0:00:02 > 0:00:04The world is full of animal families.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07Tales of life and death happen every day.
0:00:07 > 0:00:12For the youngest members, growing up's tough, really tough.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16These stories recreate their roller-coaster lives,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19here on Wild Tales.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25We're following the stories of three fantastic animal characters.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30Young lions Bill and Ben are growing up in a rough neighbourhood.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35Can their mum keep them safe from potential killers?
0:00:35 > 0:00:40For Selkie the young seal, life starts out of the sea.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43But if Mum doesn't feed him,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46it could all be over before it even begins.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50And even if you're the biggest land animal here
0:00:50 > 0:00:53life doesn't always go smoothly.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Eli's got to find his feet quickly
0:00:56 > 0:01:00if he's going to follow his jumbo-sized family.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03But where do we start?
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Well, hold on, we're about to find out.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15First stop is the East African savannah.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Kenya to be precise.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Welcome to the African plains, home - when you think of it -
0:01:22 > 0:01:25to some of the weirdest animals on earth.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27- Ones with nose horns. - BEEP!
0:01:27 > 0:01:30- The original rubber-neckers. - BOING!
0:01:30 > 0:01:34- And horses with built-in barcodes. - KERCHING!
0:01:35 > 0:01:39This place is always full of surprises.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41And, down in these bushes,
0:01:41 > 0:01:45this lioness mum called Bibi has been hiding a secret,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47which she's about to reveal.
0:01:47 > 0:01:54Meet Bill and Ben. For the last five weeks these guys have been tucked
0:01:54 > 0:01:58out of sight in their den. Now they are coming out to play.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Someone could have at least cut the grass.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06These two have no idea how tough it is out here.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Bill and Ben, welcome to the world.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Well, what you can see of it anyway.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17But hold on...don't the kings of the jungle live in big prides?
0:02:18 > 0:02:23The rest of Bill and Ben's family are over two miles away,
0:02:23 > 0:02:28strutting their stuff around the savannah like they own the place.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31And if anyone is in any doubt about who's the boss
0:02:31 > 0:02:34- just listen to this! - LION ROARS HOARSELY
0:02:47 > 0:02:51They are one seriously BIG family,
0:02:51 > 0:02:56headed up by Notch, the strong male leader.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Who's the Daddy? Well, he is, and he's backed up by four wives.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03You heard right - four wives!
0:03:05 > 0:03:10There's no way you want to mess with this lot!
0:03:10 > 0:03:14You're born into this gang. It's all about strength in numbers.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18To survive here you've got to be tough.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21You need all your wits about you because,
0:03:21 > 0:03:25even in play, those paws can give you a powerful whack.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33That's why Mum Bibi has been keeping Bill and Ben away
0:03:33 > 0:03:34from the rest of the family.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39When you're small, it's best to keep a low profile for your own safety.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46And if you stand a chance of being killed
0:03:46 > 0:03:48by your own brothers or sisters...
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Well, let's just hope that Wild Tales for these two
0:03:51 > 0:03:54doesn't end in CAT-astrophe!
0:04:02 > 0:04:084,500 miles north are the rocky shores of Scotland's Atlantic coast.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Guess what? Surf's up, dudes.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18This is a terrifying coast of crashing waves and huge storms.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Not the place for buckets and spades.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25But this is the home of the perfectly adapted grey seal.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29This seal mum-to-be has a layer of blubber to protect herself
0:04:29 > 0:04:33from the freezing cold ocean and her torpedo shape
0:04:33 > 0:04:36makes her a really graceful aquatic acrobat.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40She is one of the best underwater hunters.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48And she doesn't even wear goggles!
0:04:49 > 0:04:52In fact, her eyes work better down here.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56- MWAH! - And with her heat-sensitive whiskers
0:04:56 > 0:04:59getting around this water world is simple.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05But there is one thing she can't do here and that is give birth.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16To do that, she needs to turn from surf chick to beach-bum
0:05:16 > 0:05:20and move through the pounding waves and jagged rocks.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Getting ashore isn't going to be easy.
0:05:26 > 0:05:32So, before it's even been born, our star seal faces its first threat.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36Mum is heavily pregnant. She must make her way on shore safely
0:05:36 > 0:05:40and avoid being smashed against the rocks. Let's hope she makes it.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Back in Africa, but further south than our lion family.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00And hands up who NOSE what's next?
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Yes, big it up for the elephant.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Seven tonnes of pure muscle.
0:06:16 > 0:06:22With tusks that can pierce steel and the ability to run at up to 20mph...
0:06:25 > 0:06:30..they are the heavyweights of the African savannah.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Like the lions, this lot are all family,
0:06:34 > 0:06:38sticking together and forming a formidable gang.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48But even elephants have to start somewhere.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54For almost the last two years, a new baby elephant
0:06:54 > 0:06:57has been developing in his mum's womb.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01But he's growing so fast, he's running out of room.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05He needs somewhere to stretch his trunk.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09Baby Eli already weighs more than most people's dad.
0:07:09 > 0:07:15But he's just a big baby and will have a lot to learn very quickly.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19It looks like mum is ready to give birth.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24Newborn ellies, aren't too big to avoid the attention of lions.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31But, if they can stick close to mum at all times,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34even lions would think twice about attacking.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40When Eli, our baby elephant, is born -
0:07:40 > 0:07:44and that could be anytime now - he will have to learn to stand
0:07:44 > 0:07:49on his own four feet from the word go and keep up with the family.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59200 miles away, in the heat of the midday sun,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Bill and Ben's extended family are taking a siesta.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08This is what it's really like to play Sleeping Lions!
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Let's hope they don't roar... Sorry, snore.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Bill, Ben and Mum, though,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23are still keeping away from the rest of the family.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26For now, it's best that they keep to themselves
0:08:26 > 0:08:30and avoid the rough and tumble of family life.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34At just five weeks old, they're completely dependent on Bibi.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37She has to do absolutely everything for them.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45But her most important job is to keep her kids safe.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52And that means keeping a look out for anything nasty.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Lions have a lot of enemies
0:08:58 > 0:09:02and Bill and Ben don't just have their own family to worry about.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07In this playground, gangs of buffalo could turn up
0:09:07 > 0:09:10at any moment. They're not afraid to use those horns
0:09:10 > 0:09:14against any little lion cubs that might get in the way.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17This is not a nice neighbourhood.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22To keep them safe, their mum has brought them
0:09:22 > 0:09:26to a place the rest of the pride don't know about.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30They need to grow up a bit before they stand any chance of survival
0:09:30 > 0:09:33as part of their extended Simba family.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Bibi's got a big job on her paws to keep Bill and Ben from harm.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43But she can't watch them constantly because of the small matter of food.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48And round here, that doesn't mean a family trip to the supermarket.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54This is Bill and Ben's first lesson -
0:09:54 > 0:09:59while Mum's away they need to keep their heads down.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17Back with the Jumbo family. The time has come for the newest arrival.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Everyone in the herd knows Big Mama is about to give birth
0:10:23 > 0:10:26and they all stick close.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29There's safety in numbers.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Out of sight, Eli makes his arrival.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Now it's time to stretch those legs.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47But there seems to be a problem.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53Eli should be able to walk within half an hour of being born.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57He needs to be able to follow the herd to new grazing lands.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00And keep out of the way of dangerous predators.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05But, like a lot of toddlers, Eli is struggling to stand.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12He just can't seem to straighten his legs.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24And if he can't get up, he won't be able to feed on Mum's milk.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26He just won't be able to reach.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37Now his older brothers and sisters are trying to get him to his feet.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Come on, Eli! You can do it!
0:11:41 > 0:11:43This isn't looking good.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49He just HAS to be able to follow the herd.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58The sun is blazing down overhead and it's sapping his strength.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05The rest of his herd have moved on to get water...
0:12:06 > 0:12:10..leaving just Eli and his mum alone in the baking sun.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13ELI TRUMPETS WEAKLY
0:12:13 > 0:12:15< LOUDER TRUMPETING
0:12:15 > 0:12:20Hearing his distress calls, one of his bigger cousins comes to help.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Come on, Eli. Get those legs working.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Our surf-chick seal mum is finding it difficult
0:12:53 > 0:12:55to get on shore in Scotland.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59The waves are pounding.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04But she has to get ashore to give birth,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07because seal pups can't swim when they're born.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Using all her skill, she eventually makes it onto dry land
0:13:21 > 0:13:23but the dangers don't stop there.
0:13:25 > 0:13:31The beach is rammed. All the local seal mum's are giving birth here.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34PUP CRIES
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Our mum's got to find her place amongst this noisy crowd.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42THEY ROAR
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Being born onto this busy beach is hardly the easiest of starts.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Yet this is the only place mums can give birth.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56And growing up here has plenty of dangers.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04New pups face being trampled or crushed by scrapping males.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Luckily, Mum's found an empty part of the beach
0:14:08 > 0:14:12and it's time for Selkie, our seal, to arrive into the world.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15- SEALS CRY - He gets a noisy welcome.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20This'll be his home for the next month, before he goes to sea.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28BIRDS SQUAWK
0:14:28 > 0:14:31But it's not just other seals making a racket.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35Seagulls screech, adding their deafening call to the mix.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Can't a young seal get any peace round here?
0:14:40 > 0:14:44It's time for Selkie's first feed of milk.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46But something's wrong.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52Mum's exhausted. Come on, Mum.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54Selkie's hungry.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59He really needs his milk.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Selkie's her first baby. She doesn't really know what to do.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Bill and Ben are hiding in the grass alone.
0:15:35 > 0:15:41And they really need to keep a low profile. Without mum close by,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44they're easy targets for predators lurking in the bushes.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Mum, Bibi, has had to go hunting.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55To make enough milk for Bill and Ben, she needs to eat well.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59She's got a warthog in her sights. She'll have to be careful.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04Warthogs may look small, but they're the original fast food.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14And males are equipped with seriously sharp tusks.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20She needs to take her time. But the longer she stays here,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22the longer Bill and Ben are alone.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26Bibi doesn't have the help of the pride to hunt.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31Lions are famous for hunting in groups. The whole pride teams up.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Hunting is usually a job just for the ladies.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37The lead female starts to chase the prey
0:16:37 > 0:16:40and the others cut off its escape route.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45Like this, a pride can take down very large prey indeed.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49But remember, Bibi's alone and she's waiting
0:16:49 > 0:16:53for the perfect chance to strike. This looks like it.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Did she get it?
0:17:09 > 0:17:12She did. Well done, Bibi.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14But it's just a small snack this time.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Now supper's ready, Bill and Ben can come out of hiding.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26- They're following mum. - CUBS CRY
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Well, you do have to pester mum when she's shopping!
0:17:31 > 0:17:34But this meat isn't for them just now.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36It's milk all the way for Bill and Ben.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Still, at the speed they are growing up,
0:17:40 > 0:17:44it won't be long before mum will need to shop for three.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Eli is struggling to stand.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04He's now six hours old and still hasn't been able
0:18:04 > 0:18:07to get up and reach his first meal of milk.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13There's nothing else for it - he just needs to stand up.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19The whole family have come back from feeding
0:18:19 > 0:18:21to be close to Eli and his mum.
0:18:26 > 0:18:32Eventually they all need to move on, with or without Eli.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Don't give up, Eli. Keep trying.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Look at that! He's using all his energy to stand up.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51He's doing it.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Amazing!
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Eli's done it.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04He's managed to stand up and he's getting his first meal.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07What a relief!
0:19:09 > 0:19:13If he can get a good meal and get his energy back,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15he could be on the road to recovery.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18Let's hope so.
0:19:31 > 0:19:36Bibi has eaten well, and Bill and Ben have had a good meal of milk,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40but they're still keeping out of sight from the rest of the family.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43That lot are just down the road.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48- They've just woken from their nap. - LION GROWLS
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Which, by the sounds of it, was a roaring success.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57Dad's the MANE man. His job is to protect his family
0:19:57 > 0:20:01and guard their territory against other lions.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03His roaring is an amazing sound
0:20:03 > 0:20:08and he uses that huge voice to say, "This is my patch. Keep off!"
0:20:10 > 0:20:14His roar can be heard all over this neighbourhood.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19It travels like a ripple in a pond across the open savannah.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Bill and Ben can certainly hear it.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27And so can any other lion within five miles.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Lions can tell a lot from each other's roar.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Notch may sound impressive to us, but prides are usually run
0:20:37 > 0:20:40by a pair of males, providing double protection...
0:20:40 > 0:20:44which you need. Because when male lions fight,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46they can fight to the death.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04But for the Simba pride, Notch is the only adult male here.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Other lions can work out from that roar that Notch is alone.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13The Simba pride are a ripe target for any young upstarts.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17And these two boys think Notch's time is up.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24They're just hanging around Notch's territory
0:21:24 > 0:21:28before mounting a takeover bid.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31And they're not in a good mood.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38This is bad news for Bill and Ben.
0:21:40 > 0:21:45New adult male lions will kill any young cubs they come across.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53Let's hope Mum, Bibi, knows some good hiding places.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Back on Selkie's beach in Scotland,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20and he's still trying to get his first meal of milk from his mum.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23SEALS WAIL
0:22:23 > 0:22:25But she just won't let him.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Come on, mum. He needs his milk.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37The noise on the beach is non-stop.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41But all the other pups round here are being fed.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45Young seals really need their milk. In just three weeks,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49they have to put on 30kg to get ready for a life at sea.
0:22:50 > 0:22:56The only way they can do that is by drinking lots and lots of milk.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02And they'll do that anywhere. And any way they can.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10Sadly for Selkie, Mum still seems exhausted and confused.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24He wanders off to see if he can get any milk
0:23:24 > 0:23:27from any of the other mum's on the beach.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31But he's getting no luck.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36This is awful.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41With the sun setting, Selkie faces the prospect
0:23:41 > 0:23:44of his first night alone on the beach.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Come on, Mum!
0:23:47 > 0:23:48You've got to help him.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24For Eli, now that he's up on his feet, he needs to follow the herd.
0:24:26 > 0:24:31And although he's a bit shaky, he seems to be managing it for now.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38He's got a lot of support from the rest of his super-sized family.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44But there's still a long way to go.
0:24:44 > 0:24:51This elephant herd has a home range covering 1,500 square kilometres.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54That's an area the size of Greater London.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00And each day, they can walk the distance of a marathon -
0:25:00 > 0:25:0342km.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Most of the herd won't bat an eyelid about that.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13But for little Eli, well, we'll just have to wait and see.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21He's had a bit of a wobbly start, but he's got so much more to learn.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28He'll probably spend at least the next five years
0:25:28 > 0:25:32with his mum and family before he's ready to go it alone.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38But even with his big family around him,
0:25:38 > 0:25:43a lot can happen to a young elephant in just five years.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05It's happened.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09The two young males intent on taking over the Simba pride
0:26:09 > 0:26:13have stumbled across Bill and Ben's hiding place.
0:26:21 > 0:26:27They look mean and if they find the cubs they WILL kill them.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32It just goes to prove how tricky growing up out here really is.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36This is Bill and Ben fighting for survival right here.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Bibi's managed to keep the males at bay so far.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44But for how much longer?
0:26:49 > 0:26:54And now a herd of buffalo, with those dangerous horns,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58are closing in on the cubs' hiding place from the other side.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03They're caught between a rock and a hard place here.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Mum, Bibi, is doing her best,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11but who knows if Bill and Ben can escape this?
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Next time on Wild Tales -
0:27:19 > 0:27:24have Bill and Ben managed to stay safe from the attacking males?
0:27:25 > 0:27:31Will Selkie's mum get her act together and start feeding her baby?
0:27:31 > 0:27:33And for Eli,
0:27:33 > 0:27:38wobbly legs are one thing but what do you do with a nose that big?!
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Find out next time on Wild Tales.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:27:44 > 0:27:46E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk