Original subtitles

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: The Makgadikgadi in Botswana,

known as "the great nothing".

Here, islands of dry grass are surrounded by a desert of salt.

At first glance, there appears no sign of life,

beyond old footprints baked hard into the ground.

But this island is home

to a newly crowned meerkat queen...

...called Maghogho.

She's marked by a scar on her right cheek.

Her kingdom is at the limit of what meerkats can endure.

Temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius,

and it doesn't rain for months.

(CHIRRUPS)

Yet it's here

that Maghogho must learn to lead a meerkat family.

(CHIRRUPS)

She rules over her two sisters...

...Pretty...

...and Dragonfly...

...and three males.

Together...

...they have seven new pups...

(CHIRRUPING)

...the beginning of a dynasty.

To raise pups in a land as harsh as this,

Maghogho will need to rely on the strength of her family.

But this group is small

and inexperienced.

She needs to unite them as a team.

Only then can she raise these pups to adulthood.

Only then...

...can she establish her dynasty.

(SNORTS)

Meerkats are always ruled by a queen.

The most successful might command a group of 30,

with daughters and granddaughters

to inherit the land.

But Maghogho is just at the start of this journey.

Now she's responsible

for all the key decisions for her group.

(CHIRRUPING)

This year, there's little room for error.

The dry season is proving particularly intense,

and food on the island is running out.

(BARKS)

It's vital that the adults support each other.

Keeping watch over them all is Pretty,

Maghogho's sister and closest ally.

(BIRD CAWS)

She scans the horizon for danger,

allowing the others to safely search

for the food they need.

(CHIRRUPS)

Pretty is also mother to two of the pups.

Maghogho is mother to the other five.

This is very unusual. Normally, queens don't allow

other females in their group to breed...

...because a lot of pups need a lot of supervision.

(INSECT BUZZES)

(SQUEAKS)

(YELPS)

As queen, it's not Maghogho's job to baby-sit.

That's the role of the other adults.

Right now they should be finding

the youngsters' breakfast.

(CHIRRUPS)

(PUP SQUEALS)

(BARKING AND CHIRRUPING)

(GROWLS)

But when food is this scarce,

having so many pups is hard for the group to look after.

Even their father, the alpha male Thonga Tona,

is not prepared to share.

(CHIRRUPING)

One adult, however,

is putting the pups' hunger above his own...

...Boipuso, the most junior male of the group.

(DISTANT BARKING)

He is the only one prepared to give up his hard-won meals,

even though they aren't his pups.

Being a soft touch doesn't go unnoticed.

Now he can't get anything done.

Maybe he could get Pretty to help -

two of the pups are hers.

(YELPS)

But Pretty is not at her lookout post.

(DISTANT BARKING)

She's not answering their calls...

(YELPS)

...even those of her pups.

(YAPS)

It's Pretty.

Something is wrong.

She can barely walk.

Maghogho has witnessed this before.

It has all the hallmarks of a snake bite.

(BARKS)

There's a good chance that the snake is still close by.

Maghogho must act quickly

to get the pups as far away as she can,

even though this means leaving her sister.

(CHIRRUPING)

The only one to stay behind

is Thonga Tona.

Meerkats' bonds run deep...

...in health

and sickness.

But there is nothing he can do to help her.

(YELPS)

With food running out and a snake on the loose,

Maghogho's home no longer feels secure.

She has a difficult decision to make.

In the distance, there is another grassland.

But reaching it will mean crossing a saltpan

over half a mile wide.

(GRUNTING)

It's dangerous.

There are predators and there's nowhere to hide.

Maghogho must decide if it's worth the gamble.

She must lead

and rely on the other adults to guide the pups.

This will be a real test of their teamwork.

(YELPS)

(YELPING CONTINUES)

Coast clear, Maghogho decides to go.

And the adults follow.

But only one of her family has waited for a pup.

(SCREECHES)

A jackal.

(TRILLS)

The adults pick up speed...

...and don't look back.

(TRILLING)

(YELPS)

(YELPING CONTINUES)

Stranded and alone,

the pup turns back.

(YELPS)

Maghogho and the adults may have reached the other side,

but the pups are nowhere to be seen.

The family's inexperience has put the youngsters in jeopardy.

(EAGLE CALLS)

For one pup, it's already too late...

...crushed in an eagle's talons.

Maghogho must act now.

She heads back to the island...

...alone.

As dusk falls,

there is still no sign of the pups...or Maghogho.

The next morning.

(YELPS)

(YELPS)

Maghogho has scoured the island...

(YELPS)

(CHIRRUPS)

(CHIRRUPS)

...but has only found one pup.

(YELPS)

There is no sign of the others.

(YELPS)

(YELPS)

(YELPS)

(CHIRRUPING)

Now the hope of her dynasty

falls on this one remaining pup.

(CHIRRUPING)

Her family have let her down.

If they are to succeed,

they need to work together...

...especially as they're entering

unfamiliar territory.

This new grassland is very different

from their island.

(BIRDSONG)

It stretches for miles,

and here there may be the promise of more food.

Maghogho's first priority

is to find a safe place

for her family to shelter.

This abandoned burrow will be the perfect den.

It just needs a bit of a spring clean.

There are new neighbours.

(WHISTLES)

Not very welcoming!

(SCREECHES)

(BARKS)

(SCREECHES)

And there may be real dangers, too.

It's wise to be prepared.

Maghogho chooses the hardest earth

to dig a long narrow tunnel -

a deep bunker and last resort in an emergency.

(CHIRRUPS)

Meanwhile, Thonga Tona takes his pup out to find food.

In this new place, it seems,

finding scorpions is a little easier.

With the pup quietened,

Thonga Tona can worry about his own stomach.

The scorpion is a good meal,

but it takes a long time to chew.

And by the time the pup has finished...

(YELPS)

...Thonga Tona has disappeared off into the long grass.

(YELPS)

(SQUEAKS)

At last, a familiar shape.

(CHIRRUPS)

But, in fact, the pup is heading away from his father...

...towards another meerkat family.

Thonga Tona has made a terrible mistake.

These are rival meerkats,

and they may kill intruders.

The pup is naive to the danger...

...and instinctively follows the strangers,

as they lead him away.

This is dangerous.

Maghogho and her family are trespassing

in a rival kingdom.

(BARKS)

Her alarm call urgently gathers the family together.

But Thonga Tona is already

taking matters into his own hands...

...venturing deeper into the rivals' territory.

But he's not heading towards his pup.

(YELPS)

He's stealing the rivals' pups.

This is reckless.

When the rivals return to their burrow,

they realise their pups are missing...

(CHIRRUPING)

...and they're over with Maghogho's family.

Maghogho did not want this,

but now, thanks to Thonga Tona,

she must lead her family into battle.

(YELPS)

These high jumps are a show of strength.

But the rivals are not intimidated.

(GROWLING)

The fight is short but decisive.

The rivals have got their youngsters back...

...and they still have Maghogho's pup.

But this conflict is not over.

Maghogho is still trespassing on their land

and they must drive her out.

Maghogho's family have one last line of defence...

(CHIRRUPING)

...her bunker.

As the rivals approach,

they have Maghogho's pup.

Last in is Boipuso.

(GROWLING)

The entrance is so narrow that he can block it

with just his head.

Maghogho's pup makes a dash for the bunker.

(GROWLING AND SNARLING)

Try as they might, the rivals can't breach

the bunker's walls...

...and they have left their pups unattended...

(SNARLING)

...so they decide to retreat.

(CHIRRUPING)

The battle over, Maghogho's family are safe...

...and so is her pup.

It was a close call.

They survived because they stood

and fought together, as a team.

But there is one member of the group

who did not fight with the family.

Thonga Tona.

His unruliness is a threat to the whole group.

(QUIET YELP)

The family will not tolerate this...

...not least Boipuso

and the other adult male, Rra Lebadi.

(SNARLING)

Maghogho joins the attack.

Rra Lebadi might kill Thonga Tona.

But remarkably,

Boipuso steps in to shield him.

(CHIRRUPS)

(GROWLING)

(YELPS)

Thonga Tona is lucky.

He's been spared.

But his position as the alpha male is over.

Maghogho no longer wants him as her partner.

Now there is to be a new order.

By scent-marking Boipuso,

she has chosen him as the new alpha male.

He's strong and loyal -

exactly the sort of partner she needs.

(SNORTS)

Maghogho needs to build her dynasty...

...but she has only one pup.

The rains are now two months late.

Simply surviving at the moment is a challenge.

Each day, the search for food takes longer and longer.

Yet there is hope.

(WIND GUSTS)

The wind is a sign of distant rain.

But it also drives dust storms over the land.

(WIND GUSTS)

The group need to keep searching for food.

(CHIRRUPS)

Duststorms can change direction in a moment.

(WIND GUSTS)

(YELPS)

Maghogho sounds the alarm.

(YELPING CONTINUES)

Time to take cover in their den.

(WIND GUSTS)

(YELPS)

(SQUEAKS)

But the pup hasn't heard the warning,

and they can't hear his calls.

(SQUEAKING CONTINUES)

(WIND HOWLS)

(THUNDER CRACKS)

As the dust storm overwhelms the land...

...all you can do is wait...

...and hold your breath.

(GENTLE BREEZE)

Life here is fragile.

Maghogho's last pup did not survive the storm.

The family could not protect him from this,

the harshest of lands.

Without pups...

...there is no dynasty.

(THUNDER RUMBLES)

For another week,

the rain clouds gather and disappear.

And then instead of dust,

the winds bring...

...a deluge of rain.

(THUNDER CRACKS)

Over the course of just a few days,

the Makgadikgadi turns green.

(BIRD CALLS)

Their world is reborn.

Saltpans fill with water.

(SNORTS)

To them flock visitors

from miles around.

Suddenly, a land that could barely support

a family of meerkats

is filled with life.

This is what Maghogho and her family

have been waiting for.

(SNORTS)

They have hung on through the bad times...

...and now they have the chance to build the dynasty again.

(CHIRRUPS)

Two months later,

and Maghogho is heavily pregnant.

In Boipuso, Maghogho has a loyal and attentive partner.

But she also needs food.

Now, after rains,

the grass is littered with grubs

hatching from the wet earth.

Being constantly hungry

isn't the only side effect of being pregnant.

(DISTANT BRAYING)

Thonga Tona has accepted his new role.

He stands on sentry,

allowing Maghogho and Boipuso the time to rest.

But there is a new threat to the dynasty's future,

from within.

Maghogho's younger sister, Dragonfly,

the only other female in the group.

She, too, is pregnant.

The last time Maghogho allowed one of her sisters to breed,

there were too many pups for the group to look after.

She can't risk that again.

Dragonfly must be evicted from the group.

(YELPS)

(YELPING)

(YELPS)

In exile and alone,

Dragonfly will struggle to find food

and look out for danger.

Maghogho is prepared to sacrifice her sister

to protect the unborn pups

she can feel moving inside her.

(CHIRRUPS)

After three weeks,

Maghogho spots Dragonfly again.

(CHIRRUPS)

But there is something different about her.

She is no longer pregnant.

The stress of being alone

has taken its toll.

Now she is no longer a threat.

And with a bow to her sister,

she is accepted back into the family.

The timing is perfect.

Maghogho has given birth to four new pups...

(YELPS)

...three boys and a girl...

...maybe a future queen.

(YELPS)

These pups are the hope for the future

of this dynasty...

...and everything this family have sacrificed so much for.

(YELPS)

Dragonfly may have lost her own babies,

but her instinct to protect her sister's pups is strong.

She still has milk,

and even feeds them as if they were her own.

Now, with Dragonfly as baby-sitter,

the rest of the family can concentrate on feeding.

And when Maghogho comes home,

she is greeted by a sister who is now the perfect support

for her and the pups.

Maghogho has everything she needs...

...almost.

This is not her kingdom...

...and living here is becoming more dangerous.

The pups are starting to follow the adults out to feed.

They are dwarfed by giants.

And hiding among the herds...

...are predators.

(BARKS)

(SCREECHING)

(BARKS)

(SCREECHING)

They would be only too happy to snap up a pup.

And to make matters worse,

the rival group are back.

Maghogho and her family need to leave.

She knows where to take them -

the one place where there are few predators

and no rivals.

Time to take a gamble

and return to her island.

The last time they tried to lead pups across this saltpan,

there was chaos.

Now she will have to trust

that her family can truly work together as a team.

(CHIRRUPING)

This time they stay close together,

with the pups in sight.

Then...almost at the island...

...a final challenge.

The far edge of the saltpan is flooded.

Meerkats are not swimmers.

(YELPS)

Luckily, it's only belly deep.

Maghogho is home...

...back in her island kingdom...

...a sanctuary from predators

and rivals.

She is now not just a queen but a true leader,

with a loyal family.

And crucially, they are now a team.

They are the pups' teachers and protectors.

And these pups have the space

to learn to fight...

...to hunt...

...and to bond...

...everything they need to survive this harsh land.

The dry times will come again,

and Maghogho and her family will face those times as one.

They may be small...

...but together they are strong.

At last, Maghogho has everything she needs

to continue her dynasty...

...for now.

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: Botswana's Makgadikgadi

is the largest collection of saltpans in the world.

It's an extremely harsh and hot place.

But in this vast landscape,

the Dynasties team finds the real challenge

is getting close

to an animal little bigger than the squirrel.

They have all the equipment they hope

will get cameras into the meerkats'

low-lying world.

But filming Maghogho's family is harder than anyone imagined.

Meerkats can give

any camera team a run for their money.

Luckily, experts are keeping track of Maghogho's family.

Local guide Villa knows the challenge only too well.

VILLA: It's really, really difficult

to film these meerkats.

Whenever the cameraman tries to put his camera down

so that he can start filming,

the meerkats just pass... Pshoo!

And it was really, really funny trying to keep up with them.

But come the hottest part of the day,

not even the meerkats feel like running...

...and they take advantage of a new source of shade.

WOMAN: One under your feet.

MAN: Where did you come from?

You're literally on my shoe, buddy.

Your friends! Follow your friends.

It's an unexpected problem for cameraman Ed.

We're in a big,

open, flat area, so some of the only shade is under us,

or under the camera,

and it's a favourite spot for the meerkats,

especially the little pups, to come and catch a break

from the heat.

WOMAN: Ed, they're under your camera again.

ED: You've got to watch where you step.

Every chance they get at the moment, they're...

...they're just running to our feet and sitting on our feet.

ED: I mean, you can't film them when they're underneath you,

but they're super cute.

Definitely not the best thing

for getting all the best shots.

Over time, the crew's persistence pays off

and they begin to capture the story

of Maghogho's dynasty...

...by learning to predict their extraordinary behaviour,

despite being used

as part of the landscape.

VILLA: Sometimes the meerkats would use us as vantage points.

Just need higher ground

where they will have a much clearer view

of their surrounding.

There's no trees here, so we're a good substitute.

VILLA: They are really wild animals.

You just need to give them space,

and it's entirely

up to that particular meerkat

if they want to use you

as a vantage point.

Spending every day with Maghogho's family,

the crew can't help getting attached.

(CHIRRUPS)

And that makes it all the harder...

...when tragedy strikes.

You feel the pain.

Sometimes you just don't want to look.

You feel like you have lost part of your family.

It...it's just so painful.

You spend all day with just a few cute little animals

that are happy playing on your feet,

and living their lives, and...

...yeah, it's a bit sad.

The crew witness first-hand

just how tough life can be

in the Makgadikgadi.

(WIND GUSTS)

And even more so this year,

as the rains are much later than they expected.

I just wish, when I wake up in the morning,

there'll be water,

there'll be so much life here,

because animals are dying.

There's no food.

It's just so hot around here.

(THUNDER RUMBLES)

Eventually, the rains do arrive...

(RAINFALL)

...and the crew see how vital this short period of plenty is

to the meerkats' survival.

Meerkats can cope for months without rain...

...but as our climate warms,

dry seasons may become ever more extreme...

...making life harder for Maghogho's family

and all those who call

this remarkable place home.