- 5/9/2025
Whatever walk of life, from bug to bear, we are all under threat. Every second, somewhere, something goes wrong for an animal.
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AnimalsTranscript
00:01Whatever walk of life, from bug to bear, we are all under threat.
00:10Every second, somewhere, something goes wrong for an animal.
00:18There's a fight or an attack.
00:22What decides our fate?
00:24Is it predetermined who lives or dies?
00:34Or do we take our chances, living our lives constantly, seconds from disaster?
00:54Plumes of smoke, a volcano, warning of impending disaster.
01:05A new day is dawning over the African plains.
01:11It's the start of something big. The animals seem to anticipate a change in the air.
01:29The wildebeest have arrived.
01:31Millions of them swarm onto the plains every summer.
01:43They are here to give birth.
02:02Within the space of a few weeks, hundreds of thousands of babies are delivered.
02:18A happy event? Or a reminder of the challenges of life?
02:23Many of these young animals won't live long.
02:25Is it a question of fate that determines who lives and who dies?
02:39And who dies?
02:46Are the successes and failures of these babies predetermined?
02:50Already, some of the youngsters are seconds from disaster.
03:13This mother's made a good decision and delivers her calf right into the centre of the herd.
03:18Could it be that he and his mother are destined for a long and happy life?
03:27Or will he have to face the many dangers of the plains alone?
03:42Alert members of the capybara family, watch over the herd.
03:45These giant rodents enjoy nothing more than basking on the banks of the Amazon River.
03:56But the dense vegetation and murky waters harbour many threats.
04:00Several males watch over the females and young.
04:04The babies in the herd form a creche, hanging out together to play.
04:10Though they were able to eat grass from just a week old, they will suckle for four months.
04:14The mothers in the group will suckle other pups, not just their own.
04:15The mothers in the group will suckle other pups, not just their own.
04:17It seems like a blissful life.
04:18But in the Amazon, there are many predators.
04:19And the plump bodied capybaris are a favourite prey.
04:20And the plump bodied capybaris are a favourite prey.
04:21The pine-sized pups ought to spend more time looking out for danger.
04:23And the plump bodied capybaris are a favourite prey.
04:25The pine-sized pups ought to spend more time looking out for danger, and less time annoying the adults.
04:33It's this type of distinction that they can do.
04:34The mothers in the group will suckle other pups, not just their own.
04:37It seems like a blissful life.
04:38But in the Amazon, there are many predators.
04:40And the plump bodied capybaris are a favourite prey.
04:43The pine-sized pups ought to spend more time looking out for danger, and less time annoying the adults.
04:50It's this type of distraction that can spell disaster.
05:05Thanks to the 500,000 newborns, the Serengeti herd has swollen to around 2 million.
05:20Can we keep aiming for a good prop?
05:21O'er the
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05:48They are doing well, but there are a lot of mouths to feed.
05:56The plains can only produce a limited amount of grass, and so more than predators, accidents
06:04or natural disasters, the biggest threat to the wildebeest's lives is running out of
06:10food.
06:14Seventy-five percent of all deaths are caused by starvation.
06:18For that reason, the herd must keep on the move, making sure they don't stay too long
06:24and overgraze any one place.
06:27The masses of megafauna attract an abundance of predators.
06:33Cheetahs are famous for their speed, but to achieve that title, they've had to sacrifice
06:39bulk.
06:41Despite weight and lanky, a single cheetah would really struggle to tackle a wildebeest.
06:50But male cheetahs, usually brothers from the same litter, form coalitions.
06:56Now, with combined might, they confidently approach any prey.
07:17Patrolling the herd, they look for any signs of weakness.
07:24They look for a short-term care.
07:26If we fly with a leg, we can be slightly higher.
07:30Be compassionate.
07:30Okay.
07:31Let's take a look.
07:32I'm gonna be quite clear, we're gonna be staying.
07:35We're gonna be on the right track.
07:36This is still getting a steal.
07:37This is still getting a steal.
07:38This is not that easy.
07:38Look for a weakeningüne!
07:39We're gonna be getting a steal.
07:40This is not that easy.
07:40It's because we're going to get a steal.
07:41This is not going to be enough to lose.
07:42This is going to be a steal.
07:44I'm gonna have to take a steal.
07:46This is not a steal.
07:47Just give a steal.
07:47You do not know when they are always going to steal.
07:50This is really not going to be a steal.
07:51It's really a steal on the e-
07:51Let's go.
08:21The female puts up a good fight, but she can't fend off all three attackers.
08:44Disaster could be around the corner for any member of the herd, but today, this unlucky
08:50one will feed the cheetahs, meaning the rest of the herd will live to see another day.
09:12From equator to poles, babies are facing the challenges of life.
09:29Solar bears rule the Arctic, the unchallenged, top predators.
09:39But even with one of the most formidable mothers on Earth, the future of these cubs is far from assured.
09:47There could be disaster around every corner.
10:02The mother polar bear keeps her cubs close to her side.
10:05She knows how deadly the world can be.
10:09But the little ones are carefree.
10:28They don't seem to be aware of the risks.
10:32But disasters can occur anywhere, even right under their mother's nose.
10:42We all imagine predation to be the main threat to life.
10:45But more animals die from accidents than anything else.
11:02Worried sisters try to get the little female out.
11:05But the hole's too deep and slippery.
11:30At first, mother doesn't seem to notice how close her family is to disaster.
11:41But the big sister rushes for help.
11:47Eventually, mum gets the message.
12:12An expert in excavating snow caves, it doesn't take long for her powerful limbs to dig their way in and reunite the family.
12:25Sister are metrorynAJ, 매unta
12:34for環境界,opaids are constantly in danger.
12:35Heavenly Geez, mother, is an arabesqueрать
12:36you surprised her family?
12:38She never saw the family experience and the family mission.
12:40Wait.
12:41Never saw the family be.
12:43I'm a Claudaretote-Jafrage.
12:44How are you from there?
12:46We still knew.
12:47Yep.
12:48We couldn't go places.
12:49Look.
12:50Now we are.
12:51We went crazy about MiloWeb.
12:52Disasters can turn up
13:21at the most unexpected of times.
13:28A lion couple, in a romantic mood, decide to take some time out to get intimate.
13:37But on the dangerous plains, it's risky to drop your guard.
13:48Their lovemaking has attracted an audience.
13:57Lions are a deadly threat to buffalo, but when they are caught off guard, it's the giant
14:02cattle that have the upper hand.
14:07The lion tries to stand his ground, but then realises he's losing his mate.
14:25The buffalo would like nothing more than to rid their home of a pair of pesky lions.
14:34And with over half a ton of angry horn-tipped herbivore on their tail, the lions wisely retreat.
14:51The foreboding skies create an atmosphere for the creatures of the Amazon.
15:00The capybara family is enjoying some time out of the water.
15:16Their favourite food is grass, and when the temperature isn't too hot, they leave the
15:21riverbank to graze.
15:26A caracara offers a pest control service, picking off fleas and ticks.
15:33But it doesn't work for free.
16:00It seems to take a drop of blood as payment for services rendered.
16:08The predatory bird is no threat to the family, but is not the only hunter on the prowl.
16:23This is the jaguar, the biggest cat on the continent, and for its size, the strongest and most muscular
16:30of all cats.
16:38It's favourite food, capybara.
16:44Many birds hop around the capybara.
16:47They could make life difficult for the predator, offering an early warning system.
16:54But with the herd spread out to graze, there are fewer pairs of eyes watching over the crash.
17:01They could make life difficult for the dog, though.
17:14They could make life difficult for the predator to kill off.
17:20They could make life difficult for the predator to kill off.
17:27The Capybara's main line of defence is to dive for cover.
17:57But the jaguar can also swim.
18:08Even the creche, the babysitters or the watchful birds weren't enough.
18:20It's a fact of life that for all creatures, sooner or later, disaster will strike.
18:26Whether or not they survive is partly luck and partly good decisions.
18:40The mountains of East Africa stop the passage of clouds.
18:44Moisture can't get to the plains.
18:56As the landscape dries, the animals are feeling the pinch.
19:03They need to take action, keeping the herd on the move, going from waterhole to waterhole.
19:14But this one, like so many others, is drying up.
19:22Mud can be an unexpected enemy.
19:27Like quicksand, it sucks their bodies down.
19:33The smallest calves barely have the strength to pull themselves free.
19:39Fighting the mud may result in damaged limbs.
19:43But an animal that stays trapped risks starvation.
19:49And either way, it's a beacon to predators.
19:56And the animal that stays trapped.
20:13And the animal that stays there, is the animal that stays there.
20:20It's time for the birds.
20:21I'm glad the birds.
20:22Luckily, the lion pride has recently eaten and needs to rest up in the shade and digest.
20:36A moment's reprieve.
20:38Perhaps fate is smiling on our calf today.
20:42He manages to wriggle free.
20:46But now he faces a far greater threat.
20:49He's lost his mother.
20:55He tries to find comfort.
20:59He now faces a terrifying prospect.
21:02He can't survive without his mother's milk.
21:18Luckily, his mother is also looking for him.
21:22Their bond is strong and neither will give up.
21:43Exhausted and thirsty, she finds him just in the nick of time.
21:55Disaster averted, they rejoin the herd.
21:59He's been lucky once, but for this little one, his challenges are just beginning.
22:07He needs to regain his strength, ready for the biggest and most dangerous journey of his
22:12young life.
22:14He'll need to keep up for over 1,000 kilometers.
22:17The great migration has begun.
22:26Another trek is getting underway.
22:29The polar bear family is on the move.
22:34The great bears spend their entire lives walking in an endless quest for food.
22:40And to do that, they can find themselves walking on thin ice.
22:50The sea ice that covers the Arctic during winter, it can be 20 meters deep.
23:00Despite the cold, the waters beneath are teeming with life, drawing in other polar specialists
23:07to breed.
23:16Ringed seals use their claws and teeth to carve out snow caves that they can use as a nursery.
23:26For their first few weeks, the pups will need to lie low.
23:30Their luxurious white fur keeps them warm, but only works when it's dry.
23:41So the pup must stay alone, while its mother uses holes in the ice to dive for fish.
24:00Though the seals are active hunters of fish, in this desolate landscape, there are many larger
24:08predators that would gladly have a seal supper.
24:22For now, the mother enjoys a brief respite from the cold seas, affording the pup a chance
24:27to feed.
24:37Seconds from disaster, the adult seal uses a breathing hole in the ice to disappear, leaving
24:42the helpless pup.
24:49The pups are designed to stay dry above water, thanks to their woolly coats.
24:54But this brave pup's not afraid to take the plunge.
25:05His bravery saved his life.
25:07He's a bit cold, but alive.
25:14He can eat or be eaten whirled.
25:28Harmless animals do their best to lie low.
25:32Dickops are camouflaged, hoping to sit on their nest undetected.
25:37But there is one egg thief they can't fool.
25:48A hungry monitor lizard.
25:55It looks like a tragedy is imminent.
25:59But these feisty birds are not going to sit back and take it.
26:07They mob the monitor.
26:19Imposing wings and sharp beaks drive the message home.
26:24And they're not going to sit back and take it.
26:36It looks like a tragedy.
26:37It looks like a tragedy.
26:38It looks like a tragedy.
26:41It looks like a tragedy.
26:43It's scary.
26:44It looks like a tragedy.
26:46Another design is a new design.
27:16disaster averted.
27:31It doesn't matter how big or small you are.
27:34Every day you step out in search of food, you are putting yourself at risk.
27:38A scorpion, a top predator on the prowl.
27:43It hunts insects and other tiny prey.
27:52But like all animals, it too can be seconds from disaster.
27:58The bigger bug is a predatory praying mantis.
28:05In the jungle, a beetle seems set to meet another disaster.
28:24Praying mantis live all over the warmer parts of the world and are deadly hunters.
28:31Independently moving eyes and a swivel neck allow great precision.
28:36Spiny arms are drawn back, ready to strike.
28:43Instead of moving and blowing her cover, she freezes, letting her prey come to her.
28:49But she didn't spot another predator using the same camo technique to creep up on her.
29:08The master of disguise, the chameleon.
29:29Some creatures go to great lengths to try and avoid the dangers of the world.
29:44Various species of weaver bird construct elaborate nests, woven baskets to keep their precious
29:50youngster safe.
29:57Their eggs and chicks will grow up in the baskets, out of the reach of most predators.
30:08But eventually the day will come when they have to fly the nest.
30:22A stealthy killer lurks in the reeds.
30:33This is a shoebill, an anomaly that looks like a giant bizarre stalk.
30:38But is probably closer related to pelicans.
30:53Towering over a metre tall, its huge sharp beak, more than 20 centimetres of power,
30:58is designed to behead large fish and other animal prey.
31:12Its beady eyes have spotted movement.
31:17With patient stealth, it moves in.
31:21The weaver chicks are getting too big for the nest.
31:24But they are not quite ready to fly.
31:28A deadly moment to get their timings wrong.
31:38Disaster.
31:40Waterlogged and helpless, the chicks are sitting dug.
31:44The other chicks bite their time, but so does the shoebill.
32:13Out on the plains, hot, dry days cause storms to build.
32:25But to a dry grassland, lightning can spell disaster.
32:46It only takes a spark.
32:51The results spread like wildfire.
32:55Bushfires appear devastating, but they are a vital part of many ecosystems.
33:14They recycle nutrients by fertilizing the soil with ash.
33:21But regardless of their benefits to the landscape, they can spell disaster for the animals of the plains.
33:48Creatures that have size and speed on their side can outrun the flames.
33:55It's harder for the little guys.
34:01Please.
34:02Please.
34:04Please.
34:06Please.
34:07Please.
34:08Please.
34:09Please.
34:10Please.
34:11Please.
34:12Please.
34:13Please.
34:14Please.
34:15Please.
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34:17Please.
34:18Please.
34:19Please.
34:20Please.
34:21Please.
34:22Please.
34:23Please.
34:24Please.
34:25Please.
34:26Please.
34:27Please.
34:28Please.
34:29Please.
34:30Please.
34:31Please.
34:32Wildebeest heard watches as their home goes up in flames.
34:46Marabou storks and other opportunists pace like undertakers along the edges of the blaze,
34:52waiting to snatch any small creatures flushed out by the fire,
34:55or to pick over the carcasses of the dead.
35:02At ground level, it's carnage.
35:32Once flames have swept across the plains, there is little for grazers like the wildebeest to eat.
35:46Once again, the herd must move on.
35:49The sun sets, but the wildlife remains illuminated by the destruction.
36:15Oh, no.
36:21Oh.
36:24Oh.
36:28Oh.
36:31Oh, no.
36:33Oh.
37:06There are still some that benefit from the death of others.
37:14A nocturnal bush baby emerges to snatch a barbecued cricket.
37:36By dawn, the fire's burnt itself out.
37:44Animals pick over the charred remains amid a fog of ash.
37:47Set adrift once more, the herds march on, our growing calf still flanking his mother.
38:02Once they get clear of the scorched earth, dry grasses give the wildebeest a much-needed meal.
38:19But as they feed up and rest, new tribulations await.
38:32They have been herded together by the flames, something that doesn't go unnoticed by the local lions.
38:45One of these animals could be facing imminent disaster.
39:07The lioness creeps closer, keeping low, her sandy body hidden in the grass.
39:18Patience will be the key to her success.
39:32She needs to take her time, pick a victim wisely and carefully choose the right moment to strike.
39:39She's a coiled spring, ready to pounce.
39:52Her iron table falls near the mud falls.
39:55I think she's another creature in�� and the bugs.
39:56I see a center of the mist and I'm going to lift them up.
40:02She saw thḙ̭̭̞ advisor, Advisors.
40:06Han fountain click the初 signidelbergaki and ready to learn,
40:10Pil Tarant ofעלosa.
40:11Janet's here in the middle is thebud generator,
40:14and as the city of the arch of the
40:14亮チャンネル will prevent an astronomy possible.
40:17It won't be translated by the A&P,
40:20but it's like Ukor有沒有.
40:21It'll get used by the wyboriz,
40:22She misjudged the power of her prey.
40:42A kick from the hard, sharp hooves of a zebra can be fatal.
40:52This time, she was lucky.
40:59She might have lost her looks, but she'll survive.
41:14It was a close call.
41:16Her cubs came close to losing their mother, a reminder that it's not always
41:22predators who have the upper hand.
41:29The herbivores win one round, but a greater threat lies ahead.
41:52The drying plains are hard on the herds, but the summer's tough for these guys too.
41:59The river's drying up, and crocodiles are forced together, hungry, grouchy, fighting over every
42:07trap, and waiting impatiently for food to come.
42:18It's not a good place for a catfish to hang out.
42:20They know that a banquet will soon be served.
42:34They just have to sit tight and let it come to them.
42:37And it will come.
42:50To keep the vast herds fed, they must follow the rains across the plains to fresh grazing.
42:56No obstacles can stand in their way.
42:59The wildebeest know crocodiles hide in the rivers, but they have no choice.
43:05If they stay on the dry plains, they face death by starvation.
43:11They are hesitant, but failure is not an option.
43:26It just takes one to make the first move.
43:29The building pressure from animals at the back pushes the front line to take the plunge.
43:59The crocs move in.
44:20The crocs move in.
44:28Success is not guaranteed.
44:30But there will be plenty more opportunities.
44:58The crocs move in.
45:01With muscular tails, the crocodiles can launch with force and slam shut their gin-trapped jaws.
45:07It seems nothing can distract the wildebeest from their mission.
45:23The more animals in the water, the better each individual's chances of avoiding an attack.
45:38Of course, not all of them will make it.
45:41Of course, not all of them will make it.
45:45The crocs move in.
46:07For everyone caught, hundreds make it across.
46:37It's their destiny to survive, and for those that don't, their bodies will ensure the
46:44crocodiles a healthy future too.
47:01Nothing in life is guaranteed.
47:03For any of these animals, disaster could be just around the corner.
47:16Luckily, many have made it through to another day.
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