Born to Be Wild

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The birth of a baby animal is always special.

- -

But for those on the brink of extinction,

every new life…

- - …brings hope.

Six endangered youngsters

raised in our world…

…are on the journey of a lifetime…

Follow me.

…back to theirs.

Are you inquisitive? Yeah.

But they can't do it on their own.

He lost his mother.

- -

With human foster parents helping them on their way…

You don't need to be scared, I'm here with you.

…can these little ones help save their species…

If you love something, you have to let it go.

…and return to the wild?

On the island of Madagascar,

is the world's only rescue center…

- -

- …for ring-tailed lemurs. -

Come on, guys.

Feeding time.

Famous for their cute looks…

and stripy tails…

…these sociable little animals…

live in bustling groups.

But in recent decades, their numbers have crashed,

as forests have been cut down and lemurs are illegally sold as pets.

There are now just a few thousand left in the wild.

Today, at the center, there's new hope.

Just a few hours old, this tiny baby…

is the size of a human finger.

For head Keeper, Onja,

this little one is a big deal.

Every birth here is like a holiday.

Like a… a happy day.

Onja's dream is to one day release this youngster,

with the rest of the group, into the wild.

- -

Come on the box.

Come on. Your food is there.

Ring-tailed lemurs rely on each other to spot threats and keep safe.

- Come eat. -

The trouble is, this isn't your average troop.

Normally, they live in extended families.

Brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles.

These guys are unrelated.

Most rescued from the pet trade.

And brought together…

to form an unruly bunch of misfits.

All of the lemurs have a different character.

He's Dillon. He's very big.

He's like, uh, the big boss.

His name is Pinky.

And this one is, uh… Fred.

Fred is my favorite lemur here.

He's very cute, and he's very funny.

So I love him.

This is Sammy.

He's aggressive and, he's sometimes… stressed.

Yeah, we have to be careful.

- -

- Okay, I'm done with feeding. -

To make it in the wild, this ragtag gang…

…and their youngest member need to form a tight bond…

…and learn to watch each other's backs.

- -

Like a true family.

Because the forest is full of dangers.

For Onja and the other keepers…

…the first thing they want to know when a new baby is born,

is if it's a boy… or a girl.

Don't move.

It's harder than you might think.

Taking a photo is easy.

But finding the right angle, that's difficult.

Male and female lemurs look almost identical.

Go back on the platform.

So, there's only one way to tell them apart.

I can't see it.

Okay, one…

- - Don't move.

Yes.

The baby is a girl.

We are gonna call her Asara.

It's a Malagasy name.

It means "summer."

It's exciting news.

The first baby girl born this year.

Lemurs families are run by females,

so Asara could one day become the leader.

But first, she needs to learn some life lessons.

Like what to eat and how to climb.

So she can keep up with the troop…

in the wild.

- -

Two weeks later, Asara's growing fast.

- She's almost doubled in weight. -

And she's attracting attention from the rest of the troop…

…because, just like humans,

lemurs love a new baby to coo over.

Showering the little one with affection…

should help these rescued lemurs bond together.

- -

It's very important and very awesome

to see this development.

For Asara, all this pampering is getting a bit much.

Time to take her first steps away from Mum.

On a tight leash, at first.

But soon, she's given more of a free rein.

When she's had enough…

…it's back to her new extended family…

- - …for a group hug.

Feeding all the rescued lemurs takes a lot of work.

The center has its own two-acre farm.

Like any parent, Onja's keen for the lemurs to get a healthy diet.

There is carrots, there is, uh, the cucumber, and there is lettuce.

But they also have a sweet tooth.

And for that…

Hello, Jary, how's it going?

…he must head into the local town, Mangily.

Lemurs can eat 40 different types of fruit,

but mangos are one of their favorites.

Hello, Mamaliny.

Hello, Onja.

We are looking for mangoes and food for the lemurs.

They can get through 70 pounds of them a week.

The lemurs are thanking you.

I thank the lemurs for buying lots of fruit.

- - Makes me really happy.

Ooh.

This is so heavy!

You are very strong.

Let's go.

Goodbye, Onja.

Weekly shop complete, it's feeding time.

This mango is good for the lemurs.

It is very healthy for them.

They are very hungry.

There's a pecking order in lemur life.

And squabbles over food…

…help each one find their place.

Luckily for Asara, her mum is the leader of this gang.

And being the boss's daughter means she gets all the fruit she can eat.

She won't get her first teeth until she's four weeks old.

But that doesn't stop her giving it a try.

Now more confident on her feet…

time for something a bit more challenging.

It's a shaky start,

but lemurs spend half their lives in the trees.

So climbing is the next skill she needs to crack.

Let's go, we are done.

Looking after all the rescued lemurs is a full-time job.