Original subtitles

Kevin Richardson: WHOA! OOF!

Narrator: THIS IS A BOND \h\h\hTHAT DEFIES BELIEF.

AN EXTRAORDINARY RELATIONSHIP \h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUILT ON TRUST.

BUT NOW KEVIN RICHARDSON FACES HIS BIGGEST CHALLENGE YET--

MOVING 27 LIONS AND 14 HYENAS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO A NEW HOME.

[GROWLING]

BOUNDARIES WILL BE PUSHED \h\h\h\h\h\hTO THE LIMIT.

Kevin: THE LIONS ARE GOING MAD.

[SHRIEKING]

Narrator: RELATIONSHIPS PUT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO THE TEST.

Kevin: NO!

Narrator: AND THE MOVE \h\hCOMES UNDER THREAT.

Kevin: LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY \h\h\h\hFROM MOVING ANIMALS,

AND NOW I GET AN ANSWER \h\h\h\h\h\hSAYING NO.

NOW WHAT DO WE DO!

♪

Kevin: WHOA! OOF!

[LAUGHS]

Narrator: MEET KEVIN RICHARDSON, A VERY UNUSUAL PRIDE MATE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hKevin: THIS IS JUST UNADULTERATED FUN

THAT THEY’RE HAVING HERE,

\h\h\h\hAND, OOH, KEV’S THEIR LITTLE PLAYTHING.

[GIGGLING]

\hTHEY ENJOY NOTHING MORE THAN TO DO THIS WITH ME.

THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON \h\h\h\h\hFOR 10 YEARS.

OH!

THE WAY THEY PLAY WITH ME

IS EXACTLY HOW THEY PLAY \h\h\h\hWITH EACH OTHER.

\hTHE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT THEY DO TONE IT DOWN WITH ME.

[LAUGHING]

ARE YOU HAPPY?

I’M HAPPY!

IT’S GREAT FUN.

THEY REALLY ENJOY IT, \hI REALLY ENJOY IT.

WHEN YOU KNOW THESE GIRLS \h\h\h\hAS WELL AS I DO,

YOU REALIZE THAT I’M JUST \h\h\hPART OF THEIR PRIDE

\hAND THEY ACCEPT ME AS ONE OF THEIR OWN.

\hI KNOW THAT THERE’S NO UNTOWARD BEHAVIOR,

AND WHENEVER THEY DO THIS, \h\hIT’S COMPLETELY AMAZING

\hBECAUSE THEY DON’T BITE, THEIR CLAWS DON’T COME OUT.

HELLO, MY GIRL.

UGH!

[LAUGHING]

Narrator: 27 LIONS MAKE UP \hKEVIN’S UNLIKELY FAMILY.

HE HAS KNOWN MOST OF THEM \h\hSINCE THEY WERE CUBS.

BORN IN CAPTIVITY,

THEY ARE EITHER FORMER STARS \h\h\hFROM THE MOVIE INDUSTRY

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOR DONATED FROM OTHER ANIMAL PARKS.

THE LIONS LIVE

IN AN OVER 1,100-ACRE \hWILDLIFE SANCTUARY

IN SOUTH AFRICA...

ALSO HOME TO FOUR BLACK LEOPARDS

AND 14 SPOTTED HYENAS.

[ROARING]

BUT NOW THE RESERVE THEY LIVE IN IS UP FOR SALE.

THEY NEED TO RELOCATE.

A HUGE UNDERTAKING.

Kevin: I MADE A PROMISE \h\hTO TAU AND NAPOLEON

WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE CUBS, \h\h\hALL THOSE YEARS AGO,

\h\h\h\h\hTHAT I WOULD SEE OUT THEIR DYING DAYS IN CAPTIVITY,

AND I WOULD MAKE DAMN SURE

THAT THEY HAD THE BEST LIFE \hTHAT I COULD GIVE THEM...

\hBUT ALONG THE WAY WE HAVE GATHERED A BIT OF BAGGAGE.

[LAUGHS]

ALL THE OTHER LIONS AND HYENAS,

AND THEY’RE COMING ALONG \h\h\h\h\h\hFOR THE RIDE,

\h\hAND THEY DESERVE EVERYTHING THAT TAU AND NAPOLEON HAVE GOT.

Narrator: THE ANIMALS’ FUTURE HOME IS IN ANOTHER PROVINCE--

A NEW SANCTUARY ALREADY \h\hUNDER CONSTRUCTION.

IN ALL, 13 ENCLOSURES WITHIN \hAN 86-ACRE ENRICHMENT AREA.

IT BORDERS THE OVER 45,000-ACRE DINOKENG RESERVE,

HOME TO AFRICA’S LARGEST MAMMALS,

\h\h\hINCLUDING ELEPHANTS, WHITE RHINO AND WILD LIONS.

\h\h\h\hNOW THE PRESSURE OF THE RELOCATION IS MOUNTING.

\h\h\hEACH JOURNEY IS 136 MILES ROUND TRIP,

BUT THE BIGGEST HURDLE OF ALL \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS YET TO COME.

EVERY CAPTIVE LION \h\hIN SOUTH AFRICA

\h\h\h\hNEEDS A PERMIT TO BE HOUSED IN A PARK.

\h\h\h\h\hBUT SECURING A PERMIT TO LIVE IN A DIFFERENT PROVINCE

IS NO EASY FEAT.

Kevin: YOU WOULD SWEAR \hIT WOULD BE AS SIMPLE

AS SOMEBODY SAYING THAT’S FINE, MEET THE SPECS,

AND WE WILL GIVE YOU \h\h\h\hYOUR PERMIT.

NOT SO, NOT THE CASE.

IT’S REALLY IRRITATING.

YEAH. ARE YOU ALSO IRRITATED, MY GIRL?

AND YOU, MY BOY, COME LIE HERE.

Narrator: DESPITE THE HOLDUPS,

KEVIN NEEDS TO CARRY ON PREPARING FOR THE MOVE.

\h\hHE HOPES TO FORM A NEW PRIDE OF LIONS.

SISTERS MEG AND AMY HAVE NEVER LIVED WITH OTHER LIONS BEFORE.

BUT NOW THAT’S ABOUT TO CHANGE.

Kevin: YES.

\h\h\h\h\hTHEY REALLY ARE THE TWO LOVES OF MY LIFE.

THEY ARE 9-YEAR-OLD LIONESSES,

\h\hAND AS WE PREPARE TO MOVE THE PARK TO THE NEW PREMISES,

I’VE GOT TO CONSOLIDATE ANIMALS,

\h\h\h\h\hAND THIS MEANS THAT THESE TWO LIONESSES

ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO \h\h\hWITH THREE BOYS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: AND TSAR, BONGANI AND SUJA

ARE THE PERFECT SUITORS.

\h\h\h\hKevin: IN THE WILD, AS MALES COME INTO PRIDES,

THERE IS A BIT OF TURMOIL, \hAS FEMALES GET UNSETTLED,

AND THERE CAN BE FIGHTING

\h\h\h\hWHERE THE FEMALES ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE RESISTIVE.

\hNarrator: LIONS ARE THE ONLY CATS TO LIVE IN SOCIAL GROUPS.

THE FEMALES OFTEN STAY IN THEIR BIRTH PRIDES,

WHEREAS THE MALES FORM \h\hNOMADIC COALITIONS

\hBEFORE TAKING OVER A PRIDE OF THEIR OWN.

BUT THERE’S NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS INTRODUCTION WILL WORK.

Kevin: TO INTRODUCE THEM \h\h\h\hIN A CAREFUL WAY,

I’VE GOT TO KEEP MEG AND AMY \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hLOCKED UP,

AND THEN I’M GOING TO INTRODUCE ONE OF THE BOYS,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHIS NAME’S TSAR, JUST LET THEM SNIFF EACH OTHER,

GET USED TO EACH OTHER \h\hTHROUGH THE FENCE.

Narrator: WITH THE GIRLS \h\h\hSAFELY LOCKED AWAY,

\hTSAR IS RELEASED INTO THE ENCLOSURE.

Kevin: OH, HERE HE COMES. \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h[LAUGHS]

LOOK AT HER.

LOOK HOW TENTATIVE SHE IS.

SHE’S ALREADY SUBMITTING.

[PURRING]

HE’S A GORGEOUS BOY.

Narrator: HIS GRIMACE IS CALLED THE FLEHMEN RESPONSE.

ITS DRAWS SCENT MOLECULES INTO THE JACOBSEN ORGAN,

A HIGHLY SENSITIVE GLAND.

IT CAN HELP AN ANIMAL INTERPRET ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION--

WHETHER A FEMALE IS FERTILE \h\h\h\h\hAND READY TO MATE

OR EVEN WHAT KIND OF MOOD \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY’RE IN.

Kevin: YEAH, IT WENT \hVERY WELL, MY BOY.

YOU’RE A LOVER BOY. \h\h\hYES, YOU ARE.

\h\h\h[BABY TALK] HELLO, MY GIRLY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWHO IS THIS IN YOUR ENCLOSURE, YEAH?

WHO IS THIS, YEAH?

WHO IS THIS BOY HERE? EH? \h\h\h\hDO YOU LIKE HIM?

Narrator: FOR KEVIN, THERE’S MORE AT STAKE

THAN WHETHER THE LIONS \h\hACCEPT EACH OTHER.

Kevin: I MUST SAY, THIS IS A BIT OF A WORRYING TIME FOR ME,

\hBECAUSE I’VE GOT SUCH A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH MEG AND AMY.

AND I’M JUST WONDERING \h\h\h\hHOW THREE MALES

ARE NOW GOING TO AFFECT \h\h\hOUR RELATIONSHIP.

\h\h\hAND IT IS A BIT FOR SELFISH REASONS,

BUT HAVING SAID THAT,

I’M GOING TO BE EXTREMELY HAPPY

TO SEE THEM NOW LIVING \h\h\h\h\h\hIN A PRIDE.

Narrator: WITH EVERYTHING CALM, THE NEXT TWO LIONS ARE LET IN,

SUJA AND BONGANI.

AT FIRST, ALL SEEMS TO BE \h\h\h\h\hGOING TO PLAN.

BUT THEN, SUDDENLY, \hTHE MOOD CHANGES.

[GROWLING]

IN THE EXCITEMENT, SUJA AND TSAR

\h\hSTART TO FIGHT OVER THE LIONESSES.

[SNARLING]

IT’S NOT THE OUTCOME KEVIN WAS HOPING FOR.

Kevin: YOU COULD SEE \h\hHE WAS AGITATED,

\hHE WALKED UP TO THE BARS WITH A DIFFERENT INTENTION.

THE GIRLS PICKED THAT UP \h\h\h\h\h\hIMMEDIATELY.

[GROWLING]

YES!

\h\hTHAT JUST FUELED THE FIRE, AND CAUSED, YOU KNOW, TENSION,

AND THAT CAUSED TENSION \h\hWITH TSAR AND SUJA,

AND THEY HAD A HUGE, HUGE FIGHT.

[GROANING]

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: \hSUJA BECOMES POSSESSIVE OVER THE TWO LIONESSES...

SCENT MARKING HIS TERRITORY.

Kevin: I THINK WE ARE GOING \h\h\h\hTO GO AHEAD WITH IT

\hAND JUST TAKE IT A LITTLE BIT SLOWER

THAN WE INITIALLY ANTICIPATED.

ONCE WE DO THE ENTIRE RELEASE,

\h\hWE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO MONITOR IT VERY CAREFULLY.

FOR THE SAKE OF FORMING A PRIDE,

IF THIS GOING TO CAUSE HAVOC, THEN I’M NOT FOR DOING THAT.

I WOULD RATHER TRY \h\hAND FIGURE OUT

HOW WE’RE GOING TO ACCOMMODATE THEM AT THE NEW PLACE.

Narrator: THE LIONESSES \h\hARE LEFT IN PEACE.

\h\h\hTHE NEXT WEEK WILL PROVE CRITICAL

\hTO SEE IF THE POTENTIAL PRIDE MATES SETTLE DOWN.

AT DINOKENG, THE NEW ENCLOSURES ARE HALF COMPLETED.

\h\h\hAND IN ONE OF THEM, THERE’S AN EARLY ARRIVAL.

A 32-MONTH-OLD WILD MALE LION.

Kevin: WHERE’S HIS INJURIES?

Narrator: THE YOUNG MALE \h\h\h\hHAS BEEN FIGHTING

WITH ANOTHER WILD PRIDE.

HE’S BEEN TRANQUILIZED

\h\hAND BROUGHT IN FOR SAFETY REASONS

\h\h\h\hTO RECOVER FROM HIS INJURIES.

BUT HIS BROTHER WASN’T SO LUCKY AND DIED.

Kevin: THE TWO OLDER MALE LIONS

WERE OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO PUSH \hOUT ANY OF THE YOUNGER GUYS

OR GET RID OF THEM, SIMPLY,

\hBECAUSE IF YOU’RE AN OLDER MALE LION

AND YOU COME ACROSS \hTWO YOUNGER GUYS,

IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE

TO JUST ELIMINATE THEM \h\hFROM THE GENE POOL,

BECAUSE THEN YOU DON’T HAVE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA PROBLEM

OF THEM EVER SIRING YOUNG

\h\h\hOR THEM EVER COMING AND TAKING OVER A PRIDE FROM YOU.

Narrator: OVER THE LAST CENTURY,

WILD LION POPULATIONS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

HAVE BEEN DECIMATED.

ALTHOUGH THERE ARE \h\hDISCREPANCIES,

SOME ESTIMATES SAY \h\hFROM THE 1950s

THE ENTIRE LION POPULATION \h\h\hHAS DECLINED BY HALF.

\h\hOTHER ESTIMATES ARE AS HIGH AS 95%.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTRAGICALLY, SOME ESTIMATES NOW STAND

\hAT AROUND 20,000 REMAINING ANIMALS.

\h\h\hAS THIS LION IS PART OF A REINTRODUCTION PROGRAM

TO THE DINOKENG RESERVE,

THE DECISION WAS MADE \h\h\h\hTO INTERVENE.

Kevin: THE INTERESTING QUESTION THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO ASK IS

\h\h\h\hWHY ARE WE INTERFERING WITH A LION THAT’S IN THE WILD?

EACH LION THAT’S REINTRODUCED

IS ACTUALLY A PRECIOUS, \h\hPRECIOUS COMMODITY.

THAT’S THE REASON.

\h\h\hONCE THE LION POPULATIONS HERE IN DINOKENG ARE ESTABLISHED

\h\h\hAND, YOU KNOW, ARE QUITE SUSTAINABLE

AND THERE’S COHERENT \h\hPRIDE STRUCTURES,

I’M PRETTY SURE THAT IF \h\hSOMETHING LIKE THIS

HAPPENED IN THE FUTURE

\h\h\h\hI DON’T THINK THEY WOULD INTERVENE.

\h\hNarrator: ONCE HE RECOVERS, THE YOUNG MALE WILL BE RELEASED

IN A DIFFERENT SECTION \h\h\h\hOF THE RESERVE

\hAWAY FROM THE PRIDE HE WAS FIGHTING WITH.

\h\hKevin: YOU KNOW, LIONS ARE TOUGH, EH,

AND THEY’RE RESILIENT,

\h\h\hAND I THINK HE’S GOING TO BE JUST FINE.

\h\h\h\hHE’S GOING TO BE ABLE TO RECUPERATE AND, YOU KNOW,

HOPEFULLY IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS

WE CAN JUST RELEASE HIM \h\h\h\hINTO THIS AREA

AND HE CAN GET ON WITH HIS LIFE.

\hI’M GOING TO LEAVE YOU AND LOVE YOU, KEEP WELL.

BYE-BYE.

Narrator: IT’S A BIG DAY

FOR 18-MONTH-OLD HYENA BROTHERS LUKE AND NYEBA.

HAVING GROWN UP IN A NURSERY,

\h\h\h\h\hTHEY’RE GOING TO JOIN ADULT HYENAS FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Kevin: AH AH, BONGO!

\h\h\hNarrator: HYENAS HAVE A STRICT SOCIAL HIERARCHY.

\h\h\h\hINDIVIDUALS ARE RANKED BY THEIR STATUS WITHIN THE CLAN,

FROM THE MOST SUBMISSIVE \h\h\h\hTO THE DOMINANT.

\h\hHIGHLY GREGARIOUS, THEY USE BODY LANGUAGE

AND A COMPLEX RANGE OF SOUNDS

TO COMMUNICATE THEIR RANK AND REAFFIRM THEIR SOCIAL STATUS.

[GROWLING]

LUKE AND NYEBA WILL BE JOINING A CLAN OF MALES...

\h\h\h\hIN THIS CASE LED BY DOMINANT HYENA BONGO.

Kevin: WE ARE EXPECTING \hA BIT OF EAR BITING,

NECK PULLING, FUR FLYING.

\h\hHE IS A MEAN GUY, BUT IF IT GOES WELL,

THEN THE REST OF THE CLAN \hSHOULDN’T BE A PROBLEM.

BECAUSE IF HE IS ACCEPTING--

HEY, IF YOU’RE ACCEPTING,

\hTHEN THE REST ARE GOING TO FOLLOW SUIT, WE HOPE.

Narrator: BONGO HAS ALREADY BEEN INTRODUCED TO LUKE AND NYEBA

THROUGH THE BARS OF A CAGE.

BUT NOW THEY’RE GOING TO BE \h\h\h\h\hLET OUT TOGETHER.

AND THE ONLY WAY TO SORT OUT \h\h\h\h\hTHEIR PECKING ORDER

IS HYENA STYLE.

Kevin: IT’S A LITTLE BIT \h\h\h\h\hHEART-WRENCHING

\h\h\h\h\hBECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE GOING TO GET

\h\h\hA FAIR BEATING AND AMOUNT OF ABUSE,

BUT IT’S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFOR THEM

TO FIND THEIR PLACE \h\h\hIN THIS CLAN,

AND YEAH, WE JUST HOPE \h\h\h\h\hIT GOES WELL.

OK, SO GOOD LUCK...

[KISS]

AND YOU. [KISS]

YOU’RE GOING TO BE GOOD, YOU’RE GOING TO BE FINE.

[DOOR CLATTERS]

[SHRIEKING]

\h\h\hYOU KNOW, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I DO THIS

\h\hIT’S NEVER EASY TO WATCH, IT’S REALLY HEART-WRENCHING.

\hNarrator: RIGHT AWAY, BONGO SINGLES OUT LUKE.

Kevin: WHAT BONGO’S \hDONE IMMEDIATELY

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS HE’S GONE FOR THE MOST DOMINANT MALE

AND HE IS SHOWING HIM \h\h\h\h\hWHO’S BOSS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: WHILE IT LOOKS VIOLENT, THERE’S LITTLE DAMAGE.

[SHRIEKING]

Kevin: SO FAR IT’S JUST NECK BITING, SO IT’S...

[SHRIEKING]

IT’S A LOT MORE NOISE \hTHAN ANYTHING ELSE.

[HOWLING]

\hNarrator: HE LOCKS ONTO LUKE’S THICK FUR

AND ASSERTS HIS DOMINANCE.

Kevin: HE’S SUBMITTED, BOY, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hCOME ON.

Narrator: IT SERVES AS A WARNING TO LUKE’S BROTHER, NYEBA,

NOT TO TRY HIS LUCK.

\h\hKevin: WHAT WORRIED ME WAS THAT I THOUGHT HE HAD HIS EAR,

AND IF HE BITES HIS EAR HE CAN LITERALLY BITE HIS EAR OFF.

[HOWLING]

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: LUKE TOTALLY SUBMITS...

\hWHILE BROTHER NYEBA KEEPS A LOW PROFILE.

THE INITIAL AGGRESSION \h\h\h\hSOON SUBSIDES,

AND BONGO BEGINS TO RELAX.

LUKE IS EVEN BRAVE ENOUGH \hTO MARK HIS TERRITORY.

Kevin: WHAT’S ALSO GOOD IS HE’S GETTING TIRED,

\h\h\h\h\hSO BONGO IS RUNNING OUT OF STEAM.

[GROANING]

YES, IT’S A GOOD THING.

[HOWLING]

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: HAVING PROVEN HIS STATUS,

BONGO RETIRES FOR A COOL-DOWN.

\h\h\h\hKevin: YOU THOUGHT YOU WOULD JUST BEAT THEM UP

AND IT WOULD BE OVER QUICKLY?

THEY’RE PUTTING UP A GOOD FIGHT!

YES.

HE’S CALMED DOWN NICELY, \h\h\h\h\hAND IN FACT...

OK.

HE’S NOT EVEN INTERESTED \h\h\h\h\hIN HIM ANYMORE.

[HOWLING]

THIS HAS GONE WELL.

\hNarrator: WITH BONGO SAFELY OUT OF THE WAY,

\h\h\h\hIT’S LUKE’S TURN FOR A WELL-DESERVED DIP.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hKevin: IT SEEMS HE’S THROUGH WITH YOU.

YOU’VE GOT NO INJURIES, \h\h\h\h\hLET ME LOOK.

LET ME LOOK.

IT’S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, THERE’S NOT EVEN A DROP OF BLOOD.

\h\hNOW YOU CAN APPRECIATE HOW AN ANIMAL OF THIS SIZE

CAN COMPETE WITH A LION.

\hI MEAN, THEY’RE INCREDIBLY TOUGH,

BUT WHAT’S EVEN MORE AMAZING

\h\h\h\h\h\hIS THEY’RE EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT.

\h\h\hNarrator: THE ANIMALS WILL BE CLOSELY MONITORED.

IF THEY SETTLE WELL,

THEY’LL SPEND INCREASING AMOUNTS OF TIME TOGETHER

TO FORM A COHESIVE UNIT

BEFORE THE REST OF THE CLAN \h\h\h\h\h\hARE INTRODUCED.

\h\h\hTHERE’S STILL NO NEWS ON WHETHER THE APPLICATION

\hFOR THE PERMITS TO MOVE THE LIONS

HAS BEEN ACCEPTED.

THE DEADLINE IS FAST APPROACHING

WHEN THEY WILL NEED TO VACATE \h\h\h\h\hTHEIR CURRENT HOME.

Kevin: THERE’S THE KINGDOM, \hAND THERE’S THE NEW FARM.

\h\hNarrator: KEVIN IS MEETING WITH ASSISTANT RODNEY NOMBEKANA

TO DISCUSS THE BEST ROUTE \h\hTO THE NEW SANCTUARY

AND HOW MANY TRIPS THEY WILL \h\hNEED TO MOVE THE ANIMALS.

\h\h\h\h\h\hRodney Nombekana: \h\h\h\hMAYBE WE SHOULD TAKE MUCH MORE OF A QUIETER ROUTE.

Narrator: TO MINIMIZE STRESS,

\h\hTHEY NEED TO AVOID THE HEAT OF THE DAY...

AND THE WORST OF THE TRAFFIC.

Kevin: SO THAT WOULD BE \h\h\h\h\hA ROUTE, TOO.

Rodney: YEAH.

Kevin: OK. LET’S GO THROUGH

\h\h\h\h\hHOW MANY TRIPS IT’S ACTUALLY GONNA TAKE.

ENCLOSURE 1, SIAM’S GROUP. \h\h\hWHO’S GOING TO LOAD?

Rodney: THEY’RE ALL GOING LOAD, ALL GOING TO LOAD...

Kevin: EXCEPT?

Rodney: PROBABLY. \hKevin: EXCEPT?

Rodney: PROBABLY TWO TRIPS \hINSTEAD OF ONLY ONE TRIP.

Kevin: OK.

Narrator: LARGE PREDATORS \h\h\hARE USUALLY SEDATED

DURING TRANSPORT.

BUT THEY ARE NOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT TO TRANQUILIZE.

\h\hTHE DOSE CAN BE HARD TO CALCULATE,

LEAVING THEM SUSCEPTIBLE

TO REGAINING CONSCIOUSNESS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTOO EARLY.

\h\h\hAND THE DRUGS CAN LEAD TO CHOKING AND HEART FAILURE.

\h\h\hBUT KEVIN HAS A UNIQUE ADVANTAGE.

Kevin: HELLO.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THE LIONS TRUST HIM ENOUGH

TO JUMP RIGHT INTO A VAN.

Kevin: WOO, IT’S HOT IN THERE.

BACK UP, GUYS! \h\h[WHISTLES]

Narrator: MEANING THEY WON’T \h\h\hNEED TO BE TRANQUILIZED

\h\hWHEN THEY MOVE TO THEIR NEW HOME.

TODAY, A COALITION OF FIVE MALES

\h\h\h\h\hIS BEING RELEASED INTO A DIFFERENT ENCLOSURE.

THE CHANGE OF SCENE GIVES THEM A CHANCE TO EXPLORE

AND ACT OUT NATURAL BEHAVIORS \hAS THEY WOULD IN THE WILD.

Kevin: IT’S ALWAYS SUCH FUN

\hTO SEE THEM WHEN THEY FIRST COME IN,

BECAUSE THEY GET OUT THE VEHICLE

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND THEY JUST START SNIFFING AROUND AND EXPLORING,

BASICALLY SMELLING \h\hALL THE SMELLS

FROM THE PREVIOUS GROUP \hTHAT’S BEEN IN THERE.

HEY, BOY, YOU HAVING FUN?

HEY?

LOOK AT THAT, HUH?

♪

THEIR SENSES ARE HEIGHTENED,

BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE WILD.

AND IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM \h\h\h\h\h\hMENTALLY FIT

AND JUST PHYSICALLY FIT, \h\hTHIS IS WHY WE DO IT.

WHEN YOU SEE THE LIONS \hHERE AT THE KINGDOM,

YOU CAN ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY SEE

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE ENJOYMENT THAT THEY GET OUT OF IT.

THEY HAVE AN ABSOLUTE BLAST.

Narrator: BACK AT THE HYENAS, \h\hBONGO, THE DOMINANT MALE,

HAS FULLY ACCEPTED YOUNGSTERS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hLUKE AND NYEBA.

\h\hNOW IT’S TIME TO RELEASE A NEW MEMBER INTO THE CLAN...

Kevin: GOOD BOY.

\h\h\h\hNarrator: VINCI, THE LOWEST-RANKING HYENA.

Kevin: OLD VINCI OVER HERE HAD HIS EAR AND HIS TAIL BITTEN OFF

LITERALLY THE DAY HE WAS BORN.

WE KNEW THAT THE FEMALE \h\h\hHAD HAD TWO CUBS.

VINCI’S A MALE.

BECAUSE THEY WERE THE SAME SEX, THE ONE DOMINATED THE OTHER.

\hAND BABY HYENAS ARE BORN WITH A FULL SET OF DECIDUOUS TEETH,

THE CANINES AND THE INCISORS,

\h\h\h\hVERY CAPABLE OF BITING AN EAR OFF,

AND THAT’S EXACTLY \h\hWHAT HAPPENED.

SO WE HAD TO INTERVENE, AND WE HAND-RAISED HIM,

\hAND HE’S A FANTASTIC ANIMAL, HE’S GOT SUCH A LOVELY NATURE.

♪

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: IF THE INTRODUCTION GOES WELL,

\h\hKEVIN WILL SEND THEIR LEADER BONGO

BACK TO JOIN THE GANG.

\hKevin: IT’S VERY DIFFICULT TO TELL AGGRESSION WITH VINCI

\h\hBECAUSE HE’S GOT NO TAIL, IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T NOTICED,

AND ALSO NO EAR.

AND YOU CAN SORT OF MAKE OUT

\h\hA LITTLE STUMPY GOING UP AND DOWN.

BUT THEY CAN TELL, I MEAN, \h\h\hTHESE HYENAS CAN TELL

[SNAPS] LIKE THAT,

AND THERE IS ABSOLUTELY \h\hNO AGGRESSION HERE,

ALTHOUGH NYEBA, AS YOU CAN SEE,

IS STILL A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS \hABOUT THE WHOLE SITUATION.

\h\h\h\h[BABY TALK] THERE’S A GOOD BOY. HELLO, MY FRIENDS.

THIS IS WONDERFUL.

THERE’S NOT EVEN VOCALIZATIONS, WHICH IS GREAT,

\h\h\h\h\hTHERE’S NO SQUEALING, THERE’S NO DEEP GUTTURAL TONES,

THERE’S NO INTIMIDATION.

EH, VINCI?

I THOUGHT YOU’D COME OUT HERE

\h\hAND TRY AND GET A LITTLE BIT HIGHER

IN THE CORPORATE LADDER \h\hOF THE HYENA WORLD.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h[BABY TALK] YOU’RE A BEAUTIFUL HYENA. \h\h\h\h\h\hYES, YOU ARE!

Narrator: WITH THE THREE \h\h\h\hGETTING ON WELL,

KEVIN DECIDES TO RELEASE BONGO, THE DOMINANT MALE.

Kevin: HELLO, BONGOLOOZA! \h\h\hHELLO, BONGOLOOZA!

Narrator: IT’S HARD TO PREDICT HOW HE WILL REACT...

OR HOW AGGRESSIVE HE WILL BE.

Kevin: OH, VINCI.

[LAUGHS]

OK, SO FAR, SO FAR GOOD.

[GROANING]

Narrator: BONGO RAISES HIS TAIL IN A DOMINANT DISPLAY

\hJUST TO REMIND VINCI HE’S STILL NUMBER ONE.

\h\h\h\h\h\hKevin: VINCI, HE’S A LITTLE BIT UNSURE,

SO HE KIND OF DOES SOMETHING,

AND THEN HE LOOKS BACK AT BONGO FOR RECOGNITION AND REASSURANCE,

AS IF TO SAY, "IS THIS GOOD? \h\h\h\h\hSHOULD I DO MORE?"

\h\h\h\hLOOK. THIS IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE: NO AGGRESSION.

\h\h\hIT’S REALLY GONE WELL, THERE’S BEEN NO NECK BITING,

THERE’S BEEN A LITTLE BIT \h\h\h\h\h\hOF TALKING...

[GROANING]

LIKE THAT--

\h\hUM, AND THAT TALKING CAN GO FROM THAT TO A GIGGLE TO FRENZY

IN A MATTER OF SECONDS,

JUST ONE WRONG TOUCH, \h\h\hONE WRONG MOVE!

SO YOU’VE GOT TO BE \h\h\hQUITE CAREFUL

WHEN HE STARTS TO TALK \h\h\h\h\h\hLIKE THAT.

[GROANING]

SO, IT’S GONE VERY WELL,

WE’RE GOING TO LEAVE THEM \h\h\h\h\h\hALL TOGETHER

FOR THE REST OF THE DAY,

AND THEN WE’LL COME BACK LATER AND SEE HOW IT’S GOING.

Narrator: WITH THE INTRODUCTION SO FAR A SUCCESS,

\h\h\h\hANOTHER THREE HYENAS WILL BE GRADUALLY INTRODUCED

TO MAKE A NEW CLAN OF SEVEN.

Kevin: YA YA YA YA!

Narrator: IT’S IMPORTANT \h\hTHEY FULLY INTEGRATE

\h\h\hBEFORE THE MOVE TO THE NEW SANCTUARY

IF THEY ARE TO SETTLE IN \h\h\h\h\h\hSUCCESSFULLY.

ANY INFIGHTING COULD BE \h\h\hEASILY AGGRAVATED

BY A CHANGE OF ROUTINE \h\h\h\hAND TERRITORY.

Kevin: HEY, HEY, HEY, \h\h\hCOME ON, BONGO!

[LAUGHS]

Narrator: TWO WEEKS HAVE PASSED

SINCE MEG AND AMY WERE FIRST \hINTRODUCED TO THREE MALES--

TSAR, BONGANI AND SUJA.

\hBUT THE INTRODUCTION DID NOT GO AS PLANNED,

LEADING TO A FINAL DECISION.

\h\h\h\hKevin: SO MEG AND AMY ARE BOTH ON THEIR OWN AGAIN.

WE’VE DECIDED THAT MIXING THEM WITH THE THREE BOYS

IS NOT GOING TO WORK.

WE TRIED EVERYTHING, THE BOYS \h\hJUST DIDN’T SETTLE DOWN.

[SNARLING]

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY WERE AT EACH OTHER’S THROATS.

[SNARLING]

MEG AND AMY WERE PETRIFIED.

[GROWLING]

SLOWLY, SLOWLY, SLOWLY, \h\h\h\hSLOWLY, SLOWLY.

Narrator: NOW THEY’RE BACK \h\h\h\h\h\h\hON THEIR OWN.

\hIT MEANS THAT KEVIN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM

IS NO LONGER UNDER THREAT.

[LAUGHING]

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hKevin: WHAT WAS REALLY AMAZING WAS,

THE MOMENT WE TOOK MEG AND AMY OUT OF THEIR ENCLOSURE

WHERE THEY WERE, \hFROM THE BOYS,

\h\h\h\h\hAND PUT THEM BACK IN THEIR NORMAL ENCLOSURE,

THE ATTITUDE CHANGE \hWAS UNBELIEVABLE.

\h\h\h\h\hIT WAS ALMOST AS IF THEY WERE SAYING,

\h\h"GUYS, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

FOR TAKING US OUT OF THERE,

\h\h\hIT WAS THE BEST THING YOU COULD EVER HAVE DONE!"

ARE YOU SO HAPPY \h\h\hTO SEE ME?

I’M VERY HAPPY TO SEE YOU, TOO, MY SWEETIE.

AND THEY WERE BACK IMMEDIATELY LIKE A LIGHT SWITCH

BACK TO THEIR BEAUTIFUL, \h\h\h\h\hLOVING NATURES.

Narrator: IT MEANS KEVIN \h\h\hWILL HAVE TO BUILD

ANOTHER ENCLOSURE FOR THEM \h\h\h\hAT THE NEW RESERVE.

Kevin: THESE TWO GIRLS HAVE JUST COST ME A WHOLE LOT MORE MONEY.

BUT I’LL TELL YOU SOMETHING: THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT.

♪

COME, GIRL!

\h\h\hNarrator: UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS

AND MOODS OF HIS ANIMALS

IS KEY TO MAKING THE MOVE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hA SUCCESS.

Kevin: THERE’S MY GOOD BOY.

HELLO, MY GIRLIES.

YES, YOU’RE A BIG BOY!

Narrator: BUT TO DO THAT \h\h\hTAKES A GREAT DEAL

OF TIME AND DEDICATION...

Kevin: LET’S ALL LIE DOWN HERE. COME. COME LIE DOWN HERE.

LET’S ALL LIE DOWN HERE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: \h...AND IS THE FOUNDATION FOR KEVIN’S BOND WITH THEM.

Kevin: I THINK PEOPLE NEED \h\hTO ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND

\h\hIS THAT THE REASON WHY THEY CAN’T SIT HERE

WITH THIS PARTICULAR GROUP \h\h\hOF LIONS IS SIMPLE--

THEY DON’T HAVE A RELATIONSHIP, AND THAT’S WHAT IT’S ABOUT.

\h\h\h\hSOCIAL ANIMALS ALL HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER,

\h\hAND THE RELATIONSHIP VARIES FROM INDIVIDUAL TO INDIVIDUAL,

BUT THE...I SUPPOSE \hTHE, THE, THE...

OW! [LAUGHS]

I SUPPOSE THE EXAMPLE TO USE

\h\h\h\hWOULD BE IF SOMEBODY WHO DOESN’T KNOW THESE LIONS

OR IS A STRANGER TO THEM COMES IN HERE, FAIR GAME.

[GROWL]

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: KEVIN IS VISITING NIKITA...

Kevin: HELLO, MY GIRLY, ARE YOU WANTING YOUR PILCHARDS?

Narrator: A BLACK LEOPARD.

HER DARK COAT IS THE RESULT OF A RARE RECESSIVE ALLELE,

WHICH IS A VARIANT OF A GENE,

CAUSING A CONDITION \hCALLED MELANISM.

Kevin: HERE, HERE, HERE.

LET’S GO, LET’S GO!

LET THE TIN OPEN FIRST!

\hSHE’S ABOUT 10 YEARS OLD NOW, AND AS PART OF HER ENRICHMENT,

\h\h\hHER FAVORITE THING IS TO GIVE HER SOME PILCHARDS.

IT’S REALLY GOOD FOR HER, \h\h\hIT’S GOT OMEGA-3s,

\h\h\hIT’S GOOD FOR THE COAT, AND SHE ABSOLUTELY LOVES IT.

NOT MY HAND!

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: ALTHOUGH THEY LOOK SMALL,

LEOPARDS ARE INCREDIBLY STRONG.

Kevin: EH! AAH!

THE REAL PROBLEM WITH LEOPARDS

\h\h\h\hIS THAT THEY HAVE AN EXTREMELY SHORT FUSE,

AND THE POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS INCREDIBLE!

YOU’LL SEE A LEOPARD IN THE WILD

\h\h\h\h\h\hWEIGHING IN AT ABOUT 60, 65 KILOS,

BEING ABLE TO CARRY AN IMPALA, A FULLY GROWN IMPALA,

UP A TREE IN ITS JAWS.

THAT’S MY FINGER.

WHEN YOU SEE EVEN NIKITA, \hA LOT OF PEOPLE SEE HER

AND THEY GO "BUT SHE’S \h\hSUCH A SMALL CAT,"

BUT IT’S THE ATTITUDE \h\h\hAND THE MINDSET

THAT GOES WITH THAT LITTLE \h\h\h\h\hDYNAMITE PACKAGE,

THAT’S WHAT YOU GOT \h\hTO WORRY ABOUT.

AND UNLIKE A LION,

WHO ONLY HAS REALLY SHARP CLAWS ON THE FRONT PAWS,

A LEOPARD’S CLAWS-- \h\hALL FOUR PAWS--

\hEXTREMELY SHARP, LIKE RAZOR BLADES.

AAH, AAH, AAH, AAH, AAH.

\h\h\h\h\hAND FOR THEIR SIZE, REALLY INCREDIBLY LONG TEETH,

SO YOU PUT THAT IN THIS PACKAGE TOGETHER WITH THIS MIND,

YOU’VE GOT AN EXTREMELY \h\hSUCCESSFUL ANIMAL.

OH!

Narrator: AT DINOKENG

THE NEW LEOPARD ENCLOSURES \h\h\h\h\hARE NEARLY READY.

\h\h\hTHEY’LL NEED TO HAVE EXTRA HIGH AND WIDE FENCES.

LEOPARDS ARE EXPERT CLIMBERS,

\h\h\h\h\h\hMAKING THEM MASTER ESCAPE ARTISTS.

Kevin: WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING THE PERFECT LEOPARD ENCLOSURE,

ONE HAS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT’S GOT AMPLE FOLIAGE AND TREES.

THE LEOPARDS DO LOVE TO CLIMB,

AND THEY LIKE TO SPEND \hLAZY, HOT SUMMER DAYS

IN THE TOP OF THE TREES, \h\h\h\hWITH A NICE VIEW.

\hNarrator: IN THE WILD LEOPARDS ARE SOLITARY,

ONLY COMING TOGETHER TO MATE.

BUT AS NIKITA IS IN CAPTIVITY,

SHE HAS BEEN PAIRED WITH A MALE CALLED COAL FOR COMPANY.

Kevin: THIS ENCLOSURE \h\hON THE RIGHT HERE

IS ACTUALLY ONE OF MY FAVORITES.

UH, IT JUST WORKED OUT \h\h\h\h\h\hPERFECTLY.

WHEN I SAW THE AREA,

I SAID THIS IS GOING TO BE \h\h\hFOR COAL AND NIKITA.

\h\hIT’S JUST FANTASTIC, IT’S GOT BEAUTIFUL TREES,

IT’S GOT THE BUSH,

\h\hIT’S RIGHT ON THE CREST, SO THE VIEWS ARE SPECTACULAR.

I THINK THEY’RE GOING TO BE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hVERY HAPPY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: EACH OF THE 13 ENCLOSURES

\h\h\h\h\hIS BEING DESIGNED TO TRY TO KEEP THE ANIMALS

AS STIMULATED AS POSSIBLE.

Kevin: WE WANT TO GIVE \h\h\h\h\h\hTHE ANIMALS

AS NATURAL A HABITAT \h\h\h\hAS POSSIBLE.

\hIN THE WILD, OBVIOUSLY, LIONS HAVE GOT A DIVERSITY OF HABITAT,

AND THEY HAVE CHOICE.

\hOVER HERE IN CAPTIVITY, IT’S SIMPLY WHAT WE PROVIDE FOR THEM,

SO A COUPLE OF NICE, \h\hTALL ACACIA TREES

WITH A NICE UMBRELLA \h\h\hIS IMPERATIVE.

I MEAN, THEY’RE GOING TO USE \h\h\h\hTHOSE TREES FOR SHADE

AND FOR SCRATCHING ON,

AND, YEAH, IT’S JUST VISUALLY \h\h\h\hA LOT MORE APPEALING.

[ROARING]

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: WITH THE ENCLOSURES JUST WEEKS AWAY FROM BEING FINISHED,

KEVIN IS HOPING FOR GOOD NEWS ON THE PERMITS TO MOVE THE LIONS.

Kevin: I WAS JUST CURIOUS TO SEE

HOW FAR YOU’RE GOING TO BE GETTING GOING.

\h\hNarrator: BUT AFTER FOUR MONTHS OF WAITING

IT’S NOT THE ANSWER \hHE WAS EXPECTING.

\h\h\hKevin: I’VE HAD BASICALLY THE ANSWER BACK ON THE PERMITS,

AND IT’S A NO, REFUSED.

SO WHAT DO WE DO NOW?

\h\h\h\hDO I STAY? DO I JUST LEAVE IT?

\h\h\hDO I JUST WALK AWAY AND SAY FINE, THANK YOU?

IT’S REALLY ABOUT GIVING THESE LIONS THE LIVES THEY DESERVE.

LET THEM LIVE OUT THEIR LIVES.

THE FIRST STEP AFTER REFUSAL \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS AN APPEAL,

\h\hAND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DO.

IT’S NOT A QUESTION

\h\hOF "ARE WE GOING TO GET THIS PERMIT,"

IT’S A QUESTION OF \h\h\h"WE HAVE TO!"

IT HAS TO HAPPEN!

IT’S LIKE, THERE’S NO, \h\h\hTHERE’S NO "NO!"

THERE CAN’T BE A "NO!"

WE’RE NOT PREPARED TO JUST LIE ON OUR BACKS AND LET IT GO BY.

WE’RE GONNA FIGHT.

Narrator: DESPITE THE PERMITS \h\h\h\hSTILL BEING HELD UP,

\h\hKEVIN MUST CARRY ON PREPARING FOR THE MOVE.

MOST OF HIS ANIMALS ARE HAPPY \h\h\h\hTRAVELING IN THE VAN.

Kevin: HELLO, GUYS!

\hNarrator: BUT THERE ARE A FEW WHO ARE MORE RELUCTANT TO LOAD.

AND TAU IS ONE OF THEM.

PRIDE MATES TABBY, MADITAU \h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND NAPOLEON

ARE FAR MORE CONFIDENT.

Kevin: OK, WHO’S GONNA LOAD?

LET’S GO!

COME.

LET’S GO, HERE.

HERE WE GO!

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: NAPOLEON JUMPS RIGHT IN.

Kevin: THERE WE GO.

HERE, TAU!

Narrator: UNLIKE HIS BROTHER...

Kevin: HERE.

UH-OH.

TAU, YOU’RE BEING A PROBLEM.

\h\h\hNarrator: KEVIN NEEDS TO KEEP UP HIS CONFIDENCE.

Kevin: TAU, THERE.

THERE WE GO. AND IN.

JUST GOT TO GET HIM USED TO IT

AND LET HIM UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT GOING TO HURT HIM.

\h\hAS YOU CAN SEE, HE’S A BIT NERVOUS GOING INTO THE VEHICLE.

\hGO, ONE MORE TIME. OK, TAB, THAT’S GOOD.

THERE AND THERE.

\hGOOD BOY. AND THERE!

[LAUGHS]

COME, TAU. HERE.

THERE WE GO.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: PATIENCE FINALLY PAYS OFF!

Kevin: THERE GOES TAU!

GREAT! EXCELLENT! \h\h\h\hGOOD BOY.

TAU’S EVEN GETTING CHEEKY NOW!

\h\hHE’S ENJOYING IT SO MUCH IN THERE. EH?

THAT’S REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR ME,

BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY UPSET TO HAVE TO DART TAU.

HE’S GETTING--HE’S OLD,

AND, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THEM \h\h\h\hUNDER AN ANESTHETIC

FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME \h\h\h\h\h\hAT THIS AGE

IS NEVER GOOD FOR THEM,

SO I’M JUST REALLY PLEASED \h\hTHAT HE’S LOADED WELL.

YOU’VE SAVED YOURSELF THE PAIN AND AGONY OF AN ANESTHETIC.

♪

Narrator: WHILE KEVIN EXPECTS \h\h\h\h\h\hMOST OF THE LIONS

TO LOAD EASILY,

\h\h\h\hTHE HYENAS ARE A DIFFERENT CHALLENGE.

EVERYTHING COMES DOWN \h\hTO CLAN DYNAMICS.

\hAND ON THE BIG DAY, SQUABBLES COULD EASILY UPSET THE BALANCE.

Kevin: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

\h\h\hTHIS IS GEENA, SHE’S THE MATRIARCH.

UH, SHE’S BEEN IN CHARGE \h\hFOR QUITE SOME TIME.

\h\h\hAND THERE IS GEENA ASSERTING HER DOMINANCE.

\h\hSHE’S GOING TO GIVE YOU A GOOD ONE JUST NOW, YEAH.

YOU’RE PUSHING YOUR LUCK, BUD.

AND I TELL YOU SOMETHING:

\h\h\hI WOULDN’T LIKE TO BE ON THE RECEIVING END OF THOSE JAWS.

\h\h\h\h\h\hHELLO, MY GIRL. COME, LET’S ALL CALM DOWN.

EH, STOP THAT!

Narrator: A HYENA’S JAW STRENGTH IS SO POWERFUL

\hTHAT IT’S CAPABLE OF CRUSHING THROUGH THE THICKEST OF BONES.

THE FRONT MOLARS ALONE

CAN GENERATE A PRESSURE \h\h\h\hOF 221 POUNDS.

Kevin: WHO’S STRONGER, \h\h\h\h\h\hME OR YOU?

WELL, IT’S INCREDIBLE TO BE \h\hIN THE MIDDLE OF THIS,

BECAUSE HERE’S THE MATRIARCH,

SHE COULD QUITE EASILY \h\h\hTAKE MY FACE OFF.

BUT HERE SHE’S PUTTING ANOTHER \h\hCLAN MEMBER IN THEIR PLACE,

\h\h\h\hAND THAT, ACTUALLY, SO HAPPENS TO BE THE MALE.

HEY, YOU, ARE YOU BEING \h\h\h\h\h\hIN TROUBLE?

HEY?

DON’T COME PICK ON ME NOW!

HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY! \h\hDON’T TAKE ADVANTAGE!

ONE NEEDS TO BECOME \h\hQUITE A MASTER

IN LEARNING HYENA’S POSTURING \h\h\h\h\hAND BODY LANGUAGE.

\h\h\h\h\h\hIN MY EARLIER YEARS I GOT BITTEN MANY, MANY TIMES.

MAXI.

IT’S A GAME, IT’S A GAME!

\h\h\h\hAND THAT WAS REALLY BECAUSE I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND

HOW THE HYENA CLAN WORKED.

I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND \h\h\hTHE DYNAMICS.

\hBUT AS THE YEARS WENT ON AND AS I GOT BITTEN LESS AND LESS,

I STARTED TO UNDERSTAND THE WAY THAT THESE LITTLE BRAINS WORK.

THIS IS NOT AGGRESSION, \h\h\h\h\hTHIS IS PLAY.

SO SHE’S PLAYING WITH ME \h\hAND SHE’S BEING ALL--

\h\hWHAT I LOVE ABOUT GEENA IS SHE GETS ALL FLIRTATIOUS

\h\hAND SHE COMES AND SHE NIPS AND SHE GETS ALL FLIRTY WITH ME,

\h\h\h\h\hWHICH REALLY IS A SPECIAL MOMENT, BUT...

ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT SHE IS

THE DOMINANT INDIVIDUAL \h\h\h\h\hIN THIS CLAN.

Narrator: KEVIN WANTS TO SEE \h\h\hIF ALL OF GEENA’S CLAN

WILL LOAD INTO THE VAN \h\h\hAT THE SAME TIME.

Kevin: OK? ALRIGHT.

\h\hNarrator: IF THEY DO, IT MEANS HE CAN MOVE THEM

IN JUST ONE TRIP.

Kevin: WOO HOO HOO!

GOOD, GOOD, GOOD. \h\h\h\h\h\hCOME!

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: HE KNOWS SOME INDIVIDUALS

ARE MORE NERVOUS THAN OTHERS.

BUT HE HOPES THEY’LL TAKE THEIR LEAD FROM THEIR MATRIARCH GEENA.

Kevin: YOU WANT TO GO \h\h\hFOR A RIDE, EH?

HERE, GEENA!

Narrator: BACKED UP WITH THE HELP OF A MEATY TREAT OR TWO,

GEENA IS THE FIRST \h\hTO INVESTIGATE.

Kevin: COME! SHAN SHANZ!

Narrator: FOLLOWED BY SHANZI, \h\h\h\h\hTHE DOMINANT MALE,

WHO SOON MAKES HIMSELF AT HOME.

\h\h\h\h\h\hKevin, as Shanzi: OH, THIS IS MY FAVORITE PLACE \h\hIN THE WHOLE WORLD, YEAH.

IT’S GOING REALLY, REALLY WELL,

EXCEPT THE HYENA THAT I THOUGHT WOULD GET IN THE QUICKEST

IS ACTUALLY JUST STANDING BACK--

THAT’S OLD MAXI.

SHE’S NORMALLY QUITE DOMINANT \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THIS CLAN.

BUT WHAT’S REALLY GOOD \h\hIS WE’VE GOT FOUR.

THAT’S A GOOD START.

THEY’RE PRETTY COMFORTABLE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hLOADING.

IT’S JUST WE’RE MISSING THREE,

\h\h\hAND THESE ARE THE CRITICAL THREE.

THAT’S RINGO, THAT’S SPUNNEYS, AND SURPRISINGLY MAXI.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMAXI? MAX, MAX, MAX, MAX, MAX.

Narrator: IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO BUILD MAXI’S CONFIDENCE

\h\h\h\h\h\hSTEP BY STEP OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

\h\h\hKevin: HERE WE GO. MAX, MAX, MAX, MAX, MAX!

\hOK, SO WE’VE BEEN MAKING SOME INROADS NOW WITH MAXI,

\h\h\h\h\hWHO’S FIGURED THAT SHE’S MISSING OUT

ON SOME TASTY TREATS.

Narrator: BUT SUDDENLY, IN ALL THE EXCITEMENT,

GEENA AND SHANZI DECIDE TO EXERT THEIR DOMINANCE OVER MAXI,

\hWHO QUICKLY SUBMITS TO THEIR AGGRESSION,

ADDING TO AN ALREADY TENSE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSITUATION.

[YELPING]

Kevin: YOU’D BETTER GET IN HERE,

I PROMISE YOU IT’S SAFER, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT’S SAFER.

COME! COME!

SHE’S STILL VERY NERVOUS, \hBUT SHE’S CALMING DOWN.

YEAH, YOU’RE CALMING, MY GIRLY. LOOK HERE, LOOK HERE. THERE.

HAVE SOME PATIENCE

AND LET HER DO IT IN HER OWN TIME.

Narrator: BACK AT THE KINGDOM,

\h\h\h\h\hIT’S TIME FOR A WELL-NEEDED CHECK-IN

WITH LIVY, GINNY AND VAYETSI.

WITH A BATTLE ON HIS HANDS \h\h\hCHASING THE PERMITS,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hKEVIN IS WORRIED HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LIONS

IS SUFFERING.

Kevin: NO, DON’T GET THE BOTTLE, YOU NAUGHTY THING.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: AND WITH THE YOUNGER ANIMALS,

\h\hSPENDING TIME WITH THEM IS CRITICAL TO MAINTAIN THE BONDS.

Kevin: COME, BOY, HERE, HERE, HERE.

IT’S BEEN A WHILE.

THERE’S A GOOD BOY. THERE’S A GOOD BOY.

THE WAY I PRIDE MYSELF \hON WORKING WITH LIONS

IS OBVIOUSLY HAVING THE ABILITY TO INTERACT WITH THEM

ON A VERY FAMILIAR LEVEL.

[LAUGHS]

LIKE ANY RELATIONSHIP,

IF YOU DON’T WORK AT IT, YOU’RE GOING TO LOSE IT,

AND IT’S EVEN MORE SO IMPORTANT

WHEN YOU’RE WORKING WITH ANIMALS THAT CAN POTENTIALLY KILL YOU.

STOP BITING ME, HEY!

SO, RELATIONSHIPS ARE KEY \h\h\h\h\h\hTO WHAT I DO,

\h\h\h\hAND THEREFORE ABSOLUTELY PARAMOUNT

\h\hTHAT I GET HERE AS OFTEN AS I CAN,

AND I SIMPLY JUST HAVE NOT \h\h\h\hBEEN ABLE TO DO IT,

AND IT IS A BIT OF A WORRY, \h\h\h\hBECAUSE, YOU KNOW,

I SEE IT WITH GUYS LIKE VAYETSI.

I MEAN, LOOK, HE’S NOT, \h\hHE’S NOT A PROBLEM,

\h\h\h\hBUT HE’S DOING THINGS THAT HE DOESN’T NORMALLY DO.

\h\h\h\h\hHE’S TRYING ME, HE’S TESTING THE WATERS,

HE’S SEEING HOW MUCH HE CAN GET AWAY WITH,

WHICH HE’S DOING RIGHT NOW, \h\h\h\hHE’S BITING MY LEG!

NAUGHTY GUY!

[LOW GROWLING]

HELLO, MY BOY!

HE’S FULL OF IT!

\h\h\h\h\hWHEN YOU’RE AWAY FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME,

THEN HE’S GOING TO TRY \h\hALL THE MORE HARDER

TO ASSERT HIS DOMINANCE,

\h\h\h\h\hOR JUST TO SHOW YOU THAT HE CAN DO WHAT HE WANTS.

HEY!

\hAND YOU CAN’T BECAUSE YOU’VE GOT ME HERE NOW!

YES!

Narrator: AFTER EIGHT WEEKS \hRECUPERATING AT DINOKENG,

\h\h\hTHE WILD MALE LION HAS MADE A FULL RECOVERY.

\hHE’S BEEN FITTED WITH A GPS COLLAR,

\h\h\hWHICH WILL ALLOW HIM TO BE TRACKED IN REAL TIME.

Kevin: NOW WE CAN TRACK \h\h\h\hHIS MOVEMENTS,

WE CAN GO AND CHECK UP ON HIM \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hEVERY DAY,

WE CAN SEE HOW HE’S DOING, WE CAN SEE IF HE’S HUNTING,

WHERE HE’S GOING, AND WHAT HE’S REALLY GETTING UP TO.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: TODAY HE WILL BE RELEASED.

THE COLLAR WILL HELP RESEARCHERS TO GATHER DATA

\h\hON HIS BEHAVIOR AND HIS TERRITORY.

Kevin: HIS WOUNDS HAVE ALL \h\h\h\hHEALED VERY NICELY,

HE’S FIT AND STRONG.

\h\hHOPEFULLY WE SEE SAT 153, AS HE’S AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN,

BEING FREE AGAIN, WHICH IS GOING TO BE A FANTASTIC THING.

THE FEELING OF LIBERATING AN ANIMAL INTO THE WILD,

\h\h\hI TELL YOU, IT IS EXTREMELY EXHILARATING,

AND THIS IS JUST FANTASTIC

\h\h\h\hBECAUSE THIS IS WHERE LIONS SHOULD BE,

LIONS SHOULD BE OUT IN THE WILD.

♪

Narrator: ALTHOUGH WILD LIONS \h\h\h\h\h\hARE UNDER THREAT,

\h\h\hNUMBERS OF CAPTIVE LIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA ARE ON THE RISE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMANY ARE BRED FOR THE CUB-PETTING INDUSTRY,

\h\h\h\h\hBUT WHEN THEY GROW UP ARE SOLD INTO CANNED LION FARMS

FOR TROPHY HUNTING.

WITH LIMITED SPACE,

AND BECAUSE KEVIN \hCAN’T GUARANTEE

WHERE CUBS WILL END UP,

HIS LIONS ARE NOT ALLOWED \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO BREED.

ALL THE FEMALES ARE GIVEN \hCONTRACEPTIVE IMPLANTS.

TODAY IT’S TABBY’S TURN.

SHE’S BEEN SEPARATED FROM HER PRIDE MATES.

VETERINARIAN CLARE SPEEDY \h\hWILL USE A POLE DART

TO TRANQUILIZE THE LIONESS.

Kevin: ALRIGHT.

THERE’S MY GIRLY. OH!

LET ME SAY THAT TABBY HAS SEEN A FEW NEEDLES IN HER TIME

AND SHE KNOWS CLARE WELL,

SO SHE’S NOT CHARMED, \h\hTO SAY THE LEAST,

AND SHE’S NOT COOPERATING, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT, UH...

Narrator: WHILE KEVIN \hDISTRACTS TABBY...

Kevin: GOOD CATCH!

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: CLARE GRABS HER CHANCE.

Clare Speedy: I’M GOING TO DO IT IN HER SHOULDER...

[GROWLS]

Kevin: GET IT? Clare: MM-HMM.

Kevin: GOOD ONE!

ALRIGHT.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: GIVING A LION ANESTHETIC

IS A RISKY PROCEDURE.

EVERY ANIMAL REACTS DIFFERENTLY.

AND AS TABBY IS 15 YEARS OLD, \h\hHER METABOLISM IS SLOWER,

\h\h\hPUTTING HER AT RISK OF COMPLICATIONS AND EVEN DEATH.

\hTHEY NEED TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON HER.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSHE’S BEEN GIVEN THE LOWEST DRUG DOSE POSSIBLE,

WHICH MEANS THEY NEED \h\h\hTO ACT QUICKLY.

EVEN LIONS THAT APPEAR \h\h\h\h\h\hUNCONSCIOUS

\h\hHAVE BEEN KNOWN TO SUDDENLY WAKE UP

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND LASH OUT IN THEIR CONFUSED STATE.

Kevin: IT’S NOT SOMETHING \h\h\h\h\hI ENJOY DOING.

\hIT’S SOMETHING THAT’S NECESSARY.

WE WANT TO PREVENT THE BREEDING HERE.

AND THAT’S WHY WE JUST NEED \h\h\h\hTO KEEP PUTTING HER

ON THE CONTRACEPTIVE IMPLANT,

AND IN ANOTHER TWO YEARS OR SO

SHE PROBABLY WON’T BE \h\hBREEDING ANYWAY,

SO THIS IS PROBABLY, HOPEFULLY, THE LAST TIME.

Narrator: EACH IMPLANT LASTS AROUND TWO YEARS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT IT HAS AN UNFORTUNATE SIDE EFFECT--

WEIGHT GAIN.

Clare: THAT’S IN, LOOKS ALRIGHT, HER BREATHING IS REALLY NICE,

BUT SHE’LL HAVE TO GO ON A DIET!

Kevin: SHE’S ON A DIET, CLARE.

SHE DOESN’T HAVE TO GO ON ONE, SHE’S ON ONE.

HEY, TABBY, CLOSE YOUR EARS.

\h\h\h\hDON’T LISTEN TO THE HORRIBLE VET!

\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: SHE’S GIVEN THE REVERSAL DRUGS TO BRING HER AROUND.

\h\h\h\hKevin: HOW LONG DOES THE REVERSAL TAKE?

\h\h\h\hClare: IT TAKES ABOUT 30 MINUTES OR SO.

Kevin: OK.

\h\h\hClare: YOU DON’T WANT TO WAKE HER UP TOO QUICKLY.

\h\h\h\h\hKevin: TOO QUICKLY. Clare: A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM.

♪

Kevin: THE DRUGS ARE WORKING.

Clare: THE DRUGS ARE WORKING.

Kevin: TODAY WENT REALLY WELL.

IT WAS A STRAIGHTFORWARD \h\h\h\h\h\h\hPROCEDURE.

SHE’S STILL A BIT DOPEY.

I THOUGHT SHE WAS UP ON HER FEET WALKING AROUND,

\hBUT SHE’S STUMBLING A BIT, SO WE CAN’T RELEASE HER NOW,

’CAUSE IF WE DID, THE REST \hOF THE GUYS IN THE PRIDE

WILL PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hJUMP ON HER

AND START PICKING ON HER A BIT,

SO IT’S ALWAYS BEST TO GET THEM FULLY CONSCIOUS

AND THEN DO A RELEASE.

HEY, MY GIRL.

BUT YOU’RE LOOKING GOOD.

\h\hYOU’RE UP AND ABOUT, WHICH IS THE MAIN THING.

Narrator: FOR NOW TABBY \h\hIS LEFT TO RECOVER

FROM HER POST-ANESTHETIC \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHEADACHE.

♪

IT’S BEEN A LONG SEVEN MONTHS

\hSINCE KEVIN FIRST APPLIED FOR THE PERMITS TO MOVE THE ANIMALS.

DESPITE HIS BEST EFFORTS, \h\h\hTHEY WERE REFUSED.

AT THE NEW RESERVE,

\h\hTHE ENCLOSURES ARE STANDING EMPTY.

BUT TODAY, THERE’S FINALLY BEEN NEWS OF THE APPEAL.

Kevin: FINALLY!

\h\hFINALLY WE HAVE PERMISSION TO MOVE!

\h\hSO, TODAY I GOT A CALL. PERMITS HAVE BEEN APPROVED.

\h\h\h\h\hSO IT’S JUST THIS BIG WEIGHT LIFTED.

\h\hAFTER ALL THE FIGHT AND THE STRUGGLE, SO...

GET TO MOVE THE LIONS \hTO THEIR NEW HOME.

I THOUGHT IT WAS PERTINENT

THAT I WOULD COME TELL THESE TWO BOYS FIRST, TAU AND NAPOLEON,

THE VERY FIRST TWO LIONS THAT I EVER STARTED WORKING WITH,

\h\h\h\h\hTHAT WE’VE GOT A NEW HOME TOGETHER NOW.

\h\hTHEY’RE GETTING OLD, THEY’RE 15 YEARS OLD NOW,

THEY DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME,

AND THEY’RE GOING TO LIVE OUT THE REMAINDER OF THEIR YEARS

IN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIMAGINABLE.

SO I COULDN’T BE HAPPIER.

EH? DID YOU HEAR THAT?

\h\h\h\h\h\hI DON’T EVEN THINK YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT’S GOING ON,

HOW MUCH I’VE BEEN \hFIGHTING FOR YOU!

Narrator: THE BATTLE HAS FINALLY BEEN WON.

BUT HOW WILL THE ANIMALS SETTLE \h\h\h\h\hINTO THEIR NEW HOME?

Kevin: HELLO, HELLO, HELLO.

Narrator: ONLY TIME WILL TELL.

RIGHT NOW, IT’S TIME \h\h\hTO CELEBRATE...

Kevin: HEY!

Narrator: BEFORE THE LIONS FACE \hTHEIR BIGGEST CHALLENGE YET--

ACCLIMATING TO THEIR NEW \h\h\h\h\h\hSURROUNDINGS.