Brothers in Blood: The Lions of Sabi Sand

The documentary is about a Mapogo lion living in Sabi, South Africa .

Additional material has been used to illustrate the behavior of lions .

The program can shock the most sensitive viewers.

The filmmakers and guides followed the lion family for 16 years.

Their male offspring were later known as "mapogos".

group testified unusual behavior -

41,530 when the Mapogs launched a campaign to expand their scope.

massacre started when they took over their first territory.

Six males took more land than any lion before them.

They work brutally.

They destroyed all that threatened their power.

estimate that they killed more than a hundred lions a year.

Mapogs were unprecedentedly aggressive and violent.

Their story reveals a rarely seen the dark side of lions -

as well as their continuous struggle for survival.

UNPRECEDENTED TRUTH lion's share

in Sabi Sand Animal Reserve is Kruger National Park next door.

More than twice the size of Yellowstone's Kruger is rich in animals.

They have a direct route from there to Sabi Sand.

There is so much prey that the area is perfect for the lion.

Here the filmmakers have been watching for over 10 years -

Mapogo Lions have seen a spectacular rise to power.

Sparta herd has lived in the middle of Sabi Sand for decades .

In 2002, there were ten puppies in the herd .

There were five males among them.

They had no names as puppies -

but later they were known by the names, Scar ...

... Pretty Boy, Rasta ...

... Kinky Tail and Mr. T.

These young brothers would one day be known as Mapogot.

I was with the lions of Sabi Sand during their puppy time.

I remember well the Sparta herd that had so many puppies.

Five of them were males.

It's often very clear that some puppies are braver than others -

and others a little more curious.

They are more likely to try new things and prey on new things.

Others are more shy and follow the events from the sidelines.

Two of the young people stood out. The other was a leader and adventurous.

Her brother always followed her.

They clearly started working together very early on.

Those two were Mr. T and Kinky Tail.

It wasn't just the strong bond between their brothers that separated their brothers .

Those two were special.

It could be noticed early on.

The herd once caught the buffalo.

One of the big males, the father of the Mapogs -

had taken the carcass .

A small young man devouring carrion -

quickly and quietly in the big male's watching.

His behavior was really frightening. Puppies usually don't.

It could have gotten quite a bit of clapping from a male .

It happened in the beginning, but judging by the behavior -

puppy was either Mr. T or Kinky Tail as they were later known .

Those who were lucky enough to follow the mapogs in their puppies -

may have noticed that these lions would still be heard.

As long as the five males stay together, they will do great things.

Just one of eight male puppies live to adulthood.

If a puppy is born to a healthy herd -

protected by a bunch of strong males -

puppies have the best chance of surviving their first year.

word "herd" we refer to females.

Females live in the same area all their lives -

and their daughters are often related to the same herd.

A large and strong herd can last for decades.

Males, on the other hand, form alliances with mere males.

male often changes his life and can end up far from his birthplace.

Mapogo Fathers formed a great alliance.

They were West Street Males. They dominated a couple of herds.

I remember they were good fathers. Very patient.

lion has the idea that they just lie down -

mating and stealing food from females.

In reality, males play a very serious and important role in the herd .

They patrol the guard and defend puppies and females.

Females are vital to the social structure of the herd .

males come and go, but the females stay in the area for years.

It keeps the social structure of the lion herds stable.

The lion is one of the few cats in the herd.

They get along better when they work together.

Nothing works as well as a healthy, cooperating herd.

There were ten puppies in the Sparta herd, which included five mapogos.

That big herd had to prey on big animals.

Sparta females and the West Street boys took their prey to a new level.

Males play a very important role in killing big prey.

They help the herd kill big and dangerous animals.

Giraffes are very dangerous, partly because of their size.

giraffe can kill a lion with a single kick, but the risk is worth it.

If females attack a large animal , males must follow.

So did the West Street Males.

A mature giraffe male can weigh almost 1300 kg.

Sparta herd has enough food for days.

a place like Sabi Sand, there is danger hanging around every corner.

While Mr. T and Kinky Tail were still puppies -

the rise of the mighty mapogs was almost to end tragically.

in 2003 -

Mr. T, Kinky Tail, Rasta, Pretty Boy and Scar -

were between 6 and 18 months old.

They were born into a strong family protected by powerful males.

Their emotions, the Sparta herd, were superior predators.

Naarailla oli tärkeä rooli pentujen saalistustaitojen kehittämisessä.

Pennut aloittavat saalistamisen jo varhain.

Ne väijyvät kaikkea lähistöllä olevaa.

Sitten ne alkavat hioa taitojaan saalistamalla erilaisia eläimiä.

Usein täysin sopimattomia.

Olen nähnyt niiden jahtaavan pisteliäitä piikkisikoja.

Mesimäyrä on pelottava vastus, koska se on hyvin aggressiivinen.

Se ei ole ihanteellinen vastus, mutta leijonien täytyy kehittää taitojaan -

tullakseen tehokkaiksi saalistajiksi.

Mapogojen tulevaisuus oli täynnä isompia ja vahvempia saaliita -

varsinkin Afrikan vaarallisimpiin eläimiin kuuluvaa afrikanpuhvelia.

Suurin laskemani lauma oli 1 400-päinen.

In addition, there are groups of 15 to 20 buffaloes .

They stay along the river and are often targeted.

39,010 A big buffalo male weighs more than 900 pounds -

6 times more than a female lion. It is 4 times larger than a male lion.

With their big, curved horns, they can severely wound the lion.

It's really exciting to see a lion prey on a buffalo.

Often, a lion can be just as harmed.

Preferably they would only chase one buffalo but one is loud.

It makes a loud noise that others will help.

Other buffaloes go up to the lions -

when they hold the prey in place.

Imagine what happens when the whole buffalo herd arrives.

They weigh thousands of pounds and are really furious.

They run like lions like a front of horror.

I have seen full-grown lion Rotating twice in the air.

To learn how to prey on big animals despite the danger -

young mapogos must be involved.

Puppies learn very important things by following their prey.

They learn to prey on bigger animals and they become stronger.

The herd often took puppies with her. They went close behind the adults.

As is often the case, buffaloes started chasing lions.

The adult members of the herd tried to escape -

but the young mapogos and their siblings remained in the midst of angry buffaloes.

They scattered like pins in front of the ball.

Lions ran everywhere.

lions were pretty much chased. The puppies were in the midst of disarray.

Buffaloes are looking for puppies in the bushes to toss and stab them.

They attack with their horns, but they usually trample on the lions -

and kill them that way.

It was sad when some of the Sparta herd puppies lost their lives.

killed some of the lion in the herd.

Five mapogons managed to escape.

Fate seemed to have plans for them.

If the puppies hadn't survived, the Mapogo alliance would not have come.

Mr. T, Kinky Tail, Rasta, Scar and Pretty Boy -

had survived their first year.

new danger was already close.

In 2003, an unknown male entered the Sparta Herd territory.

It's an extremely dangerous situation for young puppies.

When a male takes over the territory, he kills every puppy.

Young mapogos were lucky.

Contrary to all expectations, the intruder didn't kill the brothers.

The new male also got his life.

In fact, it was accepted into the herd.

This seems to be the first documented case.

Normally it would have been killed or thrown away -

but somehow it remained submissive or just accepted quickly.

Probably the half-brother of five young lions.

It was about four years old when he came into the herd .

Fathers would only tolerate it if it was their own son from a nearby herd.

Vuoden kuluessa Makhulusta tuli a full member of the herd -

and big brother now to the mapog of adolescence.

That same year, Guides found that Mr. T's and Kinky Tailin strong bond -

which was formed already during the puppy -

was even stronger now. They were inseparable.

Mr. T was more dominant, and Kinky Tail was clearly his right hand.

It would support Mr. T in all situations.

Kinky Tail was her twin pair.

It was always there when Mr. T needed it.

There was an incredible bond between them.

They were happy to be together. It was special.

lion's flock, it doesn't take long for young males to rest .

When they reach sexual maturity, they have to leave the herd -

and meet the world alone.

2004 young mapogos with two years older Makhulu -

were driven away from the herd by their fathers.

10,170 As wandering males they had to get along without any help.

They preyed alone without their own territory -

or the herd and the females. They were also threatened by dominant males.

There are more male lions dying during their hike than ever before.

They had come to the point where they had to make their own way.

They only had each other, but there were six.

That was their main advantage in life.

staying together, these six males could survive.

That's how the Mapogo Alliance was formed.

It would take a long time before they were big enough, strong and confident -

to take your own territory.

At first it was difficult to separate them because the brushes were just starting to grow.

brushes grew over time. First it was received by the elder Makhulu.

It was a really big lion.

It had a beautiful black brush. It was a great animal.

One was called Pretty Boy.

You see, it was incredibly good looking.

One of the males had a scar.

It extended from the left hip to the back.

Then there was Rasta, or Dreadlock.

There was something stuck to its brush and it looked like a dash.

Mr. T.

It had an Iroquois brush.

Then there was Kinky Tail.