The Adventures of a Cheetah Family in the Savannah _ Our World.

It's a battle for survival for a young family of cheetahs on the East African plains. The grasslands offer rich pickings but they attract a host of other predators and a gang of cheetah brothers fighting for territory. For over 50 years survival has captured spectacular images of the natural world. Now we use the very best to bring you stories of animals as they could occur in the wild. On a scorching African afternoon the grasslands appear devoid of life but a rocky outcrop in this sea of grass offers cool sanctuary to a family of cheetahs Kirabo and her three cubs. Brother and sister Deo and Zuri chill out but Jelani is the daredevil never happy to sit still. He scrambles above his mother's head drawn by the urge to chase lizards that sun themselves near the peak. It's good target practice for the young male but at six months old he should be staying close to home. The plains are full of dangers. Distracted by the lizards he moves further and further from his family. Kirabo is getting nervous and starts looking for him. Too late Jelani realizes that he's lost. He calls to try to locate his mother but is confused by the echoes. Kirabo can hear him but can't seem to see him. From afar he spots her searching in the wrong direction and tries to join her but suddenly his rocky playground has become an obstacle course. He searches for an easier way up. The grass is not a safe place for a little cheetah. Night falls. Jelani is still missing. Time to face the dangers of the dark. There is a host of larger predators on the plains. This time it's hyenas on the prowl. The mother cheetah standing watch over Deo and Zuri calls into the night for Jelani but there's no reply. Of all the big cats cheetahs are the most heavily persecuted by other predators. It's likely that Jelani is lost to the hunters of the night. Kirabo must give up the search for her lost son. Her priority now is to protect the twins. The cheetah family live in the Serengeti, a sea of grass that at certain times of the year team with antelope and other big game. The cheetah's primary prey is the delicate and highly abundant Thompson's gazelle. They're easy to recognize with their bold diagonal stripe and constantly swishing tails. This is the time when the males have only one thing on their mind, finding a mate. And this is also when they are most at risk of attack, something the cheetahs will be looking out for. During their migration the males stake out small patches of ground into which they will try to lure females. Large scent glands in front of the eyes are rubbed on grass stems leaving a sticky and stinky message, a keep out sign to the males. The males are so preoccupied they don't notice a spotted cat watching from the grass. It's a lone female, Zola. Cheetahs stalk as close as they can, but their primary weapon is speed, up to 75 miles per hour. But Zola wasn't fast enough. Some predators hunt in packs, working together to bring down prey, but female cheetahs hunt alone. Zola is two years old and only recently away from her mother. She's still trying to get the hang of adult life, though clearly she's finding it tough. The gazelles follow her as she moves off. It might seem strange that a prey animal wants to be anywhere near a predator, but by keeping her in sight the gazelles are making sure that they won't be taken by surprise. They stop, leaping to show off their fitness. Predators rarely target animals in their prime, they're too hard to catch. Proving how healthy you are is a good way to keep predators at bay. Zola's out of luck today. Gazelles are fast, alert and agile, not the easiest of prey. Girabo and the twins are taking a siesta on the plains when they spotted intruder. Normally the sight of another cheetah would cause concern, but it's Zola, still lonely and looking for company. She finds life tough without her mother and invites herself to tag along. Though female cheetahs, particularly those with cubs, are normally solitary, they do occasionally form temporary alliances. Deo and Zuri aren't too sure about having a new big sister, but Girabo seems willing to allow Zola into the family. The cubs will just have to get used to it. The four of them will travel together and before long they will leave the Serengeti plains, following game into the scrubland. Water is a valuable resource here, all animals must come to drink and so predators hover on the lookout for an easy meal. Like most cats, cheetahs don't like water, but crossing these small puddles has become something of a game. But open water is scarce, the rains keep the grazing animals on the move, following the heavy clouds in search of greener pastures. By mid-summer the game is concentrated in the last lush valleys. Zola has remained with the family and while the others sleep in the shade, she explores the rocks. Most cats have retractable and very sharp claws for gripping, but not cheetahs. Built for running rather than climbing, Zola demonstrates their shortcomings. Cheetahs have blunt claws like a dog, which are only semi-retractable, so they make mountaineering rather a challenge. Zola is determined to make it to the top again. Deja watches, fascinated. Even a narrow gap challenges the young female, she lacks the confidence to step out and put her best foot forward. Zuri is not interested in rock climbing and plays with her mother. Zola finally admits defeat and both explorers head back to the others. But Zola freezes in mid-step. A band of brothers. These three males are a coalition. All from the same litter, they have stayed together, working as a team to hunt and intimidate other cheetahs. Male cheetahs have been known to kill any competition. The family is in serious danger. They move in on Zola, Kirabo and her twins. Kirabo tries to usher her family to safety, but it's too late. The larger brothers quickly encircle them. The family huddle together, sitting low to the ground, showing their submission. Kirabo has already lost one cup to predators and doesn't want to lose any more. Courageously, she sits between the youngsters and aggressive males. But the brothers find a patch of interesting scent and seem to forget about their captives. Kirabo is not in season and the youngsters are too small to be a threat. It gives the anxious family their chance to escape. The cubs glance back. This is their first encounter with adult males, but one they will not forget. They have escaped the brothers' rot this time, but they'll be back. As summer reaches its height, the plains are seared by the heat. Game animals are preparing to move on. But before they do, the male gazelles start advertising their tiny patches of overgrazed pasture. As the females pass across the grassland, they move between the males and their stakeouts. If a female enters his patch, then a buck has a chance of mating with her. Holding his plot and pleasing the ladies at the same time is hard work. Boundary disputes often result in fighting. The male's long horns are covered in ridges that can lock with their opponents. It's a bit like arm wrestling, with each buck trying to throw the other off balance. Mostly it's just a test of strength and the weaker animal eventually backs down. But sometimes the ridges in the horns fail to grip, resulting in fatal stabbings. A giraffe has stumbled upon a buck that lost such a fight. Having completed his lofty inspection, he leaves the carcass in peace. Gradually, the mating madness dies down and the herds begin to move on in search of fresh grass. Now that the antelope have left their territory, the band of brothers are struggling to find large prey. They spot a hare. By working together, they are able to rally their quarry, driving it back and forth. They are a formidable team, but this small carcass won't last long, and the cheetahs will have to move on to find food. The last herds of antelope leave the plains. All predators, including kirabo and the three young cheetahs, have to follow the game or risk starvation. For six months, this stretch of grassland will fall silent, until rain heralds the return of the grazers. Dust clouds stand out against a building storm. Eventually, after several months, there is a faint promise of rain. Called the light rains, the downpour will last only a few days. Puddles collect quickly on the tough baked soil. Within days, fresh grass shoots paint the plains green. Fresh vegetation that quickly attracts attention. The Thomson's gazelles, which escaped the worst of the dry season by sheltering in bush country to the east, now venture back onto the plains. Gradually, small groups unite, forming great herds of thousands. A rich bounty awaits them, meadows of fresh grass and flowers. And a cheetah isn't far behind, stalking the herds. She misses this time. Zola has returned, and now she's on her own again. An adult, but she still has a lot to learn. But not far behind, the twins, Deo and Zuri, return to the place of their birth. Over winter, they left their mother. Now 18 months old, they are completely self-sufficient. But still prefer to stick together. The twins have perfected the art of hunting. But Zola is still working on her technique. This time, she has her eyes on the larger Grant's gazelle. She's forgetting that an antelope this size is capable of fighting back. She tried to bite off more than she could chew. But she got away without serious injury. For this young female, it's back to the drawing board. Just days after arriving, the female gazelles drop their fawns. The whole herd coordinates its breeding. If there are more babies than the predators can pick off, it will ensure that at least some of them will survive. The birth is dangerous for both mother and baby. Neither could run to escape danger. So they need to get it over and done with as quickly as possible. The mother's exhausted but still fights to get to her baby. She needs to get it cleaned up, removing any clues about the birth that might draw attention. And then get the fawn to its feet before a predator spots them. It takes about 20 minutes for the baby to stand. It wobbles back and forth trying to find its balance. Most fawns are running before they are an hour old. And they need to be. The mother's sharp eyes pick up a movement. They've been spotted. It's Zola, this time hoping for an easier catch. The fawn's so young that it has no chance about running her. Maybe there's not enough sport in it for her. Zola doesn't make a kill, instead batting the baby. It's a bigger version of cat and mouse. She's just playing with her food. Its mother can only watch in alarm, powerless to save her infant. The confused fawn isn't sure how to react to its captor. Zola should have made the kill when she had the chance. Now she's the one looking worried. The lioness knows that no cheetah can stand up to her superior size and strength. It's a saving grace for the gazelle fawn, which seizes the destruction and flees to its mother. A reprieve for the lucky fawn. Zola cowers and for a short while even considers standing her ground. But against the queen of beasts, it's futile. The two female cats have a standoff, neither willing to turn its back or move away. Cheetahs are often killed by lions. The larger cats eliminate any competition for food. Zola is taking a massive risk. She's bold or naive enough to scull the lion, throwing her a nonchalant glance, but she makes the mistake of looking away. The lioness has made her point. But Zola's troubles aren't over. A bigger threat is heading her way. Tired and hungry, the band of brothers has just returned to the plains. They are not in a playful mood. Zola immediately changes her body language. Holding low to the ground in submission, she tries to slip quietly away. The coalition has two courses of action. If they find a male cheetah, they will probably kill him. If they find a female, they will want to mate. The band of brothers quickly close in. She may survive their attack, but only if she plays by their rules. She crouches submissively. They make it very clear that they are in charge. Each time she moves, they move surrounding her. Her yawn is an attempt to diffuse the tension. She's highly stressed. Eventually, she can't take it anymore and tries to leave. But this is insubordination, something that the brothers are just not willing to accept. She's not in season at the moment, but perhaps the brothers hope that by holding her captive for a few days, she might finally be ready to mate. Again, she tries to escape, but is forced to submit once more. But suddenly, the brothers reveal their immaturity. Something else has caught their eye. Having just arrived on the plains, the males are hungry and a pair of jackals has discovered some easy prey. Jackals pair for life and can work together to hunt. The fawn is well within their capabilities, but what they hadn't counted on was the protective gazelle mother. Her short, stout horns are just enough to keep the pair on the move. The diligent mother has saved her fawn's life, but now the cheetah brothers are joining in the hunt. The adults in the herd see them coming and scatter. But in the chaos, a fawn is left behind. This is the perfect setup for a cheetah. Flat open plains where a successful hunt comes down to speed. They are the fastest land animals. The fawn doesn't stand a chance. The brothers are quick to take turns in pursuing the prey. However, they are not so willing to share once they've caught it. Each stubbornly snatches what it can. The small body won't last them long. But it's long enough for beaten and bruised Zola to make her escape. Taking advantage of the shade, the twins, Deo and Zuri, have returned to the rocks they used to play on as cubs. They no longer have their mother's watchful eye. But the bond between them remains strong. Oblivious in their sanctuary, the twins are unaware of a deadly threat approaching. The brothers are on the prowl. Any male that stands in their way will be in serious trouble. Luckily, these rocks are not the same ones that the twins are on. The formations, known as copies, are used by all of the predators of the plains to scan the environment. The brothers scent mark so that other cheetahs that visit this copy will know who else is in the area. It will serve as a warning to other males. The twins' resting place is in plain sight. But luckily, the brothers haven't spotted them, thanks to the cover of trees. The twins are using the shade to their advantage, giving themselves a bit of respite before their next hunt. This lookout's ideal. There is even a grooming service. Agamid lizards that amused them as cubs now pick irritating flies from the cheetah's fur. Deo, frustrated by the flies, is finding it hard to settle. But staying awake may save his life. He spots the brothers. Silently, he leads his sister down the far side of the rocks to escape unnoticed. Just minutes later, and the brothers have arrived at their rock. They quickly pick up a fresh scent. All over the rocks are traces of the twins. Deo's scent seems to have got the brothers riled. Aggressively, they over-spray his marks. They are the dominant males in this stretch of grassland, and they will make sure everyone knows it. This is a copy takeover. But their desire to claim the rocks as their own has given the twins the time they needed to escape, and now they are out of sight. The gazelle fawns are growing quickly. To build their strength, they dash about within the safety of the herd. Mother and fawn find each other through their calls and scent. A doe will suckle only her own fawn and repels any youngsters that approach the wrong mum. The fawns dance around the adult males. Eventually, they will grow horns to rival his, if they live long enough. At this precocious age, the fawns are still at great risk of attack. April is the season of showers. January's downpour was known as the light rains. The dark clouds now building over the plains are anything but light. The band of brothers is restless. One shadows the other as they rise. The brothers are so close that they share moods, enabling them to hunt in synchrony. But there will be no hunting until the first wave of storms has hit. The twins hunker down beneath the ominous skies. The brothers are heading their way, but their progress is brought to an abrupt halt as the black clouds overhead finally burst. It's not particularly comfortable being caught out in the open in this downpour, but this sudden shower may have saved the twins' lives. For two hours, all the cheetahs and the other inhabitants of the plains are drenched. Eventually, golden light pierces the clouds and tranquility descends. Animals are on the move again. The twins become playful as they dry off. The gazelles are starting, leaping to show off their stamina and strength. Despite the relaxed atmosphere on the plains, the brothers are preparing to move once more. Their presence is a constant threat to cheetahs and gazelles alike. The landscape is transformed overnight. A sea of noise rumbles through the mist and slowly shadows merge. One of the world's greatest wildlife spectacles is unfolding. Wildebeest are pouring into the plains, following the rains as they have for millennia. Thousands become hundreds of thousands. A seemingly endless procession of grunting, nodding wildebeest looking for fresh grazing. The brothers are high up, eyeing the new arrivals with keen interest. Before long, over a million animals have gathered in their narrow valley. For the predators, it's the start of a time of plenty. Like the gazelles, the wildebeest time their breeding to perfection. Millions of babies are all delivered within the space of three weeks. The tiny calves are nudged to their feet within minutes. For their first wobbly weeks, they will be marched back and forth. The life of a wildebeest is one of constant wandering, endlessly following the rain and the fresh grass it brings. New nomads begin their ceaseless march. The herds graze, big bulls and mothers with their calves. For the brothers, it's one huge buffet. But this food doesn't come for free. They must work carefully to select the right prey, one that won't fight back. They are looking for the old, injured or young. Wildebeest will defend herd members, but that's where the brothers have an advantage. While one clings to the struggling calf, the others can keep the dangerous adults at bay. The row of bulls with their menacing horns unnerves the brothers. They nervously hold their tails between their legs, but the tactics work. The adults seem to sense the calf's demise and leave the brothers to their meal. In this vast open grassland, the drama of a kill seldom goes unnoticed. Nothing escapes the vultures' sharp eyes. Even from 10 miles away, they see the opportunity and descend. This is bad news for the brothers. The birds dropping in from the sky can be seen from miles around. It could alert other predators to the carcass. The brothers tuck in, eating as fast as they can before they're discovered. With their heads down, they don't notice another cheetah's approach. It's Zola. Perhaps she's still struggling to live alone and looking for an easy meal. Despite her previous close encounter, the young female presses on looking for food. To begin with, the brothers are reluctant to stop feeding and risk losing their meal to the birds. But her calls are a disturbance that they are not willing to tolerate. Savagely, they put Zola in her place. The opening the vultures have been looking for. Battered and bruised, Zola tries to stagger off. But this lack of submission is a mistake. Zola is in big trouble. If the young female had sat tight and let the three cheetah brothers stay in control, she might have got off lightly. But she tried to escape. The worst mistake she can make. She sits and pleads. But it's too late. She's not ready to breed. So to the brothers, she's nothing more than competition for food. But luckily, the attack is over quickly. The brothers' stomachs are still bulging from their meal. And once they have beaten Zola into complete submission, they let her go. It's a lesson she won't forget. The twins have managed to keep out of the way of the brothers so far. But now they have some equally dangerous visitors. Seeking shade, they headed to the rocks, but discovered that their favorite copy has been taken over by hyenas. Hyenas are twice the cheetah's size, fast and muscular, with the most powerful jaws in Africa. The hyenas are gathered around the remains of a carcass, probably one that they killed themselves. With their bone-crushing jaws, not even the large skull or spine will go to waste. The twins are desperate for shade, but they can't risk a clash. They move away to sleep. The dusty herds never seem to rest, constantly on the move, cropping the grass as quickly as it can grow. The wildebeest calves are bigger and stronger, but still shadow their mothers. Amazingly, mother and young can pick out one another's calls amid the din. This coordination is vital. The plains are full of peril. But inevitably, some calves still get lost. With such riches gathered in their valley, the band of brothers hunt as often as they can, cashing in on the abundance. They spot a wildebeest calf that strayed from the herd. The three simultaneously drop to the ground. The inexperienced youngster walks straight past them. Now they can use its blind spot to their advantage. Cheetahs catch their prey by tripping it with a large claw on their front leg. They need to try and get it in a stranglehold so they can suffocate their victim. The wildebeest calves have grown, and the youngster is bigger and stronger than they are. It takes two of the brothers to restrain it. The third needs to keep the sharp-horned adults at bay. Still, the calf puts up an impressive fight. But once on the ground, the calf's struggle seems to be futile. But it gets a momentary reprieve. Hyenas. One problem the brothers don't want to have to deal with. They are forced to abandon their prize. The feisty calf makes a dash for it. But it's already tired and injured. It's too good an opportunity for the hyenas to miss. They give chase. As fatigue sets in, the calf has little choice than to face its attackers. It's a brave defense, but the unfortunate wildebeest is outnumbered. The band of brothers can only watch as the hyenas benefit from their hard work. And inevitably, the hunt has been seen by the plane's undertakers. They gather in procession, waiting to take charge of the carcass. There is fierce competition. The birds must simultaneously fight with each other while avoiding the hyenas' deadly jaws. When the hyenas have had their fill, the birds claim the corpse. Tired from the chase, hungry and defeated, the brothers move on. Woe betide anyone in their path. Wildebeest bulls fringe the herd, monitoring their departure. The twins, Deo and Zuri, have chosen a bad resting place. They doze off, oblivious to the danger. They are directly in the brothers' path. Deo spots them. Knowing the danger, he slinks, body close to the ground, to get closer to his sister. They are exposed with nowhere to hide. All they have is each other. They are smaller, younger and outnumbered. As the intimidating approach quickens, the twins sink low into the grass. The aggression is aimed at Deo, a male and therefore a threat. He lunges to his sister's side. The brothers mean to kill. They are targeting Deo's sensitive rear and throat. Fur flies, but suddenly Zuri pipes up. It's almost as if the brothers had forgotten about the presence of the female. The attack pauses, and they turn their attentions to the anxious sister. She calls submissively, keeping low and letting the brothers take charge. They sniff around her, checking to see if she is ready to mate. The twins are hostage, but perhaps they have learned from past experience. They don't challenge the brothers. They don't even twitch a muscle. They just wait to see the next move. Remarkably, the brothers slope off. Perhaps they recognize that the female is too young to breed. For whatever reason, the attack is over. With a final menacing glance, they seem to say, we'll be back. The brothers have proved their point and now return to their patrol. But for now, the danger has passed. The twins regroup, Zuri licking her brother's wounds. They are shaken, but alive. If Deo had been found alone, the brothers would certainly have killed him. But the twins' strong union has saved his life. They have spent their first season together as adults. They'll need to go their separate ways and seek out mates. But now they can support one another. As the grass dries out, the vast herds of game begin their long migration. The twins will travel together as the season draws to a close, returning to the bush country. They will likely return separately next year, old enough to hold their own and stand up to the brothers' reign. The twins have matured. Now fully-fledged predators of the plains.