Original subtitles

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: The Atlas Mountains, Morocco.

These cedar forests are the scene

of a violent struggle for power.

The old king, the alpha male, has gone.

And his crown...

...is for the taking.

Ten males, all vying for the top spot.

(SCREECHING)

(SCREECHING CONTINUES)

(WHOOPS)

(SCREECHING STOPS)

A new ruler emerges victorious.

Strong but inexperienced.

This male is known as Mac.

Winning is just the start.

Holding on to power

and building his own dynasty

will be the greatest challenge

he has ever faced.

(BIRDSONG)

In Barbary macaque society,

status brings power.

(CAWS)

And Mac wears the crown.

But the job of the king is not easy.

He may now be first in line for everything...

...but he will face many challenges

in leading and protecting this huge extended family.

He will have to prove himself...

...both to his rivals,

who will take any chance to depose him...

...and to the rest of the group,

who he must protect.

Their home is surrounded by other troops.

Mac needs to keep a watchful eye at the border.

But that takes him away from his immediate rivals...

...just when he needs to keep them in check.

New babies are on the way...

...and everyone is focused on one female.

Rala.

(FAINT SQUEAKS)

She's given birth.

The first baby of the spring.

(GURGLES AND COOS)

Mac has missed the arrival

of the newest member of the troop -

something that could prove costly.

In Barbary macaque society,

males use infants as social currency,

bargaining chips

that can be offered to others to make friends,

secure allies and resolve disputes.

Whilst holding any infant can bring power and influence,

it's the newborn babies that are most coveted.

(SQUEAKS)

With Mac away,

one of his rivals spots an opportunity.

This is Nick.

If he can steal this baby,

it should be to his advantage.

(HIGH-PITCHED CRIES)

With Rala's newborn in his grasp,

Nick can start to use it to win allies.

(CHIRPS)

Newborns need to feed regularly or risk dying.

(SQUEALS)

Even though the baby is desperate,

Nick won't let Rala have her daughter back.

(RALA BARKS)

(BABY SQUEALS)

By rushing the baby over to another male...

...and to another...

...Nick is trying to curry favour,

a strategy that could create a new coalition...

(HIGH-PITCHED CRIES)

...one which may pose a threat to Mac's rule.

The growing commotion catches his attention.

Mac must restore order.

He quickly asserts his dominance...

(TEETH CLACK)

...and rescues the tiny baby.

Nick is firmly put back in his place.

Mac can now return the hungry baby

to the safety of her mother to feed.

He's probably saved the baby's life.

Mac has proved himself to be

a strong and protective leader...

...and reasserted his position at the top of the troop.

But to stay there,

he needs allies.

Forming strong alliances is the secret to success,

but it's hard to know who to trust.

There are two males

who seem ready to pledge their allegiance.

Simon.

Big and strong.

But he's getting old

and seems prepared to take second place.

And Ciro.

Younger and new to the group.

If a male supports the alpha,

he may reap benefits -

better access to everything from food to mates.

So it could be in the interests of both of them

to ally with their new leader.

By bringing an infant to Mac,

Simon shows his loyalty.

(TEETH CLACK)

(CLACKING CONTINUES)

Teeth chattering strengthens their bond.

Ciro follows Simon's lead...

(CLACKING)

...signalling his support.

But these are uneasy alliances,

born of convenience.

Trust is yet to be earned.

Mac must remain vigilant.

(BIRDSONG)

(ANIMAL CALLS)

Over the following weeks,

ten more babies are born into the group.

This is Mac's legacy.

The first generation born under his rule.

The group is now nearly 80 strong,

the biggest it's ever been.

But with this comes greater responsibility.

Mac doesn't have to wait long to be put to the test.

(RUSTLING)

Predators.

They're after the babies.

Feral dogs roam the forest...

...hunting in packs.

(PANTS)

(DOGS BARK)

(MACAQUES CHIRP)

They try to separate babies from adults.

(MACAQUES SCREECH)

The troop needs to get to the safety of the trees.

(SQUEAKS)

Mac makes sure no-one is left behind.

(BARKS)

(SCREECHES)

(BARKS)

(DOGS BARK)

High above the ground,

the group is now safe.

All babies accounted for.

Mac has managed to keep the group out of harm's way.

But things are about to get more challenging.

Temperatures soar...

...to 40 degrees.

(CRACKING AND RUSTLING)

It's turning into one of the hottest,

driest summers on record.

Food and water are becoming scarce,

particularly for such a large group.

(FLIES BUZZ)

Mac has a difficult decision to make.

Staying here is risky.

The drought may soon mean

there is not enough food to go round.

But leaving means facing the unknown.

Beyond their borders,

there may be perils that could endanger the whole troop.

Mac makes the decision to go.

And the group follows.

The gamble seems to have paid off.

Plenty of food.

And if you know where to look...

...water.

(MACAQUES CHIRP)

But Mac seems nervous.

He has led them further from home

than they've ever been before.

And now they're trespassing.

(WHOOPING)

Another group is already here.

A group even bigger than Mac's.

Nearly twice the size!

Normally, a smaller group concedes.

By rights, Mac should lead a retreat.

(GRUNTS)

But that would mean his group going hungry.

(GRUNTS)

(GRUNTS)

(CHIRPS)

(GRUNTS)

He decides to fight.

(SCREECHES)

Despite the odds,

they manage to push the other group back.

Desperation has driven them to victory...

...this time.

Mac's decision to fight may have been bold,

but it was also, perhaps, foolish.

And the group have paid the price.

All he can do is tend to the wounded.

Mac's mistake may prove costly for him too.

If the group lose confidence in his leadership,

his rule will be over.

If Simon and Ciro can see a chink in Mac's arm our,

they'll be ready to exploit it.

Dissent in the ranks is beginning to grow.

It's now autumn,

and the group have retreated back to their own territory.

Mac is managing to cling on to his crown...

...just.

But his allies are starting to turn against him.

And to make matters worse...

...the mating season has begun.

Tensions are rising.

As alpha,

Mac should get the first choice of the females.

But rivals are watching closely.

Simon has his eyes on the throne...

...and Mac's mating rights.

(DEEP GRUNT)

Over the past few weeks,

Ciro's allegiance has been wavering...

...and now lies with Simon.

Mac asserts his position as alpha.

(GRUNTS)

(GRUNTS)

But the whole hierarchy is about to unravel.

(HIGH-PITCHED SQUEAL)

(GRUNTS)

(BARKS)

This is Simon's moment.

(GRUNTS)

(SCREECHES)

Together, he and Ciro try to intimidate Mac

into submission.

(ALL SQUEAL)

Alone...

...this is one battle Mac can't win.

(CHIRPS)

(GRUNTS)

Defeated.

His rule is over.

His one-time ally, Simon,

is now alpha.

Mac must hide away.

In the days that follow,

Simon isn't shy about asserting his new authority.

(SCREECHING)

(GRUNTS)

He has Ciro by his side as support.

This troop, once led by a protective family man,

is now ruled by a tyrant.

(CHIRPS)

One who doesn't tolerate anyone stepping out of line.

- (GROWLS) - (SQUEALS)

(SQUEALING)

Mac can only watch from the sidelines.

Mac is all alone.

Exiled.

His crown and his dynasty...

...lost.

With winter looming...

...he could die from the bitter cold.

(WIND WHISTLES)

Temperatures are now below freezing.

To survive,

the members of the group huddle together for warmth.

(WHIMPERS)

And Simon has taken a prime spot

to keep out the cold.

Despite his isolation,

somehow Mac has managed to stay alive.

If he's ever going to return from exile, though,

he'll need help.

He needs to make new friends.

But the winter is long,

and Mac will have to bide his time.

(HONKING)

Simon's position seems secure.

But the group is still wary of their new leader

and his violent outbursts.

(SQUEALS)

Everyone alienated by Simon's aggression

could be a potential ally for Mac.

And Nick has no allegiance to the new alpha.

Mac gathers an infant to bring to Nick.

(TEETH CLACK)

Together, they build a strong bond.

(TEETH CLACK)

Mac is inching his way back into the fold.

Ciro, however, is still by Simon's side.

(CHIRPS)

Supporting the alpha should give him the right to mate.

(RAPID GRUNTS)

But Simon won't tolerate this.

(CHIRPS)

And drives away his only remaining ally.

(BOTH SCREECH)

(LOW GRUNTS)

This is the moment Mac has been waiting for.

Without Ciro's support,

Simon has left himself isolated.

(CHIRPS)

Mac, backed by Nick, charges.

(SCREECHES)

(SCREECHES)

Intimidated and outnumbered, Simon is ousted.

As quickly as he stole the throne, he's lost it.

Mac is back.

His crown reclaimed.

The strong and protective leader

is head of the group once more.

(BIRDSONG)

Five months later...

...a new baby boy.

The next generation of Mac's dynasty.

This time, Mac won't leave Rala's side.

As alpha,

Mac should sire more offspring

than any other male in the group.

(CHIRPS)

And this baby may just have what it takes

to be an alpha male himself one day.

Mac's family is thriving.

Under his leadership,

the troop has grown

in size and in strength.

His rule and his dynasty are secure...

...for now.

In the last 25 years,

the number of Barbary macaques has more than halved.

So to capture Mac's story,

the crew travel to one of the last places

you can still find wild troops -

high in the Atlas Mountains.

Up here, stamina is the key.

It feels like they're coming down this valley

and back up again,

which is fine if you've got four legs and you're a macaque.

We've come out this morning and we've walked about 10 km.

It's quite hard to keep up.

- Bit slippy. - Oops!

You all right?

The troop live in incredibly tough conditions.

It's not ideal for filming...

...especially when you can't even see the monkeys.

We are looking...not great for this fog.

The monkeys are pretty much invisible.

To be up in the mountains

in this sort of snow and temperature,

this isn't quite the Morocco I expected.

MARK: Touch more slippery now, isn't it?

ROSIE: Oops!

But one person who feels at home with Mac's group

is Mohamed Boussfel,

a local guide who grew up in these mountains.

I know the group since 2013.

I know every one of them.

They know us. It's the same way that we know them.

It's respect from both, from them and from us.

Mohamed helps the crew get to know the monkeys.

They're definitely a group that...

...don't really play by the rules.

They just kind of, like, march to their own beat, really.

Over time, the crew earn their trust.

So I've got macaques sort of sat three feet from me,

picking up flowers from beneath,

looking for insects around the camera...

Erm, it's magical.

STUART: This is such a pleasure

to be able to sort of walk in amongst the monkeys.

Yeah, it really does feel like

I've been accepted into the group.

But summer brings new challenges.

Searching for food and water,

Mac's troop are forced to new areas by the drought.

(PANTS)

The heat intensifies,

and so does the crew's concern for the troop.

This summer, there is no food, there is no water,

and the temperature is very hot.

For the past decade,

the weather is definitely changing.

This is not how it used to be.

STUART: I can't imagine it's too much fun

for the macaques -

hiking for miles and miles,

wearing a big fur coat.

Poor little things.

The monkeys are waking up and just always on the move.

Pushed beyond the edges of their territory,

they come face to face with the human world.

We've never seen the group actually go in this area -

it's the first time - because it's too dangerous.

Some dangers are obvious.

But the real threat takes the crew by surprise.

- (SCREECHES) - Hey! Hey!

(SCREECHES)

A car just pulled up alongside the trail there,

all the macaques were out,

and it looked like he was about to feed them.

I started walking over to say,

"Look, hey, don't feed the macaques."

Um, and he reached down

and got really close to the monkey,

and I was like, "Hey, hey, hey, don't..."

...like, "Don't do that," and he just didn't hear me,

and then jumped to grab one of the monkeys

and take it in the car.

Luckily, the monkey got away,

but, erm, yeah, just can't believe it.

A brazen kidnapping attempt.

If captured, monkeys are then sold as pets

or forced to perform in market squares.

This time, the monkey escaped...

...but they aren't all so lucky.

MOHAMED: I was counting the babies,

and there was one missing.

There is a high probability that it's poaching.

A lot of people want babies this time of the year.

There is no chance for us

to see him again with the group.

It's more hurtful than anyone could think.

For the group, I mean, it's a huge loss to lose a baby,

but for that mother as well...

...to have a baby taken...

MOHAMED: I'm not actually surprised

because I know it's happened before,

it happened today

and more poaching is going to happen in the future.

In 2013, half of the troop's babies

were taken by poachers.

The future of Barbary macaques here in Morocco

is under massive threat.

These babies look really cute when they're small,

but they don't make good pets, they're not for us.

Mohamed is determined to help.

He and a group of local scouts

have been patrolling the forest,

walking with the troops.

This is just one of several projects

that aim to protect these endangered monkeys.

And it's starting to work.

MOHAMED: With the protection from scouts,

we can see the babies from two years ago,

still here and still alive.

In the time the crew were filming,

Mac's troop gave birth to a record number of babies.

And since the conservation project began,

the local macaque population has grown by over 30%.

There is hope. I mean, the future could be bright.

We have that chance.

This may be a small victory,

but Barbary macaques are still in trouble.

Stronger protection from the threat of poaching,

climate change and habitat loss is essential

if this remarkable species is to stand a chance.

They experience poaching,

they survive the harsh weather,

they survive the lack of food and water, they survive it all.

So that's why they should really be protected.

We need people not to look at monkeys

as a source of income

but instead see them

as beautiful, charming creatures

that have the right to live.