BBC Kingdom (2025) s01e05 Episode Script
Episode 5
1
This is Nsefu, in the heart of Zambia.
Years of rivalry between those
that live here are coming to a climax.
The final chapter
is about to begin.
Five years
four families
who will rule this kingdom?
The borderlands of Nsefu are on fire.
The lions' nursery has
been reduced to ashes.
But that will not stop this pride.
They are returning
to the centre of Nsefu.
But they are on a collision
course with rivals.
Rivals who had been getting
accustomed to life without lions.
Just a few months ago, the wild
dog family were 22 members strong.
But Storm,
the pack's matriarch, has died.
Like her son Flint,
she was killed by a crocodile.
Without their leader and mother,
the pack is disbanding.
Now there are just
a few yearlings left
and Storm's partner, Zuwa.
A hyena.
It's looking to steal their kill.
They may have done enough
to drive this single hyena away
but with the pack so diminished,
it'll be harder to protect each other
from more powerful rivals.
The very survival of what is left
of Storm's family is now at risk.
Over these last four years,
Mutima has grown from a small cub
into a powerful adult leopard.
But by doing so she
became a rival to her mother
who then forced Mutima to leave.
In the last six months,
Mutima has travelled over 100 miles
looking for a suitable home
but without success.
So she has now returned
to where she grew up.
Nsefu.
Today, she is in a grove
of ebony trees in the south
just a couple of miles
down the river from her mother.
And she is scent-marking
proclaiming that
this is now her territory.
Just upstream, her mother
Olimba still rules the dry gullies
that are the best hunting grounds.
But she's failing to
make the most of them.
Old age is getting the better of her.
Even these Egyptian geese
are proving a bit
beyond her capabilities.
She's barely catching
enough food to survive.
Close by, the once-powerful hyena
clan have lost Tenta, their queen
and her closest ally, Tandala.
The clan is in turmoil.
Without a leader to keep everyone
in line, it's become a free-for-all.
There is incessant in-fighting.
A new leader is needed who will
be powerful enough to restore order.
The lions are taking a well-earned
break in their wanderings.
It's been a long way for little legs.
But the cubs won't sleep for long.
At this age, they are very boisterous.
Parenthood can be very trying.
Nikita, the youngest lioness,
tries to join in their games.
Without cubs of her own, she can
sometimes forget her own strength.
Playtime is over.
They are not far from
the heart of Nsefu, almost home.
Walking across open landscape
can be dangerous for young cubs.
It's best for everyone to stay in line,
and close to mother.
But every path can
lead to new distractions.
This cub is unlikely to have seen
a buffalo herd as close as this before.
That is probably close enough.
This stream is blocking their path.
They all need to cross.
The adults know very well that
deep waters can be dangerous.
Once again, the cubs should
stay close to their mother.
There is nothing any of
the family can do to help.
Today, the pride has lost a daughter
and the cubs
a sister.
They seem to find some
comfort from one another.
The arrival of darkness
gives Olimba the leopard
the best chance of catching
something for dinner.
She's not the only
one looking for a meal.
A genet.
It will eat frogs
if it can catch one.
But Olimba can't survive on
things as small as little amphibians.
The calls of lions echo
across the heart of Nsefu.
The pride is back.
The lionesses leave the cubs with
a baby-sitter and go off to find food.
They have been attracted
by the scent of a kill.
It's been stashed in a tree.
And it's been abandoned for good reason.
Directly below,
there is a nest of African honeybees.
And bees don't like anything
getting as close as this.
The lions have met their match.
The pride's males are
also searching for a meal.
Crocodiles have gathered
around this big hippo.
It would be wise to leave this to them.
One of the brothers is
feeding on an antelope.
Male lions are greedy
and don't like to share
even with their siblings.
They will have to settle for half each.
It has been a long night for Olimba
and without success.
She is still hungry.
Porcupines are slow.
But a suit of sharp spines is excellent
defence and can make them dangerous.
Tackling one is a last resort.
But last night she did try
and paid a price.
A porcupine quill
lodged deep in her neck.
Life for Olimba is getting
more and more difficult.
She is no longer in her prime.
After a busy night,
all that the male lions want to do
is to sleep.
But with all these
excitable cubs around
it's almost impossible
to get any rest at all.
Patience is wearing thin.
The cubs aren't getting the message.
But the females won't tolerate this
level of aggression towards their young.
It's a reminder to the males
that females together are strong.
And they are about to
become stronger still.
Nikita, the youngest lioness,
is returning to the pride
after several weeks away
bringing with her a new addition.
And not just one.
Father and cubs are
meeting for the first time
without any trouble
at least not from dad.
This pride is now
the largest it has ever been.
And size brings power.
The dogs, however,
are now down to a mere handful.
And they find themselves
face-to-face with the lion pride.
Zuwa recognises that the odds
are stacked against them.
A single charge is all it takes to
force Zuwa and his family to retreat.
When the wild dogs first arrived,
they were a strong force
and were able to make a home here.
But now they are weaker
than they have ever been.
The sound of other dogs is
coming from across the river.
They could drive away Zuwa's family,
or even kill them.
But they could bring an opportunity.
A reply to his calls.
And it's an encouraging one.
Zuwa tries to find
the best spot to cross.
But it's still risky.
Zuwa can find a new
partner in this pack
and, with luck,
a new beginning beyond Nsefu.
Now only three families remain.
Hidden in the woodlands
is a new generation of hyenas.
The previous chaos
has turned to peace
all because a new leader has emerged.
This female, bigger and stronger
than the others, has claimed the throne.
And with their new queen
the clan could once
again challenge the lions.
The lions are resting after a hunt
and have left their cubs
feeding on the carcass.
A valuable carcass and unguarded cubs.
The hyenas have killed the pride's cubs
before and could take the chance again.
Nikita.
These hyenas should be
able to see off a single lioness.
But Nikita
is not alone for long.
Roaring together is
a clear statement of power.
Over the last four years,
this pride has grown into
the greatest force in Nsefu.
The wild dog family are
gone and the hyenas subdued.
The lion family will rule this
kingdom for generations to come.
But the lions are not
the only winners here.
Olimba has not only
recovered from the injury
inflicted by the porcupine quill
she has, over the years, survived
every challenge that has come her way.
And she has not finished yet.
After three years of trying,
Olimba has, at last
a new healthy cub
a son.
She is now one of the most
successful leopard mothers on record.
Over her lifetime, she's watched
other families rise and fall,
and power come and go
but a cub born in
the heart of this kingdom
is surely life's greatest success.
Next time
the drama behind life in the Kingdom.
The conservationists
the anti-poaching teams
and the film crew.
How's it going, Nathan?
I'm loving it!
Wild dogs are on the move,
and they're moving fast.
The story beyond Kingdom.
This is Nsefu, in the heart of Zambia.
Years of rivalry between those
that live here are coming to a climax.
The final chapter
is about to begin.
Five years
four families
who will rule this kingdom?
The borderlands of Nsefu are on fire.
The lions' nursery has
been reduced to ashes.
But that will not stop this pride.
They are returning
to the centre of Nsefu.
But they are on a collision
course with rivals.
Rivals who had been getting
accustomed to life without lions.
Just a few months ago, the wild
dog family were 22 members strong.
But Storm,
the pack's matriarch, has died.
Like her son Flint,
she was killed by a crocodile.
Without their leader and mother,
the pack is disbanding.
Now there are just
a few yearlings left
and Storm's partner, Zuwa.
A hyena.
It's looking to steal their kill.
They may have done enough
to drive this single hyena away
but with the pack so diminished,
it'll be harder to protect each other
from more powerful rivals.
The very survival of what is left
of Storm's family is now at risk.
Over these last four years,
Mutima has grown from a small cub
into a powerful adult leopard.
But by doing so she
became a rival to her mother
who then forced Mutima to leave.
In the last six months,
Mutima has travelled over 100 miles
looking for a suitable home
but without success.
So she has now returned
to where she grew up.
Nsefu.
Today, she is in a grove
of ebony trees in the south
just a couple of miles
down the river from her mother.
And she is scent-marking
proclaiming that
this is now her territory.
Just upstream, her mother
Olimba still rules the dry gullies
that are the best hunting grounds.
But she's failing to
make the most of them.
Old age is getting the better of her.
Even these Egyptian geese
are proving a bit
beyond her capabilities.
She's barely catching
enough food to survive.
Close by, the once-powerful hyena
clan have lost Tenta, their queen
and her closest ally, Tandala.
The clan is in turmoil.
Without a leader to keep everyone
in line, it's become a free-for-all.
There is incessant in-fighting.
A new leader is needed who will
be powerful enough to restore order.
The lions are taking a well-earned
break in their wanderings.
It's been a long way for little legs.
But the cubs won't sleep for long.
At this age, they are very boisterous.
Parenthood can be very trying.
Nikita, the youngest lioness,
tries to join in their games.
Without cubs of her own, she can
sometimes forget her own strength.
Playtime is over.
They are not far from
the heart of Nsefu, almost home.
Walking across open landscape
can be dangerous for young cubs.
It's best for everyone to stay in line,
and close to mother.
But every path can
lead to new distractions.
This cub is unlikely to have seen
a buffalo herd as close as this before.
That is probably close enough.
This stream is blocking their path.
They all need to cross.
The adults know very well that
deep waters can be dangerous.
Once again, the cubs should
stay close to their mother.
There is nothing any of
the family can do to help.
Today, the pride has lost a daughter
and the cubs
a sister.
They seem to find some
comfort from one another.
The arrival of darkness
gives Olimba the leopard
the best chance of catching
something for dinner.
She's not the only
one looking for a meal.
A genet.
It will eat frogs
if it can catch one.
But Olimba can't survive on
things as small as little amphibians.
The calls of lions echo
across the heart of Nsefu.
The pride is back.
The lionesses leave the cubs with
a baby-sitter and go off to find food.
They have been attracted
by the scent of a kill.
It's been stashed in a tree.
And it's been abandoned for good reason.
Directly below,
there is a nest of African honeybees.
And bees don't like anything
getting as close as this.
The lions have met their match.
The pride's males are
also searching for a meal.
Crocodiles have gathered
around this big hippo.
It would be wise to leave this to them.
One of the brothers is
feeding on an antelope.
Male lions are greedy
and don't like to share
even with their siblings.
They will have to settle for half each.
It has been a long night for Olimba
and without success.
She is still hungry.
Porcupines are slow.
But a suit of sharp spines is excellent
defence and can make them dangerous.
Tackling one is a last resort.
But last night she did try
and paid a price.
A porcupine quill
lodged deep in her neck.
Life for Olimba is getting
more and more difficult.
She is no longer in her prime.
After a busy night,
all that the male lions want to do
is to sleep.
But with all these
excitable cubs around
it's almost impossible
to get any rest at all.
Patience is wearing thin.
The cubs aren't getting the message.
But the females won't tolerate this
level of aggression towards their young.
It's a reminder to the males
that females together are strong.
And they are about to
become stronger still.
Nikita, the youngest lioness,
is returning to the pride
after several weeks away
bringing with her a new addition.
And not just one.
Father and cubs are
meeting for the first time
without any trouble
at least not from dad.
This pride is now
the largest it has ever been.
And size brings power.
The dogs, however,
are now down to a mere handful.
And they find themselves
face-to-face with the lion pride.
Zuwa recognises that the odds
are stacked against them.
A single charge is all it takes to
force Zuwa and his family to retreat.
When the wild dogs first arrived,
they were a strong force
and were able to make a home here.
But now they are weaker
than they have ever been.
The sound of other dogs is
coming from across the river.
They could drive away Zuwa's family,
or even kill them.
But they could bring an opportunity.
A reply to his calls.
And it's an encouraging one.
Zuwa tries to find
the best spot to cross.
But it's still risky.
Zuwa can find a new
partner in this pack
and, with luck,
a new beginning beyond Nsefu.
Now only three families remain.
Hidden in the woodlands
is a new generation of hyenas.
The previous chaos
has turned to peace
all because a new leader has emerged.
This female, bigger and stronger
than the others, has claimed the throne.
And with their new queen
the clan could once
again challenge the lions.
The lions are resting after a hunt
and have left their cubs
feeding on the carcass.
A valuable carcass and unguarded cubs.
The hyenas have killed the pride's cubs
before and could take the chance again.
Nikita.
These hyenas should be
able to see off a single lioness.
But Nikita
is not alone for long.
Roaring together is
a clear statement of power.
Over the last four years,
this pride has grown into
the greatest force in Nsefu.
The wild dog family are
gone and the hyenas subdued.
The lion family will rule this
kingdom for generations to come.
But the lions are not
the only winners here.
Olimba has not only
recovered from the injury
inflicted by the porcupine quill
she has, over the years, survived
every challenge that has come her way.
And she has not finished yet.
After three years of trying,
Olimba has, at last
a new healthy cub
a son.
She is now one of the most
successful leopard mothers on record.
Over her lifetime, she's watched
other families rise and fall,
and power come and go
but a cub born in
the heart of this kingdom
is surely life's greatest success.
Next time
the drama behind life in the Kingdom.
The conservationists
the anti-poaching teams
and the film crew.
How's it going, Nathan?
I'm loving it!
Wild dogs are on the move,
and they're moving fast.
The story beyond Kingdom.