Sir David Attenborough’s new BBC series Kingdom features a remarkable scene where a lion saves a pregnant hyena from a pack of wild dogs — one of many rare moments filmed over five years in Zambia’s Luangwa Valley.
The series follows four rival carnivore families — lions, hyenas, leopards, and wild dogs — revealing their fierce competition and surprising cooperation. Executive producer Mike Gunton said: “Only nature could write a script like this.”
Narrated by Attenborough, Kingdom also highlights human pressures such as habitat loss and snare traps, showing how they reshape animal behaviour. One moving scene features a three-legged wild dog welcomed back into its pack after surviving a snare injury.
Scientific consultant Dr Matthew Becker said the footage provides vital data to support conservation, while producer Felicity Lanchester called the series “a message of optimism in the face of concerning trends.”
