THE LIONS RULE

At the height of summer, the Glade is a paradise in the desiccated plains of Ruaha. There is always water here. This bounty spawns strange relationships. Against all natural instincts, predator and prey live side by side. But peace in the Glade is shattered when thousands of buffalo arrive to drink. The buffalo are being followed by the Baobab pride – the biggest in all of Ruaha. When they enter the Glade to hunt the herd they unleash the wrath of the Njaa, who consider the herd to be their territory. Before this day is over, lioness politics will deliver brutal retribution.

As the dry continues in Ruaha, herds of elephants arrive in the Glade. They dig deep into the sand with their trunks to tap the cleanest waters. The Glade pride copy the elephants – unusual behavior. Life carries on in its own idiosyncratic way. Soon, things will change. Adult male lions are on the horizon and once more, events conspire to bring the prides together. When the Glade pride outrun and seize an adult giraffe in the Glade, the Baobab pride leave their territory to join the takedown.

Cubs are growing up fast; learning to hunt and kill. Life in the Glade remains charmed, until one of the young lions begins to change. Fathers turn on young males when they reach adolescence – expel them from paradise. To survive, the young male from the Glade must join with other exiles. But staying alive in a kingdom of lions is a challenge that few can hope to overcome. It’s a jungle out there. The only security is in the pride.