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S45E2: Part One | Tiger Island | Clip

A Mother Tiger’s Desperate Search for Her Cub

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When her cub wanders dangerously close to a nearby village, Goma, a mother tiger, must find a way to bring it back to safety. But with people nearby and a male tiger threatening her territory, Goma faces a difficult decision to protect her young.

TRANSCRIPT

- One of her cubs has been seen crossing the river.

- [Tracker] She's approaching the road.

- [Narrator] And is now close to the village.

Goma needs to get the cub back to the island, (water splashing) (bird cawing) but a desperate mother tiger could be dangerous.

(kids laughing) (child speaking in foreign language) (dramatic music continues) (radio crackling) - That's Goma very close to the village.

We're quite scared.

- She is parallel with the village.

- I mean, just take position!

(bird cawing) - You should hold your position and then they're likely to cross back onto Tiger Island.

- Bit worried.

Tiger Island's over there and this is the village.

There's a wedding happening on this site, and all of their friends and family are there.

And perhaps that male that's been scoping out, searching for... She's there.

She's there.

(music continues) (water splashing) (birds cawing) - [Narrator] Goma is crossing back to her territory on the island.

(water splashing) - Still no sign of the cub.

(music continues) (water splashing) I think she's been spooked by that male.

(Goma moaning) I can hear her contact calling.

Ooh, ooh.

Trying to get that cub away from danger, all the way back onto the island, but she doesn't wanna come find it again herself because she's so exposed.

(Goma moaning) (birds tweeting) She knows there's loads of people on this side of the river.

She knows they can all see her, (Goma moaning) but she's so desperate.

This is her worst nightmare.

(Goma moaning) This isn't tiger behavior.

(Goma moaning) They are stalk and ambush hunters that specialize in hiding.

Her whole evolutionary history has perfectly formed her to disappear and she is sitting out in the open.

(Dan gasping) Her cub's coming.

Her cub's coming across.

(inspirational music) (Goma moaning) (water splashing) (cub squeaking) Yes!

(water splashing) Good news, guys.

(water splashing) Goma's cub has crossed the river back to her.

(bird cawing) They've gone into the jungle now.

- [Tracker] Thank you, Dan.

- That level of parenting, how much she cared for that cub, she was making everyone focus on her so that the cub would have space to come across by itself.