0:00:04 > 0:00:07So far on Life Story, we have seen animals survive
0:00:07 > 0:00:10the challenges of the first stage of their lives.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Now, many animals face a period of great change...
0:00:29 > 0:00:31..the journey towards adulthood.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36A time when they must strike out on their own,
0:00:36 > 0:00:38learn from hard experience...
0:00:40 > 0:00:42..and develop new skills.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04WIND HOWLS
0:01:07 > 0:01:10The beginning of winter in the Arctic.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17It's hard to imagine a more challenging time or place
0:01:17 > 0:01:19to learn how to fend for yourself.
0:01:39 > 0:01:45Until today, this three-month-old Arctic fox pup has had it easy.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Fed and protected by his parents,
0:01:50 > 0:01:52playing with his siblings.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57THEY SNARL
0:02:04 > 0:02:10But his mother is about to bring her cubs' childhood to an abrupt end
0:02:10 > 0:02:12and drive them into the wilderness.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Soon, food will be so thin on the ground
0:02:30 > 0:02:33that her cubs' only chance of avoiding starvation
0:02:33 > 0:02:37is to split up and face a six-month-long winter alone.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46Even so, a young fox has only a one-in-five chance of surviving.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19To find enough to eat on these barren wastes,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23an Arctic fox may have to travel 60 miles a day.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37Scratching for scraps and scavenging from others -
0:03:37 > 0:03:39it's a meagre existence.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47And the worst of the winter is still to come.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52WIND ROARS
0:03:59 > 0:04:04By midwinter, temperatures drop to minus 50 degrees Celsius,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07and deep snow makes scavenging nearly impossible.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26But a faint sound beneath the snow
0:04:26 > 0:04:28may be this fox's salvation.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33Lemmings.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37It's time to become a hunter.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51But catching what you can't see is not easy.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56It's hard to judge the leap...
0:05:01 > 0:05:03..and the depth of the snow.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Too deep...and you get stuck.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Too shallow,
0:05:17 > 0:05:18and it can be rather painful.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25It's going to take time,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27but mastering lemming hunting
0:05:27 > 0:05:30is vital if a young fox is to make it through the winter.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55At last, this fox is on his way.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04But if he is to survive until spring,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06he'll need to make a catch like this
0:06:06 > 0:06:08every couple of days.
0:06:15 > 0:06:21Adolescence for an Arctic fox is almost always a solitary journey,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25but many creatures simply cannot make it on their own.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28JUNGLE NOISES
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Even at seven months old, this tiger cub needs protection.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38CUB BREATHES STEADILY
0:06:38 > 0:06:41She's learning to take care of herself in a very dangerous world.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56This is her father.
0:06:56 > 0:07:01His role is to patrol his territory, defending it against rival males
0:07:01 > 0:07:05who would try to kill any cubs they find that are not their own.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14His scars are evidence of the violence of the society
0:07:14 > 0:07:15she is about to enter.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21He's ruled for five years,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23but he's becoming increasingly battle-worn.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33She's unlikely to reach adulthood unless her father stays in power.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41At the moment, she is safe.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43LOW GROWL
0:07:43 > 0:07:44And in good company.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50She has a brother and a sister.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01They will be her playmates and allies as she grows.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12THEY SNARL
0:08:12 > 0:08:16She already seems to be the most confident of the three.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26They practise the fighting and hunting skills
0:08:26 > 0:08:28that they will depend on as adults.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47But the cubs still have much to learn
0:08:47 > 0:08:49before they'll be fending for themselves.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Their mother is both their provider and teacher.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04She's a formidable hunter,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08despite having lost an eye in a fight with a rival.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10MOTHER PANTS
0:09:11 > 0:09:15Her cub is about to be given a masterclass.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Their mother's success means that today,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11the cubs will not go hungry.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26If all goes well, these cubs should have the experience
0:10:26 > 0:10:30and strength to survive on their own in a year's time.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35But only if their mother's support,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38and their father's protection, continues.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Growing up is not just about learning to survive.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Learning the art of seduction can also be a vital part
0:11:01 > 0:11:03of becoming an adult.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Here in eastern Australia lives an animal
0:11:08 > 0:11:12that spends up to seven years perfecting the ability
0:11:12 > 0:11:15to build a structure solely to impress a female.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27It's a bower.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31And this is its creator -
0:11:31 > 0:11:35a five-year-old juvenile male satin bowerbird.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49He is just a beginner.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58But a stone's throw away is another bower...
0:12:01 > 0:12:04..and one from which the youngster could learn a lot.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12It's bigger and more elaborate.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15And this is its builder - an experienced male
0:12:15 > 0:12:17resplendent in his blue adult plumage.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39So THAT is how it should be done.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Junior returns to his own bower and tries to improve things.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05That should probably go just here.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Or...maybe here...
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Perhaps he was right in the first place.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28He just can't make up his mind.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34This could take some time.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44And it's not just about building.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51The master's bower has something that Junior's lacks completely.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56Blue decorations really please a female.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57And the master has gone to town.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Junior takes a closer look.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15What will the master make of his visitor?
0:14:19 > 0:14:25Rather than drive him away, the master has other intentions...
0:14:27 > 0:14:28Seduction.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31ADULT BOWERBIRD TRILLS
0:14:46 > 0:14:50Juvenile males are almost identical to females.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56So the master grabs the opportunity
0:14:56 > 0:14:59to practise his courtship display on him.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Junior doesn't know what to do next.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22So he exits...
0:15:25 > 0:15:27..mid-performance.
0:15:37 > 0:15:38The youngster's bower.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45With the breeding season close,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48adult males grow increasingly intolerant of juveniles.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07Oh, dear, there's virtually nothing left.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Junior will just have to start all over again.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28But he has several years left to perfect his skill -
0:16:28 > 0:16:32at least he's got time on his side!
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Now, where should that stick go?
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Africa.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24These 18-month-old cheetah sisters have been struggling to cope
0:17:24 > 0:17:27since they left their mother a few weeks ago.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Their biggest problem is their own inexperience.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40They are barely managing to catch even the smallest prey.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Unless they can master big-game hunting,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52the sisters will soon starve.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10They are the only survivors from a litter of five.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14They have spent their lives so far playing and learning together.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Continuing that bond will be the key to their survival.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Cheetah siblings that support each other have a better
0:18:27 > 0:18:29chance of making it to adulthood.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44This is now the critical time for the sisters
0:18:44 > 0:18:48because an opportunity is arising and they must seize it.
0:18:59 > 0:19:00Male impala.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Weighing more than both sisters put together,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10they make a formidable prey.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19But the impala are caught up in a month-long competition for mates...
0:19:22 > 0:19:24..and that is making the males
0:19:24 > 0:19:26increasingly weakened and distracted.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31The next few weeks may provide the sisters'
0:19:31 > 0:19:34best chance to make their first big kill.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42They need to act soon.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53The amount of time that different animals must
0:19:53 > 0:19:56spend in growing up varies enormously.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Once a veined octopus reaches adulthood,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04it mates and dies shortly after.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10So most of its life is spent as an adolescent,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12eating as much as possible.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Although octopus are voracious hunters,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20their soft bodies make them very vulnerable to other predators.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23So how do the octopus that live here,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27on the exposed sea floor of Indonesia's Lembeh Straits,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30keep on eating without being eaten?
0:20:33 > 0:20:37For most, the solution is an almost unbelievable talent for disguise.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50The mimic octopus can change the colour of its body to
0:20:50 > 0:20:53seamlessly blend in with its surroundings.
0:20:54 > 0:21:00It can also mimic predators, like a flounder or a lionfish.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04The wonderpus's strategy is to look
0:21:04 > 0:21:09so bizarre it is simply unrecognisable as an octopus.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21But no disguise is completely effective,
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and flounders are a persistent menace,
0:21:25 > 0:21:29always on the lookout for an edible tentacle.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39Unfortunately, the veined octopus has no clever disguise.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46And a flounder is trailing it, waiting for an off-guard moment.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53But the octopus has a unique solution to this problem.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59A discarded coconut shell could provide some
0:21:59 > 0:22:00protection from its stalker.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10This one carries the shell everywhere it goes.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26But this is only half the story.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42For all-round security, it needs another half to make
0:22:42 > 0:22:43a matching pair.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52Its remarkable ability to manipulate shells is the first-known example
0:22:52 > 0:22:56of tool-use amongst invertebrates.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Now the octopus can get back to its
0:23:22 > 0:23:25adolescent enthusiasm with body-building.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51The stalker is still stalking.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59However, an armoured pod has another, more unexpected, benefit.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17The chance of a sharp exit.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29This cunning cephalopod lives to hunt another day,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31all tentacles intact.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49For some juveniles, their greatest rivals are adults of their own kind.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Huge colonies of nesting birds on the Falkland Islands
0:24:57 > 0:25:01are a sitting target for a ruthless predator.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05A striated caracara.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11He too is a juvenile, a yearling.
0:25:16 > 0:25:22But despite the abundance of prey, this youngster is hungry.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36That's because hunting rights in the colony are strictly controlled.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Adult caracara are fiercely territorial.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16Breeding pairs punish juvenile trespassers very severely.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18BIRDS SQUAWK
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Juveniles are banished to the surrounding moorlands,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39where their chances of survival are slim.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46A year ago, this bird was being cared for,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48like these chicks are now.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56But his parents pushed him out to make way for a new brood.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01The adults want to keep the juveniles down.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07But this youngster is not alone.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13There are other outcasts here.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20And they've joined forces.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32To survive on these islands, all juvenile caracara form gangs.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44They are an undisciplined mob, riven with in-fighting.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50But there is strength in numbers.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53And the adults know it.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58They will try to break the gangs up...
0:28:00 > 0:28:01..if they can.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14BIRDS SQUAWK
0:28:17 > 0:28:20But now, with the might of the gang behind them,
0:28:20 > 0:28:24young caracara can rise up against authority.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35The balance of power has shifted.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45With strength of numbers, comes air supremacy.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Now the gang can invade the colonies with little
0:28:50 > 0:28:52fear of retribution from adults.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Gang life may not be easy for a lowly, new member.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13But it opens up opportunities denied to it as a loner.
0:29:24 > 0:29:30They are after eggs, and together, they overwhelm the nesting shags.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02The mob plunders until they are all fully gorged.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18Working together is the only chance of success these juveniles have.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30But gang life is a brutal existence that a young caracara must
0:30:30 > 0:30:35endure for four years before finally reaching adulthood
0:30:35 > 0:30:36and leaving the mob behind.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48In India, a year has passed.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54The three tiger cubs are now 18 months old
0:30:54 > 0:30:56and on the brink of independence.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05They're resting in the protection of a derelict fortress,
0:31:05 > 0:31:06trying to keep cool.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24But the situation is less relaxed than it appears.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Something caused their mother to hide them here several days ago.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37They haven't seen her, or their father, since then.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49They're growing hungry.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55They may soon be forced to take a critical step towards independence
0:31:55 > 0:31:57and to begin hunting for themselves.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09This female has been the most confident of them all
0:32:09 > 0:32:11since they were cubs.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24It's she who finally leaves the security of the fort
0:32:24 > 0:32:26and heads out on her own.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52On the furthest edge of the family territory,
0:32:52 > 0:32:55she catches sight of another tiger.
0:33:02 > 0:33:03It's her mother.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10She is behaving strangely.
0:33:27 > 0:33:28A male.
0:33:31 > 0:33:32But he's not the cub's father.
0:33:38 > 0:33:43A new male in the territory can mean only one thing -
0:33:43 > 0:33:45that her father's rule is ending.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55Her mother has little choice but to change her allegiance.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17No matter how much the mother appeases the male,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19her daughter is now in danger.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28This male will try to kill any of the old rulers' cubs.
0:34:37 > 0:34:43The young female's survival now depends on finding a new home.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Early independence has been forced upon her.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25The next day, the forest is quiet.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49The young female is dead.
0:35:54 > 0:35:55Killed by the new male.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00Perhaps her confidence was her downfall.
0:36:22 > 0:36:27The other two cubs at the fort are safe, for now.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35The journey to independence can be the most dangerous period
0:36:35 > 0:36:38of an animal's life.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42Often it's the more cautious ones that win through.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59Animals fortunate or skilful enough to reach independence
0:36:59 > 0:37:03now face a new challenge -
0:37:03 > 0:37:06learning to compete in the adult world.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14Very few animals experience this more acutely than
0:37:14 > 0:37:17a booted racket-tail hummingbird.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29He may look mature, but he's still struggling to cope with
0:37:29 > 0:37:31the daily demands of adult life.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38Hummingbirds have the most hyperactive lifestyle of all birds.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51A racket-tail must consume a sip of energy-rich nectar
0:37:51 > 0:37:532,000 times a day.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57But here in the cloud forests of South America,
0:37:57 > 0:38:00flowers are very few and far between.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08Constantly on the brink of starvation,
0:38:08 > 0:38:11a racket-tail must learn where the flowers are
0:38:11 > 0:38:13and the shortest route between them.
0:38:19 > 0:38:25His heart beats 1,000 times a minute and his wings at 60 times a second.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31His lightning reactions and aerial agility allow him
0:38:31 > 0:38:34to dodge his way through his day.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36And he needs to.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41Because more than 30 other species of hummingbird live here,
0:38:41 > 0:38:43all competing for the same flowers.
0:38:54 > 0:38:59About the size of your little finger and the weight of a one-pence piece,
0:38:59 > 0:39:03the racket-tail is too small to battle with the bigger species.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16But he can out-manoeuvre the competition
0:39:16 > 0:39:19and sneak through to flowers undetected.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37However, even a racket-tail can't avoid conflict with its own kind.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47A juvenile must learn to stand his ground, against mature males.
0:40:20 > 0:40:25This hummingbird's day is about to get even worse.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Almost every afternoon it rains.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34But such a tiny hummingbird can't afford to take shelter.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40As the day cools down, he needs even more energy
0:40:40 > 0:40:42to maintain his body temperature.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48But on this scale, raindrops can be a force to be reckoned with.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03When the rain eases off, yet another problem emerges.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08BUZZING
0:41:12 > 0:41:16Honey bees are too small to fly in heavy rain,
0:41:16 > 0:41:20but once it stops, they're out in force urgently harvesting nectar.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26And are prepared to fight for it.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33One sting could kill a young racket-tail,
0:41:33 > 0:41:37but luckily he has superior agility on his side.
0:42:15 > 0:42:20Evening arrives and this exhausted hummingbird can finally stop.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25But it must slow its heart rate
0:42:25 > 0:42:29and enter a state of torpor in order to survive the night.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34WIND WHISTLES
0:42:36 > 0:42:40Every dawn, the same hectic schedule will begin all over again.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44But with each day, he learns a little more
0:42:44 > 0:42:47about becoming a successful adult.
0:42:54 > 0:42:59Coming of age is a gradual process for the hummingbird,
0:42:59 > 0:43:03but for some animals, it's defined by a single moment.
0:43:18 > 0:43:23Late autumn in southern Africa spells the end of youth
0:43:23 > 0:43:25for the cheetah sisters.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32Hunger has sharpened their instincts.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47The sisters have identified a target.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52Although in his prime,
0:43:52 > 0:43:56this male is exhausted by weeks of intense competition.
0:44:00 > 0:44:05But there's still no room for error when taking on such powerful prey.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14The stalk, the sprint and the kill...
0:44:16 > 0:44:18..everything must be perfectly executed.
0:44:29 > 0:44:33Cheetah are unable to sustain top speed for long,
0:44:33 > 0:44:37so they'll only be able to catch the impala if the chase starts
0:44:37 > 0:44:39when they're really close.
0:44:45 > 0:44:47And if they work as a team.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25One false move and the chance will be gone.
0:45:52 > 0:45:57The sisters close in and set the trap.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28She loses her stride and the impala gains ground.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41But her sister is ready.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12Whilst the impala is still on his feet, he's dangerous.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23They struggle to deliver the killing bite.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50Finally, it's over.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01At this moment, with this first success,
0:48:01 > 0:48:04these young cheetahs have entered the adult world.
0:48:15 > 0:48:19Now they will face a new set of challenges -
0:48:19 > 0:48:23finding a home, winning a mate
0:48:23 > 0:48:26and eventually raising young of their own.
0:48:28 > 0:48:33But the lessons of youth are the foundations of their future.
0:48:49 > 0:48:53A small white fox that can cover more than 50 miles a day
0:48:53 > 0:48:57across this vast, white landscape is a real filming challenge.
0:49:00 > 0:49:04- Justin, Justin, do you copy? - 'Yeah, copy.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08'I'm just trying to get my thumbs to come back to life.'
0:49:08 > 0:49:11Director Sophie Lanfear has experienced the difficulties
0:49:11 > 0:49:14of filming arctic animals before.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20But she hopes to capture, for the first time,
0:49:20 > 0:49:23the extraordinary hunting behaviour of an Arctic fox
0:49:23 > 0:49:25"snow-diving" for lemmings.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32Her journey begins in the Swedish Arctic
0:49:32 > 0:49:34with cameraman Rolf Steinmann.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44Just spotting the foxes proves hard enough
0:49:44 > 0:49:46and it's soon clear that getting close to them
0:49:46 > 0:49:50is going to demand all of Rolf's patience and resilience.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08Today, we found a den here
0:50:08 > 0:50:12and, after 13 hours of waiting, the Arctic fox finally came out.
0:50:12 > 0:50:16He's sitting there right now and taking a sun bath.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19So, fingers crossed this individual gets used to us
0:50:19 > 0:50:22and he lets us see how he can survive out here.
0:50:23 > 0:50:27After a week, the outlook seems good.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30But fortunes can change suddenly in the Arctic.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35WIND HOWLS
0:50:44 > 0:50:46It's now pretty white out.
0:50:46 > 0:50:51With such bad conditions, the team consider abandoning the shoot.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53Should have probably gone an hour ago.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58I don't know if it's safe to drive in this.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05Sophie and Rolf have no choice but to sit it out.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22With filming out of the question, all they could do is stay warm.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36Although the weather eventually clears,
0:51:36 > 0:51:38there's precious little time left for filming.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44Rolf, I hope you know how many bags we've got.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56Finally, Rolf is able to film again.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02But the foxes are proving hard to predict.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05At one point, he walked out of the frame and I tried to frame up
0:52:05 > 0:52:08so that it comes into frame and then suddenly it jumps.
0:52:10 > 0:52:11Bloop!
0:52:11 > 0:52:15I mean, I didn't even think that there's a big fat lemming
0:52:15 > 0:52:18just sitting in the landscape and waiting to be eaten.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22It was the last chance to film a hunt.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24Their time is up.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28I mean, that lemming must have been either already dead
0:52:28 > 0:52:30or it was really stupid or it was...
0:52:34 > 0:52:37With the foxes in Sweden too elusive,
0:52:37 > 0:52:41the following winter the team decide to try their luck in Canada.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46This location is one of the best places for tourists
0:52:46 > 0:52:48to experience arctic wildlife.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54And it's almost guaranteed to provide close encounters
0:52:54 > 0:52:56with white foxes.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00So it's quite a surprise that the first fox they see
0:53:00 > 0:53:02is the wrong colour.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08It's the first year in 30 years
0:53:08 > 0:53:13that red foxes have come around this area to stay so early in the winter.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16I mean, it's not their natural habitat, they shouldn't be here,
0:53:16 > 0:53:20and they're probably the reason why the Arctic foxes aren't coming in.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24These red foxes are bigger and stronger than Arctic foxes
0:53:24 > 0:53:27and they can push them out of the area
0:53:27 > 0:53:31and we experience it here in a very painful way.
0:53:34 > 0:53:38Weeks pass, but no white foxes.
0:53:38 > 0:53:42Instead, the number of red foxes just grows and grows,
0:53:42 > 0:53:44as does their boldness.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56After five weeks without seeing a single white fox,
0:53:56 > 0:54:01Sophie and Rolf are forced to accept a second defeat.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04This is some kind of official "game over".
0:54:11 > 0:54:14Some people just don't give up
0:54:14 > 0:54:17and, two and a half years since her first attempt,
0:54:17 > 0:54:19Sophie is back in Canada,
0:54:19 > 0:54:25but now further north, where red foxes shouldn't be a problem.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27I'm in Arviat this time
0:54:27 > 0:54:30and third and final chance to film Arctic foxes.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32So I'm confident, this time,
0:54:32 > 0:54:35we're going to get it, we're going to get it.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38Rolf was busy on another assignment,
0:54:38 > 0:54:41so cameraman Justin Maguire takes up the challenge.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44OK, we have our stuff, yay!
0:54:47 > 0:54:49And he seems to bring good fortune.
0:54:51 > 0:54:56In the first few days, they find some remarkably brazen foxes.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58No, no, no, no!
0:55:03 > 0:55:06SOPHIE LAUGHS
0:55:06 > 0:55:09That's definitely the closest yet.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15But the foxes' very boldness is a problem.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27There's a fox being chased.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29He's getting his gun out.
0:55:30 > 0:55:31No!
0:55:38 > 0:55:39GUNSHOT ECHOES
0:55:40 > 0:55:44Hunting is a traditional way of life in these communities
0:55:44 > 0:55:50and foxes living nearest human habitation are most at risk.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56So the team's only choice is to head further out into the tundra,
0:55:56 > 0:55:59as far from human contact as possible.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05Not quite sure where we're heading.
0:56:05 > 0:56:07The landscape's completely featureless
0:56:07 > 0:56:10and we haven't seen any bears or foxes.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15Somewhere out here, they hope to find foxes
0:56:15 > 0:56:17which are behaving completely naturally.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24But the crew's life returns to an all too familiar pattern.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30We drive, we stop, we spot, we lose them.
0:56:30 > 0:56:32We drive, we stop, we spot, we lose them.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35Vanished. Currently lost them.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48Eventually, persistence pays off.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12Sophie and her team finally get their shot.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20I've waited a very long time...
0:57:21 > 0:57:23..for this moment.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30I don't think Rolf would believe it.
0:57:38 > 0:57:45Next time on Life Story, animals secure a home in a dangerous world.
0:57:46 > 0:57:49They battle...
0:57:49 > 0:57:50grab opportunities...
0:57:51 > 0:57:53..compete with neighbours...
0:57:54 > 0:57:56..build...
0:57:57 > 0:58:00..and fight to dominate their world.