[insects chirping]
[birds hooting]
[inspiring music playing]
[man] Leopards are the most supreme predator.
Their skill to hide...
their skill to climb, their skill to hunt...
it's very calculating.
It's very smart.
[inspiring music builds]
[man] I've lived with and filmed multiple leopards over the years,
and each one has a unique personality.
[Brad] The first time I met Mochima,
she easily jumped up into the top of these branches,
10 or 12 meters high,
and positioned herself
very deliberately.
I had no idea what she was doing.
[Mochima grunting softly]
[Brad] Then something extraordinary happened.
[suspenseful music building]
[thud]
[screeching]
[Brad] I'd never seen a leopard take such a risk
to get prey.
[tense music playing]
[Brad] But pretty soon after, she revealed the reason why.
[high-pitched mewling]
[solemn music playing]
[Brad] Getting a glimpse into the den and seeing these tiny cubs,
I really began to understand how vulnerable they are.
[cubs mewling]
[licking]
[cub mewling]
[Brad] The first two years are incredibly dangerous
and why less than half of all cubs make it to maturity.
[Brad] I had no idea where this story was going to go.
But I knew, by following this family,
I would open a window into a leopard's world nobody's ever seen.
["Feet Don't Fail Me Now" playing]
♪ I, I cry like crocodile ♪
♪ Then drink opinions out ♪
♪ I've always got an answer ♪
♪ The sun shines out my mouth ♪
- ♪ There ain't a rule I'd wanna break ♪ - ♪ There ain't a rule I'd wanna break ♪
♪ I'd rather kill than show my face ♪
♪ Man, I guess I was scared ♪
♪ Feet, don't fail me now ♪
♪ I got to stand my ground, my ground ♪
♪ And though I'm down for trying ♪
[vocalizing]
♪ My feet don't fail me now ♪
[birds singing]
[suspenseful music playing]
[Brad] Filming leopard cubs is always challenging
as a good mother will keep them completely concealed
and unknown to the world.
As the cubs get older,
they are relatively alert to the world.
But they won't venture beyond the boundaries of the den.
[growling softly]
[roaring gently]
[Brad] It is only after about three months
that the cubs start to explore outside of the den.
This is the time where their real characters are revealed.
And it's a good time to name them.
[both growling, yapping playfully]
[soft snarling, grunting]
Kutjira means "the shy one."
And she was the image of her mother.
Not only by looks but by personality.
[yawning]
[bird calling incessantly]
[Brad] You could see her watching and puzzling out the world around her.
There was a real sense of intelligence behind her eyes.
[mischievous music playing]
[Brad] I called her son Dakunga,
which means "the one who wants power."
He was the complete opposite of his sister.
[quacking curiously]
[Brad] He was a lot more cavalier.
A lot more clumsy.
[dramatic music playing]
[birds calling fearfully]
[music stops]
[zebra nickers]
[Brad] If you're gonna survive in the wild,
you can't throw caution to the wind.
It's a dangerous place to grow up.
[dramatic music playing]
[zebra huffs]
[nickering]
["Hard Life" by Pip Millet playing]
[vocalizing]
[flies buzzing]
♪ Free to believe ♪
♪ In words I didn't mean ♪
♪ Used to get by ♪
♪ I'd rather die than to cry... ♪
[snarling]
♪ It's a hard life ♪
[vocalizing]
♪ It's a hard life ♪
♪ You make me happy... ♪
[Brad] Filming leopards requires a large amount of dedication and passion.
And I knew that if I was going to be able to keep up with this family,
there's no way that I could do it alone.
♪ It's a... ♪
♪ Straw that broke the camel's back ♪
♪ Don't think I can live with that ♪
♪ Always seem to fall ♪
♪ Harder than before... ♪
[Brad] I had to build a team that were incredibly driven
and were prepared to commit several years of their lives
to following these leopards.
[singer vocalizing]
[man 1] I grew up in the city, and, coming here,
I didn't really know how to cope in the bush.
My mom especially was not happy.
She thought that one of the wild animals, the predators, is going to get me.
- [roaring] - ♪ Straw that broke the camel's back ♪
♪ Don't think I can live with that ♪
♪ Always seem to fall ♪
♪ Harder than before... ♪
[Noah] I had no idea I was gonna end up here.
And I had minimum experience of the camera and the bush.
So I was thrown in the deep end, and I had to prove myself.
Yeah, so Mochima stashed her cubs in Leopard Central
and she's heading east towards Mongoose Tree Line.
It looks like she's hunting.
[ominous music playing]
[Noah] So you can see her concentration.
There's one thing on her mind.
She's here to get food on the table.
Because, if you fail,
you might have to go three days without feeding your kids,
which starts to get dangerous.
[Brad] Every move that they make is very deliberate,
and you can see the thought process playing out.
As a hunt unfolds...
that intelligence,
combined with its ability to remain concealed,
is what really defines a leopard.
It's extraordinary how close a leopard can get,
and how completely oblivious the prey is.
I've seen Mochima stalk within a few feet of prey
and spend up to an hour
in that position before actually pouncing.
[huffs]
[scared chittering]
[impala groans]
[growls softly]
[Brad] An experienced hunter might suffocate its prey
by biting over its mouth and nose
to prevent any noise that may alert other predators.
The quieter a leopard can kill, the more successful they are.
[snorts]
[growling softly]
[Brad] Leopards can pull a carcass up into a tree
to keep it away from scavengers,
but a mother with very young cubs will often hide it on the ground.
[calling quietly]
[Brad] When Mochima called for the cubs,
Kutjira, as per character, responded immediately.
But there was no sign of Dakunga.
He had obviously been playing well away from where he should've been.
And pushing your boundaries in these environments could be fatal.
[tense music playing]
[Brad] Mochima had to call several times before she got an answer.
[Dakunga barking softly]
[soft barking]
[Brad] He didn't really care.
He feels like he's in charge already.
The carcass provides an opportunity for the cubs to learn.
And there's this very comical sort of ritual that plays out...
where they almost relive the hunt in their heads.
[growling softly]
This is vital because it ignites their bloodlust
and is an important step to them becoming independent hunters.
[soft growling]
[tense music playing]
[Brad] Now that the cubs are well-fed and fat and happy,
Mochima has to go and maintain her territory
that is about 20 square kilometers in size.
To do this, she has to patrol her boundaries,
scent-marking as she goes.
[growling softly]
[snarls gently]
[Seetsele] When you're following her, it's a huge challenge.
She could walk for seven, eight hours straight.
Your body is in a stressed state trying to keep up.
During that time, sometimes we forget to eat
because you don't want to lose her.
[Brad] This scent-marking lets other female leopards know
that this is her land
and to keep out.
But this doesn't deter nomadic males venturing into her territory.
[tense music playing]
[huffs]
[Brad] The biggest killer of leopard cubs is other leopards.
And this nomadic male was a threat to Kutjira and Dakunga.
They will deliberately kill the cubs to bring a female back into estrus
so they can mate with her.
[zebras calling fearfully]
[Brad] The only thing that could stand in his way...
is Mokhanyo...
[growling gently]
...the area's dominant male, and the cubs' father.
[tense music continues]
[Brad] As soon as Mokhanyo picked up the scent of the intruder,
he immediately started to track him down.
[unsettling music playing]
[Brad] It wasn't long before
Mokhanyo caught up with the slightly pale male.
[snarling softly]
[short, sharp grunting]
[gentle growling]
[unsettling music continues]
[Greg] So we had this situation
where these two males, they were sizing each other up.
The tension was building, and building, and building.
[dramatic music playing]
[Greg] Eventually, a point broke where these two males had to fight.
[panicked shrieking]
[Greg] It happened in a thick scrubby area, out of sight.
[huffing]
[Greg] The stakes were high.
This was a fight that would ultimately determine
the life or death of Kutjira and Dakunga.
[Brad] The young intruder was the first to emerge.
But there was no sign of Mokhanyo.
The uncertainty was horrible.
[impala snorts]
[tense music playing]
[Brad] He finally emerged, properly beaten up.
But, because the nomadic male started to leave,
he was clearly the victor.
["Colors" by Black Pumas playing]
[Brad] We all breathed a huge sigh of relief,
knowing that Mochima's family was safe
and that we could continue their story.
♪ I woke up to the morning sky, first ♪
♪ Baby blue, just like we rehearsed ♪
♪ When I get up off this ground ♪
♪ I shake leaves back down To the brown, brown, brown, brown ♪
♪ Till I'm clean... ♪
[Noah] There's been days and weeks
where you don't interact with a single person.
So it's important to be comfortable with your own mind space.
♪ Then I walk Where I'd be shaded by the trees ♪
♪ By a meadow of green ♪
♪ For about a mile ♪
♪ I'm headed to town, town, town ♪
♪ In style... ♪
[Greg] I've always been a bit of an introvert,
and I guess that being out here in the peace and the quiet
aligned with my character.
♪ Little bitty blues bird flies ♪
♪ And gray clouds Or white walls, or blue skies ♪
♪ We gon' fly, feel all right... ♪
[Greg] Sleeping out at night, you have to keep your wits about you.
There's always a chance of snakes and scorpions and lions walking past.
But also, you're underneath a blanket of stars,
uh, which nowadays people don't really get to experience.
♪ All my favorite colors ♪
♪ Right on ♪
♪ My sisters and my brothers ♪
♪ They see 'em like no other ♪
♪ All my favorite colors ♪
[music fades out]
[animals chattering]
[Seetsele] When you wake up, you immerse yourself in the environment.
When you're looking out,
you're not just looking for leopards, say on trees or walking.
You're also looking at other game in the area
to see if they are relaxed or if they are alert.
And that will also give you signs if there's, uh, a leopard nearby or not.
[low rumbling]
Uh, gents,
I have some female leopard tracks on the link road
heading towards Pangolin Forest.
Uh, looking quite fresh. I'll follow them.
You have to become a leopard and think like one, act like one.
That's the key to finding them.
That comes with time and putting in the miles every day.
[solemn music playing]
Yeah, so I've managed to pin down Mochima.
She's with Kutjira, and they're heading towards Mangosteen Crossing.
[tense music playing]
[Brad] When a leopard cub gets to about a year of age,
their hunting instincts really begin to kick in.
And at this stage,
Mochima was taking Kutjira out on a number of hunts
so that she could watch and learn.
[ominous music sting]
[Noah] There's this one time when Kutjira is watching Mom hunting.
And Mom is in full stalk mode.
Fully elusive, doesn't want to be seen.
[grass crunching]
[tense music building]
[Noah] And then, all of a sudden, Kutjira pulls in
'cause she wants a little snuggle with her mom. [chuckles]
[impalas huffing]
[Noah] I mean, you gotta give your kids attention,
but not at work. [laughs]
[Mochima snarls gently]
[snorts]
[soft snarling]
- [grizzles] - [snarls]
[Brad] Kutjira has the best intention,
but she hasn't got the skill yet, the experience.
But at least she's willing to learn.
[growling]
[suspenseful music playing]
[Brad] Dakunga was completely different to his sister.
He didn't have the focus to want to learn from anybody.
He was kind of on his own mission.
He was always getting himself into trouble.
[hissing]
[Brad] Out of Mochima's two cubs,
there was always a concern that Dakunga might not make it.
[Greg] There was one particular period when he was gone for a number of days.
It was unusual. We couldn't find him. We didn't know where he was.
It's very, very easy for a leopard at that stage of their lives
to be killed by predators.
[radio crackles]
[Greg] Yeah, so I'm up by Velvet Tree Line now,
and, um, there's no sign of Dakunga.
There's a cheetah family nearby, so I'll probably spend my time with them.
It was a mother with two big subadult boys.
And they managed to kill an impala.
I checked them eating a bit.
And then, who do I see?
Dakunga.
His direction is the impala carcass with the cheetah family.
[tense music playing]
[Greg] And he's getting closer, getting closer, getting closer.
Only him will try to claim this impala,
as a little boy, from three big cheetahs.
This describes Dakunga's personality to a T.
[tense music building]
[squelching]
[dramatic music playing]
[music fades]
[Greg] I never heard a leopard getting chased by a cheetah.
And I never heard a leopard being up in a palm tree.
We sit and watch these leopards for hours, and days, and weeks
not doing anything.
But that one day, you need to make sure you are on point.
[chuckles]
[tense music playing]
[Brad] Dakunga must have thought his luck was in
when he caught the scent of another kill.
So he followed his nose, only to find that this was Mokhanyo's, his father.
You don't push in on a dominant male's kill.
But Dakunga was led by his stomach.
It made little difference that it was his father.
- [tense music playing] - [snarling]
[Brad] He was playing with fire.
[low growling]
[growling gently]
[tense music building]
[grunting]
[snarling]
[Mokhanyo growls]
[Brad] Each time Dakunga failed,
I thought that he would come to his senses and give up.
[tense music playing]
[Brad] But he has no sense of danger, and he just persisted.
[tense music building]
[Mokhanyo growls]
[Dakunga hisses, grumbles]
[Brad] Incredibly, his boldness paid off.
[Dakunga snarls]
[Brad] I would never have expected this situation to end like this,
and I'm not sure why Mokhanyo conceded.
Maybe there was an acknowledgement from his father, which'd be astounding.
It's a real testament to Dakunga's character.
And moments like these really
show a different side to leopards
that we've never really seen before.
[uplifting music playing]
[Brad] At the end of the day, the family reunited.
[soft growling]
[Brad] The bonding over that moment is incredible.
There's a lot of playfulness, a lot of jumping.
And in Dakunga's case, arsing about, really.
[uplifting music continues]
[soft growling]
[Brad] Those moments of joy were getting fewer and fewer.
They're definitely approaching a time where...
[playful grunting]
...they're gonna be more independent...
which is inevitable as a leopard.
- [awe-inspiring music playing] - [birds calling]
[Greg] Noah, Noah?
[Noah] Yeah, Greg, go.
[Greg] Quiet on my side. Um, I haven't found any signs,
so I'm thinking I'm gonna go into camp to refresh.
[radio beeps]
[Noah] Uh, copy that, Greg.
It's very quiet my side as well, so I'll be shortly after you.
I'll see you in camp.
[Greg] Sitting in a car for almost a week, without moving, is not ideal.
And so getting into camp, playing a bit of sport,
having a shave, you know,
just looking after yourself as well is important.
[Hannah] The crew have become like an extended family.
Without that level of team dynamic,
the whole operation just wouldn't be possible.
[laughing]
[inspiring music playing]
[Seetsele] A lot of us have this disease of coming back to camp,
you feel like you're missing out on all the action out in the bush.
So you do as much as you can in camp,
but try as much as possible to get back out there.
[music builds, stops]
[strong wind blowing]
[Brad] When the Okavango is at its hottest,
winds blow across the land...
[rumbling]
...and thunderstorms start to build.
[loud crackling]
[Brad] But when it finally breaks, it pours down.
Everything seems to celebrate its arrival.
It's a relief from the relentless heat
and a promise of easier times...
when life is breathed into the environment.
[uplifting music playing]
[Brad] Almost everything gives birth in this season.
There's no better time for 18-month-old leopard cubs...
to get familiar with what their prey will be in the future.
[radio crackles]
[Greg] I've been tracking Kutjira.
We are near Mongoose Tree Line at the moment.
Um, she's bedding down for a rest.
She'd been in this bush for a couple of hours...
[monkeys squealing]
...and that's when a big troop of baboons started coming into the area.
And Kutjira might have thought, "Maybe I could grab a youngster."
And she'd stuck around too long in that bush.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Greg] She was surrounded by big male baboons
that have massive, formidable teeth that are made for causing damage.
[roaring]
[Greg] She was in big trouble.
[dramatic music playing]
[baboons screeching]
[tense music playing]
[tense music building]
[music stops]
[Greg] I don't think she's ever ran so fast in her whole life.
But she realized that things can change very quickly out here.
[ethereal music playing]
[wind blowing]
[Noah] We spent more time with the leopards
during the period of this project than with any other being on this planet.
It was amazing to be let into this super elusive and secretive family,
into their deepest secrets.
[Seetsele] You really get, uh, emotionally attached to these cats
because every week and day, you are with them,
and there's a point where you start rooting for them.
[Noah] You laugh and you cry with themk
and you know, there's times where you think to yourself,
"I really love this cat."
But you need to be able to draw a line in the sand.
And it comes down to letting them live their lives as leopards
and being an observer.
[gentle instrumental music playing]
[Brad] It was inevitable that Mochima would look to mate again.
And when the cubs were two years old...
she came into season.
[solemn music playing]
[Brad] She wanted to get the attention of Mokhanyo,
and began to leave her scent all around her territory.
[mischievous music playing]
[Brad] When two leopards come together,
it's an intense affair.
They will mate hundreds of times over four or five days.
Typically, the female is gonna be the one who's gonna push the mating behavior.
She'll flirt with him...
and smother him in love and attention.
[Mochima growling seductively]
[Brad] Cut to three days of mating, and the male is tired.
He's exhausted. He's drained.
[playful music playing]
[Brad] And she still wants to make sure
that this mating behavior is gonna be successful.
She's really just trying to make sure that he knows these are gonna be his cubs.
[low roaring]
[playful snarling]
[Brad] Having mated, Mochima is expected to have a new family.
And both Kutjira and Dakunga pose a... a real danger to her unborn cubs.
[grunts]
[snarls softly]
[Brad] Mochima now only has three months
to get them both out of the door before the new family arrives.
It's a real ticking clock.
Kutjira was showing great signs of progress,
but still hasn't managed to nail her own first kill.
Dakunga, on the other hand, was still making big mistakes.
And a considerable worry.
Mochima knew he needed help.
And, as a good mother,
she deliberately showed him where to find his prey.
[tense music playing]
Mochima obviously knew
that there were warthog piglets inside this hole
and was bringing her son to a perfect opportunity.
That's a thought-out process. That's nothing instinctual.
It was an incredible piece of behavior to witness.
[snarls softly]
[ominous music playing]
[Brad] What she didn't expect was the mother to be home.
Confronting an adult warthog in a hole is almost impossible.
[Mochima snarls]
[Brad] Their razor-sharp tusks would rip them apart.
[warthog grunting]
[tense music playing]
[Noah] Kutjira has been observing Dakunga and Mochima,
learning from their mistakes.
Fighting a battle they never can win.
[growling softly]
[Noah] And then a week or so later,
Kutjira is just sitting 25 meters away from a warthog burrow.
And she waits.
[grunts]
[Noah] An hour later,
I look at the warthog mother walking out the burrow.
[panicked squealing]
[frantic squealing]
[Noah] It all made sense to me afterwards that she's been calculating this
from the moment we stopped next to this warthog burrow.
That's incredible!
["Icicles" by Jasmine Rodgers playing]
♪ Oh, gracious ♪
♪ How sweet to find ♪
♪ The loved ones ♪
♪ The meeting of minds ♪
♪ I will be finding out ♪
♪ Just where to find you ♪
♪ Over mountains ♪
♪ Just where to find you... ♪
[Brad] Kutjira was not only growing in skill but growing in size
and becoming sexually mature.
She began to scent-mark
all around her mother's territory.
That will attract nomadic males in,
and they pose a real threat to Mochima's unborn cubs.
♪ Oh, icicles will melt ♪
♪ When I have found you ♪
♪ And we will melt the snow ♪
[music fades out]
[tense music playing]
[Brad] Mochima had very little choice but to push Kutjira out.
She picked up Kutjira's scent very quickly
and got on her trail.
[growling softly]
[Brad] Kutjira recognized her mother.
But her body language was different.
Her approach was more serious and focused.
[both snarling]
[Brad] When the fight broke up, you could see confusion in Kutjira's face.
She couldn't understand the aggression.
[solemn music playing]
[Brad] Mochima kept pushing her further and further
towards the edge of her territory.
When Kutjira felt that there was no further to go
and needed to push back and try and hold her ground,
it was seen as a challenge.
[tense music building]
[low growling]
[snarling]
[both snarling, growling]
[growling]
[sorrowful purring]
[tense music playing]
[Brad] That was the end of that relationship.
Mother and daughter had to go their different ways.
[solemn music playing]
[Brad] It's hard to understand in human terms.
The separation we have with our offspring
are never so abrupt.
To see it in a leopard's life
is brutal.
But that's the way the natural world works.
And Kutjira was pushed out into the unknown,
and she was not welcome back.
For Mochima to safely have a new litter,
she needed both her cubs to leave home,
but Dakunga was still hanging around.
[tense music playing]
[birds calling]
[squawking]
[Brad] Instead of thinking
and using the skills that his mother had passed onto him,
he would charge into situations,
which is not how a leopard should hunt.
[solemn music playing]
- [dramatic music playing] - [low squawking]
[dramatic music building]
[Brad] He was failing dismally,
time and time again.
Dakunga was not ready,
and if he was pushed out now, he wouldn't survive.
[tense music playing]
[Noah] So there's this one day, when Dakunga climbs this warthog burrow.
I've seen all of the leopards checking warthog burrows before...
but I've never seen one attempting the biggest warthog in the area.
Sabretooth.
[tense music playing]
[distant bird squawking]
- [dramatic music playing] - [warthog snorts]
[Noah] He's not gonna take fail for an answer, so he follows this warthog,
and he tries again.
[warthog grunting]
[grunting]
[Dakunga growling]
[warthog grunting weakly]
[Noah] To kill a fully adult male warthog.
He proved us all wrong.
Yeah, it was a proud moment.
[Brad] The warthog kill really changed Dakunga's mindset,
and this was now impacting on his mother.
[gentle growling]
[snarling]
[Brad] Physically, he was dominating her and becoming a threat,
not just to her but to her unborn cubs.
[grumbling]
[Brad] You could see the relationship beginning to break apart.
Every time they met, the aggression was growing.
[both snarling, growling]
[growling, snarling]
[Brad] Finally, Mochima snapped.
[low growling]
[dramatic music playing]
[snarling]
[hissing]
[growling]
[Dakunga purring sorrowfully]
[Mochima snarling]
[growling]
[Brad] The familiarity and the kindness was gone.
[low growling]
[roaring]
[Brad] He turned his back on his mother's territory
and decided to take his own path.
[tense music playing]
[Brad] Mochima had done everything that she could for Dakunga.
And he went out into the world with the best chance.
We had to just watch him leave,
and we never knew whether we would see him again.
[Seetsele] It is a bittersweet moment.
Regardless of what you may be feeling,
he has to leave to get his own territory and one day start his own family.
[Hannah] There's this sense of pride that he's made it this far.
He's done the hardest part of his journey.
[Greg] You know that he's gonna go out there and be successful.
He's a big, strong boy, and you take comfort in that.
[Brad] With Dakunga departing,
this unique window into a family life of leopards was over.
[sweeping instrumental music playing]
[Brad] I don't think anybody could be part of this
and not be changed by the experiences that we shared.
[high-pitched mewling]
[Brad] Spending two and a half years filming with these leopards
has given me a different view on our lives.
There's something pure about the life they live.
It's very uncluttered and uncomplicated,
and I think if I could be more like that in my life...
it'd be a good thing.
[ethereal music playing]
[Brad] A couple of months after we stopped following Mochima,
Noah called me and said that he had found her...
lying in the forest line, dead.
[solemn music playing]
[Brad] The irony of only being able to touch her once she was dead...
was... terrible.
You know, it was one of the hardest moments
I've had to deal with...
is seeing a cat that I got to know and loved so much...
gone.
I can never be certain as to what happened to her.
But these animals have very sharp, short lives.
And hers was exceptional.
We were just lucky enough to witness a part of it.
After Mochima's death,
it was as though our world had completely emptied out.
There were no leopards around us.
That was until Greg called in that he had found Kutjira.
[lilting instrumental music playing]
[Brad] She was on the edge of her mother's territory.
There was clear excitement right through the crew
that she was back.
["Hands of Time" by Groove Armada playing]
♪ Keep looking through the window pane ♪
♪ Just trying to see Through the pouring rain ♪
♪ It's hearing your name ♪
♪ Hearing your name ♪
♪ I really never felt quite the same ♪
♪ Since I lost what I had... ♪
[Brad] She perched high up in the branches of a tree.
♪ No one to blame ♪
♪ Seems to me ♪
♪ Can't turn back the hands of time... ♪
[Greg] I did notice some impala fairly close by.
And in the back of my mind,
I had an inkling that if the impala get under the tree,
she might actually try to hunt.
Eventually, some of the rams get underneath the tree.
My goodness, you... you just see this head pop out.
[impala huffing]
[Greg] She nailed it. Absolutely nailed it.
[Brad] It gave us a lot of comfort,
knowing that Mochima's legacy was continuing.
It made the end of the story more of a beginning.
A new chapter in Kutjira's life, where she was evolving
into an exceptional cat in her own right.
♪ Whoa, it seems to me ♪
♪ Can't turn back the hands of time ♪
♪ Seems to me ♪
♪ Can't turn back the hands of time ♪
♪ Seems to me ♪
♪ History was left behind ♪
[vocalizing]
[music fades out]
(波札那,奧卡凡哥三角洲)
豹是至尊掠食者
牠們的躲藏技術
攀爬技術、狩獵技術
都非常縝密、精明
我多年來和數隻豹一起生活、拍攝
每一隻都有其獨特性格
(布雷)
我第一次見到莫奇瑪時
牠輕而易舉跳上 離地十、十二公尺的樹枝上
從容不迫就定位
我不知道牠在做什麼
然後令人意想不到的事發生了
我從沒見過有哪隻豹 冒這麼大的風險打獵
但牠很快就揭曉了原因
在牠的巢穴中看到這些小豹
我才眞正開始明白牠們有多脆弱
前兩歲危險得不可思議
所以才衹有不到半數的小豹 有機會長為成年豹
我不知道這個故事會如何發展
但我知道衹要跟著這個家庭
就能從前所未有的角度一窺豹的世界
《小豹的驚奇旅程》
拍攝小豹的難度一向都很高
因為稱職的雌豹會將牠們徹底藏匿
外界完全無法發現
小豹長大一點後
會相對地留意外界
但不會冒險越過巢穴的範圍
要到三個月大左右
小豹才會開始探索巢穴外的世界
此時牠們眞正的性格會開始顯露
所以也很適合為牠們取名字
庫丘拉,意思是“羞赧者”
牠跟母親如出一轍
(勇者 莫奇瑪)
不衹是長相,個性也一樣
可以看出牠會觀察、分析周遭世界
牠的眼底帶著一股慧黠感
我把牠兒子取名為達坤卡
意思是“追求力量者”
牠和姊姊徹底相反
牠漫不經心多了
身手也笨拙許多
如果要在野外生存,就不能不顧風險
野外是充滿危險的地方
跟拍豹需要大量心力與熱情
我知道如果想跟上這家庭
絕對不可能衹靠自己
(史帝夫)
(格雷)
我必須打造一支團隊
擁有鍥而不捨的精神
以及貢獻數年人生的心理準備
跟這些豹亦步亦趨
我從小到大都是都市人
剛來到這裡的時候 我不知道該怎麼應付野外生活
(西賽)
我媽尤其不開心
她覺得我會被野生動物殺掉
我從沒想過我會跑來這裡
(諾亞)
拍攝和野外生活經驗也是少之又少
所以我面臨艱難處境,必須證明自己
莫奇瑪把小豹藏在豹總站
然後往東前往貓鼬林線
看來是在狩獵
我們可以看到牠的專註
牠腦中衹有一件事
就是要養家活口
因為一旦失敗
可能就必須三天無法餵孩子
這會開始有危險
牠們的一舉一動都經過深思熟慮
我們能看到牠的思考過程逐漸實現
隨著狩獵的進行
那等智力,結合隱蔽能力
正是豹的核心本質
豹可能那麼接近獵物
又毫不為獵物察覺,實在令人稱奇
我看過莫奇瑪在幾步之距追躡獵物
維持那個姿勢長達一個小時
然後才一撲而上
老練獵手會悶死獵物
咬住對方的口鼻
以防發出任何聲音,驚動其他掠食者
獵殺進行得越靜謐,就越容易成功
豹能把獵物拖上樹,遠離食腐動物
但有小豹的雌豹 通常會把獵物藏在地上
莫奇瑪呼喚小豹時
庫丘拉一如往常立即回應
卻不見達坤卡的豹影
牠顯然是跑到不該去的地方玩了
在這種環境中 超越界線可能會引來殺身之禍
莫奇瑪叫了好幾次,才得到回應
達坤卡蠻不在乎
牠早就覺得自己是老大了
獵物屍體給了小豹學習機會
牠們進行了一種非常有趣的儀式
在腦中重演該次狩獵
這很重要,因為會燃起牠們的嗜血
也是成為獨立獵手的重要一步
既然小豹已吃飽喝足
莫奇瑪就必須去維護地盤
大小差不多廿平方公尺
牠必須在地盤邊界巡邏
一邊留下氣味做記號
跟拍牠的難度極高
牠能一次走上七、八個小時
我會因為要拼命跟上而身體緊繃
這時有時候會忘記吃東西
因為不想追丟牠
留氣味的行為能讓其他雌豹知曉
這是牠的地盤,不要擅闖
但無法阻止流浪雄豹闖進牠的地盤
最常殺害小豹的兇手
就是其牠的豹
這隻流浪雄豹 對庫丘拉和達坤卡來說是一大威脅
牠會故意殺死小豹 讓雌豹重回發情期
就可以跟牠交配
唯一能阻止牠的
就是馬卡紐
(老大 馬卡紐)
牠是這一區的首領雄豹
也是小豹們的父親
馬卡紐一聞到入侵者的氣味
便立即開始追蹤牠
要不了多久
馬卡紐便追上這隻稍微羸弱的雄豹
所以便上演了
兩隻雄豹互相打量的戲碼
氣氛越來越緊繃
最後兩雄之戰爆發
決戰地點是在一片濃密灌木叢裡
沒人看得到
這一戰風險很高
將會一次決定
庫丘拉和達坤卡的生死
年輕的入侵者先現身了
不見馬卡紐的身影
那股懸疑感讓人煎熬
牠終於出現了,遍體鱗傷、身負重傷
但由於那隻流浪雄豹開始撤離
顯然是牠打贏了
莫奇瑪的家庭脫離險境安全了 我們都大大鬆了一口氣
可以繼續拍攝牠們的故事
我們有時會好幾天、好幾週 沒機會和任何人互動
所以要能自在自處是很重要的
我一直都有點內向
來到這片安詳靜謐荒野
其實也很符合我的性格
在野外睡覺時，必須保持警戒
可能隨時有蛇蠍、獅豹路過
但同時又能以星空為幕
現代人要有這種體驗可不容易
(六個月後)
醒來後,便會沉浸在環境中
觀察的時候
不衹是在看樹上或地上的豹
同時也在觀察該區的其他動物
看看牠們是放鬆還是警戒
藉以得知豹是不是在附近
各位,連接道路上有其他雌豹的足跡
朝穿山甲林過去
看起來才剛留下,我跟上去看看
我們必須成為豹,學牠的思考、行動
這是找到牠們的關鍵
這要靠每天付出的時間和培養追蹤的距離
我成功找到了莫奇瑪
牠跟庫丘拉在一起 牠們正朝山竹岔口前進
小豹長到一歲大的時候
狩獵本能會眞正開始覺醒
在這個階段 莫奇瑪帶庫丘拉進行了多次狩獵
讓牠旁觀學習
有一次庫丘拉在旁觀摩媽媽狩獵
媽媽進入完全潛行模式
銷聲匿跡,不想被看到
突然之間,庫丘拉跑了過來
因為牠想跟媽媽抱抱
我們當然得用心陪孩子
但不是工作的時候
庫丘拉很有心
但還沒有技術和經驗
但牠至少願意學習
達坤卡和姊姊完全不同
牠沒有向任何前輩學習的專註力
牠有自己的事要做
牠常惹麻煩上身
對於莫奇瑪所生的兩隻小豹
我們常擔心達坤卡會活不下來
有一次,牠一去好幾天
很不尋常,我們找不到牠 不知道牠在哪
在那階段的豹 很容易被其他掠食者殺害
我在絲絨林線,沒有達坤卡的蹤跡
附近有個獵豹家庭
我可能會花點時間觀察牠們
是一隻雌豹和兩隻接近成年的小雄豹
牠們成功殺死了一隻黑斑羚
我觀察牠們進食了一段時間
然後猜猜我看到誰
達坤卡
牠朝那個黑斑羚屍身與獵豹家庭走去
越來越近...
衹有牠才會想搶這隻黑斑羚
一隻小豹,對上三隻大獵豹
這行徑準確描繪出達坤卡的個性
我從未聽過有豹被獵豹追殺
也沒聽過有豹爬上棕櫚樹
我們坐著觀察這些豹好幾個禮拜
無所事事
但在那天必須打起十二分精神
達坤卡一定以為自己走運了
因為牠又聞到現成獵物的味道
所以牠跟著鼻子走 卻發現這次的對手是父親馬卡紐
動物通常不會接近首領的獵物
但達坤卡此時是用肚子思考
就算對方是父親也不管
牠在玩火
達坤卡每次失敗
我都以為牠會認清事實放棄
但牠毫無危機感,屢敗屢試
結果牠的無畏出乎意料有了成果
我完全沒料到結果會是這樣
我不確定馬卡紐為何讓步
或許是父親對牠有了認可
那倒是非常驚人
這次的行為忠誠傳達了達坤卡的性格
就是這種時刻
展現了我們在豹身上未曾見過的一面
那天到最後,牠們一家團聚了
那一刻的家庭互動非常感人
氣氛歡樂,不停跳上躍下
達坤卡則是胡鬧瞎搞
那些歡樂時刻已經越來越少
牠們一步一腳印接近獨立自主的時刻
這對豹來說無可避免
諾亞?
格雷,請說
我這邊很安靜,什麼跡像都沒發現
所以我想去營區恢復一下精神
収到,格雷
我這邊也很安靜 所以不久後也會跟上你
我們營區見
坐在車上一動也不動將近一週 對人來說不太理想
所以到營區做做運動
刮個鬍子
照顧一下自己
也很重要
(漢娜)
我們團隊變得像一個大家庭
若沒有那種程度的團隊關係
這項任務根本不可能成功
我們許多人都有一種病
每當回到營區 就會覺得好像錯過了野外的精彩
所以回到營區時就會盡量找事做
但也會盡快回到工作崗位
(六個月後)
奧卡凡哥三角洲最熱的時候
陸地上會颳風
雷雨也會開始醞釀
雨終於開始下,鋪天蓋地而來
萬物好像都在慶祝天降甘霖
讓牠們從無情酷暑中解放
有望過得輕鬆一點
為這片環境灌註了生命
幾乎所有生物都在這個季節生育
對十八個月大的小豹而言
沒有比這時節 更適合用來熟悉未來獵物
我在追蹤庫丘拉
目前正在接近貓鼬林線
牠正躺著休息
牠在這片灌木叢裡待幾小時了
此時有一大群狒狒開始進入這區
庫丘拉或許在想 “我說不定可以抓隻小狒狒”
牠在那片灌木叢待了太久
結果被雄狒狒包圍
牠們有著殺傷力極強的可怕巨牙
牠麻煩大了
牠這輩子應該沒逃得那麼快過
但牠發現局勢在這裡是瞬息萬變
我們在這個專題期間 花在和豹相處的時間
比地球上其他生物都還要多
能夠深入這個超神出鬼沒的家庭
深入牠們最深層的祕密,眞的很棒
眞的會和這些大貓產生感情
因為跟著牠們的每一天、每一週
最後總是會開始為牠們加油
和牠們一起歡笑、痛哭
有時候我們心裡會想
“我好愛這隻大貓”
但我們必須要能劃清界線
簡而言之,就是讓牠們過著豹的生活
我們單純衹當觀察者
莫奇瑪終究會再次求偶
等小豹兩歲大的時候
牠進入了求偶季
牠想引起馬卡紐的關註
開始在地盤附近留下氣味
兩隻豹湊在一起
是很激烈的事
牠們會在四、五天內交配幾百次
通常是由雌豹帶動交配行為
雌豹會和雄豹調情
給牠滿滿的愛和關註
鏡頭來到交配三天後,雄豹已疲乏
精疲力盡、欲振乏力
雌豹還是想確保
這次的交配會有成果
雌豹其實衹是想確保 雄豹知道生下來的是自己的後代
交配後,莫奇瑪預期會有新家庭
庫丘拉和達坤卡 就對牠未出生的小豹成了一大威脅
莫奇瑪現在衹剩三個月
能趕在新家人出生前把牠們趕出家門
時間非常緊迫
庫丘拉展現了非常大的進步
但還是未能成功獵到第一頭獵物
另一方面,達坤卡還是不停犯大錯
非常令人擔心
莫奇瑪知道牠需要幫助
牠身為好母親
特意帶牠去看哪裡能找到獵物
莫奇瑪顯然知道這個洞裡有小疣豬
為兒子送上一個大好良機
這是深思熟慮的程序 而非單靠本能辦事
目睹這種行為令人感到不可思議
但牠沒料到雌疣豬也在家
要在洞裡對抗成年疣豬 幾乎是不可能的任務
牠們的鋒利獠牙會把對手開腸破肚
庫丘拉一直在觀察達坤卡和莫奇瑪
從牠們的錯誤中吸取教訓
竟然打絕對沒勝算的仗
大約一週之後
庫丘拉坐在疣豬洞廿五公尺外
耐心等待
一小時後
我看到雌疣豬走出洞外
我事後才領悟
牠從我們停在疣豬洞旁開始 就已經在計算這一刻了
眞是不可思議
(兩個月後)
庫丘拉不衹技術在成長
體型也在增長
性方面也成熟了
牠開始在母親的地盤到處留下氣味
這會吸引流浪雄豹進入
牠們會威脅到莫奇瑪未出生的小豹
莫奇瑪別無選擇 衹能把庫丘拉踢出去
牠很快便嗅出庫丘拉的氣味
找上了牠
庫丘拉認出了母親
但牠的肢體語言不一樣
態度更為嚴肅、專註
戰鬥爆發之後
我們能在庫丘拉臉上看出疑惑
牠無法明白對方的敵意
莫奇瑪繼續把牠趕往地盤邊緣
在庫丘拉感到無路可退之時
便需要回擊,堅守陣地
這被視為是發起挑戰
母女關係就此斷絕
母女分道揚鑣
用人類的角度很難理解
我們和後代的分離
絕對不會如此生硬
豹的這種生命歷程實在很殘酷
但大自然規則便是如此
庫丘拉被趕往未知世界
在此再也不受歡迎
莫奇瑪若要平安生下幼崽
就需要兩隻小豹都離家
但達坤卡尚未離去
牠沒善加利用母親傳承的技術
反而衹會一頭猛衝
這不是豹該有的狩獵方式
牠一次又一次慘敗
達坤卡還未準備好
要是現在就被趕出去,絕對無法存活
有一天,達坤卡爬上這個疣豬洞
我看過很多次豹探查疣豬洞
但從來沒有哪隻豹 敢動這一區最壯碩的疣豬
劍齒
牠不接受失敗,便追了上去
再次發動攻擊
殺死了一隻成年雄疣豬
牠證明我們都錯了
這是値得驕傲的一刻
成功獵殺疣豬改變了達坤卡的心境
現在也影響到了牠的母親
在肉體方面,牠壓過了母親 成了一大威脅
不衹威脅到母親
也威脅到未出生的小豹
我可以看到母子關係開始分崩離析
牠們每次相遇,敵意都越是滋長
最後,莫奇瑪翻臉了
熟悉感與親切感都消失
牠背離母親的地盤
決定踏上自己的道路
莫奇瑪已為達坤卡盡心盡力
牠帶著最大優勢,進入了世界
我們衹能看著牠離開
不知道有沒有機會再見到牠
這一刻喜憂參半
無論我們有什麼感觸
牠都必須離開、自立地盤 有朝一日建立自己的家庭
(漢娜)
牠能走到這一步,很令人自豪
牠完成了旅途中最艱難的部份
我們知道牠離開後一定會大為成功
牠是隻壯碩的雄豹 這點就很令人安心
達坤卡離開後
這個觀察一家豹生活的時機就結束了
我相信任何參與過這一段的人
都會被我們共有的經驗改變
拍攝這些豹兩年半
讓我對生命有了不同的看法
牠們的生活很純粹
不繁瑣、不複雜
我在人生中如果可以效法牠們
一定會是好事
我們沒跟拍莫奇瑪後,過了幾個月
諾亞打給我,說他找到了牠
陳屍在林線
衹有等牠死後才能觸碰牠的這種諷刺
令人十分痛心難受
那是我所面對過最煎熬的時刻之一
看到我如此深知、深愛的大貓
就此離開
我永遠無法確知牠發生了什麼事
但這些動物的生命本來就很短促
而牠的一生不同凡響
我們衹是有幸能見證其中一部份
莫奇瑪死後 我們的世界好像淨空了一樣
身邊再無任何一頭豹
直到格雷打給我說他找到了庫丘拉
牠出現在母親地盤的邊緣
我們整個團隊都很興奮牠回來了
牠棲息在高高的樹枝上
我註意到附近有幾隻黑斑羚
心中隱約有著預感
要是有哪隻黑斑羚走到樹下
牠可能會出擊狩獵
最後有幾隻雄黑斑羚跑到樹下
天啊,我看到那顆頭探出
牠成功了,一擊必殺
知道莫奇瑪後繼有豹 讓我們感到無比欣慰
這讓故事的結局反而變為開端
庫丘拉生命的新篇章
牠漸漸發展
靠自己成為一頭出色大貓