Bedtime Andy's Baby Animals

# Andy's baby animals Andy's baby animals

# If you're a polar bear and you're going somewhere

# Andy's baby animals

# Or an elephant calf then you'd better take care

# Andy's baby animals.

# If you're a Capuchin learning how to read

# Or an ostrich chick trying to beat a retreat

# Andy's baby animals Andy's baby animals

# If you're a black bear looking for a tree to climb

# Andy's baby animals

# Or a penguin chasing Mum at breakfast time

# Andy's baby animals

# An orangutan trying to make a bed

# Or a meerkat struggling with a sleepyhead

# Andy's baby animals Andy's baby animals

# Growing stronger every day

# Watch them try their luck at play

# Andy's baby animals Andy's baby animals. #

Hello. I'm Andy and this is Flash.

She's a baby sloth, she's only four months old.

Sloths sleep up in trees.

They don't have beds to sleep in, so they'll curl up into a ball,

or hang from a branch, and find anywhere to sleep.

If you're wondering why they don't fall out,

it's because of their sharp claws.

Look at them. They grip on even when they are fast asleep.

Every baby animal has its own special place to sleep.

First up, the Congo.

The animals that you and I are most like are the great apes.

Gorillas,

chimpanzees.

and these orangutans from Sumatra.

But unlike us, they all make their beds up in the trees.

This orangutan baby already knows her way around the tree tops.

But she'll need to rely on Mum

to teach her how to make a bed up here.

Every evening, she watches her create a mattress

by bending branches together.

Hey, that's your pillow you're eating!

Never mind. She'll share a bed with Mum until she's eight years old,

so she has plenty of time to learn.

Beds also make good umbrellas.

But that takes some practice, too.

Aww! Keep trying.

The smallest of the great apes are called bonobos.

In her forest home in Africa,

this bonobo mum is also teaching her son how to make his bed.

And like lots of children,

he'd rather be having fun than helping his mum out.

When she's done, Mum takes a well-deserved nap.

HE SNORES

But it's hard to rest with a toddler who just wants to play.

I guess she'll have to try again later.

Elsewhere in Africa, gorillas are also using branches

to make nice springy beds.

Sleeping in a tree is actually very sensible.

It's warmer up here than it is on the ground,

and there's plenty to eat if you fancy a midnight feast.

Mmm!

But poor old Dad is too heavy to sleep up in the trees,

so his bed is on the ground.

HE YAWNS

Whatever type of ape you are,

it can take a long time to learn how to make your own bed.

But until you figure it out, you can always snuggle up next to Dad.

# Andy's baby animals Andy's baby animals. #

Next, we're in Tibet in Asia.

Not all baby animals have to learn how to make their own beds.

Some lucky ones have Mum and Dad to do it for them.

CHIRPING

These little balls of fluff are baby geese,

also known as goslings.

Their home, Tibet, is called the rooftop of the world.

Mum and Dad both look the same.

They've both got black bars on their head,

which is why they are called bar-headed geese.

And they've come a very long way to be here.

They've flown over the top of the tallest mountain range in the world,

the Himalayas.

Not bad, eh?

In fact, they can fly almost as high as a jumbo jet.

They've come here to raise their young, and they're not alone.

Thousands of other geese are here to do the same.

They lay their eggs in a nest on the ground.

And a month later, the goslings hatch.

CHIRPING

Mum and Dad may have travelled a long way,

but even a few steps are tricky for a newly hatched gosling.

This rocky ground might seem like a pretty uncomfortable place to sleep,

but Mum has made it into one of the comfiest beds

in the whole animal kingdom.

She has filled the nest with the fluffiest feathers

that she could find.

And if it's still not soft enough,

she'll add one or two of her own.

All done - time for bed.

Night-night!

And it looks so comfy, Mum wants to join them.

It's a bit of a squeeze...

but there's room for everyone.

# Andy's baby animals Andy's baby animals. #

Our final stop is South Africa.

Some baby animals sleep in trees, some sleep on the floor,

but others go to bed below the ground.

These are baby meerkats, also known as pups.

They live here in the beautiful Kalahari Desert in Africa.

It's morning time, and everyone is just waking up.

But it looks like some of the pups may have been up late last night.

For a meerkat pup, waking up is easy.

Staying awake, though - now, that's the hard part.

Oh!

Oh...oh!

Today, this meerkat family will be mainly sunbathing.

Ahh!

Oh, it's a tough life being a meerkat.

They're not just working on their tan, though -

the sun's rays will help warm them up after a long, cold night

sleeping underground, and the dark fur on their tummies

is particularly good at catching the heat,

which is why they always stand with their bellies pointing at the sun.

The pups haven't got the patience for sunbathing.

They'd much rather play.

And after an exhausting day of fun, it's time for bed again.

Meerkats like sleeping underground

because they can all snuggle up together and stay safe and warm.

Night-night. Sleep tight.

So that's a great ape, a gosling,

a meerkat pup and a baby sloth.

They all have their special place to sleep.

I think Flash could sleep all day.

See you next time.