Sisters United: The Pride of Nkuhuma

In the Djuma game reserve in the Kruger National Park, 5 lionesses form the core of the Nkuhuma pride, counterbalanced by a formidable fraternity - a coalition of four stately male lions called the Birmingham Boys. They have cooperated with the females since the start of their reign as the dominant, territorial males, and their liaison has produced eight energetic offspring, the future heirs to these rich pride lands. An eight-strong créche of cubs is a lot to feed for even the most adept of lion hunters, but the sisterhood are excellent at bringing down large buffalo and other challenging prey. When drought strikes Djuma - a death sentence for so many - the lions find themselves in a lucky situation with so many dying buffalo on which to feast.

But consuming malnourished prey has its consequences. Just as the rains return and the woodlands turn green again, the pride is suddenly hit with a debilitating disease and two of the youngest members perish in its wake. Other prey species eventually recover enough to avoid being easy targets for the predators and, once again, the sisterhood must engage their deadly hunting skills to kill and feed their family. The six remaining cubs continue to grow and thrive under the protection of the pride and under one lioness’ leadership in particular, Amber Eyes.