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AnimalsTranscript
00:00In the dawn light, granite domes rise from the grasslands of the northern Serengeti.
00:08These rocks are the headquarters of a pride of lions.
00:14The many cracks and crevices are perfect places for three lionesses to hide their cubs.
00:38The dawn's early rays bring more and more baby lions out of the cracks and into the
00:43light.
00:54A mother's tail is a perfect playrope for nieces and nephews too.
01:11All is ease.
01:17But her pride has uneasy neighbors too.
01:25On the flat grassland just a few kilometers away, spotted hyenas hide their young in a
01:30network of burrows.
01:35Their territory overlaps the hunting grounds of the rock lions.
01:39These bitter competitors regularly get into fights.
01:49At this early hour, the place seems empty.
01:53Here and there a few mothers are looking after their puppies.
01:58But the hyena clan is much bigger than the lion pride.
02:03Only it's rare to see all 70 members together.
02:08Most of the time the adults are out on their own.
02:14Their lair has space for up to 20 young in half a dozen separate homes.
02:37Hyenas are scarcely related to the big cats, but also not to dogs.
02:43Their history as scavengers goes back 20 million years.
02:54Five million years ago the spotted variety developed, adding impressive hunting skills
02:59to their taste for carrion.
03:12On the rocks things are quiet.
03:14Two adolescent males strolling around.
03:17At 18 months they'll soon be on their own.
03:26The young females usually stay with their mothers.
03:34Females are the heart of the pride.
03:36They conquered this territory and they defend it against rival lionesses.
03:45These powerful kings are the cubs' fathers.
03:48They generally keep their distance.
03:50They're rarely involved in the everyday life of the pride.
04:03Their job is to keep foreign males away and protect the young.
04:08Then their strength and bulk come in handy.
04:12The rest of the time they're rather hopeless hunters.
04:23The lion's territory stretches from the granite rocks across narrow waterways and the broad
04:28plains dotted with trees and bushes.
04:46On the open plains it's hard to surprise prey in the daytime.
04:57They're female, out hunting on her own.
05:01This way she's less conspicuous.
05:06Warthogs, speedy and wary.
05:09In this broiling heat the lioness won't even bother to approach.
05:20The prey has caught her eye.
05:28This warthog family, just a few meters away, seems to be behaving rather carelessly.
05:39The mother waits to the last moment to warn her young.
05:46Then, counting on her speed, she stays put, giving them time to run.
06:06Knowing she doesn't have a chance, the lioness chases half-heartedly.
06:09But something has captured her attention.
06:21Though the warthog is way ahead, the lioness doesn't give up.
06:29She has discovered why the warthog delayed so long.
06:33Her rear left leg is injured.
06:36She can barely run.
06:40She must have hoped the lion wouldn't attack.
06:46Her bluff was called.
07:01But she saved her young.
07:18Success immediately brings problems.
07:23One of the local hyenas witnessed her kill.
07:29The lioness can deal with a single hyena, but the moment she's outnumbered she'll lose
07:34her prize.
07:41So she tolerates her rival.
07:44As long as the hyena is eating, she's not fetching reinforcements.
07:52They all know the way it works.
08:02The lion's biggest prey are the buffaloes that stroll through their territory.
08:08They're too big for the hyenas.
08:12They're pretty big for the lions too, and they defend each other.
08:25But the rock lionesses found a small group of buffaloes cut off from the herd.
08:34Now they must separate the calf from its mother.
08:40Easier said than done.
08:49One of the pride kings gets wind of things.
08:55The females can't penetrate the buffaloes' defenses.
09:12The male would have a better chance.
09:15It doesn't matter here if he's slow.
09:17The buffaloes aren't very fast either.
09:25The three lionesses try again when she turns her back.
09:31A frontal attack against those horns is suicidal.
09:43The calf loses its bearings in the melee.
09:49A chance for one of the lionesses.
10:00But the mother comes straight to its defense.
10:05Now only strength and bulk can make the difference.
10:14The male's arrival shifts the balance.
10:22It's a standoff.
10:26The buffalo cow does the right thing, ward him off till the herd returns.
10:36But she turns her back, a fatal error.
10:49The king usually depends on the females' hunting skills.
10:53This time he earned his lion's share.
11:00With hyenas, males play a very different role.
11:05At the den, a female disciplines a male.
11:09He won't dare fight back.
11:12Hyena females have far more testosterone than males.
11:19And that has surprising consequences.
11:25The females grow a pseudo-penis right next to the teats that feed their young.
11:35The females are bigger and stronger than the males.
11:42And the males must treat their dominant partners with respect.
11:53Better not provoke a row.
12:04Because in this powerful, matriarchal structure, all the females outrank all the males.
12:17And since mothers protect and promote their sons, strong females have higher status sons.
12:23So a young male can bully a rival male under the eyes of his mother.
12:33If the victim dared object, the attacker's mother would intervene right away.
12:41As soon as they reach sexual maturity, males leave their clan and join an unrelated pack,
12:48where they have to work their way up from the bottom.
12:53Sons of higher status mothers are more successful in the new clan, too.
12:57Because they're more confident, they fight their way up more quickly and sire more offspring.
13:05And so their mother's genes spread faster than the genes of subdominant females.
13:17The rock pride's territory stretches from the granite mounds deep into the surrounding savanna.
13:29The lionesses return from their excursion to their stony base overlooking the low grassland.
13:39The granite rocks offer a multitude of hiding places for their young.
13:46The pride's third lioness is resting here now, her three cubs just a few days old.
13:58Lion babies, like those of all carnivores, are tiny. At birth, each weighs just one and a half kilos.
14:18For weeks, the babies are helpless. They need protection and warmth.
14:30Now their mother is keeping them away from her sister's young, who are a bit older and more robust.
14:39These delicate babies just wouldn't keep up.
14:49Newborn hyenas are tiny and helpless, too. This one is three days old and can hardly stand.
15:04But hyena babies enter the world with open eyes and with sharp teeth, and they need to use them right away.
15:17The mother gave birth far away from the clan's main lair. She then hid her young in a small hole.
15:27Spotted hyenas can have up to four young, but usually they have one or two.
15:33Nearby, another female has found a quiet place for her baby, but this one is a couple of weeks older.
15:46The two mothers know each other from the clan, but barely pay each other any attention.
15:53The neighbor's baby is inquisitive. This infant scarcely knows where it's going.
16:03The hubbub around the central lair would be far too dangerous for it.
16:13Mothers lie with their young for hours, passing on nourishment through their teeth.
16:19Hyena milk has more protein than any other land predators. It also has an extremely high fat content.
16:33This mother's second baby no longer has the strength to reach the teat.
16:37Ever since he was born, his sister has bitten him away.
16:47Milk is vital for the development of the young. Some females suckle for up to two years.
16:54It's a terrible strain on the mother that she can't bring meat into the lair.
16:59It would be stolen at once by higher status hyenas.
17:09And of course, she won't share her precious milk with anyone else's young.
17:21Two weeks on, the three lionesses have brought their young together now.
17:26Unusually soon, normally they'd take more time.
17:37But as they grow, the age difference matters less. Meeting at the rocks every day, the cubs soon become inseparable.
17:57Lionesses in a pride often give birth at the same time.
18:05When males conquer a group of females, that usually starts a new reproductive cycle.
18:29Mothers try to concentrate on suckling their own young, but it isn't always possible.
18:40Sometimes you just have to suffer an avalanche of hungry babies.
18:52In the heat of the day, the rocks seem devoid of life.
18:57But the countless splits, cracks, and caverns are home to more than just lion cubs.
19:11Lion House has many inhabitants, from tiny elephant shrews to reptiles and birds.
19:23The rocks warm up during the day and the cracks offer natural air conditioning.
19:34Red-headed agamas and Senegal-watted plovers get on well together. The warm rocks help their eggs to hatch.
19:46The lion cubs are safe as long as their mothers are there.
19:49But when the lionesses go out to hunt, the cubs spend many hours alone in the cracks in the rocks.
20:01And 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 gazelles.
20:19A lot of lion cubs become victims of pythons, especially among the rock pride.
20:26And yet the lions are only too aware of the danger.
20:36Though not yet fully grown, this python could already kill a baby lion.
20:45The cubs are inquisitive and clueless.
20:55Their mothers are very careful. Python bites may not be poisonous, but they're extremely painful.
21:12The lionesses remove their young from the danger zone. A nip on the neck and they fall into a trance and can be carried anywhere.
21:27The snake is unsure. Normally it encounters only the babies, not the adults.
21:47It can't have reckoned with the fury of a mother.
21:56The python is in danger. One of these blows could break its back.
22:10It retreats to the cover of a bush. It's safe from the lions here.
22:20At least for the moment.
22:36After all the excitement, a deep draught of warm milk brings back some calm.
22:50The rock pride relaxes, but the python can't leave well alone.
22:58After an hour, it emerges.
23:06Seriously marked by its wounds, it seems the scent of the lion cubs overcomes the pain.
23:20The mothers have finally had enough. They surround the python.
23:31It has little fight left.
24:02Now there's only one option.
24:20To slide away dragging its wounds with it.
24:27Disappearing into one of the innumerable cracks.
24:34This pride will always be in danger from snakes.
24:38But the rocks bring so many advantages that they will never leave.
24:58Snakes rarely threaten hyenas out here on the plains.
25:03In the late evening, a group are playing with their young.
25:09It's rough and this is no place for newborns.
25:23Until now, this mother kept her baby away from the main lair.
25:27Now she's ready to attempt the next step.
25:30The central lair is always guarded.
25:33So when the mothers are away, their young are safe from other predators.
25:39To enjoy that protection, the mother must accept the hectic activity at the entrances.
25:54Her relatives are curious about the new arrival.
26:07One female hyena becomes especially insistent.
26:11Even though she's younger and weaker than the mother.
26:15But as her own mother is high status, this young intruder is a powerful female.
26:24And she can challenge the older mother.
26:38Normally this young one would win, but here a delicate baby is at stake.
26:45The mother forgets the rules and puts the younger female in her place, shoving her aside.
26:55And then she takes her offspring to safety.
27:03The cold night cools tempers.
27:10The mother has secured the place for her young, who at last can feed.
27:30Over the next few weeks, the new arrival is rarely spotted.
27:35She only emerges a few minutes every day to suckle.
27:39She must grow and gain strength first, so she can pit herself against the other young
27:44of the clan.
27:48Fifteen mothers live here, and more than twenty young hyena frolic in front of the entrance
27:53to the lair in the mornings and evenings.
27:58It looks like they're playing, but this isn't fun.
28:11Again and again there are flurries of biting.
28:17It's anything but playful.
28:26Sisters and brothers are especially aggressive to one another.
28:32The struggles over status begin at birth, because the young inherit their mother's status.
28:38So siblings are always bitter rivals, especially sisters.
28:43Sons will eventually depart for other clans.
28:54To rise in the clan, a sister must defeat her twin.
28:58The stronger ones force the weaker away from their mother's teats.
29:02A quarter of all hyena young starve to death.
29:14At first they don't know their mother's status, so the adults have to impose the hierarchy.
29:21At nine months, the young have learned their place.
29:37Two months on, the rock pride have left the granite mounds.
29:48The lions are wandering through the broad savannah in search of prey.
29:52The young no longer need the protection of the granite rocks.
30:02The cubs are still inseparable, and so the three mothers hunt together too.
30:12The great males spend little time with the females and their offspring, but they always
30:17stay close by.
30:19This they must, to protect the young from the constant threat of other adult males.
30:45It's the end of July.
30:47The wildebeest herds of the Serengeti are migrating north.
30:55They make the long journey because the grasslands of the south are suffering their annual drought.
31:05On the way, the Mara River is a welcome source of water, and on the far side, greener pastures
31:12beckon.
31:23Every year, the wildebeest must cross the Mara.
31:35Given much of its length, the banks are extremely steep.
31:48Even a 15-meter near-vertical wall won't put them off.
32:08Once the first wildebeest have led the way, nothing will stop these tough, agile antelopes.
32:17Miraculously, most survive even long falls.
32:43Crossing the water is child's play.
32:49A mess.
32:50There are crocodiles.
32:53This one floated in on the current.
32:56Right now, it's still harmless, but when it turns round and swims against the current,
33:01it can maneuver to attack.
33:14Now it's ready.
33:24The wildebeest seem unaware of the danger.
33:30The crocodile just needs patience.
33:52On the far side, the migrants find luscious pastures.
34:00There's an unusual guest in their midst.
34:10A wildebeest in coloring, but with the body of a zebra.
34:17In fact, this is a young zebra.
34:20He's what's known as a melanistic variant.
34:25A rare combination of two genes increase the dark pigmentation in his coat.
34:31Grazing with wildebeest, the foal hardly stands out.
34:35But beside other zebra, he's very conspicuous.
34:47His prospects are not rosy because predators will instantly notice him.
34:52He's in much greater danger than his black and white relatives.
35:09The great herds bring far less welcome visitors for the rock bride.
35:14Nomad lions that follow the wildebeest.
35:18They're often adolescents with no territory of their own.
35:21They survive by following the migration.
35:27These gatecrashers are a danger for the whole rock pride.
35:38If the old pride males show weakness now, they could be attacked and chased away.
35:45That would destroy the structure of the pride.
35:50And it would mean a death sentence for the young.
36:00So the wildebeest's arrival means not only an abundance of food, but the risk of violence,
36:07danger, and stress.
36:14For hyenas, the giant herds are a good source of food too.
36:21They will seek out ill and weak animals to attack.
36:30But they need to be careful with the strong bulls.
36:36They are not afraid of hyenas.
36:49Right now it's raining a lot more in the northern Serengeti than in the south.
36:56That's why the wildebeest are here.
37:07The hyenas are fine with the inclement weather.
37:13Their preferred hunting technique is more efficient when it's cool.
37:29Unlike cheetahs, hyenas are long-distance specialists.
37:38They have the most powerful hearts of all African predators.
37:42They can run for five kilometers without a break.
37:47Wildebeest are faster over short distances, but they can't keep up the pace for long.
37:58The hyenas seem to be scattering the wildebeest chaotically, but they're looking for calves
38:04that are easier to bring down than adults.
38:17This time they're out of luck.
38:24And they've ruined the hunt for the cheetahs.
38:27The hyenas would steal any prey the cheetahs manage to catch.
38:31It's not worth the trouble, and they leave.
38:47Even though they have to take greater care of their young against the marauding males,
38:52the rock pride find life easier now.
39:04Three months of unlimited prey outweigh the risk from the nomads.
39:16The endless migrating columns arouse the curiosity of the young.
39:23Every adolescent wants to test his hunting skills.
39:32He still has a lot to learn, and his lack of discipline thwarts his mother.
39:43She's lost her chance against the animals he's frightened away.
39:53Now another lioness joins in the attack.
40:02Together they separate an emaciated wildebeest from the herd.
40:18For such experienced hunters, the rest is easy.
40:30A rainy afternoon.
40:33Time for the hyenas to hunt.
40:37The cool evening hours are ideal for their exhausting tactics.
40:46They approach the herd alone or in small groups.
40:52The wildebeest don't seem to recognize the hyenas as a threat.
40:56They simply carry on grazing.
41:11The hyenas gather.
41:23The nomadic lions are standing by too.
41:33And there are some calves in this herd.
41:37The herd scatters in panic, but the huntress keeps her focus strictly on the target.
41:51A calf has lost contact with its mother.
41:57The hunter won't let loose now.
42:16The hyena still has reserves of energy, while the wildebeest calf is getting slower and
42:28slower.
42:41A second hyena joins in for the kill.
42:45Hyenas don't have sharp claws.
42:47They grip their prey with their teeth and wrestle them to the ground.
43:00A pair of young nomad lionesses soon follow.
43:06Facing so many hyenas, they are uncertain.
43:09For a while, the clan keeps them at bay.
43:21But then the male nomads arrive.
43:25Lionesses will chase hyenas away, but males often kill them.
43:37So the hyenas withdraw.
43:43It's not worth risking serious injury for the sake of a couple of bites, though it is
43:48frustrating.
43:57The lions enjoy their stolen meal, the hyenas call for reinforcements.
44:08The call is answered.
44:16Within a few minutes, almost all the clan females are here, 20 hyenas.
44:28Now the big cats must hold their nerve.
44:30The situation could escalate in seconds.
44:47The force of numbers begins to have its effect.
44:53The lionesses are nervous.
44:59But the two young males aren't about to be disturbed.
45:03They're still hungry.
45:13The hyenas won't win their meat back.
45:16The lions prove once again that might is right.
45:27Most young lions live from carrion and stolen prey until they're skilled enough to survive
45:32as hunters.
45:49The king of beasts claims his reward on the savannah.
46:02But as so often, the lord of the grasslands has stolen a hyena's prey in the middle of
46:08the night and not brought it down himself.
46:13The cubs won't care, as long as they get fed.
46:21But these princelings of the rock pride will soon face tougher times, with their fathers
46:27getting older and the lion challengers stronger and more determined.
46:34And since their conflict with the hyenas will never end, these young lions will soon be
46:40called upon to play their role.