As a recapitulation of Big Cat Diary 2000, Series 3 and,
The Big Cat People Podcast, Series II: Big Cat Diary Uncut
Episode 3 – "2000: The Rise and Fall of Scar and the Story of Solo"
Date of Release: 16 May 2023
Scar, now ousted by the new adversaries in the turf
Photo Credit: BBC
So what's different about the Mara this year? Well, for a start it's the worst drought in living memory. I've never seen anything like it. And, that is going to make life tough for most of our animals, but for our big cats it's going to be a feast.
EXPLAINED JONATHAN SCOTT at the beginning of the third series of Big Cat Diary in September 2000, walking into view along the Rhino Ridge, his outline distorted by the haze of the heat.
As per the report, the Mara was witnessing such a massive drought after 1993. Such a situation occurs when the short rains (over referred to as 'grass rains') failed: "The Masai's cattle died in their hundreds, so did the hippos, and the buffalo population crashed by 80 per cent to fewer than 3,000 animals (Scott, Stars 51). The dry season pushes forward the prey animals such as zebra and wildebeest to the conspicuous waterholes and greener pastures so that they may quench their query, allowing the predators. The effect of El nino too posited itself to be a probable cause of the drought.
Above: The surviving adolescents from the Marsh Pride resting
Photo Credit: BBC
Below: first-row representing White-Eye, Red (Mama Lugga), Bibi; middle Row featuring the two elder sub-adult males; third-row displaying Nsu Nsu, Lispy and Split Nose
Photo Credit: BBC
Last time on Big Cat Diary, it was an acid test for the lionesses of the Marsh Pride to protect their youngsters from the enormous herd of buffalo. As we observed the scene, it was quite obvious to expect the nemesis would dawn upon a large proportion of cubs. But quite amazingly, ten cubs survived that attack. And now in the progression of the third series, they turned out to be the boisterous constellation of adolescents: "despite facing seemingly impossible odds, at least eight of those cubs have survived and now they are fit and rather typical adolescents," says Simon King. "Though they may look laid back and relaxed, they've experienced a bit of a family upheaval recently. The young males especially have been pushed out of their traditional home by two adult males. Looks like they have every intention of taking over the territory." These new males were fondly known as the Blonde Males and they were from Topi Plains Pride, the eastern neighbours of the Marsh Pride. Any takeover is quite a natural gesture of pushing forward the gene pools and for these new males, the Marsh turned out to be a melting pot of opportunities. Their horizon was opened up by the death of Scruffy, who was killed by a Maasai herdsman in 1999, leaving Scar alone to protect the pride. Furthermore, two of the older generation females (filmed in 1998) too were killed by Maasai, a consequence of taking down livestock. Such a blow happened to be a terrible blot on the stability and the prosperity of the pride since, in lions' domain, success is counted on the basis of numbers. The sub-adults would eventually proceed as the core of the pride but, that was still a long way to achieve. At the age of two years, they were just starting to flex their muscles. Actually, eight surviving sub-adults- six females and two males, were joined by three slightly younger cubs (two males and one female) who belonged to Bumped Nose. The Topi Plains males were a formidable duo to be reckoned with. The Blonde Males were on the quench of conquering new horizons. They already had a few cubs in their erstwhile domain but, since the cubs were nearly a year old and there was quite a lesser threat of being killed by other lions, their fathers could be footloose and fancy-free:
Blondie and Simba, causing trouble to the remained stability of the pride
Photo Credit: Jonathan and Angela Scott/ Big Cat Diary Lion (2002), p. 55
The blond males were in peak condition. Both were fully grown, though one was older and bigger-bodied than his companion. If they were related they were probably born to different mothers in the same pride, or, like Scruffy and Scar, they might be former nomads who had joined forces in order to win a territory. The Topi Plains males not only looked different, but they also acted differently. The older, larger male was always first to initiate a foray into Marsh Lion territory, displaying the confidence of a lion who had done this kind of thing before. He was the one who wanted to push on whenever he saw that some of the Marsh Lions were in residence, while the younger male was quick to turn back, long before danger threatened. This difference in temperament may have been due simply to the fact that the younger male was smaller and less experienced than his companion. But as we had already seen with Scruffy and Scar, being the biggest lion doesn't necessarily mean that you will be more willing to take risks or be tougher and more aggressive. It was fascinating to watch how the younger of the two males eventually grew to equal his companion in size, and with the advantage of youth began to hold his own and even dominate him if it came to a fight over an oestrus female. But that wouldn't happen for another year yet (Scott, Lion 56).
Kali keeping an eye on the Blonde Males, her cubs soon perished by them
Photo Credit: Jonathan and Angela Scott/ Big Cat Diary Lion (2002), p. 63/ https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=293707932126341&id=100044614081365
Even Scar, the old pride male, could do nothing against this massive flow of youth. For the dominant male lions, life is always a race against time. The Blonde Males started to proclaim their guts and, had shown their supremacy to everyone by killing a hyena in the Marsh. Scar had taken over the pride in 1997 or 1998 and just two years later, his leadership was found in quite a shaky situation. He had to rely on his offspring for a meal and, was typically hanging out with a bleak hope of further dominance pride. As Bump Nose moved her three younger cubs into Bila Shaka Lugga (meaning "without fail", bestowed for a high success rate of raising youngsters), the eight sub-adults followed. Occasionally, they met Kali and her four small cubs of 12-week-old. Although Kali's daughter (later named Bibi) was warmly welcomed and often devoted herself to the duty of babysitting, her son received a less warm greeting. The two smaller male cubs of Bump Nose were the favourite ones of Kali's cubs, who used to scamper around them. Quite interestingly, the innate familial moments were not featured in the series. Rather, the show concentrated on the sub-adults predicament.
The adolescents trying to take down a hippo in the Marsh
Photo Credit: Steve Bloom
As the adolescents tried and tested their fortune against the given opportunities, they organised them in a gradual decorum. Teamwork essentially paid off. At one point in Programme 3 of the series, they almost subdued a hippo along the bank of the Mara river but, after spotting some human beings on foot over there, they escaped. Scar only felt his prior position as a family man only at the points of snatching kills from the younger lions. Many male lions die a dreadful death at the hands of rival coalitions or loss their lives to hyenas. He was quite fortunate enough to cling on to Marsh territory for a long while. In the meantime, several other lions invaded the pride's home range, making most of the opportunities. There was an occasion of a lion and a lioness crossing the river and intruding to the prideland. Some of the invading females started to hunt down confidently in the Marsh but, killing in other's domain does not certify one to be a territory holder. The future of the pride remained anything but certain.
Scar paying a surprise visit to his sons after getting ousted from the pride
Photo Credit: BBC
The adolescents of the Marsh Pride eventually made their way back home. Some of the invading females were still making the most of the opportunities but, the time for a retreat had come. The Marsh sub-adults were on their turf to proclaim their authority and at one point, they chased off one of the intruders. Earlier in the series, Scar joined them, and asserted his dominance. Scar used to get involved in the occasional and fractious forays with his heirs but by the end of the series, he was expelled from the territory by the Blonde Males, whom the crew later them Blondie and Simba. Simba was the younger one. The young females – White-Eye (so-called because she was blind in her right eye), Red (also came to be known as Mama Lugga for her high commitment to motherhood) Lispy and Split Nose (the "Blonde Sisters") and Nusu Nusu were turning out to be the core of the pride in a gradual manner. Presenter Steve Leonard caught up with Simon King and the lion crew for a special coverage of one of the Programmes of Ultimate Killers, featuring this group of adolescents' hunting strategy. Bibi, Kali's daughter, still acted like a bridge up between this group and her mother. And Red, along with one of her pride mates, started courting with Simba, testing the authenticity and commitment of the new males to protect the pride; although at this tender age, they failed to conceive. A faint radiance of hope signalling the stability of the Marsh Pride was flickering.
Scar, enjoying some peaceful moments with Kali and his two-year-old daughter Bibi before the disruption in the family
Photo Credit: Jonathan and Angela Scott/ Big Cat Diary Lion (2002), p. 62
Finally, Simba, along with his elder coalition partner had estimated himself as the pride male of the Marsh Pride
Photo Credit: BBC
While the Marsh Pride was scattered and shattered by the constant vigilance of the new males, their southern neighbours welcomed the team with a picture and cordial hospitality. The Ridge Pride of lions turned out to be one of the prime focuses of Series 3 — six adult females and fourteen cubs of one-year-old, backed up by two strong pride males (one of them had a broken lower jaw), the Ridge Pride seemed invincible. Normally, they were preoccupied with the area of Rhino Ridge, which happens to be 9 kilometres south of the Marsh. But, considering the abundance of the prey animals, the Ridge Pride was taking every advantage. But that was not all. An old adult female remained in her natal range along with her tiny two-month-old cub- a male called Solo. Solo eventually turned out to be the apple of the eye to everyone, particularly to his older cousins who did not hesitate to be engaged in boisterous play sessions with him.
Solo with his mother at his natal area
Photo Credit: Jonathan and Angela Scott/ Stars of Big Cat Diary (2009), p. 66/ https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10220372395473964&id=1052514656
With no pride mates around for essential backups, Solo and his mother's future remained under a constant threat from other lions. At one point in the series, Solo's mother was seen badly wounded. Her hind legs were severely scratched and her tail twisted, making her unable to lie down. Solo was nowhere in the scene. One of the adult males turned up, and he seemed to recognise Solo's mother. He sat by her side, flickering the essence of being alongside her. Soon after, Solo's mother integrated him with the other members of their pride including two big males. One of them happened to be his father. Solo got easily merged with them. Normally, the lion cubs prosper within the provided care and nurturance of a crèche or nursery, shaped up by the lionesses who become a mother during the same temporal range. Solo's situation was an odd one. He was the single survivor of the litter he was born (the essence that prompted the team for the bestowal of the name). Jonathan Scott was assigned to share Solo's story with the audience alongside his involvement in the leopards' tale. At the end of the series, Solo was nearly five-month-old. Jonathan Scott in his Stars of Big Cat Diary recapitulates a situation that turned up at the end of the series:
For a few moments we cut away from the big cats and glory in beautiful wide views of the Mara: [...] there is still one story holding the audience in thrall. Solo and his mother have gone missing. One of our lion spotters, Peter Blackwell, manages to locate the mother as she heads south of Rhino Ridge, calling. Her face is bloody as if she has been feeding – or fighting, apparently the Ridge Pride have got into a scrap with other lions during the night. I comment, 'The way she is looking says it all as far as I'm concerned. Solo's gone.'We all felt gutted. Solo had captivated us with his enduring spirit. We had watched as his mother carefully nurtured him, laughed with joy as he played with her, stayed with her as she recovered from a beating from members of a neighbouring pride earlier in the series [...] We called in all our spotters to help in the search and a short while later Pete was back on the radio to say they had found Solo looking lost and lonely. [...] At one point as we film the little cub starts to panic and walks out into the open. [...] We all hold our breath and hope for a happy conclusion – there is no way we can just pick Solo up and reunite with his mother. [...] She stops every so often, stares, calls, then listen, until finally she puts us out of our misery and reunited with her cub (67; Emphasis added).
By the end of the series, Solo was reintegrated with the pride
Photo Credit: BBC
Jonathan Scott on the trail of the Ridge Pride of lions with soundman Andy Milk and cameraman Mark Yates
Photo Credit: Angela Scott
Solo, at the end of the series, managed to stick together with his pride mates. Jonathan Scott summed up: "I reckon if Solo can make it among 12 large cubs he is going to be one of the tough customers to deal with when he grows up." With no pressure of hunting for several mouths, Amber could take life easy. Simon King once again caught up with her. In the last Big Cat Diary, she was nurturing her two sons and a daughter. But they became independent and went on their own trails. Meaning, Amber could easily satisfy her appetite with a minimum effort. She turned twelve, quite an old age, measured in the standard of a wild cheetah. Literally, there were some predicted frames of actions were there to expect from her side. The crew, however, caught up with an adult male cheetah who was known as Kimbia (often referred to as Nick). In Swahili, "Kimbia" means "the race". And indeed, a supreme and agile a hunter he was.
With no pressure of extra mouths, Amber became quite relaxed
Photo Credit: Uschy Fillinger
While Amber was expected to provide with a minimum range of actions and stock activity, the crew shifted their focus to Amber's daughter as well- the same female who turned up boisterously along with her brothers. Simon soon tracked her down in an area- one which used to be often preoccupied by this cheetah family. But that was an issue a couple of years ago. The young female was seen concentrating on her queries- a small herd of Thompson's gazelles nearby. Simon recognised the female only after her hunting attempt was failed and as she came closer. It was definitely Amber's daughter, whom the crew filmed in 1998 and who climbed up Jonathan Scott's car during a Big Cat Update, filmed in 1999. Everyone was a bit surprised to witness her skinny condition. Whether she had fallen ill recently or such a situation was caused by any other issue, was anyone's guess at the moment. She was definitely on the row to recovery as she proved her next hunting attempt to be successful. She was certainly old enough to start a family of her own.
Amber's daughter
Photo Credit: Jonathan and Angela Scott/ Stars of Big Cat Diary (2009), p. 65
Soon after the first encounter, she was seen being pursued by Kimbia, the singleton. Cheetah courtship is a quite fractious affair and, it was certainly no wonder why Kimbia received a nasty blow on his nose, causing him to bleed for a while. The male, despite having a bloody nose, further concentrated on the female's movement and after all harassment, both of them lied down, providing everyone with a flicker of hope for a new generation of cheetahs in the legacy. The female was further seen in Programme 8, and by then she got rid of Kimbia. Male cheetahs often form a coalition like the nomadic lions to conquer a wider domain and ensure better circulation of their gene pool. Besides, number provides with the much-needed strength in hunting down prey. Despite being completely on his own in every sense of the word, Kimbia was rather doing fine. Most of the times in day hours, he preferred a peaceful catnap in the shades, causing much frustration to the cheetah crew- a disappointment for the lack of the intended actions.
Amber's daughter beating a hasty retreat to Kimbia
Photo Credit: Jonathan and Angela Scott/ Stars of Big Cat Diary (2009), p. 64
Amber, however, was completely enjoying her solitary life. Since age was slowing her down gradually, the team wondered thinking her success and legacy. Simon was doubtful whether she was pregnant with another litter. But, whatever the current predicament was, it was all about the concern with their association with such a legend of Mara. He was acquainted with Amber for seven years, and it would be really saddening to see her go. Simon's assumption was right. Amber jumped up onto the bonnet of his car and Simon commemorated: "I think she's probably twelve years old now. That's an old cheetah in the wild. I've to say, I'm really really glad we caught up with her. This may be one of the last times we got to see her." It was indeed the crew's last interaction with Amber.
Amber in her twilight
Photo Credit: Uschy Fillinger
Meanwhile, so much change happened over the last two years. Half-Tail was featured in the Big Cat Update of 1999, before the third series. A little Jonathan Scott knew that it was going to be his last time with her. In her twilight years, Half-Tail was destined to live beyond the boundary of the reserve. "Half-Tail was now nearly twelve years old the signs of ageing were visible to us all. She rested for longer, was a step slower and bore that grizzled look you see with old lionesses, the grandmothers of the pride (Scott, Leopard's 205). She finally disappeared in March 1999. It was reported that: "[...] she had run into trouble with Masai herdsmen after worming her way through a temporary thornbush enclosure to snatch a goat or a sheep; when she returned for a second time to the same place the herdsmen were ready with a snare anchored to a log." (Scott, Stars 54). Half-Tail's death, however, was never reported to the authorities. Jonathan further explicates:
With the help of our olf friend William Kipen, who had driven Simon's camera vehicle during the first series, we began to piece together the story of her demise. Later still our cheetah cameraman Warren Samuels, who had camped for many years along the Mara River bordering Half-Tail's territory, added some more information that only deepened the mystery. He had been told by a colleague that Half-Tail had somehow managed to break free from the snare – perhaps she had chewed through the wire. Apparently she then sought refuge in a tree but slipped of became tangled and hanged herself with the wire pulled tight around her neck. Her body was thrown into the Mara River; it was certainly a tragic end for an extraordinary cat (Scott, Stars 55).
Above: Half-Tail carrying a warthog piglet at Leopard Gorge in 1998
Photo Credit: Jonathan and Angela Scott/ Big Cat Diary Cheetah (2005), p. 40
Below: Shadow as an independent territory holder
Photo Credit: BBC
Indeed, "[...] observing Half-Tail from the sanctity of a vehicle was very different from having Half-Tail come calling at night, determined to steal your property" (Scott, Leopard's 205). One "circle of life" had been ended up. But there was surely a bunch of good news. Shadow had proved to be completely independent and, when the crew came back to Mara for the third series she had a surprise. She became the proud mother to a female cub called Safi, who was about a year old when the filming was started. "Safi" is a Swahili word for "the clean one". Earlier in 1999, Shadow had given birth to two cubs, but sadly they were perished by hyenas when they were a couple of weeks old. That year in October, She produced another litter in Fig Tree Ridge- Safi, and a male sibling who soon went missing when they were quite small.
Safi at three months of age at Leopard Gorge
Photo Credit: Jonathan and Angela Scott/
Shadow and Safi at Fig Tree Ridge
Photo Credit: Uschy Fillinger
Unlike her mother Shadow and grandmother Half-Tail, Safi was very much shy in the presence of human beings and vehicles. She was at the age when she could commence her own hunting techniques and was spending most of her time on her own. Her father, Shadow's mate had been expelled from Leopard Gorge by an adult male with a distinctive broken lower jaw, occasionally referred crew as Droopy Jaw by the crew and, he was seen killing a wildebeest calf in Programme 2 of this series. Aidan Woodward, one of the leopard spotters informed Jonathan about his presence and, Simon was nearby to to capture the actions. At one point, Shadow and Safi were involved in great danger when this strange male invaded Shadow's home range and, Shadow had to put up a fight with him, giving time to Safi to retreat. The battle was brief but decisive. Safi was nowhere to be seen. The male eventually fled away but, soon after the fight was over, Shadow and Safi had gone missing for nearly a couple of weeks. The crew searched high and low. But, they could track down nothing.
Playtime of mother and daughter
Photo Credit: Uschy Fillinger
Shadow displaying displeasure with Safi's bumbling play-fighting
Photo Credit: Jonathan and Angela Scott/ Big Cat Diary Leopard (2003), p. 87
After receiving an update from one of the residents, it seemed that they might be occupying the Mara Rianta zone for a while. A few leopards turned up in the scene. At a certain juncture, the crew found a mother and her 6-month-old daughter enjoying a kill near the Talek area. But, they could not stay with them for a long time since the main queries were still missing. These two females, namely, Bella and Olive, would later go on to be the next Big Cat stars in their own right. After the continuous surfacing of nearly two weeks, Shadow and Safi re-emerged, well and alive. Safi was proving herself to be independent and self-sufficient. Occasionally they met when Shadow got a big kill but the time for a final split-up had come. At the end of the series Safi was separated from her mother and Shadow once again, was in search of a mate to start up a new generation. The series ended up featuring her in the twilight, raising rasping growls to attract the attention of a probable mate. Clearly, the crew were about to leave the Mara with a hope to catch up with yet another leopard dynasty- the legacy of the Leopard Gorge.
Nearly a year old, Safi was getting more independent and mostly spending her time alone
Photo Credit: BBC
References
Scott, Jonathan. Angela Scott. "Pride Takeover". Big Cat Diary Lion. London: Harper Collins, 2002. 50-63. Print.
— "King of Beasts". Stars of Big Cat Diary. United Kingdom: Evan Mitchell Books, 2009. 50-67. Print.
— "Epilogue 2: Half-Tail's Legacy". The Leopard's Tale. United Kingdom: Bradt Travel Guides, 2013. 200-218. Print.
Credits
Presented by
Simon King
Jonathan Scott
Photography
Simon King
Andrew McClenaghan
Warren Samuels
Warwick Sloss
Mark Yates
Sound
Andy Milk
Dave Parkinson
Chris Watson
Editors
Andrew Chastney
Steve White
Online Editor
Tim Bolt
Music
David Poore
Dubbing Mixer
Jonathan Jenkins
Graphic Design
Burrel Durrant Hifle
Acknowledgement
Kenya Wildlife Service
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Narok County Council
Production Team
Duncan Chard
Kate Hubert
Hugh Pearson
James Brickwell
Roger Webb
Mandy Knight
Jenni Collie
Lisa Asch
Adam Chapman
Angela Scott
Aidan Woodward
Siobhan Brook
Wendy Darke
Executive Producers
Fiona Pitcher
Producers
Miles Barton
Robin Hellier
A BBC/ Animal Planet Co-production
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