01x01 - A Prince Is Born

[bunniefuu]

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[Narrator] Stories of kings
are as old as time.

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But what does it take
to be king

here on the plains
of East Africa?

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This young lion was born
into a noble bloodline.

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But he has seen
his family scattered.

[snarl]

His home destroyed.

[thunder]

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Now, this prince
faces his greatest test.

[roaring]

A rival--

older,

bigger,

stronger.

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If he's ever
to become a king...

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...he must stand his ground.

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[birds chirping]

Hidden away from the world...

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...a lion cub.

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His name is Kio.

His mother, Summer,

has watched over him since
he was born eight weeks ago.

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She has raised many cubs
in this nursery ground.

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But now, as an old lioness,

Kio could be her last.

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He's been growing fast.

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But he is still timid,
never straying far.

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[meow]

But his life
is about to change.

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Kio is now old enough to leave
the safety of the den...

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...and take his first steps
into the wide world.

[squealing]

A world where a lion cub

could one day
become a lion king.

[braying]

[braying]

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[twittering]

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[squawking]

[chirping]

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[rumbling]

[meow]

Life as a cub is dangerous.

[rumbling]

Half don't survive
their first year.

[rumbling]

But Kio has a whole family
to protect him.

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This is his mother's pride,

one of the largest in Africa.

And now it's Kio's pride, too.

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There are other
youngsters here.

[growling]

[growling]

Rowdy, older brothers.

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They can't wait to meet him.

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They are all
a lot bigger than he is.

And play a lot rougher
than he's used to.

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[meow]

For now, it's all
a bit too much.

[snarl]

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Courage will come...

...just not quite yet.

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For now, he feels safest
by Summer's side.

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His mother and her sisters...

...Winter

and Autumn,

are queens,

leaders of this great pride.

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Their ancestors
have ruled these lands

for over a million years.

This is the legacy
Kio could one day inherit.

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[Narrator] A new dawn.

[lion calling]

[lion calling]

It will be a big day
for Kio and his family.

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For as long as lions
have roamed this land,

so, too, have buffalo.

[grunting]

[grunting]

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Summer takes Kio
away to safety.

Buffalo are one of
the biggest threats to cubs.

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The sisters need
to feed the pride.

Kio is about to learn
what it takes to be a lion...

...and see a new side
to his mother,

the hunter.

[growl]

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Working together, Autumn
and Winter take the lead.

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At first, Summer holds back.

[birds chirping]

She seems hesitant
to leave Kio alone.

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But her sisters
will need her today.

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Lions are one
of the few predators

that can take on
fully grown buffalo.

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But buffalo fight back!

[grunting]

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[snarl]

[buffalo roaring]

[grunting]

[thunder]

One of the sisters
has been gravely injured.

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It's Winter.

[thunder]

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Autumn has also been wounded.

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Only Summer is unscathed.

She and the rest of the pride
come to Winter's side.

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There's nothing they can do.

Winter is gone.

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Kio has seen how dangerous
this world can be.

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Summer has lost a sister she
has shared her whole life with.

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[thunder]

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Kio seems to sense
his mother's loss.

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Even for a family
this powerful,

life here can change
in a heartbeat.

[thunder]

[birds chirping]

[lion roaring]

[bird chirping]

[bird chirping]

[rumbling]

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[Narrator] Despite their loss,

for the pride,
life must move on.

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[mewing]

[growl]

A buffalo that strayed
from its herd.

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A fresh chance to provide
for the hungry family.

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This time Summer acts first,

and alone.

[bellowing]

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[snorting]

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Kio has learnt,

stay hidden.

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[grunt]

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A single mistake
could prove fatal.

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The rest of the pride
now follow Summer's lead.

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[grunt]

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[chirping]

[chirping]

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Summer's courage has paid off.

This meal is very welcome.

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[meowing]

For Kio, it should be
his first taste of meat.

A rite of passage
for every lion cub.

But all the seats
at this table are taken.

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[growl]

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[growling]

He'll have to be brave.

[growling]

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Success!

A milestone passed.

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[trumpeting]

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[Narrator]
Kio is three months old.

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He's learning
by trial and error.

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It may not look like it,

but Summer knows Kio is ready.

It's time for him to learn
how he fits in to this world.

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[squealing]

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It's a lot to take in,

and it's a lot
for little legs to keep up.

[grunting]

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As Kio gets older,
he's becoming a little braver.

[grunt]

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[rumbling]

[snarling]

[roaring]

At least with animals
his own size.

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Understanding
the whole pride land

will take him a lifetime.

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But there is a lesson
to be learned today.

[roaring]

Unfamiliar...

[roaring]

...menacing calls.

[roaring]

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Three huge males.

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Powerful kings.

Dangerous.

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Feared.

[growling]

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It's risky to approach them...

...especially with a cub
the kings haven't met before.

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And yet Summer is confident.

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They are the fathers
to every cub in the family...

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...including Kio.

[meow]

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They are the pride males.

Their role--
to protect everyone.

[growl]

To gain their
father's acceptance,

a cub will try almost anything.

Kio has a plan.

A strange gift for a king.

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Kio seems to have won favor.

Maybe he is
finding his courage,

at last.

[braying]

With luck, Kio could one day

be as big and strong
as his father.

[meow]

[roaring]

But the power of a lion king

comes from more
than strength alone.

It comes from being part
of a band of brothers.

It is the lion's way.

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If he is ever
to fulfil his destiny,

Kio must form
a brotherhood of his own.

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Under the midday sun,

it's time for shade and rest,

for everyone.

Well, almost everyone.

[meow]

[growl]

[meow]

Kio has other ideas.

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No one's interested
in his games.

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Time for a little adventure.

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An agama lizard.

Small and tantalizingly
chaseable.

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With such newfound confidence,

it's easy to forget
not to stray.

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[bellowing]

[bellowing]

[snorting]

Buffalo!

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If they find cubs alone...

[meow]

...they will k*ll them.

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The safety of the pride
is Kio's only hope.

[meowing]

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[growling]

The attack catches
the whole family off guard.

[growling]

All they can do is scatter.

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[snorting]

[grunting]

[snorting]

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It's over in minutes.

[calling]

[calling]

But something is wrong.

[calling]

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[calling]

A mother's call
should be swiftly answered.

[calling]

But Summer gets no reply.

Where is Kio?

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