Sir David Attenborough’s new BBC series Kingdom captures astonishing wildlife moments in Zambia’s Luangwa Valley — including a lion rescuing a pregnant hyena from wild dogs.
Filmed over five years, the series follows lions, hyenas, leopards and wild dogs, revealing rarely seen behaviour such as a hyena hiding stolen food underwater and a wild dog pack saving one of their own from a crocodile.
Narrated by Attenborough, Kingdom highlights both the beauty and fragility of these ecosystems. Conservationist Dr Matthew Becker said the footage offers crucial data on animal survival and threats like snare traps and habitat loss.
Producer Felicity Lanchester noted: “Everything about these species has been shaped by millions of years of competition… Now, humans are changing that.”
Despite the dangers, the filmmakers say Kingdom delivers a message of hope: as editor Simon Blakeney put it, “It’s a challenge, but it’s not hopeless.”
