Episode 2 Wild Tales

The world is full of amazing animal families.

Tales of life and death happen every day.

For the youngest members, growing up is tough, really tough.

These stories recreate their roller- coaster lives, here on Wild Tales.

We're following the fortunes of three fantastic animal characters.

We'll find out if Yogi, our adventurous bear cub,

lives to swim another day.

Leopard cubs Kumi and Siri are about to have a scary encounter.

And bold little meerkat Rooney comes face to face with danger.

But where to first?

Well, you're about to find out.

First stop is northern Alaska, home to our grizzly bear family.

Last time Mama Bear was trying to catch some fish.

But after taking her eyes off the cubs, Yogi and his sisters

found themselves in deep water.

They were swept away by the strong current.

This is a really wild river.

Fortunately, the girls have made it ashore,

but Yogi's been washed further downstream.

There're a big bear that's heading his way who wouldn't think twice

about gobbling down helpless Yogi.

Uh-oh. He looks really tired. Is he gonna make it?

Crikey! What's that grizzly got?

Please don't be Yogi.

Phew. It's just a salmon.

And look! There's Yogi.

He's made it back on to the bank.

Mama and the cubs rush to greet him.

Mama must be so pleased she's got her little Yogi back.

Yogi won't forget his first swimming lesson in a hurry.

He's had a lucky escape.

It's obvious Mama's got her work cut out keeping this bundle of fur safe.

But with no fish caught and more big bears on their way,

it's far too dangerous to carry on fishing around here.

Mama's got to find somewhere safer for the cubs.

But where's she gonna go?

10,000 miles across the Atlantic

to southern Africa's Kalahari Desert.

Last time, little Rooney had a lucky escape from a hungry mole snake.

Since the drama of the snake attack,

Rooney and the gang have been in their burrow.

Luckily, the mole snake hasn't been seen again.

It's now getting late and they've got a chilly night ahead.

Like most deserts, the Kalahari gets very cold at night,

with temperatures dropping well below zero.

For these guys, survival in the Kalahari Desert league

is all about teamwork.

With no central heating, they've got to use each other to keep warm.

And look at Rooney. He's using Mum and Dad as his hot water bottles!

But this is the moment he's been waiting for - sunrise!

Now, at last Rooney and the team can soak up the sun's rays.

Like all good teams,

they need a proper warm-up before they get active.

But for these guys, that means sunbathing.

It looks as though they're gonna need more time in the sun,

as they're all struggling to wake up.

And little Rooney can hardly stay upright.

Oh, he's gone!

These sleepy heads better buck up.

If they want to stay in the First Division

they need to get into training.

Lessons are starting at 9 o'clock sharp

and these lessons are not to be missed.

Heading north over Africa, our next stop is Kenya's Masai Mara.

Last time, Mila was taking Kumi and Siri

their first meaty meal, a wildebeest she'd hidden in the undergrowth.

But there was one big hurdle.

Siri made it, but the cliff proved too much for Kumi.

Kumi's still at the bottom of the bank.

He's on his own.

He's in real danger, but he must learn how to get up himself.

Mum can't help him now.

That bank is massive! It's over five times his height.

That's like you trying to climb a two-storey building.

Ah, he's gonna have another go. Oh!

He's missed it again.

Ooh... There we go.

Ah, at last!

Well done, Kumi. He looks so happy to be up there with Mum.

What a fighter.

"Ouch! Easy, son!"

Things are looking up, and they're about to get even better.

Mum's taking him to the kill.

At three months old, this will be Kumi's first taste of meat,

essential to a little leopard's diet.

These two will get through the equivalent of

100 wildebeest in the next year.

Hold on, where's Mum off to with that?

Their meaty feast is gonna attract some hungry scavengers soon,

so Mum's got to take it somewhere safe

and for leopards, that means up a tree.

Oh no, poor Kumi.

Climbing lessons are coming thick and fast today! He's just struggled

up a steep river bank and now Mum's expecting him to climb a tree.

After Yogi's river rafting adventure,

Mum's looking for somewhere safe to take the cubs.

But with no home to go to, this family are heading to the meadow.

It's down by the beach, and during these summery months

it's packed full of juicy green grass.

Wahay! Grub's up!

Yogi's been living on his mum's milk for the last four months,

so this is a real treat.

Unlike most toddlers, this guy just loves his greens.

Mama bear's getting stuck in too.

She's starving.

Meadow grass is full of vitamins, but it isn't as filling as salmon,

so Mum has got to eat a lot of it to get the calories she needs.

But she's got to stay alert.

There are two young males playing down on the beach.

They're only teenagers, but unlike the ones hanging around your park,

these teens could eat you.

At just four months old, Yogi and the girls would be an easy snack.

They think they're tough,

but they've got a lot of growing to do

before they can look after themselves.

Hm - Mama Bear's spotted trouble again.

That's not good. The two teenagers are heading their way.

LOW CLUCKING ROAR

Mum signals the alarm.

"Come on! Enough mucking around, you guys. We're off."

Yogi's only managed a few mouthfuls of grass.

He's still really hungry, and he's not the only one.

But now he's got to get a move on or he could end up as dinner.

Kumi's really being put to the test.

Mum's taken his dinner up the tree, so if Kumi wants to carry on eating,

he's got to follow.

Oh, he's straight up!

Just look at him.

He's forgotten his trauma at the riverbank.

He's really enjoying it up there with his sister.

This is like a giant climbing frame to the cubs.

Wildebeest isn't the star attraction any more.

Playing in this tree is much more fun.

There're lots of branches to sniff and run along.

And you can even do a bit of tree-hugging. Ah!

Ooh! Watch out, Kumi, it's a long drop if you fall.

Fortunately these guys are armed with long claws

that can help them dig in and cling on

so that they can explore their new tree-top territory.

But trees aren't just for fun.

They can use them as a leopard lookout.

Reaching up to 15 metres high,

they're the ideal place to check out what's on the menu.

They can use them as a leopard larder.

The perfect place to stash food away from scavengers.

Just like Mum's done with her wildebeest catch.

And they can also use them as a leopard's lair.

With lots of shade and a fresh breeze, it's a great spot

for a cool cat to chill out.

But there's no snoozing for our Kumi.

He's just too excited

and has already spotted something from his tree-top lookout.

A waterbuck!

The waterbuck has no idea

that there's a little rapscallion hiding in the branches.

But Kumi's got a few more lessons and a little more growing up to do

before he'll be able to take on this guy.

At last Rooney's wide awake, warmed up and ready to go.

Just as well, as it's time for his first training session -

finding food the meerkat way.

With most of their food buried deep underground,

this calls for a lot of digging.

Each meerkat can shift over 300 times its own weight in sand.

Just imagine doing that with your bucket and spade!

Thanks to an amazing sense of smell,

they can pinpoint a bug buried deep in the sand with the slightest sniff.

Then they'll dig like there's no tomorrow.

"Hey, Rooney! Your turn."

"Woah, they're over there."

The whole class is off to get some digging lessons.

First off, each pup gets their very own coach.

Mum and Dad need a break, so little Rooney is paired up with Uncle Bob.

YAPPING SQUEAKS

Rooney's starving and he's letting Uncle Bob know it

with all that yapping.

He's too little to dig for himself so Uncle Bob's showing him how.

And as soon as he finds something tasty, he throws it to Rooney.

Grub's up! A nice crunchy beetle for Rooney to get his teeth into.

Ah, that's shut him up!

It looks as though Rooney's got an ace coach.

And Rooney's not the only one to notice.

The other pups are trying to muscle in but Rooney's having none of it.

Uncle Bob is all his!

Wow, that's quite a tackle!

It looks like our little Rooney is becoming a bit of a star player.

But he's got to be careful,

as feeding time for meerkats is often a risky business.

Yogi and his family have been on the run all day trying to find a meal,

but everywhere they go, they keep bumping into danger.

They're starving.

Mum's brought them back to the shoreline

and at last they're in luck. They've found some tasty dinner.

And this time, they've got the place to themselves.

Yogi and the girls are really enjoying their first taste of meat.

It's a dead seal.

OK, so it may look a little stringy,

but to Yogi, this is like a giant sausage.

At last, Yogi and his family are having a feast.

Uh-oh, a few other scavengers have turned up

to steal some tasty tit-bits. Ravens.

That's the last thing they need, noisy birds to give the game away.

These birds could attract other scavengers,

like bigger bears or even wolves, and wolves would happily eat

a bear cub for breakfast.

Yogi's got the right idea.

He's chased one away, but there's lots more circling around.

They've finally had a decent meal but Mama's not happy.

They can't hang around here for long - it's not safe.

They've got to keep moving.

With climbing lessons over for the day,

Kumi and Siri are following Mum back home to their riverside den.

At this age, they're completely dependent on her.

She provides them with food and protection,

and these two need all the protection they can get right now.

Uh-oh, Mum's noticed something.

A troop of baboons are marching straight for them.

These monkeys can get really nasty.

If they spot a big cat, they'll want to scare it off

or even kill it to protect their family.

After lions and hyenas, baboons are the most dangerous animals

a leopard can encounter,

and they could easily kill little Kumi or Siri.

What are they going to do?

Mum's making a quick exit, leaving the cubs to hide on their own.

It may seem crazy, but it's her only option.

If Mum stays and stands her ground,

the baboons will know she's got something to protect.

Kumi and Siri are trying to get into cover.

Their survival instincts are really kicking in.

Look how they're crawling close to the ground.

They're trying to keep as low as they can.

Now they have to put their hide and seek skills into practice.

They've found somewhere to hide - a cave in the bank,

just above that fallen log.

Oh, no. Look, one of the baboons is heading straight for them.

It must have heard them.

But the cubs are being really clever. They're staying dead still.

If they move a muscle, this could be their last game.

It's shaking those bushes, trying to scare them out.

Don't move, cubs!

Feeding lessons are continuing and Rooney's doing his best

at guzzling down lots of bugs and grubs.

And he's not the only one getting stuck into breakfast.

Mum, Dad and the rest of the team are joining in,

and they'll eat just about anything they can lay their paws on,

even millipedes!

But for meerkats, finding food is a risky business.

With their heads down and bottoms up,

they're especially vulnerable to attack.

Not wanting to end up as a takeaway feast, the team have a cunning plan.

The older team-members take it in turns to be on guard duty,

and right now it's Aunty Mavis's turn.

She's climbing up to the highest vantage point,

where she can look out for danger.

And for the meerkats, danger can come from anywhere.

Hungry hawks or eagles from above...

jackals on the horizon...

and snakes along the ground.

Whilst Rooney's been waiting for some more tasty morsels,

he's noticed a new sound.

It's Aunty Mavis. CHIRPING

What's all that noise about, Mavis?

As the guard on duty, she's making a continuous chirp.

In meerkat language, it means the coast is clear

and the team are safe to feed.

She's still chirping for the moment, but danger is looming.

Less than 100m away, a golden cobra is heading for the team.

Let's hope Mavis spots it in time,

so that Rooney and the other pups can make a hasty escape.

Yogi's not having much luck with chasing the ravens away.

They've got to keep moving

before the ravens attract some uninvited guests.

-DISTANT HOWL

-Yogi can hear the howling.

He doesn't know what it means, but he can tell something's up.

There are wolves about, and if they've spotted the ravens,

it won't be long before they close in on Yogi and his family.

And if that wasn't bad enough,

they've also got the weather to deal with.

It's starting to get nasty.

Yogi and his sisters follow Mum.

They're heading up a cliff called Bootleg.

Wow! That's steep.

These bears can go anywhere!

But with rock-climbing, one wrong move could be suicidal.

Uh-oh. They've got company.

The wolves have obviously been attracted by all those birds.

Let's hope they don't pick up the bears' scent.

If a wolf got hold of Yogi, he wouldn't stand a chance.

Oh, no. The worst has happened.

The wolves are following them up Bootleg.

This is serious.

Come on, guys.

You've got to get up there quick.

Kumi and Siri are playing a deadly game of hide and seek with a baboon.

This monkey could easily kill them, but the longer they can sit tight,

the better their chances of survival.

Oh, phew. The baboons appear to have lost interest.

Well done, guys. That was a close call.

With the baboons outsmarted, Mila knows it's safe now.

She's coming back to join her cubs.

She's found Kumi and Siri. What a relief!

After all that excitement, they're in need of a refreshing drink.

"Ahh!"

Ooh, but what's that?

Kumi just can't wait to get into training again.

Time for some stalking practice.

No, missed it that time.

"Oh, Mum! It's a serious business."

Now, what's Siri found?

She's gone for something even smaller.

What is it?

Oh, it's a butterfly!

Not in quite the same league as a wildebeest,

but you gotta start somewhere!

Ooh, look! Now they're practising their hunting skills on Mum.

It's been quite a day for these two,

and they've proved they're quick learners.

But with baboons in the vicinity and other hungry predators about,

danger could come at any moment.

With his feeding coach keeping him stocked up,

Rooney's tucking into his fourth course.

Aunty Mavis is still on guard duty and she's signalling the all-clear

with her constant chirp.

But danger is lurking in the distance.

A golden cobra is making a beeline for the team.

Has Mavis seen it?

Listen, the chirping's stopped.

Mavis has spotted the snake.

Now she's signalling the alarm.

AGITATED CHIRPING

Rooney's heard that one before. In meerkat language, it means SNAKE!

But they've got to go on the attack.

The team need to stand their ground and scare the snake away,

or else the cobra will follow them into their burrow.

A golden cobra is far more lethal than a mole snake.

Its venom can kill a man in minutes.

But these guys are pros.

Their reactions are lightning fast and if they work together,

they can bully this snake out of their territory and keep Rooney

and the other new signings safe.

Look at Rooney. The cheeky striker's gone in for a closer look.

Careful, Rooney. If the cobra spits its venom, it'll blind you.

But even while the cobra's being warned off,

there are still a couple of defenders at the back keeping a look out.

SQUEAKING

Oh, what's that? One of the defenders is sounding another alarm.

They're being attacked from above! It's a martial eagle.

Rooney doesn't know what that alarm means, but he's a quick learner

and follows everyone towards the burrows.

The cobra's making a quick escape whilst the team are scarpering.

Unlike a snake, you can't fight an eagle.

It will easily grab you.

Watch out, Rooney!

Next time on Wild Tales -

Has Rooney escaped the clutches of the martial eagle?

Kumi's a year older, but he's still not out of danger.

Will he survive a close encounter with a pack of angry lions?

And can Yogi and his family keep their footing

and escape from the wolves?

Find out next time on Wild Tales.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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