[crickets chirping] [children speaking indistinctly] - okay, children,settle down. it's story time, children. the story i'm about to tell youtook place a long time ago in the heart of africa. [sweeping orchestral music] ♪ ♪ it all began just southof the great limpopo river
in the valleynestled in the foothills of the lebombo mountains. and in that valley lived a large prideof african lions ruled by a magnificent malecalled mogolo. in his pride,mogolo had a favorite female. her name was misava. that night, in a villageon the edge of the valley, a sangoma, who was a healerand a keeper of stories,
was telling his people about the legendof the white lion. generations ago, a white lionhad roamed the valley, and there was peaceand prosperity for all. but one day,the lion disappeared. no one really knew why, but it was believed that whenthe great chief muhluri died, the lion followed him as if to livewith the ancestors.
life became a lot harderfor the people of the valley. food was scarce,and many were going hungry. gisani, the sangoma's son, would sit for hourslistening to these stories, and as he staredinto the fire, he wished for the returnof the white lion and a better lifefor all his people. [dramatic orchestral music] [lion cub squeaking]
[lion bellowing] it seemed as though a young man's wisheshad come true. a white lion had been borninto the valley. - but why was his coat white? was he a magic lion? - well, gisani's peoplebelieved that the white lionwas a gift from the ancestors. and the first one was seenafter a shining star
had fallen to the earth. and that's why the shangaanbelieved they were white. they were the colorof the stars. [hyena chuckling] [hyena growling] for newborn cubs,the world was a dangerous place. [lion cub mewls] [mewling continues] [suspenseful music]
and misava had to be readyto defend her cubs with her life. [hyena sniffing] a hyena would not hesitateto kill and eat a vulnerableyoung lion cub. so to protect her cubs, misava started moving themto the safety of a new lair. she began with the smallestof the two, who would be knownas letsatsi.
his brother butifollowed close behind. [lion cubs squeaking] [lion cub mewling] as the weeks passed,the cubs were developing well. letsatsi was proving to bea real adventurer. the wonders of the outside worldwere hard for him to resist. [playful orchestral music] [lion roars] [lion roaring]
it had been a whilesince misava had last fed. she was hungry. and to replenish the milk neededto feed her cubs, she would have to riskleaving them alone and head out into the bushto hunt. [frog croaking] and of course,the wonders of the outside world would once againbe irresistible to the cubs. [warthog snorting]
[snake hissing] [lion cub squeaks] [warthog squealing] [snake hisses] [lion cub crying] [somber music] [thunder booming] misava,returning from her hunt, made a terrible discovery.
buti was dead. [lion growling] and letsatsi was missing. [rain pattering] [lion growls] [birds calling] misava searched and searched but could find no traceof letsatsi. the storm of the previous night
had washed his scentcompletely away. and letsatsi, without his motherto protect him, would be luckyto survive the day alone. [animals yowling] driven by a sensethat letsatsi was still alive, she kept searching. but letsatsi's calls to herwere lost in the wilderness. [distant thunder booming] meanwhile,gisani had been summoned
by his father. a woman in the villagewas very ill, and he needed gisanito search that night for a special healing plantfound only deep in the valley. and to help protect his son, he decided it was timeto pass down a most treasured possession. it had once belonged to the great chief muhlurihimself.
[owl hooting] [hyena shouts] [hyena snarls] [lion cub yowls] [hyenas chuckling] [man shouting indistinctly] [hyenas barking] gisani couldn't believehis eyes. right in front of himwas the creature
his father had spokenso often about. what was gisani to do? - he should build a fire. - lions are not that fondof fires. the fire would scare him. - he should take it backto the village. - you have to understand, for that young man, who had grown upwith his father's stories
about the white lion, this was a sacred creature, and he didn't dare touch it. - then what did he do? - rather than interfere,he would stay close to the cub. that first meeting had a powerful effecton gisani. he knew there and thenthat his destiny was to watch over and protectthis sacred creature.
it was time for misavato return and introduce letsatsito the pride. his white coatwould be honored and revered in gisani's village, but herein the lions' world, it would just make hima curiosity to the older membersof the pride. and right from the start,it would be a struggle for letsatsito find acceptance.
[lion cub hisses] [lion cubs growling] as the days stretched on, mogolo's fondness for hisspirited young cub deepened. and finally, letsatsi, white lionof the lebombo valley, found his placein the pride... right by his father's side. as the seasons tumbled by,
gisani,true to his destiny, spent days at a timeaway from his village, following the pride. letsatsi maturedinto an impressive young male. for some time now, life in the pridehad been settled and peaceful. but on the horizon,dark clouds were gathering, and the stormthat was about to hit the pride came in the form
of two extremely fitand strong lions. they were knownas the mhahlwa. - what does "mahaluwa" mean? - no.mhahlwa. it means they werethe evil twins. they had been biding their time, waiting,just waiting for the day they sensed mogolo had reachedthe end of his reign. and that day had come.
[lions growling] [lions roaring] old mogolowas quickly defeated. he would be forcedto wander the land alone. - how could he just leavehis family? was he a coward? - no, mogolo was no coward! he might have triedto take on a single challenger, but he was no match
for the combined forcesof the mighty mhahlwa. [lions roaring and snarling] the young malesfled for their lives. the mhahlwa would kill them if they offered upany resistance. and you can only imaginehow difficult it was for misava to say good-byeto her only surviving cub. now letsatsi's only optionwas to join his older cousins. by joining the group,
he would have a better chanceof survival. [lion snarls] [lions snarling] but it was not meant to be. without mogoloto protect him, letsatsi, who had alwaysbeen seen as an outsider, was cast out. [lions bellowing] [elephants growling]
gisani had learnedof the mhahlwa takeover and knew that the well-beingof his people depended on himwatching over this lion, now more than ever. frightened by the soundsof the night, letsatsi pushed deeperand deeper into the mountains. [animal crying] letsatsi had gone without foodfor many days, but one thing he couldn'tgo without was water,
and there below him was the answerto his burning thirst. [water trickling] [water splashing] but even herein these peaceful surroundings, danger was everywhere. lucky to be alive, letsatsi had crossed the borderof his old pride's territory. letsatsi was moving quickly,
and gisani was alreadya day or two behind. he could not affordto lose track of him now. [engine humming] letsatsi was nowin unknown territory. - what was that? [parking brake grinds] i'm going to take a look. you stay, now. - and in this territory
lived the most dangerouscreature in all the land... man. [insects and birds chirping] [porcupine grunts] gisani, now not far behind, was getting to knowletsatsi's tracks by heart. he was also getting better at readingother animal tracks. had letsatsi fallen preyto a vicious crocodile?
was he even still alive? the only wayto answer these questions was to cross the river. after his failed attempt to make a mealof a tortoise and his painful encounterwith the porcupine, choosing the right preywas proving to be quite a challengefor young letsatsi. now, vastas the african bush seemed,
it wasn't long before letsatsiencountered another lion. [lion huffing] with a roar that soundedlike thunder... this lion was knownas ku dzindza. [dramatic music] he pressed on,up and up the great mountain. and as the day's eventscaught up with letsatsi, he was finally overcomeby exhaustion. [birds chirping]
with the new daycame new hope. below himwas an unexplored valley teeming with life. surely there was somethingdown there to provide a mealfor a hungry young lion. at last, letsatsi's tracksled gisani to a clue that he was still alive. [gunshot] but he also quickly realized
that letsatsiwas moving into an area where game was hunted by man. [wildebeest grunts] [zebras barking] [elephant roaring] [elephant growling] [elephant trumpets] [monkey chattering] after avoiding ku dzindza,
you would thinkthat letsatsi was crazy following another lion. but he sensed that somethingwas different about this one. he was about six months older, and letsatsi's instincttold him that this lion just might be an allyand a friend. maybe, just maybe, letsatsi's instinctshad been wrong. perhaps, now, his color
had something to dowith his rejection, but by now, that was the leastof letsatsi's worries. he was desperately hungryand needed to find food and find it fast. the following morning,letsatsi was in serious trouble. he had no choice but to tryand join forces with this experienced hunteragain. [lion roaring and growling] and this time,
respecting letsatsi'sfierce spirit and determination, nkulu,which means "the elder," allowed him to havethe lion's share that day, and a new friendship was bornover that carcass. the bare bones before gisaniwas good news. judging by the tracksaround it, letsatsi had joined forceswith another lion. richards was a local hunter and was curious to knowwhat gisani was doing out here
so far from his village. - a lion kill. - gisani explainedthat a single lion had brought down an impala but two had fed on it. - they fed on him there, and the hyenas just dragged himsome of the way. - the hunter was impressed... - jackal also had a turn.
- and, seeing gisani's potentialas a tracker, wasted no timein offering him a job. - i can offerthree square meals a day. richards. - gisani.- gisani. - letsatsi and nkulu'sfriendship was growing strongerby the day. [elephant groaning] and soonthey became inseparable.
[elephant trumpeting] days passed peacefullyas they lazed in the shade and did what lions do best during the hottest partof the day... sleep. and as the night fell,the hunt would begin. [distant conversation] tonight they caught the scentof an easy meal. [woman speaking indistinctly]
[lion growling softly] [canisters clattering] - mom! - [screams] [metal clattering] - a few nights later,the two friends were witnessing one of mother nature'sspectacular fireworks displays. [loud explosion] they were surroundedby a lake of fire.
they were trapped. [rumbling thud] nkulu,the stronger of the two, managed to scrambleto safety. but letsatsi... just couldn't make it. - what happened? - did he get burned? - did he die?
- easy, children. easy. there's more of this storystill to tell. letsatsi did keep trying and finally,with his last ounce of strength, managed to clamber upand join his friend. finding a friendis a good thing, especially one who can teach youimportant survival skills. but sometimes friendscan lead you
down dangerous pathwaysand teach you bad habits. [chickens clucking] [engine grinding] [engine sputtering] [lion growlingand chickens clucking] [lion growlingand chickens squawking] - i can't believe this. oh, no.oh, no. oh, no!
[gun clicking] - with their bellies full, letsatsi and nkuludidn't have a care in the world. life was good. [gate bangs] [lion mewling] the farmer had agreedto sell nkulu to richards the hunter, who would probablyjust have him stuffed.
- seems i've outdone youthis time. i've bagged a lion. take a look. - and fora heart-stopping moment, gisani was filledwith a terrible dread. - there were two of them. the other one got away, though. do you know whatthe interesting thing was? [whispers]the other one was white.
- white? are you sure? - oh, yeah. didn't miss him by much. - well, thank god you're nota very good shot, then. - what do you mean? - richards told the farmer that he knew of morethan a dozen foreign hunters who would pay handsomelyfor such a trophy. - keep an eye on the white.
there's morewhere that came from. - right. load him up, then. - once again, letsatsi's worldwas turned upside down. [melancholy orchestral music] so for the first time, it looked like letsatsiwould give in. without his close friendnkulu
and without anyoneto teach him how to hunt, letsatsiwas in serious trouble. but if there is one thingwe have learned up to now: letsatsi would never give in. and drawing on what littlereserves he had left, he forced himself upand tried to hunt one last time. [birds squawking] [lion snarling] what a sweet victoryfor letsatsi
that guinea fowl was. and althoughit was not much to eat and rather bony, it was his firstsuccessful hunt, and he enjoyed every mouthful. [bones crunching] [cheetah screeches] [cheetah hissing] letsatsi had becomea force to be reckoned with.
[hyena barking] [hyena yowling] even a dangerous hyenawas no match for his growing strengthand confidence. and as the daysstretched into months and the months into years, letsatsi became the lionhe was meant to be. [wildebeest chuffing] [wildebeest snorts]
[hooves thudding] [wildebeest roaring] news of letsatsi's strengthand beauty began to spreadbeyond the valley, and the hunter,true to his word, put out the invitationto his wealthiest client to come and huntone of the rarest, most magnificent animalsin the whole of africa. [airplane engine humming]
and without hesitation, a hunter by the nameof nicalski came to claim his trophy. the hunt was on. how would he explain to his peopleback at the village that he was the one who ledthe hunters to the white lion? - but why didn't heleave the hunters and chase letsatsi away?
- good question. but i believe he feltit would be better if he stayed closeto the danger. and that meant staying closeto the hunter. for letsatsi,the time had come to fightfor a pride of his own. he began the long journey backto the territory of the lionthat roared like thunder, ku dzindza.
- he was here yesterday. - let's go. - where is he? - he's doubled back. - right, we'll cutacross the river. we'll catch him there. - he's too far ahead. we'll have to camp again. - what's going on with you?
'cause it seems to me like we've been chasingour tails for two days now. - boss, there's somethingi must tell you. the white lion-- - have you lost him? - we're right on him. - i'm not paying all this moneyto watch the scenery, you know. - for crying in a bucket! now you are embarrassing me.
- the white lion,we cannot kill him. - have you gone softin your head? this is a lion hunt. that man in that car has paida fortune of money for this. - but the legend says-- - the legend,that is a bedtime story. it's still just a lion, gisani. - what is it this time? where is he?
- he's headed that wayover the neck. pull yourself together, man. - the young man's mindwas spinning. he knew he could not stallfor much longer. - he seems to be giving your mana bit of a runaround. - my guess is, he's nomadic. he's covering new ground, looking for a prideto challenge for. - what's your man's name again?
- gisani. - gisani? gisani. - yes, sir. - this rifleneeds a good clean. - and oil it properly. - we'll get him tomorrow. - that, i guarantee. - tomorrow.
tomorrow i kill a white lion. - like two massive forcesof nature, the lionswere on a collision course, each stepbringing them closer to what would surely bea fight to the death. - let's walk. finally. - there are two of them. we must wait!
- i'm not waiting. there is my lion. - hold your fire, nicalski. - i can easily get himfrom here. - i said hold your fire! - got him. - nicalski, there's another lionout there! - i missed him. but how?
- this hunt is over. - the sights. my rifle has been sabotaged. this is an outrage! he cleaned my riflelast night. he must have tamperedwith my sights. - that is impossible. [both grunt] - the white lion must live.
- get out of my way. - if you must shoot it, you have to shoot me first. - richards, control your man. - there will beno more killing today. - richards. - it's over. [gunshots] - you have not heardthe last of this.
- let's go home. - you're gisani,aren't you? - hmm, i see someonehas been paying attention. yes, my dear, i am the onethey call gisani. i am a shangaan and the one entrustedby my father to protect the white lion,letsatsi. and in doing so,
i try to ensure the peaceand prosperity of my people for many, many years to come. i also helped establish this,a wildlife sanctuary. and as for letsatsi, he ruled overthe most powerful pride in the whole of the valley. captioning by captionmax www.captionmax.com
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