Previously on Meerkat Manor...
Young sisters Laker and Fly were left in charge of Swift's pups
at the Whiskers' cattle pen burrow.
Notorious rover, Shandy, was a big hit with the Ubuntu ladies.
And Hakuna Matata matriarch, Flint,
evicted her younger sister, Sencha...
leaving her dangerously alone and at risk.
[MUSIC]
[THUNDER CLAPS]
[MUSIC]
Since being cast out,
Sencha has endured four long days and cold nights
on her own in the wilderness.
Without the protection of her family,
an evicted female has almost no hope of survival.
The longer Sencha is out here alone,
the shorter the odds against her become.
Flint banished Sencha
because she might kill her pups when they're born.
But the outcast is still desperate to stay close to home.
From here, she gains a measure of protection -
being able to hear predator alerts her family might make.
Flint has so far tolerated Sencha at this distance.
But she won't allow her back
while she's still a threat to her pups.
To rub salt in Sencha's wounds,
life seems pretty sweet for the rest of her family.
Although her sister K'jess is still sucking up to Flint
in the hope of avoiding the same fate.
While some threats to Sencha are very serious,
others are simply irritating.
Today,she's under attack from small,
and persistent beasts.
With no-one to groom her, Sencha is riddled with ticks.
And, distracted by these parasites,
she's struggling to scratch out a living.
Not knowing if Flint will ever accept her back,
Sencha's only hope of survival lies in finding a partner
and starting her own family.
But the chances of that happening are very low indeed.
[MUSIC]
While Sencha is learning what it means to be homeless,
Swift's three pups remain
at their unconventional nursery burrow
where the Whiskers don't have sole tenancy.
Every morning, there's always the hope
their neighbours have moved to pastures new.
[COW MOOS]
They're still here...
[COW MOOS]
The adults have learned to dodge the heavy hooves.
But with the kids now starting to explore beyond the burrow,
it's becoming harder
to keep little Ragnar, Rollo and Floki safe.
[COWS MOO]
Following Laker and Fly's anxiety
at being left in charge last time,
Swift is leaving experienced babysitter Bones,
and her younger sister, Luna, at home.
It's tough seeing your family heading out to eat...
while you stay behind to look after your little brothers.
[SQUEAKS]
But big sister, Bones, is a diligent care-giver.
And shows Luna how to attend to their every need.
The pups are especially lively today.
So, to keep them out of trouble,
Bones corrals them into the nursery...
...leaving Luna on guard up top.
[SQUEAKS]
Luna, however, takes this as a chance for a nap.
And while Bones is distracted with Rollo down below...
Floki and Ragnar spot an opportunity...
...and sneak out...
swapping the safety of the burrow...
...for ringside seats at the rodeo.
[SQUAWKS]
Sleeping on the job is a serious dereliction of duty.
But cattle aren't the only danger.
Intruders...
...at the perimeter fence.
Luna gets a rude awakening.
She and Bones both hit the panic button.
[ALARM CALLS]
A rival gang would almost certainly kill the pups
and severely beat their babysitters.
[ALARM CALLS]
The pups instinctively retreat to the burrow.
[PANICKED SQUAWKS]
But as it turns out, Bones and Luna misjudged the situation.
It's just Swift returning home early to check on her pups.
A cattle pen may have been safe enough
while they weren't so adventurous...
but their growing urge to explore
means Swift dare not risk leaving them here any longer.
[MUSIC]
Sencha might also wish to escape her current situation.
Out here, alone, in 100 degrees at midday,
the heat can start to play tricks with your mind.
Is this a mirage?
Flint coming to chase her away again?
Perhaps it's brother Shandy on his way home?
Or could it be... a saviour?
Well, who'd have thought it?
It's none other than Whiskers rover...
Lilac.
The unlucky-in-love lad is back.
This time, things look more promising.
A lone female, with no interfering family in his way.
Sencha could certainly use some attention.
She's not exactly looking her best.
Lilac could be a lifeline for Sencha,
but she still plays it cool...
...forcing Lilac to keep it on the down-low.
The couple waste no time in getting to know each other.
This could be the break that Sencha desperately needs.
Lilac unleashes a charm offensive
by rustling up a romantic meal for two...
which his date seems to think is more of a meal for one.
If romance is to blossom,
Sencha and Lilac would be wise to take their tryst elsewhere.
If Finnick gets wind there's a rover on his patch,
and catches them at it,
it could end badly for the star-crossed lovers.
As the day marches on,
Swift rallies her family to finally leave the cattle pen.
It's a big move for small pups...
leaving the only home they've ever known.
[SQUEAKS]
Swift checks the coast is clear.
And with the cows distracted, it's time to go!
[ACTION MUSIC]
[COW MOOS]
Negotiating fences is a new challenge.
But not one to get hung up on.
With everyone safely out the other side, they regroup,
catch their breaths...
then Swift leads them onwards.
[SQUEAKS]
The pups are away from the deadly hooves
but they're by no means safe yet.
[MUSIC]
Elsewhere, it looks like young lovers, Lilac and Sencha
are also in for the long haul.
But they're flirting with danger.
They're still within the sight of her family
and they've been spotted!
Flint leads a charge against them.
Chased to the fence border of Hakuna Matata territory,...
there's just one way out...
[CAR NOISE]
...across the main road.
Lilac makes a run for it...
...but without Sencha.
With her furious family hot on her heels,
she must make a quick decision.
Risk death on the road?
[TRUCK NOISE]
Or take a serious beating?
Seeing the chance of a new life with Lilac
running away from her...
Sencha takes the plunge - and dashes after her Romeo.
Reunited on the other side, the pair can relax at last.
Satisfied that they've forced the lovers into exile,
Sencha's family calls off their pursuit.
Now far from the cattle pen,
Lilac's mother is leading the rest of his family
to a new home.
Swift knows exactly where she's taking them.
But she also knows that until they reach the new burrow,
her pups are vulnerable to heat...
and predators.
Suddenly...
[ALARM CALL]
someone sounds the alarm.
There's an eagle overhead.
With no bolt hole nearby,
they run for whatever cover they can find.
A tree will shield them from attack.
But, while everyone's distracted by the aerial threat,
little Rollo wanders off.
A lone pup is easy pickings.
Dad, Brea, is first to notice his absence...
A frantic search ensues...
Luna seems especially determined to find her little brother.
Fortunately, he hadn't wandered too far.
[SQUEAKS]
The eagle heads off to find dinner elsewhere.
That's enough drama for one day.
Swift must now get the pups
to the familiarity and safety of their new burrow.
[BIRDS SING]
While the Whiskers continue down the road less travelled...
Sencha and Lilac have risked crossing one to be together.
Away from the prying eyes of her family,
the lovers can focus on
getting to know each other a little better.
Make that a lot better.'
Or even... an awful lot better...
Mating usually happens privately, underground...
But while these lovers of the great outdoors
are making the most of their time together,
today's exertions are taking their toll on Lilac.
The poor lad finally runs out of steam.
Less than a kilometre away,
a localised dust storm
is blowing up on Whiskers territory.
Swift has made it to the burrow just in time.
It's new to the pups
but it's a place the family has used before.
It's fallen into disrepair since they were last here,
so requires some renovation work.
[SCRATCHES AND SQUEAKS]
Even the pups find a final flush of energy to pitch in.
Having dug out the burrow enough for the youngsters
to get their heads down in safety...
...the adults huddle together up top to ride out the dust storm.
They can finish the repairs tomorrow.
[MEERKATS SQUEAK]
For Sencha and Lilac,
it's the morning after the night before.
Finally, it looks like the Whiskers lad
has this whole lover-boy thing licked.
He certainly seems to want to hang on to Sencha.
For an evictee and a rover,
staying together could be their chance to start a new family...
even a new dynasty.
But rovers rarely stick around with lone females.
They prefer to settle into a small group
with babysitters to raise their pups.
If Lilac leaves Sencha pregnant and alone,
she may never be allowed back to her own family...
and is unlikely to survive.
[MUSIC]