Original subtitles

- [birds tweeting] - [animal coos]

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

- [birds tweeting] - [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] In a special breeding center in Southern Spain…

…three tiny kittens are taking their first steps into the world.

[melodic guitar music playing]

Iberian Lynx.

Some of the rarest cats…

[shrieking]

…on the planet.

[squeaking]

[sneezes]

[narrator] 25 years ago there were fewer than 100 of them left.

[high-pitched mewing]

[narrator] Once hunted for their fur, we were about to lose them forever…

[mewing]

…until…

[music fades]

…a hugely ambitious wildlife rescue mission was launched.

To breed lynx in four centers across Spain and Portugal.

And return them to the wild.

[birds chirping]

[narrator] The biggest is La Olivilla,

run by head vet, Mariajo Perez.

She's dedicated nearly 20 years to raising these precious cats.

[Mariajo] When I see the eyes of the cubs I still feel excited. [laughs]

It's very special to work in a place like this.

[narrator] Already, she's seen numbers rise to over 2,000.

- [man, in Spanish] Look at this, Mariajo. - [lynx kittens crying]

[Mariajo, in Spanish] What beautiful cubs!

- [Mariajo laughs] - [kittens continue to cry]

[Mariajo, in English] Every cub is a treasure to be released to the wild.

[narrator] Like all the kittens born here,

the first thing they need to do is pass a health check.

Disease is one of the biggest threats to lynx.

[growling softly]

[narrator] So, the team must get suited and booted to protect them.

[Mariajo, in Spanish] What special cubs. [laughs]

They're beautiful.

[narrator] They start their lives with piercing blue eyes…

[purring]

…that darken as they get older.

[woman, in Spanish] Do you want us to weigh them first?

[Mariajo] Yes, weigh him.

- [woman responds in Spanish] - [lynx kitten meows]

[kitten shrieks]

[narrator] And each weighs little more than a bag of sugar.

[Mariajo] 1.14 kilos.

[conversing in Spanish]

[Mariajo] This one is climbing in the bag.

[kitten growls]

[Mariajo] They are really strong.

[woman, whispering] Don't eat it.

[narrator] Mariajo gives each of the kittens a thorough examination.

[squeaking softly]

[Mariajo] 6cm, the tail.

[conversing in Spanish]

[narrator] And some medicine to keep them safe from infections.

[Mariajo] Delicious!

[staff laughing]

- Okay, this one is done. - [woman responds in Spanish]

A little male.

[narrator] Of the three, there are two brothers…

[Mariajo] This one is a girl, a female.

[narrator] …and a smaller baby sister, who's been named Una.

[purring]

As the only female, Una's extra special.

She may one day have kittens of her own.

Boosting the population.

[continues to purr]

[Mariajo] Everything seems perfect, everything looks good.

[narrator] To keep them as wild as possible,

this is one of the last times Mariajo will handle the triplets.

[kitten meowing loudly]

There's the mother, Junquinha.

[narrator] For the next 12 months, they'll stay with their mum,

learning to climb,

defend themselves,

and, most importantly, catch their own food.

[hisses]

[yowling]

[playful music playing]

To keep an eye on the youngsters as they grow,

the team runs a covert operation.

[man laughs]

[narrator] Mariajo and her right-hand man Ruben can watch every move…

[Mariajo] They can barely stand up yet.

[narrator] …without ever being seen.

Dozens of cameras capture the kittens' private lives

and their mischievous antics.

[music ends]

[Mariajo] Look at that! [chuckles]

[narrator] Even the dens have built-in baby monitors.

- [kitten shrieks] - [Mariajo laughs]

[narrator] Nothing goes unnoticed.

[purring]

This is Big Brother…

[snorts with laughter]

…lynx style.

[Mariajo laughs]

Oops, she messed it up!

[Mariajo, in English] It's very fulfilling to be able to see all these behaviors.

And knowing that you are not interfering. You are not disturbing them.

[kitten meows]

[narrator] It's been a few days since Una first emerged from her den.

And she's still finding her feet.

- [Ruben exclaims in Spanish] - [Mariajo laughs]

[meowing]

[narrator] Having rarely stepped on grass before,

she seems keen to avoid it all together.

[meowing]

[narrator] With mum watching on…

[purring and low snarling]

…the siblings start to explore…

using all their senses.

At a month old, their eye sight and hearing are still developing.

[gentle music playing]

Baby lynx spend about a fifth of their day playing.

[low growling]

[in Spanish] Look how curious they are.

[Mariajo, in English] All of the cubs learn by playing.

[narrator] But at this age, there's one thing Mariajo's looking for.

[suspenseful music playing]

Their instinct to hunt.

In the wild, they'll need to catch rabbits and birds.

But maybe a beetle's a better place to start.

[playful music playing]

[loud buzzing]

[music fades]

[narrator] Hunting's the most important skill Una will need to crack.

[insect buzzing]

Only if she can do this…

will she be released into the wild.

But across Spain, lynx face a big problem.

Their land is shrinking,

as farms and roads crisscross even the most remote places.

It's the job of vet Guillermo Lopez to make sure Una has a safe future home.

With his colleague, Javi.

Okay, let's crack on. [chuckles]

[narrator] Over the last ten years,

they've released nearly a hundred of these precious cats.

And today, they're scoping out a remote region

of the Sierra Arana Mountains.

[Guillermo] We select areas that have shelter

and there are bushes and places to hunt.

[narrator] It's all about location, location, location.

We are going to go to a spot

where we have a direct view of a huge area.

[bird of prey calling]

[Guillermo] This place is very special.

[in Spanish] Those hills over there?

[in Spanish] Yes, yes, yes. The pine forest area, too.

[narrator] Una needs somewhere far from roads.

And, vitally,

if she's going to one day have cubs,

she'll need some potential male partners.

[speaking in Spanish]

[narrator] Guillermo sets up remote cameras

to see where the cat hot spots are.

[Guillermo, in English] The camera trap is the best tool we have.

[narrator] These cameras can run for months.

[camera bleeps]

And could help choose the perfect release site.

[low meowing]

- [Una meows] - [Junquinha purrs]

[narrator] Una is piling on the pounds.

And will feed on her mother's milk for the next few months.

[insects buzzing]

Breakfast over…

it's playtime.

[insects buzzing]

[buzzing continues]

Of the three, she's becoming the most adventurous,

using her tiny claws to practice climbing.

A skill she'll need in the wild…

to escape danger.

[insect buzzes]

And the triplets aren't just playing with things in their pen.

They've started playing together.

[Mariajo laughs]

[in Spanish] Look at that jump!

Looks like a kangaroo there!

[Mariajo replies in Spanish]

[narrator] Rough and tumble is how lynx build their strength and coordination.

But for Mariajo, it's an early sign that things are about to get dangerous.

[growling]

Because soon,

this harmless fun…

will turn into a fight for survival.

[insects chirping]

[in Spanish] Does anyone else want a coffee?

Coffee?

[narrator] Mariajo and the team are getting ready to work through the night.

[low-pitched meowing]

Because at any moment, these cute looking kittens…

will turn into little killers.

[dramatic drums playing]

For just 24 hours, young lynx become highly aggressive.

Sometimes fighting each other to the death.

It's a bizarre right of passage,

unique to lynx.

[Mariajo] He is staring. Something must be going on.

It won't be long now.

[growling]

[narrator] The two brothers…

[hissing and snarling]

…kick things off.

[snarling continues]

Mum tries to break it up.

[growling and shrieking]

[Mariajo, in English] The fighting period has to happen.

[cubs continue to shriek]

[cubs snarling]

It's hard, but we have to leave the cubs to develop,

and the mother to do her work.

[narrator] It's thought this is how kittens learn to defend themselves.

[yowling]

So the team has to leave them to it.

[intense growling and snarling]

[Una meows]

As the smallest of the three, Una's in the biggest danger.

[Una's brothers continue to fight]

[dramatic music continues]

[fighting continues]

[hissing and snarling]

The boys battle it out through the night.

[music fades]

[shrill growling]

By dawn, they're exhausted.

[growling continues]

It's the perfect moment…

for crafty Una to launch her attack.

[suspenseful music playing]

[cubs snarling]

[Mariajo, in Spanish] Look, they're over here.

[man, in Spanish] Yes, I am looking.

[shrieking and meowing]

[hissing and growling]

[narrator] After 18 hours,

the fighting eventually stops.

[music fades]

[man, in Spanish] She is as placid as anything.

[narrator] And the siblings return to being friends.

They've all survived.

But Una is the only one unscathed.

[Mariajo laughs]

[narrator] Now Mariajo can breathe a little more easily.

[in English] We feel a bit relaxed when this passes over.

And begin to, to enjoy more,

seeing the development of the cubs.

- [cubs meowing] - [bird cooing]

[narrator] Back in the Sierra Arana mountains,

Guillermo's collecting the cameras

to find out what they've captured.

[Guillermo, in Spanish] Wow! There are so many rabbits here, mate.

[narrator] Rabbits make up 90% of a lynx's diet.

[Guillermo, in English] Iberian lynx can prey on many other things

but they cannot live or breathe if they don't have wild rabbits.

[narrator] But what makes this place particularly attractive…

[Guillermo] Wow. A lynx.

[in Spanish] He's gorgeous, isn't he?

[narrator] …Lynx seem to be thriving here.

And some are cats Guillermo has previously released.

[Guillermo, in Spanish] This is a male, he looks fat.

[narrator] This could be the perfect spot for Una to meet a mate.

[in English] I hope Una can become one of the territorial females of Sierra Arana

and live for many years and have many cubs.

[chuckles]

- [insects chirping] - [birds tweeting]

[narrator] It's July.

[cubs panting]

The cubs are now 16 weeks old and have lost their fluffy coats.

Just as well.

Spanish summers can hit a hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

[in Spanish] He's putting his little snout in the water.

[flies buzzing]

[fly buzzes loudly]

[narrator] Now, Una's once bright-blue eyes have darkened.

Acting like sunglasses, protecting her from the glare.

At this age, the kittens take their climbing skills to new heights.

But when you're just one foot tall…

it's a long way up.

[adventurous music playing]

With sharp, curved claws, lynx are excellent climbers.

But it still takes practice.

Finally up…

[kitten growls softly]

…her brother follows.

[kitten meows]

It's cooler in the treetops,

with a gentle breeze.

[music continues]

Now, for getting down.

Her brother takes the lead.

There's a technique for a soft landing.

And it's not this.

[music ends]

[meows]

Luckily, Una's a fast learner.

[music resumes]

[music intensifies]

Reunited, they celebrate with a head bump.

The lynx equivalent of a high five.

[music fades]

[intense buzzing]

[bird shrieks]

As summer comes to an end,

Una goes from strength to strength.

Cooler temperatures bring a flurry of activity.

[playful music playing]

[growling]

Explosive leaps are practice for catching prey.

[Una growls]

She's now an expert climber.

And has proved she can defend herself.

[growling]

But there's one last thing to master before she can be released…

[music slows]

[birds shriek and tweet]

…hunting.

[music ends]

[Mariajo] If an animal doesn't hunt,

it would not be possible to release them into the wild.

[narrator] The only way to learn, is to practice.

Her brothers seem to know what they're doing.

[galloping footsteps, scuffle]

For once, Una's lagging behind.

In the wild, lynx are solitary.

So she needs to catch up.

And quickly.

[in Spanish] She's looking for prey, it would seem.

Prey detection.

[Mariajo] Mm-hm.

[narrator] Una starts to pick up the technique.

Ah.

Goodness, look at that stalking.

[narrator] With soft foot pads, lynx can stalk prey,

barely making a sound.

[Mariajo] She goes behind the tree.

[tense music playing]

[music intensifies]

[music fades]

Wow.

What a good hunting display.

[padding footsteps]

[narrator] It's the sign Mariajo's been waiting for.

Una and her brothers are ready for the wild.

[purring]

And will soon be released.

[purring continues]

Wild lynx this age would also be preparing to leave home.

To live the rest of their lives alone.

They don't know it yet,

but this is the last night the triplets will ever spend together.

[purring]

[birds chirping]

After a year at the center…

Una is ready to leave Mariajo's care.

It's time for Guillermo to take over.

[Mariajo, in English] So, Una, it's the moment to say goodbye to us.

And she's going to have a fantastic life there…

- [truck door closes, engine starts] - …for sure.

It has been a very long and a fantastic year.

It's her time.

I hope she's going to have a lot of cubs in the future years.

[narrator] She's on her way to the new home

Guillermo and the team have carefully chosen for her.

And she's been fitted with a lightweight GPS collar.

So they can track her.

[Guillermo, in English] For the first time, Una is going to be

without her siblings.

She's going to face life on her own.

[straining]

[in Spanish] It's incredible how heavy these cages are.

[men speaking in Spanish]

[narrator] Having spent her whole life hidden away from humans…

[Guillermo, in Spanish] Up with her.

[narrator] …she's suddenly surrounded by them.

[cage clanking]

[men conversing in Spanish]

[Guillermo] There are so many people here right now.

[narrator] With over 20 organizations involved,

and a proud local community,

the release of one of the world's rarest cats always draws a crowd.

[Guillermo, in English] We have all the hopes

put in this new and growing population.

[in Spanish] Here.

There, perfect.

Okay, ready when you are.

[Guillermo, in English] Now her real life begins.

[background chatter]

[people exclaiming]

[chatter in Spanish]

Wow.

- [woman laughs] - [man speaking Spanish]

[people continue talking excitedly]

[Guillermo, in English] I am a little bit nervous.

It's a mix of excitement and fear.

Like when you leave your child in school for the first time.

Yeah. [chuckles]

[narrator] These first weeks in the wild will be make or break for Una.

She must figure out how to hunt in this strange new world.

And fast.

[wind whooshing]

[thunder clapping]

[narrator] Since Una's release, the team hasn't set eyes on her.

- [thunder continues to rumble] - [rain pattering]

The weather is awful. It has been raining for 48 hours.

[narrator] One in five lynx don't survive their first year in the wild.

[Guillermo] Hunting is more difficult in this weather.

And the first two weeks after the release are the most critical.

[narrator] Guillermo can track her position using a radio antenna.

But to find out if she's getting enough food,

he needs to see her for himself.

[Guillermo] So, we want to find her and see her body condition.

And how she's doing

and if she's doing well, hunting and everything.

[narrator] Iberian lynx are masters of stealth.

[radio chirps]

[Guillermo] We have a strong signal in this direction.

And the signal is increasing.

[radio continues chirping regularly]

[narrator] Using a drone fitted with a special thermal camera…

they hope to pick up the heat of Una's body

even through the thickest forest.

Perhaps… this?

- This is the densest bush. - [operator sighs]

[equipment beeps]

[operator] Was that a glimpse just there?

[Guillermo] Maybe.

[operator] Yeah.

[equipment beeps]

Yeah.

[equipment beeps]

It must be an animal.

[operator] Do you think that's her?

[Guillermo] It could be her.

Everything is so dense.

Yeah. That's definitely the collar.

- I think so, yeah. - Ah.

Just in there.

[Guillermo] Yeah.

[equipment beeps]

[operator] I think you're right.

- Hey, I think that's it. - [Guillermo chuckles]

- We found her. - Wow.

- She's moving. - [operator] Yeah.

Yes!

[joyful music playing]

[narrator] Una seems completely at ease in her new home.

[Guillermo] Seeing her is great and I can see her body condition,

and I can be sure that she is, uh, well.

The first week, all lynxes we release, they lose weight.

But now, it seems like she's… fat again. [laughs]

[narrator] And she's been putting all she's learned into practice.

[Guillermo] Wow!

She's carrying a rabbit. Probably one she killed before.

And she is covering the rest she cannot eat to go again to feed later.

She looks like she's at home.

[narrator] Once there were fewer than a hundred Iberian Lynx.

But now, thanks to the dedication of people like Mariajo and Guillermo,

this amazing species is being saved from extinction.

One cat at a time.

[Una sniffs]

- [speaks Spanish] - [both laugh]

[in Spanish] It's powerful, mate.

[music slows]

[bird of prey calling]

[cheerful theme music playing]

[orchestral swell, music fades]