Safari Babies Animal Babies

The first months of any animal's life are the most crucial.

Every day brings new challenges.

And new dramas.

In this series we'll reveal how animal babies survive,

and even thrive, in three of the most beautiful,

yet demanding landscapes on the planet.

On the vast savannahs of Africa,

youngsters face the world's top predators,

and intense competition.

Water babies must deal with treacherous coasts

and dangerous currents.

And in the rocky world of the mountains, food is scarce,

and the weather extreme.

These brave little animals

do have some great tactics to overcome the odds,

but they face a steep learning curve in what can be a cruel world.

If they pay attention to those around them,

and fight against adversity,

they might just make it.

This is the story of some amazing animal babies.

The great savannahs of Africa

are home to some of the most iconic animals on the planet.

These grassy plains cover almost half the continent...

THUNDER

..and are constantly changing.

Plagued by extreme weather

and an environment that swings from feast to famine.

But the unique challenge of growing up in this extraordinary place

is the sheer number of animals.

Herds of millions,

all competing for the same food.

And this draws in a huge number of hunters.

More large predators stalk the plains of East Africa

than anywhere else in the world.

So the first hurdle for the safari babies

is simply staying alive.

This newborn wildebeest is trying to stand for the very first time.

In just three wobbly minutes, it's up on its feet.

For a while, at least.

And it's not alone.

Most of the calves arrive in the same few weeks,

and everyone is having the same trouble.

The calf is part of the largest herd on the planet.

There are well over a million adults here,

and around 12,000 calves are born every day.

With so many vulnerable youngsters around,

a calf has to be pretty unlucky to be the one targeted by a predator.

But although the herd provides safety in numbers,

it's constantly on the move.

So, to keep safe, the little calf

needs to steady his legs and get going.

Within a day the transformation is miraculous.

The calf is already one of the top ten fastest land animals

on the planet...

..capable of clocking 50 miles per hour...

..which soon comes in handy.

While the wildebeest can breathe a huge sigh of relief,

there's a very good reason to feel sorry for the cheetah.

In this case, six good reasons.

Here on the Serengeti,

just one in 20 cheetah cubs survive to adulthood.

The odds may be even worse for these six cubs,

because this is a particularly large litter -

double the average -

and so Mum needs to find a lot of food.

But the biggest threat is actually other predators.

The sheer number of hunters here

creates intense competition between them all.

Lions and hyenas will kill these cubs, not just to eat them,

but to eliminate a potential rival.

Being solitary and built for speed not strength

leaves the cheetahs vulnerable.

As adults, they'll have their speed to get away,

but at this age they rely on the fluffy grey fur on their backs

to keep them camouflaged.

This fluff will go over the coming weeks...

so the cubs need learn the art of self defence,

and start by play-fighting.

At just 12 weeks old, their play is all rather gentle.

And Mum is remarkably patient when she's trying to keep a look out.

Soon they'll be expected to keep watch for themselves,

and, as their story continues, they'll need to learn fast.

With predators lurking around every corner,

the safari babies use play to help them build strength,

and develop the skills they'll need to stay safe.

These serval kittens wrestle together...

..stalk each other like prey...

..and practice their sprint.

But defending yourself is hard when you're only little.

Even the baby that will grow to be the largest animal on the Savannah,

starts out life small and defenceless.

A precious new arrival, just hours old, is finding her feet.

The rest of the herd moved on while she was being born,

and her mum can't protect her from prowling lions on her own,

so it's vital they find the safety of the herd.

But in her haste to rejoin the group,

this inexperienced first-time mother is making a critical mistake.

She's not standing still long enough for her baby to suckle.

The first feed is a lifeline of vital nutrients

and much-needed fluids, but Mum marches on.

A watering hole isn't what the infant needs right now,

and exhaustion and hunger are taking over.

But the little calf finds the strength to persist...

..and with Mum finally standing still,

this determined baby gets her first feed of life-saving milk.

With new-found energy they continue searching for their herd,

because the calf isn't out of danger yet.

The family's protection is vital to many animal babies,

no matter how large or small they are at birth.

These tiny banded mongoose pups

start life under ground, in the burrow.

GENTLE SQUEAKING

After a few weeks, the pups emerge into the adult world,

which is all about family...

THEY SQUEAK AND CHIRP

..an extended family that works as a tight-knit unit.

Every day this mob needs to defend their turf

from aggressive neighbours, and the rules here dictate

the youngsters must look after themselves pretty quick.

The female pup is doing really well.

Unfortunately, her brother is smaller and weaker.

His eyes should be fully opened by now,

but he seems way behind in his development.

The sister feeds and builds up her strength.

But her smaller brother is doing the complete opposite

of what he should be doing.

Wandering off from the rest of the mob isn't a good idea.

Hungry leopards...

..marabou storks...

..and monitor lizards are all around.

Calling loudly for help could attract the wrong kind of attention.

MONGOOSE PUP SQUEAKS

He's got lucky this time,

one of the mob hears his cries and retrieves him...

..but his story will only continue

if he can copy his sister

and stick with the protection of the family.

The elephant calf and her mother are still trying to get back

to the safety of their family.

And now she's feeding regularly,

the infant has the energy to keep up with Mum, as she searches for them.

But within their vast home range of hundreds of miles,

the rest of the herd could be anywhere.

MOTHER ELEPHANT RUMBLES

Her mother calls using low-frequency rumbles...

..a unique language the baby is yet to learn.

The sounds carry for up to six miles,

as Mum communicates with the herd.

After several hours,

they finally track down the rest of the group.

At last, the baby meets her extended family for the very first time.

The herd have been waiting for the calf to arrive

after a two-year pregnancy, so they make a real fuss of her.

The tender intertwining of trunks is like a hug or a handshake,

as they smell and touch the new arrival.

ADULT ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

The bigger elephants are boisterous in their excitement,

so the little one hides behind her mother's legs.

The matriarch arrives to take control. SHE TRUMPETS

Our little baby will depend on her guidance,

so it's vital the two of them bond.

The extended family leaves them in peace.

It's a more gentle introduction, and rather than hiding,

the calf comes out to meet her.

The baby seems quite smitten with her new friend,

and even starts following her.

The matriarch has to give her a gentle nudge back towards Mum.

Finding her family and meeting the matriarch

means our little calf is now protected

by their numbers and sheer size.

And she's going to need all of their help as her learning continues.

So far these animal babies have done well,

and kept themselves out of harm's way.

Feeding themselves will be their next main challenge.

But it doesn't always come naturally.

They'll have to compete with many hungry mouths,

and survive periods of extreme drought,

so the babies here have to be very resourceful

in their search for food and water.

These fluff balls are baby ostriches.

Just a few days old.

THEY CHIRP

When they're fully grown they'll get most of the water they need from

their food, but as newborns, their bodies aren't as good

at keeping cool, so they need to drink.

They won't last much more than another day without water.

But here in the Kalahari,

there's not so much as a damp patch in sight.

Following their parents out across this wasteland seems like suicide.

Especially when the temperature tips over 40 degrees Celsius.

Yet, in the middle of the desolation

is an astonishing number of animals...

..all attracted to a spring of life-giving freshwater.

The chicks can see just what they need,

but being hoof-height

makes negotiating this forest of legs seem impossible.

They are agonisingly close but can't risk being trampled.

Their salvation has come in a surprising form.

ANIMALS EMIT VARIOUS DISTRESS CALLS

It's a stroke of luck for the chicks and a safe path is clear.

Their first ever drink of water.

Some babies have it a bit easier.

Mammals get their food and water from Mum's milk in their early days.

The elephant calf will suckle for at least three years,

drinking over 11 litres a day as a newborn.

Spotted hyena pups get especially rich milk.

It's so high in protein and fat that Mum can leave them on their own for

up to four days.

The mongoose siblings will suckle from any female with milk.

It's one of the many ways the whole family helps with the little ones.

But even the mammals can't rely on Mum forever.

Eventually, they need to learn to feed themselves.

This zebra foal started eating grass at just a week old.

Grass may seem plentiful...

..but the number of other animals around

means finding enough of it can still be a challenge.

The entire mega herd has the same diet.

Hundreds of thousands of mouths competing for the same grass.

The good pasture is quickly exhausted,

so the foal and its herd must move on to reach fresh forage.

But an obstacle stands in their way.

The crocodile-infested waters of the Mara River.

With just seven crossing points on this river, these crocodiles,

which are some of the largest in all of Africa,

know exactly where to wait.

But driven on by hunger, the herd must cross.

Second thoughts are understandable, but now the crossing has started

this youngster has no choice.

A foal's small size means that when it slips,

it's quickly washed downstream by the barrage of water

towards a new danger.

One of the most aggressive animals on the planet,

hippos will readily kill to defend their patch of river.

But more dangerous still,

we now know hippos will also eat meat

and would relish the meal of a young zebra.

Out of control,

the foal is forced right towards the hippo's jaws.

It's a lucky escape.

And after one last struggle...

..the prize of fresh grass awaits.

But understandably, a little nap comes first.

As a grazer, finding a constant supply of succulent grass

is harder work than it may first seem.

But for the carnivores, finding food is even more of a challenge.

The family of six cheetah cubs

have managed to stay safe from other predators...

..and now the cubs must learn how to be predators themselves.

It'll take months to learn to hunt.

And step one is simply starting to eat meat.

They wait while Mum brings back the dinner.

When it arrives, the cubs just look scared.

THEY HISS

Not quite the response you'd expect

from the world's fastest land predator.

The cubs don't realise their time is short.

They'll soon have company.

VULTURES SQUAWK

Eventually, they get the idea.

But their milk teeth make chewing hard work.

They need to eat fast because, with more vultures arriving,

they won't keep this meal to themselves for long.

Word's got around about a free lunch.

And this little one seems totally distracted

by the number of onlookers.

As more birds arrive, Mum tries her best to keep them at bay.

The cubs need to step up and help defend their dinner,

but instead, they slope off.

Mum's frustration is clear,

but there's nothing more she can do...

..and the family abandon the kill.

The six cubs are no closer to being able to feed themselves

and Mum will have to find all of them more food again soon.

The banded mongoose family are also out hunting

and in their case, it's insects they're after.

Of the two little pups, the brother has been struggling,

whereas the sister is up for an adventure and is exploring.

Beetles are a dietary staple for these mongooses.

But they have to find them and dig them out first.

The female pup watches...

..and copies the digging technique.

Her brother, on the other hand,

doesn't seem to be getting it.

He begs scraps from other family members,

but they can't afford to support a scrounger...

..and are losing patience with him.

HE SQUEAKS REPEATEDLY

While all he can do is watch the others feast,

his sister is finding plenty of tasty morsels for herself.

But the brother's ineptitude is getting noticed

and he's roughed up by his own family.

When the mob moves on again,

the sister has plenty of energy from all the food she's found

and has no problems keeping up.

But her brother is in a bad way.

The family can't jeopardise the whole group for a weak member

and it becomes clear that this little one has been left behind.

HE SQUEAKS REPEATEDLY

From now on, the mongoose family

will only have to look after the stronger female pup.

Of course, having no siblings

means a youngster doesn't have to share its food at all,

and one baby animal has a rather extreme strategy

to see off its rivals and make sure it stays well fed.

The first chick in a drongo's nest has just hatched.

CHICK CHIRPS AND CROAKS

The chick begs to be fed.

and while Mum is away collecting food,

it begins its devious plan.

Mum returns and doesn't seem to notice what's happened.

For her, it's business as usual.

Mission accomplished.

And now the murderous chick is a selfish only child.

With Mum's devotion all to itself,

it grows rapidly and so does its food.

A neighbouring nest contains drongo youngsters

that look completely different.

That's because this chick is a cuckoo.

It was laid in this nest to deceive the drongo mother

into adopting and caring for it.

Her love is blind.

Even with the competition of the other chicks out of the way,

there's barely space for Mum any more...

..and the cuckoo chick has secured enough food to survive.

The family of six cheetah cubs

have to share their meals between them all.

They failed to guard their dinner from vultures,

so the cubs will go hungry until Mum can hunt again.

THUNDER

Now four months old, they will have competition for every meal -

from other predators, scavengers like vultures, and each other.

PURRING

The harsh reality is

that this number of siblings are unlikely to all make it.

THUNDER

Nearby, another family of cheetah has just three cubs.

They're older, so they're further on with their education.

And today, Mum is teaching them an important lesson.

Perfectly camouflaged in the background,

the cubs watch Mum stalk a steenbok.

The cubs must stay absolutely still

not to give away their mother while

watching her masterclass in hunting.

Mum brings the antelope down

but she hasn't killed it.

This is today's school practical for our trainee predators.

Cheetahs suffocate their prey by biting their throat.

It's a vital skill to learn.

But they haven't got the hang of it yet.

It could be months before the cubs master this technique.

Mum may even leave them on their own before they've got the hang of it.

They must learn this soon if any of the three are going to make it.

As time passes on the African plains,

all the safari babies are growing up.

They've managed to stay safe

and most are finding their own food.

But there are other skills to master before they graduate to adulthood.

From how to establish your place in the pecking order...

..to knowing who to give a wide berth.

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

And discovering the best ways to cool down.

This leopard cub may look like an adult

but it's still a juvenile

with plenty to learn.

Today, he's putting an essential leopard skill to the test.

Tree climbing.

In the open environment of the savannah,

a tree is the only place to stash a kill without it being stolen.

Except, he's the thief.

This is his mother's dinner

and he's pinching it.

Or trying to.

His tree climbing skills clearly need some work.

He's forced to abandon the robbery and try earning his own dinner.

Sometimes, there's no substitute for time and practice.

The little female pup is a star pupil in the banded mongoose family.

She's making giant leaps towards independence,

but her home life is about to be turned upside down.

The family are moving den.

It keeps them one step ahead of the predators

and stops parasites and pests from building up.

Moving home can be traumatic for any little one,

but this is a treacherous journey

and the family quickly come across a problem.

As they pass a human settlement, they encounter an unusual obstacle.

Our brave little pup tries her best

but isn't quite strong enough yet.

SHE SQUEAKS

She's fearful of being left behind like her brother,

so she calls loudly.

But the downside to being a bit bigger

is that now she's harder to carry.

It's a heroic effort

and now the family can continue on their way.

To our growing pup, it was a big hurdle to overcome

but her journey into the scary adult world has only just begun.

There are so many skills to learn while growing up,

and who better to learn from than your elders?

The elephant calf was separated from her herd

but now she's back with the group.

It's a good job because she is going to need the experienced matriarch

to teach her the way round.

African elephants have to find 140 kilos of food

and 200 litres of water every day.

To get all they need, the herd covers hundreds of miles.

So the little one has a lot to take in.

The matriarch knows exactly where to lead the family to drink.

A trip to the beach is an exciting time for all elephant calves

and is full of new experiences.

THEY TRUMPET

The river offers the drinking water they need

but it's also a barrier to the rest of their home range.

Crossing such a torrent poses a huge threat to a little one.

On the same river, further downstream,

three other babies need to cross.

There's fresh forage on the other side

but poachers have killed their matriarch.

Without her experience,

they've chosen a crossing point where the river is deep

and the flow is rapid.

TRUMPETING

The babies are quickly in trouble.

Just as they rescue one calf,

another is washed away.

PANICKED TRUMPETING

These are the screams of desperate elephants.

As the mums panic,

they are forced to abandon their calves and swim for safety.

One baby reaches the bank...

..but the others are swept on.

Somehow, they make it to the side.

But they still can't climb up.

Their mothers rush in but can do nothing but watch.

It's a narrow escape

and an important lesson in the dangers of the river.

Back with our calf, it's time for her to make her own crossing.

The experienced matriarch leads her to cross

where the flow is more manageable.

All the baby needs to do is stay close.

Mum knows to head slightly upstream into the current...

..and use her body to break the flow, protecting her calf.

This is a textbook crossing.

Like so many animals on the savannah,

elephants travel vast distances,

so learning the lay of the land is vital.

This is a crossing point

for the little calf to remember for the future.

The strong little mongoose pup is still on the move, too...

..travelling to a new den.

Having negotiated a stone wall,

the final stretch should be plain sailing.

No such luck.

There's danger ahead...

..and the lookout sounds the alarm.

Another clan of mongooses lie hidden in the long grass.

If the two families spot each other,

there will almost inevitably be a fight.

Banded mongooses regularly fight to the death over territory.

Any pups would not just be killed, but also eaten.

The youngsters are whisked off to the safety of the bushes...

..just in time.

THEY CHIRP AND CHATTER IN A FRENZY

OPERATIC MUSIC PLAYS

In feuds like this, the largest clan will win.

There's strength in numbers.

It's a victory for our family.

Luckily the injuries are relatively light

and they can carry on safely to their new den.

It won't be her last clan war,

so this is valuable experience for our pup.

The safari babies have grown up fast...

..and started to master the demands of life on the savannah.

By the time the wildebeest and zebra herds have made the full circuit of

the migration, the youngsters are nearly independent.

And their hooves have already clocked around 1,000 miles.

The cheetah cubs get another go at making a kill

and their success means they've finally become little predators.

They have just a few more months to practice with Mum

and then they'll be on their own.

With this skill under their belts,

their chance of survival has just gone up.

The female banded mongoose pup is now a capable hunter.

She is becoming more independent every day.

The elephant baby still has a lot of growing up to do and won't be

considered an adult until she's about 15,

so, for now, her job is to play and learn.

She will stay with the herd for life and, one day,

it may even be her leading the family across the savannah.

Despite all the challenges of this competitive place,

these safari babies have made it past

the most vulnerable stage of their lives.

They're well on their way to adulthood

and finding their place on the plains of Africa.