Dynasties looks at lions
Sir David Attenborough on why we need to act now to save this majestic species…
They may be one of the world’s greatest predators, but lions in Africa face an epic battle for survival.
For this week’s episode of BBC1’S Dynasties, the team spent nearly two years following the trials and tribulations of lioness Charm, as she leads the Marsh pride in the Maasai Mara game reserve in the Kenyan savannah.
Here, Sir David Attenborough, 92, guides us through Charm’s fight to save her family’s future…
Pride and glory
With the adult males having abandoned them, Charm heads up her 10-strong pride with help from her cousin Sienna.
‘The pride have always thrived through an alliance between powerful alpha males and experienced females,’ Sir David explains.
‘Now, if the young are to reach adulthood and the dynasty return to full strength, Charm must protect the whole family.’
Troubled Teens
Charm’s daughter Yaya offers vital support as a hunter, but her son Tatu and his cousin Red land themselves in peril.
‘As they mature, young males explore the boundaries of the pride’s territory,’ says Sir David. ‘Adolescent Tatu tests his growing strength against a two-tonne angry hippo, while Red ventures out alone and blunders into a hyena clan. He’s trapped by over 20 of them, and they could kill him…’
Human Threat
The pride also faces a terrifying man-made danger when herdsmen lay out poisoned bait to protect their livestock, which the lions are preying on. ‘Lions can’t tell when a meal is toxic,’ says
Sir David. ‘Poisoning is one of the biggest threats that lions across Africa face today.’
Takeover bid
The arrival of two new adult males could help Charm secure the future of her dynasty, but they spell trouble for her older cubs…
‘When Tatu and Red head off to win a pride of their own and continue the family bloodline, two male outsiders bring the possibility of a new generation of cubs for Charm,’ says Sir David. ‘But her youngest daughter is just another mouth to share food with, and they don’t want her around.’
a bleak future?
Today, there are only 20,000 lions left in the wild – and fewer than 2,000 in Kenya.
‘Lions have ruled the savannah for millennia, yet within the last 20 years their numbers have fallen by half,’ says Sir David. ‘Lions in the wild could disappear, but if conservationists and people who live alongside these great beasts work together, we have a chance to save them...’
dynasties is previewed on pages 44-45
nature / 8pm / BBC1
having already observed chimpanzees and penguins, the series on family dynamics in the animal world continues with a focus on Kenya’s Marsh Pride of lions. These lions live in the Masai Mara, but now face disaster as the adult males who protected them have abandoned the group. So, it’s left up to lioness Charm and her cousin Sienna to feed and protect their youngsters and keep them safe from other lions, hyenas and crocodiles. Tragically, though, this episode shows that the biggest threat Africa’s lions now face is being poisoned by farmers trying to protect their livestock. Can Charm keep her pride alive and beat the odds to ensure the Marsh Pride’s dynasty survives?