Lethal Animal Battles Captured on Camera | MEGA Episode | Nat Geo Animals

NARRATOR: Along the tangled edge of a Brazilian river, a hunter stalks the shadows. He is a jaguar. A male in his prime. Those who know him call him Scarface, from a wound he earned clawing his way to supremacy. His territory crawls with monsters. Caimans, cousins of the crocodile, are waiting to grab almost anything that comes near the water. (bird squawking) But it's Scarface they fear. Because where the land ends, his hunting ground begins. (purring) (bird calling) (music) (splash) He is the top predator in a land of predators, the best of the best. But every meal is a battle. We're only beginning to discover this part of a jaguar's life. In this wetland hideaway, the secrets of America's most mysterious big cat are now being revealed. Dead center of South America is a little-known slice of Eden. It's a vast wetland that brims with wildlife, rivaling the Amazon and the plains of Africa. It's called the Pantanal, on Brazil's western edge. Within this region is a cluster of protected reserves. This is the untouched heart of the Pantanal. The land has been set aside to preserve all life here. Especially the creature at the top of the food chain. Jaguars. Where these predators thrive, so does everything else. They're the biggest cats in the Americas, yet we're just beginning to understand their lives. Jaguars are obsessively secretive, but in this special place, they sometimes step out of the shadows. A team from National Geographic has come here to catch them when they do. Using the waterways, they can penetrate deep into jaguar territory and track them where they hunt. Steve Winter is a veteran photographer. Big cats are his passion. Bertie Gregory is a wildlife cameraman. Both are looking for jaguar behavior that's rarely been observed, let alone filmed. STEVE: These animals are incredibly special. They're only found in our Western Hemisphere, from the U.S.-Mexican border all the way to northern Argentina. BERTIE: And we've really come here in the dry season because that's when all of the water is concentrated on the rivers, that means all the prey is concentrated on these big main rivers, and that's why the jaguars have come to these rivers, because, well, it's a fast-food buffet all along it. NARRATOR: They've come to the right place at the right time. But there are miles of hidden waterways to search. It's anyone's guess where a jaguar will turn up next. Steve and Bertie need to maximize their chances of spotting one. STEVE: Let's split up. I would say let's just keep in touch by radio. You see something, you call me, and if I see something, I'll call you, you know, maybe we'll get lucky. BERTIE: See you on the radio. STEVE: Let's do it. NARRATOR: While Steve heads up the Cuiabá River, Bertie tries his luck down a narrow side channel. The strategy is simple: scan the riverbanks for any sign of cats. The water is where they hunt, so the water's edge is where they'll often be. Upstream, Bertie has an early stroke of luck. It's a female, relaxing in plain view on the bank. And she's not alone. She's has a cub, an adolescent male about a year old. Living in the protected reserve, they don't experience humans as a threat, so they tolerate Bertie and his boat. Jaguar cubs stick with their mothers for the first few years. She weaned him six months ago. But he still counts on her to catch his dinner and keep him safe. He's going to be bigger than she is soon, but inside he's still all cub. BERTIE: They are 15 meters away, less than 50 feet, and they're so relaxed that I've managed to actually get out of the boat and sit here. (birds chirping) There's the female there, and there's the cub just over there. I'm just so grateful to them for giving us just a little window into the secret life of the jaguar. What an incredible experience. It's her job to teach him everything he needs to survive in the Pantanal. For the moment, he's learning a trick to keep cool during the sultry days of the dry season. By climbing into the treetops, they can catch the slight breeze over the water. Right now, mother and cub share the closest bond that any two jaguars can have. Yet, a little over a year from now, she'll turn him away to live a solitary life. No one can say for sure who the father of this cub is; because males and females don't stay together after mating. It's most likely she mated with the dominant male in her territory. Around here, that means one male in particular. Steve's been dead set on finding him. The one with the distinctive battle scar. STEVE: If there's any cat that looks like a beat-up prizefighter, you know, it's this guy. If a male wants to grab territory and breeding rights, he has to be intimidating and ready to fight. Scarface is all that. He now commands a territory of about 40 square miles. Other males enter at their peril. Females are permitted. They'll seek him out when they're ready to mate. But right now Scarface is thinking about food, and Steve wants to get shots of him tackling a caiman. The trick is figuring out when and where it's going to happen. STEVE: There's got to be caiman down there. (camera shutter clicks) It may be three or four days since Scarface last ate. And he looks like he's getting serious about his next meal. (growls) Even a skilled hunter like him only scores about 15 percent of the time. As the reigning male, he claims exclusive access to the best hunting spots. Still, he can't keep track of it all at once. While he's focused on food, he's failing to notice something happening just upstream. There's an intruder. A young male has sauntered into Scarface's territory. Jaguars want to be close to water. Now that it's the dry season, they're gathering around the rivers that are still running. These antisocial cats are starting to bump into one another. A dominant male like Scarface won't stand for it. NARRATOR: A protected corner of Brazil's Pantanal has opened a window into the lives of jaguars, the most secretive big cat in the Americas. National Geographic photographer Steve Winter and cameraman Bertie Gregory have come to catch them in action. STEVE: There's no place like this in the whole range This is the jewel in the jaguar's crown, right here, the Pantanal. There's a future for the species in this incredible oasis. (rustling) NARRATOR: They've tracked a big male they call Scarface. But he's not alone. They've also spied a younger male invading the older cat's territory. He can smell Scarface's presence all around. But young males can get cocky. He wants to claim a hunting ground of his own and get better access to females. That's something he needs to earn. The first step is becoming a strong hunter. His mother gave him the basics, but the learning curve is steep. When going after such dangerous prey, a little hesitation is justified. Brazil's answer to crocodiles, yacare caimans, have 74 teeth and one of the strongest bites in the animal kingdom. Caimans usually train their powerful jaws on fish. This big river that keeps flowing in the dry season guarantees a steady supply. Plentiful fish means plentiful caimans, which is good news for jaguars. But catching them means diving into their realm, where they are the killers. With one swipe of its tail, a caiman can drag a victim to the bottom and stay for fifteen minutes or more. To become a caiman hunter, this young male has to master the ambush, make a powerful attack and a swift kill. Proof that true hunters are made, not born. At least there are turtles, frogs, and fish to tide him over while he gets the hang of it. Right now, there are bigger things to worry about. Scarface is closing in. The young male could decide to pick a fight. It depends how ambitious he's feeling. Today is not the day. For Scarface, the scent of the intruder lingers like a personal insult. He lays down a reminder that this is his turf. A spray of urine is like planting a flag in the ground. Other jaguars recognize his individual scent, and they can tell he's dominant by how far and wide he leaves his mark. So even if they never meet him, they definitely know he's a cat to reckon with. Swapping chemical calling cards is a lot safer than fighting. Scarface reclaims his favorite hunting spot without lifting a paw. Just upriver, the mother jaguar is facing a challenge of a different kind. She has to hunt for two. Her cub hangs back in the forest while she heads toward the river in search of a target. Caimans are her top choice, too, but the wetland also offers a less toothy alternative: capybaras. They're the largest rodent on Earth, like a giant guinea pig. Where the riverbanks are low and green, they graze on fresh grass and aquatic plants. And cattle tyrants graze on them. These birds hitch a ride to catch any insects the capybara stirs up. In turn, the capybara gets relief from ticks and biting flies. Munching peacefully, with a bird riding piggyback, a capybara looks like it's just waiting to become a jaguar's dinner. But they're no easier to catch than a caiman. Their feet are partially webbed for fast swimming. And they hang out in big family groups for protection. Anyone that spots a jaguar lets out an alarm bark. (capybara barking) And they all dive for deep water. Ears, nose and eyes are all set high, so they can swim with just the tops of their heads exposed. Once they're in the river, there's no catching them. The mother jaguar has spotted one, high and dry on a sandbar. It's a male on his own, without a group to sound the alarm. It's just a bit out of range, and she's built for power more than speed. It all comes down to who's faster on the draw. NARRATOR: For a jaguar, life and death boils down to skill as a hunter. They learn to gauge the odds of success, versus a waste of precious energy. This mother decides the odds are too low to justify the effort. Her hungry cub will have to wait. Along the Cuiabá River, the dominant male, called Scarface, is also struggling. He hasn't caught a meal in nearly a week. His streak of bad luck is no less frustrating to the photographers who have come here to film him on the hunt. STEVE: We're up to about 14 failures with Scarface now. So we're getting closer to the one that's gonna work. BERTIE: Steve? STEVE: Yeah, yeah. BERTIE: This isn't working. What's going on? STEVE: How many times can this guy fail? (laughter) BERTIE: I mean, in the last few days that means he's now lost what, three or four kills? STEVE: He's friggin' hungry, so. BERTIE: He's gonna start getting desperate. STEVE: I mean, getting pictures of splashes is fine, but we need the real deal. So we'll just go. NARRATOR: They leave Scarface to catch up with the mother jaguar, who's also hungry. By the time they reach her, she's already got a capybara. It's good news for her cub, waiting somewhere in the forest. At around 90 pounds, it will hold both of them for two or three days. For Bertie and Steve, another day ends without catching a complete hunt. For humans and big cats, success demands patience. It's morning, and Steve and Bertie set out to check the spots where they've sighted jaguars before. There's so much more to see along the river than just cats. BERTIE: Check it out! Jabiru stork on the beach! They're absolutely massive. NARRATOR: So many animals find a home here because the land has been preserved for jaguars. BERTIE: The best thing about protecting the jaguar, you know, this big apex predator, is that by protecting it, you protect everything underneath. Preserving jaguar habitat even helps to save an endangered rival predator. Where jaguars thrive, so do giant river otters. (squeaking) This whole family spent the night in a den under the riverbank. Now they're out for the day. BERTIE: Giant otters are a really good indicator species, you know, one that shows the health of the ecosystem, 'cause if you think if there's 20 individuals in a family, each of them is six feet long. They each need about eight pounds of fish every single day. That's a lot of fish that they need to support themselves, so if you got giant otters, that means you've got a really, really healthy ecosystem. NARRATOR: The river brings a steady supply of catfish, perch and piranha to their doorstep. Their sloppy eating attracts freeloaders. Some can get pretty aggressive. Others try to be a bit more subtle about it. Even the young otters aren't above begging. But these pups are old enough to do their own fishing, so they get no special favors. Breakfast over, they haul out and relax on the bank. It's a chance to socialize and strengthen family bonds. On solid ground, they're like sitting ducks. Jaguars wait for a chance like this. (bird chirping) NARRATOR: The sight of a jaguar shatters the peaceful morning at the otter pond. It's red alert! The youngsters duck into the den while the adults form a battle line. The female jaguar is torn between her hunter's instinct and caution. If she caught one on its own, especially a young one, she might go after it. But the otters let her know they're way ahead of her. Sure, she's bigger, but they're much better swimmers. And they'll attack as fiercely as a pack of dogs. Jumping into this pool would be a huge mistake. She sees their point. They send her off with a few final insults. BERTIE: The jaguar here doesn't have many enemies. But when they come face to face with giant otters, giant otters are one of the few animals here that can put up a pretty good fight. NARRATOR: An experienced jaguar doesn't usually bother with otters. So Steve sticks to the main river channel, where Scarface is sure to be hunting caimans. His guide, Piu, grew up on this river and knows every bend. STEVE: He's got eyes like you wouldn't believe. We'll be flying along, and he'll just stop and go 'jag.' I'm like, 'How did you see that?' Amazing. We've been at this tree so many times in this area, where jags have been hunting right in there, 'cause caiman hang out in there. STEVE: Yes, I can hear you fine. What's up? STEVE: Yeah. This jaguar was spotted where Scarface often hunts. It's a good lead. But if they don't get there fast, they could miss the moment. STEVE: He's really intent on hunting, which is what we want. So, it's a ways downriver, but we're just gonna go full bore and get there as fast as possible. NARRATOR: Upriver, Steve finds Bertie. Now, it's just a matter of finding the cat. BERTIE: Hey, Steve. STEVE: What's the scoop? BERTIE: Um...so the fishing boat just said that they saw a big male jump in, and they went on to go fishing and he's in the forest somewhere. STEVE: I mean, it's a tough area... to follow him in. BERTIE: Yeah, I mean, we saw Scarface here, what, a day ago, two days ago, hunting right here. BERTIE: And now he's hunting again. NARRATOR: If he wanted to, a jaguar could disappear in the forest just a few feet away. But Scarface is hungry. And that brings him out into the open. Yet another caiman slips from his grasp. But today, Scarface seems different, more intense. He's a cat on a mission, and that mission is survival. He hasn't eaten in a week, and his hunger drives him to an extreme hunting strategy. So far, he's done his stalking from land. But now he's hunting completely in the water, battling the powerful current, searching for any hidden caiman. He's truly a master of two worlds. Bertie and Steve have never seen this tactic before. STEVE: Scarface is absolutely incredible. He's swimming, looking for a caiman. He's beast master. He's just relentless. BERTIE: I always think of, you know, big cats as being terrestrial animals, you know. They live in jungles and forests. But this guy's almost like a marine mammal. To think that he's hunting, mainly swimming in the river, with the focus and the strength to swim upstream, yeah, it's pretty mind-blowing. NARRATOR: Steve Winter and Bertie Gregory are on the trail of a very hungry jaguar. They know he can unleash a powerful attack, but this is a sheer test of endurance. He's battling the current, searching for any caiman on the riverbank or bottom. They've never seen anything like it. BERTIE: Scarface must have swam, I don't know, a mile, two miles straight into this really strong current. STEVE: Jaguars are like body builders, you know. Some cats are built for speed, like the leopard, the cheetah. But a jaguar is built for power. And this guy shows it. NARRATOR: He's tough, but fighting the river takes a toll. After two hours, Scarface looks exhausted. BERTIE: Can you see him now? I lost him. STEVE: No, no, he's lost. Okay, so what's the plan? 'Cause he went in here, so are we waiting here and you're going round the corner, or you want to go around the corner and we'll wait here? STEVE: I don't really care who does what. All I want to do is get him. NARRATOR: Bertie and Steve aren't about to give up. But they can only guess the jaguar's next move. About 100 feet upstream, there's prey. STEVE: Oh, there's a caiman. But has Scarface seen it? STEVE: We see food. It doesn't mean he does. We'll just wait. BERTIE: Where are you, big boy? NARRATOR: The deadliest aquatic predator in the Pantanal is no match for Scarface. After a battle to the death, the struggle isn't quite over. Like all jaguars, Scarface is a secretive cat. He won't rest until he hides his kill from scavengers and thieves, somewhere up the bank and in the forest. But the caiman is 120 pounds of dead weight. One final Herculean effort, and he gets his meal. Bertie and Steve have also gotten their reward. STEVE: That moment was absolutely one of a kind. BERTIE: The craziest thing to me was how he hits that caiman, the bomb goes off, water goes everywhere. And then there was that eerie silence when he'd gone in the water with the caiman. He'd obviously got it somehow, he's under the water, and then, voobooosssh! Out the water, jaws around that thing's neck. I genuinely think that was the most incredible thing I've ever seen. That was one of the most incredible displays of power by an animal I've ever seen! Way to go, Scarface. Scarface keeps his dominance on this stretch of river, but even that's just a means to an end. The ultimate prize is still elusive. NARRATOR: On the banks of the Cuiabá River, Scarface has sated his hunger. But now he's feeling an urge There's an alluring new presence lurking nearby. Her territory overlaps his, but she's been waiting for the right time to make her presence known. Jaguars usually avoid one another, but when she comes into estrus, it's like a switch gets flipped. These two tough loners turn into lovebirds, if only for a short time. For the next week or two, they think of little else. (growling) They could mate up to 100 times a day, then again it only takes nine seconds. Scarface's legacy grows a little bit more. In this reserve, their offspring will grow up safe, with plenty of prey. In other parts of the Pantanal, jaguars don't have it so good. Steve and Bertie have just received news of jaguar activity to the south, outside the reserves. With Scarface occupied, they follow the trail. Out here, the cats confront dangers that Scarface seldom has to face. Most of the Pantanal is open to cattle ranching. Jaguar territory is filled with an unnatural, irresistible prey. Killing a jaguar is illegal in Brazil. But when a jaguar preys on livestock, ranchers take revenge to protect their livelihood. On one of the ranches, a jaguar has killed a cow. It's a bad situation, but also an opportunity to see how jaguars live on the fringes of the human world. BERTIE: Whoa. Where humans are close by, jaguars appear to be more wary of coming out in daylight. Whatever killed this cow is probably waiting until nightfall to come back. So Steve and Bertie settle in to wait. BERTIE: Steve and I aren't very patient people. What keeps us sitting here is, as Steve said, the passion, it's knowing that by sitting here maybe, maybe we'll get to see something incredible. Maybe not. Maybe we'll see nothing other than this very, very dead cow. NARRATOR: As evening falls, they get a surprise. It's not the hunter that appears. It's a cub... followed by another. They're about 16 months old, a bit older than the cub back in the reserve. Their mother made this kill. She keeps a watchful eye as her young ones eat their fill. As night falls over the Pantanal, Bertie switches to a new low-light camera. For the first time, he's able to see what these secretive cats get up to at night. Under the cover of darkness, the cubs relax. Well-fed and protected by mom, they share a moment of carefree contentment. But they don't know this meal comes at a huge price. They're learning from their mother to hunt cows, and they're developing a taste for it. One day, this behavior may cost them their lives. This is why the preserved areas of the Pantanal are so critical for jaguar survival. Inside the borders there are no cows, no human threats, and plenty of natural prey. The mother and her single cub can rest easy. Under her care, he will grow to become a powerful caiman hunter. The young male that invaded Scarface's territory has retreated to the fringes. He's just beginning to find his place. One day he may prove a worthy adversary to Scarface. But not just yet. For now this tough, battle-scarred male hangs on to his rule... and to his role as guardian Jaguars will care for the land for as long as the land keeps jaguars. NARRATOR: Caught on tape in Africa's wild Serengeti, a stunning act of violence between two top predators. A run-in between lions and cheetahs so rare, this is the first time it's ever been documented. Leo: Look at the energy, the fury... NARRATOR: Like a back-alley ambush, the assault sends survivors scattering...and leaves bodies battered. Filmmaker Leo Kuenkel witnessed the attack, and is trying to make sense of it. Was this a once in a lifetime perfect storm event? Or do these iconic African cats have a deep-set, sinister reason to fight to the death? The players in this incredible savannah attack are well-known on the African scene. The perps: lions. King of the cats and fiercest of predators. Hunting the biggest prey... challenging the most persistent rivals... and commanding the most impressive prides. They also have great hair! Cheetahs are the marks in this bizarre and brutal showdown. They're top hunters in their own right, but often considered the underdogs of the big cat world. Their thin, lanky bodies and long legs are built for speed, not power. They can do 0 to 50 in under three seconds. And reach top speeds over 65 miles per hour. But they lack the firepower to defend against aggressors, and generally choose flight over fight when threatened. The scene: Ndutu, a compact, bountiful corner of Tanzania's famous Serengeti. It's home to all the top predators a tough neighborhood where lions, cheetahs, leopards and hyenas often cross paths. They come for the plentiful prey, and a permanent water source that stays wet even in the dry season. Witness to the attack is filmmaker Reinhard Leo Kuenkel. Leo has been living and filming in Africa for more than three decades, and is passionate about cheetahs. But in all his years following the spotted cats, he's never seen an event like this. It's an attack so peculiar, so complex, and so unexpected he's invited world-renowned lion expert Craig Packer to help him decipher it. Leo: It's such a long time, huh? NARRATOR: Craig is studying the way top predators interact on the other side of the Serengeti. Leo hopes he can shed light on what motivated the assault. Base camp for the investigation is Leo's edit suite-with-a-view. Leo: Craig, I would like you to have a look at that scene, and I thought I got some very unusual stuff. NARRATOR: On the day of the attack, Leo was out filming on the southern edge of the Serengeti when he gets an urgent call from his wife. Leo: She called me on the radio saying come over here, something very interesting is happening. NARRATOR: Rushing to her location, he arrives just ahead of the chaos. Three male cheetahs are hot on the heels of a female who is coming into heat. They've been pursuing her for hours. Trying to keep her close until she's ready to mate. They're also competing with each other for her favor. Leo: These are three territorial males and this is one of your guys. NARRATOR: One of his guys is a large male lion, who's just appeared on the scene. But the testosterone-fueled male cheetahs are not initially impressed. Craig is surprised by the cheetah's reaction as the lion approaches. Craig: It looked like he had just lost his balance, but it's very clear that he slaps the ground. I've never seen a cheetah threaten a lion before. Leo: I've never seen that either. Usually, cheetahs would simply run away from the lions in that situation. But this guy put up a really strong determined show. And that lion is three times its own weight. NARRATOR: It's a macho move, but fleeting. Craig: It's definitely out of his league, and then he kind of realizes, Oh, that was silly, I just threatened a lion. NARRATOR: The female cheetah has a different response. Three randy males are bad enough-she's not about to take on a lion as well. Feeling threatened, she's taken cover in an awkward location. Leo: And up there you see a female cheetah, which has tried to escape from the lion and from the male cheetahs. NARRATOR: Cheetahs often seek out high spots when they're scanning for prey, but this is extreme. Leo: She was standing there, she was shivering. I could see her legs, they were really shivering fast while she was watching the lion and she was also watching the three males. NARRATOR: Terrified, the female decides to make a run for it. Leo: And when she saw a chance, she actually jumped down from up there, jumped down and then raced off at 100 miles an hour, and all we could do then is to follow her because the three males were also chasing her, trying to catch up with her. I revved up the engine and raced after them, but they were so fast it was really hard to keep up with those guys. NARRATOR: By the time he catches up, the action has resumed. The males have tracked the female to her new hiding place in a bush. They're so intent on getting the girl, they cast their coalition relationships aside and compete fiercely for her attention. Craig: It's like they got this once chance with this female and instead of making a good first impression, they're really rude and they're really aggressive and they really try to grab them. So presumably they're trying to make sure that they mate with her before she moves on to a different area. NARRATOR: The males are desperate to seal the deal. Leo: And now is when the noise started, she protested and they just jumped on her... NARRATOR: In their excitement, the males fail to notice that they're still being stalked. The lion is following...albeit at his own, more stately pace. Leo: They were calling and calling and making a big noise and fighting each other and that attracted and motivated that lion. NARRATOR: Leo was as surprised as the cheetahs. Leo: I was filming, from the car, and suddenly on my left hand side, the lion came in and I was very lucky my camera was on when he rushed in. NARRATOR: Somehow positioned perfectly in the middle of a maelstrom, filmmaker Leo Kuenkel finds himself bearing witness to a brutal attack. NARRATOR: Three male cheetahs have chased a female into a bush, and the group is now being stalked by an aggressive male lion. As the male cheetahs noisily attempt to mate with the frightened female, the lion rushes in. Leo: The lion came out with that female in its teeth and by that time you could tell she was already dead. Craig: He's crushing her skull; this is the same way they kill lion cubs. NARRATOR: It's a gruesome hit. A fearsome display of force. But strangely, the male cheetahs barely seem to notice. Leo: And those guys are fighting again while he is still busy killing the female. What an incredible situation. NARRATOR: Right there at the scene, the male cheetahs continue to squabble-madly vying for the attention of their dead companion while her killer is still on the prowl. Leo can't believe what he's seeing. Not even in his wildest imagination could he have conceived of an event like this. And what he didn't know at the time: the violence was just getting started. Seeing the attack on tape, Craig is as surprised as Leo was. Craig: Typically what I see is just the lions show up and the cheetahs skedaddle. NARRATOR: There's no simple reason why a powerful male lion should feel the need to track and attack four adult cheetahs who were minding their own business. Before getting to the rest of the encounter, Craig wants some background on both perpetrator and pursued. Craig: So this is the three males after the female... Leo: Yeah, this is the coalition of three males. They would have been in their prime, say four or five years old. NARRATOR: The three were probably brothers, who had stayed together when they left their mother. Cheetah males form these coalitions to improve their chances of getting and holding good territory. A good range means lots of prey, and is also likely to attract more females, who travel great distances looking for worthy mates. When a female enters their territory, the males try to assess if she's coming into heat. If she is, they'll keep on her Leo: I've seen a male cheetah mate with a female and it's a very short, very unromantic affair. She crouches down, he grabs her at the nape and he pulls as hard, as if he wants to take her coat off, and they basically part within half an hour or so. Craig: And he may never see her again. Leo: Never see her again and that's it. NARRATOR: With mates and quality real estate hard to come by, competition between cheetah coalitions can be fierce. Skirmishes between groups get nasty, sometimes leading to injury or even death. Once dominance is established, the victors keep the territory. The losers beat a careful, submissive retreat. In the case of Leo's cheetahs, it's not coalitions battling for territory, it's blood brothers squabbling over a female. There's no doubt that can drive males of most species to distraction, but Leo has never seen a sibling rivalry cause such blatant disregard for mortal danger. This one-of-a-kind video is changing our understanding of just how irresistible a female can be...and just how irrational her suitors can get. Leo: What's puzzling is how strongly the hormones effect their brain in such a way that they totally neglect the danger. I mean, something must be happening there, something strong. NARRATOR: Their testosterone levels are peaking-their need to mate all-consuming. It's putting them in danger, but at least it's a biological explanation for the cheetahs' recklessness. Craig is not so sure the same can be said about the lion's strange behavior. He's not looking for sex-he's out for blood. Craig: So right here he's making no attempt to conceal himself, so this is the way they would behave towards a stranger in their territory. NARRATOR: But Craig sees no motive for the display of dominance. He thinks brothers like this should have had more important things to do than harass a few scrawny cheetahs. Most males of their stature would be busy trying to take over new prides, or protecting their own prides from the fierce advances of other males. These clashes can be vicious. Male lions have been known to fight each other to the death. The battles are winner take all: territory...prey... and, most importantly, females. The victors get mating rights to the lionesses-a chance to sire the next generation of lions. Sadly, it's not a happy ending for everyone. When a takeover succeeds, the conquerors engage in one of the most brutal acts They chase down and kill any cubs from the previous pride males. It's a grizzly but effective way to ensure that their genes will be passed on. And, it's the quickest way to get the pride females back in heat. With such high stakes in the world of lions, it's amazing Leo's lion is wasting his time with the cheetahs-exhibiting unusual persistence for little apparent gain. Craig: This is a very unusual situation. NARRATOR: As Craig scrolls back through the footage, he's intrigued by the lion's uncharacteristic determination. Craig: Usually, it's like always against one. NARRATOR: Lions are notoriously lazy, especially during the heat of the day. Yet, he's just watched this one follow the cheetahs in the blazing sun, dive headlong into a bush to take them on, then crush the skull of the unfortunate female. Now, he's going after the survivors, and he's about to get some help. NARRATOR: For this determined lion, persistence is paying off. He's got one cheetah down, and is still on the hunt. What Craig hasn't seen a hint of...is why he's going to all that trouble. That's the big mystery he and Leo are trying to solve. Craig: See I don't think there's any reason to expect lions to want to remove cheetah from an area because the way they occupy the habitat is so different. The lions like to stay in adequate cover and they stay hidden and they don't actually go where the herds are. NARRATOR: Though they patrol the same general territories, the two predators have very different hunting techniques, so they're not even competing for the same prey. Lions use their strength, size and numbers to go after the big boys-buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and even giraffes. Their hunts are masterpieces of teamwork when they attack on masse... or exhibitions of pure power when they venture out alone. Cheetahs, on the other hand, are specialists. They lack a lion's heavy artillery, instead relying on their unparalleled speed to catch their prey. On the open plains, they use their tails as rudders and their long hind legs and flexible spines to generate massive forward thrust. Their technique works. They actually take down close to 50 percent of the prey they go after a far higher success rate than lions. But for the most part, lions couldn't be bothered with the prey cheetahs hunt. Too small. Not worth the effort. And, usually, too fast and agile to catch. What lions will do is steal a meal from a cheetah after it's killed. This is a primary point of conflict between the two species But it's never an even fight. Cheetahs have no chance against the bigger, stronger marauders. And lions aren't the only culprits. Cheetahs often lose kills to other predators and scavengers before they can eat their fill. It's for this reason Craig doesn't believe lions would see cheetahs as competitors worth killing. Why Leo's video is so uniquely disturbing. Craig: It makes no sense to me that lions would want to kill an animal that can capture gazelle. NARRATOR: To the contrary, he thinks lions benefit from having cheetahs around. Craig: The cheetah is a great source of a free meal. If I were a smart lion, I would keep a pet cheetah, 'cause then they could catch me dinner. NARRATOR: But if that's the case, why is this lion so intent on putting a further dent in Africa's dwindling cheetah population? He's already killed the female, and is now turning his attention back to the oblivious males, who-to Craig's continued amazement-are showing no concern about the lion's approach. Is there something they're missing? Some reason the cheetahs don't feel the need to run for their lives? Leo: They used to be the best of brothers and now they have this deadly fight going on. Craig: So this is within seconds or? Leo: This is within seconds, this would be 50 meters away from where the lion is killing the female, and then these guys fighting each other to the death over a dead female. NARRATOR: It's as if they don't know the female is dead. If anything, they become even more aggressive. And even less concerned about the presence of the lion... or lions... because the threat has suddenly doubled. The first lion, a bit winded from his slaughter of the female, is quietly joined by a second impressive male. Leo: He was still fresh. He was still curious. NARRATOR: More than just curious. The cheetahs scramble out of reach, then quickly resume their excited squabbling. It's a bad move, and they'll soon pay the price. NARRATOR: With their mate dead only yards away and two threatening lions now on their trail, the male cheetahs have every reason to flee the scene. Instead, they continue squabbling amongst themselves as if nothing has happened. They're playing a dangerous game, and the new arrival wants a piece of the action. After his initial exploratory charge, he goes in for the kill. Craig: Whoa... Leo: Isn't that incredible? I didn't believe it when I saw it through the viewfinder. And now look-the two lions are tearing that poor fellow apart. Craig: No, it's incredible, just incredible. Leo: He's using all his strength, that lion, to kill that cheetah. Craig: He's doing a good job. NARRATOR: As if the action isn't rare enough, Leo and his wife were able to capture it on two separate cameras. Watching the attack from all angles, Craig marvels at the lion's potent technique. Craig: Look how he uses his claws to lift up the neck and curl it in. He's grabbing him, he's holding him in such a position that now he can, he needs to get the back of the neck. Once he does that then he can snap its spine. But then the way the other guy came up and held on to the other end, that's like a gang attack on another lion. So they're obviously treating the cheetah like a dangerous animal. And they're not going to eat it; they just want to kill it. NARRATOR: They do that with little trouble, while still keeping track of the remaining two cheetahs. Incredibly, it takes yet another charge to convince the survivors to head for safer ground. And even then, the saga isn't over. Not completely satisfied, one of the lions returns to the dead cheetah. For Leo, who has known these cheetahs for many months, the violence is hard to watch. And he still can't believe that when push finally came to shove, the agile cheetah couldn't evade the bigger, slower lion. Until, he notices something strange in the footage. Something he hadn't noticed when he was shooting the horrific attack. Leo: One has to realize that normally cheetahs are so fast they can easily outrun any lion so in that way they can handle a situation like that. NARRATOR: But in this case, the cheetah seems slow to react. Leo only sees the anomaly when they look at the footage in slow motion. There is something peculiar about the cheetah's movements. Leo: It looks to me as if this one was wounded. This cheetah there was injured. What do you think? Craig: Could be. He's slow to get up; he doesn't have huge strength in his back end. Leo: You see what I mean? Craig: Yeah, maybe, he got a swiped at. See the lack of acceleration; he's getting good pull in the front, but not in the back. NARRATOR: The question is, can they find out when he got injured? Was it an old injury, or a fresh wound from the day's brawling? Craig: So I think what happens here is that one is okay. He's coming over to join the other two, and this one, he's not well, he's down, he's staying there. The other one comes in, he stays down, the other one leaps over, so he stays down, and this is the one that's gonna die, right? This is the one you've got, so when the lion comes up and catches up, that's the one that's most exhausted. That's the one, that's the one that gets killed. NARRATOR: But did the injury happen then, or was he already hurt when his brothers jumped him? Leo: Could it also be that when the lion rushed in and eventually killed the female, he hit one of the escaping males? NARRATOR: Two of the males scamper away quickly, but the other takes longer to extract himself from the bush. Craig: So one possibility is that this guy gets a swipe at the male as he goes and gets the female. I think that might have been the same one. Leo: Could be the case, yeah. NARRATOR: Whether it was dodging the lion or scuffling with the other cheetahs, the soon-to-be victim had ample opportunity to sustain a hit. And the injury-however it was caused-may explain his final inability to escape. But it still doesn't solve the biggest puzzle of all: why the lions were so committed to killing the cheetahs in the first place. Unless...the lions were just lumping cheetahs in with their true mortal enemies-hyenas and leopards. And if they had reason to do that, the violence might be warranted. NARRATOR: The video shot by Leo Kuenkel is one of a kind. He's documented lions versus cheetahs in a way no one else has, which is why the events are so difficult to comprehend. But both Leo and Craig are familiar with the way lions interact with the other top predators, and believe these relationships might hold the key to understanding the attack. Although their survival in the wild is threatened, we think of lions as the top predators on the African plains. And they are. Proud, powerful, deadly. But just because they're bigger and stronger than everyone else doesn't mean they don't have enemies. Enemies who are willing to engage when the odds are in their favor. It's an aspect of lion life Craig and his field team have been studying extensively at the Serengeti Lion Project, not far from Ndutu. Leo hopes their results might provide some useful information about the rare attack he witnessed. The team is trying to learn exactly how predators coexist...or don't, as the case may be. Led by graduate student Ali Swanson, Craig's study uses camera traps to capture predator interactions. Ali: We have 200 cameras set up across the study area, which is 1000 square kilometers. And we have so many trees because, you know, a few pictures can give us an anecdote about what these animals are doing, but hundreds or thousands gives us a story. And these trees seem to catch the full suite of species. Like this one tree has caught lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas. Just at different times. Huh, hyenas...ah, we got a leopard. NARRATOR: Like surveillance cameras at a 24-hour convenience store, the traps reveal the comings and goings of all the local residents. The hyenas are the most frequent shoppers. Ali: There's an aardvark and then hyenas. Um, hyenas after hyenas after hyena. NARRATOR: Hyenas outnumber lions three-to-one in this part of Africa...and are quick to use their numbers to their advantage. They even go after each other's young. It's easier to take out the competition before the competition can fight back. This infanticide is a large part of what makes lions and hyenas mortal enemies. It's also at the heart of lions' hatred for leopards. Like cheetahs, leopards often find themselves out-muscled by adult lions. So they try to pick off cubs to lessen the competition. Lions are quick to return the favor. They'll kill any leopard they can catch in order to protect their own young. Craig believes lions might extend their loathing for leopards to other spotted cats as well. Craig: I think it's quite possible that lions can't really tell the difference between a cheetah and a leopard. NARRATOR: If all spotted cats are created equal to a lion, it might explain why the Ndutu lions were pursuing the cheetahs with such vigor. But Leo's not convinced. He's sure lions can tell the difference, and isn't comfortable explaining away the attack as a case of mistaken identity. But he does think there are some relevant similarities in the relationships between the three cats. One last missing link that could provide a clear motive for the attack. NARRATOR: Trying to understand the brutal scene he captured on tape, filmmaker Leo Kuenkel has examined every frame of his extraordinary footage, and together with lion expert Craig Packer, he's dissected the complex web of animosity between Africa's top predators. For lions, hyenas and leopards, it's a volatile mix of competition for prey, overlapping territories, and perhaps of utmost importance, attacks on the young. But does the same hold true for cheetahs? Could an instinct for cub-killing have played a role in the attack Leo witnessed, even though there were no cubs around? To find out, Leo and Craig will have to look at both sides of the deadly equation. First up are cheetah cubs, and they are never safe. In fact, experts believe that in areas where other large predators abound, up to 90 percent of all cheetah cubs are killed before they reach three months of age. So that leaves only one last crucial question: Craig: We know that hyenas can kill lion cubs and we know that leopards can kill lion cubs and kinda the gap in our knowledge has always been: do cheetah ever kill lion cubs? NARRATOR: If they do, it would explain why Leo's lions felt such a persistent urge to destroy the cheetahs they were following. In the lions' eyes, it would elevate cheetahs to the same detested category as hyenas and leopards: mortal enemies to be killed at any opportunity. Problem is, Craig has never seen or heard of a cheetah taking out a lion cub. Neither has Leo, though he once came close. Leo: I haven't seen a cheetah killing a lion cub, but I've seen a cheetah, a female cheetah chasing two NARRATOR: Leo remembers it well. A female cheetah pursuing the two small lion cubs with deadly intent. Leo: If they had been two weeks younger and their mother hadn't been around, I'm sure that particular female would have killed them. NARRATOR: It's not quite a smoking gun, but it's enough to suggest that lions might, after all, have good reason to treat cheetahs the same way they treat the other top predators. Chase...catch...and kill. Craig: If cheetah can kill lion cubs and do kill lion cubs, it would make a lot of sense that these males who are resident in a pride would want to be eradicating any potential predators for their own babies. Leo: I think so, too. Yeah. And I think that would explain the behavior that we've seen here. NARRATOR: It's the final piece of the puzzle, and lets us finally watch the rare events unfold with a true understanding of what went down and why. A female cheetah in heat...trapped by her suitors ...in the wrong place ...at the wrong time. Three male cheetahs blinded by lust and an inborn drive to mate at all costs. A battle wound that limited mobility... and two powerful male lions, ruthlessly pursuing rivals who might be a threat to their young. A perfect storm on the African plains, and a lucky filmmaker in the perfect position to capture it all on tape. [howl] [squeal] [yip] [yipping] [thunder] I am life. ♪ ♪ I am death. I give everything. But I take all. I am the Savage Kingdom. [birds squawking] [wildebeest lowing] [grumbling] Call her Zalika. The outlaw queen. [zebra braying] Hated by everyone just for being alive. But Zalika plays the long game... ...slowly building an army to take the great marsh. No killing grounds are richer, and to the victor the bloody spoils. [hyenas yipping] They have ruled for too long. Under protection of the king, Sekekama. Zalika is planning a revolution to overthrow the lions on their own ground. [squawking] [snorts] [braying] The marsh pride governs with violence. Zalika lacks brute force, but she works harder, thinks faster. Why do the killing... ...when you can wait and take the leftovers? [screeching] Just one rule. [growling] Never cross the king. Sekekama will snap your spine. No hesitation. No remorse. [snarls] Their feast ends, and our banquet begins. [bird squawks] Zalika knows the true value of skin and bone. [growls] Beyond the far edge of the great marsh lies a barren ridge of sand. Hidden from murderers, welcome to Zalika's secret lair. The scraps brought back feed tomorrow's hyena soldiers. A battle-hardened clan of mothers, the sisterhood is raising an army. [yelping] Growing their numbers is the only hope against lions. Lose, and a generation will starve. Armies need discipline. Zalika's rule is absolute. Only females can rule the hyena clan. Only a princess inherits the queen's throne. And this is Zalika's heir. It's for her Zalika will win this kingdom. [squawk] Keep her safe. Soon, Zalika's princess will enter the killing fields, where a deadly battle will be lost or won. The battle for the great marsh. [wind howling] Rains flood new life into the kingdom. The marsh rewards its rulers. Enjoy it while it lasts. We will drag you from your throne. Zalika will risk her life for her clan. Her growing army needs more food. Who will provide? Hunting dogs. Small but lethal. Find their weakness, Zalika. [lowing] Fool them with a grin. Get it wrong, and they'll kill you. [squeaking] [yelps] This is a game of deception. Looking weak is easy. But the dogs have opened the door to a thief and let her live. Give this hyena queen an inch, and in time, she will take it all. The new hyena army grows restless. Hunger ignites their bellies. Zalika needs to take a new generation to scavenge the killing fields of the great marsh. [chattering] [chirping] Where the queen leads, the sisterhood's new soldiers will follow, her precious princess among them. Here is your birthright. For a wide-eyed princess, this is a land of endless opportunity. It's all meat, and it's all for eating. This will all be yours, Princess. New soldiers spread out beyond the marsh... ...to size up the battleground. The sisterhood's resolute queen pursues a special mission. Got to get close to a kill. [squealing, yipping] Take it step by step. Too many dogs. Safer in the water. Risk a theft. See what happens. Just a little bone, but a big victory. Zalika can steal from the dogs. Now it's all about how much. The scavenger queen is turning the tables. But power is greedy... and must be fed constantly. The clan is growing fast. And their hunger is ravenous. More demands more. Only one place left to exploit-- the north. Overgrown... uncharted... unpredictable. Death is coming. Death is here. [roar] Nowhere to hide? The hyena's curse... ...is back. [roaring] Muscle power alone can win battles. But to win the long game demands brains. The pride of the north. They look strong, but Zalika sees through them. Why does the leopard not run? With no spine-snapping king, these lionesses are weak. [flies buzzing] [sniffs] A plan is forming. For one clan to rise, another must fall. If Zalika can defeat the lions of the north, she can feed her army. [squawks] Trust your instincts, Zalika. Strike now. You can beat this pride. They're alone. Take this kill from them. This belongs to the sisterhood. [groaning] No one wants to spill blood. The lions lose their nerve. You are weak. Advantage, Zalika. Hyenas do not eat alongside lions. This is heresy. But the deed is done. Victory swells the sisterhood's confidence. The northern lions are beaten. Zalika has opened a gateway to the north. The change of season will bring new riches to them. [buzzing] The dry season. When the water is all gone, all thunder north. Meat follows the water. Predators follow the meat. Battle lines are redrawn. Zalika is waiting. There will be blood. Who kills most is no longer important. Who steals most will win the day. [barking] And theft is Zalika's special power. Put the dogs in their place. This is ours. [growling, yipping] Another success, another rival thwarted. The hyenas are on the rise. The north belongs to Zalika and her sisterhood. Another crop of soldiers comes of age... as the heat strikes the weak. Zalika's lucky break. Perfect timing... ...for scavengers. The day of the hyena has dawned. Who needs the marsh when you have all this? And all the casualties that come with drought. [groan] Zalika's princess grows bold, feeding off a kingdom in crisis. With each carcass the clan claims, her confidence rises. But when everyone is desperate, watch your back. [barks] Confidence can kill, Princess. Just walk away. Don't push too far. [low growling] [roars] [squealing] Only fight battles you can win. The movement of meat concentrates old enemies. [trumpeting] The smell of death lures the sisterhood closer to the marsh. But always check what lies in the shadows. The marsh pride. This carcass is taken. Careful, Zalika. Don't you see Sekekama? He's watching! Zalika's confidence blinds her to danger. Wherever Sekekama goes, death stalks behind. [elephant grumbling] Just as night follows day, the pride will follow the herd. Zalika's hard-won north is now no home for hyenas. The sisterhood has no choice. They must retreat. The sun rises on the once-lush marsh. Now Zalika's only refuge... ...is a place of desolation and memory. [squeak] But the sweet stench of suffering brings the hyenas hope. Their only chance is a choked water hole... guarded by giants. [bellows] [birds cooing] Tragedy is always somebody's good fortune. [trumpets] Scavengers are never welcome at funerals. The sisterhood needs this meat, Zalika. There is nothing else. Giant mourners can't deter the overeager princess forever. [elephant bellows] Feed while you can, Princess. [bellow] Savor the lull before the storm. On this desolate plain, there is no greater prize. And with the guardians gone, rivals will surely come. Keep hold of your carcass. Keep hold of this water hole. It is all you have left. And so it begins. We have beaten them before, Hold your ground. But this time, the pack doesn't back down. Something is different. Something's not right. The reckless princess is playing with fire. You should know, Zalika, when the dogs have pups, they fight to the death. [growls, yips] Zalika knows when to stay and fight... ...and when to run for her life. The defiant princess does not. Her reign will never come. [sniffing] Your clan in exile... your daughter dead. These are dark times, Zalika. There is nothing left for your clan here. [calling] But Zalika always holds on to her cunning, her undying ambition. [screech] True queens are made on the heels of failure. Zalika has one more chance. Vultures mean an opportunity is close. But they are in her way again. The marsh pride, of course. Only this time, no king. Zalika may have lost her daughter, but the sisterhood stands firm behind her. We can take them! [whooping] This is not about food, this is revolution. Tear them apart! A new power is unleashed on the kingdom. These are the moments of legend. Under Zalika's rule, the sisterhood carries the day. Satau knows the dangers of buffalo. Her six young sons and daughter do not. But this is the moment they have been training for. Work together. Take this beast down. A skillful defense by the old bull. Satau has yet to teach her young family how to kill in water. They will learn... or they will starve. Two mothers run the pride of the north. Satau is our noble leader. Her sister always has her back. They shared an unbreakable bond. The same cannot be said for their absent kings. Sekekama and his brother deserted Satau's family long ago... ...drawn away from their northern home by the great marsh in the south; seduced by the abundance of prey it holds... ...and by the cunning queen, Matsumi. Satau's nemesis now builds an army with her new lord. With or without a king, the abandoned sisters train their fatherless family for greatness. In time, they could become a formidable pride. With so many mouths to feed, Satau skirts the edge This is a dangerous place to trespass, Satau. The great marsh belongs to Matsumi. are back. Who is he here for? He is no longer your king. No longer a father to your sons. And what he disowns, he kills. Satau tries to distract her old king. She is playing with fire to save her sons. But Sekekama is not taken in. Any males are a threat to his throne. The princes have a choice. Exile or execution... ...at the jaws of their brutal father. Satau and her sister will never see their sons again. Bloodlines run deep. But power is the king's master. [rain falling] Sekekama leaves a shattered family in his wake. Satau needed her sons to build her pride. Once they were nine, and now they are three. They wander alone... in a dangerous place where numbers matter. [bird chirps] Satau, you are now vulnerable. You need all your strength just to survive. Your last remaining cub is unaware of the dangers. North of the great marsh, the rains have kept the forest lush. Between the hills and along the river channel, there are still good places to hide and regroup. With so few of you left, Satau, you'd do well to lie low. Hard times lie ahead. You need to kill. With fewer claws and jaws, it is more miss than hit. Prey is plentiful. But without a full pride, Satau needs a new strategy. The smell of death lingers around Leopard Rock. Another's kill will have to do. [growl] Nothing is beyond your dignity now. [hissing] If stealing from another cat allows you to cling onto life in this kingdom, so be it. Everyone knows... hunters that cannot hunt... ...their days are numbered. A marauding pack of 20 wild dogs invades Satau's river. Their strategy-- to drive and corner their victims against the bank... ...then eat 'em alive. Another opportunity for an ever-hungry Satau to pull rank. A chance to steal. Satau knows that lions always trump dogs... ...regardless of numbers. Our noble queen is now a full-time thief. Living on leftovers from one day to the next. Big prides don't rely on scavenging. Matsumi certainly does not. On the great marsh, her army grows strong. Soon, they'll be ready for war. Satau must steal when and where she can. Starvation is only a meal away. A new enemy breaches the north. Something wicked this way comes. [whoop] Take it while you can. You never know when you'll get the chance again. [snarling] The northern sisters do well off the backs of others. But how long can it last? Without a king, they are exposed. Hyenas smell weakness. They lose their fear and push closer than ever before. They know you have no kings. Watch your back. Scavenging is the pride of the north's new normal. But now even this risks being taken. [whooping, yipping] Her tormentors are already here. Hyenas' confidence feeds on her uncertainty and fear. Satau now sits at her enemy's table. From queen to scavenger to nothing. If they keep losing to hyenas... they will starve. The great marsh dries. The herds move north. In their dusty tracks, Matsumi's army follows. [bellowing] Fearless Sekekama makes it look easy, killing and gorging along the way. Matsumi's marsh pride seems invincible. They edge ever closer to Satau's domain, without a fear or a care in the world. The Savage Kingdom grants nobody any favors. Every living thing must pay. The herds flooding north offer Satau one last chance. You can do this. You need to do this. [wildebeest snorting] Finally. A moment of relief. Not a day too soon. While there's food, there's hope. Now you face the toughest challenge to your existence, Satau. The great thirst is coming. Water is disappearing. The drought has begun. All now jostle for what remains. Satau's place of hiding is crowded, and this attracts unwelcome company. Nomads drift in from the dry margins. It is not Sekekama, nor his murderous brother. These are outsiders here to wrestle power from a kingdom in crisis. And what aspiring kings want most are queens. Could this be Satau's salvation? They could protect you. With them, you could build a pride again. You must win them over. Lion courtship is a dangerous business. Done wrong, it would be deadly. Never trust nomads. Aspiring kings take what they want. But just as this is not Sekekama or his brother... ...nor is this Satau or her sister. It's Satau's nemesis, Matsumi. And where Matsumi goes, Sekekama follows. Defeated, the nomads are banished. Nobody steals from the king. Satau is left with nothing. No king. No home. Matsumi's pride already hunts the river as if it's their own. Satau must flee. One long, last look at her kingdom, as her conquering enemy takes possession, with Sekekama on its bloody throne. You have lost everything. There is nowhere else to go. The badlands are your only choice. Sekekama and Matsumi take what's theirs. Satau's cursed pride is now homeless and wanders a harsh and barren wasteland. You are still alive. Trust your instincts. Satau has no idea where she is going, nor when her next meal will come. Everything is so unfamiliar... ...frightening, hostile. They've escaped one death trap and now head into another. It's the exiled nomads... bruised and belligerent. [grunts] It is the most dangerous situation for any lioness. If you surrender, you may just stay alive. [birds chirping] You have nothing left to lose. It is now your turn. Satau will make kings of these nomads. They will enable her to grow her pride again and protect them all. A royal alliance to secure the pride of the north's future. Fortunes can change overnight. A king's protection is everything. From life's darkest depths, Satau rises and starts to build the pride of the north anew. One day soon, Satau will grow her pride strong enough to go and retake her place as a rightful queen of the Savage Kingdom.