African Cats
Every day in the heart of Africa,
amazing true stories happen
that no one ever sees.
Not so long ago on these plains,
Only by showing extraordinary courage
would these mothers prevail.
A mighty river divides this land.
It marks the boundary
between two rival families of lions.
To the south lives the River Pride,
They're a close-knit family,
and rely on each other for comfort
and protection.
Layla is the oldest
and most experienced lioness.
She has just one cub,
six-month-old Mara.
Layla's age is starting to show.
A lifetime of hunting has taken its toll.
The cubs are fed and raised
by the lionesses,
but they are protected
by the pride's ruler,
Fang.
His broken tooth is a war wound
from a recent battle,
and a mark of his bravery.
He is the father of all of the cubs
and their defender.
To Mara, he's the best dad ever.
Fang keeps Mara and her mother safe,
host a great migration
a million strong.
Fang lets all other lions know that
he alone rules the southern kingdom.
North of the river
lives a very different cat,
the fastest creature on land,
a cheetah.
Sita's life is different from a lion's
in every way,
because she lives alone.
Sita has a secret.
Not long ago, she gave birth
in this grassy den to five cubs.
They are still blind, helpless
and totally reliant on their mother.
Sita is a single mother,
and with no pride to help her,
she must leave her cubs all alone
when she hunts.
Cheetahs may be the fastest animals
on land,
The Thomson's gazelles she favors
are almost as fast and very agile.
Sita is built for speed,
but has no staying power.
To have any chance,
she must sneak as close as possible.
Under 30 seconds before exhaustion.
It's now or never.
Success.
Sita's cubs will not go hungry today.
The river is a great bringer of life
to this wilderness,
but it can also be a deadly foe.
The surging rapids can carry
even the strongest lion to his death.
This is where dragons dwell.
The River Pride feeds on a dead hippo
washed up on the river's bank.
Crocodiles don't fear
the rulers of the land,
with one exception.
Fang.
Today, the pride's protector
has earned his keep.
A crocodile-infested river
does have one benefit.
It protects the pride from invasion
from the north.
The northern kingdom is ruled
by Fang's greatest enemy,
Kali.
And Kali is not alone.
He has four sons in their prime.
Together, they form
the most powerful force in this land,
one set on conquest.
Kali already rules the lionesses
of the north,
but he is not content with that.
He and his sons are driven
to expand their realm to the south.
lf he overthrows Fang,
he will kill Mara
and have new cubs of his own.
Kali is little Mara's greatest danger.
For now, the river is high,
a barrier that Kali will not cross.
But eventually, its waters will fall.
For Sita's five cubs,
living in their snug little home
seems like paradise.
The cubs are now old enough
For their first trip.
The gazelle herds have moved on,
and the family needs to catch up.
Sita quickly discovers
that herding cats isn't easy.
For Sita, it's time to cross
the open plains to find them food.
For the cubs, it's a huge adventure.
What an amazing first adventure.
Massive herds
still cross Fang's southern kingdom,
so food is plentiful for the River Pride.
Layla may be old, but she is
the most experienced hunter.
She knows the best place
to stage an ambush.
The lionesses hunt as a team.
With Layla leading,
they slowly begin to close the trap.
Despite her aging body,
Layla is determined to help the pride.
Hunting is always dangerous.
Layla and her sisters must eat quickly
if they are to get
the reward they deserve.
Fang, the protector,
demands the lion's share.
For Layla, the hunt is a disaster.
A zebra's kick has injured her further.
Staying fit is critical for a lioness.
The pride cannot carry a female
who is too weak to hunt.
Something's wrong.
Kali and his sons are on patrol.
Lions are Sita's greatest enemy.
A male is more than five times her size.
As a single cheetah, she would flee.
But with dependent cubs,
she must hold her ground.
She is totally focused on Kali.
Incredibly, she's goading him.
It seems insane, but it's a trick.
She's drawing him away from her cubs.
Kali tires.
It worked.
His son, however, is more determined.
Sita is risking everything.
Her speed has won the day, for now.
Her terrified cubs
are scattered and lost, in danger
until they're back with their mother.
Time is not on their side.
The dark will cloak other predators.
It's a mother's worst nightmare.
Hyenas have taken two of her cubs.
They're gone forever.
The season is changing
and the pride lands are drying.
in search of greener pastures.
They may be gone for a year or more.
With the herds gone,
the River Pride will struggle
to find food.
Layla is exhausted by her injuries.
Mara tries to comfort her mother,
but there is little she can do.
the pride must follow.
Layla cannot go on.
She needs rest so her body can heal.
stay with her mother
or follow the pride.
Layla calls to the pride and to Mara,
begging them to wait for her.
But the pride must leave
in search of food.
They cannot jeopardize themselves
and the other cubs.
The pride moves
further and further away.
Layla forces herself to try and follow.
Mara stays with Layla,
but is in danger now.
Mother and daughter
have lost the protection of the pride.
Layla must find the strength
to catch up,
For the sake of her daughter.
Sita's cubs are growing in leaps
and bounds.
In their minds,
they're the fiercest hunters in the land.
Enemies approach.
Three cheetah brothers.
They may be fellow cheetahs,
but these brothers can be dangerous
for Sita's cubs.
They are the one foe
she cannot outrun.
The brothers back down,
but they have separated Sita
from her young.
Male cheetahs
will sometimes attack small cubs.
Incredibly, the cubs hold their ground.
They have their mother's spirit.
In this land, even bullies get bullied.
The lionesses are tired
After their long journey.
But cubs will be cubs
and siesta time is soon over.
New playmates are always welcome.
Luckily, he can't get the lid off.
Layla and Mara have braved
the long journey and finally caught up.
But their timing couldn't be worse.
The river has fallen.
The pride's protective moat has gone.
Kali sees his chance
to invade the southern kingdom.
Kali and his largest son cross
the crocodile-infested waters.
Fang senses the danger.
Sounding strong might deter an attack.
But Kali is not fooled.
Fang sees it's two against one.
His chances are slim.
Kali attacks.
Fang has no answer.
Kali's son threatens, too.
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"African Cats" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/african_cats_2279>.
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