Lion

This is the true story

of a lion cub called Kio.

His destiny,

to one day rise as king

like his father before him.

But his path to the throne

has not been easy.

His family caught off guard.

Under attack!

Kio flees for his life.

And now...

...he is missing.

Kio's mother, Summer,

desperately calls for him.

She should be swiftly answered.

But nothing.

Separated from his mother,

a 12-week-old cub won't last long.

In the chaos, Kio found a safe place to hide.

Happily reunited with his mother.

Lucky to have survived the buffalo attack,

Kio is safely back within the protection

of his family.

Kio might be home,

but he is lonely.

Like any cub, he wants someone to play with.

It's hard not to feel a bit nervous when you're so small.

Kio does have brothers,

but they're all at least a year older.

A rowdy gang of adolescents.

With a little nudge from Summer,

he does his best to be brave.

It's still all a bit too much.

Is there someone else to play with?

Someone his own size.

Like... a jackal.

Time to play Kio the Hunter.

Maybe he can take him by surprise...

...with a deadly pounce.

Ah, not this time.

At three months old,

Kio should be building bonds with other males.

But for now, the only true bond is still with his mother.

First light.

A mighty chorus rings out across the plains.

A call for the pride to gather.

Summer's sister, Autumn, has been hunting.

Breakfast for all.

But the pride are not the only hunters on these plains.

Hyenas.

Kio has never come face-to-face with them before.

And where there's one, there's always more.

Their strength is in numbers.

Big numbers!

This was supposed to be a feast, not a fight!

The pride tries to force back the clan,

but there are just too many.

The kings have arrived.

Maybe they can turn the tables.

Hyenas won't dare to stand up to this band of brothers.

The fight is over.

But it leaves its mark on Kio.

He has seen the strength of male lions

when they work together.

How can Kio ever follow in their footsteps?

There's only one way to become a king here.

Kio must join forces with his older brothers...

...if they'll accept him.

In his young life,

Kio has learned by following his mother.

And as he continues to grow,

so does his curiosity.

Soon he will no longer see the world...

...through a cub's eyes.

Young lions must grow up fast.

As the seasons pass,

a transformation takes place.

Kio, now almost a year old,

is nearly as tall as his mother.

And his attitude has changed, too.