Big Cats 24/7

As night falls, Anna and Greg are following the Xudum pride mums and cubs. The cubs, led by Mathata, start to hunt a small herd of male buffalo. For the first time, the cubs and lionesses work together and succeed in bringing a bull down. But the rest of the buffalo herd return — they are not leaving their comrade behind.

A new generation of big cats rises in the Okavango Delta. First-time lion mum Serami protects her cubs while Mathata steps up to feed the pride. Pobe and Bo return, and as Lediba’s cub grows in confidence, she vanishes.

Leopard mother Lediba is out hunting after stashing her cub. As Brad follows her, Lediba appears to be using noise created by elephants to stalk something. It becomes clear that she’s after vervet monkeys. Scaling a tall cluster of trees, Lediba shows her incredible agility as she leaps from branch to branch.

Greg is with some of the young Xudum pride lionesses, including new lion mum Serami and her two tiny cubs. Their rest is broken by elephants — who do not like to share any space with lions. The lionesses are no match for the elephants, which leaves the cubs exposed and in danger.

The core of the Xudum Pride has fled south, but a group of its young females surprises the team in the north. Meanwhile, tragedy strikes the cheetah mother, Pobe, and Lediba, the leopard, struggles to provide for her ever-growing cub.

Reunited, the Xudum Pride lionesses struggle to feed their young — one cub is starving. As male leopards are pushed closer together by rising floodwaters, leopard mum Lediba and cheetah mum Pobe each fight to keep their cubs alive.

The number of male leopards moving through Lediba’s territory is a concern for her cub's safety, and right on cue, dominant male Bongwe appears. Lediba meets him head-on, standing her ground and is closely followed by her cub. But Bongwe doesn’t react — he must be the cub’s father.

Sets is called in to follow Pobe and her cubs and witnesses the cheetah bring down an impala in spectacular fashion. But she lets the impala go. It’s a test for her cubs — she is allowing them to put into practice what they have witnessed their mother do on many occasions.

Intruding male coalition “The Rogue Boys” catch up with Xudum pride mums Matho, Naledi and Tsebe, and their nine cubs. But the males get more than they bargain for as the mothers meet them head-on.

Under attack from a growing number of intruder male lions, the mums with young cubs must find the rest of the pride. Leopard mum Lediba risks it all for a meal, and the cheetah cubs face danger during a vital lesson in survival.

Brad has found Lediba the leopard, and she’s not happy — a lone male lion has stolen her meal. Having not eaten for several days and her cub now reliant on meat, she’s not leaving. As night falls and Greg joins Brad, Lediba chooses to undertake a highly risky move; using the cover of darkness she sneaks past the resting lion and steels her meal back while his back is turned.

Pobe’s cubs are no longer reliant on her milk; now weened, they need meat to sustain them. Rea and Anna follow in behind and as the cubs play, Pobe takes an opportunity to hunt. Zebra and antelope scatter as she charges out of cover to successfully bring down a meal for the three of them.