The Incredible Lives of Two Lion Prides in Zambia | Our World

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Lion populations have decreased significantly due to disappearing wilderness in Africa, with Luangwa Valley providing insight into lion behavior and challenges faced by the pride. Despite dangers such as predators and territorial disputes, the lion pride collaborates to protect and nurture their cubs, ensuring their survival and growth.

Insights

  • Lion numbers in Africa have significantly decreased over the past two decades due to habitat loss, with Luangwa Valley in Zambia serving as a crucial refuge for lion prides.
  • Luangwa's lions exhibit strong social bonds, with mothers and other adults collectively raising cubs and protecting the pride, showcasing the unique dynamics within lion communities.
  • The survival challenges faced by lion cubs, such as accidents, injuries, and predators, underscore the harsh realities of life in the wild, emphasizing the critical role of parental care and group cohesion in ensuring their well-being.

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Recent questions

  • How do lion cubs learn hunting skills?

    Through play and observation within prides.

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Summary

00:00

"Endangered Lion Cubs Learn Survival Skills"

  • Lion numbers have almost halved in the last 20 years due to disappearing wilderness in Africa.
  • The Luanga Valley in Zambia is a refuge for lions, where two lion prides are followed for 6 months.
  • The lion prides consist of three mothers and seven cubs, including 5-month-old Pip, who is entirely dependent on his pride.
  • Lions in Luanga have the strongest social ties among big cats, with adults raising young together and defending the pride.
  • Eight out of 10 lion cubs in Africa die before the age of two due to accidents, injuries, and predators.
  • Specialist lion cameraman Nathan is living with the pride to document their behavior and challenges.
  • Lion cubs learn hunting skills through play, with females conducting 85% of hunts within prides.
  • Pip and his siblings are transitioning from playful cubs to predators, learning vital skills for survival.
  • Prince and Ziggy, outcast lion cubs, face threats from invading males and live with their protective mother, Rose.
  • Luanga is teeming with life at night, with thermal imaging cameras capturing the hidden world and the advantage nocturnal animals like lions and leopards have.

27:37

Lioness Rosa Protects Cubs from Danger

  • The baboon troop nests in trees due to poor night vision, being vulnerable to predators.
  • Chiid Zoo, a nimble climber, risks foraging in the dark despite potential threats.
  • Nearby, Prince and Ziggy are at risk from roaming males, prompting their mother Rosa to lead them away.
  • Rosa plans to reintroduce her cubs to their former Pride, facing challenges due to potential male aggression.
  • Rosa uses deception to distract the dominant male, showcasing lioness' evolved brain for manipulation.
  • Rosa's diversion angers other lionesses, leading to potential danger for Prince and Ziggy.
  • With rising temperatures, the lions become lethargic, resting up to 20 hours a day.
  • Pip, a young lion, explores independently, while a curious hyena displays inquisitiveness.
  • Pip gets separated from his pride, facing dangers alone, while his family searches for him.
  • Pip's mother eventually finds him after a long search, reuniting the pride and ensuring his safety.

55:53

Lion cubs face dangers, reunite with pride.

  • Cub Pip got separated from the pride, facing dangers from hyenas and leopards, but eventually reunited with his pride.
  • Grace, a young lion cub, is the youngest in the pride, still reliant on milk and playful, but will need to learn lion etiquette as she grows.
  • Grace's family is led by three unique-looking fathers known as the Punks, who took over the pride and fathered all current cubs.
  • The big dominant male in a pride is essential for protection, mainly defending against other males and safeguarding the cubs.
  • Nathan tracks a lioness named AA, hoping to find her newborn cubs, using thermal imaging to follow her movements at night.
  • AA is discovered with three hidden cubs, a significant development for the pride that had been without cubs for two years.
  • The magical world of Luangwa after dark is revealed through thermal imaging, showcasing nocturnal behaviors and thermal information.
  • The newborn lion cubs, born weighing 1-2 kilos, need to gain 100 grams a day to survive, with distinct markings that fade as they grow.
  • The Punk males abandon the pride, leaving the cubs vulnerable to attacks, while the returning Hollywood males pose a potential threat.
  • The injured lioness, a key hunter in the pride, suffers a severe wound from a buffalo, impacting the pride's ability to hunt and survive.

01:21:09

Return of Hollywood Males Sparks Territory Battle

  • The dry season in tropical Africa sees a rise in temperature to 45° daily, allowing long-absent Hollywood males to return to their territory.
  • Sunset in Luanga occurs rapidly within 20 minutes, plunging the landscape into darkness.
  • The Hollywood males, unaware of the punks mating with their females, engage in scent marking and calling to secure their territory.
  • Lions, expert scavengers, steal carcasses from various animals, with scavenged food making up to half their diet.
  • The Hollywood males, unable to find their newborn cubs, decide to return to their other pride across the river.
  • Dawn is a busy time in the animal kingdom, with nocturnal animals heading home and species on the move before the heat of the day.
  • The ongoing presence of the punks in Hollywood territory poses a threat to Ava and her cubs.
  • Grace and the Punk's pride struggle with hunger, with Grace learning the harsh realities of dining with the pride.
  • AA, the Hollywood mother, successfully hunts a zebra to feed her hungry cubs.
  • The Hollywood Pride engages in a dramatic night hunt, successfully taking down a large and dangerous buffalo, attracting the attention of the invading punks.

01:47:10

Rosa's Cubs face danger from new males.

  • Rosa tries to rejoin her Old Pride, taken over by new males, the punks, who are not Prince and Ziggy's fathers and pose a threat.
  • Rosa's attempts to get her Cubs accepted by the punks for survival during the dry season.
  • Rosa brings reinforcements, her loyal sisters, to help entice the punks away from their pride.
  • The females use distraction mating to manipulate the males, with mating happening over 50 times a day.
  • Prince and Ziggy watch from a distance as the females attempt to seduce the males.
  • The dominum female from the Punk's Pride attacks Ziggy, while Prince is singled out and driven off.
  • Ziggy is left alone, traumatized, and in danger from other predators like lions, hippos, and crocodiles.
  • Ziggy's loyal Aunt tries to lead him away from the pride to safety, but he remains in danger.
  • Ziggy faces a long, lonely night without his family, surrounded by danger from various predators.
  • Ziggy's chances of survival diminish as he remains alone, with his mother searching for him and his brother Prince having died.

02:19:01

Lion cubs face danger, find unity

  • Six lion cubs venture into a rival Pride's territory, risking danger from crocodiles and hippos in the Luangwa River.
  • The lioness, Rosa, faces challenges protecting her cubs, with one cub, Ziggy, separated and in danger of starvation.
  • Despite the threats, the lion pride bands together to ensure the survival of the cubs, with Ziggy eventually reuniting with his mother and receiving support from the pride to grow and thrive.
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