[jaunty music plays]
[Helena Bonham Carter] Meet one-week-old Chico.
He's the newest member of his 30-strong capuchin family.
Everyone wants to meet him.
[jaunty music continues]
Chico is lapping up the attention.
But soon, he'll have a problem.
This pampering won't last forever.
Despite their closeness, his family practices tough love,
and competition can be fierce.
[capuchins squeal]
Soon, Chico will be expected to find his own place
in this chaotic community.
When you're born into a big family,
sometimes you have to fight to fit in.
[jaunty music fades]
[tranquil music plays]
Now three months old, Chico's star appeal has waned,
and he's no longer the baby of the family.
Up to now, he's been glued to his mom 24 hours a day,
but it's time for him to start making friends.
And for good reason.
[capuchins squeal]
Friendships provide backup during regular family feuds.
And there's the added benefit of nice daily spa treatments.
There's no shortage of playmates in a big family.
But for Chico, the school playground is intimidating.
[capuchins squeal]
[jaunty music plays]
[capuchins squeal]
He's got first-day nerves.
[jaunty music continues]
Maybe a friendly face to start with.
How about his auntie?
[jaunty music continues]
[baby capuchin squeals]
[jaunty music continues]
Nope, not interested.
[capuchins squeal]
And his teenage cousins don't want a baby cramping their style either.
[jaunty music continues]
[jaunty music fades]
All this rejection hurts.
No one wants anything to do with him.
But Chico's not the only outsider struggling to find a playmate.
[jaunty music plays]
A fellow loner from the troop.
[jaunty music continues]
[capuchins squeal]
The same age,
the same size.
They're the perfect match.
[capuchins squeal]
[jaunty music continues]
At last, Chico has found his very first friend.
[capuchins squeal]
[jaunty music continues]
It's a good start,
and the making of his very own social network.
[jaunty music fades]
In some big families, friendships come more easily.
Supported by one of the most caring families of all,
three-month-old Jasiri has his pick of younger playmates.
[elephant trumpets]
[tranquil music plays]
[elephants trumpet]
He's also surrounded by older role models
to teach him all the survival skills he'll ever need.
[tranquil music continues]
And his first lesson of the day is also the most fun.
Wrestling.
Like all males,
his older cousins play fight to test each other's strength.
Jasiri's ready,
and who better to practice on than mom?
[jaunty music plays]
Top marks for enthusiasm,
but his execution needs work.
[jaunty music fades]
[jaunty music resumes]
Now here comes a better match.
[jaunty music continues]
Jasiri may be smaller, but he's brimming with courage.
[elephant trumpets]
Victory!
[jaunty music fades]
[elephant trumpets]
But life isn't all fun and games.
[tense music plays]
With no rain for weeks,
good food to graze is getting harder to find,
so the herd has to keep moving.
[tense music continues]
Jasiri's survival rests entirely in his family's hands,
and his next lesson is the most important one
he'll ever learn.
[tense music fades]
Little lion cub Kaya is also learning about big family life.
[growling]
The kill she was enjoying with her mom and brothers
has been stolen by their own family,
the MalaMala pride.
[lion roars]
Nothing, not even family, comes between a lion and its food.
[tense music plays]
Reunited with her cubs, Kaya's mother can only watch from afar.
[tense music continues]
To make matters worse,
her sister has rejoined the pride without them.
[tense music continues]
Now a single mom again, she's back to square one.
And it's not wise for them to stay near the kill.
[melancholy music plays]
Without help,
Kaya's mom can't sustain them for much longer.
She must be patient
and find a calmer moment to introduce her cubs to their pride.
[melancholy music continues]
Once again, Kaya and her brothers are made to wait a little longer.
[melancholy music continues]
[melancholy music fades]
[elephant trumpets]
Jasiri's family are more gracious around mealtimes,
even when nutritious food is hard to find.
On long journeys,
he relies on his mom's milk to keep his energy up.
But today, it's time for Jasiri to try something new.
Picking his own food.
And that means learning the tool of his trade.
His trunk.
-[baby elephant trumpets] -[jaunty music plays]
The best nose in the animal kingdom.
It can grow up to seven feet in length.
Bend, twist, and grip like a hand.
Strong enough to push over a tree,
and has delicate, finger-like tips that can strip leaves from a branch.
[jaunty music continues]
[elephant trumpets]
[jaunty music stops]
But for Jasiri,
coordinating his wriggly trunk is more difficult than it looks.
[jaunty music plays]
Plucking a single leaf requires painstaking accuracy.
[jaunty music continues]
Maybe grass is easier?
[jaunty music continues]
His mom shows how it's done.
But he's all snout and no skill.
[jaunty music continues]
After a morning of trying,
his reward is just a single blade of grass.
[jaunty music stops]
A modest start,
but it's a tiring effort for such a little elephant.
Under the scorching sun,
Jasiri is becoming dangerously overheated.
[tense music plays]
The only way his family can help is to shade him with their bodies.
With no sign of rain, life for Jasiri is getting harder.
[elephant trumpets]
The next decision his family makes will be crucial to his survival.
[tense music continues]
[tense music fades]
For other babies born into large families,
getting what you need means sometimes having to step out on your own.
[capuchin squeals]
Back in Costa Rica,
Chico has been busy expanding his social network.
But there's one important area he needs to work on alone.
It's breakfast time.
And in this tough-love family, no one's going to share,
or show him where to get food.
Chico must figure this out by watching the others.
Perhaps this hollow tree contains something delicious.
[jaunty music plays]
No, just rainwater.
Chico's hungry,
but has no clue what's good on the menu.
[jaunty music continues]
Some things aren't ripe for picking just yet.
Some aren't edible at all.
[upbeat suspenseful music plays]
While others are downright awful.
[upbeat suspenseful music continues]
When he does find something tasty…
it doesn't go unnoticed.
[tense music plays]
The big kids take it away.
[tense music crescendos]
Hungry Chico tries one last tactic.
Begging from an adult.
With no better option,
he goes for the scraps.
But the ground is no place to linger.
[tense music plays]
A boa constrictor.
Chico is oblivious to the approaching danger.
If he's caught, he won't stand a chance against this deadly predator.
[tense music continues]
But he's not alone.
[tense music continues]
[capuchin shrieks]
His new friends raise the alarm,
and the whole family swarms around the snake.
[capuchins shriek]
Chico watches from a safe distance.
[capuchins squeal]
With his family now distracted,
he sees an unexpected opportunity.
[jaunty music plays]
With a little effort…
he hits the jackpot.
[jaunty music continues]
With no one to steal it from him,
he enjoys his first juicy cricket all to himself.
[tranquil music plays]
Chico may be young,
but he's proven that he has the brains to beat the competition.
And he can now rely on the support of his new friends for many years to come.
[tranquil music continues]
Finally, he's getting the hang of big family life.
[tranquil music fades]
Along the banks of the Sand River…
Kaya's mother may have found an opportunity
for the cubs to meet their pride.
Well-fed and sleepy after their meal,
the family are relaxing.
This is the moment.
But unsure of the reception, she leaves the cubs hidden.
[cub whimpers]
[lion growls softly]
[uplifting music plays]
[uplifting music swells]
The pride's joy to see her is clear.
[uplifting music continues]
[uplifting music fades]
But will the cubs have the same welcome?
[tense music plays]
If their dad accepts them, the rest of the pride will follow.
It's up to their mom to win him over.
[tense music continues]
[lions growl]
For Kaya, the biggest moment in her life has arrived.
[cub squeals]
[tense music plays]
Her bolder brothers approach first.
[tense music continues]
Wisely, Kaya waits to ensure the reception is warm.
[tranquil music plays]
Reassured,
she steps forward to meet her father.
[tranquil music continues]
[lion purrs]
At last,
Kaya's acceptance from her dad
secures her place in the MalaMala pride.
[tranquil music continues]
The cubs can finally meet the rest of their family.
[jaunty music plays]
Now Kaya's inner lioness is starting to surface…
and a promising hunter is emerging.
[jaunty music continues]
No longer an insecure little cub,
she finally includes herself in her brothers' games.
[jaunty music fades]
[cub squeals]
[tranquil music plays]
The relationships Kaya builds with her family now
will last her lifetime.
[tranquil music continues]
At last, Kaya is right where she belongs.
On the parched plains in Kenya,
Jasiri's family are doing all they can
to keep the little calf sheltered from the scorching sun.
[melancholy music plays]
Jasiri is in desperate need of a lifeline.
[melancholy music continues]
The herd detects something familiar in the air…
and encourages exhausted Jasiri to muster all his strength to get up.
[thunder crashes]
Not a moment too soon.
Jasiri's first ever rainstorm.
[joyful music plays]
[elephants trumpet]
[joyful music continues]
[elephants trumpet]
[joyful music continues]
[joyful music fades]
Rain always delivers something special.
Fresh grass.
[thrilling music plays]
[elephant trumpets]
The adults know the most fertile pastures are on the other side of the river.
The last time Jasiri crossed here, he was swept downstream.
[tense music plays]
He's nervous.
Stepping into the water is a daunting prospect.
[elephant trumpets]
But his whole family is there to encourage him,
every step of the way.
[uplifting music plays]
[elephant trumpets]
By trusting his family,
Jasiri's world has transformed from one of fear to triumph!
[uplifting music continues]
And he's even starting to get the hang of his trunk.
[uplifting music continues]
Over the next decade of his life,
his family will share with him all their knowledge and wisdom.
[uplifting music continues]
But for now, Jasiri can enjoy being the baby of the herd.
[elephant trumpets]
[uplifting music fades]
Not all babies have such an easy time building bonds with their families.
[tense music plays]
In the Okavango Delta,
wild dog Duma must learn to trust her siblings…
[tense music continues]
…when she accidentally leads them all into danger.
-[tense music fades] -[whimpering]
[tranquil music plays]