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There's a particular
kind of wind in Africa.
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00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:20,440
It changes everything
in its path.
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00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:28,440
It has drops of tears
streaking down its face.
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00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:31,920
It shape-shifts like
an apparition in a storm,
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confusing, disappearing,
causing bewilderment,
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00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:38,440
until it does materialize.
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00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:49,800
Tear-streaked hunters create
tension across the plains.
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00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,960
Hunters that strike
apocalyptic figures
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00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:58,920
with a certain look,
a poise, a certain way.
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It is The Way of the Cheetah.
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Five male cheetahs stride in.
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Their way is
the way of the wind.
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Cheetahs are
the shadow hunters.
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They'll always try
to muffle any cries
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in soft but lethal mouths.
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It's hard to keep secrets
out here.
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While it's not the way
of the cheetah
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to fight a fight
you cannot win,
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just handing over a kill
is always hard.
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00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:40,240
Hyenas are
three times their weight
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00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,120
and quick to turn
the delicate eland
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00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,560
into a blood spot in time.
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00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:52,480
Wherever these five
highly efficient males go,
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00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:55,760
their presence ripples
through the savanna,
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00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,480
to everyone up the food chain.
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00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:22,120
In the wake of each success,
the danger escalates.
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00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:31,960
It explains so much
about cheetahs
30
00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:35,040
and how they're different
to the mobbing hyenas,
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00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:39,840
in their own eternal battles
with robust lionesses.
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00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,640
Cheetahs just aren't
built like that.
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00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:49,360
But this small band
of brothers is unique.
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00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:53,080
Their coalition gives them
strength in numbers.
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00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:55,840
Their synchrony in all things
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makes these males
extraordinary killers.
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00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:01,800
They can kill and eat fast
and move on,
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00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,080
as perpetual wanderers.
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00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:10,560
They must be careful, though.
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00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:12,400
Even a short hard rain
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00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:15,400
can quickly cause
the rivers to swell.
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00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:22,600
Behind them, the prey
has been hunted hard.
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00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,840
For cheetahs there is always
tension in the water.
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00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,320
They aren't robust
or strong swimmers.
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With careful planning
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00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,920
the five males find
rocky stepping-stones
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that unlocks a gateway
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to the high ground
beyond the rivers.
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Out here the possibilities
are boundless
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because this is the Maasai Mara
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00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:22,040
as they look south
towards the Serengeti Plains.
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00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,080
And each of these
new dry plateaus
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00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:32,040
needs a reminder of which
cheetahs claim ownership.
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Cheetah marking posts
are quite obvious,
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00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,440
and they've saved up enough
capacity to make it count.
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00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,000
Also on the higher ground,
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a single female cheetah doesn't
have the luxury of a coalition.
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Her name is Imani,
meaning "faith" in Swahili.
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Her way is different.
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00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:41,080
She will only ever
be hunting alone.
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She's more stealthy.
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And a lot more vulnerable.
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00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:11,200
The complexities
of being a cheetah
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vary from one individual
to the next.
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00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:17,400
The reason
for Imani's risky tactic
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00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:21,080
lies in the dewy grass at dawn.
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00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:36,880
Four new cubs are a good reason
for her to be anxious.
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00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:41,680
Cheetahs are the smallest of
the big cats, the most fragile.
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00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:02,280
And her cubs trust
her instincts implicitly,
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faithfully.
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00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:17,640
As soon as the cubs
are fed to drowsiness,
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00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:20,360
Imani makes her move.
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00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:31,240
The confused cubs,
tucked away in thick grass,
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00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:33,880
can only hear what she's up to.
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00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:47,120
The quiet bleat,
the birdlike chirp,
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tells them where to locate her,
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00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:54,240
but from the start one cub
takes a different path.
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00:08:58,680 --> 00:09:03,040
It's time to start introducing
meat to their diet.
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00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:13,760
But something's wrong.
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A stranger!
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00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:25,400
An aggressive stranger,
a large pregnant female
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expecting her own cubs
very soon.
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00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:36,320
Now Imani has to make
the impossible choice.
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00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,840
Defend her kill
or protect her cubs,
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00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:42,920
and get them out of the focus
of those eyes,
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filled with fire.
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Three of the cubs
stand back in fear.
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00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:01,760
But then the male cub,
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00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:05,080
not quite as ready
to be cheated so easily,
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steps forward.
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00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:18,520
The bold little male
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00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:22,880
is not reading
the stranger's body language.
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00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:25,720
Now it's clear.
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00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:40,560
The young male brushes it off
for the next adventure,
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00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:44,240
pausing only briefly
to harasses Imani.
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00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:48,600
Next he joins in
at a slippery tuft
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00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:52,720
to disrupt his siblings' games.
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00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:56,080
To say he's a troublemaker
may be too much.
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They all are!
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00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,040
They're almost identical,
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00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:04,640
a reminder that all cheetahs
are genetically similar.
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00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:08,840
This has nearly caused their
extinction twice in the past.
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00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,880
And her instinct is
to keep on the move,
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away from the prying eyes,
and the gangs of males.
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00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,200
Especially the five brothers.
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00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:49,400
The way of the hunt
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00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:53,280
is to appear from where
they least anticipate,
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and to do it fast.
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00:12:31,680 --> 00:12:33,600
No one expects the wind to come
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from three different
directions at once.
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Let alone five.
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00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:55,320
These brothers are not
attacking like cheetah at all,
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but more like lions.
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They're succeeding
in cooperating
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to bring down an animal
more than twice their size,
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and that is what lions do.
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Usually cheetahs
are gentle killers,
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if there are such things,
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and normally feed
peacefully, sharing.
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00:13:17,680 --> 00:13:19,000
But more and more,
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00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:22,400
the five males are abandoning
their cheetah ways.
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00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,400
This infighting will not
serve them well.
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00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:33,440
Cheetah coalitions must stay
well bonded to succeed.
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00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:59,960
Imani has to be careful now
and keep her cubs well hidden
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00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,920
from the ever more
emboldened males
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00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,680
as they patrol,
even through the night.
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00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:11,320
These thermal
night-vision images
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reveal just how at ease
they are in the dark,
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while she is tense, moving
and hiding constantly.
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00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:11,000
Daylight is her realm,
her niche,
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and Imani has a short window
in which to work it hard.
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Today she has
a Thompson's gazelle
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fixed in her sights.
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00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:43,560
Imani, in full flight, is
the very picture of elegance.
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00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:46,960
An animal doing exactly
what it is born to do.
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Floating, defying gravity,
as she cuts through the air,
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half animal,
half magical being.
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00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:13,120
Hunting Thompson's gazelle
is a real risk,
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not just because
of the sharp little horns,
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00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:19,560
but because of the attention
the hunt might attract.
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Especially from the large male
olive baboons
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at the head of enormous troops.
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Each male is not much smaller
than the cheetah itself,
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but collectively
there's no contest.
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00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:09,160
But the reason
for their boldness
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00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:13,360
is because these baboons
are after her kill.
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00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,720
These East African plains
dance a dance
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that unveils many colors
and faces
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in the land of the cheetahs.
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An ever-changing world
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00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:44,040
that keeps flooding
new innocent prey her way.
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It keeps Imani on her toes.
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The scent of zebras
arriving in the area
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is a dazzling intoxication.
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With her cubs tucked away
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she takes the hunt
to the arriving zebras.
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00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:21,840
Zebras have evolved
to be a visual chaos.
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00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:27,240
And in that chaos Imani
is suddenly not alone;
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00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,200
the brothers are alongside her.
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00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:38,720
It's time for her
to quietly bow out
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while the males are focused
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on the taste of blood.
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A kill is never secure
for cheetahs.
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00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:54,720
Even vultures
can drive them off.
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But the males adopt the art
of attacking first.
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The way of physical display.
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It buys them some time to
gobble up as much as possible.
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This tactic, a stand
against many opponents,
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is an ancient one.
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When the sun fades,
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the vultures will have to stay
in the treetops for safety.
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00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:30,040
But if the males stay too long,
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00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:34,680
other larger scavengers
will emerge from the darkness.
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00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:46,880
Cheetahs are the only big cats
in Africa that can't roar.
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00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:48,160
So for the five brothers
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to maintain
their boundary markers,
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they need healthy bladders
and some creativity
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00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:56,600
to spray paint their ownership.
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At one of these marking posts
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00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:08,640
they smell
the fresh sign of Imani.
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00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,560
It's probably
the first indication
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00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:17,600
of who the extra cheetah
in the hunt was.
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00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:20,280
And that alone requires
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some significant
group urination therapy.
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00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:26,520
You'd think, with all this,
186
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that they'd need to get
to a waterhole to top up,
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00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:34,320
but no, they're on a quest
to find her
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somewhere in their
30 square miles of territory.
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00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:01,480
The dawn sharpens
the scent of a female at last.
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00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,120
They can smell a female's
marking from weeks ago,
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00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,320
but today, this is fresh.
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00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:18,200
Their problem is that her
scent trail has some obstacles.
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00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:49,200
This tactic is a shadow dance,
194
00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:54,680
where you appear to attack with
just enough leeway to escape
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00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:58,800
as you watch what
your opponent is capable of.
196
00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:02,560
With the confidence
of a matador
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he knows his flight distance
and the terrain,
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00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:09,080
vital knowledge
for any warrior.
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00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:11,320
This butterfly-like lightness
200
00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:15,880
allows all cheetahs
that air of superiority.
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00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:25,920
Hidden across the valley,
Imani leaves the resting cubs,
202
00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:31,200
because somehow, she seems
to know what'll happen next.
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00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:34,080
There's a perfect
climbing tree up ahead,
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00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:36,560
and she needs to check it out.
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00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:42,600
The shape and height make it
irresistible to the cubs.
206
00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:45,040
And of course, she's right!
207
00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:49,560
It's an absolute scramble,
but that cheetah elegance
208
00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:54,640
seems to be limited
to the plains, not up a tree.
209
00:22:56,800 --> 00:23:00,720
Now the young male starts
to distinguish himself
210
00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:02,680
in other ways.
211
00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:04,920
It's not because
of his balance,
212
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,760
which he happens to be
quite bad at.
213
00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:12,680
But somehow he always seems
to land on his feet. Just.
214
00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:17,320
After each embarrassing episode
215
00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:21,200
he seeks comfort
at Imani's side.
216
00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:25,920
But today that may be
a big mistake.
217
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:29,480
She's right next to the path
being cut by the siafu:
218
00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:32,800
ants that can deliver
fierce, stinging bites.
219
00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,880
And he is right in their path.
220
00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:00,840
His paws are on fire.
221
00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:07,240
But there's a new danger
on the horizon.
222
00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:09,680
The five males.
223
00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:14,560
When Imani bolts with her cub,
224
00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:16,960
it may be as a decoy
to draw the males away
225
00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:20,760
from the much more vulnerable
cubs in the trees.
226
00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:24,920
It sparks a cat-and-mouse game,
and the chase is on.
227
00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:31,440
They have her cornered
against a stream.
228
00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:36,560
Then, suddenly the cub turns
229
00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,800
to face the attackers.
230
00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:45,920
The male's aggressive slap is
met with unexpected defiance.
231
00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:53,120
And when Imani submits, it is
only to give her cub an escape.
232
00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,760
But at the spindly tree,
he and the others are witness
233
00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:06,040
to a very different side
to their mother's character.
234
00:25:06,120 --> 00:25:11,040
She's a ball of fury, with
fangs and razor-sharp claws.
235
00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,240
She's amped up the tension,
236
00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:28,120
and suddenly the males
start turning on each other.
237
00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:41,880
The coalition
of five brothers collapses,
238
00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:45,240
each one now only for himself,
239
00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:49,560
and it all erupts into a brawl.
240
00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:53,000
Their courtship is in chaos.
241
00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:56,440
And that gives Imani the one
desperate hope she needs.
242
00:26:02,120 --> 00:26:05,240
With the romance of the moment
completely ruined,
243
00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:07,520
the bruised suitors agree
244
00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:11,360
that this was never going to be
a match made in heaven.
245
00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:16,760
And they leave for distant
pursuits, all together again.
246
00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:31,440
The young male is at it again.
247
00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:34,800
He's struggling
with some rear end issues
248
00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:40,400
that started off
as a backwards descent.
249
00:26:57,080 --> 00:27:00,000
Her example is clear
to all the others,
250
00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:03,720
and the small family
is on the move again.
251
00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:10,480
But he still has his own
particular nuanced approach
252
00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:12,600
to getting out of trees.
253
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:19,120
Imani must keep on the move
254
00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:22,440
in the opposite direction
to the males.
255
00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:27,280
Her only safe zone now
will be in the hills.
256
00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:39,560
The cubs' lives are filled
257
00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:42,280
with explosive
and energetic play,
258
00:27:42,360 --> 00:27:45,440
on and around
their loving mother.
259
00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:54,720
After a day like he's had,
260
00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:59,120
the adventurous little male is
more in need of rest than play.
261
00:28:04,120 --> 00:28:09,800
For him, a more sedate day,
or two, is just want he wants.
262
00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:17,640
But every time he drops off
for a just moment,
263
00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:22,120
his ever-alert mother takes
the chance to scan the horizon.
264
00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:27,840
Her way is to be still
and yet alert.
265
00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,480
To be at rest without resting.
266
00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:36,120
Every mirrored look
is all about Imani's way,
267
00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:41,000
transferring to them
to eventually become their way.
268
00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:47,960
His nap disturbed, he's attuned
to her movements now,
269
00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:50,680
not distracted by his siblings.
270
00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:10,320
The hunt is on!
271
00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:12,840
And he is determined
to keep up.
272
00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:18,440
She is successful!
273
00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:24,720
And now is their long-awaited
first taste of meat.
274
00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:28,560
The cubs can smell blood,
but when they hold back,
275
00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:31,480
it's because someone else
can smell it, too.
276
00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:34,720
And that threat confuses them,
scares them.
277
00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:23,200
At first, the cubs are unsure
what this is all about,
278
00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:24,920
what to do with it.
279
00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:29,320
And then, instinct kicks in.
280
00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:32,200
As the first tint of red
colors their lips,
281
00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:35,120
they transform
into innocent killers.
282
00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:44,240
The young male stares down
possible prey,
283
00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:47,640
feeling he can take on
anything now.
284
00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:59,960
Learning how to eat meat is
just a part of today's study.
285
00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,920
It's Imani's response
to the jackals
286
00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:04,920
that provides the real lesson.
287
00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:11,120
On the very next return
of the jackals,
288
00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:15,240
the bold little male cub tries
the technique out for size.
289
00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,840
It seems to work.
290
00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:26,360
So effectively
that he gives it another try,
291
00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:28,360
with even more enthusiasm.
292
00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:31,360
His ground-slapping technique
293
00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:34,200
is barely noticed
by his family,
294
00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:37,080
but at this moment
he's starting to show
295
00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:42,600
the same defiance that might be
expected of an adult cheetah.
296
00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:48,440
When Imani leads them away,
he's reluctant.
297
00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:51,360
His blood is up,
but ultimately,
298
00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:56,120
it's not the jackals who are
the worst enemy of cheetahs.
299
00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:59,080
When he begrudgingly
gives up his spoils,
300
00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:02,400
it's because the real threat
is steadily advancing on them,
301
00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:04,520
as it does each day.
302
00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:07,880
A dark force.
The twilight.
303
00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:33,760
It's that bewitching hour
for cheetahs.
304
00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:39,160
Where lions and their prides
emerge from the hills here
305
00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:44,960
and seek excitement,
opportunity and challenges.
306
00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:52,680
These hellish nights
just serve to highlight
307
00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:55,360
how difficult it is
to be a cheetah,
308
00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:57,000
with lions to the left,
309
00:32:57,080 --> 00:32:59,320
male cheetahs
never far behind her,
310
00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:01,800
and unknown threats ahead.
311
00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:07,440
All with growing cubs
at her feet.
312
00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:21,560
And yet, it is paradise.
313
00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:28,080
Imani senses something
about to change.
314
00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:32,560
Something from beyond
the horizon.
315
00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:35,120
The five males sense it, too.
316
00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:59,400
And when they finally materialize,
317
00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:03,920
they arrive in huge numbers.
318
00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:09,720
The problem for wildebeest
on the move
319
00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:14,120
is that they are always heading
forward, into the unknown.
320
00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:22,240
But those who are first
to the battlefield
321
00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:24,600
and await their opponents
322
00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:28,400
are at ease
and have the advantage.
323
00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:35,200
They are artists of deception,
pretending to be benign,
324
00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:38,240
walking casually as if what
lurks under their skins
325
00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:39,880
is not important.
326
00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:57,200
And that, more than anything,
is the cheetah way.
327
00:35:02,680 --> 00:35:05,400
Unleashed at 70 miles an hour,
328
00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:09,120
this incredible speed
leaves no room for mistakes.
329
00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,720
The quick turn,
the size of the prey,
330
00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:25,600
makes it almost
an impossibility.
331
00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:30,760
But for this moment in time,
332
00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:35,400
nothing else matters for
the predator or for the prey.
333
00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:14,960
And now the brothers
are working in unison,
334
00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:17,560
collaborating to win
this immense battle.
335
00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:39,840
It's hard to know which god
selected this wildebeest.
336
00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:43,640
Was it random, or is it
his almost imperceptible limp
337
00:36:43,720 --> 00:36:45,920
from last year's
water crossing?
338
00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:52,240
It is a moment in time,
and yet it is timeless.
339
00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:05,880
These epic battles for survival
340
00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:10,680
are the result of wave after
wave of millions of wildebeest
341
00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:13,160
that pour into
the waiting teeth
342
00:37:13,240 --> 00:37:17,280
of the just 7,000 cheetahs
left on the planet.
343
00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:24,040
Victory is short lived.
344
00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:39,200
Now each takes turns
in defending their meal
345
00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:42,200
while the other four feed up,
346
00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:44,720
before the hyenas
can get the true measure
347
00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:47,880
of their strengths or weakness.
348
00:37:57,320 --> 00:38:00,280
The one constant
in their lives, however,
349
00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:04,120
is the darkness at the end
of each day.
350
00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:08,120
The cheetahs' way is usually
to yield to that good night
351
00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:10,320
and walk towards tomorrow.
352
00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:15,000
The question is whether
they can keep on
353
00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:20,000
outrunning these obstacles
day after day.
354
00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:38,520
By the next season
Imani is still surviving,
355
00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:40,320
and success for her
356
00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:45,160
means bringing up at least
some of her cubs.
357
00:38:45,240 --> 00:38:47,040
But she's lost one.
358
00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:54,360
One of the survivors
is the curious young male.
359
00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:01,640
As he grows, he becomes
even more intrigued
360
00:39:01,720 --> 00:39:05,080
by everything that moves.
361
00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:09,560
The secretary birds' display
of an early summer courtship
362
00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:11,560
grabs his interest.
363
00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:19,880
To those engaged, it's
a subtle and complex dance,
364
00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:24,360
but for the cubs it's
an irresistible curiosity.
365
00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:31,160
Still timid, they're as
inquisitive as all young cats.
366
00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:40,400
As we'd expect, he's the first
to give it a go.
367
00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:45,720
And they're pleased
that he's the one
368
00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:48,080
willing to make mistakes.
369
00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:53,600
It seems the birds
and the cheetahs
370
00:39:53,680 --> 00:39:56,120
have traded places.
371
00:39:56,200 --> 00:39:58,160
He's the first to summit
372
00:39:58,240 --> 00:40:02,840
and to see Imani
about to spring a hunt.
373
00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:13,600
He and the other cubs
have watched her do this
374
00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:17,080
dozens of times
in the last few months.
375
00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:20,480
It's an enviable ability
she has
376
00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:23,600
that they are yet to learn.
377
00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:39,480
Imani is like liquid amber.
378
00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:42,840
Perfection they can learn from,
379
00:40:42,920 --> 00:40:47,920
but watching can only
take them so far.
380
00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:51,440
Today they're eager
to take the next steps.
381
00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:04,800
It's time to graduate
from obedient pupils
382
00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:06,800
to participants,
383
00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:10,520
and her selection is designed
for this perfectly.
384
00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:13,800
Live but small prey.
385
00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:17,800
And right here, right now,
386
00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:22,200
the young male and his siblings
learn their own way--
387
00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:27,280
the real way of the cheetahs
they will become.
388
00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:31,800
Imani watches
but doesn't interfere.
389
00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:33,960
This is the single
most important thing
390
00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:36,200
in the cubs' lives
at this stage.
391
00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:40,000
If they can't kill to eat,
they will simply starve.
392
00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:48,760
In time as they grow, they will
face a thousand obstacles.
393
00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:52,080
Genetic bottlenecks aside,
394
00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:57,480
where they do thrive,
so do lions.
395
00:41:57,560 --> 00:42:01,960
And it's those half-grown
teenagers with playful energy
396
00:42:02,040 --> 00:42:06,240
that Imani must steer
her cubs away from.
397
00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:09,360
But today she does
just the opposite.
398
00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:12,840
She leads them to the lions
for a look,
399
00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:16,160
but stays just outside
of their range.
400
00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:21,160
They're playing with fire.
401
00:42:21,240 --> 00:42:25,720
The odds of cheetah cubs
surviving are less than 10%,
402
00:42:25,800 --> 00:42:29,040
and lions play a very large
part in that.
403
00:42:42,480 --> 00:42:46,320
It's a vital lesson for Imani's
adventurous male cub,
404
00:42:46,400 --> 00:42:49,960
because he won't always
have her at his side.
405
00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:53,080
For him, the biggest threat
in the future
406
00:42:53,160 --> 00:42:56,040
will not be lions, though.
407
00:42:56,120 --> 00:42:59,000
As the cubs grow
and form new coalitions,
408
00:42:59,080 --> 00:43:03,880
they'll need prey to hunt
on gracile legs.
409
00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:06,760
Tactics that make
best use of claws,
410
00:43:06,840 --> 00:43:08,600
ready to jab into the ground,
411
00:43:08,680 --> 00:43:10,520
or propel them
at the fastest speeds
412
00:43:10,600 --> 00:43:13,400
of any animal on Earth.
413
00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:16,080
And to fly like the wind
414
00:43:16,160 --> 00:43:19,600
with a delicacy unrivaled
on these plains.
415
00:43:24,600 --> 00:43:28,720
But most of all
they'll need space.
416
00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:33,440
Space to live on their own
terms without fear.
417
00:43:33,520 --> 00:43:36,680
To co-exist, with us.
418
00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:45,480
Without that,
the young male's future,
419
00:43:45,560 --> 00:43:49,320
after he finally leaves
his mother to find his own way,
420
00:43:49,400 --> 00:43:51,840
will be uncertain.
421
00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:54,800
And those dark tears
on his face
422
00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:58,560
would be
our collective tragedy.
423
00:43:58,640 --> 00:44:05,480
But that, let us hope,
will not be our way.
424
00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:09,080
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