Original subtitles

- [birds chirping] - [animal coos]

[narrator] The birth of a baby animal is always special.

- [birds chirping] - [purring]

But for those on the brink of extinction,

every new life…

- [exhales] - …brings hope.

[chirping]

Six endangered youngsters

raised in our world…

[meowing]

…are on the journey of a lifetime…

[man] Follow me.

[narrator] …back to theirs.

Are you inquisitive? Yeah.

[narrator] But they can't do it on their own.

He lost his mother.

- [elephant snorts] - [hisses]

[narrator] With human foster parents helping them on their way…

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

[bear whines]

[narrator] …can these little ones help save their species…

[woman] If you love something, you have to let it go.

[narrator] …and return to the wild?

[orchestral swell]

[woman vocalizing, music climaxes]

[dramatic drumroll]

[narrator] On the coast of South Africa…

some very special animals gather in late summer to breed.

[cawing]

[beaks clicking]

African penguins,

the most endangered penguins in the world.

These flightless birds…

return to the same spot every year to lay their eggs,

sheltering them from the sun until they hatch.

[chirping, chittering]

[narrator] But recently, it's been getting hotter.

Too hot even for African penguins…

forcing parents to head back to the cooler ocean.

Abandoning their unhatched eggs.

Penguin numbers have crashed.

There used to be millions of these birds.

Today, fewer than 20,000 remain.

To save the species, an urgent mission is underway.

Quraesha is part of an emergency egg rescue team.

We are going to assist the rangers on the colony

with removing any abandoned eggs.

That's quite exciting but also quite stressful.

[narrator] It's a race against the thermometer.

[tense music playing]

They need to rescue abandoned eggs…

- [Quraesha] How's it looking out there? - [man] Quite hot.

[narrator] …before temperatures hit 100 degrees.

[Quraesha] We don't want the eggs overheating.

They can basically cook.

[narrator] In just a few hours, 12 are collected.

[cawing in distance]

Each is given a health check…

Thank you.

[narrator] …using a torch to see if there is life inside.

[Quraesha] This egg is very active.

[whispering] What we are currently looking at is a little embryo.

That's here. It's basically floating around like a lava lamp.

[normal voice] This is a healthy egg. It's developing as it should.

It's what we want to see in all of them.

We're just gonna head back quickly

'cause these guys need to go into the incubator.

[narrator] They're heading here.

The world's only egg rescue center for African penguins.

[birds chirping]

In the last ten years, the center has hatched, hand-reared,

and returned to the wild over 1,000 of these precious birds.

Equivalent to five percent of today's population.

[chicks cheeping]

[Quraesha] Now that we've got the eggs safely in the incubator,

I'm a bit relieved.

[narrator] Hopefully, in about four week's time,

Quraesha's latest batch will hatch.

[Quraesha] This is where the magic happens.

[honking]

[narrator] Every day, she checks and weighs the eggs.

[Quraesha] Fortunately, I have not dropped an egg. [chuckles]

It is nerve-wracking.

My hands still shake no matter how many times I do it.

[narrator] Already, some of the eggs…

are showing signs of life.

[Quraesha gasps]

[narrator] A tiny chirp.

- [faint chirp] - [Quraesha chuckles] Can you hear?

[faint squeaking]

This egg just internally pipped.

You can't see any cracks in his shell, but he is chirping away.

[chirping]

[narrator] Pipping is when the chick starts to peck at the inside of the egg.

[Quraesha] You can actually feel the shell, like, move.

You can feel his body. Yeah.

[squeaks]

[whispering] Cute.

Yes.

[narrator] Another of the rescued eggs…

[Quraesha] Okay.

[narrator] …is even closer to hatching.

[Quraesha] This egg starred. Which means he cracked the shell

and he's busy chirping away.

- [chirps] - Calling out to his parents,

"Look, I'm ready. Expect me in the next day or two."

[chuckles]

[narrator] From first pip, hatching can take up to 48 hours…

as the chick slowly makes its way into the world…

one tiny peck at a time.

[gentle, uplifting music playing]

[chirps]

[narrator] This chick broke free in just 36 hours.

[music fades]

[Quraesha] It depends on the egg.

Some of them are big babies, and they kick out earlier than expected.

Some of them take a little longer.

[narrator] Over the next few days…

[chirping]

…another eight eggs hatch.

[chicks chirping]

But one is taking too long.

[Quraesha] That little baba, he's supposed to have hatched yesterday,

but he's a bit overdue.

[faint chirping]

[narrator] Once hatching begins,

chicks only have a limited supply of air within the egg.

[Quraesha] So, we have to go in and assist the chick.

[narrator] And that air is running out.

[Quraesha] I'm just trying to crack the shell more for him.

There's a lot of active veins here, so I'm also scared.

Assisting an egg is very similar to a surgery.

You don't want to harm the chick,

but you also need to get the chick out as soon as possible.

[narrator] The first thing to do is make sure the chick can breathe.

[Quraesha] As long as you find the beak, the chick can get oxygen.

[sighs]

I don't know if his umbilical cord is detached yet.

I don't want to, like, just yank him out.

That's very risky.

[softly] Come on, baba.

Then just pulling off the top

and then he's gonna kick out by himself.

[chirping]

[whispers] There you go.

[narrator] Another penguin life saved.

The 198th of the year.

[chirping]

[Quraesha, softly] There you go. Yes.

[narrator] Giving him his name:

African Penguin 198.

[Quraesha] I'm gonna cry. [laughs]

[squeaks]

[narrator] But the odds are stacked against him.

Assisted hatches like 198…

often don't survive.

[Quraesha] We're keeping a very close eye on him.

Fingers crossed this chick makes it.

[narrator] Even if he does,

just like every chick here,

198 will still have to learn how to feed,

fend for himself,

and swim,

if he's ever to return to the wild.

[insects chirping]

It's a near round-the-clock job,

raising and feeding penguin chicks.

And for Quraesha's fellow chick-mum, Mel,

that means a 5 o'clock start.

[Mel] This fish is, like, frozen solid.

[narrator] She's on breakfast duty.

[Mel] I have to just defrost it a little bit.

[narrator] On the menu today, just like every day,

the African penguin's fish of choice: sardines.

[Mel] That we put into a blender.

[narrator] Add water, assorted nutrients, blend…

[blender churning]

…for seven minutes…

[blender stops]

…and…

[Mel] There we go. [chuckles]

[narrator] A nutritious sardine smoothie.

[Mel] Just draining this now to get rid of any scales or bones,

and make it into a nice, smooth mixture.

It's quite a strong smell. You go home smelling like fish as well.

But you get used to it.

[chicks chirping]

[narrator] African penguin chicks are greedy,

eating nearly a third of their body weight every day.

[squawks]

[Quraesha] So we currently have 90 chicks in total.

That's a lot of mouths to feed.

Prepping, feeding, prepping, feeding again.

[Mel] You start at one point, you feed.

Two hours later, you just start again.

[squawks]

[narrator] But it could be worse.

In the wild,

penguin parents regurgitate food into the chick's mouth.

[chuckles] Thank goodness I don't have to do that.

All I have to do is put a tube in

and then just put the fish in the bird's mouth.

[narrator] But one chick is not feeding well.

198 is sick.

[Quraesha] He has a bloated tummy.

- [Mel] Was he assisted? - [Quraesha] Yes.

The bloat is worse than this morning.

After we tube him, the bloat just gets a bit bigger.

[narrator] After their tricky start in life,

almost all assisted hatches get sick.

[Quraesha] With the assisted hatchlings,

just because you are there rescuing this chick from the egg,

we do get more attached to them.

[chirping]

Like a mum, you get stressed.

[Mel] It's never nice to have chicks become ill.

If it gets to the point where the bird is suffering,

that can really take a toll on you.

[chirping]

[narrator] It's another early start.

[narrator] This time, Quraesha checking in on 198.

[birds twittering]

[chicks chirping]

- [Quraesha] His bloat is going down. - [Mel] He's doing much better.

[Quraesha] His eyes are opening.

It's a little sliver.

[Mel] Their eyes are closed

for the first couple of days after hatching.

So that's good news.

[chicks chirping]

[narrator] Now one week old…

[Mel] 198 has reached just over 100 grams today.

[narrator] …it's time for the next step in his development.

198's getting company,

of sorts.

[Mel] I always joke and say, "These penguin chicks are my children,"

so you can absolutely compare it to,

you know, giving a child a teddy for comfort.

[quiet chirping]

[narrator] But he's not just getting a stand-in parent.

He's getting a stand-in brother.

Another imaginatively named penguin.

- This time, 201. - [both chirping]

And once they're settled in…

204.

[all chirping]

[Mel] In the wild, there's normally two chicks in a nest,

so they would always have a sibling with them.

So we're trying to recreate that natural environment for them here.

[narrator] Having siblings and a cuddly parent around

makes the birds feel safe.

And more likely to eat.

After his difficult start in life,

198 is a little underweight.

[screeches]

[Mel] 198 is much smaller than the rest of them.

So, you can see, he's really just…

you can call it the runt of the litter,

but he's a very happy bird.

[chirping]

[determined music playing]

[narrator] Over the next three weeks,

the chicks continue to eat at an impressive rate.

[chirping continues]

And smoothies are slowly replaced by sardine chunks.

[Quraesha] He's absolutely loving the fish, and he's eating really well.

[narrator] The chicks balloon in size,

growing up to 15 percent of their body weight every single day.

That's because penguins

are some of the fastest-growing seabirds in the world.

[music fades]

[Mel] This is 198.

He's doing really well.

He's 1.3 kilograms today.

That is when we move them down to the bigger nursery area.

[squawking]

[narrator] It's also the time when these preteens

go through their scruffy stage.

And would normally start to hang out with older chicks.

[chirping, squawking]

[Quraesha] In the nursery pen, there's around 50 chicks.

Some are small like them, some are bigger.

It's like going to school for the first time.

[narrator] And just like many a small kid on the first day of school,

198 tries to make himself even smaller.

It's just like in high school,

you get the bigger chicks that are sometimes bullies.

- [honks gruffly] - [snorts]

But we don't like to intervene. Whatever happens needs to happen.

[narrator] It would be the same in the wild.

At this age, chicks eat so much,

both penguin parents have to go out looking for food,

leaving their young to fend for themselves.

[chorus of chirping]

[Quraesha] We can't babysit him all the time.

So, the chick just needs to man up, basically.

[squawks]

[narrator] And over the next few days…

[chicks braying]

[narrator] …little by little…

one waddle at a time,

198…

begins to find his feet.

[chicks squawking]

But that just brings him within pecking distance.

[squawks]

198 needs to be able to defend himself.

[narrator] Unlike other birds, penguins don't peck to see who's boss.

They do it to make space in a crowd…

on a hot, sunny day.

When he gets pecked, he needs to be able to peck back.

Make it known that, "I will fight back." [chuckles]

[narrator] And he does.

[chicks braying]

[198 squeaks]

Most of the time.

After weeks on sardine chunks and smoothies…

[braying]

…the chicks need to start eating something more substantial.

It's a big step because now they move to whole fish.

For the first few days, they struggle.

[narrator] In the wild, penguin parents can actually slow down their digestion.

So, when they feed their young, fish can be almost intact.

And rather large.

[Quraesha] You'll see them looking like they're gasping for air.

It's just them trying to swallow the big fish.

[narrator] Despite each fish being over half their body length,

the chicks are perfectly equipped for the job.

Penguins don't have teeth, so they have spikes on their tongue.

And that's what helps them to swallow.

[narrator] And if they do return to the wild,

now they'll know what to eat.

[coughs]

[squawking]

Over the next three weeks, something remarkable starts to happen.

The chicks begin to change.

[cheerful music playing]

Scruffy, fluffy feathers are replaced

by shiny, smart, waterproof ones.

Tightly packed together,

they're a bit like a wetsuit for penguins.

[music continues]

[chirping]

And that means it's time for the chick's biggest challenge yet.

[Quraesha] Today is a big day for 198.

It is going to be his first swim.

[narrator] Swimming does come naturally to penguins.

But just like us, getting in for the first time

might take a bit of…

encouragement.

[music fades]

One of my favorite things…

is watching a chick swim for the first time.

[chuckles] They-- They're scared.

But it's also where they belong.

[narrator] For these beginners, things start off easy.

[Quraesha] We keep a close eye on the birds.

We leave the pool gate open for them.

So they can go out whenever they please.

We're basically mums and lifeguards and everything.

That was a very quick swim.

198 just went in and now he's out. [laughs]

Well, now he's back in.

You can see he thoroughly enjoys the pool.

[narrator] But the longer chicks stay in the water, the more tired they become.

And another first timer is beginning to struggle.

If you look at him, um, he is quite… [sighs]

He is staying below the water level.

[tense music playing]

[music shifts to a cheerful melody]

I thought he was ready, but the chick just wasn't ready.

[music fades]

[narrator] But for penguin 198, today has been a triumph.

Upwards and onwards from here for the chick.

[narrator] Two days later, there's some worrying news at the center.

[sneezes]

We've been having a lot of chicks that are coughing or sneezing.

[sneezes]

[narrator] And with sneezes like these…

[sneezes]

…it's easy for a bug to spread.

[splutters]

[sneezes]

- [narrator] And 198 has caught it. - [squeaks]

[Mel] Our hatchlings hatch

with almost no immune system. They would've got that from their parents.

So it is something we do have to deal with.

But, luckily, it is quite easy to fix.

[vapor hissing]

[narrator] Treatment involves something called a nebulizer.

[bubbling]

You can compare it to an inhaler.

You can't put a mask on a penguin. They're not gonna like that.

So we had to get a bit creative

as to how we're actually going to get this medication

into the birds.

[narrator] A simple box pumped full of medicated mist.

The nebulizer is a kind of steamy spa treatment for poorly penguins.

Basically, it just creates a lot of really fine particles

that they can just breathe in.

[narrator] Doctor's orders?

Ten minutes in the nebulizer, twice a day.

And that should hopefully help clear up the infection.

[chicks braying softly]

[chirping]

[narrator] Three days later…

it's a sleeker, healthier 198 returning to the pool.

Not just free of his chest infection,

but also the last of those fluffy feathers.

Can you just close the gate, please?

[narrator] Now the real work begins.

To be even considered for release to the wild,

every penguin has to pass a swimming proficiency test.

So we close all the gates, forcing them to swim in the pool

for 20 minutes, three times a day.

[narrator] It's a strict regime.

Swimming non-stop.

No touching the bottom.

And absolutely no getting out.

[Quraesha] They do panic, but they will eventually get it.

This is just to build their muscles, strength and stamina.

[narrator] They'll need all those things,

because African penguins spend two-thirds of their lives at sea.

This is just a start of what's to come for them.

[narrator] Over the coming days,

the birds stay longer and longer in the pool.

Until, after three weeks,

they are masters of the water,

swimming for three hours every single day.

One of the things that drew me to the penguins

is how clumsy they are on land.

They will just slip and slide.

But in the water, they are majestic swimmers.

The diving is…

Wow, I wish I could dive like them.

[narrator] And no one is in the pool longer than little 198.

[Quraesha] It's amazing.

When we assisted him, it was a 50/50

because we usually don't see a good success rate

with our assisted hatchlings.

So it's so rewarding seeing 198 doing so much better.

[narrator] It's 117 days since 198 and friends

were rescued from the beach.

Now cocky teenagers…

[braying]

…they're almost ready to return to the wild.

But only if they pass their medical.

[Mel] I am doing the check for release.

The final checks for the birds are definitely a big moment.

[narrator] All penguins must be fully waterproof

with a healthy heart and strong lungs.

[brays]

[Mel] Can you grab 198?

[narrator] Those that fail must stay at the center for further training.

And 198's chest is sounding really good.

He's got really pretty eyes.

Very good body condition.

So even though he is a smaller bird,

he is definitely a good weight.

198 has passed the test.

Yay! [laughs]

[narrator] Tomorrow, 198, along with his friends,

can be released back into the wild.

198 holds a special place in my heart. It makes me emotional. [laughs]

[penguins braying]

[narrator] It's the day…

of release.

The birds are currently in the pool getting their last swim with us.

[Quraesha] The next swim for these birds will be out in the wild.

Something new.

All they've known is these four walls.

So, I'll have to go in the pool, get them out, and start feeding.

[laughs] It's freezing.

But it's for the birds. [laughs]

[inhales sharply]

[narrator] But wrangling penguins isn't easy.

[Quraesha] Oh, it's freezing.

Oh!

[narrator] Twice as fast as an Olympic swimmer…

[Quraesha] I don't know where these birds are.

[narrator] …and way more nimble.

Oh, okay. I see them.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Wait, wait.

[narrator] Eventually…

[jolly, waddling music playing]

[penguins braying]

We have 16 penguins that are going for release.

It's all coming full circle today.

Just makes it all worthwhile.

[music fades]

- And then into the box. - [penguin squawks]

[Quraesha] 198 has been safely packaged.

Now he's off for delivery. [laughs]

[penguin braying]

Okay.

[sentimental music playing]

[narrator] It's a two-hour drive back to the beach…

[music continues]

…where, four months ago,

198 and the other eggs were rescued.

[music swells]

[gentle squawking]

[Quraesha] It's that time. [chuckles]

This is the moment we've been waiting for.

It is quite windy today, but hopefully, the birds will be fine out there.

[squawking]

[music fades]

[narrator] Around 2,000 penguins live on this beach.

Dressed up in their adult feathers,

they look very different to the teenagers from the rescue center.

[honking]

They've had a soft life with us, and this is it, this is the wild.

[narrator] Just as they would in the wild,

198 and friends will head out into the ocean

without any adult supervision.

But first, they need to find out what exactly an ocean is.

[Mel] One, two, three.

[narrator] Sometimes birds aren't keen to enter this wild new world.

[brays]

And it takes one brave one to lead the way.

This time, it's the smallest.

[exhales]

[optimistic music playing]

[narrator] African Penguin 198.

198 took off almost immediately.

[brays]

- "I'm out of here." - [chuckles]

- "Never gonna see you again, thanks." - "Thanks, guys."

[music continues]

- [Mel] Oh, okay. - [Quraesha chuckles]

[Mel] Must be scary.

To think, they've never seen the beach.

[music slows]

[music swells]

I am a proud chick mum. [chuckles]

This is my… my baby going off into the wild.

I didn't think AP198 would make it to today, to be honest.

And it just makes it totally worth it.

- And I love doing it with you. - Aww.

I can't have anyone else better by my side.

Thank you. Me as well.

[momentous strings playing]

[narrator] Thanks to their efforts,

another group of penguins has made it back to the wild.

Hopefully, one day they'll return to raise chicks of their own,

helping to stop this species from disappearing forever.

[music continues]

[music fades]

[narrator] Next time…

Can a family of rescued lemurs…

- [grunts] - [laughs]

…and their newest arrival…

[man] She's very tricky and curious.

[narrator] …learn to work together…

- [bird caws] - [lemur calls]

[shrieking]

[narrator] …to protect each other in the wild?