Original subtitles

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)