Original subtitles

(birds chirping)

(bird squawking)

(frog croaking)

(animals cackling)

(gorilla grumbling)

— [David Attenborough] A female western lowland gorilla.

(gorilla grumbling)

(gentle music)

And her newborn.

(gentle music)

Just moments old.

(flies buzzing)

For his mother, the arrival of her young baby

is the start of anew chapter in her adult life.

(gentle music continues)

Parenthood.

(gentle music)

Her journey will be challenging,

full of excitement,

uncertainty,

and complete commitment.

(gentle music continues)

There will be mistakes.

There always are.

But success for her,

and indeed for all parents,

has perhaps the greatest of consequences.

(gentle music continues)

It ensures the future of life on our planet.

(light-hearted music)

(majestic music)

(birds chirping)

(light-hearted music)

Parenthood is a journey like no other.

The responsibility of providing constant food

and safety for offspring

can be extremely challenging.

For most, it all begins with a good home.

(light-hearted music)

A mother lion

in the grasslands of the Kalahari in Botswana.

Her 20-strong pride is ruled by her and her sisters,

who each has her own cubs.

One mighty family

who help each other through thick and thin.

(cub whining)

For months, their home is scorched by 45-degree heat.

(thunder rumbling)

(thunder cracking)

But once a year, their territory is brought to life

by distant rains.

(elephant grunting)

(elephant grumbling)

Up until now, these cubs

have had very little experience of water.

So their mother will have to guide them

to get them through the trauma.

(lion snarling)

(lion snarling)

(cub whining)

(lion grumbling) (water splashing)

(lion snarling)

(cub chirping)

(water splashing)

(light-hearted music)

Getting used to swamp living

is a vital part of their cubs' upbringing.

Because these precious waters

attract animals from miles around.

(buffaloes grumbling)

Cape buffalo.

The smell of fresh water lures them

from the surrounding savannah.

(rhythmic music)

And they come in extraordinary numbers.

(intrepid music) (buffaloes grumbling)

A herd three miles long

and full of one-ton animals.

(rhythmic music)

They too cannot survive without the water

at the centre of the lion's territory.

(buffaloes grumbling)

She must show her cubs that patience is their greatest ally.

Once in the swamp,

the buffalo spread out into smaller groups.

(intrepid music)

Lionesses will take the lead in any hunt.

(apprehensive music)

But a mother here has the added pressure

of having to teach her growing cubs how to tackle giants.

(apprehensive music)

(water splashing)

(buffalo huffing)

(buffalo grumbling)

One swipe of its horns could kill any one of them.

(buffalo grumbling)

The cubs must watch and learn.

(buffalo grumbling)

(buffalo huffing)

(buffalo huffing)

(buffalo grumbling)

(apprehensive music)

(buffalo groaning)

(suspenseful music) (buffalo grumbling)

(buffalo groaning)

(buffalo groaning)

(lion snarling) (buffalo groaning)

The younger lions are allowed to be the first to feast.

(buffalo huffing) (flies buzzing)

Hunting giants, however, is not without its risks.

One of the pride's mothers is missing.

(lion whining)

Contact calls go unanswered.

(lion grumbling)

(lions grumbling)

(melancholy music)

(lion grumbling)

In attempting to provide food for her young,

she has been gored by a buffalo.

There is nothing the pride can do to help.

(lion huffing)

With her cubs too young to hunt for themselves,

her death leaves their future uncertain.

(cub whining)

(lion huffing)

(cub whining)

But they don't have to face it alone.

(uplifting music)

The matriarchs will take on responsibility for them.

(lion grumbling)

In lion society, females often share the load of parenting.

(uplifting music continues)

Related adults will continue to care for the orphans

alongside their own offspring.

It'll be another year before they're fully independent.

(cubs squealing)

In that time, they must be taught how to survive here.

(lion snarling)

And luckily for them, the leader of this pride

is an excellent teacher.

(Suspenseful music)

(lion growling)

(bird squawking)

(light-hearted music)

Parental investment is a risky strategy for many animals,

particularly in the largest of all habitats,

the ocean.

The sheer diversity of life makes some parts of the ocean

a highly competitive environment.

So the animals who choose to raise their offspring here

need to have an edge.

(light-hearted music)

Here in Indonesia, protected by the reef,

lives one of the ocean's most ingenious parents,

a female boxer crab.

(light-hearted music continues)

Attached to her underside

is her brood of over a thousand eggs.

Her challenge is to keep them safe until they hatch

whilst keeping herself well fed.

So like any good parent,

she's come prepared with a solution.

(light-hearted music continues)

On her claws are live anemones

that she's collected from the reef around her.

The anemones filter food from the surrounding water,

which the crab mother steals for herself.

It's an ingenious way to keep energised

while looking after young.

But it's not without risk.

(apprehensive music)

To capture the food she needs,

she must take her anemones out in the open.

A cuttlefish,

a cunning predator that pounces on the unprepared.

(Suspenseful music)

Exposed and alone,

she is a sitting crab.

(Suspenseful music)

But she isn't defenceless.

Her anemones have venomous stings

that can deter most predators,

a very effective weapon for a mother in need of protection.

(apprehensive music)

In fact, her anemones are such good tools

that they are highly prized amongst the crab community.

(light-hearted music)

And this mother has a jealous rival.

(apprehensive music)

Empty clawed, her opponent will do anything

to secure her own anemone.

(Suspenseful music)

She isn't going to surrender them without a fight.

(Suspenseful music)

Overpowered, the mother loses one of her anemones.

The battle leaves her exhausted and vulnerable.

She needs to lie low and buy herself some time.

(gentle music)

Because this supermum has yet another trick.

Slowly and meticulously, she dissects her remaining anemone,

creating a clone.

(gentle music)

Her remarkable problem solving

allows her to keep herself and her young alive

for a few more days,

until eventually she's ready to let them go.

(gentle music)

Climbing to the top of her coral home,

she begins to release her tiny offspring into the current,

a few at atime,

until all her crablets are independent.

Thanks to her care and attention,

she has given them an excellent start in life.

(birds chirping)

Raising offspring alone is extremely challenging,

SO many parents resort to teamwork.

(light-hearted music)

A female burrowing owl is looking for a partner

amongst the wildlands of Arizona.

And this young male seems eager to please.

To win her over, he must first find a decent burrow.

And that is proving tricky.

Burrowing owls use holes abandoned by other animals.

But the ones he's found are either still in use...

(shrieking)

or already have well-established families.

(light-hearted music continues)

Her patience is running thin.

(birds chirping)

When finally he's found one,

she flies in for a closer inspection.

(light-hearted music) (flies buzzing)

The hallway clearly requires a little housekeeping.

Though small inside, it's deep enough underground

to keep her chicks cool in the midday heat.

Returning to await her verdict,

he receives a less than enthusiastic yes.

Over the coming weeks, she will lay one egg a day

and then incubate them all until they hatch.

His responsibility now

is to provide her with a constant supply of food,

until eventually their teamwork pays off.

(light-hearted music)

(chirping)

(chicks chirping)

At first, the father's food supplies are enough

to keep their chicks growing.

(chicks chirping)

But soon, both parents will have to work

to put enough food on the table.

(owl squawking)

(light-hearted music)

(chick chirping)

(light-hearted music)

(chick chirping)

All this constant activity inevitably attracts attention.

(apprehensive music)

(roadrunner cooing)

A roadrunner.

Fast and wily, this opportunist

could kill an entire brood of young chicks.

(apprehensive music)

Their burrow has been chosen

to keep them hidden from predators.

But at the first sign of danger,

the chicks create a deterrent.

(chicks hissing)

Their call mimics the sound of an angry rattlesnake.

(chicks hissing)

But rattlesnakes are one of the roadrunner's favourite prey.

(apprehensive music)

Returning with takeaway,

the father is alerted to the danger.

(apprehensive music)

(Suspenseful music)

(owl squawking)

Disaster averted.

(roadrunner cooing)

(owl squawking)

(roadrunner cooing)

(Owl chirping)

But now, both parents are caught

between keeping a watchful eye on their chicks

and providing enough food for them to grow large enough

to defend themselves.

(light-hearted music)

(chicks squawking)

They work around the clock.

(chicks squawking)

And their chicks' expectations are seemingly never-ending.

(chicks chirping)

The parents' lives soon reach a turning point.

The growing chicks begin spending more and more time

exploring their surroundings.

(light-hearted music continues)

And there are less demands on the parents

as a few of the chicks become capable

of finding their own snacks.

(chick squawking)

For the parents, that is a welcome relief.

(chick squawking)

(chick squawking)

(light-hearted music)

Parenthood is even harder

when the environment is working against you.

And for those parents who need reliable fresh water

to raise their young, the conditions are rarely perfect.

(birds squeaking)

The Ruaha River in Tanzania.

For most of the year, it provides a lifeline

to those that live here.

But during the dry season, this refuge almost disappears...

(elephants grumbling)

leaving this mother hippo and her calf with a dilemma.

(hippos huffing) (hippos grumbling)

He was born just two months ago,

at a time when water was plentiful.

(hippos grumbling)

But now, there are only a few pools left

where the water is still deep enough

to shield him from the harsh sun.

(hippos grumbling)

The other hippos in the area have had the same idea.

So her newfound nursery has become

a little crappy.

(light-hearted music) (water splashing)

(hippos grumbling)

(water splashing)

For now though,

hygiene is the least of the mother's worries.

(hippos grumbling) (hippos huffing)

These enormous fountains of fertiliser

require 50 kilos of vegetation every day.

(hippos grumbling) (hippos huffing)

And now, in the dry season,

that is a problem.

(apprehensive music)

Good grazing is nearly one and a half miles

from the safety of the river.

(hippo grumbling)

But it's too hot to make the journey in daytime.

She must wait until nightfall.

(apprehensive music continues)

In the cool of the night,

the surrounding bush comes alive.

(eerie music)

But with darkness comes the unknown.

(animal growling)

(apprehensive music)

Like it or not

the hippos must leave the safety of their pool

and head into the night in search of food.

(apprehensive music)

The mother must not leave her calf alone.

So the pair begin the slow and uncertain walk

to find distant grazing.

(hippo grumbling) (birds squeaking)

(animals snarling)

(animal snarling)

(animal grunting)

(apprehensive music) (animals grunting)

(animal squawking)

(animals squawking) (animals grumbling)

(apprehensive music)

There is some safety in numbers close to the water.

But this far into the dry season,

the best food is further away.

(animal squawking)

Their size offers them some protection.

The hippo mother is a formidable bodyguard.

Her mouth is filled with 20-centimetre ivory tusks

that serve only for defence.

But a young hippo is vulnerable.

So the calf must never stray too far from his mother.

(animal bellowing)

(grass rustling)

(animal squawking)

(apprehensive music)

(grass rustling)

(bird squawking)

(grass rustling)

(apprehensive music)

(grass rustling)

There is an unnerving quietness to the bush around her.

But now, they are too far from the water

to seek refuge there.

And their stalkers know this.

(apprehensive music)

(grass rustling)

A nearby male also senses danger, and he joins the mother.

Even in small groups,

hippos can defend themselves against a single lion.

But not against a pride.

(lion snarling)

The mother knows if they all hold their ground,

they might have a chance.

(hippos grumbling)

The less experienced male panics.

(hippo grumbling)

And they lose their advantage.

(hippos grumbling) (calf grumbling)

(hippos grumbling)

(lions snarling) (hippo groaning)

(sombre music)

The body of a young male hippo

will Keep a pride fed for a week.

The mother and her calf

return to the protection of their pool.

They have had a lucky escape.

But the mother hippo's remaining refuge will soon dry out.

And she and her calf will have to travel further and further

into the unknown.

They'll need to do this every night.

All parents need dedication in the face of adversity.

(hippo huffing)

The quest for food

can be a seemingly never-ending commitment for many parents.

(birds chirping)

And here in Namibia, one takes that commitment to extremes.

(web rustling)

This female African social spider

laid her eggs just days ago.

And now her brood of 30 spiderlings

are dependent on her for food.

(enchanting music)

So, in their early life, she regurgitates a milky liquid

which the spiderlings drink directly from her mouth.

They will grow to 10 times this size in the coming weeks.

To fuel such growth,

she will need to leave her nursery to hunt.

Luckily, this mother has family she can rely on,

50 fully grown adult sisters who share her nest

and who hunt in perfect unison.

(light-hearted music) (web rustling)

(light-hearted music) (web rustling)

(light-hearted music) (web rustling)

By stopping simultaneously,

they can listen with their feet

to detect the whereabouts of their prey in their vast nest.

(web rustling)

(apprehensive music)

(web rustling)

(enchanting music)

Within weeks, her spiderlings

are ready to start hunting for themselves.

And as they grow, her offspring and all their cousins

become insatiable.

(apprehensive music)

They're born with the ability to hunt together as a pack,

just like their mothers.

(apprehensive music) (web rustling)

Only now, there are over a thousand of them.

(web rustling)

(web rustling) (apprehensive music)

(fly buzzing)

Her role is almost over, which is just as well.

Since laying her eggs,

the mother's condition has been deteriorating,

and her movements have become laboured.

The demands of parenthood are finally taking their toll.

(sombre music)

But she has one more gift for her offspring,

the only thing she has left.

(apprehensive music) (web rustling)

Her struggling appears to mimic the vibrations

of a distressed prey insect.

(apprehensive music) (web rustling)

And her hungry spiderlings descend en masse

to their mother's dinner table

one last time.

(apprehensive music)

Only this time

she is the main course.

(apprehensive music) (web rustling)

(Suspenseful music)

(web rustling)

Hers is the ultimate sacrifice,

born out of a need to ensure the survival

of the next generation.

(apprehensive music continues)

But the spiderlings are not yet finished.

(apprehensive music)

They turn on their surviving relatives,

eating every adult in the colony one by one,

until the next generation

is all that is left.

(birds chirping)

Parental sacrifice on this scale

is rare in the natural world.

Though there comes a time in a parent's journey

when all that effort seems worth it.

(light-hearted music)

A female western lowland gorilla in Gabon.

She will help her young for almost four years

to learn the complexities of living in their jungle home.

(light-hearted music continues)

But as he becomes more independent,

she must let go

and allow him to acquire the rules

of a gorilla's social life.

(gorilla squeaking)

(gorilla squeaking)

His newfound independence

triggers a crucial moment in his mother's journey.

(light-hearted music continues)

It gives her the chance

to think about her next stage of parenthood.

(light-hearted music)

The father of her young one

is reaching the end of his prime.

At 34, he's old for a silverback.

And unbeknownst to him, he is under constant assessment.

Female lowland gorillas will leave their troop

if they think there might be better options.

And that decision all boils down to one thing.

Has he still got it?

(gorilla huffing)

(gorilla grumbling)

Hmm... not bad.

(light-hearted music)

Her offspring will inherit his excellent physique

giving him a good head-start in life.

(leaves rustling) (ground thudding)

(gorilla squeaking)

(leaves rustling)

Brawn isn't the only thing she considers.

(light-hearted music)

Though males play little part in raising their offspring,

females nonetheless prefer males with a degree of tolerance.

(gorilla huffing)

And the old silverback has always been good with kids.

(light-hearted music)

(gorilla squeaking)

(gorilla squeaking)

(leaves rustling)

(gorilla grumbling)

On top of his physique and character,

she's also constantly assessing

what his territory has to offer.

(light-hearted music)

Wherever it comes from

good and plentiful food is crucial

for any mother trying to raise her young.

(light-hearted music)

And variety helps parents teach their young

about what to eat and where to find it.

In the food department, he scores highly.

(light-hearted music)

He even has a swamp,

which might not sound like much

but the grasses here provide much-needed protein

to a lowland gorilla's diet.

She also is looking for protection when life gets risky.

(apprehensive music)

(elephant roaring)

(elephant grumbling)

A forest elephant is not immediate competition

but a threat to young gorillas nonetheless.

(elephant grumbling)

(gorilla huffing)

(gorilla grumbling)

Willingness to stand up to those bigger than him

is certainly attractive in a partner.

(light-hearted music)

If she chose to leave, however,

there would be significant risks.

Any new male with whom she associates

could kill infants that aren't his own.

So she'll have to leave her child behind.

And it would take months to establish herself within a new troop.

(gorilla grumbling)

Here, at least she already has a partner,

just a slightly mature one.

(gorilla chattering) (light-hearted music)

For now, it seems he has passed her test.

(gorilla grumbling)

But there's still time to change her mind.

(gorilla farting)

(light-hearted music)

Parental strategies have evolved over millennia.

But now, over 80% of the Earth's land mass

is affected by human activity.

And animal parents are having to adapt to this new world.

(melancholy music)

An endangered Iberian lynx

known as Ocdrina.

This abandoned barn is the best place left for Odrina

to raise her five kittens.

(cubs purring)

It's an excellent refuge for her growing family,

cool, sheltered,

and full of activities for soft play.

(cub hissing) (light-hearted music)

In fact, this place is so good that Odrina is not alone.

Both her mother and her daughter

have chosen to raise their kittens here.

Three generations raising their young together,

a rare phenomenon and a sign of hope.

But the recovery of lynx here has only been possible

by what has happened outside the barn.

(engine rumbling)

Less than a decade ago, the farmers here

chose to change their practice

to suit the native wild animals.

(light-hearted music)

They stopped hunting

and began creating habitat amongst their crops.

(engine rumbling)

And quicker than anyone had imagined,

the native animals moved back in.

First prey,

then predators.

Soon, the farm became a safe refuge for parents like Odrina

to introduce their kittens

to a world that had been redesigned with them in mind,

one where kittens have room to explore,

play,

and hunt.

(light-hearted music continues)

And they thrived.

We are beginning to understand

that it's possible to use our world for our needs

whilst also providing for wild animals.

And we are discovering that by doing so,

it's possible to help other species.

(majestic music)

Iberian lynx have begun a remarkable recovery,

but their fate still remains in the balance.

The future is uncertain for all parents across our world.

But what is clear is that for all of us to Survive,

we will need to help each other.

(majestic music continues)

(rhythmic music)

The "Parenthood" team relied on experts all over the world.

(team member imitates croaking)

(frog croaking)

And in Loango National Park in Gabon,

primatologist Dr Martha Robbins and her team

came with 20 years of crucial expertise.

— The idea behind this project is to link research

and conservation of western gorillas.

For this project to succeed,

we need to work together with Gabonese people.

And the Babongo have remarkable tracking abilities,

where they can see things in the forest that we can't see.

— [Attenborough] The Babongo trackers

take the lead daily into the forest.

And by snapping twigs as they go along,

they leave themselves a trail to follow back.

(light-hearted music)

But it is their carefully crafted relationship

with the gorillas that is key.

— [Attenborough] The trackers know they must first help the crew

gain the silverback's trust.

(bird chirping)

— Whoa.

You could feel the power of this massive creature.

Silverbacks are probably the most powerful of all primates.

(light-hearted music)

— [Attenborough] And they warn the crew

it isn't going to come easy.

— [Martha] The gorillas really like the swamps

because it's full of tasty gorilla food.

The swamps don't pose challenge for the gorillas.

The swamps pose one of many challenges for us.

— [Peter] You okay?

— Nope.

(light-hearted music)

— [Attenborough] The team try as best they can to keep up.

And just as they reach dry land,

the gorilla family have other ideas.

— So we've just crossed the swamp.

We've managed to find the gorillas, which is great.

The gorillas have decided

that they're going to go back across the same swamp

that we've just crossed.

So, yeah, we're gonna follow them across

and do it all again.

— [Attenborough] Back on the other side,

they catch a fleeting glimpse.

But the gorillas have yet to accept the crew's presence,

and disappear into the forest.

— So back to searching.

(birds chirping)

— [Attenborough] They track down the gorillas once again.

But if the crew thought the swamps were hard work,

the mangroves are even trickier.

And once again, the crew are left trailing

in the gorillas' wake.

Frustratingly, they decide to abandon the day's search.

(light-hearted music)

A new day, a new lead.

The trackers’ familiarity with the gorillas' movements

continues to be essential.

— [Attenborough] But the silverback is still unsure about the cameras

and keeps his family moving.

— | have seen the silverback's bum.

Quite special already, | guess.

— [Attenborough] The science team

spot a potential obstacle on the path ahead.

(apprehensive music) (elephant grumbling)

(elephant grumbling)

(apprehensive music)

— There's nothing worse than an angry elephant,

SO now we're just making our way around

so that we didn't get in their way or disturb them.

(elephant grumbling)

— [Attenborough] Luckily, it isn't a problem for the trackers

to pick up the trail again.

— Fastan just pointed out a track that he just found,

and this is the trace that he sees.

— [Attenborough] A moment of calm in the forest

allows the crew to finally set up.

(rain pattering)

But just as they do so, the rains arrive.

A wet camera could spell the end of their filming trip.

So they're forced to retreat once more.

— Ah, it's so wet. (chuckles)

(mystical music)

-— [Attenborough] Overnight, the rains have washed away

the tracks of the gorillas.

But the trackers pick up another sign.

The freshly stripped twigs indicate gorillas

have recently been feeding here.

(light-hearted music)

And now it seems the silverback

is willing to finally allow the crew access.

— So cool, so cool.

— [Attenborough] Over the following weeks,

the science team helps the crew

to understand the gorillas' behaviour.

— A big reward is discovering new things

that we don't know about these animals.

There's something every day that the gorillas do

that can put a smile on your face.

— This shoot would've obviously been impossible for us

without the help of all the amazing guides

and trackers we had.

(light-hearted music)