Nature, Tiger Island
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Wednesdays, Oct. 21 & 28, at 8 PM
Thursdays, Oct. 22 & 30, at 1 AM
Sundays, Oct. 25 & Nov. 1, at 9 AM
In the forests of western Nepal, a team of cinematographers and big cat experts undertake an expedition to follow the lives of two tiger mothers and reveal how these solitary cats are raising cubs on an island full of threats. Witness tiger behavior that has never been recorded before in this two-part miniseries.
The expedition team focuses on two tiger mothers, investigating how these solitary big cats raise cubs on an island full of danger that includes other tigers, rhinos and elephants. When a new male tiger arrives on the island, older tigress Goma must use all her experience to keep her cubs out of harm’s way, while first-time tiger mother Mala struggles to deal with the threats, leaving her three cubs in grave danger.
Utilizing a fleet of drones to track tigers from the air, and military-grade thermal cameras to follow them in the dark, the filmmaking team witnesses several on-camera firsts. Mother tigers appear to look after each other’s cubs, a new behavior at odds with the supposed solitary nature of these big cats. Additional rare behaviors captured include cubs swimming and hunting together, as well as a mother, father and cubs spending time together as a family.
