[Music] power and elegans Africa's big cats we think of them as kings ruling over fearful subjects but not all their neighbors accept that role especially the hyenas they have a lot in common lions live and hunt in Prides hyenas in [Music] Clans they're both extremely successful Predators they compete with different techniques for the same prey [Music] in the dawn light Granite domes rise from the grasslands of the northern Serengeti these rocks are the headquarters of a pride of lions the many cracks and crevices are perfect places for three lionesses to hide their cubs the dawn's
early Rays bring more and more baby lions out of the cracks and into the light [Music] a mother's tail is a perfect playr for nieces and nephews [Music] too all is ease but her Pride has uneasy neighbors too on the flat grassland just a few kilometers away spotted hyenas hide their young in a network of burrows their territory overlaps the hunting grounds of the rock Lions these bitter competitors regularly get into fights at this early hour the place seems empty here and there a few mothers are looking after their puppies but the hyena Clan is
much bigger than the lion pride only it's rare to see all 70 members together most of the time the adults are out on their own their Lair has space for up to 20 young in half a dozen separate holes hyena are scarcely related to the big cats but also not to dogs their history as scavengers goes back 20 million years [Music] 5 million years ago the spotted variety developed adding impressive hunting skills to their taste for [Music] carrying on the Rocks things are quiet two adolescent males strolling around at 18 months they'll soon be on
their own the young females usually stay with their mothers females are the heart of the pride they conquered this territory and they defend it against rival lionesses these powerful kings are the Cub's fathers they generally keep their distance they're rarely involved in the everyday life of the pride their job is to keep foreign males away and protect the young then their strength and bulk come in handy the rest of the time they're rather hopeless Hunters the Lion's territory stretches from the granite rocks across narrow water ways and the broad Plains dotted with trees and [Music]
bushes on the open Plains it's hard to surprise prey in the daytime a female out out hunting on her own this way she's less conspicuous warthogs speedy and wary in this broiling heat the Lioness won't even bother to approach another prey has caught her eye this warthog family just a few meters away seems to be behaving rather carelessly the mother waits to the last moment to warn her young then counting on her speed she stays put giving them time to run [Music] knowing she doesn't have a chance the Lioness chases [Music] half-heartedly but something has
captured her [Music] attention though the warthog is way ahead the Lioness doesn't give up she has discovered why the warthog delayed so long her real left leg is injured she can barely run she must have hoped the lion wouldn't [Music] attack her Bluff was cold but she saved her Young the Lion's biggest prey are the buffalos that stroll through their territory they're too big for the hyenas they're pretty big for the Lions too and they defend each other [Music] but the rock lionesses found a small group of Buffalo cut off from the herd now they
must separate the Cal from its mother easier said than done one of the pride Kings gets wind of things the females can't penetrate the buffalo's defenses the male would have a better chance it doesn't matter here if he's slow the buffalo's aren't very fast either the three line is try again when she turns her back a frontal attack against those horns is [Music] suicidal the calf loses its bearings in the Malay a chance for one of the lionesses [Music] but the mother comes straight to its defense now only strength and bulk can make the difference
the male's arrival shifts the balance it's a standoff the Buffalo cow does the right thing Ward him off till the herd returns but she turns her back a fatal [Music] error the king usually depends on the females hunting skills this time he earned his Lion's Share with aenas males play a very different role at the Den a female disciplines a male he won't dare fight back hyena females have far more testosterone than males and that has surprising consequences the females grow a pseudo penis right next to the teets that feed their young the females are
bigger and stronger than the males and the males must treat their dominant partners with respect better not provoke a r [Music] because in this powerful matriarchal structure all the females outrank all the [Music] males and since mothers protect and promote their sons strong females have higher status Sons so a young male can bully a rival male under the eyes of his mother if the victim dead object the attacker's mother would intervene right away as soon as they reach sexual maturity males leave their Clan and join an unrelated pack where they have to work their way
up from the bottom sons of higher status mothers are more successful in the new Clan too because they're more confident they fight their way up more quickly and sire more offspring and so their mother's genan spread faster than the genes of subdominant [Music] females hyenas rarely disobey the rules lone hyenas know that they can rely on the power of the clan when it's needed for instance when the carcass in question is Big vultures are usually the first to to discover perished Treasures this dead giraffe is around a ton of meat the Scavengers should have lots
of time but in fact they eat as fast as they can because as the food diminishes the competition [Music] grows a couple more gulps will carry the birds through the next few days there's plenty of squabbling time is short because the full hyena backup is on the way scavengers are vital to the Savannah without them carcasses would rot for weeks and flies would transmit huge amounts of disease carrying bacteria [Music] when hyenas shoe the vultures away it's not just to reach the meat vultures could conceal an approaching [Music] lion the birds have now eaten their
fill and there's ample left for the hyenas the females especially will eat fast and plenty so they can return to feed their young now the Lions of the rock Pride have noticed the vultures to be sure there are no unpleasant surprises before advancing to the remains of the buffet a second lioness joins her both vent their frustration on the vultures [Music] they're all too aware they got here too late the giraffe is bones and skin the hyenas and vultures have done a good [Music] job The Rock Pride's territory stretches from the granite Mounds deep into
the surrounding Savannah [Music] the lionesses return from their Excursion to their Stony base overlooking the low [Music] grassland the granite rocks offer a multitude of hiding places for their young the Pride's third lioness is resting here now her three Cubs just a few days old lion babies like those of all carnivores are tiny at Birth each weighs just one and A2 kilos for weeks the babies are helpless they need protection and warmth [Music] now their mother is keeping them away from her sister's young who are a bit older and more robust these delicate babies just
wouldn't keep up newborn hyena are tiny and helpless too this one is 3 days old and can hardly stand but hyena babies enter the world with open eyes and with sharp teeth and they need to use them right away the mother gave birth far away from the Clan's main Lair she then hid her young in a small hole spotted hyenas can have up to four young but usually usually they have one or two nearby another female has found a quiet place for her baby but this one is a couple of weeks older the two mothers
know each other from the clan but barely pay each other any attention the neighbor's baby is inquisitive this infant scarcely knows where it's going the hubub around the central lir would be far too dangerous for it mothers lie with their young for hours passing on nourishment through their teeths hyena milk has more protein than any other land Predators it also has an extremely high fat content this Mother's second baby no longer has the strength to reach the te ever since he was born his sister has bitten him away milk is vital for the development of
the young some females suckle for up to 2 years it's a terrible strain on the mother but she can't bring meat into the lair it would be stolen at once by higher status hyenas and of course she won't share her precious milk with anyone else's young two weeks on the three lionesses have brought their young together now unusually soon normally they'd take more time but as they grow the age difference matters less meeting at the Rocks every day the Cubs soon become [Music] Inseparable lionesses in a pride often give birth at the same time when
males conquer a group of females that usually starts a new reproductive [Music] cycle mothers try to concentrate on suckling their own young but it isn't always possible sometimes you just have to suffer an avalanche of hungry [Music] Babies In The Heat Of The Day The Rocks seem devoid of life but the countless splits cracks and caverns are home to more than just lion CS [Music] lion house has many inhabitants from Tiny elephant shrews to reptiles and birds the Rocks warm up during the day and the cracks offer natural air conditioning redheaded agamas and senagal wated
plovers get on well together the warm rocks help their eggs to hatch [Music] the lion cubs are safe as long as their mothers are there but when the lionesses go out to hunt the Cubs spend many hours alone in the cracks and the rocks and this is when snakes come looking for prey the warm slabs of granite are home to rock pythons that can crush and suffocate even small gazel [Music] a lot of lion cubs become victims of pythons especially among the rock pride and yet the lions are only too aware of the danger though
not yet fully grown this python could already kill a baby lion the Cubs are inquisitive and clueless their mothers are very careful Python bites may not be poisonous but they're extremely [Music] painful the lionesses remove their young from the danger zone a nip on the neck and they fall into a trance and can be carried [Music] anywhere the snake is unsure normally it encounters only the babies not the adults it can't have Rec with the fury of her mother the python is in danger one of these blows could break its [Music] back it retreats to
the cover of a bush it's safe from the Lions here [Music] at least for the [Music] moment after all the excitement a deep draft of warm milk brings back some caral The Rock Pride relaxes but the python can't leave well alone after an hour it [Music] emerges seriously marked by its wounds it seems the scent of the lion cubs overcomes the [Music] pain the mothers have finally had enough they surround the python it has little fight left [Music] [Music] now there's only one [Music] option to slide away dragging its wounds with it disappearing into one
of the innumerable cracks this Pride will always be in danger from snakes but the Rocks bring so many advantages that they will never leave [Music] snakes rarely threaten hyenas out here on the plains in the late evening a group are playing with their young it's rough and this is no place for newborns until now this mother kept her baby away from the main Lair now she's ready to attempt The Next Step the central lir is always guarded so when the mothers are away they're younger safe from other [Music] predators to enjoy that protection the mother
must accept the hectic activity at the [Music] entrances her relatives are curious about the new arrival [Music] [Laughter] [Music] one female hyena becomes especially insistent even though she's younger and weaker than the mother but as her own mother is high status this young Intruder is a powerful female and she can challenge the older mother [Music] normally this young one would win but here a delicate baby is at stake the mother forgets the rules and puts the younger female in her place shoving her aside and then she takes her Offspring to safety [Music] the cold night
cools [Music] tempers the mother has secured the place for her Young Who at last can [Music] feed over the next few weeks the new arrival is rarely spotted she only emerges a few minutes every day to suckle she must grow and gain strength first so she can pit herself against the other young of the clan 15 mothers live here and more than 20 young Hena Frolic in front of the entrance to the lair in the mornings and evenings it looks like they're playing but this isn't fun again and again there are flurries of biting it's
anything but [Music] playful sisters and brothers are especially aggressive to one another the struggles over status begin at Birth because the young inherit their mother's status so siblings are always bitter Rivals especially sisters Sons will eventually depart for other [Music] clans to rise in the clan a sister must defeat her twin the stronger ones Force the weaker away from their mother's teeths a quarter of all hyena young starved to death [Music] at first they don't know their mother's status so the adults have to impose the hierarchy at 9 months the young have learned their [Music]
place 2 months on the Rock Pride have left the granite Mounds the lions are wandering through the broad Savannah in search of prey the Young no longer need the protection of the granite [Music] rocks the Cubs are still Inseparable and so the three mothers hunt together [Music] too the great males spend little time with the females and their offspring but they always stay close by this they must to protect the Young from the constant threat of other adult males it's the end of July the wilderbeast herds of the Serengeti are migrating North they make the
long journey because the grasslands of the South are suffering their annual drought on the way the mara river is a welcome source of water and on the far side greener pastures beckon [Music] [Music] every year the wilder beast must cross the mara along much of its length the banks are extremely steep [Music] even a 15 M near vertical wall won't put them [Music] off once the first wilder beast have led the way nothing will stop these tough agile antelopes miraculously most survive even long [Music] Falls after the cliffs crossing the water is Child's Play unless
there are crocodiles this one floated in on the current right now it's still harmless but when it turns round and swims against the current it can maneuver to attack now it's ready the wilderbeast seem unaware of the danger the crocodile just needs [Music] patience I'm The Far Side the migrants find luscious pastures there's an unusual guest in their midst a wilder beast in Coloring but with the body of a zebra in fact this is a young zebra he's what's known as a melanistic variant a rare combination of two jeans increased the dark pigmentation in his
coat grazing with wilder beast the fo hardly stands out but beside other zebra he's very conspicuous his prospects are not Rosy because Predators will instantly notice him he's in much greater danger than his black and white relatives the great herds bring far less welcome visitors for the rock bride no mad lions that follow the wilderbeast they often adolescents with no territory of their own they survive by following the migration these gate Crashers are a danger for the whole Rock [Music] Pride if the Old Pride males show weakness now they could be attacked and chased away
that would destroy the structure of the pride and it would mean a death sentence for the Young [Music] so the wilderbe surval means not only an abundance of food but the risk of violence danger and stress for hyenas the giant herds are a good source of food too they will seek out ill and weak animals to [Music] attack but they need to be careful with the strong balls they are not afraid of [Music] hyenas right now it's raining a lot more in the northern Serengeti than in the South that's why the wilderbeast are here [Music]
the hyenas are fine with the inclement weather their preferred hunting technique is more efficient when it's [Music] [Music] cool unlike cheetahs hyenas are long-distance specialists they have the most powerful hearts of all African Predators they can run for 5 km without a break wilderbeast are faster over short distances but they can't keep up the pace for long the hyenas seem to be scattering the wilderbeast chaotically but they're looking for carves that are easy iier to bring down than adults this time they're out of luck and they've ruined the hunt for the cheaters the hyenas would
steal any prey the cheaters manage to catch it's not worth the trouble and they leave even though they have to take greater care of their young against the marauding males The Rock Pride find life easier [Music] now 3 months of unlimited prey outweigh the risk from the NAD the endless migrating columns arouse the Curiosity of the young every adolescent wants to test his hunting skills he still has a lot to learn and his lack of discipline thwarts his mother [Music] she's lost her chance against the animals he's frightened [Music] away now another lioness joins in
the [Music] attack together they separate an emaciated wilderbeast from The Herd [Music] for such experienced Hunters the rest is [Music] Easy A Rainy afternoon time for the hyenas to hunt the cool evening hours are ideal for their exhausting tank tactics they approach the herd alone or in small groups the wilderbeast don't seem to recognize the hyenas as a threat they simply carry on grazing the hyenas together the nomadic lions are standing by [Music] too and there are some carves in this herd the herd scatters in panic but the huntress keeps her Focus strictly on the
target a CF has lost contact with its [Music] mother the hunter won't let loose now [Music] the hyena still has reserves of energy while the wilderbeast Cal is getting slower and slower a second hyena joins in for the kill hyenas don't have sharp claws they grip their prey with their teeth and wrestle them to the ground a pair of young Nomad lionesses soon follow facing so many hyenas they are uncertain for a while the clan keeps them at Bay but then the male Nomads arrive lionesses will chase hyenas away but males often kill them so
the hyenas withdraw it's not worth risking Serious injury for the sake of a couple of bites though it is frustrating [Music] the Lions enjoy their stolen meal the hyenas call for reinforcements the call is [Music] answered within a few minutes almost all the clan females are here 20 hyenas now the big cats must hold their nerve the situation could escalate in [Music] seconds the force of numbers begins to have its [Music] effect the lion Es are nervous but the two young males aren't about to be disturbed they're still hungry the hyenas won't win their meat
back the Lions prove once again that might is right most young lions live from carrying and stolen prey until they're skilled enough to survive as [Music] [Music] Hunters the king of beasts claims his reward on the Savannah [Music] but as so often the lord of the grasslands has stolen a hyena's prey in the middle of the night and not brought it down himself the cups won't care as long as they get [Music] fed but these princelings of the rock Pride will soon face tougher times with their fathers getting older and the lion Challengers stronger and
more determined and since their conflict with the hyenas will never end these young Lions will soon be called upon to play their role [Music]
