1 00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:05,880 There's a story that unites each of us with every animal on the planet. 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:08,960 It's the story of the greatest of all adventures, 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:11,320 the journey through life. 4 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:16,920 Animals have just one goal at the end of this journey, 5 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,560 to leave offspring. And every one begins its life 6 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:25,240 with an irrepressible instinct to survive and overcome the odds. 7 00:00:25,240 --> 00:00:30,040 The drive and inventiveness of animals is breathtaking. 8 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:31,880 Every aspect of their behaviour, 9 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:36,320 whether it's spectacular or beautiful or simply extraordinary 10 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,720 is their way of meeting a particular challenge. 11 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:42,840 In this series, 12 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:46,720 we will see animals of all kinds striving to overcome the obstacles 13 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:49,120 that face them at each stage in their lives. 14 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:53,800 They will be strong. 15 00:00:58,040 --> 00:00:59,520 Cunning. 16 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:04,560 And ingenious. 17 00:01:09,960 --> 00:01:11,800 They will fight battles. 18 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,400 And will do whatever it takes to win a mate. 19 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,800 Each success leaves each individual one step closer 20 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:57,760 to leaving offspring - 21 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,400 the next best thing to immortality. 22 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:14,360 The journey through life begins afresh with every new generation, 23 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:17,480 as it has for countless millions of years. 24 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,280 It is life's great story. 25 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:43,080 I'm in South Africa, sitting beside a colony of meerkats, waiting 26 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:48,080 for this year's youngsters to emerge and start exploring their world. 27 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:54,760 Here they come. That's the adult. 28 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,320 They must check the coast is clear. 29 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:06,440 There's another one. 30 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:12,680 Ah, there's a baby. 31 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:26,920 Hello, little one. 32 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,480 We can't know what the future's going to hold 33 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:35,280 for this little creature. 34 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,760 Just as every one of our histories is unique to ourselves, 35 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:43,000 so this animal too will have its own story. 36 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,160 HE CHUCKLES 37 00:03:55,440 --> 00:04:00,040 If one of these little creatures, indeed, if any animal 38 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:04,320 is to become one of life's winners by leaving behind offspring, 39 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,560 then a long and difficult journey lies ahead. 40 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,080 This is the story of life, 41 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,880 and for these little creatures, it's just beginning. 42 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,000 Good luck to you. 43 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,360 HE CHUCKLES 44 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:35,000 Many animals face their greatest challenge within days or even hours 45 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:36,840 of entering the world. 46 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:42,480 This is when they are smallest and most vulnerable. 47 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:51,080 The remote Orsted Dal Valley in Greenland, 48 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:55,120 scene of one of the most extraordinary trials that any animal 49 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,760 must face at the beginning of its life. 50 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,680 Newly hatched barnacle geese. 51 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:18,640 Their parents chose to nest on top of a huge tower of rock. 52 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:30,040 Such extreme isolation was the only way 53 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,800 to protect their brood from predators on the ground. 54 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:37,960 But now there is a price to pay. 55 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:47,080 Up here, the five goslings may be safe and warm, 56 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,440 but they have nothing to eat and they're getting hungry. 57 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,880 Like their parents, they only eat grass, and to find it 58 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,920 the goslings must first get down there, 400 feet below. 59 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:09,000 But they won't be able to fly for another eight weeks. 60 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:18,560 So they'll have to jump. 61 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,920 The father is restless. 62 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:29,240 He decides it's time for the family to leave. 63 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,640 BIRD HONKS 64 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:33,600 He calls to encourage them. 65 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,000 But they are so tightly bonded to their mother 66 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,640 that they will only follow her. 67 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,560 The parents both survived the descent as youngsters. 68 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:57,320 They're living proof that their chicks can make it. 69 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:04,280 The fluffy goslings are certainly light and well-padded. 70 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,160 But luck will play its part. 71 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,640 HONKS 72 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:40,800 At the bottom of the cliff, their mother calls for them to join her, 73 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:43,640 and instinct compels them to follow. 74 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:59,880 The gosling spreads its body and flaps its tiny wings 75 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:04,080 to slow its descent and lessen the impact of inevitable crashes. 76 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:10,760 If the first collision is belly-first, 77 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:12,560 it should survive the fall. 78 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:27,760 This chick jumps off the back of the cliff. 79 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:30,840 It's less of a drop, 80 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,440 but there's far more risk of getting lost in the crevices below. 81 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:42,480 The third makes another good jump. 82 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:47,880 But the fourth slips. 83 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:54,400 Plummeting down headfirst, 84 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:57,200 too close to the cliff, could bring disaster. 85 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,760 The third gosling is doing better. 86 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:29,480 Hitting the rock belly-first should prove a life-saver. 87 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:33,160 But still the tumble goes on. 88 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:35,880 ADULT BIRDS HONK 89 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:54,720 There is nothing its mother can do but follow it down. 90 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:02,240 CHICK CHIRPS 91 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:03,800 One last chick. 92 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:28,600 The perfect launch. 93 00:10:30,680 --> 00:10:32,720 And a controlled drop. 94 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:35,720 This is as good a descent as it's possible to make. 95 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,360 Its parents are there to meet it. 96 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,920 A little dazed perhaps, but all in one piece. 97 00:12:12,680 --> 00:12:15,680 One gosling, at least, hasn't made it. 98 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:28,400 And this chick appears to be in a bad way. 99 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:39,040 HONKS 100 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,520 At last, it responds to its mother's calls. 101 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:51,560 CHICK CHIRPS 102 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:57,880 The resilience of a barnacle goose chick is extraordinary. 103 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,880 But there are still chicks unaccounted for, 104 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:06,880 somewhere amongst the rubble. 105 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:15,040 The parents can't risk searching because they need to lead 106 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:19,040 their two survivors away quickly, before predators arrive. 107 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:26,160 A third one has made it. 108 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:35,640 But it needs to catch up. 109 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:54,000 Reunited. 110 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:01,040 Three out of five chicks have made it. 111 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:03,200 Without such a dramatic start in life, 112 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:06,800 it's unlikely any of them would have even got this far. 113 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,560 These chicks will face more dangers in the future, 114 00:14:16,560 --> 00:14:19,800 but only two days old they've already survived 115 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,400 the greatest challenge of their lives. 116 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:35,440 A young animal significantly improves its chances of surviving 117 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:39,160 if it can grow fast, and few babies have more growing to do 118 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:42,080 in their first weeks than a humpback whale. 119 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:51,200 In just six weeks, this new-born calf must leave these nursery waters 120 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:54,760 off Hawaii and start on a 3,000-mile migration 121 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:57,360 to its feeding grounds in the Arctic. 122 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:03,040 For that, it will need to be strong. 123 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:04,720 Twirling at the surface 124 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:08,120 rapidly develops muscle strength and diving ability. 125 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:17,720 Before then, this one-tonne calf must double its weight 126 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:23,400 by drinking over 3,500 pints of its mother's fat-rich milk. 127 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:34,760 But the milk supply is limited. 128 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:38,240 Until its mother reaches the feeding grounds, she's fasting. 129 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,120 Humpback calves make such demands of their mothers 130 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,960 that females can only raise one every two or three years. 131 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:55,880 If the calf is to be ready for the migration, 132 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:59,760 then what they both need now is to be left in peace. 133 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:10,480 But here, the birthing season and the mating season coincide, 134 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:12,360 and that spells trouble. 135 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:25,760 Male humpbacks will pursue any females, 136 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:29,560 even if they are still nursing and so can't get pregnant. 137 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:49,120 These 40-tonne males, fired-up with testosterone, 138 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:53,400 pose a serious threat to any calf that gets caught up in the chase. 139 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,800 As the mother tries to outrun the males, the calf sensibly stays 140 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:12,240 as close to her as possible, to avoid being separated and lost. 141 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,560 As more and more males join the chase, 142 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:33,320 the mood becomes ever more aggressive. 143 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:53,520 Now there is a real danger of the calf being injured 144 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:56,120 by flailing tails and crashing bodies. 145 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:13,640 Eventually, the males become so pre-occupied 146 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:17,480 with fighting each other that the calf and her mother can escape. 147 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,920 Even if a calf gets away unharmed, 148 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:34,080 the ordeal can leave it exhausted. 149 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:36,400 The dangers from the breeding season 150 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:38,280 will only grow in intensity 151 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,800 and some calves will become so weakened 152 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:44,000 that they'll struggle to survive the coming migration. 153 00:18:58,120 --> 00:19:00,720 Even the most formidable predators 154 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,720 are surprisingly vulnerable in infancy. 155 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:10,720 Here in Kenya's Maasai Mara, a lion cub has, on average, 156 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:14,760 only a one-in-five chance of surviving its first two years. 157 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:18,600 Which ones do so 158 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:20,640 depends on the strength of the pride 159 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:22,040 to which they belong. 160 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:31,720 For six weeks, this female cub 161 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:35,200 has been hidden away by her mother in the long grass. 162 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:45,640 But today, with her brother and sister, 163 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,720 she's going to join the creche at the heart of her pride. 164 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:02,120 Adult females provide the food and the first line of defence. 165 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:04,320 With at least four in her pride, 166 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:06,320 this cub should be well looked after. 167 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:17,720 All the lionesses have their own cubs, 168 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:20,560 who will be both playmates and future allies. 169 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,160 Under the females' watchful eyes, 170 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:30,800 she can practice her stalking, pouncing and fighting skills. 171 00:20:56,520 --> 00:20:59,520 But there is one more family member to meet, 172 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:02,840 and perhaps the most important of all. 173 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:13,560 Her father. 174 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:19,400 Her ultimate defender. 175 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:25,360 Marauding rival male lions are a constant threat. 176 00:21:25,360 --> 00:21:29,000 If they overthrew him, they would kill all his cubs 177 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:30,800 and father their own. 178 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:40,760 The security of the whole pride, 179 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:42,760 and this cub's future, 180 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,200 rests on him remaining strong. 181 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:56,000 But the early days of an animal's life are a very different prospect 182 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,240 if its parents do not support it. 183 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:21,960 This peculiar, almost alien scene 184 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,400 is in fact the emergence of a brood 185 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:26,080 of orchid mantids 186 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:27,720 from their egg case. 187 00:22:36,120 --> 00:22:41,280 Mantids, like the great majority of animals, play the numbers game. 188 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:44,800 Having over 60 hatchlings 189 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:48,880 increases the chances that a few will make it to adulthood. 190 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:57,120 But during these first minutes, they are especially vulnerable. 191 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:14,240 They must quickly hide away... 192 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,280 and wait for their soft bodies to harden. 193 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:32,520 Within 20 minutes, they are transformed. 194 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,320 Now the immediate danger is from each other. 195 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:49,560 Mantids will eat anything that moves... 196 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:51,760 including other mantids. 197 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:08,920 Time to leave. 198 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:24,280 This tiny insect is now open to attack from predators 199 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:26,040 lurking in the undergrowth. 200 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:38,760 Whether an individual mantis survives or not 201 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,560 is partly a matter of chance. 202 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:47,440 Whether it's spotted by a predator... 203 00:24:54,120 --> 00:24:56,800 Whether it turns right.. 204 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:58,000 or left... 205 00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:09,920 So far, its luck has held. 206 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:15,840 But this hungry jumping spider is still in pursuit. 207 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:23,400 A mantis is born with exceptional eyesight. 208 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:27,880 But the spider's is even better. 209 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:35,640 Although this young mantis can't yet fly, 210 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:39,320 its long forelegs, evolved to catch prey, give it reach. 211 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:09,520 There seems to be no escape. 212 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:21,280 But this mantis has a surprising line in self-defence. 213 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,120 Kung fu, praying mantis style. 214 00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:44,520 Of course, it's all bluff, trying to look bigger and confuse its enemy. 215 00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:49,600 But it's got away with it. 216 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:01,120 Just staying alive for its first few hours 217 00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:05,360 is a significant accomplishment for a newly hatched insect. 218 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:10,280 But there's still a long way to go. 219 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:12,880 With a bit of luck, in two months' time, 220 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:16,560 it will be as big and beautiful as this orchid mantid. 221 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:30,800 Or maybe not. 222 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:35,200 After all, mantids are cannibals. 223 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:42,320 However, there are plenty more where that one came from. 224 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:58,200 A young fur seal, 225 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:02,200 just old enough to be left alone while its mother hunts out at sea. 226 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:09,560 It won't be long before the pup has to negotiate 227 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:13,600 these treacherous waters for itself and learn to catch its own food, 228 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:15,440 while avoiding predators. 229 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:28,880 But how can he take his first lesson without risking it being his last? 230 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:36,800 Luckily, the fur seals on this beach in Kaikoura, New Zealand, have, 231 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:40,640 in the last decade, discovered the perfect place to do that. 232 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:49,400 Surprisingly, the pup heads not towards the sea but inland, 233 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:52,960 on one of the strangest journeys any seal makes. 234 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:00,360 A stream meets the beach... 235 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:05,800 ..and this pup swims up it. 236 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:21,880 Each seal pup only makes this journey once. 237 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:25,800 What drives it to travel deep into the forest is a mystery. 238 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:54,760 At last, this pup has arrived. 239 00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:07,040 This secluded waterfall makes for a perfect learners' pool. 240 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:21,440 In this sanctuary, he can join the local pups to learn 241 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:25,280 manoeuvres that will one day help them escape their enemies. 242 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,360 No-one knows how the first pups found this place, 243 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:11,560 but each year, more and more young seals make the journey. 244 00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:30,080 They're getting a crucial head start in life. 245 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:38,520 And learning is always easier when you're enjoying yourself. 246 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:48,360 SEAL BARKS 247 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:57,000 Each seal spends three days in intense training. 248 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:01,480 Then, after this rite of passage, they head back to the beach. 249 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:08,880 It won't be long now before they will leave their mothers for good 250 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:11,480 and put their new skills to the test. 251 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:38,240 It's now late in the meerkat pupping season in South Africa 252 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:42,920 and the pups born two months ago are growing well. 253 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:47,480 This pup has been well cared for and fed, 254 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:51,720 but now it's time she learned to catch her own food. 255 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:57,240 One of the great benefits of being raised in meerkat society 256 00:32:57,240 --> 00:33:01,080 is that adults without young of their own help with childcare 257 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:03,720 and will spend hours teaching the youngsters. 258 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:08,160 Today's first lesson is ant-hunting. 259 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:13,040 Being shown the right approach is one thing. 260 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:20,320 But when the food bites back, all technique goes out of the window. 261 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:36,240 Not exactly a resounding success. 262 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:43,120 However this helper now has a different kind of lesson in mind, 263 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:47,760 one designed to bring a pup face to face with danger for the first time. 264 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:53,040 It will be her biggest test so far. 265 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:08,000 A scorpion. 266 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:11,520 An excellent source of protein and a meerkat's favourite food. 267 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:16,240 But their sting is very painful, much worse than an ant. 268 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:21,960 The tutor weakens it with a bite before handing it over. 269 00:34:24,240 --> 00:34:27,320 But the pup still has a fight on her hands. 270 00:34:41,720 --> 00:34:45,280 The idea is to nip off the sting on its tail, 271 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:47,480 but its pincers are almost as formidable. 272 00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:59,000 The pup's helper keeps a watchful eye on her. 273 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:09,240 She has disarmed the sting, 274 00:35:09,240 --> 00:35:12,280 but those pincers are still giving her trouble. 275 00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:33,720 A pause, perhaps for encouragement, 276 00:35:33,720 --> 00:35:36,640 before the helper gives her the nod to finish the job. 277 00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:52,080 At last, a small but significant success. 278 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:01,880 It's a test that every member of her family will have to go through. 279 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:08,800 And this youngster has passed in triumph. 280 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:20,960 Back in Hawaii, six weeks have passed. 281 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:23,600 This humpback whale calf has fallen behind 282 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:26,000 on the annual migration to the Arctic. 283 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:32,920 It struggled to grow strong enough and now it's fighting for its life. 284 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:39,840 Exhausted and weak, it has already been targeted by sharks. 285 00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:45,520 Its mother helps it to the surface to breathe, 286 00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:48,360 which takes its toll on her, too. 287 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:54,640 This is now a huge test of the strength of their bond. 288 00:37:08,880 --> 00:37:11,920 But suddenly the calf is alone. 289 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:20,040 Its mother appears to have abandoned it, perhaps to save herself. 290 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:23,680 Sharks move in. 291 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:36,760 With a shark on its tail, the end for this calf now seems inevitable. 292 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:49,680 But bursting from the deep, the mother is back. 293 00:37:57,760 --> 00:37:59,680 And she's brought help. 294 00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:04,000 A male. 295 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:07,000 Although he's unlikely to be the calf's father, 296 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:10,640 he does something to help it that has never been witnessed before. 297 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:20,720 He blows a wall of bubbles, creating a protective screen around the calf. 298 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:38,280 The sharks are held back. 299 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:44,760 But not for long. 300 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:47,360 A shark is soon trailing the whales again. 301 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:50,960 A bolder strategy. 302 00:38:59,160 --> 00:39:02,640 The aggression the male whales were using against each other 303 00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:06,440 in the breeding season now appears to be aimed at the shark. 304 00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:37,160 As long as there is a chance of the calf surviving, 305 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:41,400 the bond between mother and young remains extraordinarily strong. 306 00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:46,120 The compulsion of the young to survive 307 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:51,200 and of adults to protect, burns bright, even against heavy odds. 308 00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:08,880 For many young animals, taking their first steps 309 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:11,920 away from the protection of parents can be daunting. 310 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:23,440 Long-eared jerboa live in the remote Gobi Desert of Mongolia. 311 00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:30,000 After six weeks of being cosseted underground with their families, 312 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:34,800 young jerboa finally emerge to spend their first night alone, 313 00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:37,480 learning to catch food. 314 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:44,000 Infra-red cameras can reveal their lives, 315 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:46,920 but to this jerboa, the night is completely dark. 316 00:40:49,160 --> 00:40:53,240 Luckily, his hearing more than compensates. 317 00:40:53,240 --> 00:40:55,600 His ears are longer, compared to his body, 318 00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:57,560 than those of any other animal. 319 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:05,960 In fact, his ears are so sensitive 320 00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:08,960 that every new sound tends to give him a fright. 321 00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:13,640 OWL CALLS 322 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:17,640 The call of a little owl, a jerboa's main predator 323 00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:20,160 and something worth being nervous about. 324 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:30,560 OWL CALLS 325 00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:35,600 OWL CALLS 326 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:45,320 The youngster's challenge is to distinguish danger from dinner. 327 00:41:48,360 --> 00:41:51,720 An aggressive gecko is definitely not on the menu. 328 00:42:09,240 --> 00:42:14,160 A jerboa's hearing is so acute he can even detect sleeping insects. 329 00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:19,680 But it's hard to grab them when you can't see them. 330 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:30,800 At last, food. 331 00:42:33,200 --> 00:42:35,720 Confidence grows with success. 332 00:42:57,200 --> 00:43:01,040 Learning to take care of yourself is a tiring business. 333 00:43:03,240 --> 00:43:08,760 Rather than return to the family burrow, he naps in the open. 334 00:43:21,440 --> 00:43:26,480 But with his immense ears, it must be hard to tune out. 335 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:30,760 OWL CALLS 336 00:43:38,800 --> 00:43:43,720 There comes a time when every animal must finally leave youth behind 337 00:43:43,720 --> 00:43:46,360 and enter the adult world for good. 338 00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:57,360 A black-footed albatross on the brink of adulthood 339 00:43:57,360 --> 00:43:59,520 and learning to fly. 340 00:44:06,920 --> 00:44:11,000 Her maiden flight will take her away from this tiny Pacific island 341 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:12,160 and out to sea. 342 00:44:13,640 --> 00:44:16,840 She will not touch ground again for three years. 343 00:44:20,040 --> 00:44:23,160 But she's not quite ready... 344 00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:25,200 yet. 345 00:44:43,160 --> 00:44:46,560 Learning to control a six-foot wingspan 346 00:44:46,560 --> 00:44:49,560 in a gusty sea breeze takes practice. 347 00:44:54,840 --> 00:44:57,120 These fledglings have not been fed 348 00:44:57,120 --> 00:44:59,520 since their parents left a few weeks ago. 349 00:45:01,640 --> 00:45:04,360 To find food, they must leave, too. 350 00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:09,680 And eventually one of them takes to the wing. 351 00:45:14,960 --> 00:45:19,080 But maiden flights often prove to be a bit of a false start. 352 00:45:56,600 --> 00:45:58,640 Tiger sharks. 353 00:46:03,240 --> 00:46:05,360 They congregate here every year, 354 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:07,960 precisely when albatross chicks fledge. 355 00:46:18,360 --> 00:46:22,560 If a shark doesn't strike exactly on target, 356 00:46:22,560 --> 00:46:24,880 a lucky albatross may escape. 357 00:46:32,760 --> 00:46:36,640 There can be few animals that have to face such danger 358 00:46:36,640 --> 00:46:39,040 at the very moment they leave home. 359 00:48:03,080 --> 00:48:05,640 It's a remarkable escape, 360 00:48:05,640 --> 00:48:09,360 but a water take-off is even harder than from land. 361 00:48:51,160 --> 00:48:54,800 This albatross has left youth behind. 362 00:48:56,800 --> 00:49:03,280 It's time to embark on the next step of life's story, 363 00:49:03,280 --> 00:49:06,720 independence in the adult world. 364 00:49:21,760 --> 00:49:25,000 It's been over 30 years since anyone climbed these cliffs. 365 00:49:30,720 --> 00:49:34,200 Producer Tom Hugh-Jones and cameramen Mateo Willis 366 00:49:34,200 --> 00:49:36,920 and Mark Payne-Gill are in Greenland, 367 00:49:36,920 --> 00:49:41,880 to film newly-hatched goslings leap from these towering spires. 368 00:49:45,760 --> 00:49:49,000 They can only convey the scale of what these tiny animals 369 00:49:49,000 --> 00:49:52,040 must go through by showing it from their perspective. 370 00:49:55,760 --> 00:49:58,080 Wow. I'm not one for vertigo, 371 00:49:58,080 --> 00:50:02,640 but just can't imagine what a chick would feel like having to do this. 372 00:50:02,640 --> 00:50:05,040 We're not going to have much time once they jump, eh? 373 00:50:05,040 --> 00:50:07,200 No. Lot of waiting and then suddenly it all happens. 374 00:50:07,200 --> 00:50:08,680 It's just that moment, isn't it? 375 00:50:08,680 --> 00:50:12,240 And you've got 20 seconds to get everything. Yeah. 376 00:50:12,240 --> 00:50:16,640 Tom spots his first pair of barnacle geese, and he has good news. 377 00:50:16,640 --> 00:50:19,120 'Yeah, copy, Tom. Over.' She's still brooding the eggs, 378 00:50:19,120 --> 00:50:21,960 so we're here in plenty of time, which is good. 379 00:50:21,960 --> 00:50:25,720 The team has some time on its hands to prepare for the big moment. 380 00:50:38,160 --> 00:50:42,600 Three, two, one, go. 381 00:50:42,600 --> 00:50:44,680 Tom helps Mark to get his eye in. 382 00:50:46,160 --> 00:50:48,720 'I don't think a chick will be quite the same.' 383 00:50:51,680 --> 00:50:54,680 Tom checks on the nests every few hours. 384 00:50:54,680 --> 00:50:59,040 All the mothers are still on the nests, but no signs of chicks. 385 00:50:59,040 --> 00:51:02,800 Just have to sit and wait, which is what we do. Over. 386 00:51:07,800 --> 00:51:11,560 The only thing that seems to be hatching round here are mosquitoes. 387 00:51:13,200 --> 00:51:15,160 Have you got mozzie repellent? 388 00:51:15,160 --> 00:51:16,960 I haven't, no. 389 00:51:16,960 --> 00:51:19,440 Sorry, I just swallowed a tonne of mosquitoes. 390 00:51:19,440 --> 00:51:21,000 HE COUGHS 391 00:51:21,000 --> 00:51:23,960 But it's the birds that are constantly on their minds. 392 00:51:25,640 --> 00:51:27,560 I dreamt about ducks last night. 393 00:51:27,560 --> 00:51:28,640 Ducks? Yeah. 394 00:51:28,640 --> 00:51:31,680 Actually, I had a dream about birds as well. Mark dreamt about chicks. 395 00:51:36,160 --> 00:51:39,040 The wait is over. I've just spied our first chick. 396 00:51:44,560 --> 00:51:46,800 These chicks may jump any time. 397 00:51:47,840 --> 00:51:49,520 Where are the chicks? 398 00:51:49,520 --> 00:51:52,440 Mateo concentrates on trying to film the leaps. 399 00:51:54,360 --> 00:51:59,160 While Mark focuses on the front of the cliff for the fall. 400 00:51:59,160 --> 00:52:01,520 The nest is just there above my fingertip. 401 00:52:01,520 --> 00:52:04,480 They've got to go down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, 402 00:52:04,480 --> 00:52:06,680 till they hit the scree slope below. 403 00:52:06,680 --> 00:52:10,000 That's an incredible fall for anything, let alone a gosling. 404 00:52:12,800 --> 00:52:16,480 It's almost 48 hours since the chicks hatched, 405 00:52:16,480 --> 00:52:19,680 so they're really getting to the limit of how long they can go 406 00:52:19,680 --> 00:52:23,120 before they start getting too hungry. 407 00:52:23,120 --> 00:52:25,560 So we should be on for a big jump. 408 00:52:28,040 --> 00:52:29,840 Just saw the female. 409 00:52:31,760 --> 00:52:33,600 Come on, what you going to do? 410 00:52:33,600 --> 00:52:37,560 'The female is pointing towards the back side of the rocks.' 411 00:52:37,560 --> 00:52:38,880 No, no, not the back side. 412 00:52:38,880 --> 00:52:40,880 'I'm going to follow her.' 413 00:52:40,880 --> 00:52:43,600 Come on. He comes forward again. 414 00:52:46,520 --> 00:52:47,760 Come on, Mum and Dad! 415 00:52:48,920 --> 00:52:51,760 'OK, I see the chick now with the dad.' 416 00:52:51,760 --> 00:52:53,040 They might be about to go. 417 00:52:53,040 --> 00:52:56,080 'It's going to jump on the far corner.' I've got two chicks. 418 00:52:56,080 --> 00:52:58,800 There it goes, there it goes, there it goes, there it goes! 419 00:52:58,800 --> 00:53:00,920 'All the way down, all the way down. Wow!' 420 00:53:02,640 --> 00:53:06,000 OK, I didn't see that. That was hidden from my view. 421 00:53:06,000 --> 00:53:08,880 Did you see the last one jump, Mateo? 422 00:53:08,880 --> 00:53:12,560 'I did until it was flying through the air and I didn't catch it.' 423 00:53:12,560 --> 00:53:15,040 OK, got the chick, got the chick, got the chick. 424 00:53:22,080 --> 00:53:24,760 That was a shock for it, but it survived. 425 00:53:28,760 --> 00:53:31,680 All the chicks jumped where the cliff obscured 426 00:53:31,680 --> 00:53:33,680 Mark and Mateo's view. 427 00:53:41,120 --> 00:53:43,600 What happens next comes as a shock. 428 00:53:46,360 --> 00:53:48,920 'A fox coming up the stream, he's now about to... 429 00:53:48,920 --> 00:53:50,480 'Follow the fox.' 430 00:53:57,960 --> 00:54:00,440 'Mark, did you see that?' 431 00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:03,000 BIRDS HONK 432 00:54:09,440 --> 00:54:12,000 'Oh, it's heart-breaking.' 433 00:54:14,080 --> 00:54:16,480 I know, I know. I think it's got them all. 434 00:54:19,440 --> 00:54:21,000 That's really sad. 435 00:54:23,200 --> 00:54:24,800 There's nothing you can do. 436 00:54:26,840 --> 00:54:29,920 The fox has its own young to feed. 437 00:54:29,920 --> 00:54:33,600 Life in this barren landscape is desperately tough 438 00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:35,560 for all its inhabitants. 439 00:54:38,440 --> 00:54:42,080 The team has to move on and try to film another nest. 440 00:54:46,560 --> 00:54:49,520 And I'm going to head off up round here... Yeah. 441 00:54:49,520 --> 00:54:51,440 ..and try and find a good position. 442 00:54:59,360 --> 00:55:03,120 So, this nest here is our last great hope, 443 00:55:03,120 --> 00:55:06,840 probably the only remaining one that we can get a good viewpoint on. 444 00:55:10,280 --> 00:55:13,560 The parents appear eager for their chicks to go. 445 00:55:13,560 --> 00:55:16,680 'Stand by, Mark. It looks like it's going to jump.' 446 00:55:18,160 --> 00:55:20,680 'By the male's feet.' 447 00:55:22,160 --> 00:55:23,320 Come on! 448 00:55:26,560 --> 00:55:28,200 Oh, where are you going to go? 449 00:55:30,200 --> 00:55:32,320 Here it goes, here it goes. Chick's going. 450 00:55:38,520 --> 00:55:41,400 Wow! Oh, my goodness. 451 00:55:41,400 --> 00:55:43,200 Here it comes. 452 00:55:45,800 --> 00:55:47,080 Wow. 453 00:55:51,760 --> 00:55:55,600 'They're all falling exactly the same way, all at once.' 454 00:55:55,600 --> 00:55:57,600 Here we go, here we go, here we go. 455 00:56:06,720 --> 00:56:09,600 'Chick's just tumbling down. 456 00:56:09,600 --> 00:56:10,680 'Can you see it?' 457 00:56:11,760 --> 00:56:14,880 Tumble, tumble. Whoa! 458 00:56:16,120 --> 00:56:18,160 Down the scree slope. 459 00:56:18,160 --> 00:56:20,000 Crikey! 460 00:56:23,680 --> 00:56:25,360 'How many chicks can you see?' 461 00:56:26,880 --> 00:56:28,520 'Um, I count three.' 462 00:56:30,560 --> 00:56:32,720 'No visual yet on any foxes.' 463 00:56:33,800 --> 00:56:35,760 So far so good, 464 00:56:35,760 --> 00:56:37,920 and they seem to be moving through. 465 00:56:44,360 --> 00:56:48,560 The team is able to film the family all the way down to the river 466 00:56:48,560 --> 00:56:50,240 and safety. 467 00:56:53,920 --> 00:56:56,360 They've witnessed the triumph 468 00:56:56,360 --> 00:57:00,880 of one of the most extreme survival strategies in nature. 469 00:57:00,880 --> 00:57:02,880 I mean, think how far they've had to come 470 00:57:02,880 --> 00:57:05,520 and this is only, what, their third day in the world? 471 00:57:05,520 --> 00:57:09,240 Yeah, it's just great to see them doing what they should be doing now. 472 00:57:17,480 --> 00:57:23,160 Next week on Life Story, animals grow up in the adult world. 473 00:57:26,560 --> 00:57:29,040 They will master complex skills. 474 00:57:32,960 --> 00:57:36,960 And learn how to stand up for themselves. 475 00:57:41,480 --> 00:57:45,920 For a free Open University interactive poster 476 00:57:45,920 --> 00:57:48,760 exploring animal life journeys, call: 477 00:57:52,000 --> 00:57:54,440 Or go to: 478 00:57:57,120 --> 00:58:00,000 and follow the links to the Open University.