Lion

Stories of kings are as old as time.

But what does it take to be king

here on the plains of East Africa?

This young lion was born into a noble bloodline.

But he has seen his family scattered.

His home destroyed.

Now, this prince faces his greatest test.

A rival--

older,

bigger,

stronger.

If he's ever to become a king...

...he must stand his ground.

Hidden away from the world...

...a lion cub.

His name is Kio.

His mother, Summer,

has watched over him since he was born eight weeks ago.

She has raised many cubs in this nursery ground.

But now, as an old lioness,

Kio could be her last.

He's been growing fast.

But he is still timid, never straying far.

But his life is about to change.

Kio is now old enough to leave the safety of the den...

...and take his first steps into the wide world.

A world where a lion cub

could one day become a lion king.

Life as a cub is dangerous.

Half don't survive their first year.

But Kio has a whole family to protect him.

This is his mother's pride,

one of the largest in Africa.

And now it's Kio's pride, too.

There are other youngsters here.

Rowdy, older brothers.

They can't wait to meet him.

They are all a lot bigger than he is.

And play a lot rougher than he's used to.

For now, it's all a bit too much.

Courage will come...

...just not quite yet.

For now, he feels safest by Summer's side.

His mother and her sisters...

...Winter

and Autumn,

are queens,

leaders of this great pride.

Their ancestors have ruled these lands

for over a million years.

This is the legacy Kio could one day inherit.

A new dawn.

It will be a big day for Kio and his family.

For as long as lions have roamed this land,

so, too, have buffalo.

Summer takes Kio away to safety.

Buffalo are one of the biggest threats to cubs.

The sisters need to feed the pride.

Kio is about to learn what it takes to be a lion...

...and see a new side to his mother,

the hunter.

Working together, Autumn and Winter take the lead.

At first, Summer holds back.

She seems hesitant to leave Kio alone.

But her sisters will need her today.

Lions are one of the few predators

that can take on fully grown buffalo.

But buffalo fight back!

One of the sisters has been gravely injured.

It's Winter.

Autumn has also been wounded.

Only Summer is unscathed.

She and the rest of the pride come to Winter's side.

There's nothing they can do.

Winter is gone.

Kio has seen how dangerous this world can be.

Summer has lost a sister she has shared her whole life with.

Kio seems to sense his mother's loss.