Lions, Leopards, Hyenas - Masters of the African Night | Full Wildlife Documentary

When the sun sets over the savannas of Africa for many years begins A dangerous time, this nocturnal drama between hunters and hunted has remained unknown to most of us. State-of-the-art thermal cameras now reveal what has remained hidden for so long in the dark: a competition of the senses. A question of life and death begins: is the

night

really that beneficial for predators or is hunting as difficult then as it is during the day? In any case the competition between them is mere Masa Mara in Kenya a landscape that characterizes the diversity of Africa one of the most species rich regions of the continent, the reserve is one of the last places on Earth, if four large predators live side by side.

On the other hand, this is only possible due to the abundance of prey, here there are more than enough typical savanna animals within the protected area. Area similar to herbivores, carnivores have become significantly specialized. Leopards prefer bush land, it provides them with enough cover that allows them to stalk their prey without being noticed, whether at

night

or day. Cheaters, on the other hand, only hunt during the day, usually targeting their prey. from long distances the decisive factor is an unobstructed view when it comes to a Sprint they have to be able to recognize any obstacle in their path dinner and it's time it's also getting late while the cheaters avoid the darkness most other hunters They are active both day and night, slowly cooling down.

The large family of

lions

impatiently awaits the twilight. The cubs, almost adults, are very hungry. The three mothers have to provide food 24 hours a day to keep their seven bellies

full

. The males remain Discreetly kept away, they mostly let the females work for them. They rarely travel together as a pack, especially females with smaller offspring, preferring to wander alone in their territories. The Lioness gets weird with her little ones on her toes. What does the Knight have in store for her? One last breath before the Darkness demands total concentration from the group. of large predators is completed with spotted

hyenas

, these are the most numerous hunters in the Mara area and are mostly nocturnal.

Hundreds of young and hungry carnivores are waiting for a highly productive night so that their mothers return in the best of health and continue providing plenty of food. milk the hippos also wait for night to fall their stomachs also roar they resist provoking the old bull but they lack experience and strength for a serious attack he reacts angrily the young

lions

are having fun soon you can only guess what is really happening in darkness a thermal camera is needed to make events visible heat radiation from animals draw a picture of them just like visible light the warmest parts of the body appear especially bright the landscape has also stored the sun's heat and radiates disturbingly the hippos are behind in time and now need to leave if they want to graze in the warm water apparently it makes their bodies glow the young ones of the herd enjoy the coolness of the night activity as this is rare during the heat of the day once more old Buffalo shows exactly what he thinks about all this but the message has obviously had little impact hippos appear To attract the interest of teenagers also on dry land, children have long been considered solitary people.

Thermography shows that this is not always the case, but groups of this size are rare, almost all have wounds or scars that appear as bright spots on the thermal image. image around here there are hardly any disputes between them it is not worth fighting over a few blades of grass the young lions have already discovered what it is like with them the thick-skinned animals have never enjoyed a good game or are they getting together tonight it seems to be it is not an exception to the rule the two and have alarmed animals everywhere for the foreseeable future here there is hardly any prospect of a good hunt the pack has to press on in the hope of finding unsuspecting prey somewhere in the dark the seven are a heavy load for the females they are always hungry and are constantly in a playful mood, which thwarts many hunting attempts around 8:00 in the evening it is completely dark now under the stars animals appear that during the day were practically invisible arars For example, now we go out to look for termite mounds or spring hairs that remind us of small kangaroos.

Rodents unrelated to Australian mupi live in colonies with extensive underground burrows. It is vital to exercise caution when jackals appear, they can jump very far considering their size and are incredibly fast, this young male leopard would also not say no to a small snack, unfortunately the hairs are no less agile than the spring hairs, but he eventually finds the success in the tall grass in this part of the Massai Mara. Six male lions rule a huge territory, but they are rarely found together. The leopard must keep his distance. He cannot actually see the lions, but the wind carries their scent.

The three are completely unaware of their presence in the weak light of the mountains. stars, even sensitive cat eyes can see little in the long shadows. From the bushes, those who initially perceive sound or smell have the advantage, the males patrol along a particularly vulnerable flank of their territory in a stream covered with dense undergrowth. It is ideal territory for the leopard and he knows exactly how to move. Here it effortlessly overtakes its massive competitors and then disappears into the bushes when they notice its tracks, it will be miles away, everyone pays special attention to signs of non-local lions and looks for suspicious traces of intruders, everything seems fine, they mark their territory as a deterrent and give their Brothers, everything is fine, what about you?

The six males are a force to be reckoned with and they prove it every night. For all the lies outside these parts, the nighttime roars audible for miles are a clear sign. Keep your distance. Both. the neighboring males are far away their territory is much smaller but the message to their rivals is that it is much clearer that the zeas find the roar very useful after all it reveals the whereabouts of the enemy the lioness with the two cubs on the other hand finds it reassuringly the protectors are nearby the family has settled in a valley of shells the experienced lioness knows that herds of zebras often cross a small stream here she can only guess the position of the herd but she knows the terrain well the thermal camera shows us more that the animals I see that it is completely dark and the hunter has to rely completely on her hearing the sounds of the hooves cover her own movements she can throw all caution to the wind shrouded in darkness she gets into position in a matter of seconds the zebras do not They realize it until the end this time in Into the Dark, the advantage was definitely with the huntress, but the fight for life and death does not always go well for the attacker tonight, however, she managed to get the job done with the

full

stomach.

Her offspring will be comfortable during the cold and long hours of In the African night it is already past midnight and the temperature has dropped dramatically. The seven lion cubs are no longer interested in playing snuggled together, they seek mutual warmth. Finally their mothers can now go hunting without being disturbed. The cat's ability to see at night is legendary, but above all they have to rely on their equally brilliant hearing. In almost complete darkness, the moist night air carries sound especially well. They are alerted by the sound of distant hooves. In the dark, cats Hunters can move freely without taking serious precautionary measures.

Two lionesses remain behind while the third tries to reach the other side of the zebra herd. She does not appear to have noticed the individual zebras in front of the herd during her maneuver. Animals active during the day and at night have a reflective layer behind the retina that doubles the light output. of the eyes this applies to both cats and ulates The evolutionary arms race has created a dead heat at night Lions can see about six times better than humans this doesn't really mean much in Starlight unfortunately everyone involved seems to be literally in the dark in several subjects they have joined the zeas their senses are particularly acute they notice the lion first the attacker initially follows the sound of the antelope's fast hooves but the heavy zeppas betray their presence she immediately changes direction the zebras They have been warned, the small group listens anxiously.

They do not seem to have grasped the situation nor has the Lioness. She attacks a second time after hearing the sound of hooves. Now everything depends on the two waiting lionesses. The ambush works, but catching a zebra in the dark and at full speed is not the easiest task for the group. They escape, they have to continue their search not far away. Soon they hear promising sounds. The

hyenas

have seen newborn calves in a herd of buffaloes. There may be something for them. The herd has left a cow with her calf, but in reality she is not alone.

The buffaloes in the H are closely related and support each other the strong bulls are the most dangerous the attackers must be very careful in the dark so as not to be trampled or impaled by their horns the lioness is not scared better than the hyenas gradually more defenders arrive of the pride the calf is carefully protected with individual cows keeping attackers at bay the defense is similar to a fortress there is no chance for the lionesses unless they are willing to take great risks but tonight the pride has no losses to grieve However, the hyenas are still persistent, who knows, maybe as the clock goes by they will become a little less attentive.

It was a successful night for the Lioness with the two cubs, the small family enjoying the warm morning sun with a full stomach. The large family, on the other hand, is still hungry, there is no peace for the mother of the charging lions, they are extremely dangerous. Hunters by night and day, they do not necessarily need the protection that darkness provides, even in the open savanna, it is not easy, but the great cats are nevertheless patient, surely there will be a chance at some point the seven simply trust their mothers the Impalas seem preoccupied with their breakfast maybe there is a chance here but the Nimble antelopes have calculated the safe distance to the bushes well, no chance for the Lioness it is still relatively cold and, despite the long night, the Females are forced to stay still, the Lioness gives everything, but remains empty-handed.

It's hotter now, too hot for strenuous hunts. This at least provides a brief respite for the herbivores, whenever possible they all retreat. In the shade this is difficult for the huge buffalo, but their large body mass prevents them from getting as hot as some. The proximity of the pride forces the lionesses and their cubs to leave their resting place. Lions and buffalos are deadly enemies, especially when they are younger animals. are involved Buffalo's attempt to kill the lion cubs at any given opportunity others have to get their cubs out of the danger zone as soon as they can the ball doubts the mother lions can't afford to make any mistakes now alone a few hundred meters further and they feel safe Once again, the camps did not realize the danger they were in as long as they had their mother with them.

Everything's fine. The elders are angry. Lions do not like to be pushed around, especially in the heat of midday, late afternoon, in an idyllic Masai sa. mara but nearby it is a completely different world Recently Massi settlements have been created on the edge of the reserve the dense coexistence of humans, cows and antelopes does not seem to be a problem for the shepherds, on the other hand, the lons are not welcome at all. Thanks to their way of life hidden from view,

leopards

are rarely caught in the crossfire. The female has hidden the rest of her prey in an acaia out of reach of scavengers.

The female leopard waits for Darkness to fall. Her son lies between the bushes well hidden, making it safe during the day the heat of the day has evaporated a lot of water, as usually happens, at night storms begin to develop, some are irritated by the cold old downpour, but the rain forms the basis for the Lash pastures in Massa Mara Reserve that help feed countless herbivores, these in turn supply an unusually large number of predators. Only a few African national parks offer such good conditions. Fertile regions are the first densely populated areas that can rarely be protected in time.

A few minutes the heat of the day has passed and soon it is time to say good night to the little ones. Their mother is repeatedly attracted to the surroundings of the settlements. The large number of lions in the reserve are a constant threat to herbivores,especially at night, but most cats don't feel very comfortable so close to villages because they fear humans. Zas and the antelopes soon realized this and now come closer to the houses after dark, the predators rarely dare to follow them here many nights, the Lioness. With the two young people trying to block their path, today the rain has ruined their plans.

The zebras arrive early and are already within sight of the houses. The lioness does not dare to go further. The zebras are already safe for the moment. Traditionally, the Massi They are nomadic shepherds but they are permanently settled in Massi Mara, where their livestock has grown enormously due to the storm that passed but remains furious. It has barely stopped raining when the little leopard finally reaches his mother's pantry. Now it is almost night and we return. to follow the animals with the thermal camera the smell of the meat has attracted a hyena however the hyenas cannot climb as their claws are blunt the leopard and its cubs remain calm during dinner they do not have to fear competitors at heights high as here it is still raining lightly in the hyenas' den everything is damp and cold only the entrance of the cave shines a little due to the heat Of the young animals that have retired here only a few hyenas are still in the cave to keep an eye on their cubs, most of the others are scattered around the area in search of prey or at least Carion, the remains of the carcass with the

leopards

in the The tree can still be smelled over a wide area and continues to attract new animals, but soon They evaluate the futility of the situation and move on.

The little leopard is a little clumsy and nibbles on the silk strap from which the prey is hanging. When the mother realizes that the hyena has long gone, she can take her time and this time choose another log to anchor the carcass more firmly. . The night shift begins for the two lionesses who had to give way to the Buffalo during the day, of course the little ones were still not in the mood to go to bed, but the females must soon go out hunting oh, the storm is now over. moves away and then finally ends one of the lightning bolts has started a fire the flames do not represent any threat to him the hyenas on the contrary attract them the hyenas wait for the smallest number of small roasted animals unable to escape from hell how frustrating not to find even a bite the two lionesses prepare for the night shift but hesitate they feel the danger under a firmament strange stars shine on the horizon but they are lamps designed to keep predators away from the livestock while the humans try to prevent any visits from wild animals themselves They massively penetrate the realms of

wildlife

Hey, the thermal camera illustrates what happens every night in the north of the reserve Around 40,000 cows are driven to the protected area in Kenya They have a market value of approximately 12 million dollars This is not has nothing to do with the poor shepherd's struggle to survive everyone knows that this is illegal livestock Owners Park management local politicians every week Rangers confiscate some cows and release them after payment of a modest fine for the owners Cheap grass for the local politicians guaranteed re-election for cows and lions however a fatal situation hears the Torches and the calls disturbed the cats normally they would never dare approach humans but when such encounters occur in the bush it is almost certain that they attack each year more than 300 cows are killed by lions in the Mara mass in retaliation the lions are killed with spears or poison it is a fight that the lions cannot win and that is barely noticed in public. takes place under the cover of darkness in the most economically important park in Kenya and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa it is 3:00 in the morning the two mothers have left their cubs here the savannah has been completely grazed Bear Because of the cows that lionesses encounter, almost none of them cover their groups of potential prey to protect themselves.

The two hunters continue trying to insert these groups in order to surprise them from both sides. This is not easy in open terrain, especially since they can barely coordinate the action during hours of frustrating hunting attempts that repeatedly fail due to the vigilance of the gazelles, which, of course, can see us and the cats at night, even at night, no one has presence not even LS. The moon rises around 4:00, this alters visibility for everyone in Sury and no. necessarily in favor of the hunters the young Thompson gazelle has no problem noticing the two lines in time some hyenas are already returning to their dens they are not interested in the fast impaler the topies also feel quite safe but they keep an eye out for predators when they appear approach to them directly the hyenas make the flowers nervous the restlessness spreads in the darkness the Lioness feels her charm while all eyes and ears are directed at the hyenas she goes unnoticed the gazelle feels something and like day in the night there is no warning calls the The second lioness has not lost sight of her colleague once again, not enough, but the other female was alert.

Success finally, after hours of hard work, one hyena notices the hunt and a second arrives quickly, the lioness holding the prey by the neck. their jaws as long as their heart continues to beat the hyenas help themselves as they know but they have little time more and more hyenas become attentive now it is about gobbling up as much as possible the competition increases with every second in a matter of minutes the lionesses are Significantly outnumbered, the hyenas dare to try and begin an all-out attack on their rivals to avoid serious injury. The lionesses can only retreat.

They were only able to get a few bites of the tough prey. A lucky break for hyenas quite often. they lose to the still hungry lions the two females realize that they have been defeated by them the night is over exhausted the hunters of darkness return with their cubs or look for a shady place to spend the day for the herbivores there is no reason to put stand back and relax the fight for life and death between herbivores and carnivores move on to the next round you win some you lose some leopards have perfected the art of ambush and manage well almost everywhere lions are a different matter How many young people in the extended family will survive and how many are doomed to starve to death.

One thing is certain: the victors often have horns and hooves and fangs and claws. Only as long as humans leave wild animals enough space and food will the race continue, a race that over the years has shaped both the hunters as well as the hunted for whom we have so much admiration today.