1 00:00:29,350 --> 00:00:30,850 Antarctica. 2 00:00:30,850 --> 00:00:34,650 The earth's coldest continent, 3 00:00:34,650 --> 00:00:38,150 the one that is most hostile to life. 4 00:00:44,550 --> 00:00:47,750 Here, 800 miles from the South Pole, 5 00:00:47,750 --> 00:00:50,350 it's 40 degrees below zero. 6 00:00:54,450 --> 00:00:58,150 Of all the millions of species of animals on Earth, 7 00:00:58,150 --> 00:01:01,250 only one can live here permanently. 8 00:01:10,850 --> 00:01:12,350 A Weddell seal. 9 00:01:16,250 --> 00:01:21,850 She can survive because she can dive below the ice. 10 00:01:25,340 --> 00:01:28,140 Here she is protected from the storms above, 11 00:01:28,140 --> 00:01:31,040 and here too, she can find food. 12 00:01:50,740 --> 00:01:55,540 But she is a mammal, and she has to breathe air, 13 00:01:55,540 --> 00:01:59,640 so she has to keep a lifeline open to the world above the ice. 14 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:03,340 Not only for her, 15 00:02:03,340 --> 00:02:06,140 but now for her newborn pup. 16 00:02:06,140 --> 00:02:07,240 SEAL GRUNTS 17 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:08,640 PUP CRIES 18 00:02:10,640 --> 00:02:14,040 He's less than a week old, and still very vulnerable. 19 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:29,640 A blizzard blows in, and with it, storm-force winds. 20 00:02:29,640 --> 00:02:31,340 It could last for a week. 21 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:46,640 Being mammals, seals can generate heat within their bodies. 22 00:02:46,640 --> 00:02:50,240 And their fur, with a thick layer of fat beneath it, 23 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:52,540 prevents most of that heat from escaping, 24 00:02:52,540 --> 00:02:55,140 even in cold conditions like this. 25 00:03:01,140 --> 00:03:04,540 What is more, she is able to feed her youngster 26 00:03:04,540 --> 00:03:09,040 with that mammalian speciality, milk. 27 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:13,140 And while she does so, she shields him from the worst of the blizzard. 28 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,340 She has worked hard throughout the winter to prevent her breathing hole 29 00:03:42,340 --> 00:03:44,240 in the ice from freezing over. 30 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,740 That requires constant attention - 31 00:03:57,740 --> 00:04:00,840 filing back the edges of the hole with her teeth. 32 00:04:08,340 --> 00:04:12,740 Her pup needs to join her under the ice as soon as he can swim properly. 33 00:04:17,140 --> 00:04:20,140 She encourages him to take his first plunge, but, 34 00:04:20,140 --> 00:04:22,340 hardly surprisingly, he is not keen. 35 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:50,140 Now, guided by his mother, he has to learn how to hunt underwater, 36 00:04:50,140 --> 00:04:54,040 and to find his way back through the maze to his hole in the ice. 37 00:05:09,940 --> 00:05:15,640 A warm body, fur, milk and maternal care are essential 38 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:19,440 for the Weddell seal's survival in this freezing environment. 39 00:05:22,140 --> 00:05:25,440 And those qualities have helped the mammals 40 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,440 to colonise the entire globe. 41 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:40,040 Equatorial East Africa. 42 00:05:41,540 --> 00:05:45,540 It's hard to image a place more different from Antarctica. 43 00:05:47,740 --> 00:05:52,340 To survive here, mammals need additional talents. 44 00:05:54,540 --> 00:05:58,540 This tree shelters the territory of a tiny mammal 45 00:05:58,540 --> 00:06:02,740 that spends its whole life in frenzied activity. 46 00:06:04,740 --> 00:06:07,240 It used to be called an elephant shrew, 47 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:11,040 but now it's called by its African name of sengi. 48 00:06:17,340 --> 00:06:21,340 This is a female rufous sengi. 49 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:27,940 And, like all sengis, she's so active, she's permanently hungry. 50 00:06:30,140 --> 00:06:32,540 To get all the food she needs, 51 00:06:32,540 --> 00:06:36,040 she has to be both industrious and ingenious. 52 00:06:42,540 --> 00:06:45,140 She has made an intricate network of trails 53 00:06:45,140 --> 00:06:50,440 that enable her to hunt her insect prey very efficiently. 54 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:55,640 But these pathways have another important function 55 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:57,740 when she meets her enemies. 56 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:33,640 Having a map of these trails in her head can mean the difference 57 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:35,140 between life... 58 00:07:37,140 --> 00:07:38,140 ..and death. 59 00:07:43,940 --> 00:07:47,140 Like most mammals, and unlike reptiles, 60 00:07:47,140 --> 00:07:49,740 her legs are directly beneath her body. 61 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:54,840 That makes her less stable, but much faster and more agile. 62 00:08:13,540 --> 00:08:18,740 Not only has she outrun this reptile, she's outwitted him. 63 00:08:24,140 --> 00:08:25,840 And just as well, 64 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:29,540 for she is a mother and has a youngster to care for. 65 00:08:38,940 --> 00:08:42,940 The sengi relies on speed and cunning for its success. 66 00:08:42,940 --> 00:08:46,040 Other mammals have very different techniques. 67 00:08:50,940 --> 00:08:54,240 ANIMALS CALL OUT 68 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:55,940 Here in Madagascar, 69 00:08:55,940 --> 00:09:00,440 one of the most bizarre of all mammals is on the prowl. 70 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:11,640 The aye-aye, like the sengi, lives on insects. 71 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:16,340 But the ones that she seeks, she can't see, 72 00:09:16,340 --> 00:09:19,340 for they're buried deep inside branches. 73 00:09:19,340 --> 00:09:21,740 They're beetle grubs. 74 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:28,840 To find them, she has a special talent. 75 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,140 She taps her fingers on the wood up to eight times a second, 76 00:09:32,140 --> 00:09:34,840 and listens for the tiny change in resonance 77 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:38,540 that indicates a hollow spot within. 78 00:09:38,540 --> 00:09:42,740 Her hearing is so acute, she can identify the precise position 79 00:09:42,740 --> 00:09:46,140 in which to gnaw a hole in order to reach the grub. 80 00:09:48,340 --> 00:09:52,340 And she has a grotesquely long middle finger 81 00:09:52,340 --> 00:09:54,140 with which to skewer it. 82 00:10:05,540 --> 00:10:11,340 It takes a young aye-aye four years to perfect this technique. 83 00:10:11,340 --> 00:10:13,540 But once it has done so, 84 00:10:13,540 --> 00:10:17,140 it can collect prey that no other mammal can reach. 85 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:38,140 The Arctic tundra. 86 00:10:38,140 --> 00:10:41,140 Food is hard to find here too. 87 00:10:41,140 --> 00:10:44,940 Indeed, this land is so barren that few large animals can live here. 88 00:10:48,140 --> 00:10:51,540 Yet one mammal has found a way to do so. 89 00:11:03,540 --> 00:11:04,740 It's late spring, 90 00:11:04,740 --> 00:11:08,540 and as the mounting strength of the sun warms the land, 91 00:11:08,540 --> 00:11:11,740 eight million reindeer move north. 92 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:25,140 But the vegetation is so meagre 93 00:11:25,140 --> 00:11:27,740 that the only way the herds can get enough 94 00:11:27,740 --> 00:11:30,540 is to keep constantly on the move. 95 00:11:37,740 --> 00:11:39,740 Newborn calves soon discover 96 00:11:39,740 --> 00:11:44,140 that they will have to spend every day walking in search of food. 97 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,640 They have extraordinary endurance. 98 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,340 Some of these animals, before they die, 99 00:11:51,340 --> 00:11:53,640 will have trekked for a distance 100 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:57,040 equivalent to three times around the earth. 101 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:03,340 Grazing is now at its best. 102 00:12:03,340 --> 00:12:07,540 But this also the time when the reindeer' worst enemy appears... 103 00:12:08,740 --> 00:12:10,140 BUZZING 104 00:12:10,140 --> 00:12:11,940 Biting flies. 105 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:16,940 The flies not only drive them to distraction, 106 00:12:16,940 --> 00:12:20,540 but they can drain a pint of blood each day. 107 00:12:30,540 --> 00:12:34,340 But the reindeer have a defensive strategy. 108 00:12:40,140 --> 00:12:44,140 Each individual tries to push its way into the centre of a group 109 00:12:44,140 --> 00:12:45,940 where there are fewer flies. 110 00:13:02,740 --> 00:13:04,940 With all this pushing and jostling, 111 00:13:04,940 --> 00:13:07,740 mothers need to keep their calves close. 112 00:13:15,140 --> 00:13:17,740 Sometimes the flies become so bad 113 00:13:17,740 --> 00:13:19,840 the reindeer can stand them no longer 114 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:23,940 and they bolt to higher ground where the flies can't follow. 115 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,940 But the price of escape can be high. 116 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:28,440 In the rush, one mother has lost her calf. 117 00:14:30,740 --> 00:14:32,740 REINDEER CALLS OUT 118 00:14:53,140 --> 00:14:55,340 Others have already found it. 119 00:14:56,640 --> 00:14:58,740 BIRDS CALL OUT 120 00:15:10,340 --> 00:15:12,640 The herd has long since moved on, 121 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:15,740 but her maternal instinct is so strong 122 00:15:15,740 --> 00:15:19,940 she'll stay to search for her missing calf for days. 123 00:15:23,140 --> 00:15:26,840 The reindeer are free from flies for now, 124 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:30,240 but with no food on these high slopes, 125 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:33,540 they will eventually be forced to descend to find new pastures 126 00:15:33,540 --> 00:15:37,140 and face the biting swarms once more. 127 00:15:40,540 --> 00:15:45,340 No animal makes a longer migration across the lands of the earth 128 00:15:45,340 --> 00:15:46,840 than these mammals. 129 00:15:54,540 --> 00:15:58,140 Other mammals have found a more economic way 130 00:15:58,140 --> 00:16:02,240 of travelling huge distances and at greater speed. 131 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:04,540 They go by air. 132 00:16:09,540 --> 00:16:11,840 BIRDS CHIRP 133 00:16:33,540 --> 00:16:35,840 Giant straw-coloured fruit bats 134 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,340 inhabit the great forests of the Congo. 135 00:16:43,740 --> 00:16:46,840 Their wings are nearly a metre across. 136 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:54,540 In late October every year, 137 00:16:54,540 --> 00:16:58,140 they set off on a long journey across the forest canopy. 138 00:17:03,740 --> 00:17:05,940 Flocks of hundreds become thousands. 139 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:17,340 And tens of thousands become hundreds of thousands. 140 00:17:21,340 --> 00:17:23,840 They are fast and powerful fliers 141 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:27,740 and can travel a thousand miles in just a few nights. 142 00:17:27,740 --> 00:17:29,740 THUNDER RUMBLES 143 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:40,040 How they know where and when to travel is a mystery, 144 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:45,940 but they all end up in one place - Kasanka, a remote swamp in Zambia. 145 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,640 There are ten million of them here. 146 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:14,040 They crowd together in just one small patch of forest, 147 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:17,540 no bigger than two or three football pitches. 148 00:18:17,540 --> 00:18:20,440 And here they take up residence for a few weeks. 149 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:23,940 It's the largest fruit bat roost on Earth. 150 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:42,240 After their long journey, they need to rest and relax. 151 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:55,540 The roost is so crowded that complete strangers rub shoulders, 152 00:18:55,530 --> 00:18:58,130 and even snuggle up together. 153 00:19:01,930 --> 00:19:03,530 As evening approaches, 154 00:19:03,530 --> 00:19:07,130 they prepare to reap the reward for their long journey. 155 00:19:20,930 --> 00:19:24,130 They've come from all over Central Africa to this one place, 156 00:19:24,130 --> 00:19:25,130 because here, 157 00:19:25,130 --> 00:19:26,730 at this time of the year, 158 00:19:26,730 --> 00:19:30,730 there is an extraordinary glut of mangoes and other fruit. 159 00:19:32,330 --> 00:19:36,230 Streaming out from the roost, they set off to collect it. 160 00:20:07,130 --> 00:20:12,330 Each bat guzzles at least two kilos' worth of fruit every night. 161 00:20:16,430 --> 00:20:19,030 In just a few weeks, this mega-roost 162 00:20:19,030 --> 00:20:22,430 will devour more than a billion separate fruits. 163 00:20:24,930 --> 00:20:28,930 It's only the power of flight that allows these mammals 164 00:20:28,930 --> 00:20:33,630 to travel so far and so fast that they can reap such a brief harvest. 165 00:20:35,830 --> 00:20:40,630 After six weeks, the trees have been stripped of their fruit. 166 00:20:40,630 --> 00:20:45,630 Then, once again, the immense aerial armada takes to the air, 167 00:20:45,630 --> 00:20:49,330 each bat returning to its own particular patch 168 00:20:49,330 --> 00:20:51,530 of the vast Congo forests. 169 00:21:31,730 --> 00:21:33,630 The land mammals of Africa 170 00:21:33,630 --> 00:21:37,030 also travel together in stupendous numbers. 171 00:21:39,230 --> 00:21:42,730 The herds that graze the East African plains 172 00:21:42,730 --> 00:21:45,630 are not nearly the size they were a century ago, 173 00:21:45,630 --> 00:21:48,030 but they are still immense. 174 00:21:51,030 --> 00:21:54,130 Grazing together is a good defence. 175 00:21:54,130 --> 00:21:55,730 There's safety in numbers. 176 00:21:56,930 --> 00:22:00,830 But hunting together also brings advantages. 177 00:22:00,830 --> 00:22:02,530 LION SNARLS 178 00:22:07,530 --> 00:22:12,330 This hyena, however, is searching for food on her own. 179 00:22:14,930 --> 00:22:17,530 She needs to be careful. 180 00:22:23,530 --> 00:22:25,530 But she smells food. 181 00:22:26,830 --> 00:22:29,330 And she takes risks. 182 00:22:35,730 --> 00:22:37,330 HYENA YOWLS 183 00:22:51,730 --> 00:22:53,530 HYENA SHRIEKS 184 00:23:34,330 --> 00:23:38,730 Bruised and bloodied, she is lucky to have survived her mistake. 185 00:23:44,030 --> 00:23:46,030 But she's not totally defeated - 186 00:23:46,030 --> 00:23:48,930 she belongs to a clan. 187 00:23:48,930 --> 00:23:51,830 A call to arms rings out through the night. 188 00:23:51,830 --> 00:23:55,130 HYENA CALLS OUT 189 00:24:00,330 --> 00:24:02,830 Reinforcements assemble. 190 00:24:08,130 --> 00:24:10,530 Every adult in the clan responds. 191 00:24:19,030 --> 00:24:23,830 If a clan attack together, they have a chance of challenging the lions. 192 00:24:23,830 --> 00:24:26,130 HYENAS CALL OUT 193 00:24:31,730 --> 00:24:33,530 LION SNARLS 194 00:24:39,130 --> 00:24:43,530 It's a clan against a pride, each at full strength. 195 00:24:46,730 --> 00:24:50,130 And the clan outnumbers the pride. 196 00:25:26,530 --> 00:25:28,830 The combined power of the hyenas 197 00:25:28,830 --> 00:25:31,730 eventually forces the lions to retreat. 198 00:25:33,330 --> 00:25:35,830 Attacking as a coherent team 199 00:25:35,830 --> 00:25:39,730 requires a high degree of social cooperation, 200 00:25:39,730 --> 00:25:44,030 and that is another of the mammals' specialities. 201 00:25:55,030 --> 00:25:57,530 Social bonds between mammals begin 202 00:25:57,530 --> 00:26:00,330 when mothers feed their young on milk. 203 00:26:01,830 --> 00:26:05,330 And few look after their young with greater care 204 00:26:05,330 --> 00:26:08,730 than the mammal which dominates this landscape. 205 00:26:12,430 --> 00:26:16,730 A female polar bear is trying to find food for her cubs. 206 00:26:18,430 --> 00:26:19,830 But this is a particularly 207 00:26:19,830 --> 00:26:21,930 difficult time of the year. 208 00:26:23,530 --> 00:26:28,130 The sea ice on which she hunts is melting beneath her feet. 209 00:26:29,030 --> 00:26:31,930 She must look for food on land. 210 00:27:06,330 --> 00:27:12,030 They're all safely ashore, but they could still face months of hunger. 211 00:27:12,030 --> 00:27:17,530 Finding food is not so easy on this cold and barren coast. 212 00:27:17,530 --> 00:27:21,230 The search may be a long one. 213 00:27:27,230 --> 00:27:31,930 Polar bears have an extraordinarily sensitive sense of smell. 214 00:27:31,930 --> 00:27:36,530 And she has caught a faint whiff of something promising. 215 00:27:48,930 --> 00:27:53,130 It's the immense carcass of a bowhead whale. 216 00:27:55,830 --> 00:28:00,730 A whale carcass could provide more than any one family could eat. 217 00:28:02,730 --> 00:28:06,030 But they're not the first here to find it... 218 00:28:06,030 --> 00:28:08,530 by any means. 219 00:28:13,230 --> 00:28:16,330 The smell has brought in bears from miles away. 220 00:28:16,330 --> 00:28:18,630 ROARING 221 00:28:21,430 --> 00:28:24,230 Bear families seldom get on with one another. 222 00:28:34,230 --> 00:28:38,430 She's taking a risk bringing her cubs here. 223 00:28:42,330 --> 00:28:46,330 Male bears can, and do, kill and eat small cubs. 224 00:28:51,430 --> 00:28:52,730 ROARING 225 00:28:52,730 --> 00:28:54,430 Another family challenges her. 226 00:29:02,930 --> 00:29:09,030 She must decide whether to compete for food, or run away and go hungry. 227 00:29:17,230 --> 00:29:21,930 She keeps her cubs close to her and stands her ground. 228 00:29:35,030 --> 00:29:39,130 Their mother's courage has won the cubs a meal. 229 00:30:05,330 --> 00:30:08,230 Living as a family may bring rewards, 230 00:30:08,230 --> 00:30:13,230 but it can also create problems, for siblings can also become rivals. 231 00:30:16,230 --> 00:30:20,630 A coati - a South American relative of the racoon. 232 00:30:25,530 --> 00:30:29,230 These babies were born in a nest high in a tree, 233 00:30:29,230 --> 00:30:32,730 and are about to come down to the ground for the first time. 234 00:30:38,730 --> 00:30:41,330 Some more reluctantly than others. 235 00:31:00,730 --> 00:31:05,130 Once on the ground, the mother coati rounds her babies up 236 00:31:05,130 --> 00:31:08,930 and takes them away to join a single large group. 237 00:31:12,930 --> 00:31:17,530 Together, these families form a gang up to 40 strong. 238 00:31:23,730 --> 00:31:27,130 Once again, numbers bring safety. 239 00:31:27,130 --> 00:31:29,730 The first to spot danger will warn everyone. 240 00:31:43,230 --> 00:31:45,330 But keeping order isn't easy, 241 00:31:45,330 --> 00:31:48,330 and when they find food, it's a free-for-all. 242 00:32:06,130 --> 00:32:08,530 Meerkats in the Kalahari Desert 243 00:32:08,530 --> 00:32:12,630 also live in large groups, but they are rather more organised. 244 00:32:35,130 --> 00:32:38,530 Each family band is controlled by a queen, 245 00:32:38,530 --> 00:32:41,330 who is nearly always the only female to breed. 246 00:32:44,530 --> 00:32:48,730 She has been kept very busy suckling her five pups, 247 00:32:48,730 --> 00:32:52,330 and it's high time they became more independent. 248 00:32:54,930 --> 00:33:00,630 Today is the new brood's first trip to get breakfast for themselves. 249 00:33:10,730 --> 00:33:14,530 It takes weeks for youngsters to learn how to find food. 250 00:33:19,030 --> 00:33:20,830 MEERKAT SQUEAKS 251 00:33:20,830 --> 00:33:22,830 This one is trying to catch ants, 252 00:33:22,830 --> 00:33:27,830 but hasn't quite grasped the necessary technique. 253 00:33:32,330 --> 00:33:37,330 But this youngster has persuaded an adult to show him what to do. 254 00:33:38,330 --> 00:33:43,030 The tutor is not his parent, just an enthusiastic instructor, 255 00:33:43,030 --> 00:33:47,430 and one who will adapt his lessons to the ability of his student. 256 00:33:49,430 --> 00:33:51,930 This new one is a beginner, 257 00:33:51,930 --> 00:33:56,730 so he starts with something easy - how to dig for insect larvae. 258 00:34:09,230 --> 00:34:13,730 Other meals, like this one, are much trickier. 259 00:34:13,730 --> 00:34:17,130 So the tutor disables the scorpion's sting 260 00:34:17,130 --> 00:34:19,330 before he lets the youngster tackle it. 261 00:34:37,830 --> 00:34:40,330 The family also cooperates in defence. 262 00:34:41,730 --> 00:34:47,930 Every member does a tour of guard duty, keeping an eye out for danger. 263 00:34:47,930 --> 00:34:50,030 So, while one watches, 264 00:34:50,030 --> 00:34:52,130 everyone else can rest. 265 00:34:58,830 --> 00:35:03,430 And, on warm days, one can easily nod off. 266 00:35:31,130 --> 00:35:34,230 The secret of meerkats' success 267 00:35:34,230 --> 00:35:37,930 is that everyone takes a turn in communal duties. 268 00:35:57,230 --> 00:36:01,330 But many mammals do more than just share their workload. 269 00:36:01,330 --> 00:36:08,130 Some can share their knowledge, and do so across several generations. 270 00:36:10,030 --> 00:36:13,330 Elephant survival depends on profiting 271 00:36:13,330 --> 00:36:17,030 from the experience of many lifetimes. 272 00:36:19,330 --> 00:36:22,430 This baby elephant was born last night, 273 00:36:22,430 --> 00:36:26,330 and the whole herd seems to welcome this new addition. 274 00:36:29,820 --> 00:36:32,520 But the mother is young and inexperienced. 275 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:34,720 This is her first baby. 276 00:36:54,420 --> 00:36:57,820 If she is to produce milk, a mother must drink. 277 00:36:57,820 --> 00:37:01,020 And the newborn calf must keep up with her 278 00:37:01,020 --> 00:37:04,220 as the herd continues on their long journey to find water. 279 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:11,920 After five miles, the calf is flagging. 280 00:37:15,720 --> 00:37:17,520 Enough is enough. 281 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:29,620 The young mother encourages her calf to continue, 282 00:37:29,620 --> 00:37:31,820 but there is still a long way to go, 283 00:37:31,820 --> 00:37:34,620 and the calf is already getting dehydrated. 284 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:06,720 The elephants are now so close to water that they can smell it. 285 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:33,720 Water, at last. 286 00:38:35,720 --> 00:38:37,720 ELEPHANT TRUMPETS 287 00:38:56,520 --> 00:38:59,720 This is the calf's first encounter with a waterhole. 288 00:39:02,020 --> 00:39:05,920 She's not sure what to make of it or, indeed, how to get out of it. 289 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:15,320 Her mother tries to help her, 290 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:18,920 but she has no experience of dealing with babies. 291 00:39:19,620 --> 00:39:22,120 BABY ELEPHANT CRIES OUT 292 00:39:27,720 --> 00:39:32,120 As the herd moves deeper into the swamp, the calf follows, 293 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:34,720 but now she is in real trouble. 294 00:39:40,020 --> 00:39:41,720 BABY ELEPHANT CRIES OUT 295 00:39:43,620 --> 00:39:48,520 Elephant babies can, and do, get permanently stuck in deep mud. 296 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:18,720 Her mother's attempts to help her baby are only making matters worse. 297 00:40:18,720 --> 00:40:22,320 It's stuck beneath her and she's pushing it deeper still. 298 00:40:26,120 --> 00:40:30,520 But now the baby's grandmother spots the problem and steps in. 299 00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:39,120 MUFFLED THUMP 300 00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:40,520 MOTHER TRUMPETS 301 00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:43,520 Drastic action! She pushes mother out of the way 302 00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:45,920 with an unceremonious poke in the rump, 303 00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:49,220 and enables her granddaughter to scramble free. 304 00:40:55,620 --> 00:40:59,920 Mother and calf have learned a valuable lesson from grandma. 305 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:05,420 Such passing of wisdom across generations 306 00:41:05,420 --> 00:41:09,620 has been an important element in the survival of elephants. 307 00:41:25,520 --> 00:41:30,720 The largest animal on land, the elephant is a mammal. 308 00:41:32,820 --> 00:41:36,820 And so are the largest animals in the sea. 309 00:41:50,620 --> 00:41:55,020 A female humpback whale and her calf. 310 00:41:56,520 --> 00:42:00,320 Every few years, she will travel 3,000 miles, 311 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:03,420 from the rich waters of the Antarctic 312 00:42:03,420 --> 00:42:07,920 to these warm, but comparatively sterile, waters of the Pacific 313 00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:10,720 to give birth to a single calf. 314 00:42:37,720 --> 00:42:43,520 The seas around Tonga are not only a nursery for humpbacks, 315 00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:46,720 but also their mating ground. 316 00:42:46,720 --> 00:42:49,720 WHALE CALLS OUT 317 00:42:58,720 --> 00:43:03,120 This 50-year-old female has come here to seek the best partner, 318 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:07,920 and she starts by announcing her arrival to potential suitors. 319 00:43:31,620 --> 00:43:34,620 One by one, the males arrive. 320 00:43:47,220 --> 00:43:51,120 But as they do, she swims away, 321 00:43:51,120 --> 00:43:56,120 compelling her half a dozen or so suitors to follow her. 322 00:44:07,720 --> 00:44:13,520 She leads, while the males jockey for position behind her. 323 00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:15,320 WHALE BELLOWS 324 00:44:15,320 --> 00:44:18,320 The males bellow threats to one another, 325 00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:20,920 creating huge plumes of bubbles. 326 00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:34,120 So far, it has been a relatively gentle affair. 327 00:44:34,120 --> 00:44:36,920 Now the competition becomes serious. 328 00:44:39,120 --> 00:44:44,120 Hour after hour, the males battle for position, right behind her. 329 00:45:05,720 --> 00:45:10,820 And now the 40-tonne males begin to smash into one another. 330 00:45:33,020 --> 00:45:37,320 This is the most massive battle in all nature. 331 00:45:37,320 --> 00:45:39,520 Rival males can kill one another. 332 00:45:49,820 --> 00:45:53,320 As the conflict reaches its climax, 333 00:45:53,320 --> 00:45:55,720 they try to force each other downwards. 334 00:46:14,520 --> 00:46:19,020 At last, a victor takes his place alongside the female 335 00:46:19,020 --> 00:46:21,220 and remains unchallenged. 336 00:46:24,720 --> 00:46:27,220 By inciting the males to fight, 337 00:46:27,220 --> 00:46:31,520 the female has secured the best mate for herself - 338 00:46:31,520 --> 00:46:36,320 the one who is most likely to father the strongest offspring. 339 00:46:49,120 --> 00:46:52,420 Together, the couple dive to the depths. 340 00:46:53,620 --> 00:46:57,320 But still, no-one knows where they will mate. 341 00:47:25,020 --> 00:47:27,820 All mammals, including ourselves, 342 00:47:27,820 --> 00:47:31,220 share a set of winning characteristics. 343 00:47:37,020 --> 00:47:43,420 Warm bodies, extraordinary senses and highly-developed intelligence - 344 00:47:43,420 --> 00:47:49,320 and those qualities have contributed to their, and our, success. 345 00:47:54,820 --> 00:47:57,920 But perhaps the most important characteristic of all 346 00:47:57,920 --> 00:48:00,320 lies in the strength of our family ties. 347 00:48:03,720 --> 00:48:08,120 It is the mammal family that has conquered the earth. 348 00:48:41,820 --> 00:48:44,720 Tonga is famous for humpback whales, 349 00:48:44,720 --> 00:48:48,520 but even here, finding and filming whales in the open ocean 350 00:48:48,520 --> 00:48:50,220 would prove challenging. 351 00:48:50,220 --> 00:48:52,020 For the Life team, 352 00:48:52,020 --> 00:48:55,220 capturing the humpback whales' unique mating contest, 353 00:48:55,220 --> 00:48:56,420 known as a heat run, 354 00:48:56,420 --> 00:49:02,320 would need local knowledge, hours on the water, and a big slice of luck. 355 00:49:02,320 --> 00:49:06,320 We've heard that one of the boats further inland 356 00:49:06,320 --> 00:49:10,220 has seen a female with a calf and an escort, 357 00:49:10,220 --> 00:49:14,220 which is something which might build to, hopefully, a heat run, 358 00:49:14,220 --> 00:49:16,720 so we're gonna head over there and take a look. 359 00:49:16,720 --> 00:49:21,320 Any adult female with a calf could be coming into season, 360 00:49:21,320 --> 00:49:23,720 and so might be a target for amorous males. 361 00:49:24,720 --> 00:49:26,920 When we got there, I was pretty excited, 362 00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:29,720 a little bit nervous, didn't know what to expect. 363 00:49:32,820 --> 00:49:35,320 Once I got in the water and dived down, 364 00:49:35,320 --> 00:49:38,020 it was surprisingly quiet and mellow. 365 00:49:39,620 --> 00:49:42,120 Certainly didn't expect what happened next. 366 00:49:42,120 --> 00:49:44,720 The calf just came straight up towards me. 367 00:50:12,720 --> 00:50:17,120 She seemed really relaxed, and definitely interested in me. 368 00:50:23,720 --> 00:50:27,320 It's literally just swimming around within metres of them, 369 00:50:27,320 --> 00:50:30,720 flicking its tail, just being inquisitive I think, 370 00:50:30,720 --> 00:50:31,920 and having a bit of fun. 371 00:50:37,120 --> 00:50:38,620 It's obviously quite young, 372 00:50:38,620 --> 00:50:41,120 so it's staying on the surface quite a long time. 373 00:50:41,120 --> 00:50:43,020 It's not diving down for very long, 374 00:50:43,020 --> 00:50:45,420 maybe a couple of minutes. The mother will be 375 00:50:45,420 --> 00:50:48,320 about five or ten metres below just keeping an eye on it. 376 00:50:58,320 --> 00:51:01,720 But even a calf has great power in its fins and tail. 377 00:51:01,720 --> 00:51:05,220 Roger will need to be careful. 378 00:51:15,720 --> 00:51:17,320 Got it? 379 00:51:20,020 --> 00:51:24,720 That was the most silly thing I've ever seen in my life. 380 00:51:24,720 --> 00:51:28,420 It was just gambolling around like a little newborn lamb. 381 00:51:28,420 --> 00:51:29,520 But it's two tonnes. 382 00:51:29,520 --> 00:51:31,820 THEY LAUGH 383 00:51:31,820 --> 00:51:35,520 Couple of bumps as it's come round, splashed his fluke at me or whatever. 384 00:51:35,520 --> 00:51:38,020 I got a great shot of it, Jason. 385 00:51:38,020 --> 00:51:40,220 Jason was backpedalling like this! 386 00:51:43,320 --> 00:51:45,320 It's just a baby. Like a little puppy, 387 00:51:45,320 --> 00:51:48,520 you're playing with a little puppy, but it's four metres long. 388 00:51:48,520 --> 00:51:52,420 - It's just ludicrous. - Was his mum all right? 389 00:51:52,420 --> 00:51:54,820 She is just totally chilling out underneath. 390 00:51:54,820 --> 00:51:59,120 Pecs back. Just hanging like this at about 15 metres. 391 00:51:59,120 --> 00:52:00,520 Yeah, just hanging there. 392 00:52:00,520 --> 00:52:02,820 Probably didn't even see it, I don't think. 393 00:52:06,020 --> 00:52:08,520 It's one thing to be close to a playful baby. 394 00:52:08,520 --> 00:52:10,820 It will be another to be in the path 395 00:52:10,820 --> 00:52:13,920 of a testosterone-charged group of males, 396 00:52:13,920 --> 00:52:17,120 each ten times her size. 397 00:52:17,120 --> 00:52:19,620 MUTTERED CONVERSATION 398 00:52:22,520 --> 00:52:27,420 There are enough males here for a heat run, but are they in the mood? 399 00:52:28,420 --> 00:52:29,820 Oh! 400 00:52:29,820 --> 00:52:31,620 - Woo-hoo! - Yes! 401 00:52:34,820 --> 00:52:35,920 That was pretty good. 402 00:52:39,620 --> 00:52:40,920 When you guys are ready. 403 00:52:42,620 --> 00:52:43,620 Quick as you can. 404 00:52:52,420 --> 00:52:56,120 These whales can weigh up to 40 tonnes and move surprisingly quickly. 405 00:52:56,120 --> 00:52:58,520 As well as getting the camera to get the shots - 406 00:52:58,520 --> 00:53:00,120 they have to be fairly close - 407 00:53:00,120 --> 00:53:02,420 we have to be careful they don't get bumped. 408 00:53:02,420 --> 00:53:04,720 If they get a knock from one of these guys, 409 00:53:04,720 --> 00:53:06,820 it could do some serious damage. 410 00:53:13,320 --> 00:53:14,620 He's right towards you. 411 00:53:14,620 --> 00:53:17,720 To avoid disturbing the whales' behaviour, 412 00:53:17,720 --> 00:53:23,220 the team need to free-dive, without scuba tanks, 413 00:53:23,220 --> 00:53:25,420 holding their breath as long as they can. 414 00:53:25,420 --> 00:53:29,820 On a good dive, I can hold my breath for maybe two minutes. 415 00:53:29,820 --> 00:53:32,220 These guys, they can go for 20 minutes or more 416 00:53:32,220 --> 00:53:34,220 before they have to come up for air. 417 00:53:34,220 --> 00:53:35,920 There's no contest. 418 00:53:35,920 --> 00:53:38,520 More and more whales are gathering, 419 00:53:38,520 --> 00:53:41,720 but it's not turning into a heat run yet. 420 00:53:49,420 --> 00:53:51,520 Hard to say what's going on. 421 00:53:53,120 --> 00:53:55,620 Were there five that time? 422 00:53:57,720 --> 00:54:01,120 They're kind of moving around, coming up and under and over. 423 00:54:01,110 --> 00:54:03,510 Hopefully, something's starting to happen. 424 00:54:03,510 --> 00:54:04,910 Maybe love's in the air? 425 00:54:04,910 --> 00:54:06,610 HE CHUCKLES 426 00:54:10,510 --> 00:54:14,610 Love may be in the air, but it isn't in the water. 427 00:54:14,610 --> 00:54:18,310 Despite keeping tabs on the whales over the next ten days, 428 00:54:18,310 --> 00:54:21,010 there was still no sign of a heat run starting. 429 00:54:21,010 --> 00:54:24,410 You'd think it'd be quite easy to keep track of a 40-tonne animal. 430 00:54:24,410 --> 00:54:27,510 And we've got six of them out here, 431 00:54:27,510 --> 00:54:30,310 and we keep losing them. One minute they're there, 432 00:54:30,310 --> 00:54:31,910 we get up reasonably close, 433 00:54:31,910 --> 00:54:35,410 and within 30 seconds, they've dived and they're gone again. 434 00:54:35,410 --> 00:54:38,810 And then it takes another maybe five minutes, ten minutes, 435 00:54:38,810 --> 00:54:42,110 and then they'll come up again and they'll be 300 yards away, 436 00:54:42,110 --> 00:54:44,510 and it takes ages just to get close to them. 437 00:54:44,510 --> 00:54:48,910 So we're just playing a continuous game of cat and mouse. 438 00:54:50,510 --> 00:54:53,310 Cat and mouse? It's whales. 439 00:54:54,910 --> 00:54:57,210 The mating season is coming to an end, 440 00:54:57,210 --> 00:55:00,110 and the crew haven't completed their mission. 441 00:55:00,110 --> 00:55:04,910 But then, at last, the whales' behaviour seems to have changed. 442 00:55:06,410 --> 00:55:07,410 Well, this is it! 443 00:55:07,410 --> 00:55:10,910 We just spotted about six or seven humpbacks on the horizon. 444 00:55:10,910 --> 00:55:12,310 We think it's a heat run. 445 00:55:12,310 --> 00:55:15,510 The last 16, 17 days on the water 446 00:55:15,510 --> 00:55:18,310 are probably gonna come down to the next two hours, 447 00:55:18,310 --> 00:55:20,310 as to whether we get our shots or not. 448 00:55:20,310 --> 00:55:22,410 The chase is on! 449 00:55:49,410 --> 00:55:52,110 There was at least three or four males going past - 450 00:55:52,110 --> 00:55:54,810 they were competing and knocking into each other 451 00:55:54,810 --> 00:55:57,810 as they tried to get the poll position behind the female. 452 00:55:57,810 --> 00:56:00,510 It's right at you, it's right at you. 453 00:56:00,510 --> 00:56:05,010 The whales are moving so fast that, to stand any chance of filming them, 454 00:56:05,010 --> 00:56:08,910 the crew needs to be dropped right in front of the charging group. 455 00:56:24,010 --> 00:56:26,310 Just as Roger gets alongside the males, 456 00:56:26,310 --> 00:56:29,510 the tempo of the chase suddenly shifts to full bore 457 00:56:29,510 --> 00:56:30,910 with a flick of a tail. 458 00:56:46,110 --> 00:56:50,410 Facing the charging males deep underwater, Roger keeps shooting, 459 00:56:50,410 --> 00:56:53,010 holding his breath until the group pass over. 460 00:57:01,710 --> 00:57:05,510 A quick gasp of air, and Roger's back down again. 461 00:57:15,410 --> 00:57:18,310 The whales continue to rush by. 462 00:57:18,310 --> 00:57:21,910 In the end, Roger just can't keep up any longer. 463 00:57:28,610 --> 00:57:34,210 Exhausted, it's time to return to the boat for the last time. 464 00:57:34,210 --> 00:57:37,910 Amazing! That was the most amazing experience I've ever had. 465 00:57:37,910 --> 00:57:39,510 There was about... 466 00:57:39,510 --> 00:57:44,810 seven or eight. Both dived down about 20 metres in front. 467 00:57:44,810 --> 00:57:48,110 And then the female came through first, quite close. 468 00:57:48,110 --> 00:57:51,110 And then they all just started diving towards me, 469 00:57:51,110 --> 00:57:53,510 it was like standing in a stream of traffic. 470 00:57:53,510 --> 00:57:56,710 It was just one one side, one the next side, one the next side. 471 00:57:56,710 --> 00:57:58,610 And then, after about 40 seconds, 472 00:57:58,610 --> 00:58:02,110 40, 45 seconds, I was getting a little bit out of breath. 473 00:58:02,110 --> 00:58:07,610 And then I looked up, and there's one sitting right on top of me. 474 00:58:07,610 --> 00:58:10,310 - Did you get it? - I think so. Hope so. 475 00:58:10,310 --> 00:58:12,910 If not, then we're both fired! 476 00:58:14,810 --> 00:58:19,510 It's taken 18 days and hundreds of dives, 477 00:58:19,510 --> 00:58:22,410 but at last the team have been able to reveal a secret 478 00:58:22,410 --> 00:58:26,710 of these whales' lives that few people have ever seen.