Nature (1982–…): Season 33, Episode 16 - Animal Childhood - full transcript

There are as many
ways to grow up in the wild

as there are animals.

Only a few days old,

these ibex are learning to
walk by following their mother.

The lesson is interrupted,
and survival skills kick in.

New mothers must also
fine-tune their survival instincts,

like this bear who let her
cubs out of the den too soon.

Or inexperienced
elephant parents

misjudging the
strength of the current.

And then there
are social instincts.

Macaques must learn
complex behaviors,



like facial expressions,

to gain acceptance
into the group.

See how animals from
around the world grow up

in "Animal Childhood."

For some animals, growing
up is a lonely business.

They're abandoned
as soon as they're born,

relying entirely on
their instincts to survive.

From the very beginning
of life, they're on their own,

with no adult to guide them.

But many animals do benefit

from a little help
from their parents.

And in the early days of life,

they're often completely
dependent on them.

In a forest in India,



a precocious baby is exploring
the world for the first time.

A tiger cub.

It's just 10 days old.

Most cubs will stay in their
dens for the first six weeks,

but this one is
clearly adventurous.

Although the cub's
eyes are open,

it'll be a few weeks
before it can see properly.

It's completely helpless.

They are four new cubs in
all, and they're quite lively.

Their mother has to
watch them every minute.

And right now, they're
not making her life easy.

Just one cub would be enough
to test any parent's patience.

Tiger cubs stay
with their mother

until they're about 2 years old.

But even under
her constant care,

only half of them usually
make it to maturity.

There's no doubt that
a childhood in the wild

can be dark and dangerous.

The first steps of growing up

are often some of the most
precarious in any animal's life.

For some, they are
literally a leap of faith.

It's spring in the forests
of eastern Europe,

and safe within
the hollow of a tree,

a female Mandarin
duck is about to ask

her 1-day-old ducklings
to leave their nest.

She leads the way.

The ducklings are
imprinted on their mother.

Their instinct tells
them to follow her.

However, it's a long drop,

and a few calls of
encouragement are needed.

Once the first
ducklings land safely,

the rest find their courage.

They're so light and fluffy,
they land with a bounce.

Born to fly,

their first experience
of the outside world

is a fearless free fall.

They all wait together

for the last in line
to make the jump.

But leaving the nest

was just the beginning
of their adventure.

Now they must reach water.

The nearest pond
is quite a trek...

Almost a mile away.

By following their
mother's lead,

these ducklings have
passed their first test.

Once in the water,

they will begin learning
what's good to eat

and exploring their
new watery world.

First steps often seem
to be the hardest to take.

Samburu National Park in Kenya.

A baby elephant
has just been born.

She is frail, helpless,

and totally dependent
on her mother.

Elephants live in
extended families,

but while this young
mother was giving birth,

the rest of the herd
moved on in search of food.

They're only a mile away,
not far by elephant standards...

Unless you're trying
to walk for the first time.

The baby desperately needs

her first drink
of mother's milk.

Like that of all mammals,

elephant milk is full
of vital nourishment

and will kick-start the
baby's immune system.

Without it, she is vulnerable
to infection... and worse.

She is at the point of collapse.

But her mother is
a first-time mom,

and instead of stopping
to feed her baby,

she keeps searching
for the family.

The day is getting hotter,

and the baby is at
serious risk of dehydration.

She needs food and
a chance to cool down.

Thank fully, in the rainy
season, water can be found.

Her mother uses the
little pool to cool them off.

It seems to help them both.

Now when the baby
searches for milk,

her mother gives
her time to find it.

At last, she gets her first
essential nourishment.

This is the lifeline she needed.

Revived by a full belly, she
has the energy to continue

on her mother's
search for the family.

Elephants use low-frequency
sound to communicate...

Sound that can travel for miles.

The young mother
homes in on the herd.

It's a joyous reunion.

The baby is finally introduced
to the rest of the family,

and they're all very
excited to meet her.

These elephants will
provide security and protection

throughout the years
of her childhood.

The extended family will
also offer support to the mother

as she attempts to
bring up her baby.

Yet life in the wild is full
of unforeseen challenges,

and sometimes, despite
a parent's best efforts,

they can lead to
a tough start in life.

This female black bear
is also a first-time mom.

She leads her
3-month-old twin cubs

out of their hibernation den
in the forests of Minnesota.

Bears here normally come
out of hibernation in May.

This year, spring has
come a month early,

and the weather is warm.

She sets off with her
cubs to look for food.

But the unseasonable
weather can be fickle,

and winter suddenly returns,
bringing Arctic winds and snow.

Miles from their den, the cubs
are caught in the spring storm.

Their mother needs
to keep them warm,

but she is inexperienced and
allows them to climb a tree.

It's a normal reaction
when a bear senses danger.

But it's a bad tactic.

Up here, they have no
protection from the elements.

They are literally freezing.

Being so young, they still
have only a single layer of fur.

They won't grow a second layer

until they hibernate
in the autumn.

Their small bodies just
can't generate enough heat.

The cold is cutting
right through them.

Finally, their mother seems
to understand the situation

and calls them down.

Slowly, they make
their way back to her.

The mother should
now hunker down

so the frozen cubs can
benefit from her body heat.

But instead, she
moves off again,

expecting them to follow.

The tiny cubs find
it almost impossible

to walk in the deep snow.

Their paws are too small
and sink into the drifts.

The snow is deeper
than they can manage.

The night draws in.

After dark, the temperatures
here will drop dramatically.

Without their mother's warmth,

these cubs won't
survive the night.

Morning arrives.

It's been a bitterly cold night.

But despite being young,

the mother managed to
find them a sheltered spot.

She has kept the cubs
warm, and, thankfully,

they have made it
through their first trial of life.

For many young animals,

a wise mother is the difference
between life and death.

There are some environments
where this is particularly true.

This inhospitable land in
Israel is not an easy place to live.

Up here, your footing
needs to be firm,

and a head for
heights is essential.

Meet the ibex.

They've made these
precarious cliffs their own.

But for these newborn ibex kids,

this rocky wilderness makes
for a nerve-racking nursery.

They spend the first
few days of their life

at the very top of the cliffs,

relatively safe from predators
who can't scale these summits.

However, at less
than a week old,

they must leave their
playtime plateaus.

They will attempt
their first descent

of these terrifying rock walls.

Their mother needs to find food.

Now the steep terrain
that has kept them safe

can turn treacherous.

Their mother leads the way.

The kids are,
understandably, tentative.

But ibex are born
with remarkable feet

made for just this purpose.

Slowly, they pick their way
down the sheer rock faces

with cleft feet
that spread wide,

exposing rubbery
pads that grip the rock.

Their mother shows
them the best route.

She's done it hundreds
of times before.

Gradually, the kids
start to get the hang of it,

But they need to focus.

One slip could be their last.

They're rewarded
with a lush, new world

where there's plenty
of food and water.

Here, the parents show
off their balancing skills

as they all browse together.

But one kid has trailed behind.

And she's in trouble.

A fox.

And he's spotted the straggler.

The young ibex runs as
fast as it can back up the cliff.

But the fox is
right on her heels.

He'll be hoping
for a quick kill.

As the kid falters on
the vertical rock face,

the fox tries to gain
the higher ground.

Whether by instinct
or by accident,

the kid has found
a spot so steep

that only an ibex could stand
there without toppling off.

The fox can't make
the climb down

and has no choice
but to give up.

The lessons learned
on this morning's descent

have saved the kid's life.

Despite still being so young,

she has outfoxed one of
the canniest of predators.

Mastering your terrain is a
crucial part of growing up.

For some, it's also
a race against time.

Here in the African Congo,
a colony of skimmers,

so called for their
special feeding technique,

has made these
sandbanks their home.

But it won't be forever.

Before long, the
waters here will rise,

and the birds will
have to move on.

These young skimmers
were born here

and are only a few weeks old.

Before the river floods,

they need to learn
to fly and to catch fish,

and they need to
learn both skills quickly.

They watch as the adults
gracefully skim the water.

An adult skimmer has a beak

with the lower part
longer than the upper.

They can slice through the water
at more than 30 feet a second.

If their beak hits
something, it will snap shut.

It's an effective and elegant
technique for catching fish.

The problem for youngsters
is that they have to wait

for the lower part of their
beak to reach its full length.

In the meantime, while
the water is shallow

and they have
the sand to run on,

they do their best to learn
the skimming technique.

It's not as easy as it looks,

so they need to
practice the skill.

It's vital to their survival.

The clock is ticking.

Soon, all the sand they're
using as a training ground

will be gone.

The annual rains in the
African Congo have arrived.

Very soon, these
nursery sand flats

will be under
several feet of water.

The skimmers have to move out.

With their home disappearing,
the time has come

for the young skimmers
to take to the air

with the rest of the colony.

Practice runs are over.

It's time to test
their flight skills.

Childhood is coming to an end.

The amount of time animals
enjoy the protection of their parents

varies greatly.

For some, childhood
can last for years.

These youngsters spend
much of their time playing.

It might seem like only a game,

but play is essential to a
young animal's development.

It helps with their strength,
coordination, and social skills.

Playing is a crucial
part of learning.

And the games can be
a rehearsal for adult life.

Back in India, six
months have passed,

and the tiger cubs are
putting their play into practice

and trying to hunt.

They must follow
their mother closely

as she stalks silently
through the forest.

It's all about stealth.

Patience and timing are crucial.

The moment to pounce
has to be exactly right.

But one of the cubs
just can't contain himself.

His mother isn't pleased.

She'll have to
start all over again.

The tiger cubs still
have a lot to learn.

Next to humans,

orangutans have the longest
of all primate childhoods.

This female orang
is 42 years old.

Her daughter is 6

and will stay with her for
at least another two years.

But then, there is so
much to understand

in the treetop world of Sumatra.

She has to learn to
collect ants and termites.

She will need to identify
at least 300 edible plants

and avoid the poisonous ones.

Judging when fruit
is ripe is essential.

The young orang must
also be able to judge

which branches
can carry her weight

and which insect
nests are safe to raid.

Building up her knowledge of
all the resources in the rainforest

is a lengthy and
complex process.

But it's vital training

for a long, successful
life in the wild.

Even so, there's always
time to make a friend

and, supervised
by a watchful parent,

the chance to play.

It's clear that your
mother's example

has a huge impact on
your chance of survival.

In many cases,

she is your sole
teacher when growing up.

However, there are times

when following your mom
can lead you into trouble.

A fast-flowing river in Kenya,

full of strong currents...

as well as crocodiles.

Despite the dangers,

this herd of elephants
has to get across.

The matriarch of the group leads
some youngsters into the river.

She knows that to
reach the other side,

she has to head
slightly upstream,

into the current.

Watching from the
shallows is a younger group.

These small calves have mothers
who are far less experienced.

They watch the older matriarch
reach the other side safely.

Then it's their turn
to brave the river.

But they didn't pick up on
the matriarch's technique.

Almost immediately,
they're in trouble.

And they're in too
deep to go back.

If the youngsters
become separated,

they will easily drown.

One has been overcome and
is being swept downstream.

The mothers try to keep
hold of the young ones,

but they can't
contain all three.

As they save one, the
others get washed away.

The currents are even
too strong for the mothers,

and they have no choice
but to let their babies go.

Finally, one baby
manages to clamber out,

but the other two
are still struggling.

The mothers come to help,

but they have no
way to lift them out.

The babies are
weak and terrified.

Eventually, they
manage to get out...

To everyone's relief.

What started as a lesson in
life turned into a nightmare.

Sometimes, it's adults

who dish out the
toughest lessons.

These toque
macaques in Sri Lanka

live in large troops.

They have a very
complex social structure,

with a rigid hierarchy.

If they're to make it
through childhood,

youngsters must fit in.

Discipline is
strictly maintained.

All young macaques
are low-ranking,

and they have to learn
how to show deference

through a variety of gestures
and facial expressions.

Adults don't hesitate
to show who's in charge.

This infant female is considered
to be the lowest of the low,

and she won't survive long

if she doesn't learn
the social conventions.

The dominant male
is a harsh leader.

He demands respect
from everyone,

no matter how young.

He won't tolerate any
sign of insubordination.

If he looks another
macaque in the eye,

they have to express submission
by chattering their teeth.

The tiny female
has caught his eye.

But does she know what to do?

If she gets it wrong, the
punishment will be severe.

Just in time, she manages
to chatter her teeth.

There will be many more tests
in this young macaque's life,

but at least she's
passed her first.

Getting through the
early stages of childhood

can certainly be daunting.

As animals get older,

their chances of survival
inevitably increase.

But different issues
have to be confronted.

Just as for humans,

the teenage years
can prove troublesome.

It's a time when
boundaries are tested

and tempers can fray.

Mistakes are made.

And some can be painful.

Full of testosterone,

young males all want to
be the leader of the pack.

They aren't always
ready for independence

but act like they are.

Being a teenager is
stressful for everybody.

In India, the tigers
are now teenagers, too,

and their rough-and-tumble

has turned into more
aggressive play fighting.

The sparring is good practice
for when they leave home

and may need to
fend off other tigers.

For now, though, they
keep their claws in.

No hard feelings here.

To be independent,

they also need to learn
to hunt their own prey.

But this is proving
more difficult.

One of the males quietly
creeps up on a deer.

But he breaks cover too soon.

His sister also
misses her chance,

as the deer runs
straight past her.

They will just have
to keep practicing.

Of course, not all
animals leave home.

Some stay with their
extended families.

The size of the
group can vary widely.

Hippos, for example,
can form small pods...

or come together in
very large numbers.

Predators, such as
wolves, form groups or packs

as a strategy for hunting.

Others find safety in numbers.

These gelada baboons are
old enough to leave home,

but the protection
of their social group

trumps independence,
and they stay together.

Yet even within such groups,

there are individuals who
were meant to be different,

whose fate is to
leave their families.

One of those can be
found in the African desert.

This little creature is a
female naked mole rat.

She has never ventured
above ground before.

She doesn't belong here.

Nighttime in the desert
can be dangerous.

But tonight, she
is risking her life

in an attempt to
fulfill her destiny.

She has left the
safety of her family

to go in search of a mate.

But with danger everywhere,
will she even survive the night?

Naked mole rats are one of
the planet's strangest mammals.

They live almost like bees.

Their hive is a network

of specially built
tunnels underground.

Their large colonies are
ruled by one dominant female,

catered to by many
so-called workers.

Only she will reproduce.

However, occasionally,
there is a chosen offspring...

A princess who will grow up
pampered and not have to work.

Instead, she reserves
her energy for the big day

when she will leave
the colony behind

and set out all by herself
to start a new family.

Alone in the desert,

this princess won't
survive for long.

Her search to find
a partner is urgent.

But how will she
find her prince?

She follows her nose.

Finally, a seductive scent
draws her down to safety.

She's sniffed out a partner.

He too is alone

and eager to start a new
family in his empty burrow.

Two months later, the
princess has become a queen.

She has had her
first litter of babies

and is now ready to start ruling

over a new dynasty
of naked mole rats.

Someday, one of these little
mole rats will be a chosen one.

She will be the next princess,

destined to leave
home, like her mother,

to carry on the family line.

The tiger cubs are fully grown
and almost ready to leave home.

One of the females
is hunting alone.

She has perfected
her stealth technique.

She knows it's all about timing.

And she has learned
the art of patience.

Success.

It's only a fawn,
but it's a start.

It's too small to
share with her siblings,

and she makes that quite clear.

After two years of living
and learning together,

these tigers no longer need
their mother or each other.

They've already begun to
carve out their own territories

and are ready
to live life alone.

No matter who you
are or where you live,

growing up is not
an easy business.

There are many trials and
tribulations along the way.

But each one helps shape

the character of the
adult you will become.

Yet childhood is also exciting.

It's the time to discover the
world for the very first time.

And for those who
do make the grade,

a new adventure
is just beginning.

To learn more about what you've
seen on this "Nature" program,