory
0:13:13 > 0:13:17was quickly transformed into a raging torrent.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22The cub seemed fascinated by the water
0:13:22 > 0:13:25and at one point was almost swept downstream.
0:13:34 > 0:13:40Having coped with this, she was almost immediately in trouble again.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01The cats seemed almost to be enjoying themselves.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04But we had been hoping for drier weather
0:14:04 > 0:14:08because working conditions were getting increasingly difficult.
0:14:08 > 0:14:14Trying to film in the rain and keep our equipment dry is a nightmare.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Our vehicles are constantly getting stuck.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25Four vehicles got bogged down pulling each other out of the same quagmire.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38I can't ever remember it raining so heavily at this time of year,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42but it's these downpours during the dry season
0:14:42 > 0:14:45that make the Mara a haven for wildlife -
0:14:45 > 0:14:49turning it green when the Serengeti plains are dry.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52This drives thousands of wildebeest
0:14:52 > 0:14:56north into the Mara, in search of fresh grazing.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01During the migration, they confront one particularly dangerous obstacle,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04the Mara river.
0:15:12 > 0:15:19Throughout last week, we've watched thousands of wildebeest stream towards the Mara river,
0:15:19 > 0:15:24piling up in one enormous herd at the river's edge.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34I've been waiting here for hours as the wildebeest stream off the plains
0:15:34 > 0:15:37towards the Mara river.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41When you see these numbers - maybe 5,000 here alone -
0:15:41 > 0:15:44you have to ask, why so many?
0:15:44 > 0:15:48Well, there could be a lion, there are crocodiles,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50and there is safety in numbers.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55Any minute now, I expect one of them to make the leap into the water
0:15:55 > 0:15:59and when they do, every single one will follow.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23WATER ROARS
0:16:31 > 0:16:38There's an air of confusion and drama about such a large river crossing involving the wildebeest.
0:16:38 > 0:16:44Literally thousands of animals getting into the river at once.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49The noise is absolutely deafening.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52It's really pandemonium.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57THUNDER OF HOOVES
0:17:09 > 0:17:14The wildebeest don't always work out where they'll get out of the river.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19They are attracted to places where there is easy access to the river.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23In this instance, there are hippo trails,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25where the hippos come out at night,
0:17:25 > 0:17:29which the wildebeest squeeze through to the top of the bank.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51This crossing continued for over half an hour -
0:17:51 > 0:17:5410,000 animals braved the river.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58By some miracle, they all crossed safely.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11The Musiara marsh is in the heart of the area we're covering.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14It's home to the marsh pride of lions.
0:18:15 > 0:18:21This territory is usually one of the best for lions at this time of year
0:18:21 > 0:18:25as wildebeest and zebra stream into the marsh to drink.
0:18:25 > 0:18:30But the recent rain has meant the prey has dispersed.
0:18:38 > 0:18:44The pride consists of four related females and their cubs of varying ages.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48This young male and his brother
0:18:48 > 0:18:53are almost at the age when they'll be encouraged to leave the pride.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01The young female will remain, as will the two younger cubs.
0:19:01 > 0:19:07It is a small pride, active during the day - which is good for us -
0:19:07 > 0:19:11and has been enjoying a relatively untroubled lifestyle.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15BIRD SONG
0:19:17 > 0:19:23On Sunday, I was driving at dawn through woodland bordering the marsh
0:19:23 > 0:19:25when, to my great pleasure,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28I discovered two stunning adult male lions.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36As the final element missing from the pride,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39I expected them to be greeted
0:19:39 > 0:19:44by the females who were lying down a few hundred metres to the east.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Both were scent marking on bushes
0:19:50 > 0:19:55and leaving other calling cards by clawing trees.
0:20:04 > 0:20:10Scent glands in the feet make this more than just stretching the claws.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14It's a classic behaviour for a lion defending a territory -
0:20:14 > 0:20:20a way to dissuade other males from starting trouble without fighting.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26To get a good view of their arrival,
0:20:26 > 0:20:32I moved around to the marsh pride, who were unaware they had visitors.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38But what happened next was completely unexpected.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48Instead of sauntering up to the pride as I'd expected,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52the golden-maned male trotted towards them aggressively.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02His approach was met with equally aggressive lionesses.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06It was clear that these lions were not friends at all.
0:21:33 > 0:21:39No sooner had the females given the golden-haired male a beating
0:21:39 > 0:21:42than the tables were turned.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07The arrival of the black-maned male
0:22:07 > 0:22:11caused the females to lose their nerve and scatter,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14rushing straight past my vehicle.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19We were witnessing an attempt on the part of these males
0:22:19 > 0:22:21to take over the pride.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24HE CALLS
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Most of the cats dashed for the cover of the forest -
0:22:30 > 0:22:33the adolescent males very quickly!
0:22:33 > 0:22:36HE ROARS
0:22:41 > 0:22:43Extraordinary! It's chaos here.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47We can only find the golden-maned male.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52His colleague is in the forest. He went in after an adult lioness.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56The rest of the pride has run off into the forest.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00This fella keeps on contact calling and roaring.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05He's obviously trying to make contact with his colleague
0:23:05 > 0:23:10so that their might, when together, is enough to take over the pride.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16HE CALLS LOUDLY
0:23:24 > 0:23:29By the end of the week, we'd lost track of the adult males
0:23:29 > 0:23:32and the marsh pride were in hiding.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40Later in the week, we saw Half-Tail hunt for the first time.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46She'd spotted two male impala fighting.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Using a well-worn game trail, she crept closer.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41IT CALLS A WARNING
0:24:41 > 0:24:44A reedbuck gives the alarm.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46The impala scatter.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48IT CALLS
0:24:50 > 0:24:54As so often happens, she'd been seen.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58REEDBUCK CALLS
0:25:02 > 0:25:04The reedbuck continue to call,
0:25:04 > 0:25:10alerting every animal in the area to Half-Tail, forcing her to move on.
0:25:23 > 0:25:29Our other cheetahs are a mother and two 12-week-old cubs.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32These little cats still feel the cold,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36and the rain has, at the very least,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38made them uncomfortable.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47They are weaning now.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Their mother, who we called Kidogo,
0:25:50 > 0:25:55has to hunt regularly to satisfy their developing appetite for meat.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Though this cooler weather is good for hunting,
0:26:02 > 0:26:07it means these tiny cubs need more food than usual to keep warm.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Kidogo is a young mother -
0:26:13 > 0:26:15this may well be her first litter.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26But she's a skilled hunter
0:26:26 > 0:26:31and has perfected the art of stalking close to her target.
0:26:38 > 0:26:44Every time the gazelle she's watching look up, she freezes.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48When they relax, she inches forwards.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00She is now within 30 metres -
0:27:00 > 0:27:03crouched in the long grass
0:27:03 > 0:27:06the other side of the gazelle.
0:27:23 > 0:27:29Despite phenomenal acceleration, she is outmanoeuvred and misses.
0:27:38 > 0:27:44When her cubs catch up, they greet her with their usual exuberance -
0:27:44 > 0:27:47blissfully unaware of the failure.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54These tiny cubs, though relaxed and playful,
0:27:54 > 0:27:59are the most vulnerable of any of the cats we're watching.
0:27:59 > 0:28:04Kidogo has unwittingly taken them within a hundred metres of Half-Tail
0:28:04 > 0:28:10and virtually brushed past the male lions from the big pride.
0:28:10 > 0:28:15Neither of those predators spotted these cheetahs in their territories,
0:28:15 > 0:28:23or the cubs would have been just a snack, and there's not much their mother could have done.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27How these or any of the other cats will fare over the weeks,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30only time will tell.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Subtitles by BBC Subtitling - 1996