A Cheetah‘s Pride
A never-before-seen wildlife phenomenon: An extraordinary cheetah family; Two mothers with nine cubs!
In June 2020, two cheetah mothers met by chance. One is an experienced mother and effective huntress with five cubs. The other mother has four cubs. She’s younger and hindered by a blind eye, but affectionate and patient. After the initial meeting, the cubs become mixed up, resulting in one mother adopting the other’s cubs as her own. Stranger still, the mothers meet again and, instead of going their separate ways, stay together. Female cheetahs are solitary, this hybrid family is a world first. The family would go on to endure what can only be described as a wildlife soap opera. They face the many dangers of the African bush, endure starvation and injury and overcome abandonment and loss. The cubs rise to insurmountable challenges and look out for one another. One mother struggles while the other succeeds, but they need each other if they’re to keep all nine cubs alive.
Episodes
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Two Mothers, Nine Cubs
Chilli, Inara and their 9 cubs meet and a standoff ensues. Eventually, the mothers part, but Chilli’s cubs - Siya and Kolisi - mistakenly follow Inara. Despite initial hostility, Inara nurses the interlopers. The families reunite and while Inara hunts, Chilli kidnaps the cubs. Inara goes into oestrus and searches for her mate, Shadow. If she is pregnant, she may not return.
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Struggle to Survive
Chilli has kept all nine cubs alive for a month since the separation. Inara courts Shadow, and may be expecting. A hunt injures Chilli, prompting conservation intervention, but they aren’t out of the woods. Inara returns just in time, but is seen as an outsider at first. The mothers maintain independence but remain together for the sake of the cubs.
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Lost and Found
The mothers separate when Inara leaves with five cubs. She marches and hunts relentlessly to compensate for her eye, but fails time and time again. Eventually, she’s forced to abandon the cubs as there are more on the way. The four cubs with Chilli have been thriving, and Shaka saves the abandoned cubs, leading them back to Chilli.
Facts
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Original TitleDer Geparden-Clan
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Year2024
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Length3 × 50' (ENG, GER)
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ResolutionHD, 4K
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Film byHansa Winshaw
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Produced by
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Partners