Episode 3 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 rollercoaster lives...

Here on Wild Tales.

We're following three fantastic animal characters.

For Newky, the African wild dog pup, the future is far from certain.

Cara, the caribou calf,

has some seriously big problems to deal with.

And Hugh is about to face his biggest change so far.

So, where do we start?

First up is the Okavango Delta in Botswana in Southern Africa,

where a lone lion was causing trouble for Newky and his family.

Lions will kill wild dogs if they get the chance -

pups and adults.

ROARING

And once the rest of the pride joined in,

it all got deadly serious for Newky.

How would he ever survive this?

With the dust still settling from the lion attack,

the wild dogs take stock.

They've escaped.

But they're not exactly in one piece.

Some of the adults are injured, but what about Newky?

The pack's on high alert.

Checking the perimeter of the den,

making sure the lions have definitely gone.

And there's Newky.

He's survived.

But not all the pups were so lucky.

Like Newky's brother.

Mum and Dad move in,

checking for any signs of life.

While Newky just looks on from the sidelines.

It's no use.

Lions are the biggest killers of wild dog pups, but they don't eat them.

It's all about territory. They just can't stand the competition.

Newky stays close to his brothers and sisters.

And the adults rally round to lick the wounded.

Wild dogs heal quickly,

and even a dog that can't hunt will be brought food

by the rest of the pack.

They're all understandably a little quieter than usual.

Even Newky's not his usual boisterous self.

Mum and dad stay with the dead pup and the others join them.

It's a big loss for the pack.

But it could have been so much worse.

It's a tough lesson for Newky, but it's one he needs to learn.

Stay together as a pack to survive, no matter what.

It's a lesson he won't soon forget.

Over to the Canadian tundra

where Cara's life has gone from bad to worse.

Bloodthirsty mosquitoes forced the herds to get bigger...

..And bigger.

Attracting a full grown grizzly.

How would Cara get out of this?

Right now, she's sticking to Mum like glue.

The bear stalks.

Closer and closer.

BEAR GROWLS

But the herd don't just panic.

The caribou stay together, in tight formation.

Patrolling the perimeter,

the grizzly looks for any weaknesses in the herd -

the old, the sick,

the young.

Cara would be a perfect choice.

Grizzlies are capable of immense bursts of speed,

so the herd keep a buffer zone between themselves and the bear

at all times, an invisible shield.

So far it's a stalemate.

Finally, the grizzly makes its move.

And the herd moves, too.

Cara races to keep up.

Staying with mum is her only chance.

It's working for the caribou.

But the grizzly attacks again.

And again. He's not giving up so easily.

Each time the caribou keep their distance.

And Cara races to keep up.

Eventually the grizzly calls it a day.

Cara's survived.

And if she's learnt anything from all this, it's stay with the herd.

Further north in Canada,

up into the Arctic Circle,

we left Hugh and his sister

about to find their lives turned upside down.

The weather was shifting up a gear.

And these guys were in for a big change.

# Ole, ole, ole, ole

# Feeling hot, hot, hot. #

Spring is coming to an end.

The sun's out, the temperature is rising.

Everyone loves summer, right?

Well, no.

Summer in the Arctic is nothing short of a disaster for polar bears.

Hugh's world is literally melting into the sea.

All polar bears have to suffer this seasonal break-up of ice.

Once it starts they just have to swim for it.

And boy, can they swim!

Partially webbed paws, the size of dinner plates,

allow an adult male to swim more than 60 miles

without stopping for a rest.

That's more than enough to reach solid land.

And that's just where Hugh's family's heading right now.

Mum's kept afloat by her thick layer of fat,

like an all over set of armbands.

But Hugh and his sister don't have all that much fat yet,

so they need to be careful, and keep up with mum.

Not much further now.

There.

Hugh's made it.

A quick shake gets rid of any excess water.

This is a completely new experience for Hugh and his sister.

It's a whole new world, without any ice and snow.

But mum's an old hand.

She just wants to find a safe place to rest as quickly as possible.

And she's not alone.

Males have also left the sea-ice,

and without seals to hunt,

this guy's even more hungry than usual.

Hugh and his sister follow mum as she heads for the perfect viewpoint.

She needs to know where that male is at all times.

It's unlikely to take mum on.

After all, she's a big old bear.

But if Hugh and his sister don't stick close by,

the male WILL kill them.

Let's just hope they stay close.

In Botswana, the pack are still reeling from the lion attack.

They're twitchy, unnerved by it all.

But Newky and the pups are getting restless.

They don't really understand why it's no longer all fun and games.

Mum and dad know that if lions found them once,

chances are they'll find them again.

The pack are gearing up for something big.

Mum gathers up the pups.

It's time to ship out and find a new home.

This is a dangerous time for the wild dogs.

The adults are used to travelling,

they know the dangers to look out for.

But Newky and the pups have never left the den before.

This is a whole new adventure.

Far too exciting to spend time worrying about what's out there.

Of course, it's a different story for the adults,

as they herd the pups together.

They know how serious this move is

and they're even more jumpy than before.

But for Newky and the pups, it's still just one big game.

They've all got a lot to learn when it comes to being adult wild dogs.

The pack is on tenterhooks, and with good reason.

Hyenas are nearby.

These guys may not be as big or dangerous as lions,

but they're not exactly a barrel of laughs either.

How will it all end for Newky?

Things aren't looking good for Hugh.

A male is approaching.

And Mum has moved them all to higher ground to get a better view.

She's restless and it's all starting to rub off on Hugh and his sister.

They head up the rocks

as quickly as they can.

But this male is taking his time.

Hot weather just doesn't agree with polar bears

and everything seems to slow down.

Eventually, he wanders off.

And at last, mum gets the chance to relax.

It's the middle of the day, and it's hot out here,

but at least now Hugh and his sister can take a well earned feed.

Mum's just happy they're safe.

There are no seals to hunt out here,

and she'll pretty much starve for the whole summer.

But at least Hugh and his sister will stay well fed.

Without milk now, they'd never survive through the next winter.

They're all baking in the midday heat.

With that thick fur and layer of fat,

it's not easy being a polar bear in the summer.

No wonder Hugh just wants to sleep.

Surely this weather's got to change soon.

Out on the tundra, Cara and the herd may have escaped the grizzly,

but their old friends, the mozzies are back.

With a vengeance.

These guys aren't as easy to shake off.

They're still hungry for caribou blood

and when they get going, Cara has no alternative but to run.

She's running as fast as she can

and yet still she can't outpace the mozzies.

She's almost wiped out.

But this scourge does have an Achilles heal.

Strong winds would be enough to ground the mosquitoes.

Unfortunately, down here there isn't even a slight breeze.

So the caribou move up to higher, less sheltered ground.

And standing in the wind, Cara and her mum finally get some relief.

But it won't last.

The grazing is just too poor up this high

and caribou are ultimately led by their stomachs.

They stay as long as they can.

But the whole herd is eventually forced back onto lower ground.

Back with the mosquitoes.

And back on the run.

Nothing stands in their way.

Including water.

The last time Cara came across a river

she nearly didn't make it, caught up in the current.

But that wasn't really a river.

This is a river.

The herd aren't about to stop and they dive in.

How will Cara cope with a river this size?

In Botswana, Newky and the pack are facing a pair of hyenas.

They're on their way to a new home,

and this is the last thing the adults need.

It's no laughing matter.

A hyena's jaws can crack through bone,

but Newky and the pups don't realise

that these hyenas could be just as deadly as the lions.

Mum takes charge, and leads them away.

The rest of the pack has no choice but to stand its ground.

DOG BARKS

Dad leading the defence.

HYENA CRIES

It's all about saving the pups, at all costs.

HYENAS CRY

And it's working.

These guys have escaped the hyenas.

And as far as they're concerned, it's back to the adventure.

Mum leads the pups into their new home.

It's unfamiliar territory, and every smell is different,

but they soon settle in.

The rest of the adults are still out there,

but they eventually turn up in dribs and drabs.

Including dad.

They've got rid of the hyenas and they've all survived.

Newky gets to sit back and relax with the other pups,

while mum gets the job of tidying up.

This den was already here,

and while mum might look as though she's making a mess,

she's actually re-digging a den that the pack has used in the past.

Newky and the pups are still getting used to their new world.

But they'll soon get a chance to go exploring.

We left Hugh's family flaking out on the rocks,

desperate to cool down.

Things weren't looking good.

But then...

That's no mirage.

As the day wears on,

they stumble upon the only remaining patch of snow in the whole area.

Hugh and his sister are two seriously lucky bears.

This feels much more like home.

Mum's still hot.

And to cool her down, she even eats the snow.

She needs the odd drink.

She'd usually get all the water she needs from the food she eats,

but of course, she's not really eating right now,

just the odd edible plant or berry.

Hugh and his sister are still getting regular feeds,

so they're fine.

And they just want to play.

Rolling in the snow.

This is the life.

Unfortunately, Hugh's not really looking where he's going.

Whoops!

That'll teach Hugh to poo where he plays.

It'll take ages to get that stain out.

Eventually, Hugh and his sister just settle down,

chilling out, soaking up the cold.

It's still really hot out there, just look at that heat haze.

They've got weeks of this ahead of them,

and even this snow will eventually melt.

Hugh could really do with a seasonal fast forward right now,

but he's just gonna have to muddle through as best he can.

Cara's facing the impossible.

Water stretching out as far as she can see.

She might just want to sit this one out.

But it doesn't look as though she's got a choice.

Mum plunges in.

And Cara isn't about to be left behind, no matter what.

This river is far bigger than the one she crossed before.

It's deep and fast.

But Cara's a lot tougher now

and so far, she doesn't seem to be doing too badly.

Underwater, you can see that caribou are built for swimming.

Large, flexible hooves turn into powerful paddles.

And thick, hollow hairs act as built-in lifejackets,

trapping air and keeping them afloat.

For Cara, there's still a long way to go.

And as the currents get worse,

some of the caribou start to struggle.

Cara is using mum as a shield against the current.

She's over halfway.

But her legs are getting tired.

Mum could so easily storm ahead.

Will Cara keep up the pace?

In Botswana, Newky and the pups have just moved in to their new den.

It's all new and exciting.

With different nooks and crannys to explore.

Mum and dad need a rest after all that chaos.

And all the adults get their head down for a good, long dog-nap.

They've used this den before,

and they're not interested in exploring.

But as far as Newky's concerned, this place is brand spanking new.

And why sleep when there's a whole new world to mess around in?

Now it's starting to feel like home.

There are plenty of fresh scraps to play with.

The adults try to ignore all the rushing around

and just get some shut-eye.

They're bushed and need to get some strength back.

But Newky's too excited to rest.

He just wants to kick back and have some fun.

THUNDER RUMBLES

But playtime won't last for ever.

There's an ominous black cloud out on the horizon.

So far, it's all been pretty dry round here,

but it's about to change.

THUNDER

Newky is about to get his first taste of wet weather -

Botswana style.

Cara's still fighting against the current

and struggling to keep up with mum.

Like all caribou she's a born swimmer,

but right now, she's about fit to drop.

If she stops pushing those paddle-like feet of hers,

she'll drown.

There's no time to rest out here.

Come on, Cara! Keep going!

The front-runners have already made it to the other side.

And Cara's now got the end in her sights.

Mum's pushing on towards that far bank.

-But wait, Cara's in trouble.

-CARA BARKS

She's trapped.

And mum's out of sight.

Not every caribou makes it in one piece.

Whether it's a leg caught in the rocks

or a shattered ankle.

Cara will be lucky to survive at all.

If she could just get round that rock.

Come on, Cara.

Surely it can't all end here?

Next Time on Wild Tales -

how will Cara escape the river?

Will Hugh finally get some relief from that baking sun?

And what will the wet weather bring for Newky?

Find out next time on Wild Tales.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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