Unit1WatchingvideoSCRIPTNarrator:Thecheetah.Withanastonishingabilitytosprintfromzerotoeightykilometersperhourinjustthreeseconds,it’sthefastestanimalonland.Atfullspeed,itcanreachalmost100kilometersperhour.Nothingcanescapeacheetahatfullsprint.Unfortunately,thisbeautiful,shyanimalisinseriousdangerofbecomingextinct.Inordertohelp,NationalGeographicissendingateamintotheMoremiWildlifeReserveofBotswana.Theirgoalistohelpsavethesemagnificentcreaturesbycapturingthemonfilm.ThecityofJohannesburg,SouthAfrica,isthefinalstopbeforetheteam’sjourneyintothewildsofAfrica.HeadingtheexpeditionisChrisJohns,aphotographerformorethan25years.Chrishasbeenplanningthistripforalongtime,andaccompanyinghimisguideDaveHamman.DavehaslivedinsouthernAfricamostofhislifeandknowstheregionwell.Hisknowledgewillbeusefulasthetwomenheadmorethan800kilometersnorthintoBotswanaandthewonderfulOkavangoDelta.TheMoremiReserveisatrulymagicalplace.ItseemsthatAfrica’sentireanimalkingdomresidesintheregion.Zebras,buffaloes,andelephantsareeasilyviewedfromtheroughdirtroad.Evenagiraffemakesanappearance.ChrisandDavecontinuetheirdriveintotheevening.Theyneedtobefarintothewildernesstobegintheirtask:findingcheetahs.Narrator:Thenextday,they’reupearlytobegintheirsearch.ChrisJohns,NationalGeographicPhotographer:“Youcan’tjustdriveoutthereandorderupacheetah.Itdoesn’thappenlikethat.Youknowthatitcouldtakedays,weeks.”Narrator:Butthensomethingincrediblyunexpectedoccurs...DaveHamman:“Idon’tbelievethis.”Narrator:It’safemaleandfiveofheryoung.Hamman:“Thisisjustnotnormal.”Narrator:Duringallofhisyearsinthebush,Davehasneverlocatedsomanycheetahsthisquickly.Thisisexactlywhattheyhadbeenhopingfor.ThediscoveryisespeciallypromisingforChris.Johns:“CheetahsareametaphorforsomeofAfrica’sconservationproblems.Becausecheetahsneedrange,andthey’reagoodwaytoexplaintopeoplethatlossofhabitatmeansthepotentiallossofspecies.Andit’spossiblethatinmylifetimecheetahscouldbecomeextinctinthewild,andthat’s—tome—atragedythat’sunspeakable.”Narrator:TheMoremiWildlifeReservehasofferedChrisoneofthelastwindowsintothenaturalworldofthecheetah.ItwilltakeawhileforthecheetahstotrustChris,butifhesucceeds,heknowshe’llbeabletotakethephotographshereallywants:ashotofacheetahpursuingandkillingitsprey,ora“killsequence.”Johns:“Weknowtherearecertainthingsthatacheetahstoryhastohave.Oneofthemostimportantthingsithastohave—whichisanincrediblydifficultthingtoget—isakillsequence,andyou’realwayslookingforthatpicture.”Narrator:Cheetahsarecapableoftremendousburstsofspeed,andhavethecapacitytogainspeedmorequicklythanasportscar.However,whiletheycanreachalmost100kilometersanhour,cheetahscan’tmaintainsuchspeedsformorethan200to300meters.Thecheetah’sfailedtocatchherdinnerthistime.Cheetahsmustmakeakilleveryfewdays.Aftermissingthereedbuck,themotherisexhausted,andhercubsarestillhungry.Thetwomendrivebacktocamp,leavingthecheetahfamilytorestintheshade.Narrator:Thenextday,ChrisandDavereturntowheretheylastsawthefamilyandfindthatthemotherandhercubsaregone.Thefemalehasprobablytakenthecubsawaytoprotectthem.Theymustnowlookforthecheetahsalloveragain.Johns:“Westillhaven’tseenthemotherwithfivecubsforseveraldaysnow.Thechallengeistokeepyourconcentration,toconstantlylook.Imean,we’relookingforatleasteighttotenhoursaday.”Narrator:Thetiringanddifficultsearchturnsfromdaysintoaweek.Thetwomenscaneveryt...
