Queens of the Animal Universe

A group of spotted hyenas has just killed a gazelle. It's time to eat! But not every hyena digs in at once. The females eat first. Next, cubs eat, and then the males. In a hyena clan, females rule! They hunt, care for young, and protect the clan's territory. Take a look at spotted hyenas and the important roles females play to ensure the clan's survival.

An orca mother calls out. Her baby has gotten too far away.The sound travels through the water. The young calf hears the call. It swims back toward the group. Female orcas, or cows, lead an orca pod. They raise young and help the pod find food. Take a look at orcas and the important roles cows play to ensure the pod's survival.

Lions are called "king of beasts." But a pride is made of mainly females. These mighty beasts hunt and bring back food for the whole pride. The group also depends on the females to care for young. Take a close look at African lions and the important roles lionesses play to ensure a pride's survival.

Screech! A female ring-tailed lemur screams loudly. It is a warning for an intruder to stay away. Females lead ring-tailed lemur troops. They hunt, defend their territories, and care for young. Take a close look at ring-tailed lemurs and the important roles princesses play to ensure a troop's survival.

It's good to be a queen bee! The queen bee lets the other bees in the hive feed and care for her. What does she do? She lays eggs! A queen bee can lay more than 1,000 eggs a day! Take a look at the social structure inside a bee hive and the important role the queen and the female worker bees play.

A lion sneaks slowly toward a herd of elephants. The herd's female leader sees the big cat. Her loud trumpet sound rings out. She charges the lion and it runs away. Females are the leaders of an elephant herd. They protect the herd, lead it to food sources, and care for young. Take a look at elephants and the important roles cows play to ensure the herd's survival.