Episode Information

This is not a battle of eternal enemies – but a war of wits. In this two-part series, world-famous ‘lion whisperer’ Kevin Richardson will be joined by the world’s leading behavioural zoologists. Together, they will identify the lions’ as well as the hyenas’ behaviour when it comes to solving exciting, entertaining and ground-breaking tasks and riddles, custom-tailored to the animals in question. The different trials focus on specific abilities and aspects of the animals’ behaviour. Cognitive awareness and social intelligence will be put to the test: how well will the animals fare when it comes to tasks such as puzzle boxes, rope pulling or mirror mazes? Will they share their findings with animals from their own family or clan – or will they keep their knowledge to themselves? Social politics in lion prides and hyena clans differ; will these differences play out in the end? And which animal is more hard-wired for social co-operation and forming alliances, lions or hyenas? And why? This series is not about trying to find a winner – but instead will reveal why each of these species is the ultimate specialist in their own unique way.