0:00:02 > 0:00:06There's a story that unites each of us with every animal on the planet.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09It's the story of the greatest of all adventures -
0:00:09 > 0:00:12the journey through life.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17Animals have just one goal at the end of this journey,
0:00:17 > 0:00:21to leave offspring, and every one begins its life
0:00:21 > 0:00:25with an irrepressible instinct to survive and overcome the odds.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30The drive and inventiveness of animals is breathtaking.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Every aspect of their behaviour,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36whether it's spectacular or beautiful, or simply extraordinary,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40is their way of meeting a particular challenge.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43In this series,
0:00:43 > 0:00:47we will see animals of all kinds striving to overcome the obstacles
0:00:47 > 0:00:49that face them at each stage in their lives.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54They will be strong...
0:00:58 > 0:01:00..cunning...
0:01:03 > 0:01:05..and ingenious.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12They will fight battles...
0:01:30 > 0:01:34..and will do whatever it takes to win a mate.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56Each success leaves each individual one step closer
0:01:56 > 0:02:01to leaving offspring - the next best thing to immortality.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14The journey through life begins afresh with every new generation,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18as it has for countless millions of years.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26It is life's great story.
0:02:37 > 0:02:43I'm in South Africa, sitting beside a colony of meerkats,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46waiting for this year's youngsters to emerge
0:02:46 > 0:02:48and start exploring their world.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54- Here they come. - MEERKAT CHATTERS
0:02:54 > 0:02:55That's the adult.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01They must check the coast is clear.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07There's another one.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Ah, there's a baby.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Hello, little one.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34We can't know what the future's going to hold
0:03:34 > 0:03:36for this little creature.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Just as every one of our histories is unique to ourselves,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43so this animal too will have its own story.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51HE CHUCKLES
0:03:56 > 0:04:00If one of these little creatures, indeed, if any animal
0:04:00 > 0:04:04is to become one of life's winners by leaving behind offspring,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08then a long and difficult journey lies ahead.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12This is the story of life
0:04:12 > 0:04:16and, for these little creatures, it's just beginning.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Good luck to you.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Many animals face their greatest challenge
0:04:33 > 0:04:37within days, or even hours, of entering the world.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43This is when they are smallest and most vulnerable.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51The remote Orsted Dal Valley in Greenland,
0:04:51 > 0:04:56scene of one of the most extraordinary trials that any animal
0:04:56 > 0:04:58must face at the beginning of its life.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Newly hatched barnacle geese.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19Their parents chose to nest on top of a huge tower of rock.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Such extreme isolation was the only way
0:05:30 > 0:05:33to protect their brood from predators on the ground.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38But now there is a price to pay.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47Up here, the five goslings may be safe and warm,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51but they have nothing to eat and they're getting hungry.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Like their parents, they only eat grass, and to find it
0:05:57 > 0:06:01the goslings must first get down there, 400 feet below.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09But they won't be able to fly for another eight weeks.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19So they'll have to jump.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25The father is restless.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29He decides it's time for the family to leave.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32GOOSE HONKS
0:06:32 > 0:06:34He calls to encourage them.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43But they are so tightly bonded to their mother
0:06:43 > 0:06:46that they will only follow her.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55The parents both survived the descent as youngsters.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58They're living proof that their chicks can make it.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04The fluffy goslings are certainly light and well-padded.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11But luck will play its part.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18GOOSE HONKS
0:07:36 > 0:07:41At the bottom of the cliff, their mother calls for them to join her
0:07:41 > 0:07:43and instinct compels them to follow.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45CHICK CHIRPS
0:07:57 > 0:08:00The gosling spreads its body and flaps its tiny wings
0:08:00 > 0:08:04to slow its descent and lessen the impact of inevitable crashes.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11If the first collision is belly-first,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13it should survive the fall.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28This chick jumps off the back of the cliff.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32It's less of a drop,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35but there's far more risk of getting lost in the crevices below.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43The third makes another good jump.
0:08:46 > 0:08:47But the fourth slips.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48CHICK SQUEALS
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Plummeting down headfirst,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57too close to the cliff, could bring disaster.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26The third gosling is doing better.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Hitting the rock belly-first should prove a life-saver.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34But still the tumble goes on.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36ADULT GEESE HONK
0:09:52 > 0:09:55There is nothing its mother can do but follow it down.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02CHICK CHIRPS
0:10:02 > 0:10:04One last chick.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29The perfect launch.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33And a controlled drop.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36This is as good a descent as it's possible to make.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Its parents are there to meet it.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09A little dazed, perhaps, but all in one piece.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16One gosling, at least, hasn't made it.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22GOOSE HONKS
0:12:25 > 0:12:29And this chick appears to be in a bad way.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39GOOSE HONKS
0:12:41 > 0:12:45At last, it responds to its mother's calls.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52CHICK CHIRPS
0:12:53 > 0:12:58The resilience of a barnacle goose chick is extraordinary.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05But there are still chicks unaccounted for,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07somewhere amongst the rubble.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15The parents can't risk searching because they need to lead
0:13:15 > 0:13:19their two survivors away quickly, before predators arrive.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21CHIRPING
0:13:24 > 0:13:26- CHICK CHIRPS - A third one has made it.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36But it needs to catch up.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Reunited.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Three out of five chicks have made it.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Without such a dramatic start in life,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07it's unlikely any of them would have even got this far.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17These chicks will face more dangers in the future,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20but, only two days old, they've already survived
0:14:20 > 0:14:23the greatest challenge of their lives.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36A young animal significantly improves its chances of surviving
0:14:36 > 0:14:39if it can grow fast and few babies have more growing to do
0:14:39 > 0:14:42in their first weeks than a humpback whale.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51In just six weeks, this new-born calf must leave these nursery waters
0:14:51 > 0:14:55off Hawaii and start on a 3,000-mile migration
0:14:55 > 0:14:58to its feeding grounds in the Arctic.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01WHALE SINGS
0:15:01 > 0:15:03For that, it will need to be strong.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Twirling at the surface
0:15:05 > 0:15:08rapidly develops muscle strength and diving ability.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18Before then, this one-tonne calf must double its weight
0:15:18 > 0:15:24by drinking over 3,500 pints of its mother's fat-rich milk.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26MOTHER SINGS
0:15:28 > 0:15:30CALF SINGS
0:15:33 > 0:15:35But the milk supply is limited.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Until its mother reaches the feeding grounds, she's fasting.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Humpback calves make such demands of their mothers
0:15:45 > 0:15:49that females can only raise one every two or three years.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56If the calf is to be ready for the migration,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00then what they both need now is to be left in peace.
0:16:05 > 0:16:11But here, the birthing season and the mating season coincide,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13and that spells trouble.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Male humpbacks will pursue any females,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30even if they are still nursing and, so, can't get pregnant.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49These 40-tonne males, fired-up with testosterone,
0:16:49 > 0:16:54pose a serious threat to any calf that gets caught up in the chase.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56WHALE SINGS LOUDLY
0:17:04 > 0:17:08As the mother tries to outrun the males, the calf sensibly stays
0:17:08 > 0:17:12as close to her as possible to avoid being separated and lost.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18WHALE SINGS LOUDLY
0:17:20 > 0:17:22WHALE CALLS
0:17:26 > 0:17:28WHALE CALLS
0:17:28 > 0:17:31As more and more males join the chase,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33the mood becomes ever more aggressive.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Now there is a real danger of the calf being injured
0:17:54 > 0:17:56by flailing tails and crashing bodies.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Eventually, the males become so pre-occupied
0:18:14 > 0:18:18with fighting each other that the calf and her mother can escape.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Even if a calf gets away unharmed,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34the ordeal can leave it exhausted.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38The dangers from the breeding season will only grow in intensity
0:18:38 > 0:18:41and some calves will become so weakened
0:18:41 > 0:18:44that they'll struggle to survive the coming migration.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Even the most formidable predators
0:19:01 > 0:19:04are surprisingly vulnerable in infancy.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11Here in Kenya's Maasai Mara, a lion cub has, on average,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15only a one-in-five chance of surviving its first two years.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Which ones do so depends on the strength of the pride
0:19:21 > 0:19:22to which they belong.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24CUB SQUEAKS
0:19:30 > 0:19:32For six weeks, this female cub
0:19:32 > 0:19:35has been hidden away by her mother in the long grass.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46But today, with her brother and sister,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49she's going to join the creche at the heart of her pride.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Adult females provide the food and the first line of defence.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04With at least four in her pride,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07this cub should be well looked after.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18All the lionesses have their own cubs,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21who will be both playmates and future allies.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Under the females' watchful eyes,
0:20:27 > 0:20:32she can practice her stalking, pouncing and fighting skills.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33CUBS GROWL
0:20:57 > 0:21:01But there is one more family member to meet
0:21:01 > 0:21:03and perhaps the most important of all.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11LION PURRS
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Her father.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Her ultimate defender.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Marauding rival male lions are a constant threat.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29If they overthrew him, they would kill all his cubs
0:21:29 > 0:21:31and father their own.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41The security of the whole pride,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43and this cub's future,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46rests on him remaining strong.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56But the early days of an animal's life are a very different prospect
0:21:56 > 0:21:58if its parents do not support it.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22This peculiar, almost alien scene
0:22:22 > 0:22:25is, in fact, the emergence of a brood
0:22:25 > 0:22:28of orchid mantids from their egg case.
0:22:36 > 0:22:42Mantids, like the great majority of animals, play the numbers game.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Having over 60 hatchlings
0:22:45 > 0:22:49increases the chances that a few will make it to adulthood.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57But during these first minutes, they are especially vulnerable.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15They must quickly hide away...
0:23:15 > 0:23:17and wait for their soft bodies to harden.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Within 20 minutes, they are transformed.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40Now the immediate danger is from each other.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50Mantids will eat anything that moves...
0:23:50 > 0:23:52including other mantids.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Time to leave.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24This tiny insect is now open to attack from predators
0:24:24 > 0:24:26lurking in the undergrowth.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Whether an individual mantis survives or not
0:24:39 > 0:24:42is partly a matter of chance.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Whether it's spotted by a predator.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Whether it turns right...
0:24:57 > 0:24:58or left.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10So far, its luck has held.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16But this hungry jumping spider is still in pursuit.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24A mantis is born with exceptional eyesight...
0:25:25 > 0:25:28..but the spider's is even better.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36Although this young mantis can't yet fly,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40its long forelegs, evolved to catch prey, give it reach.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10There seems to be no escape.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21But this mantis has a surprising line in self-defence.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26Kung fu, praying mantis style.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Of course, it's all bluff,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45trying to look bigger and confuse its enemy.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50But it's got away with it.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02Just staying alive for its first few hours
0:27:02 > 0:27:06is a significant accomplishment for a newly hatched insect.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10But there's still a long way to go.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13With a bit of luck, in two months' time,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17it will be as big and beautiful as this orchid mantid.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Or maybe not.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35After all, mantids are cannibals.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43However, there are plenty more where that one came from.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59A young fur seal,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02just old enough to be left alone while its mother hunts out at sea.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10It won't be long before the pup has to negotiate
0:28:10 > 0:28:14these treacherous waters for itself and learn to catch its own food,
0:28:14 > 0:28:16while avoiding predators.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29But how can he take his first lesson without risking it being his last?
0:28:32 > 0:28:37Luckily, the fur seals on this beach in Kaikoura, New Zealand
0:28:37 > 0:28:41have, in the last decade, discovered the perfect place to do that.
0:28:44 > 0:28:49Surprisingly, the pup heads, not towards the sea, but inland,
0:28:49 > 0:28:53on one of the strangest journeys any seal makes.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00A stream meets the beach...
0:29:04 > 0:29:06..and this pup swims up it.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22Each seal pup only makes this journey once.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26What drives it to travel deep into the forest is a mystery.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55At last, this pup has arrived.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07This secluded waterfall makes for a perfect learners' pool.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21In this sanctuary, he can join the local pups to learn
0:30:21 > 0:30:25manoeuvres that will one day help them escape their enemies.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08No-one knows how the first pups found this place,
0:31:08 > 0:31:12but each year, more and more young seals make the journey.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30They're getting a crucial head-start in life.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39And learning is always easier when you're enjoying yourself.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45SEAL BARKS
0:31:53 > 0:31:57Each seal spends three days in intense training.
0:31:57 > 0:32:02Then, after this rite of passage, they head back to the beach.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09It won't be long now before they will leave their mothers for good
0:32:09 > 0:32:12and put their new skills to the test.
0:32:33 > 0:32:38It's now late in the meerkat pupping season in South Africa
0:32:38 > 0:32:43and the pups born two months ago are growing well.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48This pup has been well cared for and fed,
0:32:48 > 0:32:52but now it's time she learned to catch her own food.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57One of the great benefits of being raised in meerkat society
0:32:57 > 0:33:01is that adults without young of their own help with childcare
0:33:01 > 0:33:04and will spend hours teaching the youngsters.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08Today's first lesson is ant-hunting.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Being shown the right approach is one thing...
0:33:17 > 0:33:20..but when the food bites back, all technique goes out of the window.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36Not exactly a resounding success.
0:33:38 > 0:33:43However, this helper now has a different kind of lesson in mind,
0:33:43 > 0:33:48one designed to bring a pup face to face with danger for the first time.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53It will be her biggest test so far.
0:34:07 > 0:34:08A scorpion -
0:34:08 > 0:34:12an excellent source of protein and a meerkat's favourite food.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16But their sting is very painful, much worse than an ant.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22The tutor weakens it with a bite before handing it over.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28But the pup still has a fight on her hands.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30MEERKAT CHATTERS
0:34:42 > 0:34:45The idea is to nip off the sting on its tail,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48but its pincers are almost as formidable.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59The pup's helper keeps a watchful eye on her.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09She has disarmed the sting,
0:35:09 > 0:35:12but those pincers are still giving her trouble.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20MEERKAT CHATTERS
0:35:31 > 0:35:34A pause, perhaps for encouragement,
0:35:34 > 0:35:37before the helper gives her the nod to finish the job.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52At last, a small but significant success.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00It's a test that every member of her family
0:36:00 > 0:36:02will have to go through...
0:36:06 > 0:36:09..and this youngster has passed in triumph.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21Back in Hawaii, six weeks have passed.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24This humpback whale calf has fallen behind
0:36:24 > 0:36:26on the annual migration to the Arctic.
0:36:29 > 0:36:34It struggled to grow strong enough and now it's fighting for its life.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40Exhausted and weak, it has already been targeted by sharks.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47Its mother helps it to the surface to breathe,
0:36:47 > 0:36:49which takes its toll on her, too.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55This is now a huge test of the strength of their bond.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12But suddenly the calf is alone.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20Its mother appears to have abandoned it, perhaps to save herself.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24Sharks move in.
0:37:31 > 0:37:37With a shark on its tail, the end for this calf now seems inevitable.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50But bursting from the deep, the mother is back.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00And she's brought help.
0:38:03 > 0:38:04A male.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07Although he's unlikely to be the calf's father,
0:38:07 > 0:38:11he does something to help it that has never been witnessed before.
0:38:16 > 0:38:21He blows a wall of bubbles, creating a protective screen around the calf.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39The sharks are held back.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45But not for long.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48A shark is soon trailing the whales again.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51A bolder strategy.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03The aggression the male whales were using against each other
0:39:03 > 0:39:07in the breeding season now appears to be aimed at the shark.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37As long as there is a chance of the calf surviving,
0:39:37 > 0:39:42the bond between mother and young remains extraordinarily strong.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46The compulsion of the young to survive
0:39:46 > 0:39:50and of adults to protect burns bright,
0:39:50 > 0:39:51even against heavy odds.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09For many young animals, taking their first steps
0:40:09 > 0:40:12away from the protection of parents can be daunting.
0:40:19 > 0:40:24Long-eared jerboa live in the remote Gobi Desert of Mongolia.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30After six weeks of being cosseted underground with their families,
0:40:30 > 0:40:35young jerboa finally emerge to spend their first night alone,
0:40:35 > 0:40:38learning to catch food.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44Infrared cameras can reveal their lives,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47but to this jerboa, the night is completely dark.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53Luckily, his hearing more than compensates.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56His ears are longer, compared to his body,
0:40:56 > 0:40:58than those of any other animal.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06In fact, his ears are so sensitive
0:41:06 > 0:41:09that every new sound tends to give him a fright.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14OWL CALLS
0:41:14 > 0:41:18The call of a little owl, a jerboa's main predator
0:41:18 > 0:41:20and something worth being nervous about.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31OWL CALLS
0:41:34 > 0:41:36OWL CALLS
0:41:41 > 0:41:45The youngster's challenge is to distinguish danger from dinner.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52An aggressive gecko is definitely not on the menu.
0:42:09 > 0:42:14A jerboa's hearing is so acute he can even detect sleeping insects.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20But it's hard to grab them when you can't see them.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31At last, food.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36Confidence grows with success.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01Learning to take care of yourself is a tiring business.
0:43:03 > 0:43:09Rather than return to the family burrow, he naps in the open.
0:43:22 > 0:43:27But with his immense ears, it must be hard to tune out.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31OWL CALLS
0:43:39 > 0:43:44There comes a time when every animal must finally leave youth behind
0:43:44 > 0:43:47and enter the adult world for good.
0:43:54 > 0:43:58A black-footed albatross on the brink of adulthood
0:43:58 > 0:43:59and learning to fly.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11Her maiden flight will take her away from this tiny Pacific island
0:44:11 > 0:44:13and out to sea.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17She will not touch ground again for three years.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22But she's not quite ready...
0:44:22 > 0:44:24BIRDS CAW
0:44:24 > 0:44:25..yet.
0:44:43 > 0:44:47Learning to control a six-foot wingspan
0:44:47 > 0:44:50in a gusty sea breeze takes practice.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57These fledglings have not been fed
0:44:57 > 0:45:00since their parents left a few weeks ago.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05To find food, they must leave, too.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10And eventually one of them takes to the wing.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19But maiden flights often prove to be a bit of a false start.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59Tiger sharks.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01ALBATROSS SQUEALS
0:46:03 > 0:46:05They congregate here every year,
0:46:05 > 0:46:08precisely when albatross chicks fledge.
0:46:18 > 0:46:23If a shark doesn't strike exactly on target,
0:46:23 > 0:46:25a lucky albatross may escape.
0:46:33 > 0:46:37There can be few animals that have to face such danger
0:46:37 > 0:46:39at the very moment they leave home.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06It's a remarkable escape,
0:48:06 > 0:48:10but a water takeoff is even harder than from land.
0:48:51 > 0:48:55This albatross has left youth behind.
0:48:57 > 0:49:03It's time to embark on the next step of life's story -
0:49:03 > 0:49:07independence in the adult world.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25It's been over 30 years since anyone climbed these cliffs.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34Producer Tom Hugh-Jones and cameramen Mateo Willis
0:49:34 > 0:49:37and Mark Payne-Gill are in Greenland
0:49:37 > 0:49:42to film newly-hatched goslings leap from these towering spires.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49They can only convey the scale of what these tiny animals
0:49:49 > 0:49:52must go through by showing it from their perspective.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58Wow. I'm not one for vertigo,
0:49:58 > 0:50:01but I just can't imagine what a chick would feel like
0:50:01 > 0:50:03having to do this.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05We're not going to have much time once they jump, eh?
0:50:05 > 0:50:07No. A lot of waiting and then suddenly it all happens.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09- Yeah.- It's just that moment, isn't it?
0:50:09 > 0:50:12- And you've got 20 seconds to get everything.- Yeah.
0:50:12 > 0:50:17Tom spots his first pair of barnacle geese and he has good news.
0:50:17 > 0:50:18RADIO: Yeah, copy, Tom. Over.
0:50:18 > 0:50:20She's still brooding the eggs,
0:50:20 > 0:50:22so we're here in plenty of time, which is good.
0:50:22 > 0:50:26The team has some time on its hands to prepare for the big moment.
0:50:38 > 0:50:43Three, two, one, go.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45Tom helps Mark to get his eye in.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49RADIO: I don't think a chick will be quite the same.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Tom checks on the nests every few hours.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59All the mothers are still on the nests, but no signs of chicks.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03Just have to sit and wait, which is what we do. Over.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12The only thing that seems to be hatching round here are mosquitoes.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16Have you got mozzie repellent?
0:51:16 > 0:51:17I haven't, no.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20Sorry, I just swallowed a tonne of mosquitoes.
0:51:20 > 0:51:21HE COUGHS
0:51:21 > 0:51:24But it's the birds that are constantly on their minds.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29- I dreamt about ducks last night. - Ducks?- Yeah.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33- Actually, I had a dream about birds as well.- Mark dreamt about chicks.
0:51:33 > 0:51:34GOOSE HONKS
0:51:36 > 0:51:39The wait is over. I've just spied our first chick.
0:51:39 > 0:51:40CHICK CHIRPS
0:51:45 > 0:51:47These chicks may jump any time.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50Where are the chicks?
0:51:50 > 0:51:53Mateo concentrates on trying to film the leaps...
0:51:55 > 0:51:59..while Mark focuses on the front of the cliff for the fall.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02Their nest is just there above my fingertip.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05They've got to go down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down
0:52:05 > 0:52:07till they hit the scree slope below.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10That's an incredible fall for anything, let alone a gosling.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17It's almost 48 hours since the chicks hatched,
0:52:17 > 0:52:20so they're really getting to the limit of how long they can go
0:52:20 > 0:52:23before they start getting too hungry,
0:52:23 > 0:52:26so we should be on for a big jump.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30Just saw the female.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34Come on, what you going to do?
0:52:34 > 0:52:38- RADIO:- The female is pointing towards the back side of the rocks.
0:52:38 > 0:52:39No, no, not the back side.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42- RADIO:- I'm going to follow her, saw her head moving.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44Come on. He comes forward again.
0:52:47 > 0:52:48Come on, Mum and Dad!
0:52:49 > 0:52:52- RADIO:- OK, I see the chick now with the dad.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54They might be about to go.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56- It's going to jump on the far corner.- I've got two chicks.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58There it goes, there it goes, there it goes,
0:52:58 > 0:53:00There it goes, there it goes, there it goes!
0:53:00 > 0:53:03- RADIO:- All the way down, all the way down. Wow!
0:53:03 > 0:53:06OK, I didn't see that. That was hidden from my view.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09Did you see the last one jump, Mateo?
0:53:09 > 0:53:11- RADIO:- I did, until it was flying through the air
0:53:11 > 0:53:13and then I didn't catch it.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16OK, got the chick, got the chick, got the chick.
0:53:21 > 0:53:22GEESE HONK
0:53:22 > 0:53:25That was a shock for it, but it survived.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32All the chicks jumped where the cliff obscured
0:53:32 > 0:53:34Mark and Mateo's view.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44What happens next comes as a shock.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49- RADIO:- A fox coming up the stream, he's now about to...
0:53:49 > 0:53:51Follow the fox.
0:53:54 > 0:53:55GEESE HONK
0:53:57 > 0:53:59GEESE HONK, CHICKS SQUEAL
0:53:59 > 0:54:01- RADIO:- Mark, did you see that?
0:54:01 > 0:54:03GEESE HONK
0:54:03 > 0:54:04CHICK SQUEALS
0:54:10 > 0:54:12- RADIO:- Oh, it's heartbreaking.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17I know, I know. I think it's got them all.
0:54:20 > 0:54:21That's really sad.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26There's nothing you can do.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31The fox has its own young to feed.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34Life in this barren landscape is desperately tough
0:54:34 > 0:54:36for all its inhabitants.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42The team has to move on and try to film another nest.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50- And I'm going to head off up round here...- Yeah.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52..and try and find a good position.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03So, this nest here is our last great hope,
0:55:03 > 0:55:07probably the only remaining one that we can get a good viewpoint on.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13The parents appear eager for their chicks to go.
0:55:13 > 0:55:14CHICKS CHIRP
0:55:14 > 0:55:17- RADIO:- Stand by, Mark. It looks like it's going to jump.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21By the male's feet.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24Come on!
0:55:27 > 0:55:28Oh, where are you going to go?
0:55:30 > 0:55:33Here it goes, here it goes. Chick's going.
0:55:39 > 0:55:40Wow!
0:55:40 > 0:55:42Oh, my goodness.
0:55:42 > 0:55:43Here it comes.
0:55:46 > 0:55:47Wow.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56- RADIO:- They're all falling exactly the same way, all at once.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58Here we go, here we go, here we go.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10- RADIO:- Chick's just tumbling down.
0:56:10 > 0:56:11Can you see it?
0:56:12 > 0:56:15Tumble, tumble. Whoa!
0:56:16 > 0:56:18Down the scree slope.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20Crikey!
0:56:24 > 0:56:26How many chicks can you see?
0:56:27 > 0:56:29Erm, I count three.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34No visual yet on any foxes.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36So far, so good,
0:56:36 > 0:56:38and they seem to be moving through.
0:56:38 > 0:56:39CHICKS CHIRP
0:56:44 > 0:56:47The team is able to film the family
0:56:47 > 0:56:50all the way down to the river and safety.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56They've witnessed the triumph
0:56:56 > 0:57:01of one of the most extreme survival strategies in nature.
0:57:01 > 0:57:03I mean, think how far they've had to come
0:57:03 > 0:57:06and this is only, what, their third day in the world?
0:57:06 > 0:57:09Yeah, it's just great to see them doing what they should be doing now.