Cheetah Mother vs Lionesses- Two Cubs Survive the Serengeti.

In the great circle of life on the African plains, there's one animal that epitomizes both the winner and loser. The cheetah, bullied and robbed by everyone else, and yet a master of survival. The incredible gifts of stealth, agility, and speed are handed down from mother to daughter. In the next chapter of the cheetah's legacy. A single mother on the vast African plains faces a barrage of challenges if she's to successfully raise her family. The odds are set against her. Typically, only 30% of cubs will reach adulthood, but she's doing well, managing to single-handedly provide for her four cubs, one female and three males. But it only takes one instant for fortunes to change. The biggest threats to this predator are other predators. And now, her worst nightmare is walking into view. Lions could be seen as the gangsters of the plains. Ganging up, they use muscle to intimidate all other carnivores on their patch. The smallest of Africa's big cats, it's cheetahs that have the most to fear. Lions don't like competition. They will take out any perceived threat. As the bullies approach, the mother issues a sharp, stuttering call, telling the cubs to hide. Her only chance is to lure them away. Bravely, she strides into full view. The lioness is three times heavier than she is and could kill with one swipe of her powerful paws. But what the lioness has in brawn, the cheetah can match in speed. There's a tense standoff until the biggest of the lionesses follows her nose. The mother must act now. She baits the much bigger predators. As long as she can hold their attention, she can keep them from her brood. The cubs know to push deeper into the undergrowth. The mother holds out as long as she can, but there are too many of them. Caught in a chase to lure one female away, the mother doesn't notice another slipping behind the bushes. She's helpless as the horror unfolds. Despite her best efforts, it's too late. She scours the bush in vain until she hears a weak call. There are survivors. Just two cubs remain. She grabs the male and moves him further away. The frightened female keeps calling. Mother quickly returns before the noise alerts the lions. They're not far away. She needs to put some distance between them. Tired from trying to keep up with the cheetah, the lions retreat to shade nearby and the family make their escape. She takes the exhausted little ones to a rare waterhole in the rocks to quench their thirst. And then they seek shade to rest. Fortunately, the next few months are a quieter time for the family. The cubs grow fast and seem to have endless energy. It's tiring being a mom, with her nonstop job, safeguarding them and putting food on the table. Brother and sister know to lie low while their mother hunts. Cheetahs are renowned for their speed, but they can't sustain it. Because she can only sprint for about 20 seconds, she needs to creep within 100 meters of her prey. She can do zero to 70 in less than three seconds, faster than most sports cars. At top speed, she's doing more than 100 kilometers per hour. She trips her prey and kills with a bite to the throat. The biggest challenge to the cheetah is that most of their food is stolen. They're not bulky enough to defend it. The vultures are intimidating to the cubs, but not as dangerous as the hyena with its jackal sidekick. Rather than risk injury, the mother knows it's better to step aside and surrender her kill. Cheetah's claws don't retract like other cats, so they're worn down on the ground and not particularly sharp. For that reason, it's often said that they can't climb trees. But it's the safest place to be. And though it may not come naturally to the cubs, they follow mother's lead. From here, they can watch their dinner disappear. Cheetahs lose 50% of their kills to scavengers. Once the last of the diners leave, they make a careful descent. They won't go and pick over any scraps. Unlike most predators, cheetahs don't eat carrion, only fresh meat. Instead, they go for water. It's tough being a cheetah. They're always being pushed out of the way by other animals, like the bigger predators, or in this case, by intolerant elephants. But this is life on the plains. For months, the cubs enjoy family life. But sooner or later, they need to learn to hunt for themselves. During the transition from dependent cubs to independent adults, they become a bit of a nuisance to their mother. It's now harder for her to hunt, because the little ones are keen to join in. She's spotted her favourite prey, gazelles. But they're grazing with ostriches, the watchtowers of the savannah. The cubs know they must hold back. She starts to stalk. But the youngsters are fidgety. Ostriches have tennis ball-sized eyes, among the biggest on the planet. They don't miss much, especially the lively cubs, blowing the cheetah's cover. She does her best to recover the hunt. But with a head start, the nimble gazelle makes good its escape. Only half of cheetah hunts end in success. As the cubs grow, they must practise to improve the odds, chasing everything they can, especially the local warthogs. Soon they're ready to join mum. Sister takes the lead, her first successful kill. A few days later, the family tries again. And this time, it's the young male's turn to lead the hunt. But he's spotted by the gazelle, which dashes the cover into a wildebeest herd. Mum snatches the prey, but is thrown off. Luckily, there is a third member to this hunting party. Once again, it's a victory for the sister and a good meal for the trio. Their progress has been fast, and it's just as well. It's soon time for the cubs to leave home. To begin with, they stick together. They'll need each other's support while they learn the ropes. They might stay together for six months, as they explore the rich volcanic plains of the Serengeti. Cubs often walk hundreds of kilometres from their birthplace to find territories of their own. They make a pretty good double act when it comes to hunting. With a flexible spine, a cheetah can cover nearly seven metres of ground. The young wildebeest doesn't see it coming. And with four strides a second, the young male quickly closes the gap. It takes both of them to wrestle this large prey to the ground. It looks like they're off to a promising start. But they have wandered onto private land. Female cheetahs are solitary, but males usually form coalitions. Often, but not always, brothers can stay together for life. When they have numbers on their side, it's easier for them to defend their home range. It also gives them a higher success rate when hunting, and the ability to bring down larger prey. They can work like lions to move the herd around and pick out a weak individual. The wildebeest weighs five times more than any of them. But together, they can pull it down. Cheetahs have smaller canines than most cats, leaving more room for a big nasal cavity to supply the oxygen needed for their speed. But they still kill in the usual cat way, biting the throat, cutting off the oxygen supply to the creature's brain. But before they can enjoy their meal, they spot the young interlopers. After a brief standoff, the two youngsters decide to retreat. But they are not going to get off that easily. The main reason males form coalitions is to make sure they can get rid of any other males. The attack is fast and vicious. Even his sister is roughed up, though is allowed to retreat to the bushes. The brother's punishment goes on for hours. He's battered and bruised, but fortunately, none of his injuries are life-threatening. Nonetheless, the message is clear. He's been sent packing. He must leave this area and never return. He has to leave his sister behind. The boys aren't done with her yet. Their aim as a team is to protect a fertile territory, rich in game, to attract potential mates. They want the female to stay right where she is. Since the day of her birth, she's never been alone, never without her family members by her side. Without the familiar faces, the world is a daunting place. It takes a while to get used to the idea of hunting alone. Whatever she's doing, the female's shadowed by the three males. They guard her for days. It doesn't seem like the most romantic of gestures, but by keeping her here, they not only increase their chances of mating, but also prevent the risk of any other males getting there first. Their efforts pay off. Once she's recovered from the stressful introduction, the young female settles. It's an ideal territory, full of game. The rich plains attract an abundance of gazelles, the cheetah's favourite prey. With so much food available, this is the perfect place for a cheetah to raise young. Just over a year later, tucked away in a bush, a mother is tending to her three little cubs. It's the young female, now gone full circle, and nurturing her young as her mother did for her. They're not the only new arrivals on the plains. The topi herd are having babies. Young antelope have a strong instinct to get to their feet from birth, but it will be a few hours before its little limbs stop shaking. It could be easy prey for the cheetah, to help fuel the milk supply for her cubs. She leaves them hidden in the dense undergrowth. When they're little, cheetahs have mohawks, a long mane or mantle along their backs. The pale stripe might be to make them look like the very powerful and aggressive honey badger, so that other animals leave them alone while their mother's busy. The females fast, even by cheetah standards. She'll eat the calf and convert it to milk. What she doesn't eat will feed the vultures. Her youngsters have been born at the perfect time, though at first it doesn't look like it. Getting too cold and wet could be fatal to the cubs, but mum soon has them dried off. The rains bring short-term hardships, but long-term gains. Freshly watered, the grass will grow lush, new shoots, which attracts the gazelle migration, the cheetah's primary prey. During the time of abundance, the cubs grow fast, exploring everything. Practicing their climbing skills, their playing helps them to improve their stalking and catching skills. For six months, their food will be their mother's milk, but eventually she'll introduce them to meat. They'll need to learn what to hunt and how to hunt it. And the greatest lesson of all, watching their mother in action. Her mastery of the hunt showcases the many unique traits her babies have inherited and will learn to use. It's a new start in life, but it's not always easy. Cheetahs have had a hard run. At several points in their ancient past, environmental changes, such as the ice age and land bridges bringing new species, notably human hunters, have almost wiped them out. Each time, only a few individuals survived, leaving their modern legacy with a very small gene pool. The lack of genetic variation means they're very vulnerable to diseases and have lower breeding success. But now, they face human pressures too. 90% of the world's cheetahs have been wiped out by human hunting and destruction of their habitats. 100 years ago, there were around 100,000 cheetahs in the wild. Now, there may be less than 7,000 in the wild. These precious few are protected in game parks, but that fragments their populations, making their gene pools even smaller. Once again, they are facing extinction and need our help. This mother has learned well from her mother. Her cubs, all three female, could have a good future. But only if people protect them have the space to set up territories, meet mates and find the prey they need. With the combination of human help and good parenting, cheetahs could be good for the long run.