This film is dedicated to Africa's conservation leader, President Ian Kama of Botswana.
He is the lion that roars.
We were in Blackpool, deep in Botswana's Maremi Game Reserve.
Abundant rains from last summer have created a dry season mecca for large herds of elephant,
wildebeest, and zebra.
Located in the Okavanga Delta, a World Heritage Site, the Blackpool area represents the best
of Botswana's conservation success.
Large herds of elephant flock to Blackpool, protected by the remoteness of the location.
A new force is rising in Blackpool, a pride of lions led by three females, split off from
the cleanie pride just to the east.
They have come to Blackpool to raise a new generation of lions.
Three cubs were born a few months ago.
They are thriving here.
Just two weeks ago, a single cub was born to Muddy Tau, mother of the two lionesses.
Barely able to walk, this cub is the future of the pride.
These three cubs are in top condition.
They spend their days ambushing each other and rolling in the sunshine.
Protecting the cubs, the lionesses, is a group of male lions in their pride.
These three boys patrol a large area and protect the pride from hyenas and leopards that would
seek to kill the cubs.
Its midday at Muddy Tau is on the hunt.
Her daughter, mother of the three cubs, is keen on hunting zebra coming to water in the
heat of the day.
So she begins a high risk daylight stalk.
Elephants move away in anticipation of the danger.
Muddy Tau takes up a flanking position.
She aims to trap the zebra.
Like a leopard, her daughter slithers forward using the termite mound as cover.
The zebra are unaware.
No one expects this in the heat of midday.
She targets the big stallion on the right, but Goliath Heron gets out of harm's way.
The zebra stallion sends something, but what is it?
She springs the trap.
Muddy Tau's other daughter joins in the fight.
The stallion is a courageous fighter.
He has 400 kilos of lion on him, but he's not giving up.
The lioness attempts to suffocate him, but he twists his neck to avoid the chokehold.
They cannot suffocate him.
This one is not giving up.
He is slowly wearing out three lionesses as his life drains away.
One of Muddy Tau's daughters has given up.
Now the second daughter is done.
Muddy Tau is left to finish it.
Forty-five minutes after it started, he gives up his life for the pride.
Muddy Tau has had enough.
She will remember this battle at Blackpool.
These cats are wasted.
The fresh zebra will help them recover.
Muddy Tau's daughter brings her cubs to the kill.
They cautiously approach while Muddy Tau lets her daughters eat without any conflict.
These cubs are just learning to eat meat.
Their mother and grandmother made this happen for them, a daytime kill of a large and courageous
zebra stallion.
Even now at this young age, the cubs are learning about the kill.
All too soon, each cub must show they can kill, or they will not survive here in Blackpool.
The next morning, calm has returned to the waterhole.
But something's wrong.
Maribus d'Arx are picking over the Xerbus skeleton.
A lot of meat should be left over this morning.
Nearby a young hyena is found dead and bloated.
This morning the boys of the Blackpool pride are gorged and full-bellied.
Now the story is clear, hyenas scavenge the kill from the lionesses but were ambushed by
the big boys.
This morning the cubs are safe.
They will live on here in Blackpool.
This is Blackpool in Botswana's Marimi game reserve.
You will not find a more pristine wilderness in all of Africa.
And white rhino are here, reintroduced as part of Botswana's conservation legacy.
And now just a few kilometers away resides the Cleeney pride.
28 lions in what is considered one of the largest prides in all of Botswana.
This is Botswana.
Africa's most protected place for lions.
May it always be so.
May it always be so.
