Lions of Gir Forest

Welcome to Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. I'm Peter Gross, co-host of the original Wild Kingdom with Marlon Perkins and Jim Fowler. You know, if there's one thing we've learned when filming Wild Kingdom, it's that nature can be harsh. Not all animals are strong and healthy enough to survive. In tonight's episode, we'll explore the relationship between predators and prey. Each plays an important role in keeping animal populations in check. The old and sickly animals are naturally weeded out, leaving the strong and healthy to produce the next generation. In fact, birds of prey like this owl are only successful about 50% of their attempts to catch food in the wild. This reality can seem harsh, but it's absolutely necessary to create that delicate yet natural balance of animals in the Wild Kingdom. So sit back and relax and enjoy Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. Mutual of Omaha. Welcome to Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. I'd like to ask a question. Where does this young lion cub come from? Most people know that lions are from Africa and tigers are from India, but do you realize that little lion cubs like this one also live in India? You know, no matter where they're from, it seems as if they're always hungry. It's hard to believe that a few centuries ago there were almost as many lions in India as there were tigers. Much of India's art, like this painting of lions killing water buffalo, indicates that lions were still plentiful in the 17th and 18th centuries. And interestingly enough, the emblem of modern India is the lion, not the tiger. Hunting and the advance of civilization has depleted the lion population to such an extent that today only about 300 are left in all of India. They're protected now, but still wild. Most of them live in this area in the Gir forest. I went to Gir to see if I could study them in their natural surroundings. On a lonely forest road we stop. There's a Maldari village nearby and before studying the lions I want to visit these strange people. My guide points out a shortcut, but it means walking through the forest and this is lion country. India is truly a land of surprises. You expect drabness, but instead you find color. In scorching summer the forest is bright with scarlet flame of the forest trees. It's as colorful as any Indian sari. Above you the branches are alive with green parakeets. Some are feeding their young. The trees also provide food for langur monkeys. This odd-looking creature with its gray coat and black face is regarded as holy by the Hindus. The shortcut to the Maldari village takes me deeper into Gir forest. Approaching a clearing a sudden movement catches my eye. A lioness on the prowl, one of the rare lions of Gir. Lions usually hunt in pairs and there's the second one. They probably made the kill earlier in the day and now the first lioness has come back for more. The second lion waits for the older one to finish before taking her turn. Luckily I'm downwind of them so they don't pick up my scent. Now that the first lioness returns to her cubs the other one takes command of the kill. Instead of eating here she's dragging it off. Perhaps she's heard the noise of the camera and that unsettled her. It's time to move on if I'm to reach the village of the Maldaris before noon. Nearing the edge of the forest I have to pick my way through dense thorn bushes. In a sandy clearing something moves, a mongoose on the hunt. The little predator is after his deadly enemy, an Indian cobra and the snake decides to fight. It's the speed of the mongoose against the poison fangs of the cobra in this fight. Now the mongoose must hold on for dear life. It's the more powerful cobra who is twisting his lighter opponent around. The mongoose is taking quite a beating. Like a wrestler the snake uses its longer body for leverage to try to break the hold but the mongoose won't let go. Suddenly there's a strange sound. The noise caused the mongoose to let go and both badly wounded contestants crawl away. That's what is making the noise, camel bells. Somehow you don't expect camels in India but now I know the village is nearby and there are the Maldaris, the strange tribe that lives so close to the lions of Gir forest. They depend on water buffaloes for their livelihood and even the children help tend them. They're a friendly people but what makes them so unique is that they raise their herds of buffalo and cattle next to a forest where the lions of India live. This is certainly a most unusual village. Now I can see how much they depend on buffalo. These women are churning buffalo milk, first stage in making a kind of butter called ghee. The buffalo produces a nourishing milk that has more fat than cow's milk. The Maldari's animals are of course domesticated but in its wild state the Indian buffalo is a dangerous creature and even a tiger will back away from an angry bull. Nearby two men of the village relax in the warm sunshine while one of the ghee makers cleans up before starting on the next batch. This woman cannot understand English and like all primitive people she's shy but she proudly shows me the white butter fat she's made that'll later become ghee. The Maldaris, a strange and gentle people who live so close to the lions of the Gir forest. I left the Maldari village and went back into the Gir forest to study the lions more closely. I set up an observation point in dense undergrowth overlooking a stream where a young lion cub was drinking. This is an ideal spot to observe the young lion cub. Soon a second cub arrives at the top of the very steep river bank and decides he's thirsty too but he's going to have a problem getting down that steep slope to join his companion. He solves the problem but not very gracefully. However these are fairly young cubs about a year old and although they're old enough to be off on their own and even capable of hunting they still lack the experience and the grace of an adult. But what's that? Two little pigs arrive on the opposite bank for a drink and immediately the cub spots them. The two little porkers had better watch out. He's not very experienced but he's anxious to learn. His companion watches while the pigs retreat and then stop. They appear to be fairly confused by the sudden appearance of this strange attacker. They can't seem to decide what to do. One pig heads for the bank and the cubs after the other. He grabs one but although his claws and teeth are developed he still hasn't learned to kill properly and his victim escapes. The second cub decides to act but it's too late to catch the pig. If the cubs were more experienced they'd have hunted as a pair and the young pig wouldn't be swimming off to safety unharmed. There goes the other one. They'll be harder to catch next time. They soon forget their disappointment and start their favorite game of roughhousing. Cubs spend much of their time stalking and chasing one another developing their hunting skills for use in the future. Their noisy chase up the hillside startles an Indian porcupine who lives in the rocks nearby. One cub sees him and wants to investigate but porcupines are dangerous. Their quills can cause painful even serious wounds and this one's already raising his quills. A sure sign he's getting angry. This little cub better beware. Now the porcupine's really mad and starts rattling his hollow tail quills. That surprises them but it doesn't stop the cub. Instead of letting Mr. Porcupine go on his way the lion cub keeps after him. Look out! The porcupine escapes from danger. Those quills are a deadly defense and too much for a youngster to handle. He wanted a mouthful of porcupine and wound up with a handful of quills. Once he gets the quill out he starts to chew on it. You never know what a cub will do next. Now the second lion wants to try. Only he's a little more careful. But when he sees his prey starting to leave the instinct to attack becomes too strong. He's had enough and he's learned his lesson. Porcupines may be small but they are more than able to look after themselves. It's a painful lesson but one this cub won't forget. Before leaving the gear forest I went back to the village of the Maldaris. It was the dry season and the lions were hungry. One of the buffalo had been lost. Its chance of survival in the lion infested forest was pretty slim but I agreed to help them look for it. As the Maldaris water their herds in the scorching heat I leave the village waterhole and head for gear forest. The loss of even one buffalo can be a tragic blow for these people who depend so much on them for survival. Not far from the waterhole is a goat that strayed off in search of food and now a cub forced by hunger to hunt close to the village sees him. The hungry lion prepares to attack. The goat was too quick for one young cub. In nature it's usually the agile and healthy animals who survive and predators must be experienced and ruthless to catch their food. On the edge of gear forest a guard or shikari is waiting. Together we'll hunt for the missing buffalo. It's not long before we pick up the buffalo's track. Our sudden appearance startles the other inhabitants of this lion infested forest. The farther the buffalo has wandered the less its chance of survival. If the cats don't get it it'll be dead before long without food and water. Then my suspicions are confirmed. Another track joins the one we're following. The spore of a lion. This means that now the big cat is also after the buffalo. We hurry but tracking in dry season is a painfully slow business. Then another ominous sign. Vultures gathering. An animal is either dead or almost dead. It could be the buffalo. No time to waste tracking now. We head towards the vultures and just ahead of us there's the lioness stalking through the forest. We're too late. The second cat is racing to the scene. The vultures watch and wait their turn and there's the buffalo almost dead on its feet from hunger and thirst. It's dangerous and downright impossible to stop hungry lions once they've scented the kill. The great jaws lock stopping the blood's flow and the victim's breathing and the end is mercifully swept. More vultures arrive on the scene attracted by the carcass but the scavengers must wait their turn until the king of beasts has eaten his fill. Predators kill only for food and eat no more than they need to survive. Patiently the vulture bides his time until the feast is over. Then hesitatingly at first they approach the carcass. Now made bold by the absence of the lions more and more scavengers hurry to feed. The vulture's keen eyesight helps them see dead animals from great distances. Even among carrion eaters there's an eating order and smaller birds like crows must wait their turn. The king of beasts isn't ready yet to give up his kill to the scavengers but soon he will be. They'll do their work and nothing will remain. Then peace will return to the forest until once again the lions of Gir must feed. The Gir forest provides the lion protection against the hazards of hunters. Whether this little cub was born in India or Africa he would look just about the same and his life would be the same. All young lions grow up under their mother's care, have rough and tumble battles with their brothers, and learn to hunt on their own, often the hard way. But the lions of the Gir forest may have taught us a lesson. They became more important than the Maldari's buffaloes and received care and protection from the government only after they'd already reached the brink of extinction. It may have come too late for them but if we learn from this lesson the Gir lions may have made an important contribution not only to the survival of lions in Africa but to all other threatened species that still roam freely in the wild kingdom. Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Like what you saw? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more exclusive content and visit our website at wildkingdom.com