Dynasties II

Zambia's Liuwa Plain.

These vast grasslands are home

to one of Africa's most successful predators...

..spotted hyenas.

For over a decade,

radio collars have provided a unique insight into

the lives of one formidable group...

..the South Clan.

In hyena society, it's the females that dominate.

Every member has its own rank,

and the most powerful of all is their queen.

From getting the most food to the chance of having

a larger family, she gets the best of everything.

But now, it's a critical time for the South Clan.

Their queen is dead,

and her throne is for the taking.

HYENAS YELP

The Clan faces a power struggle.

Who will be the new hyena queen?

With the death of the South Clan's old queen,

her two-year-old daughter, Sia, should be next in line.

The crown normally passes from mother to daughter...

..but Princess Sia is too young to take power.

The throne has been seized by another.

This is Suma...

..the South Clan's new queen.

The support of allies is vital for not only taking power,

but holding on to it.

Suma has managed to gather enough

backing to take the top spot.

But it's the worst possible time to become queen.

Liuwa is in the grip of

the most extreme drought in living memory.

There's been little rain for 18 months.

The herds are long gone, and with little to hunt,

the South Clan are starving.

At the den, only two cubs have survived.

One of them is Suma's son.

She's managed to keep him alive this far...

..but if her cub is to survive much longer,

the new queen needs to find food.

Her best chance is to head north, in search of the herds.

But beyond the safety of the clan's territory,

she'll be vulnerable and exposed.

But Suma is not alone.

Her allies have followed.

They're stronger together,

and the group are banking on Suma to lead them to food.

Checking for scent

tells them if rivals have passed this way.

They're now far beyond the boundary of their territory.

They need to be on their guard.

These small pools are worth the risk.

They exist even in the driest of times,

a draw for herds from miles around.

This is why Suma has brought them here.

Within days,

a wildebeest calf can run as fast as the herd.

But hyenas are built for endurance.

A charging adult wildebeest could kill her...

..but Suma won't give up.

A precious meal.

By allowing them to feed with her in peace,

Suma reinforces the support of her allies.

By seizing the throne, she and her dynasty should now have

the best chance of survival.

Back at the den,

in the heart of the Clan's territory,

Suma can now nurse her son, Shay.

DISTANT THUNDER

Thankfully, relief from this drought is finally on its way.

The rains recharge pools with fresh water...

..bringing life back to the plains.

The herds return,

and the South Clan gather to make the most of this season of plenty.

Surrounded by her allies,

Queen Suma's position looks comfortable.

But troubles are never far away.

Princess Sia is becoming an increasing threat to Suma.

Growing bolder and claiming as much food as she can.

She continues to edge closer to adulthood.

The higher ranking a hyena is, the more food they get.

Suma gets her pick at any meal.

Low-ranking males have to wait their turn

at the dinner table.

Having eaten her fill,

Suma stashes the leftovers.

This male can't resist a game of hide and seek.

With failing eyesight,

he'll have to rely on his other senses to find the prize.

Nope.

He's getting closer.

Suma doesn't seem particularly bothered.

By tolerating his impertinence,

she might gain his allegiance.

It's got to be here somewhere.

And he's nothing if not persistent.

Bingo.

Suma lets him get away with it.

They're only scraps after all.

And perhaps now she'll have one more supporter.

One of the queen's most important allies is the clan's best hunter,

Sarah.

She's large,

fast...

..and powerful...

..but she's also patient.

The best time to hunt is after nightfall.

While Suma spends time nursing her cub at the den...

..Sarah heads up a night hunting party.

They test the herds for weakness,

charging at them to create confusion and panic.

An adult wildebeest is a good meal.

As dawn breaks,

the queen follows the sound of their feasting.

Her trusted ally, Sarah, has provided.

And now Suma can claim her royal share.

The queen's son Shay is now a year old,

and growing in confidence.

He has inherited high status from his mother,

and tries his luck suckling from another female.

SHE WHINES

SHE YELPS

Not today.

He's also starting to explore his surroundings,

as youngsters do at this age.

But for any young hyena,

the plains are packed with dangers.

And here in Liuwa,

there's no greater risk than rival hyenas.

The South Clan territory is being

constantly raided by them at this time of the year.

The last thing any young hyena wants to do is to cross their path.

Shay has been attacked.

For a youngster, wounds like these can be fatal.

He's lucky to have made his way back.

Suma makes sure her son gets to feed...

..using her status to force all the others away,

even hunter Sarah.

Sarah will have to wait her turn.

Shay is Suma's priority.

But soon, her attention will need to turn to her allies.

Princess Sia, daughter of the old queen,

is coming of age.

She may just be playing with her brother...

..but she is a threat to the new queen.

Suma keeps an eye on proceedings.

It's time for her to remind them that she is still boss.

Sia, despite her growing strength,

has been made well aware of the queen's power.

Suma's support base is continuing to grow.

One of her close allies, Sitale, has had twins.

These are the first cubs to be born since the drought.

Like their mother, these cubs will be Suma's allies too.

But for now, the twins' demands are rather exhausting.

Whilst they're distracted playing,

Sitale can grab a little relaxation time.

Pure bliss.

The perils of falling asleep in the bath.

All too soon...

..it's time to get back to feeding duty.

On the other side of the pool,

the queen is ready to keep growing her own dynasty.

She's choosing her mate.

It's a long, drawn-out process that can last weeks.

Until she makes her decision,

Suma will be followed everywhere by potential suitors.

Meanwhile, her son Shay is continuing

his journey towards independence.

But he is still injured and weak.

This is one of the hardest times for hyena cubs.

Suma can't look after him forever.

Only half of all hyena cubs make it to adulthood.

Four months have passed and it's still a time of plenty.

Although apparently alone, Suma still holds on to power.

And what is more,

she's done something that may help secure her legacy.

For weeks, she's kept away from the group,

hiding a secret...

..two tiny cubs.

Now, it's time to introduce them to the rest of the clan.

She carefully carries each one of them to the den.

These little cubs are precious.

Even more so,

as one day either could become queen.

Meanwhile, Princess Sia has been busy

building support of her own.

She seems to be deliberately spending more time

in the company of potential allies.

Out on the plains, the queen's crucial ally, Sarah,

is leading another hunting party.

Wildebeest bulls are an ambitious target.

But as they fight for territory, these two have dropped their guard.

Head on, a bull is well-armed and dangerous.