0:00:02 > 0:00:04The world is full of amazing animal families.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07Tales of life and death happen every day.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11For the youngest members, growing up's tough, really tough.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15These stories recreate their rollercoaster lives,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18here on Wild Tales.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25We're following the stories of three fantastic animal characters.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29Bill and Ben are two young lions, realising that the world
0:00:29 > 0:00:32is much harder when your family isn't around.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Eli and Ebony are two jumbo youngsters,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39learning what you have to do to become a grown-up.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43And Selkie the seal, who's on his own,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46swimming it up in the open ocean.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49But where do we start?
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Well, hold on, we're about to find out.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00First stop is the east African savannah.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Last time on Wild Tales,
0:01:04 > 0:01:09Eli's sister Ebony was taken hostage by another herd of elephants,
0:01:09 > 0:01:14and she soon realised that this family wasn't friendly.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19Her family were on a rescue mission, but will they get her back?
0:01:23 > 0:01:27Ebony is still imprisoned in the middle of a strange herd
0:01:27 > 0:01:30of elephants, and these strangers won't let her go.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
0:01:32 > 0:01:34She cries out desperately.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Finally, her family arrive in a whirlwind of noise and aggression.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Even Eli is involved.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49ELEPHANTS TRUMPET FURIOUSLY
0:01:54 > 0:01:58There's Ebony, on the left, but the strangers just won't let her go.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03The family have to rethink their tactics,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06because little Ebony could be squashed underneath this battle.
0:02:11 > 0:02:12They've finally done it,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16and Ebony's got Mum's guiding trunk to lead her to safety.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19That was far too close,
0:02:19 > 0:02:25and the herd will be keeping a beady eye on her from now on.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Ebony won't be straying from Mum again in a hurry.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35She has really learnt her lesson.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40There's nothing more comforting than a good ol' drink
0:02:40 > 0:02:45after all that commotion, and this girl can put away 30 pints a day.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49This gives the herd a chance to reunite
0:02:49 > 0:02:51and start celebrating the victory,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55keeping Ebony safe and sound right in the middle,
0:02:55 > 0:02:56away from prying trunks.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01Well, apart from Eli's, but he's just checking she's OK.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04He's too big to be kidnapped,
0:03:04 > 0:03:09but at five years old, even Eli's still got a lot to learn.
0:03:13 > 0:03:19200 miles north in the Masai Mara, and last time on Wild Tales,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23As the Simba family recovered from their run-in with the buffalo,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Bill and Ben were growing up fast.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Their lessons were becoming a bit more serious,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31and with their teenage years in front of them,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34they had a lot to learn.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Bill and Ben are now two years old.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45They're teenagers in cat years,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48so are growing like rockets, with attitudes to match...
0:03:52 > 0:03:55This is THE golden time for Bill and Ben.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57They're still welcome at the family table,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01but spend most of their time larking around with their mates.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07When you're a lion, this is the ultimate age to be.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11And to make things even better, the wildebeest are on their way.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Every year, over a million wildebeest pile into the Masai Mara.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28They risk their lives crossing rivers and streams,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30and cover hundreds of miles on their journey.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Why?
0:04:34 > 0:04:38To eat grass, and they have to pass right through
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Bill and Ben's family home, perfect for our two stars.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44So at the moment,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48the Simba family have a permanently stocked larder.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54And there is an addition to their family.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Bill and Ben have a younger sister.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06She's five weeks old, and is spending most of the time
0:05:06 > 0:05:08away from the violence of pride life.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16But like all big brothers,
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Bill and Ben still manage to get her involved.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26It's all one big game, and great to be one of the big kids,
0:05:26 > 0:05:27but they've got to be careful,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30they just don't know their own strength.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34This furry punchbag is going to grow up tough.
0:05:37 > 0:05:45But these beatings don't last long, because lions love to sleep.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46Especially when they're teenagers,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49and it's far too early for Bill and Ben.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52LION SNORES
0:06:04 > 0:06:074,500 miles north, in chilly Scotland.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Last time on Wild Tales,
0:06:10 > 0:06:15Selkie was only three weeks old when his mum left him for good.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20Without her, the sea suddenly looked like a really scary place to be.
0:06:30 > 0:06:3325 and a half days since he was born,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37and dawn breaks on a huge day in Selkie's life.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41The pups are high and dry sheltering from the wind,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43and don't they look different now?
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Selkie's lost almost all his white fur,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48and now he has his new waterproof coat.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52He must be desperate to get out into deep water.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Some of our seal pups are making a break for it already.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14Finally, our beach bum is about to become a deep sea diver.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16This is a huge moment for Selkie.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19If only Mum were here to see him now.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30One last look at the beach he used to call home,
0:07:30 > 0:07:31and here we go.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46Wow, he's finally made it, and it's paradise.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Selkie's weightless. He's perfectly designed for life at sea,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57and food is everywhere.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Time to explore his new world...
0:08:07 > 0:08:12..but he doesn't know where to go, and he's on his own.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14He could really do with Mum's help.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17He'd better keep an eye out for danger.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20All sorts of monsters lurk in the depths,
0:08:20 > 0:08:25and when you live in prime fishing waters, danger is never far away.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Ebony's kidnapping is a distant memory
0:08:39 > 0:08:42as the herd move on in search of more lush grass.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49At this time of the year, every elephant in the area
0:08:49 > 0:08:52knows to head to the marshes beneath Mount Kilimanjaro.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Its snow-capped peaks are melting
0:08:55 > 0:08:58and keeping the grassy surrounds lush and green.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05We're not talking one or two families, but hundreds of them.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Eli's the odd one out. He's one of the only boys,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22cos elephant families are almost all girls.
0:09:27 > 0:09:33So where are all the males? Well, they're on their way.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37This giant bull knows to head to the marsh,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41because the girls are there, and that's what he's after.
0:09:43 > 0:09:49He probably weighs six tons, and is four metres tall.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Like Mount Everest when you're Ebony's size.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58This is prime time for Eli to learn the do's and don'ts
0:09:58 > 0:10:00of bull elephant life.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03He'd better concentrate, cos he only gets the opportunity
0:10:03 > 0:10:06to study these lot for a few days a year.
0:10:06 > 0:10:12The big male will hang around until one of the females is ready to mate.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14It won't be long,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18and hopefully there will be no competition between now and then,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20but judging by his broken tusks,
0:10:20 > 0:10:24this bruiser's been in more than one or two fights in the past.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Our bull is not the only one in the region.
0:10:29 > 0:10:35Males are turning up from all around, like bees to a honeypot.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40When there are this many boys together,
0:10:40 > 0:10:41fights are inevitable.
0:10:45 > 0:10:46Not far away,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50it looks like these two giants are on a crash course
0:10:50 > 0:10:52for an almighty battle.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Eli and Ebony had better keep out of the way.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11Three months later in Bill and Ben's world,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13and the wildebeest migration has vanished
0:11:13 > 0:11:15just as quickly as it appeared.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Our brothers are getting huge,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22and are a starting to get fluffy around the edges.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27These lion hoodies are how you can tell them apart
0:11:27 > 0:11:29from the other teenagers in the gang.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35With food harder to come by, for them, at least,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38they've joined forces with some likeminded youths,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40and the gang have gone walkabout.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55But this is absolute madness. A fully grown buffalo,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59and for once, he's minding his own business.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05The challenge is all part of the fun,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09and this is a great opportunity to show off.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14It's like a game of cat and mouse,
0:12:14 > 0:12:18except this mouse could kill any of the cubs in seconds.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25Especially if they get near his horns.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Curiosity could well kill our cats.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35The teenagers could never kill a buffalo.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Buffs weigh over a ton,
0:12:41 > 0:12:46so this is surely just one big game for Bill and Ben,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50but a game so dangerous
0:12:50 > 0:12:53that some of the cubs are losing their lion's courage already.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00When you're young, you feel invincible,
0:13:00 > 0:13:05and Bill certainly needs to be if he's going to pull off this stunt.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11That hide is like armour plating,
0:13:11 > 0:13:16and Bill realizes he's bitten off more than he can chew.
0:13:16 > 0:13:21The buff can get out at any time, and if he does,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24our gang could be in serious trouble.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32It's time to beat a hasty retreat
0:13:32 > 0:13:36and find something else to play with.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40The kids aren't done on their adventure just yet.
0:13:47 > 0:13:53Back with Eli and Ebony's herd, and all's quiet for now.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58But trouble is brewing between two huge bulls.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02Eli races forwards for a front row seat.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07This is a huge lesson for his next stage in life.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09The bulls face each other,
0:14:09 > 0:14:13using their ears to look as big as possible.
0:14:13 > 0:14:19They'll do anything to avoid a battle...
0:14:21 > 0:14:25because when you're this big, fights can be fatal.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30These giants are almost the same size and age,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32and neither wants to give way,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36which means a fight is inevitable.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Bull African elephants aren't the biggest land mammals on Earth
0:14:44 > 0:14:45for no reason.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49These battles can go on for ten hours or more.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Ebony watches the action through mum Ella's legs.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56She's not going any closer, and with good reason.
0:14:56 > 0:15:02But Eli can't help himself. This is fascinating.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Each of these bruisers weighs as much as seven cars.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11All that tusk, muscle and flesh can do some serious damage.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14It is an extraordinarily dangerous moment for them both.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Eli watches as the loser is chased off.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34That's how to do it,
0:15:34 > 0:15:39and he's already practising. Eli has learnt a valuable lesson.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43When you're a bull elephant,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46you have to fight your corner to get the girls,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48and doesn't Eli know that now?
0:15:48 > 0:15:49Practice makes perfect,
0:15:49 > 0:15:55but he'll have to wait until he's 30 before he's in with a chance
0:15:55 > 0:15:58of winning a fight like the one he's just seen.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Up in Scotland,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12and Selkie's settling in nicely to his watery home.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14When you're new to the ocean,
0:16:14 > 0:16:16you need regular breaks,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19and he's heading for a sunbathing rock,
0:16:19 > 0:16:23but round the headland, a pod of killer whales is coming towards him,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27and these brutes have only got one thing on their minds.
0:16:28 > 0:16:34These eight metres long wolves of the sea weigh as much as a bus,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37and can swim at 35 miles per hour.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41They scour the coast looking for food,
0:16:41 > 0:16:42and love seals...
0:16:42 > 0:16:44..for breakfast.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06The whales know that the rock is a prime hunting spot,
0:17:06 > 0:17:11and the water's so dirty that Selkie won't be able to see them
0:17:11 > 0:17:12until it's too late.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16WHALE SQUEAKS
0:17:16 > 0:17:17But he's heard something,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21and his instinct kicks in like a rifle bullet.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24He's got to get out of the water fast,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28or his life at sea will be over before it's begun.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34And he's not alone.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44The killer whales are getting closer by the second.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Only 50 metres from Selkie, the whales pick up a couple of victims.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58It must be terrifying. These lot don't stand a chance.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13As the whales reach the rock, Selkie swims for his life.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20He's trying to get on the rock, but he's fallen in!
0:18:23 > 0:18:27He's made it in the nick of time.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29As the whales swim off,
0:18:29 > 0:18:34our young star climbs as far away from them as he can get.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45The teenage gang are busy beating each other up,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49which is a lot more fun than the marsh buffalo.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52All this play fighting may look like fun,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54but it does have a serious side.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57The cubs are practising for when they're older,
0:18:57 > 0:19:01and they really need to be king and queens of the beasts.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04When they get bored of that,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08it's time to wander around the hood looking for something else to annoy.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14And that something has caught Bill's eye.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17A spitting cobra,
0:19:17 > 0:19:21and our stupid teenagers just can't help themselves.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24It's like they're hypnotised!
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Cobras have a hidden weapon, fangs on top of their mouths
0:19:32 > 0:19:35that squirt venom with incredible accuracy,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38and that venom is like acid.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41They always go for the eyes of their opponent,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44and the venom could blind a lion.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49But do Bill and Ben keep their distance? Of course not.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Making mistakes may be all part of growing up,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57but the way Ben is going, even nine lives might not be enough.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03The only thing that saves him
0:20:03 > 0:20:06is that another show-off gets even closer,
0:20:06 > 0:20:12The slithery water pistol is cocked, ready to fire.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Suddenly, the "who can get closest?" game is over,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21and it's ended in tears,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Think shampoo in your eyes, and times it by 100.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27It could so easily have been Ben.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Sometimes they have to learn the hard way,
0:20:30 > 0:20:34and it's the second scare in a day for our gang.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37For now, their curiosity has been beaten out of them,
0:20:37 > 0:20:41so the best plan is to head back to the pride,
0:20:41 > 0:20:46where, with a bit of luck, there'll be dinner on the table.
0:20:51 > 0:20:57After all the action, it's time for a family celebration
0:20:57 > 0:21:00in the world's biggest playground.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Eli has said goodbye to the males for another year,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14but he's still practising,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18and spending more and more time away from the herd with his mates.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Ebony's doing what she does best.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24She's got Mum's milk for at least another year,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26so she's full of energy.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35When you're a young elephant, growing up is all about learning,
0:21:35 > 0:21:36and your family is your fortress,
0:21:36 > 0:21:41so having the best jumbo mum in the whole wide world
0:21:41 > 0:21:43makes life pretty good,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47especially when milk's always on tap.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Once he's sure the killer whales have gone,
0:22:04 > 0:22:08Selkie slips back into the water with food on his mind.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21He's got to work out how to fish, and there's no-one to teach him.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23Our star's in at the deep end.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35It's lucky that he's got all that fat to keep him warm and well,
0:22:35 > 0:22:39which gives him plenty of time to perfect his fishing techniques.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48He uses his whiskers as fingers, feeling his way through the sand,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50and scores his first fishy meal.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Maybe it's not so bad out here after all!
0:23:11 > 0:23:16Back with the Simba family, and life returns to normal for Bill and Ben.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20It looks like all the gang
0:23:20 > 0:23:23have recovered from the run-in with the cobra,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and as usual, the little ones are getting a hard time.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Life's definitely better back with Dad
0:23:37 > 0:23:39and the rest of the Simba family,
0:23:39 > 0:23:43and the brothers show him that he's still boss.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Mum and the other girls have been shopping,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57dinner's on the table, and our teenagers are starving,
0:23:57 > 0:24:02so they tuck into what may be their last supper with the Simba family.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Growing up is anything but plain sailing.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11Our stars have come through
0:24:11 > 0:24:15the obstacle course that is surviving in the wild,
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Many youngsters don't make it this far,
0:24:18 > 0:24:23and at times it's been tough, really tough.
0:24:25 > 0:24:31For Bill and Ben, fighting buffalo was a huge problem,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34But Mum came to the rescue.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Eli nearly drowned as he took the toughest swimming lesson
0:24:44 > 0:24:45known to elephant-kind.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54In Scotland, Selkie's waterworld nearly sunk our star
0:24:54 > 0:24:58when he bumped into a pod of killer whales.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06It wasn't just how to avoid being killed
0:25:06 > 0:25:09that our five mini explorers had to take on board.
0:25:13 > 0:25:19Eli bits and pieces caused him no end of trouble.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30Selkie had to learn to avoid the heavyweights on his crowded beach.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42Whilst Bill and Ben had to watch Mum shopping.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Then they had to catch it...
0:25:50 > 0:25:54..but it wasn't easy.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Our stars have beaten the odds to get this far,
0:25:57 > 0:26:01and with luck, they've got a great future ahead of them.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05For Bill and Ben, the end of family life is in sight.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Any day now, they could leave the pride,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11and go it alone to become kings of their own family.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17Eli will also leave his family in a few years,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20but little Ebony will stay for life.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22In ten or 12 years,
0:26:22 > 0:26:27she'll be able to have her own babies. Imagine that.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34And Selkie has five years of sunbathing,
0:26:34 > 0:26:36fishing, and playing around ahead of him,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40because being young is the ultimate age to be,
0:26:40 > 0:26:42and it's been a whole load of fun.
0:26:54 > 0:27:00Our fat acrobat was in his element burning blubber in the open ocean.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06And Bill and Ben were definitely the kings of mischief.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09our terrible two just never stopped.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18And playing didn't get better than when Ebony was involved.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23But for now, we've got to leave them.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25After all, the world's a big place,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29and there are lots more Wild Tales to tell.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk