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The Okavango Delta is a paradise for big cats, supporting huge numbers of lions, leopards and cheetahs. The Big Cats 24/7 team followed individual cats over six months, each with their own unique challenges. Meet the eclectic cast of characters and find out more about their stories.

Madumo is one of the two dominant males in the Xudum Pride of lions. At ten years old and weighing over 180kg, Madumo’s experience and bulk will be key to the survival of the pride when the huge herds of buffalo arrive on the freshly-filled floodplains. Although male lions are often derided as lazy freeloaders, only they are strong enough to single-handedly bring down an adult buffalo, a skill that will help feed their growing family. But whether the males will share their prize is another matter, as Madumo isn’t known to enjoy sharing his food.

Big Toe is ten years old and rules the Xudum pride alongside his coalition partner, Madumo. Named after the elongated toes on his back feet, which leave a characteristic paw print, he has led the pride for the last five years. His role is to protect the lionesses and young cubs from intruding males who would do them harm, ensuring his offspring get the best chance of survival. The two brothers often go unseen by the Big Cats 24/7 team for several days at a time while they patrol their huge territory, roaring as they walk to deter would-be intruders.

At two years old, Nkgonne is the oldest of the sub-adult males in the pride. He will soon be pushed out by the dominant males and forced to live a nomadic lifestyle, until he can find a pride of his own. On the cusp of this great transition, he will need to learn as much as possible from his more experienced family members to give him the best chance of surviving outside the pride. The bond he shares with his brother Colin is obvious, and the two enjoy rubbing their faces together in a show of fraternal love.

Colin is two years old and has become inseparable from his older brother, Nkgonne. He’s easily identified by the GPS collar around his neck, which sends regular location updates to Oxford University lion researcher Dr. Robynne Kotze. When Colin is finally pushed out of the pride by the dominant males, this collar will allow Robynne to track his movements and discover exactly how young lions disperse from the pride. Colin is not quite as confident or experienced as his older brother, Nkgonne but together they could develop into a formidable male coalition.

Magogo is ten years old and one of the most experienced lionesses of the Xudum pride. She has teamed up with other mums Mmakgosi and Nosi to raise their young cubs together in a creche. This will give her own cub, Mathata, the best start in life, setting him up to become a future dominant male in his own pride.

Mmakgosi is ten years old and a powerful female lion. She has two young cubs who are currently creching with Nosi and Magogo’s cubs. This collective caregiving helps the mothers protect their offspring against intruder males, who would take over the pride and kill all the existing cubs. All the mothers suckle each other’s cubs and hunt together to increase their chance of success.

Six year old Nosi has recently brought her three cubs into the pride to creche with Magogo and Mmakgosi’s older cubs. The mothers will need to hunt regularly in order to supply their offspring with enough milk and meat to keep them strong. This is a difficult time in the cub’s lives and as the youngest of the three mothers, Nosi will rely on the help of her sisters to ensure the survival of her offspring.

Ten year old Matho’s three cubs are too young to creche with their older cousins, putting their mother in a difficult position. At their age, contact with the rest of the family, especially boisterous Mathata, could have fatal consequences. Matho must wait until there are new cubs in the pride who are closer in age before she can have the safety of a creche. Easily identified by the notch in her nose and her glaring stare, Matho has the experience needed to make the best choices for her family.

Seven year old Naledi has two very young cubs whose arrival brings the pride’s size to almost 40, making it one of the largest in Africa. To ensure the survival of her litter she will have to creche with Matho and Tsebe, who have cubs of a similar age. Naledi is an prolific tree climber in the warmer months of the year, probably to help her cool down and avoid the biting flies. She is often spotted by the Big Cats 24/7 team lounging on one of her favourite branches while her cubs sleep on the ground beneath her.

Tsebe is 5 years old and has given birth to a huge litter of five cubs. Only 2% of litters are this size and they’re all hungry for milk. To make her situation worse, she is now creching with Matho and Naledi and their cubs are also suckling from her - further depleting her supplies. Tsebe is an incredibly determined mother who is not afraid to go out to hunt alone rather than stick with the growing pride. Although solo hunters are generally less successful, they don’t have to share their meal with their family members, so it could be a clever decision.

Mathata is the oldest of this year’s lion cubs and son to experienced female Magogo. He is growing up in a creche alongside the cubs of Mmakgosi and Nosi, giving him extra protection and feeding opportunities from his aunts. His growing confidence and inquisitiveness are good signs that he will one day be a successful leader of his own pride. But unfortunately Mathata doesn’t realise his own strength, leading to some rough playing with his younger siblings. He’ll soon develop into a formidable male lion, but for now he is truly living up to the meaning of his name: ‘Trouble’.

Xudum is five years old and the resident leopard around the Big Cats 24/7 film camp. Having never successfully raised a cub to adulthood, this determined young female is trying once again to mate and raise a family. Perhaps the key to her success will be learning to tree-hunt; the dangerous act of jumping on unsuspecting prey from above. Although still small for a leopard, Xudum has already shown the intelligence to select the perfect hunting tree and the patience to wait there all day for the perfect opportunity. It should only be a matter of time before she makes her first attempt at a jump.

At seven years old, Pobe is an experienced female cheetah, capable of avoiding the growing lion pride as she searches for food deep inside their territory. But with the largest wildfires in five years changing the landscape around her, she’ll be more visible than ever - both to her enemies and her prey. Thankfully, Pobe is known to be a very streetwise cat whose vigilance is the key to her survival. She’ll need this as well as her speed and agility to be able to catch a meal on the burnt floodplains.

Five year old Sepoko truly exemplifies his name, ‘Ghost’, having become a master of appearing in the heart of the Xudum lion pride’s territory and then vanishing without a trace. As the lowest in the pecking order of the Okavango’s large predators - even baboons can scare him away - his stealth is his biggest asset. He often eludes not just the lions and hyenas, but even the Big Cats 24/7 team!