The documentary follows two mountain mums in the Rockies of Wyoming as they struggle to raise their cubs – hunting, playing, eating and sometimes fighting
BBC
Mountains Lions: Big Cats in High Places, BBC2, 8pm
How marvellous that we can get up close and personal to these magnificent wild creatures – and all from a safe distance on the sofa. Ah, the wonder of television.“They appear powerful, intimidating and deadly,” rings out the soft, measured voice of David Attenborough . “But incredibly very little has been discovered about them. Until now.”
Those clever producers know we’ll be hooked as soon as we hear that famous voice.
This documentary follows two mountain lion mums in the Rockies of Wyoming as they struggle to raise their cubs – hunting, playing, eating and sometimes fighting.
The mums are the leading ladies of the most intense study ever carried out of the big cats in North America as scientists try to find out how they live.
Named F61 and F51 (couldn’t they have given them better names, like Fluffy or Mittens?), they now star in thousands of videos watching their every move. Mountain lion biologist Mark Elbroch says they hope to answer one burning question.
“The population of mountain lions has dropped by about half in the last eight years, and our goal is to figure out why,” he says.
Never mind that. My burning question is how the hell did they get those big electronic collars round their necks?
Not a job I’d be sticking my hand up for, lest it get chewed off.
Mark has studied the cats for so long he’s even figured out their different parenting styles, labelling F61 the “supermum” and F51 a “hippy”.
“F51 is a bit laid back,” he says. “She provides lots of love to her kittens, but not necessarily all the sustenance they need.” Mumsnet would not approve.
We also learn that despite their macho name, they are not violent animals.
But as the footage unfolds, there is danger for the cats as they battle to survive.
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