7 Unforgettable Lion Moments | BBC Earth

As they mature, young males begin to explore the boundaries of the pride's territory. Red has ventured out alone. And blundered straight into the middle of the hyena clan. He's trapped by over 20 of them. The pack tries to leave him now. His only plan is to kill him. It's impossible to find them all at once. He can't keep them at bay for much longer. He's tiring fast. His ally, Tartu, has heard the commotion. Now the odds have changed. Even for 20 hyenas, a pair of male lions is too much to take on. Red is lucky. Tartu has saved his cousin's life. The lions are surrounded by wildebeest on their annual migration. A quarter-ton bull would make a good meal for all 10 of the pride. But even though Charm is an experienced hunter, most attempts end in failure. Charm uses her hind legs to knock the wildebeest off balance. The smallest cubs won't be able to catch food for themselves for another 12 months. Their ever-growing appetites mean that Charm and Sienna have to hunt around the clock. The females are often forced to head out alone. Tonight, it's Sienna's turn. Sunrise. Sienna is seriously injured. She's too weak to move. A lone lion is always at risk of attack by buffalo, hyenas, even other lion prides. It's evening, and Sienna hasn't returned to her family. Now everything depends on Charm. The cats are hungry, and the elephants seem to sense it. They don't usually hunt elephants, but desperate times require desperate measures. This herd contains cars, easier targets, and how to reach them. The adults encircle their young. It's an impenetrable wall of grey. A few exhausted stragglers are still arriving. One of them is alone. But it's too big for the lions to tackle. Looks a little smaller. A solitary lion stands no chance, but the whole pride is here. There are 30 of them, and they're specialist elephant hunters. The temperature has reached 50 degrees. Still, Blacktip pushes her pack on in pursuit. They're cruising in, just a kilometre behind Tate. He's forced to call a halt. Danger is approaching. And Nutt will try to pick off the puppies. There's only one adult with the pups to save them. This might... Buffalos and lions are always in conflict. To charge in alone is very unusual. But it's certainly saved the pups. Snares are simple wire traps set by poachers. But their impact on wildlife across Zambia is devastating. Godfrey, from Conservation South Uangwa, tries to remove every snare from the park that he can, before they catch any animals. But that's not always possible. Today, the vet team from the Zambian Carnivore Programme are responding to a report of a lion caught in a snare. Thousands of snares are set in the park each year. Sadly, often animals will come across the snares before Godfrey can get to them. People do set snares for consumption, for business. They can set that snare if they want an impala, but it can still catch a lion or a wild dog, which people don't feed on. If the ZCP vet team can get to the animals in time, they can help them. If they aren't found soon enough, the damage can be catastrophic. They need to be vigilant. If they lose a darted lion in the thick vegetation, it could die while under anaesthetic. But it's well worth the risk. The alternative is potentially an excruciating death. Luckily, the lion falls unconscious in a perfect spot, and the team get to work as fast as they can. There are many animals out here who have had close calls with snares. Thanks to ZCP, these survivors only carry the scars of what could have happened. This agama lizard has spotted an opportunity. Only one thing attracts more flies than the wildebeest. Lions that have eaten wildebeest. Lions are famously bad-tempered. They could swap the lizard like the flies he's hoping to ambush. He will need to pick his target, not her. Maybe, but no. To be within striking distance, he's got to hold his nerve. He's getting his eye in. This might be a bit ambitious. It may take courage to hunt on the back of a lion. It takes sense to know the wildebeest won't stay for long, and when they leave, most of the flies will follow. Lions will normally avoid hunting in such heat, but they're also opportunists. The lions will need to bring him down quickly before they overheat. Even away from the herd, a bull is a formidable opponent. It could gore and kill a lion. Close to overheating, they finally succeed in bringing him to the ground. But the massive bull is not giving up. Against the odds and the full weight of the lions, he regains his feet, and it is now that the tables turn. Lions are exhausted. After a 20-minute struggle, only the bull has the energy to finish the fight. In such exposed and extreme conditions, the challenge for predators and their prey is at its most intense.