:00:13. > :00:17.This whole adventure is happening in May because this is make or
:00:17. > :00:23.break month for wild young animals across the planet. Here in Kenya,
:00:23. > :00:29.the rainy season is transforming everything. These are lean time for
:00:29. > :00:39.our lions. We are following these and a host of other animal dramas
:00:39. > :01:00.
:01:00. > :01:02.as they unfold around the world. Welcome back to Minnesota. Our
:01:03. > :01:06.bears face their challenges bears face their challenges
:01:06. > :01:09.throughout the month of May. It is crunch time for our cubs as
:01:09. > :01:14.they prepare to say goodbye to mum for the last time and it is it is
:01:14. > :01:17.happening in the woods around me. We have got the latest news from
:01:17. > :01:23.our team out in California as well who have witnessed a remarkable
:01:23. > :01:32.killer whale attack on a calf. The story never stops. There is so much
:01:32. > :01:38.going on. We've got reports flooding in 24/7
:01:38. > :01:42.from around the world. Our camera teams and experts are
:01:43. > :01:49.following the action as events unfold.
:01:49. > :01:54.Tonight, we bring you the latest news from our bear families.
:01:54. > :02:04.Richard heads out into lion country on foot!
:02:04. > :02:05.
:02:05. > :02:09.And we travel to South Africa to find out if animal can survive his
:02:09. > :02:19.encounter with a cobra. You can follow the twists and turns
:02:19. > :02:25.
:02:25. > :02:29.in our animals lives as nature Hello and welcome back to Africa
:02:29. > :02:32.where the rain is switching off like a tap. I know and this is the
:02:32. > :02:39.rainy season. The good thing is when it does stop, everything comes
:02:39. > :02:42.out to play and it sounds glorious. Have a listen to that. All of a
:02:42. > :02:49.sudden we have got tiny frogs, crickets and everything is out.
:02:49. > :02:52.We're here to pay attention to to very different animals. Here, lions,
:02:52. > :02:58.a couple hundred miles north, elephants. I flew up there to find
:02:58. > :03:02.out the latest. Last time we were watching as Sylvia was being
:03:02. > :03:11.treated for a life threatening gunshot wound. Both mother and calf
:03:11. > :03:18.are doing very well. Sylvia's injury is healing well. This is a
:03:18. > :03:23.ray of hope. The family has a healthy leader. The calf has a
:03:23. > :03:33.healthy mum. Whilst I was there, I was able to grab time with the
:03:33. > :03:34.
:03:34. > :03:41.wildlife camera operator who Warren Samuels was born and raised
:03:41. > :03:51.in Kenya. He has been filming elephants for 20 years.
:03:51. > :03:58.
:03:58. > :04:02.This is a wild elephant and look, this is the window of our truck.
:04:02. > :04:06.this is the window of our truck. Absolutely - thank you.
:04:06. > :04:11.The great thing about this place, the animals have learned that it is
:04:11. > :04:15.a sanctuary. The minute they step foot outside the park, they become
:04:15. > :04:20.more aggressive. They know there is the threat of them being shot by
:04:20. > :04:23.herders or poachers. As we enjoy our close encounter, we
:04:23. > :04:30.hear that a family of elephants is about to cross the river.
:04:30. > :04:35.We've got the message, hence the radio left on. It is up to the
:04:35. > :04:42.elephants. We drive around and follow them. We get there just in
:04:43. > :04:47.time. We are in luck. It is Grace and Skye's family.
:04:47. > :04:50.Notice how they formed a protective ring around. The three little
:04:50. > :04:55.calves in the middle and the adults are around them.
:04:55. > :04:59.Baby elephants are too small to cope with strong currants and when
:04:59. > :05:03.rivers are this high, it is a struggle to keep their trunks above
:05:03. > :05:08.water. Under the water there, Richard. All
:05:08. > :05:13.you can see is his little trunk. Oh, that is terrifying? She is
:05:13. > :05:17.using her body to shield against the current.
:05:17. > :05:22.They are guiding her back in, but that's how you learn, isn't it?
:05:22. > :05:27.It is as though elephants are conscious of teaching. Just when it
:05:27. > :05:32.looks like everyone is across, we looks like everyone is across, we
:05:32. > :05:36.notice a tiny calf being swept away. Oh shame, look at that little thing.
:05:36. > :05:44.Guy goodness. -- my goodness.
:05:44. > :05:47.Mum comes to the rescue just in time.
:05:47. > :05:56.Now that the family are safely across, other elephants come into
:05:56. > :06:01.play in the shallow waters. They are such endearing little
:06:01. > :06:05.creatures, aren't they? They don't want to get out.
:06:05. > :06:09.Looking At them now, would you say they are wild elephants? They are
:06:09. > :06:14.like somebody's pet elephant. If you were to get this close beyond
:06:14. > :06:22.the safety of this reserve, we wouldn't get near them. I don't
:06:22. > :06:29.think there is anything more joy joyous in the world than an
:06:30. > :06:33.It was beautiful and experts reckon the trumpeting call means, "Let's
:06:33. > :06:37.the trumpeting call means, "Let's play, come and join in. "it was all
:06:37. > :06:42.I could resist doing the same, but we saw a hin of how that -- hint of
:06:42. > :06:47.how that river can change from being a playground to a danger zone.
:06:47. > :06:53.Warren will keep us updated. We will have the latest from the
:06:53. > :07:01.little lion cub. But it was three days since we saw the meerkat
:07:01. > :07:11.family. Well, has it been -- how has it been for the family and the
:07:11. > :07:12.
:07:12. > :07:17.Last time, meerkat pup Swift and her family known as the Whiskers
:07:17. > :07:23.decided to spend their night in a borrow belonging to their arch
:07:23. > :07:33.rivals. Swap swift's cousin was bitten by a snake. His life was
:07:33. > :07:37.
:07:37. > :07:45.Cameraman, Toby Strong has been filming the drama in this parched
:07:45. > :07:53.part of the Kalahari Desert. This brave little meerkat managed to
:07:53. > :08:03.drag himself out of the borrow, but he was going downhill fast. This
:08:03. > :08:10.
:08:10. > :08:14.venom affects the nervous system. Little Swift seems aware of his
:08:14. > :08:18.pain and is trying to comfort her cousin, but there is nothing she or
:08:18. > :08:26.any of them can do. This is a battle he's going to have to fight
:08:26. > :08:30.alone. Living in such a desolate place
:08:30. > :08:36.they have their own challenges to face every day, especially finding
:08:36. > :08:42.enough to eat. Overnight, Swift, has lost 5% of
:08:42. > :08:51.her body weight simply keeping warm. So after sunning themselves, the
:08:51. > :08:59.family have no choice, but to head off foraging and abandon the
:08:59. > :09:09.meerkat. Practically blind and almost
:09:09. > :09:21.
:09:21. > :09:26.paralysed he tries to follow them. Over the years I've seen different
:09:26. > :09:36.animals who have died and they tend to take themselves away on their
:09:36. > :09:37.
:09:37. > :09:43.own. All alone, he finds a quiet place
:09:43. > :09:47.to curl up. This is the grim reality for
:09:47. > :09:57.meerkats, living alongside such dangerous predators means from time
:09:57. > :10:05.
:10:05. > :10:09.to time they do get bitten. But for the rest of the Whiskers,
:10:10. > :10:14.life has to go. Swift and her brothers and sisters are the future
:10:14. > :10:18.of the family so they have to keep foraging. Swift is growing up fast
:10:18. > :10:25.and getting more and more independent every day. Getting to
:10:25. > :10:33.grips with the varied diet the desert provides. Lizards, giant
:10:33. > :10:43.milly peeds, camel spiders and and skinks, everything is consumed,
:10:43. > :10:44.
:10:44. > :10:54.even when hard to swallow. Every day sees new lessons learned
:10:54. > :10:57.
:10:57. > :11:02.and new encounters. It has been two days since the
:11:02. > :11:06.meerkat got bitten and the Whiskers have been making their way back to
:11:06. > :11:13.the safety of their territory. Having been away, the group are vig
:11:13. > :11:17.land for intruders. -- vigilant for intruders.
:11:17. > :11:25.They see a lone figure, it could be a scout from one of their rival
:11:25. > :11:30.groups. They've Spotted him. Here come
:11:30. > :11:38.Whiskers. Swift is there at the front.
:11:38. > :11:42.They're going, going, going, going. I've lost them. I've got to move.
:11:42. > :11:46.The family have their tails up and are primed and ready to go into
:11:46. > :11:56.battle. But when they reach the lone
:11:56. > :11:56.
:11:56. > :12:01.meerkat, they get a fantastic surprise, it is their friend. By
:12:01. > :12:09.some miracle, he is still alive. They are smelling him. They
:12:09. > :12:16.recognise him. Swift is right in there. Ah, that's amazing. I can't
:12:16. > :12:21.believe it. We left that male bitten by a cobra two days ago, I
:12:21. > :12:28.truly thought that was him dead. I haven't seen him for two days and
:12:28. > :12:33.he has made it back to the group. That's astonishing!
:12:33. > :12:40.The family are reunited and for Anesta, that's the best possible
:12:40. > :12:46.outcome, but the Whiskers have to remain vigilant. With a sick adult,
:12:46. > :12:56.if there was a rival attack now, the result could be tragic. But for
:12:56. > :13:01.
:13:01. > :13:07.now, everyone is safe and enjoying I know. I know, it is unbelievable
:13:07. > :13:11.that this tiny little creature, less than a kilo, the meerkat, can
:13:11. > :13:15.survive a snakebite. It would most probably kill you and I and what
:13:15. > :13:18.about that reception from the family, how they welcomed him back.
:13:18. > :13:23.It is so important in meerkat society that big family bond
:13:23. > :13:29.because they protect one another so much. Welcome back to Minnesota,
:13:29. > :13:34.the land of 12,000 lakes and 3,000 wolves, but there is only one bear
:13:34. > :13:42.man and I will be talking to him live in the woods in a few moments.
:13:42. > :13:52.An update you about little Sybil and what happened to June and Aster,
:13:52. > :13:53.
:13:53. > :13:58.here is the latest bear news and it We woke up to incredible news about
:13:58. > :14:02.our bear yesterday. When a crew went out to see if they had split,
:14:02. > :14:07.Aspen was back. He spent over an hour licking and grooming his
:14:07. > :14:11.mother and she seemed to accept him back into the fold.
:14:11. > :14:17.And when we left them last night, all three were together as if they
:14:17. > :14:20.had never been apart. As for Sybil, the news is good too.
:14:20. > :14:23.Sheep seems to be gaining in strength and fighting back with her
:14:23. > :14:28.brother and sister. The cubs are also starting to
:14:28. > :14:32.explore further afield and are using their new teeth to forage for
:14:32. > :14:36.themselves. Is this the start of better things
:14:36. > :14:40.for Sybil Sybil?
:14:40. > :14:47.What about that, June back with the family and we hope this is the
:14:47. > :14:50.start of a new beginning for Sybil. I'm live in the woods with Dr
:14:50. > :14:56.Rogers, hose ground breaking and controversial methods allowed us to
:14:56. > :15:00.get closer to wild black bears than anywhere in the world. Let's start
:15:00. > :15:05.start buff athe -- off by the controversy. Some say you are
:15:05. > :15:12.humanising the bears? No, it is trust over over traps and
:15:12. > :15:15.tranquilizers. We no longer use the traps and and tranquilizers. They
:15:15. > :15:18.will go about their lives and let us watch.
:15:18. > :15:24.Let's talk about spring time in the woods because food is scarce on the
:15:24. > :15:34.grown for the bears, now isn't it? It is a tough time coming out of
:15:34. > :15:34.
:15:34. > :15:39.Right now is a hungry time. We have little Sybil there. We can see her
:15:39. > :15:45.making her first little bites of shoots. He is very, very reliant
:15:45. > :15:49.onto her mum, isn't she? Totally. Needs the milk? Yes. And the
:15:49. > :15:54.shelter. She could chew them there, I didn't see her really eat any.
:15:54. > :15:57.She is experimenting, isn't she? Yes. You and I went on an
:15:57. > :16:07.experimental hunt for food. You were teaching me about the bear
:16:07. > :16:13.
:16:13. > :16:19.If I were a bear coming along here, there is antpupee about I would
:16:19. > :16:24.sniff this rock. If I smell something I would pull it over and
:16:24. > :16:32.licking it up. OK. Nothing there though. They don't roll them back,
:16:32. > :16:37.but I do. These are like juicy little things, what are they?
:16:37. > :16:43.are eating those now. They eat them in this fuzzy stage, all curled up.
:16:43. > :16:50.This is when they taste good. Tastes OK. Here is something else
:16:50. > :16:58.right now. What's that? Horsetail. What does that taste like? Not that
:16:58. > :17:06.good. Here's something a bear would check for grubs. They'd tear into
:17:06. > :17:12.it like that. What grubs are they looking for? Beetle larvae. They
:17:12. > :17:18.sniff it first before they waste the energy looking. They snow their
:17:18. > :17:23.stuff these bears, don't they? Here's an Aspen tree. If I bear was
:17:23. > :17:31.going to eat the leaves, which they eat at this time of the year, they
:17:31. > :17:41.climb it and bring the tree down. Then they would strip the leaves
:17:41. > :17:44.
:17:44. > :17:52.through their mouth, like that. Shall we let this tree loose?
:17:52. > :17:57.I will let it go. OK. There we go. Do you think I would make it in the
:17:57. > :18:04.woods? You have a good start. is behaving strangely. I thought
:18:04. > :18:10.she was being clumsy. What is she up to? They had the wrong ants.
:18:10. > :18:14.There are the right and wrong kind of ants? She hit the red kind that
:18:14. > :18:18.bite. OK. Let's explode a myth this a lot of people are talking about
:18:18. > :18:26.and asking us about on Twitter. Black bears are carnivores, but
:18:26. > :18:31.that isn't primarily their diet, is it? No. They have the same kind of
:18:31. > :18:37.teeth that people and primates have, for crushing nuts, chewing
:18:37. > :18:42.vegetation. These big canine are for biting into logs to get ant
:18:42. > :18:47.colonies. There we go. It's been a pleasure having you live with me.
:18:47. > :18:53.Richard, it's a pleasure being in such company of such experts, isn't
:18:53. > :19:00.it, throughout the series? Absolutely right, visiting with
:19:00. > :19:08.Warren in Samburu and Warren. No hat and coat, it's dry. It's busy
:19:08. > :19:18.out there tonight. We have a hippo there, quite a few of them. There
:19:18. > :19:20.
:19:20. > :19:28.is an African hare on the road. We do have crews out in the field
:19:28. > :19:32.constantly following the plight of the lonely cub and his mum. These
:19:32. > :19:37.are the latest. It has been difficult keeping up for her
:19:37. > :19:43.because she has been on the move looking for food and keeping her
:19:43. > :19:48.cub hidden. There is little game left in her no-man's land between
:19:48. > :19:57.the surrounding pride territory. She is a superb hunter, a true
:19:57. > :20:05.survivor. Fingers crossed for both of them. We asked for a name for
:20:05. > :20:13.Mojo's mum. We will let you know what is choosen tomorrow. You heard
:20:13. > :20:23.me say how tough it is out there for Moja and her mum. It was time
:20:23. > :20:34.
:20:34. > :20:39.for me to see how hard it is to We are leaving camp, setting out on
:20:39. > :20:45.another mission to see animals. This time, it's a little bit
:20:45. > :20:52.different. It's going to be OK, isn't it? Yeah, we'll be OK. I'll
:20:52. > :20:57.make sure that you survive. Thank you! Do you carry oars? Jackson
:20:57. > :21:01.says there is only way one to experience this place, on foot.
:21:01. > :21:07.We've been driving around here looking at incredible things for
:21:07. > :21:14.days and days. To suddenly get out of the car, it's like suddenly
:21:14. > :21:20.climbing out of a spaceship. Jackson? Yes. I can't help but in
:21:20. > :21:24.the we are armed to the teeth. We have a guard with a gun, you have a
:21:24. > :21:28.spear, obviously there is danger out here, primarily what, lions,
:21:29. > :21:34.they are a danger? I wouldn't worry too much right now. As soon as a
:21:34. > :21:40.lion is in this bush, he will run away. The things to be scared of,
:21:41. > :21:47.why we have the guns and the spear and my sword is the buffalo. That
:21:47. > :21:57.is one animal if I see up close, I get worried. Jackson? Yeah. Can I
:21:57. > :22:06.
:22:06. > :22:10.have a spear? This is a pork pine footprints. Elephant dung. That is
:22:10. > :22:17.a buffalo. We have elephants up there. Mother and calf. Do you know
:22:17. > :22:23.who she is? I don't know her. Just another elephant. It's the rainy
:22:23. > :22:33.season, so there's little prey for Moja's mum and other lions to
:22:33. > :22:38.target. The grazers who are around all have their challenges. These
:22:38. > :22:48.animals have amazing vision. Gazelle can clock 50mph, much
:22:48. > :22:50.
:22:50. > :22:58.faster than a lion. There are lots of eyes on the look out. Then,
:22:58. > :23:08.there is the animal that Jackson is most scared of. We've come across a
:23:08. > :23:13.
:23:13. > :23:22.A big male buffalo weighs almost a tonne. Being hit by one would be
:23:22. > :23:28.like being hit by a car, with horns and attitude. Jackson, if they
:23:28. > :23:36.suddenly all charged towards us, what would we do? When they're
:23:36. > :23:42.charging and you've absolutely no other safety, lie flat. Won't they
:23:42. > :23:52.tramplu? They will, but you will survive. Then they start stampeding
:23:52. > :24:01.
:24:01. > :24:08.towards us. Look, they're coming. Jackson, I'll be honest, I'm scared.
:24:08. > :24:17.It's all right now. We're safe. We're safe. That's good. We're
:24:17. > :24:23.going to leave them alone. It's like one big train rushing past.
:24:23. > :24:29.Careful with that spear, you could have someone's eye out. I wasn't
:24:29. > :24:38.scared, I just said that for effect. When I said it dries up, everything
:24:38. > :24:43.comes in. This is my new friend, a dung beetle. The point about the
:24:43. > :24:49.buffalo, there is no way Moja's mum could bring down a buffalo. They
:24:49. > :24:59.are a useful source of food for hungry prides. They are one heck of
:24:59. > :24:59.
:24:59. > :25:05.an aopponent. -- opponent. Lions and buffalos are mortal enemies.
:25:05. > :25:11.Buffaloes try to kill lion cubs at any opportunity. If a lone buffalo
:25:11. > :25:21.meets a pride, the tables are turned. At this time of year, it's
:25:21. > :25:26.
:25:27. > :25:31.Right, back now to Minnesota and Julia, with more news, I hope, on
:25:31. > :25:36.those grey whale calves on their massive migration. We have more
:25:36. > :25:41.news about the black bears coming up tomorrow. We can concentration
:25:41. > :25:48.on that grey whale migration. What they are doing is heading towards
:25:48. > :25:53.feeding ground in the Arctic waters. We have a crew stationed in the
:25:53. > :26:00.Monterey Bay area where killer Wales frequently attack and kill
:26:00. > :26:05.them. Killer what else whales have not been seen in the Monterey Bay
:26:05. > :26:10.area. It's what we have been calling the attack hotspot. The
:26:10. > :26:17.killers use that area to their advantage for hunting. Because it's
:26:17. > :26:22.such a bumpy year for the grey whales, more than 1,000 making this
:26:22. > :26:32.migration, the killer whales can take their pick much they have been
:26:32. > :26:37.doing that along this coast. This journey has been perilous. This
:26:37. > :26:42.footage is from yesterday. We will have an update tomorrow. We are
:26:42. > :26:48.with Dr Lynn Rogers live in the woods. Before we go, time to get
:26:48. > :26:51.some more expert information. You have been close to black bears, you
:26:51. > :26:55.take their heart rate and temperature. How hot is it inside
:26:55. > :27:03.the fur of a bear, it's a double layer of fur, isn't it? With direct
:27:03. > :27:09.sun, no wind on the fur I measured 185 degrees. 82 degrees Celsius?
:27:09. > :27:14.Exactly. How do they cool down our lovely bears? When they pant. It
:27:14. > :27:21.cokes -- soaks in. They have to get to the water. Or expose their under
:27:21. > :27:26.side to the cool earth. We can see them in the water. That's Jewel and
:27:26. > :27:30.Herbie and Fern cooling down in the water. You completely understand
:27:30. > :27:34.that. If I were 82 degrees I would jump in a stream as well or a lake.
:27:34. > :27:39.They have plenty to choose from here. It's been a pleasure. Thank
:27:39. > :27:44.you for being with us live in the woods. How much longer do you need
:27:44. > :27:54.to continue your research? Another lifetime. I wish we had it. Here's
:27:54. > :27:54.
:27:55. > :28:02.what else is coming up tomorrow: We introduce you 20 to two new Polar
:28:02. > :28:09.bear cubs emerging into a hostile landscape. Gremlin is being the
:28:09. > :28:15.social ladder. Can our elephant herd protect their babies from a
:28:15. > :28:22.raging river. Keep up-to-date on the web, on Twitter and on Facebook.
:28:22. > :28:29.My beetle flew away. He took off into the of a ran can night. That