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00:00Transcription by ESO. Translation by —
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00:13Experience a world beyond imagination.
00:19Where fish can fly.
00:25Lizards walk on water.
00:27Apes master tools.
00:34And frogs disappear in plain sight.
00:40Animals do the smartest things.
00:47Through every stage of their lives.
00:50From leaving home.
00:55To raising a family.
00:58From finding food.
01:03To making friends.
01:09They find ingenious ways to survive.
01:14Against all odds.
01:17Welcome to the secret lives of animals.
01:24Nothing is as precious as a cuddle with your sleeping child.
01:41Is as precious as a cuddle with your sleeping child.
01:52But as every parent knows.
01:54Moments like these are few and far between.
01:58Because life doesn't get tougher than when you're raising a baby.
02:03Unless, of course, you're raising two.
02:07You're raising two.
02:11And like this family.
02:14You live in Fongoli.
02:16In southeastern Senegal.
02:19A baking hot.
02:21Barren world.
02:22Barren world.
02:27Right now, this chimpanzee mother's priority.
02:31Is feeding her children.
02:33But out here, at the end of the dry season.
02:40The larder looks empty.
02:45To keep her family alive, she'll have to dig deep.
02:55A huge mud-baked fortress.
03:01Could this hold the answer?
03:09Termites.
03:10Millions of them.
03:16Full of fat and protein.
03:22Food that could provide the vital calories her family needs.
03:29The issue is getting to them.
03:35But if anyone can, she can.
03:41Chimps share 98% of their DNA with us.
03:47And like humans, their minds are built for problem solving.
03:54With walls baked hard as concrete, she can't smash the termite mound open.
04:01So, she looks for something...
04:06To help her unlock the riches.
04:10And does something fewer than 1% of animals have the intelligence to do?
04:17She crafts a tool.
04:20A handmade termite fishing rod.
04:24As any angler knows, fishing is a question of patience...
04:38And skill.
04:39Not quite.
04:40Gotcha.
04:41Not quite.
04:42Gotcha.
04:44Gotcha.
04:45Gotcha.
04:46Gotcha.
04:47Fishing is a question of patience and skill.
05:00Not quite.
05:06Gotcha.
05:17Time and again, she shows her children how it's done.
05:25Just like her mum showed her.
05:30It's a skill they'll be able to pass to their own families...
05:36...when the time comes.
05:38Few things can prepare you for the ever-changing challenges of being a parent.
05:49And just like us...
05:54...animals do everything they can to get it right.
06:08For all animals, family comes first.
06:20In the Californian kelp forest, one dedicated dad will stop at nothing...
06:26...to give his children the best start in life.
06:32This striking fellow is a Garibaldi fish.
06:36He's hoping to become a father to nearly a million babies.
06:44But to stand any chance, he must first find a safe place to protect his eggs.
06:53Almost impossible.
06:55Here.
06:57In the turbulent...
07:01...surge zone.
07:06Where everything...
07:09...everywhere...
07:10...is on the move.
07:15Without protection, any eggs will be washed away.
07:21And with them, his chances of fatherhood.
07:24Anchored to the calmer side of the rocks, this patch of red algae...
07:37...looks promising.
07:39Sheltered from the current...
07:41...its feathery strands are strong.
07:44The perfect place to attach eggs.
07:46But for the number of babies he hopes to have...
07:49...he'll need more space.
07:53His patch will never get bigger...
07:55...unless he can keep the hungry pests at bay.
07:56And they love red algae.
07:58And they love red algae.
08:02And keep coming.
08:03And coming.
08:04It's a colossal time.
08:06And coming.
08:11It's a colossal time.
08:13And coming.
08:14I love red algae.
08:19And keep coming.
08:26And coming.
08:32It's a colossal task.
08:36In these tumultuous seas.
08:39But this dad-to-be works tirelessly to prepare the area for his future offspring.
08:59After a very busy month, his patch of red algae has tripled in size.
09:10And for Garibaldi females, bigger is always better.
09:22Over the next few days, he mates with as many as he can.
09:28Each female adding an astonishing 15,000 eggs to his nest.
09:34Until he's tending to an eye-wateringly large family.
09:49This Garibaldi dad has cleverly created a safe zone in the surge zone.
09:56It's extremely rare to see male-only parental care in the animal kingdom.
10:03But in fish, it's a speciality.
10:07More than 50% of fish dads take on sole responsibility for childcare.
10:13Three weeks later, his diligence pays off.
10:32For this super dad, it's a numbers game.
10:34Because in a fish-eat-fish world, unfortunately, only a handful will make it to adulthood.
10:47No matter how many babies, the goal of every parent is to keep their family safe.
10:56But how can you protect your children if you don't even get to meet them?
11:03That's the sad truth facing one extraordinary insect.
11:08This green lacewing has just one shot at motherhood.
11:21She's only got a month to live.
11:24And hundreds of eggs to lay.
11:27But hungry predators are everywhere.
11:37With eggs top of the menu.
11:45So how can this lighter-than-a-raindrop mum-to-be keep her eggs safe when she won't be around to protect them?
11:54She looks for a special spot.
12:05Selects the perfect leaf.
12:12And does something magical.
12:15From the tip of a delicate leaf hair, she spins a silken thread.
12:35Laced with protein, it hardens in the blink of an eye.
12:40A unique hair extension.
12:46The perfect support for a precious egg.
12:55And she creates this enchanting structure for every single one.
13:04One.
13:09And just as well.
13:14By suspending the eggs in mid-air.
13:20And disguising them as part of the plant.
13:23She has hidden them in plain sight.
13:26So the ants don't even realize there are eggs there at all.
13:41With her family safe from harm.
13:46This maternal magician has performed her last act.
13:51She might not live long enough to meet her children.
14:01But she's done everything in her power.
14:06To give them the best possible start in life.
14:08And five days later, they begin to reveal themselves.
14:21Unlike the lacewing, most parents don't have a magic trick up their sleeve.
14:42For them, raising a family takes unwavering devotion.
14:58This young eider duck is sitting on eggs.
15:02High on a ridge.
15:09High on a ridge.
15:11On an Icelandic island at the edge of the Arctic Circle.
15:18Out here, she's exposed and vulnerable.
15:25Gulls on the hunt for ducklings.
15:29And if they don't get them, the elements will.
15:47To keep her unborn family alive, this devoted mother will put her body on the line.
15:52She barely leaves her nest.
16:00Not even to eat.
16:04It's an intense, energy-sapping vigil.
16:08That drains her of almost half her body weight.
16:11After a month, starved and exhausted, her devotion has paid off.
16:30But she's not done yet.
16:41Up here, her ducklings will quickly starve.
16:48Just hours after becoming a new mum,
16:50she must get her hatchlings to the sea so they can all eat.
16:57But that's a long way down.
17:01Through gull territory.
17:09The odds are stacked against them.
17:12They must stay under the radar.
17:26Whispered contact calls.
17:29Keep the family close.
17:31Newborns can't fly.
17:49But are light enough to bounce.
17:51The final stretch across open ground is the most dangerous.
18:07And keeping them hidden from the aerial surveillance
18:11is near impossible on her own.
18:14So mum does something unthinkable.
18:18Calling.
18:24She exposes the family's location.
18:34To everyone.
18:37But like an SOS.
18:42It alerts dads.
18:43And other mothers in need.
19:03United, they create a defensive circle that encloses the chicks.
19:14A security escort that discourages the gulls from aerial attack.
19:23So their precious offspring can reach the sea in safety.
19:35The young mother's sacrifice is rewarded.
19:37She can eat for the first time in a month.
19:42And her ducklings get the nourishment they need.
19:48Watching your children take their first steps towards independence is a proud moment for every parent.
20:03But for some.
20:07It can be a long time coming.
20:12This female meerkat is mum to a huge family.
20:15Her teenagers still haven't left home.
20:29And her hungry newborns demand constant attention.
20:34And protection.
20:35Because here, in the Kalahari Desert, one wrong step could be your last.
20:59When danger comes calling, everyone looks to her.
21:16Right now, a rival meerkat group is on the warpath.
21:21They could target her babies.
21:27She faces the dilemma of working mums everywhere.
21:32How to be in two places at once.
21:39Leave the newborns alone, and they could starve.
21:42But if she doesn't see off the intruders, it's almost certain death for her pups.
22:01Left with no choice, she charges into battle.
22:05Leaving her helpless babies with a trusted family member.
22:15The last line of defense.
22:16The longer mums away, the hungrier the pups get.
22:39But the meerkat guard offers much more than protection.
22:52She does something extraordinary.
22:57She suckles the hungry youngsters.
22:59Fewer than 1% of mammals can act as a wet nurse like this.
23:10It's a clever solution for a working meerkat mum.
23:19But it's not the only way she spreads the load of childcare.
23:23Because when it comes to raising meerkats, every member of this family pulls their weight.
23:36Scorpions are a family favorite.
23:39But they have enough venom to kill something 100 times a meerkat's size.
23:44The growing pup must learn to disarm it before it's safe to eat.
24:10Inexperience soon shows.
24:12But this is a family that stands together.
24:26And an older sibling is always on hand to show them the ropes.
24:33He teaches the pup how to safely bite off the sting.
24:36Thanks to his brother's help, maybe he's learnt enough to do it on his own next time.
24:54They say it takes a village to raise a child.
24:57And when it comes to meerkats, it really does.
25:07Raising a family can be the most rewarding job in the world.
25:13But it's far from easy.
25:15It takes great patience, dedication, and a little bit of magic to give your children the best start in life.
25:33Wildlife cameraman and primate specialist Max Koble has spent thousands of hours filming chimpanzees.
25:47But in all that time, he's never seen them termite fishing.
25:54It's such a unique behavior.
25:57It is something that I heard about, but I had never seen it in the wild.
26:00Filming chimpanzees is like boot camp.
26:06You are constantly on the go with a 25 kilo pack on your back.
26:12Sun is high.
26:16Temperatures are high.
26:17These chimps can roam up to 10 miles a day, and it's a sweltering 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
26:28In these conditions, Max couldn't film the chimps without an expert guide.
26:34Jacques.
26:36Jacques has been working with those chimps for over 10 years now.
26:40And he knows those individuals like his own family.
26:44The chimps, his character, his mentality is closer to man.
26:50You can approach them.
26:52They are calm.
26:54You do study in their wild state.
27:00Without his help, Max will never get close enough to film termite fishing.
27:07They have a very vulnerable being with them.
27:09So they want to protect it.
27:10So you just have to make them feel as comfortable as you can.
27:14The mother chimpanzee has spotted something.
27:18Could this be the moment that Max has waited for?
27:21They have sticks in their mouth.
27:23Which hopefully means that they're going to go fishing.
27:27Let's see.
27:28After 15 years of working with chimpanzees, Max's dream is realized.
27:47The light is great.
27:49The kid sits in a great spot.
27:50You can't imagine it better.
27:52It's an extraordinary intimate moment between this wild mother and her children.
27:59Their society is filled with things that our society is filled with.
28:06They have hierarchies.
28:07They cooperate.
28:08They play.
28:10And they love each other.
28:12I think that no other species loves their kids in the same way as chimpanzees do.
28:17Next time, when danger lurks around every corner, you need to know when to stand your ground.
28:35And when to run and hide.
28:43If your life is on the line, it takes great intelligence to protect yourself and survive.
28:52To be continued.
28:53To be continued.
28:54To be continued.
28:55To be continued.
28:56To be continued.
29:26To be continued.
29:56To be continued.