Sir David Attenborough’s new BBC series Kingdom features extraordinary scenes of animal behaviour, including a lion saving a pregnant hyena from a pack of wild dogs.
Filmed over five years in Zambia’s Luangwa Valley, the documentary follows lions, hyenas, leopards, and wild dogs as they compete for survival. Executive producer Mike Gunton called it “a story only nature could write.”
Narrated by Attenborough, Kingdom shows both tender and harrowing moments — from newborn lion cubs to animals caught in deadly snare traps. Scientists working with the filmmakers, including Dr Matthew Becker of the Zambia Carnivore Programme, say the footage provides crucial data for conservation.
Despite threats from habitat loss and illegal hunting, the team hopes the series inspires action. “It’s a challenge,” said series editor Simon Blakeney, “but it’s not hopeless.”
