Original subtitles

[ Elephant trumpets ]

[ Macaques squeaking ]

NARRATOR: There are as many ways to grow up in the wild

as there are animals.

Only a few days old,

these ibex are learning to walk by following their mother.

The lesson is interrupted, and survival skills kick in.

New mothers must also fine-tune their survival instincts,

like this bear who let her cubs out of the den too soon.

Or inexperienced elephant parents

misjudging the strength of the current.

And then there are social instincts.

Macaques must learn complex behaviors,

like facial expressions,

to gain acceptance into the group.

See how animals from around the world grow up

in "Animal Childhood."

[ Animals calling ]

[ Birds chirping ]

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 on their own,

with no adult to guide them.

But many animals do benefit

from a little help from their parents.

And in the early days of life,

they're often completely dependent on them.

In a forest in India,

a precocious baby is exploring the world for the first time.

A tiger cub.

It's just 10 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.

[ Cub squeaking ]

It's completely helpless.

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

[ Squeaks ]

[ Squeaks ]

Their mother has to watch them every minute.

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

[ Cub squeaking, tiger growling ]

Just one cub would be enough to test any parent's patience.

Tiger cubs stay with their mother

until they're about 2 years old.

[ Squeaks ]

But even under her constant care,

only half of them usually make it to maturity.

There's no doubt that a childhood in the wild

can be dark and dangerous.

[ Bird calling ]

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 ask

her 1-day-old ducklings to leave their nest.

She leads the way.

[ Chirping ]

The ducklings are imprinted on their mother.

Their instinct tells them to follow her.

However, it's a long drop,

and a few calls of encouragement are needed.

[ Ducklings chirping ]

Once the first ducklings land safely,

the rest find their courage.

They're so light and fluffy, they land with a bounce.

Born to fly,

their first experience of the outside world

is a fearless free fall.

for the last in line to make the jump.

But leaving the nest

was just the beginning of their adventure.

Now they must reach water.

[ Ducklings chirping ]

The nearest pond is quite a trek --

almost a mile away.

By following their mother's lead,

these ducklings have passed their first test.

Once in the water,

they will begin learning what's good to eat

and exploring their new watery world.

[ Quacking ]

First steps often seem to be the hardest to take.

Samburu National Park in Kenya.

A baby elephant has just been born.

She is frail, helpless,

and totally dependent on her mother.

[ Elephant growling ]

Elephants live in extended families,

but while this young mother was giving birth,

the rest of the herd moved on in search of food.

They're only a mile away, not far by elephant standards --

unless you're trying to walk for the first time.

The baby desperately needs

her first drink of mother's milk.

Like that of all mammals,

elephant milk is full of vital nourishment

and will kick-start the baby's immune system.

Without it, she is vulnerable to infection -- and worse.

[ Elephant growling ]

She is at the point of collapse.

[ Calf trumpets ]

But her mother is a first-time mom,

and instead of stopping to feed her baby,

she keeps searching for the family.

The day is getting hotter,

and the baby is at serious risk of dehydration.

She needs food and a chance to cool down.

Thankfully, in the rainy season, water can be found.

[ Birds chirping ]

Her mother uses the little pool to cool them off.

It seems to help them both.

[ Elephant trumpets ]

[ Calf trumpets ]

[ Elephant trumpets ]

Now when the baby searches for milk,

her mother gives her time to find it.

At last, she gets her first essential nourishment.

This is the lifeline she needed.

Revived by a full belly, she has the energy to continue

on her mother's search for the family.

Elephants use low-frequency sound to communicate --

sound that can travel for miles.

[ Elephant growling ]

The young mother homes in on the herd.

[ Elephant growling ]

[ Elephant trumpets ]

It's a joyous reunion.

The baby is finally introduced to the rest of the family,

and they're all very excited to meet her.

[ Elephants snorting ]

[ Elephant trumpets ]

These elephants will provide security and protection

throughout the years of her childhood.

[ Elephants snorting ]

[ Elephant trumpets ]

The extended family will also offer support to the mother

as she attempts to bring up her baby.

Yet life in the wild is full of unforeseen challenges,

and sometimes, despite a parent's best efforts,

they can lead to a tough start in life.

This female black bear is also a first-time mom.

She leads her 3-month-old twin cubs

out of their hibernation den in the forests of Minnesota.

Bears here normally come out of hibernation in May.

This year, spring has come a month early,

and the weather is warm.

She sets off with her cubs to look for food.

But the unseasonable weather can be fickle,

and winter suddenly returns, bringing Arctic winds and snow.

[ Wind whistling ]

[ Whistling continues ]

Miles from their den, the cubs are caught in the spring storm.

Their mother needs to keep them warm,

but she is inexperienced and allows them to climb a tree.

It's a normal reaction when a bear senses danger.

But it's a bad tactic.

Up here, they have no protection from the elements.

They are literally freezing.

Being so young, they still have only a single layer of fur.

They won't grow a second layer

until they hibernate in the autumn.

[ Cub groans ]

Their small bodies just can't generate enough heat.

The cold is cutting right through them.

Finally, their mother seems to understand the situation

and calls them down.

[ Bear grunting ]

Slowly, they make their way back to her.

The mother should now hunker down

so the frozen cubs can benefit from her body heat.

But instead, she moves off again,

expecting them to follow.

The tiny cubs find it almost impossible

to walk in the deep snow.

Their paws are too small and sink into the drifts.

The snow is deeper than they can manage.

The night draws in.

After dark, the temperatures here will drop dramatically.

Without their mother's warmth,

these cubs won't survive the night.

Morning arrives.

It's been a bitterly cold night.

But despite being young,

the mother managed to find them a sheltered spot.

She has kept the cubs warm, and, thankfully,

they have made it through their first trial of life.

For many young animals,

a wise mother is the difference between life and death.

There are some environments where this is particularly true.

This inhospitable land in Israel is not an easy place to live.

Up here, your footing needs to be firm,

and a head for heights is essential.

Meet the ibex.

They've made these precarious cliffs their own.

But for these newborn ibex kids,

this rocky wilderness makes for a nerve-racking nursery.

They spend the first few days of their life

at the very top of the cliffs,

relatively safe from predators who can't scale these summits.

However, at less than a week old,

they must leave their playtime plateaus.

They will attempt their first descent

of these terrifying rock walls.

Their mother needs to find food.

Now the steep terrain that has kept them safe

can turn treacherous.

Their mother leads the way.

The kids are, understandably, tentative.

But ibex are born with remarkable feet

made for just this purpose.

Slowly, they pick their way down the sheer rock faces

with cleft feet that spread wide,

exposing rubbery pads that grip the rock.

Their mother shows them the best route.

She's done it hundreds of times before.

Gradually, the kids start to get the hang of it,

But they need to focus.

One slip could be their last.

[ Bird cries ]

They're rewarded with a lush, new world

where there's plenty of food and water.

[ Bird cries ]

Here, the parents show off their balancing skills

as they all browse together.

But one kid has trailed behind.

And she's in trouble.

A fox.

And he's spotted the straggler.

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

But the fox is right on her heels.

He'll be hoping for a quick kill.

As the kid falters on the vertical rock face,

the fox tries to gain the higher ground.

Whether by instinct or by accident,

the kid has found a spot so steep

that only an ibex could stand there without toppling off.

The fox can't make the climb down

and has no choice but to give up.

The lessons learned on this morning's descent

have saved the kid's life.

Despite still being so young,

she has outfoxed one of the canniest of predators.

Mastering your terrain is a crucial part of growing up.

For some, it's also a race against time.

Here in the African Congo, a colony of skimmers,

so called for their special feeding technique,

has made these sandbanks their home.

But it won't be forever.

Before long, the waters here will rise,

and the birds will have to move on.

These young skimmers were born here

and are only a few weeks old.

[ Chirps ]

Before the river floods,

they need to learn to fly and 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.

They can slice through the water at more than 30 feet a second.

[ Skimmers squawking ]

If their beak hits something, it will snap shut.

It's an effective and elegant technique for catching fish.

The problem for youngsters is that they have to wait

for the lower part of their beak to reach its full length.

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,

so they need to practice the skill.

It's vital to their survival.

The clock is ticking.

Soon, all the sand they're using as a training ground

will be gone.

[ Thunder rumbling ]

The annual rains in the African Congo have arrived.

Very soon, these nursery sand flats

will be under several feet 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 runs are over.

It's time to test their flight skills.

Childhood is coming to an end.

The amount of time animals enjoy the protection of their parents

varies greatly.

For some, childhood can last for years.

These youngsters spend much of their time playing.

It might seem like only a game,

but play is essential to a young animal's development.

It helps with their strength, coordination, and social skills.

[ Cub growls ]

Playing is a crucial part of learning.

And the games can be a rehearsal for adult life.

Back in India, six months have passed,

and the tiger cubs are putting their play into practice

and trying to hunt.

They must follow their mother closely

as she stalks silently through the forest.

It's all about stealth.

Patience and timing are crucial.

The moment to pounce has to be exactly right.

[ Cub growling ]

[ Cub growls ]

But one of the cubs just can't contain himself.

His mother isn't pleased.

She'll have to start all over again.

The tiger cubs still have a lot to learn.

Next to humans,

orangutans have the longest of all primate childhoods.

This female orang is 42 years old.

Her daughter is 6

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

But then, there is so much to understand

in the treetop world of Sumatra.

She has to learn to collect ants and termites.

She will need to identify at least 300 edible plants

and avoid the poisonous ones.

Judging when fruit is ripe is essential.

The young orang must also be able to judge

which branches can carry her weight

and which insect nests are safe to raid.

[ Termites buzzing ]

Building up her knowledge of all the resources in the rainforest

is a lengthy and complex process.

But it's vital training

for a long, successful life in the wild.

Even so, there's always time to make a friend

and, supervised by a watchful parent,

the chance to play.

It's clear that your mother's example

has a huge impact on your chance of survival.

In many cases,

she is your sole teacher when growing up.

However, there are times

when following your mom can lead you into trouble.

A fast-flowing river in Kenya,

full of strong currents...

as well as crocodiles.

[ Crocodile growls ]

Despite the dangers,

this herd of elephants has to get across.

The matriarch of the group leads some youngsters into the river.

She knows that to reach the other side,

she has to head slightly upstream,

into the current.

[ Elephant trumpets ]

Watching from the shallows is a younger group.

These small calves have mothers who are far less experienced.

They watch the older matriarch reach the other side safely.

Then it's their turn to brave the river.

[ Calf squealing ]

But they didn't pick up on the matriarch's technique.

Almost immediately, they're in trouble.

And they're in too deep to go back.

[ Calf squeals ]

If the youngsters become separated,

they will easily drown.

[ Elephant trumpets ]

[ Calf squealing ]

[ Elephant trumpets ]

One has been overcome and is being swept downstream.

The mothers try to keep hold of the young ones,

but they can't contain all three.

As they save one, the others get washed away.

[ Elephant trumpets ]

[ Calf squealing ]

[ Elephant trumpets ]

The currents are even too strong for the mothers,

and they have no choice but to let their babies go.

[ Calf squealing ]

[ Squealing continues ]

[ Squealing continues ]

Finally, one baby manages to clamber out,

but the other two are still struggling.

[ Calf squealing ]

The mothers come to help,

but they have no way to lift them out.

[ Elephant snorts ]

The babies are weak and terrified.

[ Calf squealing ]

[ Elephant trumpets ]

[ Calf squealing ]

Eventually, they manage to get out --

to everyone's relief.

What started as a lesson in life turned into a nightmare.

Sometimes, it's adults

who dish out the toughest lessons.

[ Macaques squeaking ]

These toque macaques in Sri Lanka

live in large troops.

They have a very complex social structure,

with a rigid hierarchy.

If they're to make it through childhood,

youngsters must fit in.

Discipline is strictly maintained.

All young macaques are low-ranking,

and they have to learn how to show deference

through a variety of gestures and facial expressions.

[ Squeaking ]

Adults don't hesitate to show who's in charge.

This infant female is considered to be the lowest of the low,

and she won't survive long

if she doesn't learn the social conventions.

The dominant male is a harsh leader.

He demands respect from everyone,

no matter how young.

He won't tolerate any sign of insubordination.

If he looks another macaque in the eye,

they have to express submission by chattering their teeth.

[ Macaque chittering ]

The tiny female has caught his eye.

But does she know what to do?

If she gets it wrong, the punishment will be severe.

Just in time, she manages to chatter her teeth.

[ Chittering ]

[ Chittering ]

There will be many more tests in this young macaque's life,

but at least she's passed her first.

Getting through the early stages of childhood

can certainly be daunting.

As animals get older,

their chances of survival inevitably increase.

But different issues have to be confronted.

Just as for humans,

the teenage years can prove troublesome.

It's a time when boundaries are tested

and tempers can fray.

[ Kangaroo grunts ]

[ Bees buzzing ]

Mistakes are made.

[ Buzzing continues ]

And some can be painful.

[ Elephants growling ]

Full of testosterone,

young males all want to be the leader of the pack.

They aren't always ready for independence

but act like they are.

Being a teenager is stressful for everybody.

[ Growling ]

[ Tiger growls ]

In India, the tigers are now teenagers, too,

and their rough-and-tumble

has turned into more aggressive play fighting.

[ Tiger growls ]

The sparring is good practice for when they leave home

and may need to fend off other tigers.

[ Tigers roar ]

For now, though, they keep their claws in.

No hard feelings here.

To be independent,

they also need to learn to hunt their own prey.

But this is proving more difficult.

One of the males quietly creeps up on a deer.

But he breaks cover too soon.

His sister also misses her chance,

as the deer runs straight past her.

They will just have to keep practicing.

Of course, not all animals leave home.

Some stay with their extended families.

The size of the group can vary widely.

Hippos, for example, can form small pods...

...or come together in very large numbers.

Predators, such as wolves, form groups or packs

as a strategy for hunting.

Others find safety in numbers.

These gelada baboons are old enough to leave home,

but the protection of their social group

trumps independence, and they stay together.

[ Baboons chattering ]

Yet even within such groups,

there are individuals who were meant to be different,

whose fate is to leave their families.

One of those can be found in the African desert.

This little creature is a female naked mole rat.

She has never ventured above ground before.

She doesn't belong here.

Nighttime in the desert can be dangerous.

But tonight, she is risking her life

in an attempt to fulfill her destiny.

She has left the safety of her family

to go in search of a mate.

But with danger everywhere, will she even survive the night?

Naked mole rats are one of the planet's strangest mammals.

They live almost like bees.

Their hive is a network

of specially built tunnels underground.

[ Mole rats squeak ]

Their large colonies are ruled by one dominant female,

catered to by many so-called workers.

Only she will reproduce.

However, occasionally, there is a chosen offspring --

a princess who will grow up pampered and not have to work.

Instead, she reserves her energy for the big day

when she will leave the colony behind

and set out all by herself to start a new family.

Alone in the desert,

this princess won't survive for long.

Her search to find a partner is urgent.

But how will she find her prince?

She follows her nose.

Finally, a seductive scent draws her down to safety.

She's sniffed out a partner.

He too is alone

and eager to start a new family in his empty burrow.

[ Mole rats squeaking ]

Two months later, the princess has become a queen.

She has had her first litter of babies

and is now ready to start ruling

over a new dynasty of naked mole rats.

Someday, one of these little mole rats will be a chosen one.

She will be the next princess,

destined to leave home, like her mother,

to carry on the family line.

The tiger cubs are fully grown and almost ready to leave home.

One of the females is hunting alone.

She has perfected her stealth technique.

She knows it's all about timing.

And she has learned the art of patience.

[ Deer groans ]

Success.

It's only a fawn, but it's a start.

It's too small to share with her siblings,

and she makes that quite clear.

[ Roars ]

After two years of living and learning together,

these tigers no longer need their mother or each other.

They've already begun to carve out their own territories

and are ready to live life alone.

No matter who you are or where you live,

growing up is not an easy business.

There are many trials and tribulations along the way.

But each one helps shape

the character of the adult you will become.

[ Penguins squeaking ]

[ Calf squealing ]

Yet childhood is also exciting.

It's the time to discover the world for the very first time.

And for those who do make the grade,

a new adventure is just beginning.

To learn more about what you've seen on this "Nature" program, And for those who do make the grade,

visit pbs.org.