All language subtitles for BBC.Dynasties.II.4of4.Hyena.1080p.HDTV.x265.AAC.MVGroup.org

Zambia's Liuwa Plain.

These vast grasslands are home

to one of Africa's most
successful predators...

..spotted hyenas.

For over a decade,

radio collars have provided
a unique insight into

the lives of one formidable group...

..the South Clan.

In hyena society, it's
the females that dominate.

Every member has its own rank,

and the most powerful
of all is their queen.

From getting the most food to
the chance of having

a larger family, she gets
the best of everything.

But now, it's a critical time for
the South Clan.

Their queen is dead,

and her throne is for the taking.

HYENAS YELP

The Clan faces a power struggle.

Who will be the new hyena queen?

With the death of
the South Clan's old queen,

her two-year-old daughter,
Sia, should be next in line.

The crown normally passes from
mother to daughter...

..but Princess Sia is too young
to take power.

The throne has been seized
by another.

This is Suma...

..the South Clan's new queen.

The support of allies is vital
for not only taking power,

but holding on to it.

Suma has managed
to gather enough

backing to take the top spot.

But it's the worst possible time
to become queen.

Liuwa is in the grip of

the most extreme drought in
living memory.

There's been little rain
for 18 months.

The herds are long gone,
and with little to hunt,

the South Clan are starving.

At the den, only two cubs have
survived.

One of them is Suma's son.

She's managed to keep him alive
this far...

..but if her cub is
to survive much longer,

the new queen needs to find food.

Her best chance is to head north,
in search of the herds.

But beyond the safety of
the clan's territory,

she'll be vulnerable and exposed.

But Suma is not alone.

Her allies have followed.

They're stronger together,

and the group are banking on Suma
to lead them to food.

Checking for scent

tells them if
rivals have passed this way.

They're now far beyond
the boundary of their territory.

They need to be on their guard.

These small pools are worth
the risk.

They exist even in
the driest of times,

a draw for herds from miles around.

This is why Suma has brought
them here.

Within days,

a wildebeest calf can run as fast as
the herd.

But hyenas are built for endurance.

A charging adult wildebeest could
kill her...

..but Suma won't give up.

A precious meal.

By allowing them to feed
with her in peace,

Suma reinforces
the support of her allies.

By seizing the throne, she and her
dynasty should now have

the best chance of survival.

Back at the den,

in the heart of
the Clan's territory,

Suma can now nurse her son,
Shay.

DISTANT THUNDER

Thankfully, relief from this drought
is finally on its way.

The rains recharge pools with fresh
water...

..bringing life back to the
plains.

The herds return,

and the South Clan gather to make
the most of this season of plenty.

Surrounded by her allies,

Queen Suma's position
looks comfortable.

But troubles are never far away.

Princess Sia is becoming
an increasing threat to Suma.

Growing bolder and claiming as much
food as she can.

She continues to edge closer
to adulthood.

The higher ranking a hyena is,
the more food they get.

Suma gets her pick at any meal.

Low-ranking males have
to wait their turn

at the dinner table.

Having eaten her fill,

Suma stashes the leftovers.

This male can't resist
a game of hide and seek.

With failing eyesight,

he'll have to rely on his other
senses to find the prize.

Nope.

He's getting closer.

Suma doesn't seem
particularly bothered.

By tolerating his impertinence,

she might gain his allegiance.

It's got to be here somewhere.

And he's nothing
if not persistent.

Bingo.

Suma lets him get away with it.

They're only scraps after all.

And perhaps now she'll have one
more supporter.

One of the queen's most important
allies is the clan's best hunter,

Sarah.

She's large,

fast...

..and powerful...

..but she's also patient.

The best time to hunt is
after nightfall.

While Suma spends time nursing her
cub at the den...

..Sarah heads up a night
hunting party.

They test the herds for weakness,

charging at them
to create confusion and panic.

An adult wildebeest is a good meal.

As dawn breaks,

the queen follows
the sound of their feasting.

Her trusted ally, Sarah,
has provided.

And now Suma can claim her
royal share.

The queen's son Shay is now
a year old,

and growing in confidence.

He has inherited high status from
his mother,

and tries his luck suckling from
another female.

SHE WHINES

SHE YELPS

Not today.

He's also starting
to explore his surroundings,

as youngsters do at this age.

But for any young hyena,

the plains are packed
with dangers.

And here in Liuwa,

there's no greater risk than
rival hyenas.

The South Clan territory is being

constantly raided by them at this
time of the year.

The last thing any young hyena wants
to do is to cross their path.

Shay has been attacked.

For a youngster,
wounds like these can be fatal.

He's lucky to have made his way
back.

Suma makes sure her son gets
to feed...

..using her status to force all
the others away,

even hunter Sarah.

Sarah will have to wait her turn.

Shay is Suma's priority.

But soon, her attention will need to
turn to her allies.

Princess Sia,
daughter of the old queen,

is coming of age.

She may just be playing
with her brother...

..but she is a threat to
the new queen.

Suma keeps an eye on proceedings.

It's time for her to remind them
that she is still boss.

Sia, despite her growing strength,

has been made well aware of
the queen's power.

Suma's support base is continuing
to grow.

One of her close allies,
Sitale, has had twins.

These are the first cubs
to be born since the drought.

Like their mother, these cubs will
be Suma's allies too.

But for now, the twins' demands are
rather exhausting.

Whilst they're distracted playing,

Sitale can grab
a little relaxation time.

Pure bliss.

The perils of falling asleep in
the bath.

All too soon...

..it's time to get back to feeding
duty.

On the other side of the pool,

the queen is ready
to keep growing her own dynasty.

She's choosing her mate.

It's a long, drawn-out process that
can last weeks.

Until she makes her decision,

Suma will be followed everywhere by
potential suitors.

Meanwhile, her son Shay is
continuing

his journey towards independence.

But he is still injured and weak.

This is one of the hardest times
for hyena cubs.

Suma can't look after him forever.

Only half of all hyena cubs make it
to adulthood.

Four months have passed
and it's still a time of plenty.

Although apparently alone,
Suma still holds on to power.

And what is more,

she's done something that may help
secure her legacy.

For weeks, she's kept away from the
group,

hiding a secret...

..two tiny cubs.

Now, it's time to introduce them
to the rest of the clan.

She carefully carries each one
of them to the den.

These little cubs are precious.

Even more so,

as one day either could become
queen.

Meanwhile, Princess Sia
has been busy

building support of her own.

She seems to be deliberately
spending more time

in the company of potential allies.

Out on the plains, the queen's
crucial ally, Sarah,

is leading another hunting party.

Wildebeest bulls are an ambitious
target.

But as they fight for territory,
these two have dropped their guard.

Head on, a bull is well-armed and
dangerous.

Sarah, however, is undeterred.

But they're all heading
towards danger.

A deep pool, full of matted weeds.

A potential deathtrap.

Understandably, the hunting party
keeps back.

All except Sarah.

She won't give up.

SHE WHINES

Out of their depth and tangled in
weeds,

both hunter and hunted are in peril.

The wildebeest takes its last
breath.

EXHALES WATER

Sarah is lucky to escape with her
life.

Another of Suma's loyal supporters,

Sitale, has reached an important
moment for her family.

Her twins are on their first trip
away from the safety of the den.

But female hyenas can sometimes harm
or even kill cubs

that aren't their own.

It's a nervous time for both cubs
and mother.

Princess Sia arrives.

Without the queen around, she
immediately starts to harass

both the twins and Sitale.

THEY WHINE AND CHATTER

With this aggression,

Sia is reminding everyone here
of her growing status...

..and perhaps of her ambitions.

The twins flee,

followed by their mother.

Sitale tries to calm her cubs,

by encouraging them to feed.

By her actions,

Sia is now sending a message
to the clan.

She has a claim to the throne.

Queen Suma has remained at the den,

leaving Sia unchecked.

The threat Sia poses
continues to grow.

The dry season is coming again.

As the water recedes,

Liuwa transforms once more.

And the herds are on the move.

Queen Suma should be mother to
a growing family...

..but her den is empty.

We'll never know what fate
befell them,

but here on the plains,

life for hyena cubs
is a constant challenge.

Being a mother hasn't come easily
to Suma...

..and now her position as
queen is at risk, too.

Princess Sia is coming into her own.

She's now a fully grown adult,

dominating a kill
made by hunter Sarah.

To strengthen their bond,

Sia allows her to feed in peace.

She gets a sign
of respect from Sarah.

One by one, the most powerful
females join and greet Sia.

It is Queen Suma.

As she moves in to feed,

she pushes off hunter Sarah.

But Sia challenges.

Her confidence has grown,

especially with her new-found
support.

Even Sarah's loyalty appears
to be shifting.

It's an uneasy truce

as both queen
and princess feed side by side...

..for now.

Just one year has passed
since Suma became queen.

She was once surrounded by allies,

but now her support is dwindling.

Hunter Sarah is no longer
on her side.

This crucial ally has
switched loyalties.

The story of this clan
is about to change.

THUNDER RUMBLES

Several months have passed
on the plains.

And the struggle to become
the South Clan's queen

has reached its final act.

Sia is approaching the den.

Flanked by her trusted allies.

Suma is waiting.

Sia heads directly towards her.

Without strong enough alliances
to back her up...

BARKING

..Suma submits.

She is no longer queen.

There is a new order
in the South Clan.

But Sia and the strength of her
alliances are soon tested.

Under the light of the full moon,

the clan are feasting.

All too soon,
they have company.

A rival clan.

They have invaded
the South Clan's territory

to steal their food.

The rivals continue to advance...

..But that is close enough.

Sia charges.

And her allies unite behind her,

driving the rivals
out of her territory.

Together they have the strength
to defend their kill.

And the South Clan have the
territory to themselves once more.

For Sia, it's been two years
since her mother,

the old queen, passed away.

Now, finally,

her dynasty is returning
to the throne.

Sia is a princess no more.

Suma has lost the crown
and all that goes with it,

but there is a silver lining...

..a new cub.

She has another chance
of raising a family.

One day, her dynasty may rise again.

The Dynasties team spent two
years

in Zambia's Liuwa Plain
National Park,

following and filming
the resident hyena clans.

Hyenas have typically had quite
a bad press.

They're often portrayed as
just scavengers,

but they are incredible animals,

and that's why we're doing this.

Amazing predators, amazing mums,

and they have really fascinating
social groups.

Each individual has so much
character, so much personality.

Liuwa is one of
the best places in the world

to film hyena.

But they are facing one of
the hardest times in recent memory.

We're just getting set up to go
and see the hyena

for the first time this trip.

Obviously, we're really excited
to get out see how they're doing,

but we had some really worrying
reports last night

to say that they're in a terrible
condition,

because there is nothing
for them to eat,

and there's just no water.

This corner of the continent
has endured one of

the worst droughts on record.

For generations,

people have lived alongside
wildlife here,

but with fishing now difficult
and crops failing,

local communities look
to other sources of food.

Hunters set crude wire traps,

snares to catch antelope.

But snares don't discriminate,

and an increasing number
of hyena are falling victim

to their deadly grip.

The Zambian Carnivore Programme
have been working

with Liuwa's wildlife for over
a decade,

but more and more
of their time is now spent rescuing,

rather than studying the animals.

So we're going to dart this hyena
now, and remove the snare,

and then hopefully she or he will
heal from her wounds.

The team must get close enough
to fire a tranquiliser dart.

But the hyena is moving into
an area of long grass,

which conceals some unwelcome
obstacles.

With the vet stuck,

a second team keeps an eye on
the hyena's location.

Can you see us? We've got visual.

Just be ready for a lot of bumps.

A little helping hand
from the film crew,

and the team are back on track.

She's stable. Temperature is
fine, respiration is good.

They must work quickly.

It's very deep.

It's gone like two, to two and a
half centimetres inside.

The snare is a wire noose that
tightens as an animal struggles,

and digs into their necks.

If it had pulled too tight,
it could have killed her.

Now we have just, we removed the
snare,

and then we're just cleaning it up
a little bit,

and then she will be fine.

Hyenas have a remarkable ability

to heal from such seemingly
horrific injuries.

With the wound cleaned, the vet
administers a reversal drug.

She can finally rejoin
the rest of her clan.

Unfortunately, this is not an
isolated incident.

Just heard on the radio that another
snared hyena's been spotted.

Although no members of the South
Clan were snared during filming,

four hyenas from other groups had
to be rescued in a single week.

If this would've been on her much
longer, she would have died.

With climate change,
droughts will become more frequent.

They will become more severe.

Animals will have to move
to find food.

There will probably be more clashes
between animals and humans.

Increased contact
with humans inevitably puts

hyena under even greater threat.

But, despite all of this,

through collaboration
between researchers,

park management
and the wildlife authority,

over the last decade,

the Liuwa hyena population
has actually been increasing.

And finally, for crew and hyena,

there are promising signs
on the horizon.

The rains are coming.
The grass is coming up,

and the wildebeest
are starting to return.

The females are going to calve soon,
so everyone's coming back together.

The sense of relief for everything
and everyone just is palpable.

WHISPERING: Here's our buddy.

Hello, little champ.

With continued vigilance,

hopefully this place will remain
a sanctuary

for these often misunderstood
animals for many years to come.