A Spotted Hyena Mother Faces the Serengeti’s Most Dangerous Birth | 4K Wildlife Documentary

[00:00:02][snorts and sighs] >> This hyena has been struggling to give birth for hours, and with every passing moment, her life is slipping further into danger.

[00:00:20]Something is making this birth extraordinarily difficult, and if she cannot deliver her cubs soon, neither she nor her babies may survive.

[00:00:36]For most mammals, birth follows a familiar path, but spotted hyenas are different.

[00:00:44]A female spotted hyena has one of the most unusual reproductive anatomies of any mammal.

[00:00:52]Her clitoris is extremely elongated, forming what scientists often call a pseudo penis. And this is the passage through which she must give [music] birth.

[00:01:08]For a first-time mother, that creates an extraordinary challenge.

[00:01:14]Her cubs must travel through a long, narrow birth canal that has never been stretched by a previous delivery. The tissue may tear. A cub may struggle to pass through.

[00:01:30]And if the delivery becomes obstructed, the consequences can be deadly.

[00:01:38]There is no other hyena here to help her. No member of her clan can pull a trapped cub free.

[00:01:46]Inside this dark den, she must do this entirely on her. But her struggle did not begin here. Just 1 day earlier, she was still with her clan.

[00:02:02]This was the family she had grown up within. Here, she had learned how to survive, how to find food, how to hunt, how to recognize [snorts] danger.

[00:02:17]And throughout her life, the presence of other hyenas had meant security.

[00:02:25]But now, motherhood was changing everything. Something inside her was telling her that birth was close.

[00:02:33][music] And suddenly, remaining among so many other hyenas was no longer the safest choice for what she was carrying.

[00:02:42]Newborn cubs are extremely vulnerable.

[00:02:46]Aggression and even infanticide by other hyenas can occur. And rival clans can also pose a threat.

[00:02:56]>> [screaming] >> So, before giving birth, a spotted hyena mother typically withdraws from the communal life of the clan and seeks something very different, privacy.

[00:03:11]She moves away in search of a secluded natal den.

[00:03:18]Often, this is an existing underground burrow that offers darkness, concealment, [snorts and music] and narrow passages. A place where she can disappear from the world outside.

[00:03:33]And eventually, she finds [snorts] one. She enters alone. There will be no family surrounding her, no other females standing beside her.

[00:03:46]For the first time in this journey, everything depends on her.

[00:03:53]And by the following hours, deep inside that den, the contractions have begun.

[00:04:01]Now, after hours of labor, she is still trying.

[00:04:08]Her body is exhausted. Her breathing is heavy. Again and again, she strains. But for a first-time spotted hyena mother, this is the moment [music] when her unusual anatomy becomes most dangerous.

[00:04:26]Somewhere inside [music] that narrow passage, her first cub is trying to enter the world.

[00:04:34]And until it does, both of their lives remain at risk.

[00:04:42]Eventually, after hours of painful labor, something changes. The first cub begins to emerge.

[00:04:53]For the mother, this is the most dangerous moment yet. The narrow passage must stretch farther than it ever has before. The tissue can tear and the cub must make its way through quickly enough to survive. She strains again and finally, the first cub is born.

[00:05:16]>> [screaming] >> For a moment, the den is still. Then, the tiny cub begins to move.

[00:05:25]It has survived and already, there is something unusual about it.

[00:05:33]Unlike lion or leopard cubs, which enter the world blind and helpless, a spotted hyena cub is born with its eyes already open. Its coat is dark. Its body is small, but hidden inside its mouth are teeth already remarkably well developed.

[00:05:57]This cub has entered the world far more prepared than most newborn predators, but the mother cannot rest yet. There is another cub still inside her, and she must go through the ordeal all over again. Her body is already exhausted from hours of labor. The birth canal has already been stretched, and every contraction demands more from her. She strains again. Minutes pass, then more, until finally the second cub begins to emerge, and after one final struggle, it is born. Two cubs, both alive.

[00:06:47]For the first time in hours, the immediate danger begins to pass. The mother lowers herself beside them, exhausted.

[00:07:00]Her body has endured one of the most difficult [music] moments of her life.

[00:07:08]But almost immediately, the newborns begin searching for her. They find her teeth and begin to nurse.

[00:07:18]>> [screaming] >> For these tiny cubs, their mother's milk is everything.

[00:07:29]Spotted hyena milk is extraordinarily rich in fat, protein, and energy.

[00:07:37]And in the months ahead, producing it will place an enormous demand on her body.

[00:07:45]But for now, none of that matters. The cubs are warm. They are hidden, and their mother is beside them. Outside, the clan continues with its life.

[00:07:58][snorts] But here beneath the ground, a new family has begun.

[00:08:08]For the next few days, she will remain closely tied to this den, watching, nursing, listening to every sound beyond the entrance.

[00:08:21]Because although she survived the birth, her cubs have entered a world filled with danger.

[00:08:29]Lions can kill them.

[00:08:32]Other hyenas can threaten [music] them.

[00:08:36]And at this age, these cubs can't survive without her.

[00:08:44]The narrow tunnels around them offer protection. A lion may be powerful, but an adult predator cannot easily follow a tiny cub deep into passages this small.

[00:08:57]That is why she chose [music] this place.

[00:09:01]But even the safest den creates a problem she cannot escape.

[00:09:06]>> [screaming] >> She can protect her cubs by staying here, but she cannot produce milk without feeding herself. And soon, hunger will force this mother to make a choice every wild mother eventually faces. To keep her cubs alive, she will have to leave them alone.

[00:09:30]The lions pass dangerously close to the den.

[00:09:37]But the cubs remain hidden deep underground.

[00:09:42]A passing lion may never realize exactly what lies beneath its feet, but the danger is always there. If a cub were to call at the wrong moment or draw attention to the den, everything could change. Even their mother would be unlikely to challenge an adult lion alone.

[00:10:07]Fortunately, she has already given her cubs their greatest protection, the den itself. Its passages are extremely narrow. Even the mother must squeeze through the entrance. [music] But for two tiny cubs, those narrow tunnels are a refuge.

[00:10:30]A fully grown lion simply cannot follow them deep inside. And today, the lions pass without discovering what is hidden below. Somewhere across the savanna, their mother is already on her way home.

[00:10:46]Eventually, their mother returns.

[00:10:51]She reaches the den and immediately checks her cubs.

[00:10:59]She sniffs them, licks their small bodies, and settles down beside them.

[00:11:07]The cubs recognize her immediately. Both move toward her belly searching for milk. But now, another challenge begins.

[00:11:18]A spotted hyena mother normally has only two functional nipples. For two cubs, that may sound like enough, but the nipples are not necessarily equal prizes. Cubs can develop preferences for particular nipples, and both may compete for access to the same one. Almost immediately, one cub begins pushing against the other. The other pushes back, and this is where something extraordinary about newborn spotted hyenas becomes important.

[00:11:55]They were born ready for competition.

[00:11:58]Their eyes were already open. Their muscles were unusually developed, and unlike the helpless newborns of many other large carnivores, they were born with erupted teeth, including sharp canine teeth. Now, those teeth can become weapons.

[00:12:21]One cub bites at its sibling. The other retaliates.

[00:12:25]Their mother remains beside them, but she does not simply choose a nipple for each cub and end the rivalry.

[00:12:37]The cubs must establish access for themselves, and during the earliest days of life, these confrontations can help establish a dominance relationship between siblings.

[00:12:53]One begins to gain the advantage. The other is pushed away.

[00:13:01]And this matters for far more than winning a small fight, because the real prize is milk. Their mother's milk is extraordinarily rich in energy.

[00:13:18]And in a world where she may sometimes have to leave them to find food, every opportunity to nurse matters. The cub that consistently gains better access may gain an important advantage.

[00:13:34]But this rivalry does not mean one sibling is destined to kill the other.

[00:13:40]Many twins grow up together.

[00:13:43]For now, both cubs eventually find a chance to nurse.

[00:13:51]And after everything their mother has endured, the den finally becomes quiet again.

[00:13:59]But as these cubs grow, so will their appetite.

[00:14:07]And keeping two rapidly growing young hyenas fed is about to demand far more from their mother.

[00:14:15]The day slowly fades, and once again, night settles over the savanna.

[00:14:23]Deep inside the den, the two cubs are asleep, warm, fed, completely at rest.

[00:14:34]But their mother is still awake, and for the months ahead, rest may become something she can rarely afford. Before becoming a mother, her life was different.

[00:14:50]When she was hungry, she could follow food wherever it took her. She could remain with her clan, travel farther, feed, and rest when the opportunity came. But now, every decision has a consequence.

[00:15:10]There are two tiny cubs waiting beneath the ground. She cannot simply disappear for as long as she needs. She must find food, and she must come back.

[00:15:25]And tonight, hunger is forcing her out again.

[00:15:30]The first meal she found after giving birth had barely been a meal at all.

[00:15:37]>> [snorts] >> Only the remains of an old carcass.

[00:15:43]Perhaps something another predator had already eaten from. It was enough to keep her going. But now her body is recovering from a difficult birth while producing rich milk for two growing cubs. Every time they feed, they take energy she must somehow replace.

[00:16:06]So while her cubs sleep, their mother rises. She looks toward them one last time.

[00:16:14]Then squeezes through the narrow entrance and steps [music] into the darkness.

[00:16:22]Before motherhood, hunger meant finding food for herself. Now, it means something entirely different. If she does not eat, her body [music] cannot continue giving her cubs what they need.

[00:16:39]So once again, to care for them, she must leave them alone.

[00:16:47]Outside the den, the night belongs to predators. And now, the mother must become one again. She begins by searching for the easiest opportunity.

[00:16:59]The scent of an old carcass, something abandoned by lions, or perhaps the remains of a kill that another predator could no longer defend.

[00:17:12]Because taking an easy meal would save something she desperately needs, energy.

[00:17:19][snorts] But tonight, there is nothing and every hour she spends searching costs her more.

[00:17:28]This is where one of the greatest misconceptions about her species begins to fall apart.

[00:17:36]Hyenas are often portrayed as scavengers, animals that simply follow lions waiting to steal what others have killed, but that is only part of their story. Spotted hyenas are formidable predators in their own right. They can hunt alone.

[00:17:57]And when members of a clan hunt together, they can bring down animals far larger than themselves. Wildebeest, zebra, and other large prey.

[00:18:12]But hunting alone tonight would cost this mother precious time and energy, and she has something she never had to worry about before, a deadline.

[00:18:26]Two cubs waiting underground.

[00:18:31]So instead of wandering farther alone, she begins searching for something familiar, her clan. Eventually, she finds them.

[00:18:45]For a brief moment, she is back among the hyenas she grew up with. [snorts] The same society she temporarily left behind to give birth, but she has not returned simply for company. Tonight, she needs their strength. Soon, the clan detects an opportunity.

[00:19:08]A herd of wildebeest.

[00:19:10]>> [snorts] >> The hyenas begin [music] to move. They spread out watching for weakness, a young animal, an injured one, or simply an individual that can be separated from the safety of the herd. Then, the chase begins. A spotted hyena may not have the explosive speed of a cheetah, but it possesses something equally dangerous, endurance.

[00:19:43]Together, the hyenas pursue their target, forcing it to keep moving.

[00:19:51]Waiting for exhaustion and separation to turn the chase in their favor.

[00:19:59]And eventually, the hunt succeeds. Now, another battle begins, not over catching food, but over access to it.

[00:20:11]In spotted hyena society, being male does not automatically mean being dominant.

[00:20:19]Females are generally larger than males, and adult females dominate adult immigrant males within the clan hierarchy. But even among females, rank matters.

[00:20:34]>> [snorts] >> Higher-ranking individuals can gain better access to valuable food.

[00:20:43]For this mother, every mouthful matters.

[00:20:49]She eats as much as her position and the chaos around the kill allow, because somewhere beneath the ground, two cubs are waiting.

[00:21:03]They cannot eat this meat yet. They cannot hunt. They cannot even follow her here.

[00:21:11]So, everything she takes from this kill must first pass >> [snorts] >> Food becomes energy. Energy becomes milk, and milk becomes survival.

[00:21:27]But even with food in front of her, she cannot stay forever.

[00:21:33]Before mother, a successful meal might have been followed by rest. [music] Tonight, there will be no such luxury.

[00:21:45]Her cubs are still alone.

[00:21:49]So, while others continue feeding, the mother eventually turns away.

[00:21:57]And once again, she begins the journey back through the darkness.

[00:22:05]Back to the den. Back to the true lives that have completely changed her own.

[00:22:11]But when the mother finally returns, something is wrong. She enters the den and immediately checks her cubs. One is here, but the other is missing. She sniffs the cub beside her, then the ground around the den.

[00:22:33]She does not settle down to feed.

[00:22:36]Instead, she turns and goes straight back outside. For a newborn hyena cub, being outside this den alone could be deadly.

[00:22:49]A jackal, a large bird of prey, or another predator could take advantage of a cub this small. But there is something strange. The second cub is still here, unharmed.

[00:23:05]If a larger predator [music] had discovered the den itself, both cubs might have been at risk.

[00:23:13]Missing cub wandered outside on its own.

[00:23:19]At this age, cubs normally spend most of their time protected in or very close to the natal den. But even a brief moment outside can be enough to disappear into the grass.

[00:23:35]The mother begins searching. She sniffs the ground, stops, listens, then moves again. She has already spent much of the night searching for food.

[00:23:50]She has hunted, fed, and traveled all the way back.

[00:23:58]Now, instead of resting, she is searching again because motherhood has given her something more demanding than hunger, responsibility. [snorts] Then, she hears something, a faint call from the grass. She turns, and there, not far from the den, is the missing cub, alive.

[00:24:26]The mother approaches immediately. She sniffs it carefully, then begins licking its tiny body.

[00:24:34]Then she guides it back towards safety, back beneath the ground, back to its sibling.

[00:24:42]Only now, with both cubs beside her, does she finally lie down.

[00:24:50]The two hungry cubs move toward her and begin to nurse.

[00:24:58]For of them, the night is over. They are safe, fed, together again.

[00:25:06]But for their mother, this is only the beginning. For months to come, this cycle will repeat in different ways. She will leave because she must eat. She will return because they need her.

[00:25:23]She will hunt. She will nurse. She will face rivals, predators, hunger, and nights when rest must wait until the day these cubs can survive without her.

[00:25:39]Her life will no longer belong entirely to herself. And perhaps, that is what motherhood means in the wild.

[00:25:49]Not a life without danger. Not the ability to protect your young from everything. But returning again and again, no matter how difficult the journey becomes.