Episode 1 Wild Tales

The world is full of animal families.

Tales of life and death happen every day.

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

These stories recreate their rollercoaster lives,

here on Wild Tales.

We're following three fantastic animal characters.

For Newky, the African wild dog pup, it's all about family.

A really big family.

For Cara, the caribou calf, life's one long journey.

Right from day one she's on the move.

And Hugh is facing a world full of ice and snow.

But he'll have plenty of fun along the way.

So, where do we start?

Well, hold on...

you're about to find out.

First up is the Canadian wilderness

where a herd is on the move.

These are caribou, heading north on their annual migration.

They're basically North American reindeer,

but they're not exactly Santa's little helpers!

These guys are seriously tough.

Not that they're exactly guys -

they're all females.

And nearly all of them are pregnant, carrying unborn calves inside.

One of them is carrying Cara, the calf we'll be following.

And right now she's getting bashed around all over the place.

And there's still a long way to go.

Their migration is a 400-mile trek

over the roughest wilderness terrain in Canada.

For two months these girls trudge through snow, climb mountains,

and survive blizzards.

All to get to just the right spot.

Here - the Canadian tundra.

A vast plain on the edge of the Arctic circle.

By the time they get there any snow will have melted.

But they're not there yet.

And right now it's becoming a race against time.

The mums need to reach their calving grounds on the tundra

before the calves are born,

otherwise they'll give birth too soon

and the calves could be left behind.

Let's just hope these girls make it.

Next, we're over to Botswana in Southern Africa.

This is the Okavango Delta.

A water-filled wildlife paradise.

Packed with all those animals you'd expect to see in a wildlife show.

But as far as we're concerned, it's just going to the dogs.

Literally.

These are African wild dogs, a lot rarer than your average mutt.

They're big on family, with some fairly new arrivals on the scene.

Like Newky, a six-week old pup who started life underground.

And he's only just come out into the open.

Now, he's got the run of the place along with his brothers and sisters.

All of them born at exactly the same time.

Just imagine that birthday party!

The family also includes loads of aunts, uncles and grown-up siblings,

and of course mum and dad.

It's one big family, and they all live together,

all of the time.

That should be a recipe for disaster but there's a strict pecking order.

With mum and dad running the show...

..and the other adults vying for position.

So what about Newky and the other pups?

Well, they're spoilt rotten.

Wild dog pups are both seen AND heard.

But it's not all fun and games for Newky.

And things are going to get a lot tougher.

It's back to Canada now, up into the Arctic circle.

This place is cold -

up to 30 degrees below.

But we're heading underneath the snow where it's 40 degrees warmer.

This is our Polar Bear mum, snuggled up in her den.

Sshhh, you need to be quiet down here.

This girl's flickering in and out of a deep sleep.

She's been here since winter began, hibernating.

And her two cubs haven't yet been born.

For now, they're both safe, away from the cold.

But eventually they'll all end up out in the open.

Out here.

That's dad, trudging across the sea ice,

braving the winter winds alone.

But don't feel too sorry for him -

he won't raise a paw to look after those cubs.

And cold weather doesn't bother him.

That fur is super thick,

even better than fur is fat.

This guy's got a thick layer of blubber under the skin

to keep him warm inside.

Down in the den, mum is even warmer.

It won't be long now before her cubs are born.

But how will they cope with this strange new world?

Back in Botswana, Newky's having the time of his life.

But things are getting serious for the adults.

They need meat. And hunting, like everything else in wild dog society,

is a family affair.

Not that Newky does any hunting.

He may have teeth, and a taste for meat,

but his legs wouldn't keep up with a dog pack running at full pelt.

He'll stay back at the den, along with his aunt as babysitter.

The adults say a final goodbye and they're off.

Prey isn't that easy to come by.

They'll cover a lot of ground in their search for food.

But it's hard to know who's got the hardest job.

Finding prey is one thing,

but looking after this rowdy bunch is no picnic.

Thankfully, Aunt Tess has the perfect comforter - wild dog milk.

Now that's pretty weird.

Mum's the only female who has pups round here.

Aunt Tess hasn't had any at all,

but she still produces milk.

Feeding can be a painful operation.

Ouch!

Tess can only take so much.

Those teeth are sharp.

Newky and the pups are just having fun.

But Tess could do with the adults getting back...soon.

In Canada, our polar bear mum is getting ready to give birth

in the safety of the den.

The winter storms are still raging on outside.

But you wouldn't know it down here.

Mum's out for the count,

and even giving birth doesn't completely wake her up.

Somewhere amongst all that fur is Hugh, our polar bear cub.

Now, where is he?

Ah, there he is.

He's tiny.

Weighing only half a kilo next to mum's 300.

That's about the same as half a bag of sugar.

Whereas mum's more like six bags of cement.

Hugh's the first one out.

His little sister is still inside.

Right now, his fur isn't all that thick...

..and he's got hardly any fat under the skin.

It's still pretty cold in here, so Hugh snuggles up to mum.

She's like a giant duvet.

He'll stay down here for three or four months

until he's big enough to cope with the outside world.

And until then he'll be on a diet of mum's fat-filled milk,

which will leave him 15 times bigger.

He's a real drain on mum.

She hasn't eaten a thing since entering the den,

and she won't eat or drink until she leaves.

Just imagine that - not eating for half a year!

She must be starving.

She'll need to find food soon after she gets out.

Otherwise her milk could just stop flowing and Hugh just won't survive.

In the tundra now, it's summer.

And Cara's mum has finally finished her journey, just in time -

she's already giving birth.

The herd are nearby.

Many of them bursting at the seams.

Say hello to Cara the calf!

She's only just been born, and mum's still licking away all that mess.

This time, just after the birth, is when mother and calf bond.

They get used to each other's smell.

And learn each other's calls.

It's the only way they'll find each other in a crowd.

But Cara can't lie down for long.

Stuck on the ground, she's a pre-packed ready meal for predators.

Bears on the prowl,

and sharp-eyed eagles that could easily carry off a calf.

Cara needs to be up on her feet.

Come on, you can make it.

Just a bit more.

There!

Amazing. Only a few hours old, and already she's walking.

Right now she needs to stay with mum.

She's still on a liquid-only diet.

And only mum's milk will do.

She'll grow quickly,

and those little legs won't stay shaky for much longer.

But mum sometimes seems to forget that Cara's only just been born.

Woah, where are you going?

She's on the move looking for better grazing.

Cara needs to keep up or she's in danger of being left behind.

Come on, Cara!

In Botswana, Newky's bored of just feeding,

and where HE goes the other pups soon follow.

With the pack still out searching for food,

the babysitter is running out of ways to calm these guys down.

As always, Newky is the ring leader,

leading the pups in a mad dash around the den.

It's all getting a little too much for Tess.

But how are mum and dad getting on?

The pack is already several miles from the den.

While their range covers over 300 square miles,

they won't travel far while the pups are small.

And here's what they're looking for...

..a group of impala.

These are extremely nervy animals.

The slightest noise or smell will send them running.

So these guys have to play it cool.

This is where being in a pack really comes into its own.

They speed up and fan out.

And as the impala break away, the dogs keep them in their sights.

They're weeding out the weakest animal,

one of the old, the sick, or the young.

With the selection made, they go in for the kill.

After the chase comes the prize.

But they can't risk attracting lions or hyenas that would steal the prey.

So they stay quiet,

bolting down food as quickly as possible.

But what about Newky?

Sure he's had milk, but he needs meat too.

And after what Tess has put up with,

surely she deserves some reward for her troubles?

Let's just hope the pack get back soon.

So far, Cara's kept up with mum out on the tundra.

And she's finally found her feet.

She's even started to run.

But it's no longer just mum she has to deal with.

Life as a caribou means dealing with the herd.

Cara sticks close to mum.

She could so easily get lost here.

This far north, you get almost 24 hours of sunlight a day.

The grass just keeps on growing.

And caribou are lean, mean, lawn-mowing machines.

Even Cara's started on the stuff, and she's only a week old.

She spends all her time eating,

sleeping, and exercising those legs.

You'd think with all those other caribou eyes to keep an eye on Cara,

mum wouldn't need to worry about losing her.

No such luck.

It's only when Cara takes a look around

that she realises what's wrong.

Mum wandered off to find better grazing,

leaving Cara on her own.

Maybe this caribou's familiar?

Obviously not.

Unlike wild dogs, there's no babysitting here.

Cara is completely alone.

She may have started grazing, but she still needs mum's milk.

And without her, she won't survive for long.

Let's just hope she finds her... and soon.

It's over to the ice and snow of the Arctic now,

where spring has sprung.

Mum somehow knows it's time to come out.

It was really starting to smell down there.

This is the first fresh air she's had in months.

But she won't leave the den

until she knows everything's safe for Hugh and his sis to come out.

It's male bears she's worried about.

Males are bigger than females.

They wouldn't take on mum

but they would eat the cubs if they got the chance.

For now, the coast is clear and Hugh doesn't want to wait any longer.

His sister isn't far behind.

Up until now the den has been their entire world.

They've never seen what's outside.

Wa-hey!

While there are no other bears around,

mum lets them take their first steps.

It's the first time they've ever felt fresh snow.

So many things to see, smell, touch and roll.

Come on, sis!

It's like a giant winter playground.

It's all so much fun.

Much better than that stuffy den.

But while Hugh and his sister may just want to lark about,

mum is always on high alert.

She'll be tied to the den for a few weeks yet,

at least until the cubs are a bit stronger.

And until then there's always the chance a male will wander too close.

Maybe it's best to take Hugh and his sis back inside.

At least for now.

In Botswana, Mum and Dad are with the pack,

bolting down food like there's no tomorrow.

Meanwhile, back at the den,

Newky and the pups will have to wait to get their share of the food.

But Tess has lost all patience.

Dealing with rowdy pups isn't easy,

even with the whole pack doling out discipline.

Dealing with them on your own...

well, that's enough to leave anyone tearing their hair out.

For Newky and his brothers and sisters,

play fighting is the game of the day.

But it's not all just fun and games.

These guys are working out where they stand in the pecking order.

So far, Newky is top pup.

He certainly gives as good as he gets.

The babysitter has now just given up.

Best to just lie down and wait till it's all over.

Mum and dad ARE on their way back, but it's getting late.

While Newky's running around like he owns the place, Tess is dog tired.

Newky doesn't realise anything's wrong,

but Tess's milk won't last if she doesn't get food soon.

If she has to look after these guys for much longer,

she'll end up barking mad.

In the Arctic, Hugh's growing up fast

and he's now just about ready to leave the den for good.

Mum makes another quick check for males in the vicinity.

And they're off!

Mum leads Hugh and his sister on their first trip away from the den,

towards the sea ice.

Finding food is now the top priority and mum's timed their emergence well.

Seals are out on the ice having their pups right now.

Easy prey for a polar bear.

But they won't stay out for long.

Mum needs to shift up a gear if she wants to get herself an easy meal.

It's gonna be a long trek.

But feet equipped with a non-slip grip

make walking on ice "SNOW" problem!

Of course, Hugh and his sister have only got short legs,

so they still need the odd rest.

Another excuse to play.

Mum's not having any of it. She can't afford to wait around for long.

She hasn't eaten for months, and if she doesn't get some food soon,

all that milk that Hugh and his sister like so much, will dry up.

She needs to keep going.

And so do Hugh and his sis.

Over in the tundra, Cara's still desperately searching for her mum.

She's lost, and on her own she won't survive for long.

But it's not over yet.

Those first few days alone with mum

now provide Cara with a toolkit for survival.

Despite the clamour of the herd,

mum can still pick out Cara's distinctive sound.

It's like a homing beacon, and they head straight to each other.

A quick sniff confirms mum's got the right one.

And Cara's suddenly a lot safer.

She'll be keeping mum within her sights after that close shave.

Although there are some things even her mum can't save her from.

On the other side of the tundra, a golden eagle is watching.

It's already taken out a caribou calf Cara's size.

But that chick will need more before it's ready to leave the nest.

Cara is in real danger.

But as the eagle takes off...

she's blissfully unaware.

An eagle can spot a calf from two miles away,

and predators take out one in every five caribou calves

from each new season.

Cara's short life is coming to a head.

But surely it can't be over so soon?

Next time on Wild Tales -

as the eagle closes in,

how will Cara survive?

Will Newky's family return before Tess goes completely mad?

And will Hugh's mum find food, before her milk runs dry?

Find out next time on Wild Tales.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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