Monkey Kingdom Page #2

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she takes matters

into her own hands.

"Where'd she go? What?

Wait a minute."

Raja knows he's been tricked.

Kumar would be wise to lay low.

Instead, he boldly strides

back into the group,

straight up to Raja.

His henchmen lend their muscle.

Kumar is expelled.

Maya watches him retreat.

This means goodbye.

Maya returns under Raja's

hostile stare.

It's back to business as usual,

or so it would seem.

Six months later,

something has happened

that changes everything.

Maya has given birth

to Kumar's son.

Welcome to the world, Kip.

Maya is consumed

by unconditional love.

She is lost in her infant.

To keep her milk flowing,

Maya no longer has the option

of skipping meals.

And with Kumar gone,

keeping Kip safe won't be easy.

The sisters enjoy

a network of nannies,

not to mention

paternal support.

Maya will have to do this

on her own.

Now more than ever,

Maya must overcome her rank

and beat the system.

Her son's future depends on it.

Little Kip has arrived

just in time

for monsoon season.

If you thought taking care of

a newborn baby was hard,

try doing it during weeks

and weeks of downpour.

Castle Rock would make

an ideal shelter

for an infant,

but it's reserved for the VIPs,

whose firsthand experience

of rain

is limited.

Kip would be much better off

under there.

Maya can only shake it off,

and try to prevent Kip

from getting dangerously cold.

Few of the kingdom's creatures

enjoy the rain.

At least the elephants get to

apply wet mud to their backs,

which works like sunscreen

when it dries.

Monsoon winds blowing off

the Himalayas

have brought more rain

in the last few weeks

than in the rest

of the year combined.

The water soaks deep

into the ground.

In a few months

it'll bring a glut of fruit.

But, before that...

It happens for a just

a few hours every year.

Thousands of winged termites

take to the air

to found new colonies.

For the macaques,

it's every holiday meal

rolled into one.

For Maya,

termites have the two best

qualities in a food source,

they are delicious,

and they are everywhere.

Even the sisters can't keep

this feast to themselves.

Maya has her very own

mound today.

And more food for Maya

means more milk for Kip.

Patience, little one.

Everyone in the kingdom

shows up for termite day.

Even scorpions gather

as much as they can

to stock the pantry.

Finally, Kip got his fill.

The termite feast comes

but once a year,

which leaves Maya

with 364 other days

to provide for her son.

Her growing son.

Kip is getting older,

reaching that age

when he starts to realize

he's part of a larger world.

Meanwhile, he's this close

to understanding that his skin

is actually attached

to his face.

Like any mother,

Maya probably wants

to freeze her child in time.

This, right now,

this is the perfect age.

Insects.

Plants.

The laws of physics.

They'll make sense in time.

It's monkeys

that are confusing.

Infants get a pass

to be annoying

in their early weeks.

Older monkeys just have to

look the other way.

Sometimes it's extremely hard.

But not everyone

plays by the rules.

Like the sisters and Raja.

Especially not for Maya's kid.

And so,

Kip discovers his place.

With termite season long gone,

cassia flowers

are what's on the menu.

For Raja, the sisters,

and their children, that is.

To feed herself and Kip today,

Maya will have to get creative.

Maya's nothing, if not scrappy.

She's got a plan B.

With other hungry monkeys

in tow,

Maya takes the lead.

It's an opportunity

the high-born

wouldn't even recognize.

The lily pond is a spot

known for predators.

But today,

the coast seems clear.

Maya digs in, harvesting

the seed pods of water lilies.

Grandpa will sit this one out.

When the easy pickings

are gone,

you've gotta get

a bit more adventurous.

Maya treads carefully.

It's Maya who makes

the first move

into the deeper waters.

Kip will go along for the ride.

The younger monkeys follow.

But even the bravest hesitate

over this next incredible step.

Did you know

monkeys could swim?

For Kip,

it's been a day of firsts.

First swim lesson,

first lily-seed pod

and now, this.

A monitor lizard.

7 feet long,

a deadly ambush predator.

His most lethal weapon,

the element of surprise.

Maya hasn't spotted the lizard.

In the chaos,

Maya has gotten Kip to safety.

But not before one of their

own has fallen.

After a night spent

wet, cold, and shaken,

the low-born recover.

Maya isn't sleeping in.

She's got a growing son

to feed.

Maya finds a patch

of caterpillars,

perfect for enriching her milk.

Kip should be eating

soon enough.

The sisters believe any food

patch is their food patch.

They mount an attack,

driving Maya away from her son.

Kip is stolen away.

Maya receives

her brutal punishment.

And Kip is carried off

into the forest.

Hours pass, and still,

Maya is looking for her son.

On the far side

of the ruined city,

the sisters keep Kip close.

Maya calls for her lost son.

Finally, the sisters

lose interest,

and Kip is free to leave.

Kip is lost

and dangerously exposed.

Maya has been patrolling

the territory for hours,

straining to hear

her son's calls.

At last.

This ordeal is over.

The lessons of yesterday

are clear.

Maya will need another way

to feed her son.

She must head

into uncharted territory.

For today's mission,

she brings backup,

leaving Kip safely behind

with a fellow low-ranker.

The upside to this score

could be enormous,

but so are the risks.

The predator encountered

at the edge of the forest

is unpredictable and loud.

The humans.

Maya gets a glimpse.

"Oh! They're terrifying!"

"Hmm."

"Chickens. Very small brains."

"Will they notice

if we take their eggs?"

The lookout gives the signal.

"All clear!"

"In. Confirming we are in."

"No one will ever know

we were here."

"We are like ninjas."

"They're coming.

Quick, last chance!"

"Mmm. I like pink flavor."

"Is this even food?

I don't care!"

"Leave nothing behind,

eat it all!"

"Mm, this is good!"

"Oh, this is delicious!"

"Mm, cake. Love cake!"

"Abort mission!"

"Happy birthday, kid."

Back in the forest,

Maya is reunited with Kip.

The underclass

will retire for the night

with an unfamiliar sensation

in their bellies.

Fullness.

Yesterday's raid can't be

a regular thing.

Maya needs long-term security

for her son.

The next morning,

a lone male surveys

the edge of the kingdom.

Maya will not be

expecting this.

Kumar is back.

He's grown stronger

and smarter in exile.

The young boys are playing,

training for the day

they leave the troop

and attempt Kumar's journey.

This could be the opening

he's been looking for.

A way to ingratiate himself

with the troop

and heal old wounds.

Maya has spotted him.

Finally, they are reunited.

And for the first time,

Kumar meets his son.

But if Maya's man wants

to stay, he's got work to do.

Step one, befriend the alpha's

lieutenants.

Step two,

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