:00:11. > :00:15.We've been following individual animal dramas throughout the month
:00:15. > :00:24.of May, 2012. As this critical month draws it a close, what does
:00:24. > :00:30.it mean for our meerkat, Swift? Our macaques, Gremlin, and all of the
:00:30. > :00:40.other animals? As we head into June and beyond, how will it affect
:00:40. > :00:49.
:00:49. > :00:56.their chances? This is Planet Earth Live.
:00:56. > :01:00.Jumbo! I still think that is the friendliest greeting anywhere why
:01:00. > :01:03.the world. Welcome back to the Masai Mara. This is starting to
:01:03. > :01:09.feel like home to me. If you have been following from the start,
:01:09. > :01:13.maybe it is feeling like home to you as well. We have been following
:01:13. > :01:18.incredible stories. Stories we could not have possibly predicted.
:01:18. > :01:24.Tonight we have the final story. Even today, there are breaks news
:01:24. > :01:30.stories flooding in from our teams. None bigger than that, but the one
:01:30. > :01:35.coming in from 8,000 miles away, from Julia and the rest of the team.
:01:35. > :01:39.Hello, welcome to the state of Minnesota. It is the 12th largest
:01:39. > :01:43.state in the United States of America it is home to more than 5
:01:43. > :01:48.million humans and 25,000 black bears. As you can see it is a
:01:48. > :01:52.little damp here today, but it has not dampened our spirits. It is a
:01:52. > :01:56.defining month, May, for the black bears. It's the first time they
:01:56. > :02:00.emerge from their dense. They eat the first food in six months and
:02:00. > :02:04.for the me mail it is is the arrival on the scene of the males.
:02:04. > :02:08.The males are now in town. We promised we would do our very best
:02:08. > :02:13.to capture the males on camera. They are very elusive, it is very
:02:14. > :02:19.difficult to do. We have done that and more. Remember this fellow? We
:02:19. > :02:26.caught him on the camera trap. We sid -- said he was about three or
:02:26. > :02:33.four years of age. We said he would be cheeky and sneaky if he were to
:02:33. > :02:40.mate with a female. Well, he has been both sneaky and cheeky. One of
:02:40. > :02:46.our team-mates followed him into a den where he mated with an old lady
:02:46. > :02:56.braif brave. What happened next, we have -- lady, Braveheart. What
:02:56. > :02:56.
:02:56. > :03:02.happened next, we have found out is very rare, to capture it on film is
:03:02. > :03:09.very rare indeed. Braveheart is June's niece. She has lured this
:03:09. > :03:17.male in with her scent. She leads him into the bushes, to
:03:17. > :03:27.get away from the prying eyes of the neighbours.
:03:27. > :03:49.
:03:49. > :03:56.And because he is a little smaller In the bear world this delicate
:03:56. > :04:03.dance is called fluttering. It's exhausting work for both of
:04:03. > :04:13.them. Braveheart grooms him for ticks as
:04:13. > :04:14.
:04:14. > :04:21.a way of maintaining their bond. Usualally, mating bears would stay
:04:21. > :04:31.together for a week. But for this loving couple it was
:04:31. > :04:42.
:04:42. > :04:49.Aw! Some bear love. Because it is so rare we don't know very much
:04:49. > :04:54.about the behaviour. We don't know the success rate. We don't know how
:04:54. > :05:02.many times that the bears meet in their encounter, but we ne that a
:05:02. > :05:08.mixed litter is not usual with other bears. We captured June on a
:05:08. > :05:15.camera trap. There she is. Back then she's got her three year lings
:05:15. > :05:20.with her. What this means, let me do that for you, what that means is,
:05:20. > :05:25.getting rid of the rain there, is that Braveheart has ejected her
:05:25. > :05:29.year lings in a family break-up. What we are waiting to find out is
:05:29. > :05:33.whether or not June has done the same. We are following June, Aster
:05:33. > :05:41.and Aspen. Has she broken up with her year lings? We will let you
:05:41. > :05:48.know later on in the programme. Also, I shall be saying farewell to
:05:48. > :05:53.Juliet and her three cubs, Sam, Sybil and Sophie. So, a lot of
:05:53. > :05:59.change happening here, Richard, it is change for you in the Masai Mara,
:05:59. > :06:03.I know, the advent of a new animal moving in? Oh, yes.
:06:03. > :06:11.Big news to change everything for Moja and Nyota.
:06:11. > :06:17.Here is a tree, I will tell you why this is the lion's favourite tree,
:06:17. > :06:22.but here is the thing. You may have noticed that it has not been
:06:22. > :06:27.raining in the Masai Mara. I have noticed the difference, have a
:06:27. > :06:32.listen... That is the sound of the dry season. Every insect in the
:06:32. > :06:37.Masai Mara coming out to chirp the night away. The arrival of the dry
:06:37. > :06:41.season means one big thing. The arrival of mass migration, hundreds
:06:41. > :06:47.of thousands of wilder beast coming in to feed on the lush, long
:06:47. > :06:52.grasses that are ready for them. A couple of days ago, I got wind of a
:06:52. > :07:02.herd of zebra, loitering with intent. I rushed to spot, hoping to
:07:02. > :07:12.spot one of the first arrivals to cross into Moja and Nyota's fertory.
:07:12. > :07:16.
:07:16. > :07:20.Right behind me, the zebra crossing the river, they are the vanguard.
:07:20. > :07:26.Right at the very tip of that migration.
:07:26. > :07:31.It's a new time for the Mara and for the lions.
:07:31. > :07:36.What an absolutely magical moment. This is just the beginning.
:07:36. > :07:46.On its way from the grasslands of the Serengetti, one of the greatest
:07:46. > :07:46.
:07:46. > :08:42.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 55 seconds
:08:42. > :08:48.Nyota and the other lions will soon Being there, for us all, seeing the
:08:48. > :08:52.first few zebra crossing, that pivotal moment, the turning point,
:08:52. > :08:57.the start of a new time for the lions, we are so lucky to see that.
:08:57. > :09:05.If we have learned one thing, it is never easy for a lion, whether you
:09:05. > :09:09.live in a pride or on your own it is a constant trial of survival and
:09:09. > :09:14.the Masai Mara, it is one of the many few great seasonal changes
:09:14. > :09:20.happening around the world this month. May has seen the end of the
:09:20. > :09:24.rainy season as cross the tropics. For grassing across Africa, the
:09:24. > :09:30.times of grazing has become and not a moment too soon for the preders
:09:30. > :09:34.to, but as the month -- pret tors, but as the month draws to a close,
:09:34. > :09:39.parts of Africa end in another long, dry season and in a few months,
:09:39. > :09:43.many of the animals will be forced to disperse once more. It is a
:09:43. > :09:48.similar pat northern Sri Lanka, where a hot and humid May is about
:09:48. > :09:53.to give way to drought. In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring has
:09:53. > :09:57.been unseasonaly warm. In some places, the snow melted a month
:09:57. > :10:03.early. Ahead lies the bounty of the summer, a vital chance to stock up
:10:03. > :10:07.before the long northern winter. Even further north in the Arctic,
:10:07. > :10:12.May, 2012, has been the exception with warm temperatures causing the
:10:12. > :10:16.sea ice to break up early. This is having a profound effect on the
:10:16. > :10:21.lives of the animals there. Down in the Southern Hemisphere, winter is
:10:21. > :10:27.on its way. Life in the Kalahari is set to get tougher. Nature is
:10:27. > :10:31.complex. Every year is different. May 2012, has presented unique
:10:31. > :10:36.challenges for animals around the globe.
:10:36. > :10:40.So, that's the big picture. Huge seasonal changes coming around the
:10:40. > :10:45.globe that will have profound effects for all of the young
:10:45. > :10:49.animals that we are following. 2,000 miles south of the Kalahari
:10:49. > :10:59.desert, the winter is coming, which means for the meerkats that the
:10:59. > :11:08.
:11:08. > :11:13.This is Swift. She's just woken up on a cold winter's morning in the
:11:13. > :11:20.Kalahari desert. This is one of the toughest places
:11:20. > :11:23.to grow up, but Swift is one of the lucky once. She is part of an
:11:23. > :11:28.kprepgsal family, called the Whisker. Over the last month,
:11:28. > :11:36.they've been teaching here all of the tricks of the meerkat trade.
:11:36. > :11:44.Camera man Toby Strong has been watching Swift and her three sible
:11:45. > :11:49.ings make the first steps towards - - siblings make the first steps
:11:49. > :11:54.towards independence. The dark chests are like solar
:11:54. > :11:59.panels soaking in every drop of of the dawn's first rays.
:11:59. > :12:03.Recharged, they head out into the desert for a day's foraging.
:12:03. > :12:09.Swift is growing fast, living on handouts from the family.
:12:09. > :12:13.But they went feed her forever. Injust a few weeks, Swift will have
:12:13. > :12:22.to fend for herself. And with winter coming to the
:12:22. > :12:26.Kalahari, that's just going to get harder.
:12:26. > :12:30.Almost everything a meerkat eats is under ground.
:12:31. > :12:35.With their exceptional sense of smell they sniff out a snack and
:12:35. > :12:45.work like mini excavators, shifting their own body weight in sand in
:12:45. > :12:48.less than a minute. By watching and mimicking, Swift is
:12:49. > :12:56.slowly getting the hang of it. The more she practises, the better
:12:56. > :13:01.she'll get. But today, the adults are on the
:13:01. > :13:06.hunt for the meerkats' favourite food, scorpions. They are a bit
:13:06. > :13:12.spicy. Some of the species around here have a sting potent enough to
:13:12. > :13:22.kill a human. The adults have built up immunity to the venom. They
:13:22. > :13:23.
:13:23. > :13:26.But for Swift and the other pups, the scorpions present a very real
:13:26. > :13:30.danger. And the sting could do her some
:13:30. > :13:39.serious damage. So she has to be trained by the adults in the fine
:13:39. > :13:45.art of disarming them. With a bite to the tail, Swift's cousin,
:13:45. > :13:51.Arnesto, himself recovering from a snake bite, make it is safe.
:13:51. > :13:57.Then it is over to Swift to finish the job. Within a few weeks, she
:13:57. > :14:01.will be experienced enough to handle one all by herself.
:14:01. > :14:11.Thanks to this tireless support from the whole family, Swift is
:14:11. > :14:17.
:14:17. > :14:22.The rains had failed this year, food was thin on the ground. The
:14:22. > :14:26.pups and Swift had only a 50/50 chance of making it, but by working
:14:26. > :14:33.as a team, this incredible family have given the pups the very best
:14:33. > :14:41.start in life. Kalahari breeds tough animals. No-
:14:41. > :14:45.one em bodies that more than Ernesto. Struck in the face by a
:14:45. > :14:55.Cobra, and here he is now, back with the group and they are all
:14:55. > :14:56.
:14:56. > :15:02.thriving. Because of that, Enni spotted
:15:02. > :15:09.danger, no chances, she's been such a good leader. She's seen this
:15:09. > :15:15.group through some real hardships. When you look at Swift, she's got
:15:15. > :15:19.all of attributes. That feistyness, the determination, and she is the
:15:19. > :15:24.most dominant. When they have war- danced, she'sed been at the very
:15:24. > :15:29.front of it all. Who knows, in three or four years'
:15:29. > :15:36.time, Swift could be leading her own little band of meerkats in this
:15:36. > :15:39.parched corner of Africa. Little Swift may be showing early
:15:39. > :15:44.leadership potential there, who knows? There is more information on
:15:44. > :15:48.all of the animals we have been following on our website. So, for
:15:48. > :15:55.the meerkats, rain means food, but it could not be more the opposite
:15:55. > :15:58.situation for the lions of the Mara. Even though there are a few zebra
:15:58. > :16:08.coming through, Nyota is working hard to find a meal.
:16:08. > :16:15.
:16:15. > :16:21.Its been days since their last meal. Nyota keeps look-out.
:16:21. > :16:31.Moja wants to stay close, but climbing trees doesn't come
:16:31. > :16:39.
:16:39. > :16:49.naturally. His neighbours, the cubs of the
:16:49. > :16:52.
:16:52. > :16:57.Acacia Pride are full of confidence and up for scaling new heights.
:16:57. > :17:03.Their hunting skills are improving by the day.
:17:03. > :17:08.The best way to learn is by watching the experts.
:17:08. > :17:18.They live in one of the richest areas of real estate in the Mara,
:17:18. > :17:18.
:17:18. > :17:28.but the prey here is fast and vigilant.
:17:28. > :17:33.
:17:33. > :17:42.Teamwork is everything. The lionesss surround their target.
:17:42. > :17:52.The net is closed. A baby elan, much slower Ann
:17:52. > :17:54.
:17:54. > :17:59.adult... They have used up a lot of energy for such a small male and
:17:59. > :18:07.there are many hungry mouths to feed. Being in such a big family
:18:07. > :18:13.does have its disadvantages, if you are small you don't get a look in.
:18:13. > :18:17.One good thing to say, perhaps, for being in a tiny family unit, when
:18:17. > :18:22.Nyota make it is kill, it only has to be shared with Moja, but with
:18:22. > :18:28.the warthogs running out by the day, Nyota is going to be lucky indeed
:18:28. > :18:37.to find anything to hunt in their no-man's land. Nyota spends all
:18:37. > :18:43.morning at her post. But she is ever alert.
:18:43. > :18:51.Moja waits patiently, but at a more managable height.
:18:51. > :18:58.Then, kongoni on the horizon. These antelopes have sharp eyes and
:18:58. > :19:07.quick feet. By no means an easy meal.
:19:07. > :19:17.Using the long grass as cover, she approaches unseen.
:19:17. > :19:24.
:19:24. > :19:32.The kongoni and the crew lose sight of her.
:19:32. > :19:40.This is the best meal we've seen Moja have in around a month.
:19:40. > :19:47.Mother and cub eat. Uninterup theed for two days.
:19:47. > :19:51.At last, his belly is full. Nyota has shown she can take the
:19:51. > :19:56.most challenging of prey. With a migration just around the corner,
:19:56. > :20:00.things are about to get a whole lot easier.
:20:00. > :20:07.We have seen the first few lines of zebra. That is hope for her and
:20:07. > :20:11.hope for Moja. The first few zebras arriving, this
:20:11. > :20:15.they are the first of many thousands? Yes, they are the
:20:15. > :20:21.advance party. They are filtering across. She'll hunt zebra, no two
:20:21. > :20:27.ways about it. Single lionesses are supposed to
:20:27. > :20:31.live miserable, dangerous lives, but Nyota has been a revelation.
:20:31. > :20:40.Every single day she's done something to surprise us, this lion.
:20:40. > :20:50.We had expected skulking, a kind of tragic lioness, look! And it's been
:20:50. > :20:52.
:20:52. > :21:01.such a treat. I really want to stay for another three months, please!
:21:01. > :21:05.We really must not underest mate -- underestimate how difficult it was
:21:05. > :21:11.to catch that kongoni. Their eyesight is really so good. They
:21:11. > :21:17.are very, very fast and once again, Nyota has proved herself as a great
:21:17. > :21:22.mother. So, Moja has had a good feed. More food should be arriving
:21:22. > :21:27.soon, but what about the long-term hopes for our little cub? Don't
:21:27. > :21:33.worry, we will address that tonight, but that who exercise has taught us
:21:33. > :21:39.all, just how critical a mother's care is to the young animals.
:21:39. > :21:43.Absolutely right, Richard. Critical. Right here in Minnesota, the black
:21:43. > :21:47.bear females are leaving their scent. The males have moved in,
:21:47. > :21:54.they are on the parole, they are looking to mate with females. For
:21:54. > :21:58.the mothers of year lings, in tow, this means that they have to effect
:21:59. > :22:03.the family break-up as soon as possible. We have seen Braveheart
:22:03. > :22:09.mating in that extraordinary footage. She has done it, she had
:22:09. > :22:14.three year lings, but what about June, Aspen and Aster? We are
:22:14. > :22:19.following their storeys. -- their stories. June has had a couple of
:22:19. > :22:23.difficult times breaking up with hir cubs, and the latest news? She
:22:23. > :22:29.still has not broken up with them. There are beautiful scenes of her
:22:29. > :22:32.with her year lings, Aspen and Aster, they are very much loved up.
:22:32. > :22:36.They have still very much together. Aspened a Aster, however, are
:22:36. > :22:41.living on borrowed time it is not long before they have to face the
:22:41. > :22:46.woods on their own. They have tough challenges ahead of them. We have
:22:46. > :22:50.spoken about it, the predators, the threat of forest fire, the lack of
:22:50. > :22:55.food, but perhaps the biggest threat of all to the black bears
:22:55. > :22:59.here in Minnesota is man. 80% of black bears here in Minnesota will
:22:59. > :23:04.die at the hands of man. Man and bear live side by side, but so
:23:04. > :23:11.often the bears get into trouble. Some people here have an inbuilt
:23:11. > :23:14.fear of black bears. They think of them as wild, carniverous creatures,
:23:14. > :23:19.some people will simply not tolerate the bears, especially if
:23:19. > :23:24.they stray on to their property. It is legal to shoot a bear out of
:23:24. > :23:28.shooting season here in Minnesota, if, and here is the law: If you are
:23:28. > :23:31.protecting your property. However, the option should only be used if
:23:31. > :23:37.the bear is causing immediate danger or significant property
:23:37. > :23:44.damage. So it is a personal judgment call. The sad news is that
:23:44. > :23:50.on Tuesday one of Lynn's study bears, called Joe was shot. This is
:23:50. > :23:55.Jo. She is four years old. She had just split from her year ling,
:23:55. > :23:59.Victoria. We don't know the details, but she had been spotted around the
:23:59. > :24:03.local town it is incredibly sad that we should lose a bear, even
:24:03. > :24:07.more so she was a study bear, providing valuable information to
:24:07. > :24:12.Lynn and his team's research data, that they could have lived off for
:24:12. > :24:16.years, but he accepts that this is a fact of life here in Minnesota.
:24:16. > :24:21.He is upset, but accepts it. I asked him the question, what would
:24:21. > :24:25.happen if one of the mothers would have been shoot? He said simply
:24:25. > :24:29.that the cubs would die. They are completely reliant on them. So
:24:29. > :24:33.hearing that news, makes you realise what struggle the cubs have
:24:33. > :24:39.out here. We wanted to check up on the cubs
:24:39. > :24:45.before we left, here they are. Looking chipper. Look at them
:24:45. > :24:52.suckling away. Juliet has her hands full with these two. They are
:24:52. > :24:57.adventurous, a steep learning curve for Jewel. The cubs are doing well,
:24:57. > :25:01.Herbie and Fern were the cubs that we saw shivering in the snow. Look
:25:01. > :25:06.at them now. Since they have come out of hibernation, the good news
:25:06. > :25:10.is that all of them pretty much across the board have doubled in
:25:10. > :25:16.weight. So they are doing well, but there is one set of cubs I was keen
:25:16. > :25:22.to keep up with before I left, that is of course, Sam, Sybil and Sophie,
:25:22. > :25:25.the cubs that we know belong to Juliet. I headed out to see how
:25:25. > :25:30.they are, for one last time, also to say goodbye.
:25:30. > :25:37.This is the furthest I have known Juliet to be away from her cubs.
:25:37. > :25:42.Let's follow her and see if we can find the cubs. Look at that bottom!
:25:42. > :25:46.Look at that! I'm going to miss that view.
:25:46. > :25:54.So, here we are wonder writing the cubs might be.
:25:54. > :25:59.Silly me... Right at the top of that tree. Look at those bundles.
:25:59. > :26:03.They come down there readily when the mother returns. It could mean
:26:04. > :26:12.nursing time. Look at this, Sam, Sybil, Sophie,
:26:12. > :26:16.hello! She is almost ready to nurse. You can tell.
:26:16. > :26:22.She is sitting down, starting to lean back.
:26:22. > :26:32.Look at that Lynn knew exactly when that was coming. She just sits back,
:26:32. > :26:32.
:26:32. > :26:41.opens up the paws, "I'm ready." There is that noise! They all have
:26:41. > :26:49.their nipple order sorted out. Sam, who is the mostagile, early on,
:26:49. > :26:55.he has the high end set. The two females have the best ones,
:26:55. > :27:05.I can't understand it, but that's why we do research.
:27:05. > :27:06.
:27:06. > :27:09.Oh, look at that, look at that. After nursing playtime often
:27:09. > :27:19.follows. It is definitely playtime now. Look
:27:19. > :27:25.at this little one right by us. They're playing with us! Look at
:27:25. > :27:30.Sam taking a ride. She doesn't like it! We've been so lucky with this
:27:30. > :27:40.family of bears, we have seen some very, very special moments between
:27:40. > :27:56.
:27:56. > :28:01.them, but this... This is She's truly playing with them today.
:28:01. > :28:06.What's the one thing, Lynn, that you have to say to me as we walk
:28:06. > :28:10.away and leave this family behind? You are one of the few people that
:28:10. > :28:14.got to learn directly from the bears, as to how they are like, how
:28:14. > :28:24.they live. I'm just happy we got to see something like this, I suspect
:28:24. > :28:33.
:28:33. > :28:39.it will change your perception of Those are moments that I will never
:28:39. > :28:43.forget in my lifetime. It has been an absolute privilege. Lynn said to
:28:43. > :28:48.me I am one of the few people in the world who has seen black bears
:28:48. > :28:51.in the wild in their natural habitat like that it has been an
:28:52. > :28:59.incredible experience. For the young black cubs, they spend a year
:28:59. > :29:07.with their mothers before they are set loose to spend time on their
:29:07. > :29:16.own two feet. Different for the giant outers in the Amazon, here is
:29:16. > :29:21.Dali. Here is the latest news.
:29:21. > :29:27.We've been following the story of Dali, a young giant otter cub and
:29:27. > :29:32.his family, forced to live like refugees. He shares the lake with
:29:32. > :29:37.over 700 hungry cayman and baby otters are very definitely on the
:29:37. > :29:41.menu. For his mum and dad, keeping Dali and his five brothers and
:29:42. > :29:46.sisters alive in the middle of this war zone, meant living life on the
:29:46. > :29:56.run in a relentless battle for survival. Until one day, they took
:29:56. > :30:00.
:30:00. > :30:05.a stand and went head-to-head with one of the cayman.
:30:05. > :30:09.They killed their opponent, but it was a hobble victory. Despite their
:30:09. > :30:19.bravery and round-the-clock attention, mull and dad lost four
:30:19. > :30:24.of their six pups. -- it was a hollow victory. The
:30:24. > :30:29.cameraman returned to the Amazon to see if Dali was still alive. This
:30:29. > :30:35.is what he found. Seven weeks later, I have no idea. I have not had
:30:35. > :30:40.reports from the otters, I don't know how many are left in the group.
:30:40. > :30:44.Scanning the river, suddenly he spots two youngsters.
:30:44. > :30:50.It is so nice to see that two are still going.
:30:50. > :30:55.It's a huge relief, but these pups are almost unrecognisable.
:30:55. > :31:00.Now he is starting to look like a proper otter. He is not a stumpy
:31:00. > :31:06.thing. He is proper and big. I think that is Dali.
:31:06. > :31:10.Dali has turned out to be a true survivor and is now the otter
:31:10. > :31:15.equivalent of a boisterous teenager, keen to eat his parents out of
:31:15. > :31:21.house and home. This feisty male is vocal in his demands.
:31:21. > :31:31.Guess what the otter cub is saying is the equivalent to, "Dad, can I
:31:31. > :31:32.
:31:33. > :31:40.have a business kit? Dad, can have I a banana? Dad, I'm hungry "then
:31:40. > :31:45.you hear the adult saying, "No, I haven't. You've had enough." It's
:31:45. > :31:49.like every morning in my house. But Dali is one hungry pup and he
:31:49. > :31:53.is not giving up the chance of an easy meal.
:31:53. > :32:00.He is starting to assert his authority.
:32:00. > :32:10.But he still has a few key lessons to learn.
:32:10. > :32:11.
:32:11. > :32:17.Gotcha! They are so to each other normally. I mean they are just
:32:17. > :32:21.about the nicest animals that I know as a family, a group. They
:32:21. > :32:26.love each other to death, but when there is fish involved they would
:32:26. > :32:30.kill each other. The cubs are nearly grown up, so I'm not so
:32:30. > :32:36.worried now. Once they are past the critical point, they can cope, they
:32:36. > :32:40.have a better chance of reaching full adulthood.
:32:40. > :32:45.It's clear that young Dali has what it takes to survive in his
:32:45. > :32:49.dangerous and competitive home in the Peruvian Amazon. Hopefully one
:32:49. > :32:53.day, he'll bring up a family of his own here.
:32:54. > :32:58.It is good to see Dali growing stronger, there, like here, the
:32:58. > :33:03.rainy season is over, which means that the lake will start to dry out,
:33:03. > :33:07.so, inevitably, clashes with cayman are on the horizon. So little Dali
:33:07. > :33:10.will need all of the strength and determination he can muster to get
:33:11. > :33:15.through the next few months. Welcome back to the Masai Mara,
:33:16. > :33:22.here it is not raining. A few moments ago, we caught a glance
:33:22. > :33:25.here of these guys, see, the hippo? In the foreground there is a
:33:25. > :33:29.buffalo too. They are grazing. I am glad we have
:33:29. > :33:35.got the buffalo. They have become like friends.
:33:35. > :33:45.Well, I say friends, they are grumpy, but they are familiar. Well,
:33:45. > :33:46.
:33:46. > :33:53.the ladies, the elephants, now it is the hunting trade. The poaching
:33:53. > :33:57.is illegal, it wipe out the trade of female elephants. It leaves them
:33:57. > :34:02.enable to look after their family properly, but there is hope. David
:34:02. > :34:07.Daballen and his team from Save the Elephants wage a daily battle
:34:07. > :34:12.against the impact of poaching. They treat wounded elephants,
:34:12. > :34:17.monitor the herds' movements and monitor and support antipoaching
:34:17. > :34:22.trails. Amazingly, the elephants seem aware of the dangers that they
:34:22. > :34:25.face. They are doing all that they can to stay alive. Young elephants
:34:25. > :34:32.from herds devastated by illegal hunting are now being adopted by
:34:33. > :34:36.other families. When Grace's mum was only 13 years
:34:36. > :34:41.old, her family was almost completely wiped out. Elephants had
:34:41. > :34:47.never been known to care for orphans from other herds, but she
:34:47. > :34:51.was taken in by the clans. This was the first confirmed case of
:34:51. > :34:55.elephant adoption, many more have since been recorded.
:34:55. > :35:00.Even when the families are decimated, this behaviour means
:35:00. > :35:04.that they can still form and function as groups.
:35:04. > :35:07.This shows how caring elephants are, but their intelligence goes further.
:35:07. > :35:12.They know where they are safe and where there is danger.
:35:12. > :35:15.They are using the cover of darkness to run great distances
:35:15. > :35:20.from one safe heatwave tonne another.
:35:20. > :35:27.Elephants are very intelligent animals. They have the ability to
:35:27. > :35:31.adapt to human pressure. In Samburu, they have learned where
:35:31. > :35:37.the reserve ends and where trouble begins. Many families that have
:35:37. > :35:41.been hit hard by poachers do not cross the line.
:35:41. > :35:45.These adaptations really have only just been discovered and documented.
:35:46. > :35:50.Doubtless there are many more we don't yet know about. All of which
:35:50. > :35:54.for me, underlines how complex, emotional, intelligence and like
:35:54. > :35:59.humans elephants are. Which make it is all the more hard to swallow,
:35:59. > :36:08.the fact that we are the greatest threat facing them right now. The
:36:08. > :36:13.good news is in the Samburu Reserve, the elephants can kick back and
:36:13. > :36:17.party in the sunshine. This is the time what they reassociate with
:36:17. > :36:22.their bonds. When you are watching this, keep at the back of the mind
:36:22. > :36:25.what happens when you get back together with your family. Maybe on
:36:25. > :36:29.the beach, maybe in the summer holidays.
:36:29. > :36:34.In the heat of the day, elephants head down to the river.
:36:34. > :36:44.They are in the safety of the shallows and they gather in huge
:36:44. > :36:45.
:36:45. > :36:49.groups, up to 300-strong. Many of the herds are related. So
:36:49. > :36:57.this is a chance to catch up with distant relatives and make new
:36:57. > :37:06.friends. For Sky, Grace and the other babies,
:37:06. > :37:16.it is playtime. The only thing missing are the buckets and spades.
:37:16. > :37:19.
:37:19. > :37:25.The older kids gang up and run rye oth! -- riot! Teenage boys flex
:37:25. > :37:30.their muscles and suss each other out.
:37:30. > :37:34.The babies still need taking care of, but there are lots of willing
:37:34. > :37:40.babe sitters on hand. Young childless females, keen to practise
:37:41. > :37:47.their parenting skills. With all the family, busy having
:37:47. > :37:53.fun, thewise old mate arcs, finally get a bit of time off. They huddle
:37:53. > :37:58.together, exchanging greetings, sharing secrets, trumpeting calls
:37:58. > :38:08.let everyone know it is all kicking off on the beach and send out a
:38:08. > :38:21.
:38:21. > :38:25.clear message to come and join the party.
:38:25. > :38:29.I know! It looks like they are messing about, they kind of are,
:38:29. > :38:33.but it is critical. It ties them together, it reaffirms the bonds.
:38:33. > :38:39.It is absolutely the centre of elephant life. If you were watching
:38:39. > :38:45.like I was, thinking this looks familiar, don't worry, they are not
:38:45. > :38:50.being soppy. They are doing what I do, what we do. When we get
:38:51. > :38:57.together, my older daughters can't wait to get together with the young
:38:57. > :39:04.ones and we are chatting with the older ones it is all terribly
:39:04. > :39:09.complex. Now, family matters, Julia. What is happening? Richard, we are
:39:09. > :39:14.following the migration of the whales.
:39:14. > :39:20.They have pulled into the first feeding ground in Vancouver. Here
:39:20. > :39:25.they are bottom feeders, they will feed now on crustaceans and others
:39:25. > :39:30.on the ocean floor and if there is a plentiful supply of food they
:39:30. > :39:34.will stay there. Some of the grey whales will stay there, others will
:39:35. > :39:41.continue their epic journey, moving to the cooler, OK againated waters
:39:41. > :39:49.in the Arctic. We began following the story back in April.
:39:49. > :39:55.-- o xygenated. The grey whales started their life
:39:55. > :40:01.in Mexico, a few weeks ago, in the warm waters. The calfs sprent three
:40:01. > :40:05.months in the safe havens, learning to swim, nursing on their Mathers
:40:05. > :40:10.fat, rich milk, gathering the strength that they will need to
:40:10. > :40:16.undertake this epic migration. In ape, the first of our mothers leave
:40:16. > :40:20.the lagoon with the mums, heading north on a journey that lasts up to
:40:20. > :40:29.three months. But the further north they travel,
:40:29. > :40:37.the closer they get to danger. In Monterey Bay, our team witnessed
:40:37. > :40:42.an attack on a mother and calf by killer whales.
:40:43. > :40:46.Their strategy, to separate the mother and the calf and to drown
:40:46. > :40:53.the baby. This attack was made even more incredible by the intervention
:40:53. > :40:59.of humpback whales. These attacks can take up to six
:40:59. > :41:05.hours, but this one only took two m the killer Wales are becoming more
:41:05. > :41:09.-- only took two, the killer whales are becoming more efficient. Not
:41:09. > :41:16.only that, but the killer whales moved from the bay, targeting the
:41:16. > :41:22.grey whales in multiple locations along the coast.
:41:22. > :41:28.Many mothers will finish their migration alone.
:41:28. > :41:33.But for the lucky ones, the journey north continues into increasingly
:41:33. > :41:39.colder waters. For a few weeks in the spring, the
:41:39. > :41:43.sun in the Arctic never sets and this bring life to the oxygen-rich
:41:43. > :41:53.cold waters. The grey whales are arriving in time for one of the
:41:53. > :41:57.
:41:57. > :42:01.most spectacular events on the planet.
:42:01. > :42:11.Millions of animals have travelled here to feast in the fertile waters
:42:11. > :42:22.
:42:22. > :42:27.for a few short months before it freezes again.
:42:27. > :42:30.The mother whales have led their calves through the toughest trial
:42:30. > :42:35.they will ever face. The young whale will make this
:42:35. > :42:42.journey every year on the quest for food.
:42:42. > :42:46.In her lifetime, she may migrate like this 50 times, travelling the
:42:46. > :42:51.equivalent of 20 times around the world. That is half a million miles.
:42:51. > :43:01.She will carry the lessons learned from these journeys for the rest of
:43:01. > :43:04.
:43:04. > :43:08.That has absolutely been a series high light for me. I love the fact
:43:08. > :43:12.that on that massive migration, sometimes the calves hitch a ride
:43:12. > :43:16.on the back of their grey whale mothers. Fascinating creatures.
:43:16. > :43:21.Mostly, the grey whale is a solitary animal, apart from the
:43:21. > :43:25.time that they will spend with their babies, there is certainly no
:43:25. > :43:31.social interaction when it comes to food. They don't need to make
:43:31. > :43:36.friends, whether it comes to food. Unlike, of course, our toque
:43:36. > :43:42.macaques in Sri Lanka. The little Gremlin has certainly gotten to
:43:42. > :43:52.know the structure it is not easy. A little bit like dinner at my
:43:52. > :43:52.
:43:52. > :43:58.place. We've spent five weeks following
:43:58. > :44:02.Gremlin, a babe macaques in Sri Lanka.
:44:02. > :44:06.Camera man Gavin has been watching her, growing up in front of the
:44:07. > :44:10.camera. This May has been a critical month for her. She's
:44:10. > :44:16.achieved so much in such a short space of time.
:44:16. > :44:22.She's learned to talk, she's learned to walk properly, she's
:44:22. > :44:26.learned to eat solids, and she's learned to avoid certain grown-ups,
:44:26. > :44:30.but probably one of the most important and difficult things she
:44:31. > :44:36.has had to learn is how crucial it is to keep her wits about her, in
:44:36. > :44:39.this highly political and competitive society. She's seen
:44:39. > :44:49.first-hand the harsh reality of what happens if you don't get
:44:49. > :44:51.
:44:51. > :44:53.But what of her future? Being near the bottom of the social pile is
:44:53. > :44:59.always going to cause problems for her.
:44:59. > :45:04.This is where the life of the oldest but lowest-ranking female,
:45:04. > :45:09.poppin can provide a valuable insight into what her life may
:45:09. > :45:18.become. I first met Poppin 15 years ago,
:45:18. > :45:22.she had had a couple of off-spring then. She is 23 now and has
:45:22. > :45:29.obviously been a successful monkey. She was and always will be the
:45:29. > :45:35.bottom of the happy. She has even had to give food from her cheeks to
:45:35. > :45:42.a high-ranking female if she wants it. It is all about politics.
:45:42. > :45:47.This is Hector. They are grooming and fussing over him. This is
:45:47. > :45:54.Poppin of ensuring that she is looked after by him, and her babies.
:45:54. > :46:00.She has made a success of her life in spite of her low rank and the
:46:01. > :46:07.recent birth of Richard prove as point. Gremlin will do well to
:46:07. > :46:12.watch Poppin's tricks closely. She will have to have her work cut out,
:46:12. > :46:20.avoiding the nasty neighbours, the Slum Dog Troop, of course. Today
:46:20. > :46:27.she is hanging out with nicer neighbours. The resident troop of
:46:27. > :46:31.Langers, whose territory overlaps the Temple Tree. They are gentle
:46:31. > :46:36.leaf eaters. Gremlin's family spend time interacting with them,
:46:36. > :46:46.grooming and preening them. Gremlin will have to learn the ins and outs
:46:46. > :46:46.
:46:46. > :46:52.of how to talk to another species. But no matter who you are
:46:52. > :46:57.neighbours with, you can't beat hajjing -- hanging out with your
:46:57. > :47:02.family. In the very neech future, she has a few important things to
:47:02. > :47:07.try to survive. In the next month or so, Sri Lanka is heading into
:47:07. > :47:13.the dry season. Temperatures can sore into the 40s, when drought and
:47:13. > :47:19.the search for water will be a huge challenge.
:47:19. > :47:23.No-one knows if Gremlin will survive in what can be a harsh and
:47:23. > :47:32.unforgiving world. Her troop's territory among the Temple Ruins is
:47:32. > :47:36.one of the most epic settings on earth.
:47:36. > :47:42.Gremlin's own life dramas, may not be as eventful as the political
:47:42. > :47:46.ones played out here by the Sri Lanka yarian king centuries ago.
:47:46. > :47:56.But this spirited and smart little monkey is learning every lesson
:47:56. > :47:59.
:47:59. > :48:02.well so far. She has every chance of making it.
:48:02. > :48:07.If little Gremlin learns to fit in, her family will be her strength.
:48:07. > :48:13.That is the same for the elephants we are following up north from here
:48:14. > :48:18.in Samburu Reserve. When we first met elephant calf, Maya, we thought
:48:18. > :48:28.she did not stand a chance. Her family had been hit so hard by
:48:28. > :48:28.
:48:28. > :48:33.poachers, all of the female herd heads had been wiped out, but then
:48:33. > :48:39.Zadie surprised us all, she was the youngest mother.
:48:39. > :48:43.After a poor start, Maya and Zadie quickly found their feet, but there
:48:43. > :48:48.is one challenge that all baby elephants must face, their first
:48:48. > :48:58.river crossing. The crew watched with beated breath
:48:58. > :49:02.as Zadie led Maya into the deep, dangerous part of the river.
:49:02. > :49:09.But Zadie's choices were good ones, there were no crocodiles, the
:49:09. > :49:18.section of the river was wide, shallow and slow h moving.
:49:18. > :49:24.-- slow-moving. The success of her calf's first crossing is a measure
:49:24. > :49:29.of the care she receives. Against the odds, Zadie and the rest of the
:49:29. > :49:35.herd are doing well. I've met up with them on the other side. I've
:49:35. > :49:39.come here to say goodbye to little baby Maya. We watched that elephant
:49:39. > :49:44.from hours after birth up to now, through a difficult time, but they
:49:44. > :49:51.have managed it against all of the odds. As we leave her, I have a
:49:51. > :50:00.food feeling that maybe they will get through and carry on.
:50:00. > :50:07.In the years to come, Ma yarbgs a - - Maya and her family will face
:50:07. > :50:12.dangers, there is no doubt, but what this has shown us is how
:50:12. > :50:18.strong elephant families can be. How if they stay together, stay
:50:18. > :50:24.united they can be OK if they are united.
:50:24. > :50:29.And Moja and Nyota. When we first saw Moja, we thought he did not
:50:29. > :50:35.stand a chance. Here he is when we met him. A bag of bones, now here
:50:35. > :50:39.he is a few weeks later, probably a stone heavier, healthier. We reckon
:50:39. > :50:47.there is every chance he may make it through the lane times and
:50:47. > :50:53.beyond. -- lean times and beyond.
:50:53. > :50:57.The fact that he has grown, obviously, it is only down to his
:50:57. > :51:02.mother's skill in hunting. Having time to feed properly and get that
:51:02. > :51:08.food into him. He needs a lot, doesn't he? He might be small, but
:51:08. > :51:13.he needs a lot? He does. If he grows he needs more food. With the
:51:13. > :51:17.migration on its way, Jackson thinks he will make it through his
:51:17. > :51:25.first rainy season. But what does the future hold for
:51:25. > :51:34.him? He'll stay with Nyota much longer than if he was in a pride.
:51:34. > :51:41.He will learn from her. Then they will hunt together.
:51:41. > :51:51.But he will eventually leave her. He will walk far from his
:51:51. > :51:54.
:51:54. > :51:59.birthplace and become a nomad. To take care of a pride he will
:51:59. > :52:08.need back-up. He will join forces with another wand err. Together
:52:08. > :52:13.they can tie and father their own dynasty.
:52:13. > :52:19.At least one in three prides in these grasslands are ruled by such
:52:19. > :52:24.coalitions. Moja's future could be a bright one.
:52:24. > :52:28.Is it being overly romantic and sentimental to say that the tough
:52:28. > :52:34.beginnings could count in his favour. If he make it is, he will
:52:34. > :52:38.be strong, he will be clever, he could take after his mother with
:52:38. > :52:45.his father's genes. It could absurprise. He could be
:52:45. > :52:50.the king of the Masai Mara, if you think of his granddad, he was the
:52:51. > :53:00.king. He could have his genes. I would love to see that.
:53:01. > :53:02.
:53:02. > :53:07.All, right now, all he needs to do is to wake up and climb up that
:53:07. > :53:11.tree. Climb he does. He will have to master many more skills, but for
:53:11. > :53:17.now, at least, he's king of the tree.
:53:17. > :53:21.When we first met the lion Moja, we had no way of knowing he would make
:53:21. > :53:26.it through this tough month. Now look at us, hopeful for his future.
:53:26. > :53:31.I suspect that I am probably not alone and that this will change the
:53:31. > :53:36.way that I will look and think about lions forever. I will always
:53:36. > :53:41.remember what they have to go through to make it to adulthood and
:53:41. > :53:47.how every single one of them are tested in ways that you and I are
:53:47. > :53:52.lucky enough never to know. So each one of them, each lion you see,
:53:52. > :53:58.embodies the strength and the vitality of their species. We owe
:53:58. > :54:02.that insight into what make as lion a lion to little Moja. So, thank
:54:02. > :54:08.you, little fella. We owe you for that. Right, we are near the very
:54:08. > :54:14.end. I believe we can have a look at our thermal camera. We saw a
:54:14. > :54:16.giraffe. A rare sight. They don't often move at night, but that one
:54:16. > :54:21.definitely is not probably sleep- walking.
:54:21. > :54:25.Also from earlier today. We saw these, now, they are not the best
:54:26. > :54:29.shots, we could not get to them, they had been hidden, but new
:54:29. > :54:35.arrivals. Even at this late time during our stay here in the Masai
:54:35. > :54:40.Mara. These cubs are about a month or so old. They have been hidden
:54:40. > :54:45.from the other lions, so there you go, the whole thing goes full
:54:45. > :54:49.circle and we start all over again. Julia, I remember saying when this
:54:49. > :54:53.started how I was looking forward to immersing myself in the
:54:53. > :54:57.individual lives of animals, getting a better way of
:54:57. > :55:01.understanding them. I am not ashamed to say that I have rather
:55:01. > :55:05.fallen for some of our lead characters? You don't have to be
:55:05. > :55:11.ashamed Richard, you would not be human if you did not. I have grown
:55:11. > :55:17.close to the wild black bears in Minnesota. To be immersed in their
:55:17. > :55:21.lives the way that we have been, almost 24/7, it is incredible. You
:55:21. > :55:26.see behaviour you would never normally see. As for the whales,
:55:26. > :55:30.well, their behaviour has been utterly captivating. Such an
:55:30. > :55:35.incredible experience watching these fantastic creatures.
:55:35. > :55:40.It is genuinely amazing. I think living alongside the animals we
:55:40. > :55:46.have learned about what it means to grow up in the wild, all that it
:55:46. > :55:49.entails, about staying alongside an incredible mother or learning how
:55:49. > :55:59.much your family can save you. It really has been an incredible
:55:59. > :55:59.
:55:59. > :58:04.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 55 seconds
:58:04. > :58:10.experience. I for one will never May, 2012 has been spectacular.
:58:10. > :58:14.Thank you for watching. It has been an absolute privilege, sharing the