Natural World

For animals, growing up is a real adventure.

Learning how to get by in life can be fun,

but it can also prove testing.

Danger is never far away...

and bad decisions

could land you in a whole heap of trouble.

ALLIGATOR HISSES

However, with a little help from Mum and Dad,

childhood can be an exciting time.

As every day brings a new lesson for animals

growing up wild.

For some animals, growing up is a lonely business.

They're abandoned as soon as they're born,

relying entirely on their instincts to survive.

From the very beginning of life, they're left to grow up alone

and have to fend for themselves.

But many animals do benefit from a little help from their parents.

And in the early days of life,

they're often completely reliant on them.

In this Indian forest, a new life is exploring the world

for the first time -

a precious tiger cub.

It's just ten days old.

Most cubs will stay in their dens for the first six weeks,

but this one is clearly adventurous.

Although the cub's eyes are open,

it'll be a few weeks before it can see properly.

It's completely helpless.

CUB SCREECHES

There are four new cubs in all, and they're quite lively.

In these early days,

they're dependent on their mother for everything,

but right now, they're not making her life easy.

CUB SCREECHES

It's enough to test any parent's patience.

Tiger cubs stay with their mother until they're about two years old.

But typically, only half will make it to maturity.

There's no doubt these youngsters face a bumpy journey to adulthood.

The first steps of growing up

are often some of the most precarious in any animal's life.

For some, they are literally a leap of faith.

It's spring in the forests of Eastern Europe,

and, safe within the hollow of a tree,

a female mandarin duck is about to teach her one-day-old ducklings

how to leave their nest.

She leads the way.

DUCKLINGS CHIRP

The ducklings are imprinted on their mother,

which means they're pre-programmed to follow her.

However, it's a long drop, and a few calls of encouragement are needed.

DUCKLING CHIRPS

Two have landed safely,

but there are more left to jump.

At least it's a soft landing.

Off we go!

Deep breath.

Geronimo!

The final pair take to the air.

Made it.

But their escapade isn't over.

They must now reach water.

The nearest pool is almost a mile away -

quite a trek for the youngsters.

By following their mother's lead,

these ducklings have passed their first test.

Now on water, they will spend their time learning what's good to eat

and exploring their new watery world.

Wherever your home is,

taking your first big steps in life can be quite an undertaking.

But for some, the challenge is far greater than others.

Nevertheless, it's something they must get right.

Here in Israel, those first steps don't get much more difficult.

Up here, your footing needs to be firm

and a head for heights is essential.

Meet the ibex.

They have made these treacherous cliffs their own.

But for these newborn youngsters,

this rocky wilderness makes for a nerve-racking nursery.

They spend the first few days of their life at the highest level,

relatively safe from predators who can't scale such heady heights.

However, at only a few days old,

they have to leave their playtime plateaus.

For the first time, they must attempt to climb down

these terrifying precipices to find food.

It's a daunting prospect -

certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Their mother leads the way.

The kids are understandably tentative.

They must slowly pick their way down the sheer rock faces.

Their mother shows them the best route.

She has done it hundreds of times before,

but for the kids, this is new territory.

Gradually, they start to get the hang of it,

but they need to focus,

as one slip could be their last.

Finally, they've made it.

There's a whole new world at the lower levels

with plenty of food and water.

Here, the parents show off their balancing skills

as they all browse together.

But one kid has been left behind,

and she's in trouble.

A fox.

And it's spotted the straggler.

The young ibex runs as fast as it can back up the cliff

but the fox is right on its heels.

It'll be hoping for a quick kill.

As the kid heads back up the cliff,

the fox tries to gain the higher ground.

But the kid has scrambled onto a rock face.

It's so steep that only it could possibly stand there

without toppling off.

The fox has no choice but to give up.

It doesn't stand a chance on this precipice.

The lessons learned on this morning's descent

have saved the kid's life,

and despite still being so young,

it has outwitted one of the canniest of predators.

Conquering your terrain is a crucial part of growing up,

but for some animals, it can also be a race against time.

Here in the African Congo, a colony of skimmers,

so called for their special feeding technique,

have made these sandbanks their home.

But it won't be forever, as before long, the waters here will rise,

and they will have to move on.

These young skimmers were born here and are only a few weeks old.

SKIMMER CHIRPS

Before the waters rise, they need to learn to fly

and how to catch fish and they need to learn both skills quickly.

They watch as the adults gracefully skim the water.

An adult skimmer has a beak

with the lower part longer than the upper.

With this, they can slice through the water at ten metres a second.

If their beak hits something, it will snap shut.

It's a clever technique for catching fish.

The problem for youngsters is that they have to wait

for the lower part of their beak to completely grow.

In the meantime, while the water is shallow

and they have the sand to run on,

they do their best to learn the skimming technique.

It's not as easy as it looks,

but they need to perfect the skill as it's vital to their survival.

The clock is ticking.

Soon, all the sand they are using as a practice ground will be gone.

THUNDER CRACKS

The annual storms in the African Congo have arrived.

Very soon, these nursery sand flats

will be under several metres of water.

The skimmers have to move out.

With their home disappearing,

the time has come for the young skimmers to take to the air

with the rest of the colony.

Practice time is over.

How well they've mastered the art of skimming

will affect the future success of their adult life.

The amount of time animals are with their parents varies greatly,

and for some, childhood can be leisurely.

They spend much of their time playing.

It might only seem like a bit of fun

but it's essential to a young animal's development.

It helps with their strength, coordination and social skills.

Playing is a crucial part of learning.

And the games can be a rehearsal for adult life.

Six months later in India,

and the tiger cubs are putting their play into practice

and trying to hunt.

They must closely follow their mother

as she slowly creeps through the forest.

It's all about stealth.

Patience and timing are crucial.

The moment to pounce has to be exactly right.

TIGER CUB GROWLS

But one of the cubs just can't keep his excitement to himself.

Mum isn't too impressed.

She'll have to start all over again.

The tiger cubs still have a lot to learn.

Always paying attention to your parents

and following their lead can sometimes be trying.

Summer in the Arctic,

and the frozen surface of the ocean is beginning to disintegrate.

These two polar bear cubs are six months old.

It's the first time they've seen the ice break up,

and they're about to get a swimming lesson.

They're not too sure about making the plunge.

For their mother, swimming is second nature,

but the cubs still prefer to have ice beneath their feet

whenever they can.

Soon, it will be impossible to avoid the water,

so swimming isn't extra-curricular, it's crucial.

The cubs will stay with their mother for another two years -

not until then will they be ready to leave her side.

For some animals, learning from your parents can take years.

Apart from humans,

it is the orang-utan which has the longest of all primate childhoods.

This female orang is 42 years old.

Her daughter is six,

and will stay with her for at least another two years.

But then, there is much you must understand

in the treetop world of Sumatra.

She has to learn to collect ants and termites.