Big Cats 24/7

Watch in the UK

  • Sky Go

Watch in the US

  • BBC Select Apple Tv channel
  • BritBox
  • Britbox Apple TV Channel
  • PBS
  • PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel
  • Thirteen
  • WETA+

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1 Review
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Overview

Follow the lives of lions, cheetahs and leopards in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, a place described as one of Africa's last wildernesses.

Media

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Cast

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Actor Avatar
Brad Bestelink
Fist Air Date:
2024-08-25
Episode Runtime:
58m
Production Companies:
BBC Studios Natural History Unit, PBS
Genres:
Documentary
Keywords:
animal documentary lion wildlife photographer
More Show Details

Vote Average: 8.4/10

Vote Count: 5 Votes

Show Popularity: 1.7027

Show Status: Returning Series

Show Type: Documentary

Spoken Languages: English

Review

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  1. Insomniacs Reviews
    9 Based on 1 Votes
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    ⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 9/10 THE SUMMARY The 2024–present wildlife phenomenon that turned the Okavango Delta into the world’s most high-stakes reality house. *Big Cats 24/7* is a visceral co-production between the BBC and PBS that uses military-grade thermal imaging and 24-hour surveillance to follow the lions, leopards, and cheetahs of Botswana in real-time. By late April 2026, the show has officially been crowned a "genuine belter" of the natural history archive. Following the massive success of the second series—which premiered on September 10, 2025, and featured the heartbreaking "Reunion" and "Next Generation" arcs—the show has successfully moved past the "staged" feel of older nature docs, offering a 100% authentic look at survival that feels more like a thriller than a documentary. THE PROS The technology is a total win; the thermal night-vision footage is so regal and visceral that it revealed hunting behaviors never before captured by the 900+ archive. Its biggest win is the "Continuous Narrative"; because the team stays with the same prides and individuals for six months at a time, you develop a sincere, emotional connection to cats like the leopard Xudum or the cheetah Pobe. Series 2, which wrapped up its 2025/2026 cycle, was a gripping feat of storytelling—specifically the "Rogue Boys" lion arc that had the archive buzzing for weeks. Gordon Buchanan and the team provide a sincere, "human" anchor to the chaos, often being just as visceral-ly affected by the drama as the viewers at home. In the 2026 landscape, it’s currently sitting at a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the highest-rated wildlife series of the decade so far. THE CONS It hits a 9/10 because it is a "Must Watch" epic, but it avoids the 10/10 mark because the sheer realism can be a total buzzkill for the faint of heart. Unlike "Disneyfied" nature shows, *Big Cats 24/7* doesn't look away from the visceral tragedy of nature; the "tragedy strikes Pobe" episode in late 2025 left many fans slightly gutted and caused a total head-scratcher of a debate about "intervention" on social media. It misses the perfect score because the "24/7" format occasionally results in a languid burn where you're waiting through the heat of the day for the action to kick off. For some, the intense focus on the filmmakers’ struggle against wildfires and floods can feel a bit total garbage if you only want to see the animals. THE VERDICT A 9/10. It is a genuine, heart-pounding, and visually revolutionary triumph. I was slightly gutted by some of the losses in Series 2, but the **2026 retrospective on the "Next Generation"** proves that this is the most sincere wildlife archive ever created. It is a bit of a let-down if you want a narrator who sounds like they’re reading a bedtime story, but as a celebratory explosion of "nature as it really is," it is a regal vault essential. By April 25, 2026, it remains the show that taught us that even for the kings of the jungle, every single hour is a battle for survival. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA • The Series 2 Return: Series 2 caught up with the Xudum pride and introduced the new leopard mother Lediba, who quickly became a massive favorite for viewers following the pride's journey. • Military Tech: The production uses military-grade thermal cameras that allow the team to film in total darkness without disturbing the animals, which provides a genuine look into their nocturnal behavior. • The Popularity Spike: Following Gordon Buchanan’s in-depth interviews about the production, the series saw a huge surge in viewership as fans revisited the "Close Encounters" episodes from the first series. • The Wildfire Incident: Series 1 is famous for a wildfire that nearly took out the production camp, a tense moment that proved the "24/7" title wasn’t just a marketing gimmick. • Lediba’s Cubs: Clips of the leopard Lediba’s cubs from the Series 2 finale have been widely shared across social media, being hailed as some of the most impressive big cat footage in the entire archive. * **Lediba’s Cubs:** As of late April 2026, clips of the leopard Lediba’s cubs from the Series 2 finale are currently trending on TikTok as "the most regal cat content in the archive." THE VIBE Like sitting in an open-top Land Rover in the middle of a pitch-black savanna. It smells of dry grass, woodsmoke, dust, and the distinct, electric scent of a predator that’s currently watching you back through the shadows.

TV Show Poster

Season 1

6 Episodes

Air Date: 2024-08-25

Get up close to Africa's magnificent felines. Across dramatic Botswanan landscapes meet the lions, cheetahs and leopards at home in the wilderness - and those filming their lives.

Season 2

6 Episodes

Air Date: 2026-02-27

Big Cats 24/7 is back in the Okavango Delta, revealing the dramatic lives of its big cats.

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Big Cats 24/7 - Preview

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Big Cats 24/7

Comment (1)

  1. Insomniacs Reviews

    ⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 9/10

    THE SUMMARY
    The 2024–present wildlife phenomenon that turned the Okavango Delta into the world’s most high-stakes reality house. *Big Cats 24/7* is a visceral co-production between the BBC and PBS that uses military-grade thermal imaging and 24-hour surveillance to follow the lions, leopards, and cheetahs of Botswana in real-time. By late April 2026, the show has officially been crowned a “genuine belter” of the natural history archive. Following the massive success of the second series—which premiered on September 10, 2025, and featured the heartbreaking “Reunion” and “Next Generation” arcs—the show has successfully moved past the “staged” feel of older nature docs, offering a 100% authentic look at survival that feels more like a thriller than a documentary.

    THE PROS
    The technology is a total win; the thermal night-vision footage is so regal and visceral that it revealed hunting behaviors never before captured by the 900+ archive. Its biggest win is the “Continuous Narrative”; because the team stays with the same prides and individuals for six months at a time, you develop a sincere, emotional connection to cats like the leopard Xudum or the cheetah Pobe. Series 2, which wrapped up its 2025/2026 cycle, was a gripping feat of storytelling—specifically the “Rogue Boys” lion arc that had the archive buzzing for weeks. Gordon Buchanan and the team provide a sincere, “human” anchor to the chaos, often being just as visceral-ly affected by the drama as the viewers at home. In the 2026 landscape, it’s currently sitting at a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the highest-rated wildlife series of the decade so far.

    THE CONS
    It hits a 9/10 because it is a “Must Watch” epic, but it avoids the 10/10 mark because the sheer realism can be a total buzzkill for the faint of heart. Unlike “Disneyfied” nature shows, *Big Cats 24/7* doesn’t look away from the visceral tragedy of nature; the “tragedy strikes Pobe” episode in late 2025 left many fans slightly gutted and caused a total head-scratcher of a debate about “intervention” on social media. It misses the perfect score because the “24/7” format occasionally results in a languid burn where you’re waiting through the heat of the day for the action to kick off. For some, the intense focus on the filmmakers’ struggle against wildfires and floods can feel a bit total garbage if you only want to see the animals.

    THE VERDICT
    A 9/10. It is a genuine, heart-pounding, and visually revolutionary triumph. I was slightly gutted by some of the losses in Series 2, but the **2026 retrospective on the “Next Generation”** proves that this is the most sincere wildlife archive ever created. It is a bit of a let-down if you want a narrator who sounds like they’re reading a bedtime story, but as a celebratory explosion of “nature as it really is,” it is a regal vault essential. By April 25, 2026, it remains the show that taught us that even for the kings of the jungle, every single hour is a battle for survival.

    INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
    • The Series 2 Return: Series 2 caught up with the Xudum pride and introduced the new leopard mother Lediba, who quickly became a massive favorite for viewers following the pride’s journey.

    • Military Tech: The production uses military-grade thermal cameras that allow the team to film in total darkness without disturbing the animals, which provides a genuine look into their nocturnal behavior.

    • The Popularity Spike: Following Gordon Buchanan’s in-depth interviews about the production, the series saw a huge surge in viewership as fans revisited the “Close Encounters” episodes from the first series.

    • The Wildfire Incident: Series 1 is famous for a wildfire that nearly took out the production camp, a tense moment that proved the “24/7” title wasn’t just a marketing gimmick.

    • Lediba’s Cubs: Clips of the leopard Lediba’s cubs from the Series 2 finale have been widely shared across social media, being hailed as some of the most impressive big cat footage in the entire archive.

    * **Lediba’s Cubs:** As of late April 2026, clips of the leopard Lediba’s cubs from the Series 2 finale are currently trending on TikTok as “the most regal cat content in the archive.”

    THE VIBE
    Like sitting in an open-top Land Rover in the middle of a pitch-black savanna. It smells of dry grass, woodsmoke, dust, and the distinct, electric scent of a predator that’s currently watching you back through the shadows.

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