NARRATOR:
 There's a bright new face
in a family of spotted hyenas.
She's a princess,
daughter of the alpha female,
 and destined to lead
the Chimbwe clan.
 But first, this little cub
must prove herself.
She has to fight for her place
 in a savagely
competitive family.
 Surrounded by bullies
and killers...
(LION GROWLING)
(HYENAS YELPING)
 ...she must use
courage and cunning
 to turn enemies into allies.
 Has this little cub got
what it takes to be a queen?
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
 Hidden beneath the trees,
a young hyena is stirring.
 It's the daughter
of the Chimbwe clans'
alpha female,
 a cub called Spotty.
 She has a promising future.
(ELEPHANTS GROWLING)
 She's the heir apparent.
 In hyena society,
 the youngest daughter
of the alpha
 inherits a high status,
and will become clan leader
 if she reaches maturity.
 Spotty's fate
will be determined now.
 At six months old,
 she's got to assert
her birth-rank,
 or she may lose it.
 The clock is ticking.
Female rank is fixed for life
at adolescence,
 around 18 months old.
 She's one of two cubs.
Her twin is a male.
(WARTHOG GRUNTING)
 But hyenas are matriarchal.
 He will never become leader.
(WARTHOG SQUEALING)
 While she is destined
for greatness, and he isn't,
they're still content
to hang out together at home,
 the converted warthog den.
 But home alone,
they're in danger.
Their mother has gone hunting.
 She's been away all night.
 They're desperately hungry,
and won't survive more
than a day or two without her.
 Three miles to the north,
 the twins' mother, Amai,
is leading a hunting party.
(WILDEBEEST GRUNTING)
(BABOONS CHATTERING)
(HYENA YELPING)
They've killed an impala,
and the queen has first pick.
 In total,
she's raised six cubs.
 Two adult sons
who have left the clan,
 two older daughters,
and now, the twins.
 Amai dictates
the pecking order
 in her 20-strong clan.
 No one dares challenge her.
 Her closest ally
is her aggressive,
 high-ranking daughter,
 called Mosi,
meaning "first born".
 Lower in the ranks
is Amai's elder sister,
Ginger, on the right,
named after her reddish mane.
 Her life's tough.
 Inferior to her younger
sister, the queen,
 she's also constantly
dominated by her nieces.
(GINGER YELPING)
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
 Being bullied
is part of her every day.
 She'll be lucky to get
much of this meal.
 There are others in the clan
worse off than Ginger,
 unrelated females
who only get scraps
 and rarely have cubs.
 And, at the very back
of the food queue,
 are the lowest of the low,
the males.
 Subordinate to all
the females,
 they're powerless,
and often go hungry.
Amai and the sisterhood
are 10% bigger than the males.
 Each female
is 130 pounds of pure brawn.
Size and strength aren't
their only masculine features.
 Shaped by male hormones
in the womb,
 and an unusual
evolutionary twist,
female genitalia have morphed
 into what's known
as a pseudo-penis,
 through which they urinate,
give birth and mate.
 It gives them total control
of their sex lives.
 If a male wants to mate,
 it is entirely
at the female's discretion.
Amai and her sisterhood
are dominant for good reason.
Their cubs are semi-dependent
for up to five years,
 longer than
any other carnivore,
 and they won't survive
 unless the females
get priority over food.
 These are the rules,
 and the alpha ensures
the Chimbwe clan
 sticks to them.
 Amai eats fast. She has got
cubs waiting at home.
The twins are overdue a feed.
 They have no choice
but to wait for their mum.
 It's a frightening forest
without her.
 Hyena fathers play no part
in child care,
 and other females
in the clan
 don't share suckling duties,
 so the cubs'
only lifeline is Amai.
 Spotty's mother
is also her role model.
 She'll need Amai
every step of the way
 if she's to become
the next clan leader
 when she reaches maturity.
 Right now, the twins'
only concern is food.
 At last, she's home.
 Amai's milk
is 30% fat and protein,
 eight times richer
than a human's.
 The cubs have grown tenfold
 since they were born
six months ago,
 and they've been battling
each other from day one.
 They're born
with canine teeth,
 and fight viciously
in the den.
 In 10% of litters,
one twin kills the other,
 mostly in lean times,
 when there's not
enough milk to share.
 But thanks
to their well-fed mother,
these two have both survived.
If Spotty's to be
a successful alpha like Amai,
 she must learn to dominate
not just her brother,
 but the whole clan.
 She must secure her status,
or she'll slip down in rank,
 face a lifetime of bullying,
 and, ultimately,
raise fewer cubs of her own.
 It's not going to be easy
 with the competition
multiplying.
 Many clan females
have given birth,
including the alpha's
lower-ranking sister, Ginger.
 She has newborns
hidden underground,
 as well as bigger
yearling cubs.
 At the moment, Spotty
is protected by her mother,
 but if she's left alone,
these older cubs
 will try to bully her.
 They've inherited
Ginger's lowly status,
 but they could still
fight their way to the top.
Amai's eldest daughter, Mosi,
 is waiting for her baby
to emerge.
 As a first-time mum,
she's had a difficult birth,
 but the new arrival
looks very healthy.
 At three weeks old,
her little cub's all black.
 Born an only child, she gets
as much milk as she likes.
 Life is good, and it shows,
 in her chubby waistline
and her playful nature.
 As Spotty's cousin,
she's a potential ally.
 The den is the epicenter
of the Chimbwe clan's world.
 Their 100
square-mile territory
 borders the Luangwa River,
which meanders
through Zambia's
South Luangwa National Park.
 There's a rich diversity
of prey species living here,
 so it's a good spot
for predators.
The clan shares its territory
with several leopards.
 These solitary hunters
 are capable
of killing a hyena.
 There's also
the Hot Springs Pack,
 a family of wild dogs.
 One on one, a hyena
could tear a dog apart,
 but, working as a team,
the pack has the upper hand.
 The clan's greatest
nemeses are lions.
 The local Nsefu Pride
is a mixed blessing.
 They compete
for the same prey,
 but sometimes
provide a free meal.
 Hyenas have an undeserved
reputation as thieves.
 Only a small proportion
of their food
 is stolen from others.
 More often than not,
 it's the lions who take
the hyenas' kills.
 Lions are a mortal danger
 Spotty will one day
have to face,
 but at eight months old,
 she's exploring
closer to home.
 She's adventurous,
 leading her brother out
to meet the neighbors.
(BABOON YELPS)
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
But they aren't very friendly.
 She's braver than her twin,
but the baboons know better
than to mingle with a killer.
(BABOON YELPS)
(BABOON YELPS)
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
 Spotty is growing
in confidence.
 She'd love to play,
 but the baboons
keep their distance.
There are strict ground rules.
 Primates don't make friends
with predators.
She's failed to assert herself
with the baboons,
 but might have more luck
 showing her brother
who is boss.
 The den is littered
with scraps
 brought back by their mum
for the twins to chew on.
 It gives them
a taste for solid food,
 but Spotty won't share.
(SPOTTY GROWLS)
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
 It's a small,
but significant, victory.
She's learning how
to pull rank with her brother,
 but as an alpha, she'll have
bigger battles to fight.
 Spotty's best chance
of understanding
 how to dominate the clan,
 is to watch her mother
in action.
 Amai also
has a yearling daughter,
 who was attacked as a cub
by an aggressive low-ranker.
Against the odds, she survived
 and maintained her status.
 Her leg is now rigid.
 She can't join her mother
on the hunt,
 so Amai brings food
to the den,
 but the carcass quickly
turns the clan's home
 into a battleground.
(HYENA SQUEALING)
 The low-rankers crowd in,
 hoping to steal
the yearling's food.
 Amai tries to protect
her injured daughter,
 but even as alpha,
 she can't control
her hungry clan alone.
 She needs the help
of her number one ally,
 her eldest daughter, Mosi,
who stands guard beside her.
 Thanks to these
powerful protectors
 the injured yearling
gets a meal.
 This is how
the ruling class survives,
closing ranks, and dominating
the rest of the clan.
(MOSI GROWLS)
 One subordinate female
 has found another bit
of the carcass.
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
 She's desperate
to hang on to it,
 but Amai's daughter,
Mosi, gives chase.
 It's dangerous to steal
from the top table.
(LAUGHING CONTINUES)
 Tensions are running high,
 and clan members
turn on each other.
 They even vent frustration
on a passing elephant.
(ELEPHANT TRUMPETING)
 The injured yearling
can't chase,
 but she attacks
at close range.
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
 Mosi, ever loyal
to her mother,
 manages to retrieve
half of the carcass.
But even now,
the subordinate isn't allowed
 what's left of her prize.
 The yearlings have the best,
and now she wants the rest.
 She is small and weak,
 but with high rank
comes brazen confidence.
She's crippled, but not afraid
to assert herself.
(HYENAS CONTINUE LAUGHING)
 As soon as the thief
releases her grip,
 it's game over.
 The yearling
can't afford to share.
 Her leg is a major handicap.
(HYENA YELPS)
If she wasn't Amai's daughter,
she'd already be dead.
 But because she is,
 she is protected by
a powerful team
 of high-ranking
female relatives.
 Clan life is brutal
and contradictory.
 Each member of the family
acts selfishly to survive,
but can only do so
with the help of their allies.
 It's an important lesson
for Spotty.
 She needs to wise up,
become more aggressive,
 and start building
strong relationships
 with other young,
high-status females.
 Amai is a successful
clan leader.
 With stability in the ranks,
the family is growing.
 But, with five more
mouths to feed,
 tensions are rising,
 and the den
is getting crowded.
 Its cub-sized burrows,
which are too small for adults
or predators to enter,
 offer sanctuary
for the youngsters.
 But, after two months
of occupancy,
the den's soiled and infested
with ticks and fleas.
 Rotting leftover food
is attracting flies,
 and vultures.
 Carrion also attracts
other predators.
 The Hot Springs Pack
is out hunting,
 drawn in by the smell
of dead meat.
Their arrival takes
the Chimbwe clan by surprise.
Wild dogs are skilled hunters,
but, like hyenas,
 they'll steal
if they get the chance.
(DOGS GROWLING)
 The cubs bolt for safety.
 It's a coordinated raid
on the hyenas' turf.
 While some dogs
search for scraps,
 others flush the hyenas out.
 Before the hyenas know it,
the den is overrun.
 The dogs must move fast
before the hyenas retaliate.
 They seize the carcass,
 and move on through.
 The raid's over,
but the damage is done.
 The clan's home
is no longer a safe refuge.
 Next morning,
Amai decides it's time
 to move to another den.
She leads the way, encouraging
her twins to follow.
They set off enthusiastically,
 but then Spotty
has second thoughts,
 and turns for home,
 followed by her brother.
 It's a big upheaval.
 The twins aren't
ready to leave
 their familiar playground.
Meanwhile, Mosi gets
a firm hold on her chubby cub.
 It will have
no say in the matter.
Amai tries the same tactic,
carrying Spotty by the scruff,
 but she's heavy,
and wants her own way.
 Amai tries with her son,
 but he's equally resistant.
 The twins don't
want to go anywhere.
(HYENA YELPING)
 It's a battle of wills.
(HYENA GROWLING)
 Eventually, Amai
simply wanders away
 and they follow.
 Amai has dozens
of established dens
throughout the clan territory.
 She knows they've got a
long journey ahead,
 across a mile of open
country
 patrolled by
lions and leopards.
 But the twins don't
understand the urgency.
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
 Soon, the whole clan's
on the move,
 heading for
a favored den they use
 for a couple of months
every year.
 It's a strange
new world for Spotty.
 Up until this point
in her short life,
 she's been mostly
confined to the den.
 This is a rare chance
to glimpse beyond.
 Amai has a mental map
of her home range,
 something her youngest
daughter, the heir apparent,
needs to learn.
 But the twins are
still lagging behind.
 Straying too far
from mum,
 is a dangerous game.
 Only her protection
 will keep them alive.
(AMAI GROWLS)
(AMAI GROWLS)
(TWINS LAUGH)
 Spotty's beginning
to understand
 that her alpha mum
always knows best.
 After a three-hour journey,
they finally reach
their new den,
along with
the rest of the clan.
 An old termite mound
is the main hub.
 Low ranking males
keep their distance.
 The mound's reserved
for the ruling class.
 The chubby cub's
in good spirits,
 thanks to her mum, Mosi,
who carried her all the way.
 Ginger's arrived too,
with her big cubs
and her new-born twins.
 After a good feed,
Spotty's revived
 and ready to take
a look around.
(ELEPHANTS TRUMPETING)
 Some of the neighbors
seem familiar.
(SPOTTY LAUGHING)
 Spotty can't
contain her energy.
 Her brother gives chase,
 followed
by the rest of the gang.
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
 But the boisterous behavior
 irritates one member
of the clan.
(HYENA GROWLING)
 Their aunt, Ginger,
 is protective
of her new-born twins.
 As a low-ranking mother,
now with four cubs
to feed,
 she's under pressure,
 and she's starting
to throw her weight around.
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
(HYENA SQUEALING)
(HYENA GROWLS)
 It's a confusing,
and dangerous time
for Spotty.
 In an effort to improve
her own status
and that of her cubs,
 Ginger could bully,
even kill, Spotty.
 She's too small
to defend herself.
 Nightfall triggers
a change in activity.
 Now with 25
hungry mouths to feed,
 it's time for the clan
to come together
 and hunt.
 Amai leads the way.
Each adult needs to eat
four pounds of meat a day,
 but Ginger will go hungry.
 With new-borns to suckle,
she can't leave the den.
 Adults don't share food,
 but they do work as a team
to tackle large prey.
 With vision adapted
for low light,
 they see well in the dark.
 Amai remembers
where prey congregate.
 She picks up a scent.
And her large ears detect
a distant but promising sound.
(DISTANT GROWLING
AND SQUEALING)
The Nsefu lion pride
has taken a pair of warthogs.
 The clan spots
an opportunity for a steal.
 Muscling in on the carcass
is a dangerous strategy,
 but desperately hungry,
it's a risk worth taking.
 Some of them try
to distract the lions,
so others can make a grab.
(LION GROWLS)
(HYENA YELPS)
 But when a juvenile lion
breaks rank,
 he becomes a target.
(LION GROWLING)
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
They'll kill him if they can,
 but the pride intervenes.
 Be it bloodlust,
or clever tactics,
the clan's move pays off.
 By drawing the pride
off the kill,
 they've managed
to snag some leftovers.
 With jaws that can
crush bones,
the skeleton scraps are enough
to satisfy the hunting party.
(GINGER GROWLS)
 Back at the den,
Ginger's hungry.
Drained by her suckling cubs,
 she's on a short fuse.
(GROWLING)
 She's defensive
of her young twins.
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
 And aggressive,
even to the chubby cub
that wants to play.
(HYENA SQUEALS)
 Babysitting alone
isn't much fun,
 but it does
present an opportunity
 to dominate
the heir apparent,
 Spotty.
(HYENAS GROWLING)
 She's a prime target
for the bully.
Spotty ranks higher
than Ginger
 but, without Amai
here to defend her,
her status counts for nothing.
(SPOTTY LAUGHING)
(GINGER GROWLING)
Ginger could kill
the little cub in a heartbeat.
(LAUGHING)
(GROWLING)
 But Spotty's smart
 and heads for the one place
her attacker can't reach,
 the predator-proof burrow.
 The following morning,
 the hunting party
still hasn't returned.
 It was a frightening
night for Spotty.
 She's still vulnerable
so she makes a smart move.
 Bravely approaching Ginger,
she attempts to appease her.
 Grooming is a way
to repair relationships.
(HYENA LAUGHING)
(GINGER GROWLING)
 But Ginger is not interested
in making friends
 and neither are
Ginger's older offspring.
(SPOTTY SQUEALING)
 The big cousin knows
Spotty's defenseless.
 She plays nasty.
 Even Ginger's new-born
twins become aggressive,
 picking on the chubby cub.
(HYENA GROWLING)
 Spotty's high status
can't protect her
from the low-ranking gang.
(HYENAS GROWLING)
(SPOTTY SQUEALING)
 Their powerful jaws
could do serious damage.
(SPOTTY YELPING)
 Spotty's twin brother
tries to help her,
 eventually weighing
the bully down.
 With chaos in the ranks,
even her chubby little cousin
tries to dominate her.
 Spotty's struggling
to defend her rank.
 Just in time,
the hunting party returns.
 Everything changes
 as Ginger and her family
go into retreat.
 Spotty's aggressor
is suddenly submissive.
 Mosi's dominant posture
 reminds Ginger
of her low status.
 Amai's arrival
has an instant effect
 on Spotty's confidence, too.
(HYENA LAUGHS)
 She puts her chubby cousin
back in her place.
 It's a small step
in the right direction
 that won't go unnoticed
by her passing mother.
(HYENA LAUGHS)
 As night falls,
a herd of antelope
gathers close to the den.
 Amai and the clan
 seize the opportunity
for a local hunt.
This time, followed by Ginger.
 She can't leave
her cubs for long,
 but it could be
a quick strike.
(ANTELOPES SNORTING)
 A hyena's heart
is extra-large,
 giving it the stamina
to exhaust prey.
(ANTELOPES SNORTING)
 But the agile antelope
are faster uphill
 and escape to open ground.
(ANTELOPES SNORTING)
 The hunters move on,
 leaving the cubs
home alone once more.
 With only bats
and other strange
 nocturnal creatures
for company,
 night at the termite den
is intriguing.
Spotty
and her brother explore,
 but it's dangerous
to get distracted.
 Ginger's big cubs
aren't done with bullying.
(HYENAS GROWLING)
(HYENAS SQUEALING)
 Spotty heads for the burrow,
but they can follow her in.
 Their attack on Spotty
is relentless.
(SPOTTY YELPING)
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
(SPOTTY YELPING)
 The struggle for dominance
is taking its toll.
 Spotty's beginning
to slip down in rank.
 Now 10 months old,
 time's running out
for her to assert herself.
 The Nsefu Pride
has made a kill
 two miles from the den.
Amai and the rest of the clan
 have been trailing them
all night,
 always ready
to snatch and grab.
 The lions know their game.
(LION GROWLING)
 But Ginger hasn't eaten
for days and is desperate.
(LION SNARLING)
 One lioness still
has something worth taking,
 and Ginger homes in,
but she doesn't go unnoticed.
(LION ROARS)
(GINGER YELPING)
 Wounded by the body blow,
 Ginger flees.
 The lions aren't
willing to share,
 but they're wasteful,
 leaving up to 40%
of their kill behind.
 Their loss
is the hyenas' gain,
 the meanest of scraps
make a welcome meal.
 It's taken Ginger
hours to recover
after the lion attack.
 She's injured,
and has been left behind
by the rest of the clan.
 At home, her cubs
are waiting expectantly.
 Finally,
in the late afternoon,
 Ginger makes it back
to the den.
 They suckle eagerly,
 though she's had
nothing to eat, herself.
 There are blood stains
on her thigh,
a puncture wound
from a lion's claw.
 She'll need time to heal
before she can hunt again.
 Until then, her big cubs
will also go hungry.
 With her bullying cousins
subdued, Spotty has a chance
 to start building
positive relationships.
She and her chubby cousin
are both high-ranking females.
 They need to stop
fighting each other
 and come together as a team.
 Spotty has learnt from Amai
 that allies provide
vital support to an alpha.
 This could be the start
of a lifelong friendship.
 But Spotty also needs
to confront her aggressors.
 The opportunity
is about to arise.
 Spotty's found
a warthog's tail.
 It's the last piece of meat
 from one of
her mother's kills,
 brought back
to the den for her.
 Her stomach acids
digest anything
 from bones,
to teeth and hair,
 so it's a valuable delicacy,
 and a prized possession.
(HYENAS LAUGHING)
 As the highest-ranking cub,
it's hers by right,
 but Ginger's starving cub
is determined to steal.
(HYENA GROWLING)
(SPOTTY YELPING)
 It's a painful bite,
 but Spotty refuses
to back down.
(SPOTTY YELPING)
She's fighting for her status.
 It's only a scrap,
but her future is at stake.
(SPOTTY YELPING)
 Spotty grips tighter.
(SPOTTY SQUEALS)
 To be an alpha,
she has to be a winner.
(HYENA LAUGHING)
 It's now or never.
 At last,
Spotty's asserted herself.
 It may not look like much,
 just a mouthful
of bone and hair,
 but this victory
 is a defining moment
in Spotty's life.
 It's the first time
she's stood up
to a bigger hyena
 and proved her dominance.
 She's the youngest daughter
of the alpha,
 the heir apparent.
 She's beginning to show it.
 Life in the hyena clan
is brutal.
 The constant battle
for status ensures only
the toughest survive,
 but this little,
top-ranking hyena
is smart and resilient,
 with enough of a mean streak
to hold her own.
 Spotty's finally showing
 that she's got what it takes
 to be a leader.
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
