For decades, acclaimed filmmakers Dereck and Beverly
Joubert have lived among lions. They consider their
three years with the lions of Duba, in Botswana's
Okavango Delta, to be their most exciting, and important
research - here presented in fascinating text and a
hundred gripping images. ''The Last Lions'' is based on
this work and will also feature images from the making
of the film. A stunning and emotional story of the last
lions of Africa. In the 1950s, there were 500,000; today
only 45,000. Continuing at this rate, they will be gone
in 25 years. As three separate prides hunt a vast herd
of buffalo, we witness unusual lion behaviour such as
daytime hunting and a willingness to stalk quarry
through water. The big cats test and learn. They watch
the herd's movements closely for any weakness, and they
develop hunting plans that confirm lions' awareness of
past, present, and future - a quality that we have
always considered exclusively human. No easy victims,
the buffalo wield their deadly horns with the dexterity
of fencers using foils.In one shocking scene, a thousand
massive animals turn on their attackers - and the
Jouberts find themselves in a sea of lethal horns and
hooves, sprayed with the spit and blood of battle. The
lions dodge, but not always swiftly enough, and so the
ancient struggle goes on. The interplay is eternal and
harsh, yet beautiful and essential, for the animals
thrive under the constant pressure. Never before caught
on film, this dramatic dance pulses with the ageless
rhythm of wild Africa - and gives us an unforgettable
glimpse of the world's most awe-inspiring hunters and
their formidable prey. |
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