
Thermal Cameras Reveal Leopard Cubs
Clip: Episode 5 | 3m 6sVideo has Closed Captions
A revolution in low light camera technology offers a rare glimpse of leopard cubs in their den.
Xudum has yet to successfully rear cubs, but she’s reaching an age where experience should help her raise at least one to adulthood. Nearly two years after losing her last litter, she gives birth again. Female leopards keep their cubs concealed at this time, but a revolution in low light camera technology offers a glimpse of the den. At around four days old, they’ve rarely been filmed this young.
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Thermal Cameras Reveal Leopard Cubs
Clip: Episode 5 | 3m 6sVideo has Closed Captions
Xudum has yet to successfully rear cubs, but she’s reaching an age where experience should help her raise at least one to adulthood. Nearly two years after losing her last litter, she gives birth again. Female leopards keep their cubs concealed at this time, but a revolution in low light camera technology offers a glimpse of the den. At around four days old, they’ve rarely been filmed this young.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship[Brad] You've got two little cubs.
Oh, my God.
This is unbelievable.
It is so beautiful.
[Narrator] Xudum is leading Brad to an area he suspects is her den.
[Brad] And she's very skinny, so there's a chance that she's.
she's already had her cubs.
(FAINT SQUEAL) (WHISPERING) That is a cub.
That's confirmation.
OK, my boy, now we have cubs making noises.
So there's confirmation - they are in here.
Oh, I don't even have words for that.
That's... Oh, she needs to get some food now.
[Brad] Following her for almost five years now and this is the second litter.
We saw her lose the first.
And this is an opportunity for her to become a successful mother.
I mean, that's.
that's all that these cats ever want to be.
[Narrator] Hoping to glimpse inside the den, Brad is deploying the thermal camera.
[Brad] It's a really big fig tree that's hollow.
Hold on, she's going right inside it.
Ooh, there's a cub.
There's a cub!
Two cubs.
You've got two little cubs.
Oh, my God.
This is unbelievable.
It is so beautiful.
I'm so relieved to hear, you have no idea.
This, to me, is completely new.
This is.
This is insane.
[Narrator] Leopards keep their cubs concealed at birth.
[Brad] These cubs are four days old, not even.
[Narrator] They've rarely ever been filmed this young.
[Brad] These are incredibly private, unique little moments.
I've spent most of my adult life with leopards and I've never seen this kind of activity in a den before.
It's just...
It's extraordinary to see.
Yeah, I've been waiting almost two years for this.
Since she lost her last one.
Xudum, you are a legend, my girl.
You've done so well.
Lions Steal a Starving Leopard's Kill
Video has Closed Captions
This situation gets critical for Xudum the leopard who desperately needs to feed. (3m 14s)
A Lost Lion Cub Faces Nighttime Alone
Video has Closed Captions
Filmmaker Gordon Buchanan fears the worst for Matho’s lost lion cub. (3m 11s)
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