- 2 days ago
From their first steps of exploring their world to their final steps into independence, the film reveals the triumphs and setbacks of five young animals, in which instinct, parental lessons, and trial and error ultimately define their destinies. With a little guidance from sage family members, each must figure out how and where to find food while learning to recognize the very real threat of danger.....
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00:24All across this planet, young animals in the wild
00:00:28must learn how to survive and thrive.
00:00:38They are taught these life lessons by their parents,
00:00:44but also by the other members of their communities.
00:00:53Each will follow a very different path.
00:01:00Some will become great hunters.
00:01:05Others will learn the secrets of the forest.
00:01:16They will all face unique challenges,
00:01:19and master different skills passed down generations.
00:01:25Five remarkable young animals.
00:01:29Five incredible tales of growing up wild.
00:01:44In the white-capped peaks of Alaska, it's late spring.
00:01:50Soon, much of this snow will have melted.
00:01:54But at the moment, it's concealing a cozy home.
00:01:59The winter den of a mother brown bear and her two tiny cubs.
00:02:04The cubs were born in here.
00:02:07They're only a few months old,
00:02:08and their mother's been looking after them all on her own.
00:02:14She dug them this warm den and lined it with dry grass months ago.
00:02:21And even though she hasn't eaten since entering, she's still been producing milk for her cubs.
00:02:27It's one of the things that make bears different from our other animal families.
00:02:38But there's a problem.
00:02:41The fat reserves the mother built up last summer in preparation for hibernation are running out.
00:02:48And therefore, so is the milk the cubs need.
00:02:55Soon, hunger will force them to take their first steps outside the safety of their den.
00:03:00To embark on an incredible journey, one of great risk and great reward.
00:03:10Only one in three cubs is likely to make it to their first birthday.
00:03:16This will be the most important year of their lives.
00:03:30On the open plains of Africa, another single mom is introducing her brand new cubs to their brand new world.
00:03:43Five baby cheetahs and their adoring mother.
00:03:53No den for these cubs, they were born right here on these grasslands.
00:04:00It might seem serene here, but life in this place is extremely difficult and dangerous.
00:04:11To survive, these young cats will have to follow in their mother's footsteps and become the fastest hunters on earth.
00:04:24She alone will train them, push them to their limits, and prepare them for their fiercest enemies.
00:04:40Not far away lives another majestic feline family.
00:04:53A family very different from the cheetahs in so many ways.
00:05:00A young lion cub grows up in a family of 12 or more relatives, much larger than that of a
00:05:08cheetah.
00:05:12He has plenty of cousins to play with.
00:05:22He has numerous aunts and a loving mother to nurture him.
00:05:32And above all of them, a mighty warrior protector, his father.
00:05:44One day, the cub may rule his own land.
00:05:47But before then, he must come to understand his place in the pride.
00:05:52And how the family unites to overcome their greatest adversary.
00:05:58Buffalo.
00:06:15In Sri Lanka, abandoned ruins serve as a home to an even bigger family.
00:06:35These are tok macaques.
00:06:37They live in a society of about 50 members, far larger and more complex than any cat or bear family.
00:06:49Life as a young monkey might look like a barrel of laughs.
00:06:53But they're all governed by a strict social order.
00:06:57Being part of a troop is great for protection and food.
00:07:00But it comes at a cost.
00:07:02How important you are and what you're allowed to eat all depends on who your mother is.
00:07:16The highborn kids are treated like royalty.
00:07:21While the lower class kids are reminded every minute of every day where they stand.
00:07:28This is no place to try and get above yourself.
00:07:43For the lowest of the low, like this little guy.
00:07:47It makes daily life a real uphill battle.
00:07:52He's the last in line for everything.
00:07:55And has to find ways to survive on the very edge of society.
00:08:06Our fifth story takes place in a great rain forest in the wild heart of Africa.
00:08:16The forest is just waking up.
00:08:19And so is this curious young chimpanzee.
00:08:25Unlike the rigid hierarchy of the macaques.
00:08:28This guy lives in a much more relaxed community of about 30 relatives.
00:08:37These chimpanzees are the most advanced of our five animal families.
00:08:42And have developed some truly amazing skills that few others can match.
00:08:51This knowledge is passed down from one generation to the next.
00:09:00It helps the oldest, wisest chimps to lead the troop.
00:09:08Such wisdom may take the young chimp 20 years to acquire.
00:09:14Along the way he'll need to learn to distinguish between skills that are actually useful.
00:09:20And skills that are not so useful.
00:09:27This journey of understanding will draw on the knowledge of the whole troop and all of its elders.
00:09:36There's no going it alone for a young chimp growing up in the wild.
00:09:46The first few months of a young animal's life are a time of pure amazement.
00:09:53But there are also great dangers.
00:09:56Unlike our other animals, bears hibernate in the safety of their den for the entire winter when there's no food
00:10:03to be had.
00:10:05But it's late spring and the mother is starving.
00:10:09It's time to go find food.
00:10:14The first great threat our cubs must face is the enormous spring thaw in the mountains.
00:10:22Deep cracks in the glaciers make certain areas too treacherous to cross.
00:10:29And the unstable softening snow can turn one wrong footstep into a deadly disaster.
00:10:36The first great threat our cubs must make sure it's a deadly disaster.
00:10:56Within five seconds, an avalanche can reach 80 miles per hour.
00:11:09The largest can travel two miles downhill.
00:11:29One hundred thousand tons of snow, ice, and rock consumes all before it.
00:11:40One hundred thousand tons of snow, ice, and rock consumes all before it.
00:11:42One hundred thousand tons of snow.
00:11:57Any bear caught in its icy grip will be swept to its death.
00:12:04However, our cubs are lucky.
00:12:07Their mother knows a safe route, one she learned from her mother years ago.
00:12:12Her fat reserves are almost gone.
00:12:15She's lost 40 percent of her body weight and soon her milk will run out.
00:12:21Before then, she needs to reach the coast and the food that they so desperately need.
00:12:31Back on the African plains, our cheetah family faces a very different challenge.
00:12:39While the bears must survive their environment literally collapsing around them,
00:12:44these cubs must contend with the other animals that share their environment.
00:12:52They're only two months old.
00:12:54They're still adjusting to this diverse grassland community.
00:12:58And they have yet to learn friend from foe.
00:13:07Guess that's what mothers are for.
00:13:14She's also the one who will teach them to hunt.
00:13:18Her cubs will soon be fully weaned.
00:13:21It's time for them to learn the art of the chase.
00:13:32Not far away, another would-be hunter is learning the ropes.
00:13:39The large pride supporting our lion cub makes his early formative years markedly different from the cheetahs.
00:13:49And different threats require different defensive skills.
00:13:57Don't be fooled into thinking these buffalo are just big gentle cattle.
00:14:02They are 2,000 pounds of don't mess with me.
00:14:06They are one of the few animals that willfully kill lions.
00:14:11The mother needs to move her cub to safety.
00:14:42You can't do it.
00:14:43Some of the buffalo herd work to scatter the lions.
00:14:45pride. Others target the cubs.
00:15:03This mother attempts to draw the buffalo away.
00:15:18Safe for the moment.
00:15:35The terrified cub panics.
00:15:46Surrounded and all alone, he makes a critical error.
00:15:51He calls out for his mother.
00:15:55But it's the buffalo who hear his cries.
00:16:08Suddenly, his mother leaps into the fray and leads a bold counteroffensive.
00:16:17The rest of the pride join the attack.
00:16:49At last, the mother locates her cub.
00:16:55The bond between a mother and her cub is as strong a force as any in nature.
00:17:03And with the rest of the pride to back her up, right now her cub has a much greater shot
00:17:09at survival than many other young animals.
00:17:19In Alaska, our bear family has reached their destination.
00:17:25They've made it through the mountains down to the lush coastal meadows.
00:17:32Unlike the lion cub, these young bears have only their mother to look after them.
00:17:38exploring their world for the first time, they are in a permanent state of wonder.
00:17:48And for good reason.
00:17:58All the bears have come out of hibernation.
00:18:08Like the cub's mother, they've slept all winter without eating.
00:18:13And they're really hungry.
00:18:19Hungry enough to eat grass.
00:18:23Fresh sedge grass quells their immediate hunger and is easy to digest.
00:18:29But it's not particularly appetizing.
00:18:38The good thing is, you don't have to waste any energy trying to find it, which is ideal for the
00:18:44cubs.
00:18:45Since leaving their den, they've hit a growth spurt and are constantly hungry.
00:19:02Experienced older bears have learned that this is the time for eating all you can and conserving your strength.
00:19:19Now the cub's mother doesn't have the option of laying around.
00:19:24After six months without food, she needs the protein rich grass to keep her milk flowing.
00:19:32Her growing cubs are now demanding four times as much milk as they did in the den.
00:19:43Both cubs are greedy for all the milk they can get.
00:19:50They aren't satisfied unless they get 45 ounces of milk a day.
00:19:55And if one of them suspects the other of getting an extra ounce or two on the side, watch out.
00:20:13Their mother knows the cubs must learn not to draw attention to themselves.
00:20:20There are dangerous bears here they need to avoid.
00:20:26The biggest males can weigh as much as 1,000 pounds, three times bigger than their mother.
00:20:50Some day, our cubs too may have to face down rivals in such open displays of strength.
00:20:59But right now, it's the bears they can't see that they need to be worried about.
00:21:05A large, starving male has caught their scent.
00:21:14He will kill and eat them if he can.
00:21:30They'll kill them.
00:21:34My sister will kill the bear but he can't.
00:21:36what...
00:21:44I wanna fight them!
00:22:06The mother is desperate to get them to the safety of cover.
00:22:16But it's too late. Their pursuer is upon them. The cost of being a single mother now becomes clear. Unlike
00:22:28the lions, she has no sisters to help her protect her cubs. She's completely on her own.
00:22:50In the midst of the attack, she loses track of her cubs. It's exactly what the big male has been
00:22:59waiting for.
00:23:06Attacks by male bears are one of the main causes of cub deaths.
00:23:15But not this time. While he's thrown off trying to track their scent, the mother seizes her chance to get
00:23:21her cubs to safety.
00:23:25A mother is a cub's best defense against all threats.
00:23:39Just surviving the dangers of day-to-day life can be a trial for young animals.
00:23:44But they must also learn to feed themselves.
00:23:51It's dawn in the jungle palace of Sri Lanka. The locals are just waking up and are hungry for breakfast.
00:24:10The monkeys' search for food is constant. And today, they've descended upon a banyan tree full of ripe figs.
00:24:21Nearly 80% of their diet is fruit. But fruit lacks one vital element. Protein.
00:24:37Some members of the troop, if they're crafty enough and lucky enough, will find one of the richest sources of
00:24:44protein.
00:24:45Birds' eggs. Call it an extra soft omelet.
00:24:56An easier and less goopy alternative are mushrooms. They taste pretty good, too.
00:25:10At a lily pond on the outskirts of the ruins, these highly resourceful macaques have developed a surprisingly innovative and
00:25:18unusual method of foraging for food.
00:25:23The young watch and learn from their mothers.
00:25:28The seed heads of the lily pads are delicious and nutritious.
00:25:36But they're not all easy pickings. And this is where the macaques get creative.
00:25:47Remarkably, they've learned to dive underwater.
00:26:04They're proficient swimmers and can find food hidden in the depths of the pond.
00:26:10They stash what they find in cheek pouches to eat later.
00:26:21For intelligent animals, this is one of the great advantages of living in a large group.
00:26:26When one individual develops a new skill, the others can learn to follow their lead.
00:26:48In the African rainforest, our chimpanzees have taken this form of passed-down knowledge to a whole new level.
00:27:00They live in one of the most diverse habitats on Earth.
00:27:07It can take a lifetime to learn the secrets of survival here.
00:27:14To do so, young chimps draw on the collective know-how of the whole troop.
00:27:25The old-timers know the most tricks.
00:27:30This little guy is learning about the fruits of the forest.
00:27:38For chimps, fruit is survival.
00:27:43The elders have learned that the forest produces different types of fruit at different times of year.
00:27:50They teach the young chimps which tree is in fruit when and how best to eat it.
00:27:58This tough wooden boomerang is actually the fruit of a xylia tree.
00:28:10It's a lot of work to get to a few seeds.
00:28:20And that's enough with the exhausting xylia.
00:28:24On to the next fruit.
00:28:29Deep in the forest, there's a river where other, softer fruit is in season.
00:28:36Adults collect the fruit and carry it to the stream.
00:28:42They've learned to wash the dirt off before they eat them.
00:28:48It's not the most sophisticated style of eating, but the young chimp dutifully emulates it.
00:28:58After generations of trial and error, this is the technique the chimps have developed to get the best out of
00:29:07the fruit.
00:29:07I'm going to try to lay it out.
00:29:08I'm going to try it.
00:29:19I'm going to try it out.
00:30:00Just when you think all the juice is gone, one last trick.
00:30:05Add a little water and go again.
00:30:18Still good.
00:30:28But there's more to subsistence than re-chewing already-chewed fruit.
00:30:34The next level of food figuring will involve an ingenious technique that few creatures
00:30:39have discovered.
00:30:42For other animals, the challenge isn't just what food to eat.
00:30:46It's learning how to find it in the first place.
00:30:50On the Alaskan coast when the tide retreats, it reveals vast mudflats full of food if you
00:30:57know where to look.
00:31:01The mother bear has brought her cubs to the safety of an open beach, where dangerous
00:31:07bears can't sneak up on them.
00:31:12And better yet, she knows where to find food here.
00:31:17It's time to show the cubs how to feed on fresh clams.
00:31:23It's a bit of an art.
00:31:35A bear's nose, which is over a thousand times more sensitive than ours, is perfect for sniffing
00:31:41out the buried shellfish.
00:31:43a bear's nose.
00:32:16This is the Cubs' first trip to the seaside, and they are, understandably, a little overwhelmed
00:32:23by the moment.
00:32:49This is the Cubs' first trip, and this is the Cubs' first trip, and this is the Cubs' first trip.
00:33:09Cubs' first trip, and this is the Cubs' first trip, and this is the Cubs' first trip.
00:33:22There are other young bears enjoying the safety of this beach.
00:33:28A year or so ago, they were also with their mothers learning to dig for clams.
00:33:37And after all this time, they still haven't forgotten how to horse around.
00:33:46This playful tussling serves an important purpose.
00:33:51It helps them work out who's stronger and may prevent actual deadly fights or serious injury
00:33:57when they're fully grown.
00:34:17But not all visitors to this beach are here to play.
00:34:22The big bear is back.
00:34:26He is a constant reminder to this family that they can never let their guard down.
00:34:42In Sri Lanka, the macaque's search for food is never-ending.
00:34:53One low-ranking monkey doesn't have the energy to join in with the rest.
00:35:02The high-class kids are well-fed, full of energy and confidence.
00:35:11They make no secret of the fact that he's not one of them.
00:35:26Worse still, when the troop does find food, only the social elite get to feed on the tastiest flowers.
00:35:37As the lowest of the low, he has to survive on scraps from above.
00:35:51Weak from hunger, he's too tired to hold his own.
00:36:02His chances of survival are fading fast.
00:36:11One of the group leaders, a large male, has noticed he's in trouble.
00:36:17Living on the edge of society leaves him open to attack.
00:36:33In an extraordinary gesture, the male leader takes pity on him.
00:36:40It's rare, but some species of primate do adopt vulnerable youngsters.
00:36:47It's another advantage of living in a big troop.
00:37:01Most importantly, the big male can show the little monkey where to find food.
00:37:08Caterpillars have appeared, hanging from the trees like wiggling fruit.
00:37:19Juicy hawk moth caterpillars are the biggest and fattest.
00:37:33They're also the most difficult to reach, the perfect time for monkeys to show off their athleticism.
00:37:51The most difficult to reach, the most difficult to reach, the most difficult to reach.
00:38:12The big caterpillars are beyond our little guy's grasp, but there are plenty of smaller
00:38:20ones grubbing around in the ruins. Caterpillars are a rich source of protein, the perfect food
00:38:31for a hungry, growing youngster. With a full belly and someone to look out for him, life
00:38:47for this young macaque is finally looking up. For some young animals, simply knowing where
00:39:00to find food isn't enough. They must learn how to catch their food. Food that can run
00:39:12from you.
00:39:21The mother cheetah is a master of this domain.
00:39:30With five hungry mouths to feed, she must hunt almost every day.
00:39:38And these cubs get first-hand lessons from the fastest predator on the plains. Their
00:39:47mother's explosive speed makes her perfectly suited to targeting smaller antelope. Larger
00:39:58antelope are too strong for her to hunt on her own.
00:40:05She's waiting for one to drop its guard.
00:40:18To increase her chances, she must get as close as she can before launching her attack.
00:40:24To increase sight of the
00:42:21Larger prey living in herds are safe from a lone cheetah.
00:42:25But a different kind of cat, with a totally different strategy, can overcome a herd's defenses.
00:42:35The young lion cub is about to watch and learn how his family pride hunts.
00:42:43Working together, they can target zebra 20 times heavier than the gazelle the cheetah hunted.
00:42:51These muscular felines use strength and surprise rather than raw speed.
00:43:03The lionesses join forces to set an ambush.
00:43:16The cub's mother takes the lead.
00:43:20Her job is to split the herd and force some of them towards her sisters lying in wait.
00:43:38Her cub watches intently as the trap is set.
00:44:11Heres are vibrant.
00:44:32Hunting together increases the pride's chances of success.
00:44:40It also improves their chances of keeping their food.
00:44:45A fresh kill is a prize that others would like to steal.
00:44:51The cheetah family have gorged on the gazelle, but the commotion of the hunt has attracted
00:44:58envious onlookers.
00:45:13Hyenas, a cheetah's worst nightmare.
00:45:25Hyenas are powerful enemies and will steal their food.
00:45:31But worse, if they discover the young cubs, they will hunt them down.
00:45:39The mother has lost several cubs before.
00:45:43She knows they're in extreme danger.
00:45:55But her greatest hunting asset now exposes a weakness.
00:46:00A cheetah sacrifices bulk for speed.
00:46:04She is not built for this fight.
00:46:07One bite from those savage jaws, and it's game over.
00:46:19Their mother's lost sight of them.
00:46:24They won't be safe until they're back by her side.
00:46:33As the light fades, so do their chances of survival.
00:46:39Hyenas hunt at night and can take their time to find the cubs.
00:46:59The dawn brings hope.
00:47:09One little cub has made it.
00:47:14One Hebamie appears.
00:47:14Along with her two sisters.
00:47:16Um, what have I said?
00:47:25I can't wait to find the cubs.
00:47:26But the two others are nowhere to be found.
00:47:29They've been taken in the night.
00:47:33Even young animals who were born to hunt can fall prey to hunters.
00:47:48Finding food is seldom easy.
00:47:54But every now and then, it arrives wholesale.
00:47:59And when it does, a growing young animal needs to be ready to capitalize.
00:48:05Until now, the brown bears have been surviving on grass and clams.
00:48:11But they need to fatten up for the coming winter.
00:48:14And we all know what that means.
00:48:19Salmon.
00:48:23They're on their annual migration, leaving the sea to swim upriver to freshwater spawning grounds.
00:48:34It's the great food bonanza that every bear here has been waiting all year for.
00:48:50All the bears need to pile on vital pounds for their long winter hibernation.
00:48:57They'll gorge on the salmon, eating up to 30 fish a day if they can.
00:49:18But competition is fierce.
00:49:23As these bears have no idea how long this food will last.
00:49:33Once again, the family must find somewhere safer.
00:49:41Further upstream is a spot the mother knows from previous years.
00:49:46The salmon are never guaranteed,
00:49:49but she's hoping they'll at least be a few.
00:50:04And hey, looks like there are a few.
00:50:12More than a few.
00:50:21The hungry bears can't believe their eyes.
00:50:25More salmon than they could ever dream of.
00:50:30All they have to do is catch them.
00:50:46It's been a year since the mother fished here.
00:50:48She's out of practice.
00:50:55It's so frustrating.
00:50:57The Cubs were expecting to score big.
00:51:11But try, try again, and they finally get what they've waited so long for.
00:51:19A salmon supper.
00:51:23With so many fish, the bigger bears have no need to fight.
00:51:27The growing cubs will finally get their chance to eat until they can't eat anymore.
00:51:35The bears will keep feeding for as long as the salmon keep coming.
00:51:40They'll eat 90% of their entire year's food in just a few weeks,
00:51:46piling on fat that will keep them alive through their winter hibernation.
00:52:00In the Sri Lankan ruins, monsoon rains have let loose a different kind of free-for-all.
00:52:08Thousands of winged termites are taking to the air to found new colonies.
00:52:20The macaques are literally engulfed by them, so they hardly need to expend any energy snatching up this potent source
00:52:29of protein.
00:52:37This incredible flying feast occurs only once a year and lasts just a few hours, so the troop must savor
00:52:47the moment while it lasts.
00:52:55Seasonal rains in the chimpanzees' jungle home have also brought out swarms of insects.
00:53:02But these bugs are different.
00:53:07These bugs bite back.
00:53:12A column of ferocious soldier ants with just one mission.
00:53:17To feed an army of 50 million.
00:53:24Time to learn how to eat without being eaten.
00:53:29It's a simple but ingenious trick.
00:53:35Twig trolling.
00:53:39A long time ago, one of our little chimps ancestors stumbled upon an easy way to eat ants.
00:53:47Make a rod from a twig.
00:53:50Poke it into a colony.
00:53:53And presto!
00:53:55A bug sickle.
00:53:59Yet another remarkable skill that's been passed down from generation to generation.
00:54:06And this is the young chimps generation.
00:54:10It's his turn to watch and learn.
00:54:27Making tools is something that very few animals have ever managed.
00:54:32So this is a big deal for our little guy.
00:54:47Before you know it, he's mastered the trick.
00:54:52But he still has to learn the troops' most advanced and most difficult skill.
00:55:02As our young animals grow older, they meet new kinds of challenges and learn new life lessons.
00:55:12Often, these lessons are not so much taught to them as they are imposed upon them by nature.
00:55:23It's been a few months since the young cheetahs lost their two brothers to the hyenas.
00:55:29The memory of that night still haunts the family.
00:55:33But it has also heightened their alertness.
00:55:40The growing cubs have an instinctive urge to practice their hunting and survival skills.
00:55:47Quite separate from their mother's influence.
00:55:53This includes play fighting and play hunting.
00:56:03Even their mother's not safe from a surprise attack.
00:56:14Climbing, on the other hand, might not seem like a very useful skill for a cheetah.
00:56:21But their mother knows it's a crucial skill.
00:56:26A cat that can't defeat its enemy with sheer strength needs a plan B.
00:56:38Next time the hyenas come calling, the cubs will have a chance.
00:56:50Not very far away, our young lion is about to encounter a threat from inside the family.
00:56:57Unlike the cheetahs, it's his large pride that has kept him safe and well fed.
00:57:03But that's about to end.
00:57:06His father has mating rights to all the pride females and will kill to protect them.
00:57:14The young male is now two years old and will soon want his own pride.
00:57:21This makes him a potential threat to his father, who consequently forces him out.
00:57:48It's a pivotal and painful moment in a young lion's life.
00:58:02But he's not alone.
00:58:04All his male cousins of the same age are banished as well.
00:58:14The young cheetahs are also facing a critical test.
00:58:19The day they've been dreading has arrived.
00:58:23The hyenas are back.
00:58:27By now the cubs have learned what the mother has always known.
00:58:32These intruders aren't just scavengers.
00:58:35They're deadly efficient hunters.
00:58:43Once again, mother leads the defense.
00:58:53But this time, she's not alone.
00:59:17The Haina's attempt to outflank the mother and separate her cubs.
00:59:23One brave young cub risks her life to back up her mother, giving her sisters just enough
00:59:29time to escape up a tree to safety.
00:59:36Plan B has worked.
00:59:39Hyenas can't climb trees.
00:59:51When the coast is clear, the sisters rejoin their mother.
01:00:02They have every right to celebrate, but there will be more battles to come.
01:00:12At least now, they know they can outmaneuver their foes.
01:00:19The young lions, on the other hand, are struggling to get by.
01:00:25With no mothers to hunt for them, only one in eight males make it to adulthood.
01:00:31Suddenly the cheetah cubs' chances don't look quite so bad.
01:00:44It's the height of the dry season, a time of frequent grass fires.
01:00:53The herds of big game have moved on.
01:00:56There are no easy pickings for open range predators.
01:01:11The outcast lions are starving.
01:01:20The outcast lions are starving.
01:01:21Our young male suddenly spots something.
01:01:24A sign from above.
01:01:30Wherever there are vultures, there is food nearby.
01:01:43A rotting carcass isn't the meal he was hoping for, but he's desperate.
01:01:50He and his cousins will eat anything at this point.
01:02:01He must face three more years in the wilderness before he's big enough to rule.
01:02:11The question is, can he survive that long?
01:02:36The toke macaques are about to face their own dire threat.
01:02:47The rocks above their home have been taken over by a competing troop.
01:02:56These battle-scarred fighters want the fruit trees of the temple grounds for themselves,
01:03:02and they'll go to war to get them.
01:03:10The two sides scope each other out.
01:03:20Lookouts alert the big males to man the front lines as the intruders move in.
01:03:40The little ones are whisked off to safety.
01:03:52All the monkeys work together to defend against the enemy troop.
01:03:59It's another vital benefit of living in a big group.
01:04:07The home troop aren't just defending their food.
01:04:10If they're defeated, the invaders may force them into a life of servitude.
01:04:17Like most animals, the monkeys will avoid violent fights if they can.
01:04:26Facial warnings and body postures tell the opposition to back off or else.
01:04:46These gestures are a way of assessing who's strongest without starting a battle.
01:05:02But when negotiations break down, it's all out war.
01:05:10It's all out war.
01:05:47The sides are evenly matched.
01:05:50Only the troop leaders can decide the outcome.
01:06:24The home team holds its ground and repels the invaders.
01:06:42But not everyone is celebrating.
01:06:46This little guy has lost his protector, the troop leader.
01:06:55His injured comrades scan the battlefield, but he is nowhere to be found.
01:07:18But then, from the wake of the enemy's retreat...
01:07:26The troop's brave leader emerges...
01:07:32...and returns to his young protege's side.
01:07:39This little monkey has been through a lot of ups and downs for such a young age.
01:07:47But for now, his future looks safe.
01:08:04Deep within the African rainforest, a great secret is about to be revealed.
01:08:10Our young chimpanzee is about to discover an extraordinary use of tools...
01:08:16...invented centuries ago by an inspired chimp...
01:08:19...and passed down through the generations.
01:08:28Unlike chimps in other parts of Africa...
01:08:30...these chimps have discovered how to break open nuts...
01:08:37...which is a lot harder than it looks.
01:08:41Only the right set of tools will do.
01:08:45First, you need a steady base that holds the nut in place.
01:08:56Then, you need the right kind of hammer.
01:09:08The troop leader has his own special hand-and-foot technique...
01:09:12...that puts other nutcrackers to shame.
01:09:20But he's happy to show the young up-and-comers how it's done.
01:09:29And having just turned three years old...
01:09:31...it's this little guy's turn to learn the art.
01:09:45He's got himself a nice big nut.
01:09:48And he's decided to go with a wooden hammer.
01:09:57No one's told him yet that wood is not the best material for cracking nuts.
01:10:27That's it. He's found a good sharp rock.
01:10:36Normally, it doesn't take this long.
01:10:42Cracked it. Good job.
01:10:50The most experienced adults don't expend so much energy.
01:10:55They know larger rocks mean fewer strikes.
01:11:10But large tools will crack more than nuts.
01:11:30It will take years before our young chimp is as good as the adults.
01:11:35But he's on the learning curve and well on his way to mastering this remarkable skill...
01:11:40...that so few have cracked.
01:11:58All of our extraordinary young animals have gone on to live full but challenging lives.
01:12:05In Alaska, the bear cubs' first year was a true test.
01:12:10And they passed with flying colors.
01:12:13The great salmon feast fattened them up in preparation for winter.
01:12:19Without it, they would not have survived here.
01:12:26The cubs would eventually learn how to find food on their own, but would still rely on their mother's protection
01:12:32for another two years.
01:12:35They continued to grow stronger and more adventurous with the passing of the seasons.
01:12:53But when the first heavy snows of the year arrive, it's always time to return to the high mountains, to
01:13:00dig a den, and settle in for the long winter months of hibernation.
01:13:18On the African plains, the male lions survived their harsh years in exile.
01:13:25By the age of five, they were powerful young adults ready to fight for a pride and kingdom of their
01:13:31own.
01:13:36They entered a land ruled by two old warrior brothers.
01:13:42One of them aging and frail, didn't have the heart for a fight.
01:13:56His tenacious brother was left to face the strong young males alone.
01:14:07Together, they ran him off and became the new lion kings.
01:14:14The three cheetah cubs stayed with their mother until they were a year and a half old.
01:14:21But they had one final test before they reached independence.
01:14:30Could they hunt for themselves?
01:14:32Could they hunt for themselves?
01:14:33Could they hunt for themselves?
01:14:49Could they hunt for themselves?
01:15:02Could they hunt for themselves?
01:15:04Could they hunt for themselves?
01:15:12Could they hunt for themselves?
01:15:13Could they hunt for themselves?
01:15:14Could they hunt for themselves?
01:15:15Could they hunt for themselves?
01:15:17Could they hunt for themselves?
01:15:20Could they hunt for themselves?
01:15:22Could they hunt for themselves?
01:15:23Could they hunt for themselves?
01:15:23Could they hunt for themselves?
01:15:27Could they hunt for themselves?
01:15:30Could they hunt for themselves?
01:15:32rivals.
01:15:35And with the troop leader to show him the way,
01:15:38the lowly monkey would grow up to have a family of his own.
01:15:51And finally, in the great rainforest,
01:15:56it would take 20 more years, but the young chimpanzee
01:16:00would eventually master all of his ancestor's skills
01:16:04and live to become one of the wisest elders of his troop.
01:16:57So, let's go, let's go.
01:17:08I don't know.
01:17:31I don't know.
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