NARRATOR: Mizumu is a plucky
 young male spotted hyena.
 A little prince
who's endured the tough love
of a clan queen.
 Now, the time has come
for him to leave home.
 Cast out...
(GROWLING)
 On a lonely journey.
 Facing starvation,
 mortal enemies...
(LIONESS GROWLING)
 ...and an aggressive new clan.
(HYENAS YOWLING)
 But he's clever
and courageous.
 Will this be enough
 to win him a place
in a fierce new family?
(YOWLING)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(BIRDS SQUAWKING)
NARRATOR:
 In the heart of Zambia,
 lives a spotted hyena
called Mizumu,
 which means "spirit".
 At two and a half years old,
he's an adolescent.
 And like all teenagers,
 he's spending more and more
time away from home.
 On this warm morning
as temperatures hit
70 degrees Fahrenheit,
 vultures take to the air.
 Mizumu knows
what this can mean.
 He's smart,
he's got a big brain,
 and he's starting to use it.
 A mile away,
lions have taken an impala.
 Mizumu follows
the birds to the kill.
 The warm rising air currents
enable the heavy vultures
to fly with minimal effort.
 Mizumu can cover
ground quickly, too.
 He homes in
on their landing spot.
(VULTURES SQUAWKING)
 It's a significant moment
in this young hyena's life.
 The first time he's discovered
a kill for himself.
(SQUAWKING)
 He moves in
to stake his claim.
 But the vultures
aren't his biggest problem.
 The carcass is
already half-eaten,
 but still weighs
more than 50 pounds.
 Another hyena's
also followed the vultures,
looking for a steal.
 But luckily for the teenager,
 it's his mother, Mala.
 She's always there
when he needs her.
 Together,
they're a strong team.
 Mala suckled Mizumu
for the first
year and a half of his life.
 When he was a cub,
all he needed was milk.
 Now, with an adult appetite,
 he must eat almost
four pounds of meat a day.
 But he still hasn't
grown the powerful jaws
 that enable his mother
to crush and eat bone.
 In hard times, this can be
a matter of life and death.
 Until Mizumu's skull
is full grown at around
three years old,
 he's vulnerable to starvation.
 Which is why he still lives
with his mother.
 Fortunately, since she's
the alpha female
in their clan,
 the lucky prince had
a privileged childhood.
 He's not only well-fed,
 but also well-protected
by his mother's
dominant status.
(VULTURE SCREECHES)
 He'll need to be confident
and aggressive like his mum.
(GROWLS)
 Because soon,
he'll have
to survive without her.
 Although Mizumu
doesn't know it yet,
 their time together
is running out.
 an extended family
of spotted hyenas 20 strong.
 The hub of the
Baka Clan's territory
lies three miles away,
 hidden in the woods.
(CUBS SQUEAKING)
 This is where the alpha and
her close relatives hang out.
 The low status
females and males
must keep their distance.
 The den is full of new faces.
(CUBS SQUEAKING)
(HYENA HOWLING)
 As a successful alpha,
 Mala's raised five cubs
over the years,
 including her latest addition.
 A little female,
 eight weeks old.
 She's already building
a close relationship
with her mother.
 And it's a bond
that will stand
the test of time.
 Like all Mala's offspring,
 she's inherited
her mother's high status.
 As a daughter, she'll remain
in the family for life.
 She may even become
the alpha one day.
 But Mizumu's life
will be very different
to his little sister's.
 He has no future here.
 As a male,
he's destined
to leave his family.
(HYENA GROWLING)
 If he wants to father
cubs of his own one day,
 he must find a new clan
to prevent inbreeding.
 But Mizumu's
in no hurry to leave.
 Life's good here
for the son of the alpha,
 protected by his family
in a dangerous world.
 During a violent night,
 a pride of lions has killed
a buffalo close to the den.
(LIONS GROWLING)
 These powerful hunters are
the hyenas' greatest nemeses.
 But also the key reason
why they live
together in a clan.
 Lions will kill hyenas
and steal their food,
 but with strength in numbers,
hyenas can turn the tables.
 Mala and the sisterhood
begin to close in.
(VULTURES SQUAWKING)
 She knows to play
the waiting game.
 But one naive youngster
 attempts an early steal.
 It's a dangerous move.
(HYENA SCREAMING)
 With the lions distracted,
 Mizumu also
plunders the carcass.
 He brazenly runs off
with his prize.
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
 His audacity pays off
 and the lions let him go,
 reluctant to leave
the bulk of the carcass.
 Meanwhile,
Mala and the rest of the clan
go for the safer option,
 waiting for the pride
to finish gorging themselves.
 The lionesses are so full,
they can barely move.
 Scavengers still have to wait,
 it's the cubs' time to dine.
 Once they've also
stuffed themselves,
 the lions finally move on.
(BARKING)
(VULTURES SQUAWKING)
 At last,
Mala and the clan get to eat.
 But they remain alert.
 Working together,
they keep a constant watch,
 just in case the lions return.
 Though the clan
cooperates for safety,
 they compete
fiercely for food.
(YELPING)
 In this
female-dominated society,
 there's a strict
pecking order.
 The alpha female eats first
alongside her daughters.
 As her son, Mizumu also feeds
under her protection.
 Lower status females
have to wait.
(YOWLING)
 Mizumu gets a good meal,
 but the adult males
don't get a scrap.
 They rank lowest in the clan,
 beneath all the females.
 A male who dares to steal
is pursued by Mala.
 Like all the adult males,
 he's an immigrant
who joined the Baka Clan
at adolescence,
 on the very bottom rung
of the social ladder.
 As alpha female,
Mala is quick to dominate...
 Taking his prize.
 She's 10% bigger than him,
 weighing in at 130 pounds,
 and much more aggressive.
 While lionesses hunt
to feed the whole pride,
 female hyenas
are purely selfish.
(CHITTERING)
 Mala has evolved to be tough,
 to fight for food
and keep her cubs alive.
 With the sisterhood in charge,
 life as a male hyena
is a challenge.
 But there's one,
 the son of the alpha,
who's more fortunate.
 Unlike immigrant males,
 Mizumu's never had
to fight for a meal.
 But his future will be
no different to theirs.
 The clock's ticking
for the little prince.
 Now sexually mature,
 he needs to leave his family
and join a new clan.
 When he does,
he too will have low status.
 Mizumu's instinct
to disperse is growing.
 But he won't go
until he's pushed.
 Over the next few months,
 Mizumu does his best
to stand on his own four feet.
 He's becoming
more independent.
 But as soon as he's hungry,
 he still looks out
for the vultures
and his mother.
 Lately though,
 her behavior towards
her son has changed.
 This morning, Mala and one
of her full-grown daughters
have discovered a kill.
 His mother's
not pleased to see Mizumu.
 She's withdrawing
the privileges he enjoys
as her son
 and treating him
like an adult male.
 It's a hard lesson
for Mizumu to understand,
 his mother's cutting him out.
(GROWLING)
 It's as much
for his benefit as for hers.
 He's got a future
to build in a new clan.
 And she's got
higher priorities,
 her baby cub back at the den.
 Mizumu's confused.
 Whilst his mother's
back is turned,
 he attempts
another sneaky bite.
 But he's rumbled.
(GROWLING AND BARKING)
 Mala makes it clear
he's breaking new rules.
 It's a necessary rejection.
 Proof that now an adult,
 he has low status.
 And triggered by increasing
levels of testosterone
in his blood,
 he's finally ready to go.
 As he leaves his mother
and his clan behind,
 this little lost prince
 embarks on the most
challenging journey
of his life.
 Many young males die
trying to find a new clan.
 It's dangerous
out in the big,
wide world alone.
 The Baka Clan's territory
encompasses 50 square miles
 of Zambia's
South Luangwa National Park.
 Extending from the woodlands
of his birthplace,
 to the mighty Luangwa River.
 Mizumu heads back
to the place on its shore,
 where he found
his first carcass.
 At the peak of the dry season,
the river is at its lowest.
 The remaining channels
draw in thirsty animals.
 But they must share
the shrinking waters
 with crocodiles.
 In the baking heat,
 hippos bathe
for up to 16 hours a day.
(SNORTING)
 At dusk,
they emerge to graze.
 An adult male weighs
nearly 7,000 pounds.
 Mizumu might regret
taking this route...
 And getting too close
to the aggressive heavyweight.
 Who doesn't take kindly
to a predator
crossing his path.
(GRUNTS)
 Mizumu's goal
is to find a new clan,
 but without his alpha mother,
 he has no one to guide him.
 He's reached the edge
of the Baka Clan's territory.
 It's the lost prince's
first night alone.
 Darkness isn't
a time for sleeping.
 Lions are out hunting.
(LIONS GROWLING)
 They've ambushed a buffalo
on the far side of the river.
 Mizumu can smell food,
 but he can't reach it,
 and it's too risky to attempt
to scavenge alone.
 But other hopefuls arrive
on the opposite bank.
 A pair of unknown hyenas.
 Together, they have
the courage to move
a little closer.
 But without their clan,
they don't dare risk a steal.
(LIONS GROWLING)
 The strangers are
an intriguing sight
for Mizumu.
 Proof that another clan
lives nearby.
 If only he could get to them.
 It's a lean night
for the hyenas.
 But other predators
aren't going hungry.
 Two hippos didn't make it out
onto dry land tonight.
 Instead, they've become
a feast for crocodiles.
 There's dead meat everywhere,
 but nothing Mizumu
can get to safely.
(CROCODILES GROWLING)
 The best he can do
is copy a mongoose
 who's out hunting
for frogs at the lagoon.
 With dexterous paws,
it can tease them
out of the mud.
 Mizumu tries the same trick,
 but he's heavy-footed...
(FROGS CROAKING)
 And can't get the hang of it.
 He doesn't even
manage a mouthful,
 before the mongoose
bravely warns him off.
(CHITTERING)
 Mizumu's never ventured
outside his natal territory.
 But the morning brings
enticing sounds.
(HYENAS HOWLING)
 Unfamiliar hyena calls.
 The two strangers
have returned
to last night's lion kill.
 And they've brought
reinforcements.
 Mizumu is captivated.
 They're known
as the Chimbwe Clan.
 The carcass has already
been stripped by vultures.
 So the hyenas fight among
themselves for what's left.
(YOWLING)
 The alpha female
is centre stage,
 surrounded by the sisterhood.
 As a female tugs at the hide,
 a smaller male approaches.
 The alpha quickly
shows her dominance.
(GROWLING)
(WHIMPERING)
 Only skin
and bones remain,
 but the hyenas
can digest both.
 A female snaps off
a vertebra in one bite.
 Her powerful stomach juices
can dissolve shards of bone
up to 3.5 inches long.
 The clan's nervous.
 They could be caught between
approaching crocodiles
 and returning lions.
(GROWLING)
 And then they spot
something else.
 An outsider.
 Mizumu's from an enemy tribe,
 the Baka Clan.
 The Chimbwe Clan
are a united front,
 erect tails,
a show of aggression.
 If it weren't for the river,
 he'd be attacked.
 The message is clear.
(YOWLS)
 The Chimbwe Clan
are intimidating,
 but they could be
just what he's looking for,
 a thriving family
full of females.
 Mizumu needs
to find a safe way
to introduce himself.
 But that requires
crossing the river.
 He'd make an easy meal
for a crocodile.
 A few miles downstream,
 Mizumu finds
a shallow place to cross.
 It's a brave move.
 Stepping onto
a rival clan's turf
 could be a point
of no return for Mizumu.
 Crocodiles and hyenas
aren't his only problem.
 This area is also patrolled
by a formidable family
of wild dogs,
 the Hot Springs Pack.
 Mizumu is a rival predator
who can't be tolerated.
 In a clan,
he'd steal from them,
 but on his own,
the pack has the upper hand.
 If they catch him,
they could tear him apart.
 So Mizumu goes to ground.
 It's a smart move.
 The dogs will only
attack from the rear.
 Going head-to-head,
Mizumu can fight back,
 with jaws three times
more powerful than the dogs.
(WILD DOGS BARKING)
 The dogs won't risk
serious injury.
 They've got softer targets.
 It's a close call for Mizumu.
 New to the neighborhood,
 he's on dangerous ground.
 And on the run,
he's lost precious energy.
 The lost prince hasn't had
a decent meal for days.
 There's plenty of prey around,
 but he can't hope
to catch it alone.
(SQUAWKING)
(ELEPHANTS GRUNTING)
 Vultures are a welcome sight.
 They've led him to food again.
(SQUAWKING)
 Usually, Mizumu's favorite
trick is stealing from others,
 but he's lost confidence.
 The vultures have
ripping talons
 and pincer-sharp bills.
 Mizumu is smart to be wary.
(CHITTERING)
 Finally,
he plucks up the courage...
(FLUTTERING)
 And is rewarded.
(VULTURES SQUAWKING)
 Mizumu's
a successful scavenger,
 but he's designed
to be a hunter, too.
 If he's to kill his food,
 he needs to team up
with other hyenas.
 But the Chimbwe Clan
has disappeared
 and Mizumu's alone.
 He heads out
across their territory,
 a hundred square miles
of African scrub.
 Fortunately,
there are opportunities here,
 thanks to a special feature
created by a tributary
of the Luangwa River.
 The gully.
 In places, water flows
for only three months
of the year,
 just enough to carve
a channel that extends
for several miles.
 Rich grassland makes
for perfect grazing.
 And perfect hunting.
 The gully also provides cover
for an ambush predator...
 Whose home falls within
the Chimbwe Clan's territory.
(LEOPARD GRUNTING)
 A leopard called Olimba.
 She's an expert solo hunter,
 unlike the lone hyena
who's arrived on her patch.
 Mizumu's about
to get a masterclass.
 Unseen in the gully,
 Olimba moves silently
towards her attack position,
 where the grasses
fringe the gully...
 Drawing the antelope
close to the edge.
 Olimba needs to get within
15 feet of her prey
before pouncing,
 or they'll outrun her.
 Perfectly hidden,
 she just needs
to choose her moment.
(ANTELOPES BARKING)
(SOFT GROWLING)
 The antelope are alarmed
by the leopard,
 but there's something else
making them nervous.
(YOWLING)
 It's the Chimbwe Clan.
 Mizumu stops in his tracks.
 He's on their turf.
 Olimba senses the alarm.
 As a clan,
the hyenas are
dominant predators,
 able to kill both
the leopard and its prey.
 And they're moving in
on all sides.
 Olimba now uses the gully
for her own protection.
 She slips away
as secretly as she came.
 Mizumu watches as one
of the clan's females
 homes in on
Olimba's abandoned kill.
(BUZZING)
 But instead of devouring
as much as possible
on the spot,
 she carries off what she can.
 She must have cubs
hidden in a den nearby.
 So, Mizumu steers clear.
 Where there's a den,
there'll be other females
 and he knows he's more likely
to be attacked by his own kind
 than by a leopard.
 Olimba's presence
draws in a bigger threat.
 As a young female in estrous,
 her scent has attracted
a visitor hoping to mate.
 A large male.
 And he has a taste for hyena.
 It's extremely rare
for a leopard to kill a hyena.
 Perhaps he scavenged
the remains of this carcass.
 Weeks old,
 it's tough and extremely rank.
 But he has an injured paw
 and must take
whatever he can get.
 The leopard would
prefer fresh meat
 and nightfall gives him
the opportunity to hunt
under the cover of darkness.
 He's an adaptable carnivore,
 not above eating rodents.
 But he sets his sights
on something bigger.
 Puku.
 His vision is eight times
more powerful than a human's,
 so he sees well in the dark.
 He can also hear
the slightest movement.
 With soft padded paws,
 he moves silently.
 Stealth is his
deadliest tactic.
 And with his injured paw,
 he needs to get even closer
than usual to strike.
(PUKU YELPING)
 It's a kill
he should have made.
 Until he heals,
 he needs a slower target.
 On his own,
Mizumu can't catch
a puku either.
 And now, he's potential prey.
(ROARS)
(WHIMPERING)
 It's a nasty surprise.
 Mizumu's learning
that leopards can sometimes
provide a meal,
 but they can't be
underestimated.
 After an unnerving night,
 the next morning,
Mizumu returns
to Olimba's gully.
(ANTELOPES BARKING)
 She's in peak condition
 and has made another
successful kill.
 Mizumu fancies his chances...
(MIZUMU CHITTERS)
 And boldly startles her off.
 But he's miscalculated.
 She's not afraid
of a lone hyena.
(GROWLING)
 Mizumu holds his nerve.
 He's determined
to keep his spoils.
(GROWLING)
 But last night's encounter
with the male leopard
 has dented his confidence.
 All Mizumu's left with
is the stomach,
 a bag of half-digested grass
 of little value
to a carnivore.
 Mizumu will starve
unless he can find allies
to help him hunt.
 The gully offered false hope,
 so Mizumu moves on.
 Southeast
of the Luangwa River,
 the landscape opens up
into a salt pan.
 Even at the height
of the dry season,
 there's water here.
 It's a good spot
for thirsty animals.
 And a cool hangout
 for some of the
Chimbwe Clan's males.
 Mizumu's stumbled
onto their patch.
 Like him,
all the established
adult males
 were once outsiders.
 They've infiltrated the clan
by teaming up
with male allies.
 Bullied by females,
 life's safer together,
away from the den.
 Males may be the underclass,
 but they have a strict
pecking order of their own.
 A submissive male greets
each of his superiors in turn.
 Their smell identifies
their age and rank.
 Unlike females,
they don't fight for power.
 Male status is not
dictated by size,
 but by an orderly
queuing system.
 The first to arrive
in the clan is number one,
 the alpha male.
 The last to join
goes to the back
of the queue.
(GROWLING)
 Males rise up
the ranks slowly,
 one step at a time,
 as each successive alpha dies.
 Mizumu avoids
the alpha's group.
 They're too senior
for him to approach.
 But he gets wind of young,
low-ranking males,
 new to the Chimbwe Clan.
 Hyenas routinely
mark their territory.
 So Mizumu follows
their scent trail...
 And spots them.
 After weeks alone,
 he's prepared to risk
an introduction.
 It's a bold move,
 scent-marking a twig
with pungent paste
from his anal gland.
 This reveals
his rock-bottom status.
 The bachelors' high
forward-pointing tails
indicate excitement.
 It's one of two things,
 either they like him,
 or they're about to attack.
(YELPING)
 Mizumu flicks his tail
to signal submission.
 The bachelors in turn
drop theirs and relax.
 So, Mizumu tags along.
 When he gets too close,
 they remind him
of their dominance.
 But the brave loner
is allowed to join them.
 It's a life-changing
moment for Mizumu.
 Accepted into
the bachelor gang,
 he takes his first step
on the Chimbwe Clan's
social ladder.
 His buddies
are also new recruits.
 But since they arrived first,
 his place is at the
very back of the line.
 Thanks to his
newfound friends,
 he's finally able to rest.
 There's someone else
to keep an eye on the lions.
(GROWLS SOFTLY)
 And he might have
a bit more luck
as a hunter now, too.
 In the heat of the day,
 more animals are drawn
to the salt pan.
(WATER SPLASHING)
(BIRDS SQUAWKING)
 The bachelors spot
a group of warthogs.
(GRUNTING)
 Mizumu moves in.
 Alert to danger,
 two warthogs
make a quick exit...
(SCREECHING)
 Leaving one behind alone.
 He's aggressive,
 but outnumbered.
(WARTHOG SCREECHING)
 The bachelors attack together.
 Mizumu's slower to launch,
but he makes a tactical move,
 blocking the warthog's exit.
 And the gang
moves in for the kill.
(WARTHOG SCREECHING)
(SQUEALING)
 Their first day together
has been a success.
 As they lead Mizumu
back to their bachelor pad,
 he submissively meets
more of the gang...
 Who remind him
he is the lowest of the low.
 It's a fall from grace
for the son of an alpha,
 but it beats being alone.
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
(GROWLING)
 Mizumu's one of the gang.
 And with a full belly,
he's got his mojo back.
 Now they've
reasserted their rank,
 it's time
for some male bonding.
(SCREAMING)
 Over the next few weeks,
 Mizumu will strengthen
his relationship
with these new allies.
 And in time,
 he'll be introduced
to the alpha female
as a member of the clan.
(ELEPHANT GRUNTING)
 The lost prince
has come a long way
 and a new phase
of his life is beginning.
 He'll start at the bottom
of the Chimbwe Clan.
 And he'll never be
royalty again,
 but he's got a new family.
 He's found his place
in the world.
(HYENAS HOWLING)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
