The Last Lions Page #2

will be another chance,

perhaps when he's a bit older.

Until today, she had only time

to focus on escape and survival,

but now she must

find a way to get her cubs

safely through their

first critical year,

until they can

fend for themselves.

And as a single mother,

this will take every ounce

of her energy and intelligence.

The fire and

march of human settlements

to the north have driven

other animal refugees

towards the island.

Duba is about to change.

These are some of Africa's

most aggressive animals.

Their sharp horns

and bone-crushing bodies

are perfect weapons,

and their massive numbers

give them confidence.

At the head of the herd is one

of the most fearsome of them:

a scar-faced bull

weighing almost a ton.

For the past few weeks

this has been her island.

The arrival of the buffalo

brings hope as possible prey...

but also fear.

These will be her

new enemies on the island.

Buffalo are not easy prey.

They dislike

the scent of lions,

and they don't

hesitate to attack.

For the cubs,

life so far has been

a litany of narrow escapes,

one long line of enemies

out to get them -

a strange way to start life

as king of the beasts.

With more and more

of the newcomers

flowing onto her island,

Ma di Tau and her cubs are

destined to run into them again.

The herd's pathfinder

is now aware

that this island has lions,

and from now on

he'll always be on the alert.

It will be an

almost daily conflict,

unavoidable in this open,

yet confined space.

If she is not going

to be at their mercy,

she will have to learn more

about this new presence.

She will have to

test them for weaknesses

and she must look beyond

the strong outer wall

of their heavy armaments.

In time she must become expert

at finding those weak points...

small, hidden chinks

in the armor

that will stumble

out into view

and excite her instincts

as a huntress.

Night is an advantage for her.

She can hide in the shadows

of a crescent moon

and let her eyes brighten

to take in her quarry.

Now she has to become invisible.

It is what

a solitary hunter does best.

The damp grass helps her perform

like a silent ghost,

flitting in and out of reality.

Two mothers now battle

for the survival of their young:

buffalo desperate

to deflect an attack;

lioness eager to double back

and strike quick, fatal blows

to earn a meal for her cubs.

It's the eternal dance

of Africa.

The young lions

will go hungry a little longer.

When the buffalo calf escapes,

it carries a chilling message

of a near-miss written in blood

back to the scar-faced bull.

It's a race against time.

The cubs are demanding

more from Ma di Tau

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote