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Cat spotlight: Mathata

By wildlife cinematographer Vianet Djenguet

Image above: Wildlife cinematographer Vianet Djenguet films the Xudum lion pride's youngest .

My first encounter with Mathata was when I met his family creche: the lionesses Mmakgosi, Magogo and Nosi and their 6 tiny cubs.

His name means ‘Trouble’

His name means ‘Trouble’ and he immediately stood out as the oldest and more grown-up cub, being bigger in size, but also bigger in character. I knew he would be a real focus of this family group.

Mathata was bold, confident and adventurous. He already looked like he’d be the next king of the savanna. He was very boisterous and full-on energetically, always leading and teaching the others to play, climbing trees and running up termite mounds.

There was clearly some naughtiness there, but I could also see his protectiveness towards the other cubs in his cohort. I really love to film these family dynamics.

Image above: Wildlife cinematographer Greg Hartman calls in the location of lion cub Mathata to the rest of the team.

Mathata reminded me of my own son as a toddler, especially after having a daughter first. My son was so energetic and physical too. At the age of 2 he was very mobile and always climbing high up trees if you didn’t stop him. It was an instinct to explore the features of the world around him, without fear - a way to understand yourself and your capabilities. It is fascinating to see the characteristics of the very young. They are just born with this drive.

Mathata reminded me of my own son as a toddler

Whilst I was filming him, Mathata was not only still being fed his mother’s milk, but he was also starting to push himself for a share of carcasses. When the prey was plenty, you could really see him grow day by day. There was a short period when no kills were made, which is common for lions, and he lost some weight and got a little thin. But mostly, if there was food available he was gaining weight quickly.

Mathata was also growing stronger mentally too. I could see him beginning to understand who he was. As he grew older, his personality was calming; he was controlling himself. He would often find his own corner of the creche and sit down and appear to reflect.

Image above: A playful and boisterous Mathata presents a huge danger to some of the smaller of the pride.

But he was not always so calm! There were times when he played quite rough, especially with one of the female cubs. I didn’t see this as naughtiness; I saw him just being a young lion.

His life is about learning to hunt for survival

His life is about learning to hunt for survival, so toughness, stalking and pouncing looks like just play, but these are important life skills. Because he was ahead in his development and was watching the hunting techniques of his mother and aunties, he was almost teaching his siblings these new moves. He was imitating the adults.

I developed a strong sense of connection to Mathata. I also grew up in a big family and it reminded me of these dynamics; there is always one that pushes their way forward. It was always exciting to film him. Even when the ambiance was quiet, he was the one buzzing around, full of energy. We can expect great things from this future king of the savanna.

Image above: Wildlife cinematographer Vianet Djenguet enjoys a break from filming in his specialist filming truck.

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