National Geographic Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas

This was one of the best National Geographic documenteries when I saw it on TV years ago. I was excited to be able to buy it on DVD now.Made by the outstanding nature filmmakers, the husband and wife team of the Jouberts, who always seem able to catch film footage of live, wild animals which no one else can record, it again brings us as up close to live endangered animals as most of us will ever be. Any of their documentaries are worth watching. The lion pride is fairly large, with two large males (typical for a big lion pride)who are closely related and who work together to help hunt, defend and maintain the territory so the females can do the majority of hunting as well as all the care and raising of the cubs. The male lions, whom I've often heard referred to in previous documentaries merely "lazy" and shown taking advantage of the lionesses hard work in hunting, actuall y do actively participate in about 1 in 10 hunts, especially of very large prey. They also defend the pride as needed, as we see in remarkable,exciting, chilling footage in this documentary.There is also a closer-than-usual look at the hyaenas, who, if a person HAD to invent an unpleasant animal "villain" would fit the bill......yes, I know they are living on instinct as are the lions, but honestly, they are not the wild animals most of us would want to know better!The story----as with most Joubert documentaries there IS a story----pertains to the ongoing, never ending, struggle between a specific hyaena clan, its' matriach, and the lion pride in the same territory. Each group tries to steal one another's kills, and also if possible will kill each other and the young cubs if able to do so.The violence is graphic and probably not for very young kids or very sensitive adults either. Yet, one must be aware, the killing and struggle is part of the survival mechanism both groups must use to keep themselves and their young alive. Lions, despite or because of their iconic status and beauty are at very high risk for extinction.The events shown----which I do not want to spoil----are at times very sad, very upsetting and yet give us that first hand look into the lives of these great predators who, like us, want to survive and raise their young. The cycle of life and death, normal in nature, and blunted for us by modern science and technology, is one that has been in existance for millenium.A short documentary, but well made, moving, and one that will stay with you. Highly recommended.

I have watched this documentary at least 7 times and bought the DVD twice for friends. It is not just beautifully photographed and edited, it follows the stories of a pride of lions and a pack of hyenas, enemies who know each other and look for opportunities to instigate trouble with one another. Like good drama, there are emotional highs and lows - the death of the lion cubs bitten by a cobra and the tortuous recovery of their mother, the Hyena "Princess" left orphaned on her first hunt, lions playing in the morning light as if to shake off the bloody memories of the battle the night before, and the final showdown between the magnificent male lion "He Who Greets With Fire" and the new hyena pack matriarch. This is an eloquent, spine-tingling, heart-breaking piece of art. I truly cannot praise it too highly.

We really enjoyed watching this!

There is just something special about a lion. There is a reason why he is the the king of the jungles. This movie shows you the raw brutal power of the king among other simply mind blowing unbelievable up-close footage of Lions vs Hyenas.I recently did an African Safari in Botswana, through Moremi and Chobe game reserves, and I was extremely lucky to witness the tracking of the lion and hyenas thanks to my amazing guide. We first saw several vultures which indicated there was a kill nearby. Followed them for some time until we discovered the Lion cubs. They were guarding one of their brothers feeding on Elephant carcass, wonderfully camouflaged in the dry vegetation, eyeballing us all along while we tried to track them. So you know what this means, specially if you have seen The Lion King; the hyenas should be close by! Lo and behold, about 20 minutes later we see a female hyena sneak up and wait for her turn for the carcass. She was alone, or atleast we thought she was since we couldn't see any other hyenas around. Imagine that, waiting for her turn, and there are atleast 5 lions around. We waited around for an hour or so to see what was going to happen, but it grew dark and you have return to the campsite when it gets dark. So...My point being - the thrill I got witnessing this event, I relived that while watching this brilliant documentary. I highly highly recommend this to anyone who loves lions. I really wish this is released on Blue-Ray at some point...

I saw this quit a while back. It still left me intrigued, & wanting it to continue. This is one of my favorite documentaries.

You sent me a DVD that does not work in Australia

This is not "Bambi"! At the time it was produced, such brutal reality was rarely depicted. In fact, it's rarely depicted now! The story and drama of life around waterhole will quickly pull you in. I saw this film when it was first broadcast, and caught it another time on cable, and later on streaming media. But I just had to have a hard-copy of this, so purchased the DVD. It's a real lesson in how difficult and unforgiving life is in the wild, and the incredible struggle animals go through just to survive from day to day. One small warning: I agree with what other's have said here--be warned if you have animal-loving children in the house who might want to see this. Check it out yourself first to judge if they are old enough to deal with the issues the documentary raises.

I first watched this documentary in the early 90s on VHS. So, I had to have it in my collection. It is among my all-time favorite pieces on lions. It's a must have!

This 60 min REGION 1 DVD is excellent.The DVD treks into the hidden battlefields of northern Botswana where lions and spotted hyenas clash in overlapping territories. Through footage, much of it filmed at night, it uncovers an intense and vicious blood fraud that has been waged for millennia. The southern clan led by a powerful hyena matriarch whose first born female cub kills her sister at birth to assure her succession as leader of the clan.In the shadows as a lioness from the central pride gives birth to three cubs and then encounters a deadly Egyptian cobra.There is a breathtaking chase scene as the hyena matriarch is brutally killed by a male lion, throwing the clan into chaos.

my spouse was saying he wanted this so I ordered it and being it was a used copy I was wondering about condition. It played perfectly and we totally enjoyed it. Not something for young kids to watch, pretty gruesome some of it. but for the cost and condition and shipped here fast we are happy with it.

best ever!!After brothers in blood.

Excellent...even though it didn't arrive until 2nd January.

A terrific documentary. One of the best I've seen. The ending is amazing