In the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa, the black eagle rules the skies. The solitary caracal is a night hunter and one of the most efficient cats on earth. The rival predators compete for the same prey.

When an early spring brings the promise of abundance, a pair of black eagles takes a gamble. With a two month-old eaglet still on the nest, Emoyeni ('from the wind') and Quatele ('the cross one') mate again. For the first time ever recorded, black eagles attempt to breed twice in one season. The second clutch will be born as the summer grows hotter and hotter.

The first juvenile is chased out of the mountain gorge by its parents prematurely in order to protect the new chicks. The adult eagles must continue to feed him in another gorge two kilometers away, under the watchful eye of the caracal.

As temperatures rise, a raging brush fire devastates the terrain. Prey becomes dangerously scarce and the ancient rivalry between eagle and caracal becomes a life-or-death struggle. The hungry caracal is driven far into the eagles'habitat.

Another drama is played out on the nest. Both eaglets prove to be doomed. Emoyeni and Quatele are forced to hunt simultaneously and the chicks, left alone on the nest, succumb to the scorching midday sun.

As night falls, the caracal returns to the gorge. The juvenile eagle, alone and without its parents' nurturing, is stalked and killed by the desperate feline. The eagles have gambled and lost - three chicks hatched, three dead.

The following winter, we return to find that nature has restored itself. Our pair of eagles is on the nest with not two but three newly hatched chicks. Last season, they were the first black eagles known to attempt double-brooding. Now, they are the first on record to have three chicks in one clutch. Emoyeni and Quatele are very ambitious birds!