- Imagine a world where females call all the shots.
Well, it does exist, in hyena society.
Alone, these gutsy girls are feisty,
but together they're a sisterhood to be reckoned with.
The plains of Africa...
home to a powerful predator...
where females rule.
Spotted hyena.
They have a reputation as dim-witted scavengers.
But these fierce queens are the opposite.
Strong...
fearless...
and highly intelligent.
They are the girl gangs of the savanna.
So, what's the secret of their power?
Spotted hyenas live in huge clans, as up to a hundred individuals,
with a strict hierarchy, where every female outranks every male.
These girls are the heavier and more aggressive sex.
But one distinct part of their anatomy has really given them the upper hand.
All female hyenas have a pseudo penis.
Through which they urinate, mate and give birth.
Males are only allowed to mate if the female retracts this fleshy tube.
And this power has given girls control of their sexuality and their society.
Males are constantly reminded of their lowly status...
and forced to the edges of the clan.
At its center is the alpha female.
The most powerful of all.
Pampered and respected, her top rank is inherited from her mom,
and comes with serious perks.
She gets first pick at every kill.
Well fed, she can have more cubs
and they will be healthier than the rest.
So, privileges cement her dominance within the clan.
While lower ranks must take their chances elsewhere.
Hyenas are the most numerous predators on the African plains,
but they face plenty of competition.
So every hyena must be a fierce opportunist.
She can smell a carcass from two miles away.
She's outnumbered,
but armed with one of the most powerful jaws in the animal kingdom.
She can afford to be bold.
Her bite force is almost twice that of a cheetah.
Capable of crushing bone.
Even four against one,
the cheetahs give way to this determined adversary.
Hyenas may have a reputation as lowlife scavengers,
but in fact they're impressive hunters.
As successful as lions, killing more than half their food.
And topi antelope are on the menu.
Adult topi are twice a hyena's weight.
Their thick 20-inch horns make them a risky target.
So, female hyenas must play to their strengths.
Without a lion's claws, she must hang on to prey with a vice-like bite.
Her muscular forequarters help brace against its escape.
And the dense mesh of her muscles in her neck
help resist the topi's violent twists and turns.
Together, the tenacious females overpower their victim.
As other hyenas arrive,
it will be the clan females who will get the best of the feast.
This sisterhood is critical to the survival of the clan.
They have to share this land with their sworn enemy...
lion.
This lioness has wandered close to the hyenas den.
The hiding place for all the clan's youngsters under eight months old.
Lions kill more hyenas than any other predator.
So, these nursing mothers must become warriors.
A single swipe from the lion's paw could kill any one of them.
To succeed, every girl must hold her nerve.
These fierce queens are left victorious.
I love it that they one-upped the lion.
It just shows you what females can achieve when we stand together.