All language subtitles for Wildlife Icons Series 1 Part 8 Life in the Leftovers 1080p

Two of africa's
most powerful carnivores

Reign over the savanna.

Lions rely
on strength and teamwork -

To hunt prey
no other predator can catch.

While hyenas
are also masterful hunters,

They're quick to take advantage
of other opportunities.

Their powerful jaws slice
through hide and bone with ease.

Both species
have large families to feed,

Creating a cycle of
life and death on the savanna.

Others
thrive on their leftovers.

This specialized,

And sometimes surprising,
cast of scavengers

Relies on lions and hyenas
for survival.

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At the very top of africa's
food chain is the lion -

King of beasts.

These apex predators
possess power and poise.

They hunt
some of africa's biggest

And most dangerous animals,

And dominate other carnivores

In the race to secure
enough food to survive.

There are few things
more impressive

Than a lioness on the hunt.

She stalks her target
undetected,

Before launching the attack.

The arrival
of another pride member

Signals the end for the zebra.

Lions are revered the world over
as regal beasts

And they thrive
across the savanna

In large, close-knit families.

While the lion is revered,

The hyena is mocked.

These masterful opportunists

Are considered
the clowns of the african bush.

Viewed by many
as manic and mean,

Their reputation precedes them.

But it's ill deserved.

Though known as scavengers,

They are actually
accomplished hunters,

Some killing as much
as 95 percent of their food.

Like lions,

Hyenas also live
in highly social

And strictly
organized societies.

But what makes them special

Is their ability
to take advantage of resources

Other animals can't.

Hyenas and lions live lives
with a delicate mix

Of competition and cooperation.

The animals they kill don't only
support the pride and clan;

They're a source of sustenance

For a host of other creatures
large and small.

These scavengers
are heavily reliant

On these top two predators
for survival.

Building their lives
from the leftovers.

A pride relaxes
during the heat of the day.

While they rest there's plenty
of time for play, and bonding.

The cubs
have a charmed upbringing,

Watched over
by the pride's adults.

They'll rely on their family
for protection and food

Until they're around
sixteen months old.

Their mother
has spent her whole life

Living with her female relatives
in this pride.

And she'll get important help
from her sisters,

The cubs' aunts,
in raising them.

The pride's lionesses
suckle one-another's cubs,

Helping to share the burden
of raising the young family.

While they don't
have a breeding season,

Reproduction is often
synchronized within a pride.

Lionesses give birth to litters
of between one and four cubs

At roughly the same time.

This means that all of the cubs
are similar sizes,

Avoiding competition
at feeding time,

Giving everyone
an equal chance at survival.

While the cubs begin to eat meat
at just over two months old,

They will continue to suckle
to the age of six months

Before being weaned.

For the spotted hyena pup,
life is very different.

She lives in a clan where
females hold higher ranks

Than males.

Weighing around 150 pounds,

The pup's mother is a full 20
pounds larger than any male.

The pup relishes any chance
to explore the outside world.

Unlike lions,
when the clan goes out to hunt,

There are no babysitters to stay
back and watch over the pups,

So they're left behind
at the den, hidden underground.

The young hyena was born
with well-developed teeth.

But for now she lives
exclusively on her mother's milk

And will do so
until she's almost 9 months old.

It's a potent formula -

Hyena milk
has the highest protein content

Of any terrestrial carnivore.

Unlike in lion prides,

Her mother receives no help
in suckling

Or raising the youngster.

And without
synchronized breeding,

Hyena packs often include young
of varying ages.

As a result the pup has a number
of older cousins.

These juveniles

Already have most of their
first layer of spotty coat,

With only their legs retaining
the natal black.

And they're old enough to
join the clan on foraging trips.

Females remain with the clan
for life,

But males will leave
when they reach sexual maturity

In a year or two.

When they'll strike out
to find mating opportunities

In another clan.

The female lion cubs

Will spend their entire lives
in this pride.

But, like the male hyenas,

Their brothers will have
to leave in their third year

To seek out
a pride of their own.

They'll have to fight
other males for control.

And these pride takeovers
can have a gruesome result.

Incoming males will kill
the existing cubs of a pride

In order to bring the females
back into heat.

Cubs can only survive

If the pride's females
work with the resident males

To help win the battle
and prevent a takeover.

The biggest danger to lion cubs

Is the vicious disposition
of adult males

Muscling in on their pride.

Throughout the savanna

Even the largest and most
majestic animals are vulnerable,

Sometimes from their own kind.

Rhino bulls use their massive
horns in fights for territories.

And these can be deadly.

This bull
was no match for his opponent,

Which pursued him
when he turned to flee.

The scrapes on his skin show
where he was repeatedly stabbed,

Until the deadly blow was dealt,

Which pierced the skin
at his foreleg.

Like all animals,
even the giants of the savanna

Must eventually die.

And when they do, they present
a perfect opportunity

For the spotted hyenas to make
the most of their skill set.

An incredibly acute sense
of smell and hearing

Means they're often
the first to arrive at a kill.

A young male
approaches cautiously.

Despite the meal on offer
this is a dangerous place,

Lions also have
a strong sense of smell

And are not above scavenging.

But the coast is clear.

Other clan members
quickly arrive.

The raised tails of two females
show confidence and excitement.

And they waste no time

In tucking into
the rhino's thick hide.

Their higher rank means they're
in first for the best pickings.

The young male
respectfully waits his turn,

Picking off scraps when he can.

The hyena's formidable
cheek-teeth, or carnassials,

Enable them to slice through
even the toughest of hides.

And they don't come much tougher
than a rhino's.

Eventually they gain access
to the fatty flesh below.

The hyena's skills
haven't gone unnoticed.

While many spend their lives

Actively avoiding
lions and hyenas,

Others seek them out.

The vultures
have followed the hyena

In the hope
of being lead to a kill.

But they must wait their turn.

So must the male hyena
that first found the carcass.

He's an outcast,
born into another clan,

Which he
left around the age of three.

After a long process
of assimilation

The group finally accepted him.

But as a male he ranks lower
than all adult females.

And because he wasn't
born into this clan,

He also ranks lower
than all the males who were.

The only creatures
he holds rank over

Are the onlooking vultures.

Despite having done all
the hard work to find the meal,

While the females are around

He's unwilling to challenge for
a prime place on the kill.

The rhino carcass is an unusual
and lucky find for the family

And will feed them for days.

Weighing over a ton,

The giant herbivore is part of a
group of the savanna's largest

And most powerful animals.

All of which
face no risk of predation.

This group of heavyweights
includes rhinos,

Hippos,

And the largest
land mammals of all -

African elephants.

At five and a half tons,

This elephant was well above
the one-ton threshold of safety

And wasn't at risk of predation.

But even its imposing size
can't protect it from old age.

The lion pride fed first

Then the hyenas
took what they wanted;

Now it's left to the rest.

A black-backed jackal
is reliant on lions and hyenas

To open up a carcass
of this size.

While they're adept
at hunting for themselves,

Jackals will take
any chance to scavenge.

And the carcass presents an
opportunity for a free meal.

Jackals live
in monogamous breeding pairs

And have
no wider social structure,

But will gather in numbers
around a source of food.

Despite the elephant's
desiccated appearance,

The remains still have valuable
nutrients to offer.

Though this elephant's
massive bulk

Kept it safe from predation,

For everything
weighing less than a ton,

The threat from the savanna's
hunters is ever present.

And none is more threatening

Than the lion.

One of the pride's lionesses
has killed a warthog

And now at over two months old

These cubs are getting one of
their first tastes of meat.

Lions' leftovers
come in two guises:

Kills they intentionally hunted
like the warthog,

And carcasses they stumble
across like the elephant.

Animals of similar weight
to the warthog

Make up
more than half of the diet

Of most
of the savanna's predators.

Lions can go
for these bite-sized snacks

But they also have the advantage
of incredible strength

And the ability to launch
coordinated attacks

On larger animals
like this buffalo.

Some prides get as much as
70 percent of their sustenance

From animals
heavier than 600 pounds

Including zebra,
giraffe and buffalo.

Huge males
are slower than females

And often don't join in
the hunts for more agile prey,

Earning them
the undeserved stereotype

Of lazy freeloaders.

When it comes to bringing down

A one and a half
thousand pound buffalo,

There's no substitute
for brute strength.

And lone males are responsible
for a substantial proportion

Of the buffalo killed
on the savanna.

Unable to finish
the entire animal by himself,

The pride's alpha

Is happy to share
with some of the lionesses.

And while the family can devour
an impala in one sitting,

An adult buffalo
takes some eating.

As evening sets in,

The jackals begin to move.

The male and female
of the monogamous pair

Head out to forage separately.

But they stay in contact
via haunting calls.

They know that lions operate
most efficiently at night,

And that the coming darkness

Increases their chance
of scavenging a meal.

They're in luck.

After eating its fill,

The pride has left
the buffalo carcass unguarded.

Opening the door
for the male jackal.

And he's not alone.

The latecomer isn't his mate,

But another male
from a neighboring territory.

He may have smelt the carcass
from over half a mile downwind.

Following the scent of
opportunity to its source.

But despite the huge carcass,

The first male
isn't in the mood to share.

There's far more meat
than the jackal can eat here.

But life on the african savanna
is unpredictable,

And they must take full
advantage of every opportunity.

Once he's full

He'll stash pieces of meat
in hiding places

To return to in the coming days.

But he must work quickly.

The rightful owner
of the carcass

Calls in the rest of the pride.

Now is not the time to be brave.

Soon enough
they've reclaimed the kill.

Unlike hyenas,

Mature males dominate access
to food in the lion pride.

But the alpha is still full

And there's enough here
for the females and adolescents

To share in peace.

With so many predators operating
under the cover of darkness,

First light
reveals many casualties,

And opportunities.

In the night, a young blesbok
has been devoured.

The lions have already
done a good job

Of gleaning
from the carcass almost

All the available goodness.

But there are still
scraps to be had.

And a most unlikely group of
visitors arrives to investigate.

A family of warthogs.

Warthogs are the only pigs

Adapted to grazing in savanna
or grassland habitats,

Subsisting almost entirely
on grasses and roots.

But they'll occasionally
supplement this diet

With scraps of carrion.

The piglets seem more
inquisitive than hungry.

And soon enough

They return
to their favored food.

On another day,

These warthogs might have
fallen prey to the lions.

But today they get a chance
to see life

From the scavengers'
perspective.

Lions seldom leave a carcass
before they're satisfied,

But there are other,
smaller predators on the savanna

Such as leopards and cheetahs,

Which will occasionally
abandon their kill if startled.

This presents even greater
opportunity for others,

If they can beat the hyenas
to the spoils.

These hooded vultures

Are taking full advantage
of an impala carcass

Killed,
then abandoned by a leopard.

They're smaller
than many other vultures,

And leave their roost around an
hour earlier than other species

In the morning.

For these two, it's a case of
the early bird catches the kill.

Hooded vultures are often the
first to arrive at a carcass,

Avoiding competition with their
bigger, more powerful cousins.

They use their sharp,
slender beaks

To eat as much as they can
from the kill.

Eating over half a pound
of food per day.

Their early start
and keen eyesight

Has paid off.

But the vultures
aren't the only opportunists

Waiting to beat the hyenas and
jackals to unguarded spoils.

An army from the undergrowth

Is quick to take full advantage
of a fresh waterbuck carcass.

Dung beetles are famous for
their strategy

Of rolling balls
of dung cross-country

To stash safe below ground.

But they're also one of
the first to arrive at a kill.

Where they make the most

Of the waterbuck's partially
digested stomach contents.

Multiple species,
of different sizes

All descend
to exploit the resource.

But they're not just here
for dung.

Many beetles will also eat

The fat and meat
of the carcass itself.

And like the jackal,

Some will even stash parts in
burrows beneath the ground.

The dung beetles'
exceptional sense receptors

On club-like antennae

Mean they're often
among the first to arrive

On a fresh carcass.

Given time,

They'll be surrounded
by an abundance of insect life.

This wildebeest carcass
fed a small pride of lions,

As well as
numerous large scavengers.

But surprisingly,

It's at this very late stage

That it provides for the biggest
variety of life.

All that's left is a thin layer
of skin, hair, and sinewy flesh.

And an insect army

Has descended to take care
of the very last scraps.

This is an ideal nursery
for maggots,

And flies will lay
masses of eggs while feeding.

Beetles
of various species abound,

Feeding on the final pickings
that the carcass has to offer.

They peel away layers of hair

To get to
the connective tissue beneath.

And in time, the carcass
is polished all but clean.

The work of the lions

Has provided opportunities to
feed for a huge abundance

And variety of life,

Big and small.

Jackals, vultures,

Warthogs and even beetles

All benefit.

While many have to rush
to take advantage

Of the opportunities
presented by lions and hyenas,

The world's most infamous
scavengers require patience

To get a meal.

The hungry white-backed vultures
have been waiting

For their chance
to feed on the rhino carcass

For over a day now.

A spotted hyena can eat
a third of its own body weight

In a single sitting -

Enough to last it a week.

And they aren't
in a hurry to leave.

The once bulbous rhino
has been dramatically reduced.

Its chewed-through hipbone
stands as testament

To the incredible jaw strength
and crushing premolars

Of the hyenas.

With less meat
left on the carcass,

Competition is rife.

The approach of the alpha female
sends the others running.

Her swollen stomach is a sign
she's already full,

But she continues
to take as much as she can.

While this may seem unnecessary,

It's driven by her instinct
to reproduce.

The more she eats,
the more milk she can produce

And the shorter she can go
between pregnancies.

This results
in her successfully raising

Up to five times as many pups
as lower ranking females.

But she'll have no help
in feeding her young,

So it's imperative for her

That she makes the most
of every opportunity to feed.

Eventually satisfied,
the alpha female

And high-ranking members
of the clan leave.

The young male
finally gets his chance to feed

On the kill he found.

He doesn't waste any time
and dives straight in.

Deciding on a more direct
approach.

But with only one hyena left,

The vultures
sense their opportunity.

Sometimes even
the most powerful carnivores

Buckle under
the weight of pressure

From other scavengers.

But an empty stomach
drives him to return -

He's not prepared
to give up his prize just yet.

Lacking the slicing teeth
of the hyenas,

The vultures can't pierce
the rhino's skin.

Which means the young male

Only needs to defend
the open side of the carcass.

Eventually he decides
enough is enough

And the frenzy begins.

At 12 pounds, the
white-backed vultures can gobble

A fifth of their weight in meat
in less than 5 minutes.

Unlike the hyenas and jackals,

Vultures
seldom hunt for themselves,

Relying mostly
on carrion for their food.

And these typically
green-necked immatures

Will have to learn quickly

How to get their share
in the maelstrom.

But they should take care.

In their frenzied feeding

White-backed vultures
will occasionally get trapped

Deep inside the carcass.

And face the grizzly end

Of being eaten alive
by their peers.

A much larger cape vulture
enters the fray,

Weighing as much as 20 pounds.

Its neck
is flushed red with excitement.

Normally cape vultures
would dominate the white-backed,

Using their larger size
to intimidate them.

But the sea of feathers
is impenetrable,

Even to the bigger birds.

Together the vultures will make
short work of the carcass.

Taking whatever the hyenas
have left behind.

Once the rhino carcass
has been exhausted,

Many of the vultures will resume

One of their tried and tested
food-finding strategies.

Following the savanna's
two top carnivores.

Between lucky finds
and patience,

They'll rely largely
on the savanna's apex predators

To keep them fed.

The lion pride and the hyena
clan occupy the top spots

On africa's food chain.

Motivated
by the constant struggle

To secure enough for themselves
and their families,

They take down and open up prey

Too big for
most other predators to tackle.

And in so doing,

They provide opportunities
for a host of life forms

Occupying less glamorous
positions in the cycle of life.

On the african savanna

The life of some

Depends on the death of others.

In a cycle driven by predators
and dependent on prey,

None are more important

Than the two
most powerful carnivores.

Bringing down big game

Untouchable by others.

And opening access

To resources that only
the natural workings of time

Can provide.

These social creatures

Do all they can for
the betterment of their family.

And in so doing,

They unwittingly provide
for an abundance of life

Thriving
on the results of their labor.

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