Original subtitles

Previously on Kingdom, Mutima, the young leopard, reached independence.

So now it's time for her mother, Olimba,

to mate again.

The lion pride has grown in strength.

The males killed one of the hyena mothers, Tam, and now they have forced

and her pack to flee.

But no matter how powerful your family, this place, Nsefu,

is a dangerous place in which to rear young.

Five years.

Four families.

Who will rule this kingdom?

Lions are most at risk in their early days.

So cubs are kept in a secret den.

But if they stray to the open, away from their mother, dangers

can come from anywhere.

An elephant could crush a cub with a single step.

Better to stay close to mother.

The dry season here in Nsefu is

tightening its grip.

Elephants, needing to quench their thirst, follow well -trodden paths that

lead to the river.

Further along the elephant's path, the pride are resting,

taking a break

from the heat of the day.

When it comes to grumpy elephants, it's not just cubs that have

to get out of the way.

In the grove of ebony trees, the hyenas Tantada and Tenta

keep their cubs close.

But Tenta's twins are now at the age when they want to explore the world

for themselves.

These sausage trees, named from the shape of their fruits, are

bursting into bloom.

The opening of these crimson flowers is welcomed by many here.

For within the giant petals, there is sweet nectar.

Irresistible to hungry visitors.

They come right to the hyena's doorstep.

Time for some fun.

The twins lead the way.

But not everyone is willing to tolerate their games.

The cubs are soon back for some rest and a drink.

Hyena mothers produce one of the richest of all milks.

But even so, the cubs need to feed for up to four hours a day.

And each mother Provides milk for a year.

The cubs' insistent demands force Tenter and the other females to take

risks in their search for food.

Vultures.

A sign that the lions have made a kill.

The commotion has drawn most of the clan.

including Tenta and Tandala.

They are nervous.

The males from this bride killed their sister,

Tam.

But today, the males are not here.

This is too good an opportunity to miss.

As the clan advances

their confidence grows.

A brief and uneasy truce.

It's very rare for lions to share a kill with hyenas.

If the males were here, the situation would be very different.

But where are they?

They are several miles away, on patrol.

The brothers regularly travel huge distances.

to protect their family, especially their cubs, from rival lions.

Roaring males make it clear to anyone for miles around that this is their

territory.

Their patrol has brought them close to the edge of the national park.

This deep gully marks the boundary line.

But it's a line that means nothing to the brothers.

Outside the protection of the park, there are dangers beyond rifle lines.

As the brothers cross the boundary, they leave the safety of the park.

Back in the center of Nsetu, one of the females, Huita, is

guarding her cubs.

Rita must keep her young a secret until it's time for them all

to rejoin the pride.

A lilac -breasted roller.

A bush squirrel.

Underground hornbill are unwelcome visitors.

That beak looks nasty.

This little one needs extra help.

He's blind in one eye.

What is more, these visitors could give away the cubs' location.

Prying eyes are everywhere.

Being a mother in an settle is not easy.

Mujima is trying to find her own way.

But her youthful clumsiness creates problems.

Nearby, her mother, Olimba, is calling and scent marking.

Signs that she's still looking for a mate.

Her messages have not gone unnoticed.

Male leopards spend most of their time alone.

They're unpredictable and can be very aggressive.

He's a lot bigger and much more powerful than she is.

If Olimpa is to have more cubs, She will have to take the risk

Her

flirting helps to ease any tension

This behaviour is rarely seen.

They will stay together for at least 48 hours.

During that time they mate repeatedly.

increasing your limber's chance of pregnancy.

Mutima has never seen her mother with a male before.

It's an aspect of life that will affect both her mother and herself.

In the secrecy of their den, Rita is still nursing

her cubs.

To keep them fed she must hunt.

But that means leaving the cubs alone.

One -on -one bringing down even a young buffalo is hard.

It's a battle of endurance.

Rita will not be able to keep this up for much longer.

This is Rita's younger sister.

She has heard the struggle.

It's two against one.

After weeks of nursing her cubs by herself, it's a welcome change for Rita

have her sister at her side.

They appear whenever lions make a kill.

But tonight they don't seem to be heading this way.

They were going to the lion's den.

Without their mother, the cub were defenceless.

None have survived the hyena's attack.

The rest of the family are unaware of the disaster that occurred overnight.

And that the next generation of their pride has been lost.

Rita and her sister returned to the others

alone.

Lions are the most social of all big cats.

the sisters can find solace in their family.

The loss of the cubs is not the only blow to the family.

After leaving the safety of Nsefu, both of the pride males

were shot and killed.

For any animals living here, fortunes can change in an

instant.

The temperature is now reaching nearly 50 degrees Celsius.

Month after month of extreme heat and the lack of rain has caused

the water level in the river to drop.

Once a mighty torrent, it's now reduced to a series of shallow channels

and sandy islands.

The river is no longer the impossible barrier it once was.

The buffalo herds are leaving Nsefu, looking for grazing beyond the far

Buffalo are the main sort of food for the hungry lions.

In the dry season, the Luangwa has some of the densest populations of crocodiles

and hippos found anywhere on Earth.

If the pride want to hunt buffalo, they will have to cross.

choose their route carefully

The

deepest water can hide

the greatest dangers

Now on the other side.

The pride will need to split up the herd.

If they're to have any success.

Working together, they cause a stampede.

They are looking for any sign of weakness.

Success.

This is a sound the pride does not want to hear.

The rival pride.

It is their home.

without the power of their maids.

Rita and her sisters are in real danger.

Nihons will kill rivals who encroach on their territory.

The lionesses have no choice but to retreat.

The pride has no males, no cubs, and its favourite prey has moved

into the territory of rival lions.

The future of this family is in jeopardy.

After months, of almost unbearable heat, clouds begin

to build at last.

These storms mark the end of the dry season.

Rain reshapes the land.

The rivers refill.

Only the strongest will be able to cross.

This year the downpours have lasted much longer than normal.

The river has burst its banks, flooding Nsetu in a way not seen for years.

For the hyena family, living in the ebony grove, this is a

disaster.

Before the rains came, the clan had been going from strength to strength.

But the waters have completely flooded their den.

Many of the cubs have died, and what remains of the clan is scattered.

Tenta and her twins are the only ones left here.

They were stronger than the younger cubs and so better able to escape

the rising water.

But now, hungry and homeless, they must navigate the watery labyrinth

to find food.

The twins have never before travelled as far as this.

Strange new world can seem overwhelming.

Tentor hears a familiar sound on the wind.

It's her clan.

Or at least some of them.

Unfortunately, without their queen to lead them, they have become

Fighting is rife, especially over food.

But now Tenta is back.

She is quick to restore order.

And with order, will come strength.

What is more, her twins can now feed.

It pays to be the daughters of the queen.

Although many of the clan are here, Tandala, Tantra's closest ally,

is still missing.

Mutima is thriving in her second wet season.

The gullies are full of water, so it's now impossible to hunt in them.

But there is an alternative at this time of year.

The annual gathering of yellow -billed storks.

Every year, these trees are full of chicks.

Too young to fly away.

And the promising opportunity.

The very nest is out of reach.

Even right up here in the thinnest of branches.

Last year, Mujima didn't have the skills to make the most of this treetop

larder.

But she's now an accomplished and resourceful hunter.

Her mother's focus, however, is not on finding food.

It's on her future.

If Olimba is going to raise more cubs, the last

thing she needs is competition.

And her daughter has become her rival.

Multima has no idea of the danger coming her way.

Danger from her own mother.

Mutima can flee.

Return and climb.