From the National Geographic Channel:

Sunday, January 29, 2006, at 9P


Relentless Enemies

It is a spectacle few have seen firsthand. Two foes trapped on an island in a remote part of Africa. And a battle to survive captured in high-definition over two years by award-winning filmmakers. Now, NGC takes viewers onto a unique battlefield in the Okavango Delta to witness the grueling fight for survival of highly specialized lions that prey almost exclusively on buffalo in Relentless Enemies.

Also airs:
Monday, January 30, 12A
Thursday, February 2, 5:00P

More:

The great lions of the Tsaro pride are larger, more fearsome and more innovative than your typical lion. These enormous lions have thick necks and heavy chests built to wade through water and hunt places big cats normally avoid. Trapped on an island with these giant killers are thousands of buffalo who are forced to devise defensive tactics and eventually learn to fight back. See the battle unfold from a unique perspective as National Geographic Channel tracks the movements from the air and up close.

the previews from this that i've seen look good.

This should be cool.

I make a point of exposing my daughter (3 1/2 yo) to as many shows depicting predation (both animal on animal and human on animal) as I can so that she learns from the get go how things really work.

We were watching an episode of The World Of Beretta this past Friday night where Chris Dorsey is hunting kudu and hogs in Namibia. She watched the warthog hunt from start to finish, and asked me "what are they doing to the pig?". I said, they are killing him to eat him. She just said, "oh, they are going to eat the pig", as matter of factly as can be.

I watched this and highly recommend it. The opening scene was as cool as it gets.

quote:

Originally posted by HP Shooter:
She just said, "oh, they are going to eat the pig", as matter of factly as can be.

Cool.

Thanks for the heads up Charles!

John

Saw it the other night and it is stunning.

We don't have NGC here Will someone record it
PLEASE
Gene

I have it recorded on the DVR and will try to watch this weekend when I have some free time. Accroding to my wife all I ever do is play on the computer or watch TV! She forgets all the trips to the kitchen...

(I did take all three girls to the deer lease last weekend, but I guess that does not count. )

When my girls were small I raised rabbits for slaughter, just so they'd see the process from start to finish from before memory.

We also used to call bacon "pig meat" and beef, "cow meat", etc, just so they'd have that idea be normal, too.

I had named my does alphabetically by generation so the oldest was Annabelle, next came Barbara and Beverly, etc.

I had one doe that refused to nurse her young on the first litter, and we discussed around the supper table what would happen if she did it again.

One night we were eating fricasseed rabbit when Erin (the eldest, about 6 yrs old at the time) asked, "what kind of meat is this?" I said rabbit meat. She chewed thoughtfully, mentally reviewing the status of the hutch, then asked "Is this Barbara?" Ready with explanations, I said "Yep."

Erin nodded and took another bite. Her sisters never stopped chewing.

Charles
It only counts if she wants you to do it and you don't want to.

I saw it the 29th. It is worth marking your calendar. A great documentary.

I saw it this afternoon with my wife. One of the few times she has watched something like that without getting up several times. This show was great This show should be required viewing for anyone who wants to hunt some of the big 5. The lions were fearless and the buffalo were faster that one could ever expect without seeing them in action. So much power endurance and so hard to kill.

Those video clips of the confrentations between the lions and the buffalos are fascinating. I find myself always pulling for the buffalo. Does anyone ever root for the lion? Just curious.

quote:

Originally posted by Longbob:
Those video clips of the confrentations between the lions and the buffalos are fascinating. I find myself always pulling for the buffalo. Does anyone ever root for the lion? Just curious.

Did you see the show where the buffs stomp the lion cubs to death? Sometimes you have to root for the lions. Lions have to eat too!

(I have not watched the show -- saving it for this weekend -- but I will root for the predators at times. After all, we are predators as well.)

Super photography. Just super.

Watched it twice and thought of Judge G's Hunt Report narrative on his encounter with the lions during his last Safari and buffalo stalk with PvT.

DB

I saw it off and on yesterday--and it was good--I was working and watching and then had to go to a meeting so I missed the end of it, missed the beginning and some parts inbetween also---I'm so stupid I didn't Tivo it--oh well I'll watch it or tivo it Sunday -- chris

Charles,

I didn't see the video of the buffaloes stomping the cubs. That is interesting. I didn't know the buffaloes would do that. It would be enough to make me want to root for the lions. At least for a minute.

quote:

Originally posted by Longbob:
Charles,

I didn't see the video of the buffaloes stomping the cubs. That is interesting. I didn't know the buffaloes would do that. It would be enough to make me want to root for the lions. At least for a minute.

It was on a different show that was on in the last year. At the moment I cannot remember which one.

Okay, I did a search and found a couple of the posts talking about the show. Apparently it was on the Discovery Channel.

quote:

Originally posted by Dulcinea:
The program that was on before this one was about a pride of lions. It was either in Kenya or Tanzania. But the part that cativated me was when the herd of Buff came upon the place where the lions were hiding the cubs.
None of the hunting videos, nor any other video that I have watch has been able to convey the total fury and destruction that the Buff is capable of.
It showed the real size of a big bull and the actual footage of the bulls killing the cubs was simply shocking. A cat kill or a hyena kill can not match this even though they are both for survival.

Dulcinea

quote:

Originally posted by North_GA_Airedales:
Hello, <br /><br />I got to see some interesting footage of cape buffalo on one of the lion shows on the Discover channel this evening. <br /><br />A moving herd of buff approached a pride of lions in some scrub. When the lead bull stopped the herd and all of its members came to attention, they located a pride of lions taking a siesta in the edge of the scrub. The lions were resting and had their litter of cubs cached near the lead bull who zeroed in and killed 3 of the 10 cubs. There was good footage of a bull using his left horn to mash his target. They never showed him tossing his horn or hooking, just mashing down and plowing forward over the victim. <br /><br />I have not see footage like that before, but have read the likes of J.A. Hunter and John Burger. <br /><br />Any of you out there have other interesting cape buffalo observations???

I Tivo'd this show on Sunday and watched it the other night. I thought it went a bit long. It almost seemed like they really strung it out to fill the full 2 hours.

I saw the other show with the buf attacking the lion cubs as a repeat early last week.

I caught the end of the Relentless Enemies NatGeo special the other night.

Near the end of the show, the narrative said it was showing the lions killing a bull, but I saw no penis sheath, no balls in spite of what appeared to be a hard-bossed bull's horns. The body was massive and bull-like, but maybe not quite as "buff" as a normal bull.

I have heard of "bull-dyke" cows, and wonder if this is one.

Can somebody who taped the show please check it out?

Since the show concentrates on the lions it seems to be good eye-training for picking out bulls in the herds from quick glimpses. I hope to buy it, but cannot find a DVD for sale,

Don, I don't have the link but think you may can do this online via Nat Geo's website.

DB

DB,

Could not find a "buy here" link there. Maybe they'll post it later...

I do not see it listed in their online store. As you say, maybe after a while.