BBC Kingdom (2025) s01e04 Episode Script

1
Previously on Kingdom
there were devastating floods.
Tenta the hyena, together with
her twin cubs, managed to survive.
But now she has to
re-establish her family's position.
The lions, however
lost their cubs.
Can their family recover?
All the wild dogs, led by Storm,
retreated from Nsefu.
But now the lion pride has been seriously
weakened, can Storm manage to return?
And Olimba the leopard has
competition for her territory
from her own daughter.
Only one can prevail.
Mutima can either flee
or turn
and fight.
Five years
four families
who will rule this kingdom?
Mutima is forced to concede.
She must leave her mother's territory,
the only home she's ever known.
She will now start a new
life as a solitary leopard.
In a secluded corner of Nsefu,
almost hidden from sight
a den.
Storm, the leader of the wild dogs,
has been hiding here.
And she's been busy.
She has 11 new puppies.
Storm's largest litter ever.
To keep the pack fed,
the adults must hunt twice a day.
But one dog is struggling to keep up.
This is Flint, Storm's oldest son.
He has been injured in a poacher's trap.
Unable to hunt for himself,
Flint has rejoined his mother's pack.
Even though he is
the last to arrive at the kill
he won't go hungry.
Wild dogs care for pack
members who are weak or injured.
And when it's time to head for home
they all go a little slower.
Few animals have stronger
bonds than wild dogs.
Storm is waiting for the pack's return.
Her puppies are hungry.
They're still too young to
leave the safety of home,
so the pack bring back food for them.
Even Flint shares what he has.
Old or injured wild dogs can still
be valuable members of the pack.
Flint's experience makes
him acutely aware of dangers
that might threaten the pups.
And that is a great help to Storm
as she tries to raise
a litter as large as this.
Tenta's hyena clan are
slowly getting back together.
And at last
Tandala has found
her way back to her family.
But she has lost her only cub.
Tenta's twins may offer some comfort.
Play strengthens the clan's bonds.
And it seems no-one wants to miss out.
But this isn't just fun and games.
Amongst hyenas, clan unity brings power.
Evening.
As the light fades, Tenta leads
her family in search of food.
The lionesses have made a kill.
It could feed many hungry hyenas.
But there are not enough of
the clan here to challenge the lions.
So Tenta calls for reinforcements.
Her whooping calls are
amplified by the ground.
They can be heard from far and wide.
The other members of
the clan respond immediately.
With these numbers, the hyenas
are now more powerful than the lions.
The strength of the reunited hyena clan
could have consequences
throughout Nsefu.
After losing the fight with her mother,
Mutima, the leopard,
is searching for a territory of her own.
But almost immediately,
she runs into danger.
Mutima is no match for Storm's pack.
Mutima is now on unfamiliar ground.
What is more, this is the territory
of leopards she doesn't know.
And this female
has her own problems.
Best move on.
There are no signs of leopards here.
Perhaps this is a place
where she could settle.
But wherever she tries
other animals have got there first.
Baboons don't tolerate
predators of any kind in their trees.
A leopard can take only
so much harassment.
She must keep searching.
Wild dogs live in families which
have their own affectionate rituals.
Every day, as soon as they wake,
Storm's pack get together
and reaffirm their kinship.
Everyone joins in
old and young.
The puppies are not yet big
enough to join in an actual hunt.
So Storm and Flint stay
behind to watch over them.
Baby-sitting is a job Flint
manages to do lying down.
The pups, meanwhile, practise the skills
needed for a wild dog's life
courtesy of the local vultures.
Stealth.
Persistence.
And working together as a team.
Teamwork is particularly important
when it comes to hunting for food.
A kill.
But, unfortunately, a hyena
and a big male leopard
have also spotted it.
With so many pups to feed,
the dogs won't abandon this opportunity.
That has dealt with the hyena.
Now the dogs must take on the leopard.
Success.
But other hyenas have
discovered Storm's den.
Flint stands guard while Storm
tries to lead the pups away.
Flint has little chance alone.
But the pack are back.
Together,
they manage to drive off the hyenas.
The wild dogs have
shown their strength is back.
For this family,
power has been slipping away.
The lionesses have no cubs and
they've been beaten by their rivals
and they have no
males to protect them.
But there are two new males in Nsefu.
Male lions are often
hostile and aggressive,
but their power is just
what the lionesses need.
So they attempt to
recruit the males as allies
and potential mates
by flirting with them.
And gradually, day by day,
they become regular companions.
The lionesses now have
two strong protectors
and, with them, there is
a chance their fortunes may change.
In the centre of Nsefu,
the streams and gullies have run dry
and are now an excellent
site for an ambush.
Not for a baboon
but for Olimba.
After pushing her daughter away, she
once again has this territory to herself.
Normally,
she makes a meal out of any trespassers.
But she's not quite as
fast as she used to be.
And perhaps she doesn't
command the respect
she once did.
Even hamerkops don't leave her in peace.
Life is getting hard for Olimba.
She's now nearly 13
and that's old for a leopard.
Although she mated several months ago,
she's not yet produced any cubs.
Mutima will probably be her last.
She is on the far side of Nsefu
many miles from her mother.
At last,
she has found a potential territory
but she doesn't yet know whether
it can provide enough food for her.
A troop of baboons.
They have got the better of her before.
But now, at night,
Mutima has an advantage.
Her eyes are extremely sensitive
and can detect even
the tiniest glimmer of light.
The baboons can't see her coming.
But as she gets closer,
they can hear her.
Some of the baboons stay out of reach
by clinging to the far ends
of the smallest branches.
On the sturdier limbs, Mutima
can move with extraordinary speed.
This place can certainly provide food.
But there is a problem.
Another leopard is already here.
By climbing higher, Mutima finds
a position where she can defend herself.
But she is not welcome here.
The rival has made
that very clear indeed.
Mutima is left licking her wounds.
The rival female has a young cub.
That is why she is protecting
this place so fiercely.
Mutima cannot stay here.
So where CAN she find a home?
Nsefu's last remaining pools
attract animals from all around.
This water hole is already taken.
And the hippo is not willing to share.
The dogs must find
somewhere else to drink.
But they need to be careful.
It's Flint.
In spite of the danger,
Storm and Flint's brother risk
trying to pull him to safety.
But the crocodile's grip is unbreakable.
Flint's only chance is that
the water may be too shallow
for the crocodile to drag him under.
Astonishingly,
Flint finds the strength to escape.
And his brother
continues to protect him.
But Flint has been gravely injured.
The family don't leave Flint's side
until he has taken
his final breath.
The rains return
and a new chapter
begins for all four families.
At the very edge of Nsefu,
far away from their rivals
a litter of tiny cubs has been born.
They're just a few days old
and they are only one part
of a baby boom in the lion pride.
Five of the lionesses
have produced cubs.
These youngsters have
the protection of the whole family.
The lions, for the first time in years,
seem likely to regain
their full strength
and this will surely bring
change throughout Nsefu.
But even these most
powerful creatures
will have to cope with dangers
that are beyond their control.