Episode 8 Planet Earth Live

We've been following individual animal dramas throughout the month

of May, 2012. As this critical month draws it a close, what does

it mean for our meerkat, Swift? Our macaques, Gremlin, and all of the

other animals? As we head into June and beyond, how will it affect

their chances? This is Planet Earth Live.

Jumbo! I still think that is the friendliest greeting anywhere why

the world. Welcome back to the Masai Mara. This is starting to

feel like home to me. If you have been following from the start,

maybe it is feeling like home to you as well. We have been following

incredible stories. Stories we could not have possibly predicted.

Tonight we have the final story. Even today, there are breaks news

stories flooding in from our teams. None bigger than that, but the one

coming in from 8,000 miles away, from Julia and the rest of the team.

Hello, welcome to the state of Minnesota. It is the 12th largest

state in the United States of America it is home to more than 5

million humans and 25,000 black bears. As you can see it is a

little damp here today, but it has not dampened our spirits. It is a

defining month, May, for the black bears. It's the first time they

emerge from their dense. They eat the first food in six months and

for the me mail it is is the arrival on the scene of the males.

The males are now in town. We promised we would do our very best

to capture the males on camera. They are very elusive, it is very

difficult to do. We have done that and more. Remember this fellow? We

caught him on the camera trap. We sid -- said he was about three or

four years of age. We said he would be cheeky and sneaky if he were to

mate with a female. Well, he has been both sneaky and cheeky. One of

our team-mates followed him into a den where he mated with an old lady

braif brave. What happened next, we have -- lady, Braveheart. What

happened next, we have found out is very rare, to capture it on film is

very rare indeed. Braveheart is June's niece. She has lured this

male in with her scent. She leads him into the bushes, to

get away from the prying eyes of the neighbours.

And because he is a little smaller In the bear world this delicate

dance is called fluttering. It's exhausting work for both of

them. Braveheart grooms him for ticks as

a way of maintaining their bond. Usualally, mating bears would stay

together for a week. But for this loving couple it was

Aw! Some bear love. Because it is so rare we don't know very much

about the behaviour. We don't know the success rate. We don't know how

many times that the bears meet in their encounter, but we ne that a

mixed litter is not usual with other bears. We captured June on a

camera trap. There she is. Back then she's got her three year lings

with her. What this means, let me do that for you, what that means is,

getting rid of the rain there, is that Braveheart has ejected her

year lings in a family break-up. What we are waiting to find out is

whether or not June has done the same. We are following June, Aster

and Aspen. Has she broken up with her year lings? We will let you

know later on in the programme. Also, I shall be saying farewell to

Juliet and her three cubs, Sam, Sybil and Sophie. So, a lot of

change happening here, Richard, it is change for you in the Masai Mara,

I know, the advent of a new animal moving in? Oh, yes.

Big news to change everything for Moja and Nyota.

Here is a tree, I will tell you why this is the lion's favourite tree,

but here is the thing. You may have noticed that it has not been

raining in the Masai Mara. I have noticed the difference, have a

listen... That is the sound of the dry season. Every insect in the

Masai Mara coming out to chirp the night away. The arrival of the dry

season means one big thing. The arrival of mass migration, hundreds

of thousands of wilder beast coming in to feed on the lush, long

grasses that are ready for them. A couple of days ago, I got wind of a

herd of zebra, loitering with intent. I rushed to spot, hoping to

spot one of the first arrivals to cross into Moja and Nyota's fertory.

Right behind me, the zebra crossing the river, they are the vanguard.

Right at the very tip of that migration.

It's a new time for the Mara and for the lions.

What an absolutely magical moment. This is just the beginning.

On its way from the grasslands of the Serengetti, one of the greatest

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 55 seconds

Nyota and the other lions will soon Being there, for us all, seeing the

first few zebra crossing, that pivotal moment, the turning point,

the start of a new time for the lions, we are so lucky to see that.

If we have learned one thing, it is never easy for a lion, whether you

live in a pride or on your own it is a constant trial of survival and

the Masai Mara, it is one of the many few great seasonal changes

happening around the world this month. May has seen the end of the

rainy season as cross the tropics. For grassing across Africa, the

times of grazing has become and not a moment too soon for the preders

to, but as the month -- pret tors, but as the month draws to a close,

parts of Africa end in another long, dry season and in a few months,

many of the animals will be forced to disperse once more. It is a

similar pat northern Sri Lanka, where a hot and humid May is about

to give way to drought. In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring has

been unseasonaly warm. In some places, the snow melted a month

early. Ahead lies the bounty of the summer, a vital chance to stock up

before the long northern winter. Even further north in the Arctic,

May, 2012, has been the exception with warm temperatures causing the

sea ice to break up early. This is having a profound effect on the

lives of the animals there. Down in the Southern Hemisphere, winter is

on its way. Life in the Kalahari is set to get tougher. Nature is

complex. Every year is different. May 2012, has presented unique

challenges for animals around the globe.

So, that's the big picture. Huge seasonal changes coming around the

globe that will have profound effects for all of the young

animals that we are following. 2,000 miles south of the Kalahari

desert, the winter is coming, which means for the meerkats that the

This is Swift. She's just woken up on a cold winter's morning in the

Kalahari desert. This is one of the toughest places

to grow up, but Swift is one of the lucky once. She is part of an

kprepgsal family, called the Whisker. Over the last month,

they've been teaching here all of the tricks of the meerkat trade.

Camera man Toby Strong has been watching Swift and her three sible

ings make the first steps towards - - siblings make the first steps

towards independence. The dark chests are like solar

panels soaking in every drop of of the dawn's first rays.

Recharged, they head out into the desert for a day's foraging.

Swift is growing fast, living on handouts from the family.

But they went feed her forever. Injust a few weeks, Swift will have

to fend for herself. And with winter coming to the

Kalahari, that's just going to get harder.

Almost everything a meerkat eats is under ground.

With their exceptional sense of smell they sniff out a snack and

work like mini excavators, shifting their own body weight in sand in

less than a minute. By watching and mimicking, Swift is

slowly getting the hang of it. The more she practises, the better

she'll get. But today, the adults are on the

hunt for the meerkats' favourite food, scorpions. They are a bit

spicy. Some of the species around here have a sting potent enough to

kill a human. The adults have built up immunity to the venom. They

But for Swift and the other pups, the scorpions present a very real

danger. And the sting could do her some

serious damage. So she has to be trained by the adults in the fine

art of disarming them. With a bite to the tail, Swift's cousin,

Arnesto, himself recovering from a snake bite, make it is safe.

Then it is over to Swift to finish the job. Within a few weeks, she

will be experienced enough to handle one all by herself.

Thanks to this tireless support from the whole family, Swift is

The rains had failed this year, food was thin on the ground. The

pups and Swift had only a 50/50 chance of making it, but by working

as a team, this incredible family have given the pups the very best

start in life. Kalahari breeds tough animals. No-

one em bodies that more than Ernesto. Struck in the face by a

Cobra, and here he is now, back with the group and they are all

thriving. Because of that, Enni spotted

danger, no chances, she's been such a good leader. She's seen this

group through some real hardships. When you look at Swift, she's got

all of attributes. That feistyness, the determination, and she is the

most dominant. When they have war- danced, she'sed been at the very

front of it all. Who knows, in three or four years'

time, Swift could be leading her own little band of meerkats in this

parched corner of Africa. Little Swift may be showing early

leadership potential there, who knows? There is more information on

all of the animals we have been following on our website. So, for

the meerkats, rain means food, but it could not be more the opposite

situation for the lions of the Mara. Even though there are a few zebra

coming through, Nyota is working hard to find a meal.

Its been days since their last meal. Nyota keeps look-out.

Moja wants to stay close, but climbing trees doesn't come

naturally. His neighbours, the cubs of the

Acacia Pride are full of confidence and up for scaling new heights.

Their hunting skills are improving by the day.

The best way to learn is by watching the experts.

They live in one of the richest areas of real estate in the Mara,

but the prey here is fast and vigilant.

Teamwork is everything. The lionesss surround their target.

The net is closed. A baby elan, much slower Ann

adult... They have used up a lot of energy for such a small male and

there are many hungry mouths to feed. Being in such a big family

does have its disadvantages, if you are small you don't get a look in.

One good thing to say, perhaps, for being in a tiny family unit, when

Nyota make it is kill, it only has to be shared with Moja, but with

the warthogs running out by the day, Nyota is going to be lucky indeed

to find anything to hunt in their no-man's land. Nyota spends all

morning at her post. But she is ever alert.

Moja waits patiently, but at a more managable height.

Then, kongoni on the horizon. These antelopes have sharp eyes and

quick feet. By no means an easy meal.

Using the long grass as cover, she approaches unseen.

The kongoni and the crew lose sight of her.

This is the best meal we've seen Moja have in around a month.

Mother and cub eat. Uninterup theed for two days.

At last, his belly is full. Nyota has shown she can take the

most challenging of prey. With a migration just around the corner,

things are about to get a whole lot easier.

We have seen the first few lines of zebra. That is hope for her and

hope for Moja. The first few zebras arriving, this

they are the first of many thousands? Yes, they are the

advance party. They are filtering across. She'll hunt zebra, no two

ways about it. Single lionesses are supposed to

live miserable, dangerous lives, but Nyota has been a revelation.

Every single day she's done something to surprise us, this lion.

We had expected skulking, a kind of tragic lioness, look! And it's been

such a treat. I really want to stay for another three months, please!

We really must not underest mate -- underestimate how difficult it was

to catch that kongoni. Their eyesight is really so good. They

are very, very fast and once again, Nyota has proved herself as a great

mother. So, Moja has had a good feed. More food should be arriving

soon, but what about the long-term hopes for our little cub? Don't

worry, we will address that tonight, but that who exercise has taught us

all, just how critical a mother's care is to the young animals.

Absolutely right, Richard. Critical. Right here in Minnesota, the black

bear females are leaving their scent. The males have moved in,

they are on the parole, they are looking to mate with females. For

the mothers of year lings, in tow, this means that they have to effect

the family break-up as soon as possible. We have seen Braveheart

mating in that extraordinary footage. She has done it, she had

three year lings, but what about June, Aspen and Aster? We are

following their storeys. -- their stories. June has had a couple of

difficult times breaking up with hir cubs, and the latest news? She

still has not broken up with them. There are beautiful scenes of her

with her year lings, Aspen and Aster, they are very much loved up.

They have still very much together. Aspened a Aster, however, are

living on borrowed time it is not long before they have to face the

woods on their own. They have tough challenges ahead of them. We have

spoken about it, the predators, the threat of forest fire, the lack of

food, but perhaps the biggest threat of all to the black bears

here in Minnesota is man. 80% of black bears here in Minnesota will

die at the hands of man. Man and bear live side by side, but so

often the bears get into trouble. Some people here have an inbuilt

fear of black bears. They think of them as wild, carniverous creatures,

some people will simply not tolerate the bears, especially if

they stray on to their property. It is legal to shoot a bear out of

shooting season here in Minnesota, if, and here is the law: If you are

protecting your property. However, the option should only be used if

the bear is causing immediate danger or significant property

damage. So it is a personal judgment call. The sad news is that

on Tuesday one of Lynn's study bears, called Joe was shot. This is

Jo. She is four years old. She had just split from her year ling,

Victoria. We don't know the details, but she had been spotted around the

local town it is incredibly sad that we should lose a bear, even

more so she was a study bear, providing valuable information to

Lynn and his team's research data, that they could have lived off for

years, but he accepts that this is a fact of life here in Minnesota.

He is upset, but accepts it. I asked him the question, what would

happen if one of the mothers would have been shoot? He said simply

that the cubs would die. They are completely reliant on them. So

hearing that news, makes you realise what struggle the cubs have

out here. We wanted to check up on the cubs

before we left, here they are. Looking chipper. Look at them

suckling away. Juliet has her hands full with these two. They are

adventurous, a steep learning curve for Jewel. The cubs are doing well,

Herbie and Fern were the cubs that we saw shivering in the snow. Look

at them now. Since they have come out of hibernation, the good news

is that all of them pretty much across the board have doubled in

weight. So they are doing well, but there is one set of cubs I was keen

to keep up with before I left, that is of course, Sam, Sybil and Sophie,

the cubs that we know belong to Juliet. I headed out to see how

they are, for one last time, also to say goodbye.

This is the furthest I have known Juliet to be away from her cubs.

Let's follow her and see if we can find the cubs. Look at that bottom!

Look at that! I'm going to miss that view.

So, here we are wonder writing the cubs might be.

Silly me... Right at the top of that tree. Look at those bundles.

They come down there readily when the mother returns. It could mean

nursing time. Look at this, Sam, Sybil, Sophie,

hello! She is almost ready to nurse. You can tell.

She is sitting down, starting to lean back.

Look at that Lynn knew exactly when that was coming. She just sits back,

opens up the paws, "I'm ready." There is that noise! They all have

their nipple order sorted out. Sam, who is the mostagile, early on,

he has the high end set. The two females have the best ones,

I can't understand it, but that's why we do research.

Oh, look at that, look at that. After nursing playtime often

follows. It is definitely playtime now. Look

at this little one right by us. They're playing with us! Look at

Sam taking a ride. She doesn't like it! We've been so lucky with this

family of bears, we have seen some very, very special moments between

them, but this... This is She's truly playing with them today.

What's the one thing, Lynn, that you have to say to me as we walk

away and leave this family behind? You are one of the few people that

got to learn directly from the bears, as to how they are like, how

they live. I'm just happy we got to see something like this, I suspect

it will change your perception of Those are moments that I will never

forget in my lifetime. It has been an absolute privilege. Lynn said to

me I am one of the few people in the world who has seen black bears

in the wild in their natural habitat like that it has been an

incredible experience. For the young black cubs, they spend a year

with their mothers before they are set loose to spend time on their

own two feet. Different for the giant outers in the Amazon, here is

Dali. Here is the latest news.

We've been following the story of Dali, a young giant otter cub and

his family, forced to live like refugees. He shares the lake with

over 700 hungry cayman and baby otters are very definitely on the

menu. For his mum and dad, keeping Dali and his five brothers and

sisters alive in the middle of this war zone, meant living life on the

run in a relentless battle for survival. Until one day, they took

a stand and went head-to-head with one of the cayman.

They killed their opponent, but it was a hobble victory. Despite their

bravery and round-the-clock attention, mull and dad lost four

of their six pups. -- it was a hollow victory. The

cameraman returned to the Amazon to see if Dali was still alive. This

is what he found. Seven weeks later, I have no idea. I have not had

reports from the otters, I don't know how many are left in the group.

Scanning the river, suddenly he spots two youngsters.

It is so nice to see that two are still going.

It's a huge relief, but these pups are almost unrecognisable.

Now he is starting to look like a proper otter. He is not a stumpy

thing. He is proper and big. I think that is Dali.

Dali has turned out to be a true survivor and is now the otter

equivalent of a boisterous teenager, keen to eat his parents out of

house and home. This feisty male is vocal in his demands.

Guess what the otter cub is saying is the equivalent to, "Dad, can I

have a business kit? Dad, can have I a banana? Dad, I'm hungry "then

you hear the adult saying, "No, I haven't. You've had enough." It's

like every morning in my house. But Dali is one hungry pup and he

is not giving up the chance of an easy meal.

He is starting to assert his authority.

But he still has a few key lessons to learn.

Gotcha! They are so to each other normally. I mean they are just

about the nicest animals that I know as a family, a group. They

love each other to death, but when there is fish involved they would

kill each other. The cubs are nearly grown up, so I'm not so

worried now. Once they are past the critical point, they can cope, they

have a better chance of reaching full adulthood.

It's clear that young Dali has what it takes to survive in his

dangerous and competitive home in the Peruvian Amazon. Hopefully one

day, he'll bring up a family of his own here.

It is good to see Dali growing stronger, there, like here, the

rainy season is over, which means that the lake will start to dry out,

so, inevitably, clashes with cayman are on the horizon. So little Dali

will need all of the strength and determination he can muster to get

through the next few months. Welcome back to the Masai Mara,

here it is not raining. A few moments ago, we caught a glance

here of these guys, see, the hippo? In the foreground there is a

buffalo too. They are grazing. I am glad we have

got the buffalo. They have become like friends.

Well, I say friends, they are grumpy, but they are familiar. Well,

the ladies, the elephants, now it is the hunting trade. The poaching

is illegal, it wipe out the trade of female elephants. It leaves them

enable to look after their family properly, but there is hope. David

Daballen and his team from Save the Elephants wage a daily battle

against the impact of poaching. They treat wounded elephants,

monitor the herds' movements and monitor and support antipoaching

trails. Amazingly, the elephants seem aware of the dangers that they

face. They are doing all that they can to stay alive. Young elephants

from herds devastated by illegal hunting are now being adopted by

other families. When Grace's mum was only 13 years

old, her family was almost completely wiped out. Elephants had

never been known to care for orphans from other herds, but she

was taken in by the clans. This was the first confirmed case of

elephant adoption, many more have since been recorded.

Even when the families are decimated, this behaviour means

that they can still form and function as groups.

This shows how caring elephants are, but their intelligence goes further.

They know where they are safe and where there is danger.

They are using the cover of darkness to run great distances

from one safe heatwave tonne another.

Elephants are very intelligent animals. They have the ability to

adapt to human pressure. In Samburu, they have learned where

the reserve ends and where trouble begins. Many families that have

been hit hard by poachers do not cross the line.

These adaptations really have only just been discovered and documented.

Doubtless there are many more we don't yet know about. All of which

for me, underlines how complex, emotional, intelligence and like

humans elephants are. Which make it is all the more hard to swallow,

the fact that we are the greatest threat facing them right now. The

good news is in the Samburu Reserve, the elephants can kick back and

party in the sunshine. This is the time what they reassociate with

their bonds. When you are watching this, keep at the back of the mind

what happens when you get back together with your family. Maybe on

the beach, maybe in the summer holidays.

In the heat of the day, elephants head down to the river.

They are in the safety of the shallows and they gather in huge

groups, up to 300-strong. Many of the herds are related. So

this is a chance to catch up with distant relatives and make new

friends. For Sky, Grace and the other babies,

it is playtime. The only thing missing are the buckets and spades.

The older kids gang up and run rye oth! -- riot! Teenage boys flex

their muscles and suss each other out.

The babies still need taking care of, but there are lots of willing

babe sitters on hand. Young childless females, keen to practise

their parenting skills. With all the family, busy having

fun, thewise old mate arcs, finally get a bit of time off. They huddle

together, exchanging greetings, sharing secrets, trumpeting calls

let everyone know it is all kicking off on the beach and send out a

clear message to come and join the party.

I know! It looks like they are messing about, they kind of are,

but it is critical. It ties them together, it reaffirms the bonds.

It is absolutely the centre of elephant life. If you were watching

like I was, thinking this looks familiar, don't worry, they are not

being soppy. They are doing what I do, what we do. When we get

together, my older daughters can't wait to get together with the young

ones and we are chatting with the older ones it is all terribly

complex. Now, family matters, Julia. What is happening? Richard, we are

following the migration of the whales.

They have pulled into the first feeding ground in Vancouver. Here

they are bottom feeders, they will feed now on crustaceans and others

on the ocean floor and if there is a plentiful supply of food they

will stay there. Some of the grey whales will stay there, others will

continue their epic journey, moving to the cooler, OK againated waters

in the Arctic. We began following the story back in April.

-- o xygenated. The grey whales started their life

in Mexico, a few weeks ago, in the warm waters. The calfs sprent three

months in the safe havens, learning to swim, nursing on their Mathers

fat, rich milk, gathering the strength that they will need to

undertake this epic migration. In ape, the first of our mothers leave

the lagoon with the mums, heading north on a journey that lasts up to

three months. But the further north they travel,

the closer they get to danger. In Monterey Bay, our team witnessed

an attack on a mother and calf by killer whales.

Their strategy, to separate the mother and the calf and to drown

the baby. This attack was made even more incredible by the intervention

of humpback whales. These attacks can take up to six

hours, but this one only took two m the killer Wales are becoming more

-- only took two, the killer whales are becoming more efficient. Not

only that, but the killer whales moved from the bay, targeting the

grey whales in multiple locations along the coast.

Many mothers will finish their migration alone.

But for the lucky ones, the journey north continues into increasingly

colder waters. For a few weeks in the spring, the

sun in the Arctic never sets and this bring life to the oxygen-rich

cold waters. The grey whales are arriving in time for one of the

most spectacular events on the planet.

Millions of animals have travelled here to feast in the fertile waters

for a few short months before it freezes again.

The mother whales have led their calves through the toughest trial

they will ever face. The young whale will make this

journey every year on the quest for food.

In her lifetime, she may migrate like this 50 times, travelling the

equivalent of 20 times around the world. That is half a million miles.

She will carry the lessons learned from these journeys for the rest of

That has absolutely been a series high light for me. I love the fact

that on that massive migration, sometimes the calves hitch a ride

on the back of their grey whale mothers. Fascinating creatures.

Mostly, the grey whale is a solitary animal, apart from the

time that they will spend with their babies, there is certainly no

social interaction when it comes to food. They don't need to make

friends, whether it comes to food. Unlike, of course, our toque

macaques in Sri Lanka. The little Gremlin has certainly gotten to

know the structure it is not easy. A little bit like dinner at my

place. We've spent five weeks following

Gremlin, a babe macaques in Sri Lanka.

Camera man Gavin has been watching her, growing up in front of the

camera. This May has been a critical month for her. She's

achieved so much in such a short space of time.

She's learned to talk, she's learned to walk properly, she's

learned to eat solids, and she's learned to avoid certain grown-ups,

but probably one of the most important and difficult things she

has had to learn is how crucial it is to keep her wits about her, in

this highly political and competitive society. She's seen

first-hand the harsh reality of what happens if you don't get

But what of her future? Being near the bottom of the social pile is

always going to cause problems for her.

This is where the life of the oldest but lowest-ranking female,

poppin can provide a valuable insight into what her life may

become. I first met Poppin 15 years ago,

she had had a couple of off-spring then. She is 23 now and has

obviously been a successful monkey. She was and always will be the

bottom of the happy. She has even had to give food from her cheeks to

a high-ranking female if she wants it. It is all about politics.

This is Hector. They are grooming and fussing over him. This is

Poppin of ensuring that she is looked after by him, and her babies.

She has made a success of her life in spite of her low rank and the

recent birth of Richard prove as point. Gremlin will do well to

watch Poppin's tricks closely. She will have to have her work cut out,

avoiding the nasty neighbours, the Slum Dog Troop, of course. Today

she is hanging out with nicer neighbours. The resident troop of

Langers, whose territory overlaps the Temple Tree. They are gentle

leaf eaters. Gremlin's family spend time interacting with them,

grooming and preening them. Gremlin will have to learn the ins and outs

of how to talk to another species. But no matter who you are

neighbours with, you can't beat hajjing -- hanging out with your

family. In the very neech future, she has a few important things to

try to survive. In the next month or so, Sri Lanka is heading into

the dry season. Temperatures can sore into the 40s, when drought and

the search for water will be a huge challenge.

No-one knows if Gremlin will survive in what can be a harsh and

unforgiving world. Her troop's territory among the Temple Ruins is

one of the most epic settings on earth.

Gremlin's own life dramas, may not be as eventful as the political

ones played out here by the Sri Lanka yarian king centuries ago.

But this spirited and smart little monkey is learning every lesson

well so far. She has every chance of making it.

If little Gremlin learns to fit in, her family will be her strength.

That is the same for the elephants we are following up north from here

in Samburu Reserve. When we first met elephant calf, Maya, we thought

she did not stand a chance. Her family had been hit so hard by

poachers, all of the female herd heads had been wiped out, but then

Zadie surprised us all, she was the youngest mother.

After a poor start, Maya and Zadie quickly found their feet, but there

is one challenge that all baby elephants must face, their first

river crossing. The crew watched with beated breath

as Zadie led Maya into the deep, dangerous part of the river.

But Zadie's choices were good ones, there were no crocodiles, the

section of the river was wide, shallow and slow h moving.

-- slow-moving. The success of her calf's first crossing is a measure

of the care she receives. Against the odds, Zadie and the rest of the

herd are doing well. I've met up with them on the other side. I've

come here to say goodbye to little baby Maya. We watched that elephant

from hours after birth up to now, through a difficult time, but they

have managed it against all of the odds. As we leave her, I have a

food feeling that maybe they will get through and carry on.

In the years to come, Ma yarbgs a - - Maya and her family will face

dangers, there is no doubt, but what this has shown us is how

strong elephant families can be. How if they stay together, stay

united they can be OK if they are united.

And Moja and Nyota. When we first saw Moja, we thought he did not

stand a chance. Here he is when we met him. A bag of bones, now here

he is a few weeks later, probably a stone heavier, healthier. We reckon

there is every chance he may make it through the lane times and

beyond. -- lean times and beyond.

The fact that he has grown, obviously, it is only down to his

mother's skill in hunting. Having time to feed properly and get that

food into him. He needs a lot, doesn't he? He might be small, but

he needs a lot? He does. If he grows he needs more food. With the

migration on its way, Jackson thinks he will make it through his

first rainy season. But what does the future hold for

him? He'll stay with Nyota much longer than if he was in a pride.

He will learn from her. Then they will hunt together.

But he will eventually leave her. He will walk far from his

birthplace and become a nomad. To take care of a pride he will

need back-up. He will join forces with another wand err. Together

they can tie and father their own dynasty.

At least one in three prides in these grasslands are ruled by such

coalitions. Moja's future could be a bright one.

Is it being overly romantic and sentimental to say that the tough

beginnings could count in his favour. If he make it is, he will

be strong, he will be clever, he could take after his mother with

his father's genes. It could absurprise. He could be

the king of the Masai Mara, if you think of his granddad, he was the

king. He could have his genes. I would love to see that.

All, right now, all he needs to do is to wake up and climb up that

tree. Climb he does. He will have to master many more skills, but for

now, at least, he's king of the tree.

When we first met the lion Moja, we had no way of knowing he would make

it through this tough month. Now look at us, hopeful for his future.

I suspect that I am probably not alone and that this will change the

way that I will look and think about lions forever. I will always

remember what they have to go through to make it to adulthood and

how every single one of them are tested in ways that you and I are

lucky enough never to know. So each one of them, each lion you see,

embodies the strength and the vitality of their species. We owe

that insight into what make as lion a lion to little Moja. So, thank

you, little fella. We owe you for that. Right, we are near the very

end. I believe we can have a look at our thermal camera. We saw a

giraffe. A rare sight. They don't often move at night, but that one

definitely is not probably sleep- walking.

Also from earlier today. We saw these, now, they are not the best

shots, we could not get to them, they had been hidden, but new

arrivals. Even at this late time during our stay here in the Masai

Mara. These cubs are about a month or so old. They have been hidden

from the other lions, so there you go, the whole thing goes full

circle and we start all over again. Julia, I remember saying when this

started how I was looking forward to immersing myself in the

individual lives of animals, getting a better way of

understanding them. I am not ashamed to say that I have rather

fallen for some of our lead characters? You don't have to be

ashamed Richard, you would not be human if you did not. I have grown

close to the wild black bears in Minnesota. To be immersed in their

lives the way that we have been, almost 24/7, it is incredible. You

see behaviour you would never normally see. As for the whales,

well, their behaviour has been utterly captivating. Such an

incredible experience watching these fantastic creatures.

It is genuinely amazing. I think living alongside the animals we

have learned about what it means to grow up in the wild, all that it

entails, about staying alongside an incredible mother or learning how

much your family can save you. It really has been an incredible

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 55 seconds

experience. I for one will never May, 2012 has been spectacular.

Thank you for watching. It has been an absolute privilege, sharing the