Original subtitles

(singing) mtv.

[music playing]

Narrator: Best friends come in all shapes and sizes.

A tiny meerkat with some predatory playmates,

He's rough with them.

He likes to play.

Narrator: A rhino who gets a spring in her step

When she sees a certain dog.

It was a match made in heaven for them.

Narrator: And two mismatched big cats bonding like sisters.

Allison hedgecoth: They seemed so happy there was no

Longer a fence in between them.

Narrator: Around the world, animals don't

Always see their differences.

Friends only have eyes for each other.

But when nature tries to keep species apart,

What brings these unusual couples together,

Turning natural born enemies into fast friends,

Predators into protectors, and prey into playmates?

[music playing]

In south africa, the rhino poaching crisis

Is creating many orphans whose parents have been killed

For their horns.

Some of those orphans end up at the hoedspruit endangered

Species center, a park with over 5,000 acres

Of enclosed, protected bushland.

The sanctuary looks after the rehabilitation

Of young southern white rhinos, many of whom

Were still nursing when their mothers were killed.

The goal is to release them into private protected game

Reserves.

Animal curator juandrey simons looks after the 11 rhinos

Currently in their care.

But these two adults won't be here for long.

Juandrey simons: They've had their horns poached.

The top one, or the second horn itself,

Has been completely cut off.

But they've gone through multiple, multiple

Medical procedures to help with their noses

To fix up the horns.

And they are literally now maybe a week away

From being released.

Narrator: In another part of the center,

This young female has a longer journey ahead.

Esme was rescued as a month-old baby

From a nearby game reserve.

Her mother, a first-time mom, wasn't producing milk.

Half-starved, esme had pressure sores on her legs,

As she was too weak to stand.

The sanctuary had no choice but to separate mother from infant

And bring esme into their care.

Juandrey simons: When we got esme,

Esme was extremely malnourished.

She was sad and depressed.

She didn't quite understand what happened.

Why was I taken away from my mother?

Then we started bottle-feeding her,

Giving her all of the love and attention

That we could muster up.

Narrator: In the wild, baby rhinos wean at 12 months,

But rely heavily on their mothers

Until they're three years old for comfort,

Safety, and to learn to graze.

If they're lonely and depressed, rescued babies

Have been known to refuse food, putting

Their own lives at risk.

But esme's playful and curious spirit was still strong.

Her wounds were healing and she was putting on weight.

But one thing was missing--

A companion to reassure her.

Juandrey simons: [inaudible]

Narrator: An unrelated adult rhino

Would never bond with esme, so she was introduced

To a puppy called darvid.

Come, darvid.

From the first time that they met one another,

They were loving towards one another.

And it was a match made in heaven for them.

Come, darvid.

Come, esme.

Shh, shh!

If she was feeling down, darvid would go and lick her

Or chew on the horn.

[inaudible]

They were always together.

They were inseparable.

Come, darvid.

They basically just grew up together.

Narrator: The budding friendship lasted nearly a year,

Until nature caught up with them.

Juandrey simons: Esme grew a lot faster than darvid did.

She stepped on his foot and he got a bit injured.

And his back got a bit hurt.

We took care of him.

He was completely fine again.

And then we had to take darvid away from her.

Narrator: Esme found herself alone in her enclosure

Once more, and she quickly became depressed.

The center had to find her a new long-term partner.

So they introduced esme to millie, a young petty lamb,

A hardy species with a herding instinct perfectly suited

To support a growing rhino.

Juandrey simons: Esme was a bit scared.

She didn't really know what this thing is.

And she's used to darvid.

She's always been used to darvid.

So it took us a few weeks to introduce them to one another.

And then esme got used to her.

Narrator: A year and a half later, the bond between the two

Is strong.

Away from poachers, esme's horn has grown,

And she's now a powerhouse, weighing more than a ton.

The friendship has blossomed through their love of running

In the park together every day.

And so far, millie has been nimble enough to stay

Unscathed by the big rhino.

Once they've worked up an appetite,

It's back to the enclosure for lunch.

Despite her size difference, millie holds her own

When it comes to sparring over food.

Juandrey simons: Millie tries to hit esme with her head.

And then basically, that would teach esme

How to use her own horn as a defense mechanism

Against other rhinos or predators.

Narrator: The worst predators around here are rhino poachers.

So 24/7, an anti-poaching unit patrols the high-security fence

Around the wider reserve.

But some dangers can't be kept out.

Esme's bad luck has struck again.

She's been bitten by a snake right in between her toes,

And she's confined to her paddock.

Juandrey simons: The way she's taking it, unfortunately,

Is not very good.

She loves just walking out in the project

And eating her grass and doing everything

She wants on her time.

So she gets a bit frustrated just staying here.

Narrator: For more than a month, esme has been robbed

Of her favorite pastime--

That daily run with millie in the open park.

Some days, she's a bit depressed,

Just lying there, looking at everyone with sad eyes.

Looks like she's crying, because she doesn't

Really want to be confined.

Narrator: So to cheer her up, juandrey has an idea--

A visit from her former playmate.

Esme hasn't seen darvid in a long time.

Juandrey simons: Come, darvid.

Come, darvid.

Darvid!

Narrator: He's quick to remind her

Of the bond they used to have.

Juandrey simons: Darvid, he just loves nibbling on her horn.

Probably just tastes very interesting to him.

He used to do that when she was little, as well.

Esme is starting to realize that they are old-time friends.

Slowly but surely, esme is starting to defrost,

If you can say that, amazingly.

Narrator: Millie doesn't seem quite sure

What to make of it all.

[music playing]

The playful reunion offers a chance for juandrey

To assess esme's foot.

Juandrey simons: Running around like that,

She's putting a lot of pressure on the foot.

She's using the foot a lot.

So it looks like the injury is doing really, really good.

I'm really glad with the progress.

It's really good to see.

It's really, really nice.

Narrator: Both are worn out, and juandrey

Can see he'll have to schedule another play date soon.

A week later, the bandage on esme's leg is gone.

And today, she's finally allowed out into the park again--

With her trusted millie in tow, of course.

Juandrey simons: They walked out,

And the first instinct was just to run--

To be free.

[music playing]

She will go back into the wild and live a happy life there.

Narrator: Esme is at the beginning

Of her journey to independence.

And with millie, darvid, and juandrey as her support team,

She has every chance to succeed.

While size might not be an issue in some friendships,

For three fast-growing carnivore cubs,

It could put the life of their tiny friend at risk.

In south africa, loebies predator park

Provides a home to some of the country's

Rescued large carnivores.

Owner annel snyman runs the strangest of kindergartens here.

Carla is a six week-old brown hyena.

Annel took her in after her mother

Was caught in a farmer's trap.

Carla's current companion's are two captive-born lion

Cubs, safari and suzie.

The two were rejected by their mother

And now need round-the-clock care.

As they were born in captivity, they can't

Ever be released into the wild.

But when they're old enough, they'll

Be able to live in one of the large natural enclosures

At the park.

The three babies will grow into formidable predators.

But an even more fearsome creature

Keeps this trio in line.

This is pokkel, a meerkat, the bossiest resident

In anell's park.

Annel snyman: I think pokkel thinks he's in charge.

He is rough with them.

He likes to play.

But if they get rough with each other-- like

The lion cubs and the hyena--

Then he will come in between.

Narrator: Pokkel's got airs above his status,

And clearly doesn't know his place in the food chain.

In the wild, pokkel could literally be

Breakfast for these predators.

But here, this fearless little carnivore takes

Charge of who is eating what--

And it's not him.

When he's hungry, he will turn around

And push his butt towards them.

He's pushing them out of the way so he can eat first.

And they must be submissive.

Yeah.

He's the dominant one.

Narrator: Pokkel wasn't always this confident.

He was brought in by members of the public

Who found him only days old, wandering

Alone without a family.

Annel snyman: He was very cold.

He was almost on the edge of dying.

And I pulled him through.

Narrator: Pokkel grew quickly, but raised by humans,

He can never go back to the wild.

And meerkats live in large troupes, so he needs company.

Annel snyman: [non-english speech]

Narrator: Fortunately, every new arrival at the kindergarten

Gives him just that.

Annel snyman: [non-english speech]

Narrator: So when carla the hyena first arrived here

At only a few days old, pokkel was quick to take her

Under his wing.

Annel snyman: Pokkel!

Come pokkel.

Narrator: They were a similar size back then, but not anymore.

Annel snyman: Pokkel and carla like to play with each other.

Pokkel likes to jump on top of carla's-- on his neck,

Or he will clamp down on him and think he can hold him back.

Narrator: Teaching the young animals to be inquisitive

Will help them learn about their environment.

Today, the object of curiosity is an egg.

Carla and the cubs get the ostrich egg, one of the largest

In the animal kingdom.

Pokkel needs something more his size--

A chicken's egg.

But as usual, he wants what the big kids have,

And prefers to play with them.

The youngsters are growing up fast.

Soon, their predatory instincts will make

Them too dangerous for pokkel.

So far, he's managed to avoid injury

From their playful bites.

But carla is starting to try out her strong jaws.

Once she's fully grown, her bite will be five

Times stronger than a human's.

And the lion cubs will soon be 200 times heavier than pokkel.

By then, even a friendly play bite could be the end of him.

Annel snyman: They need to go back with their own species.

That's difficult for them to be together forever.

Narrator: One day soon, the lion and hyena cubs

Will have to move to a natural enclosure

Fit for large carnivores.

For now, though, they're all still just the right size

For a game of chase.

Pokkel will remain the king of the kindergarten,

And the rowdy foursome can stay blissfully

Unaware of their differences for just a little while longer.

[music playing]

When an animal finds the right companion,

As one exotic cat is about to discover,

The bond can be life-changing.

Noah's ark is a sanctuary in the united states

For all sorts of animals rescued from private owners

And the illegal pet trade.

The team here is always looking for ways to keep

The inhabitants stimulated.

It goes around here.

Narrator: Today, they're building a swing bed for one

Of their biggest residents.

Animal manager allison hedgecoth is in charge.

Thank you guys.

Ready?

Here you go.

Narrator: This is liberty, a six-year-old lioness

Who came here when she was one.

Liberty was rescued from a private facility

Where visitors paid to pose for photos with her.

Her arrival brought a host of new challenges for allison.

Allison hedgecoth: She really did

Need a forever home where she would

Be safe and not exploited.

But we didn't have any other lions for her to live with.

And so we were faced with a problem,

Because lions are very social animals.

Narrator: In their natural habitat,

Lions live in prides that average 13 members.

They need that social interaction

For their well-being.

Allison hedgecoth: Liberty!

Narrator: But liberty was all alone.

At first, the team tried to keep her engaged with toys.

But to thrive in captivity, this lonely lion needed a companion.

One day, allison noticed that liberty was paying

A lot of attention to her older next door neighbor,

A 16-year-old bengal tiger named tiger lily.

Allison hedgecoth: Tiger lily and liberty

Lived in separate enclosures right next to each other.

So they could see each other, smell each other,

Kind of get used to each other.

Narrator: Pretty soon, the two cats were setting up

Their own play dates.

They would play through the fence.

They would rub up against the fence

And try and snuggle with each other and touch each other.

Narrator: Allison wondered, could

Tiger lily be the right companion for liberty?

Liberty, a six-year-old lioness, was in need of company.

Putting two large and dangerous predators of different species

Together is not considered good practice,

But allison hedgecoth decided to take a chance--

Allison hedgecoth: Tiger lily!

Narrator: And put the two big cats in the same enclosure.

Allison hedgecoth: There you go.

Narrator: Coming from different continents,

The african lion and asian tiger could never meet in the wild.

We were all a little bit nervous, just because anything

Can happen with animals.

Narrator: The keepers watched with bated breath.

Allison hedgecoth: It was great.

There were no issues.

Both tiger lily and liberty seemed

So happy that there was no longer a fence in between them.

Narrator: Together, their futures

Suddenly looked a lot brighter.

But it was too early to judge whether this could

Be a long-term friendship.

The real proof would be in the pudding, at feeding time.

Normally, in the wild, big cats

Aren't very friendly towards each other at feeding time.

They're very competitive.

And with big cats, a confrontation

Can be very, very dangerous.

Come on, babies.

I know.

Easy.

It's your favorite time of the day, honey.

I know.

You stay on your spot.

Narrator: Giving them each a designated feeding place--

Come here, baby girl.

Narrator: --Helps to keep the peace.

Come on, lily.

Narrator: But if you live with a lion--

Ah-ah!

Narrator: --When you snooze--

Liberty!

Narrator: --You lose.

Allison hedgecoth: Liberty is usually very sweet,

But feeding time is a different matter.

Lions in the wild, when they make a kill,

It's a very intense time for everybody to eat.

Because usually, there can be 7 to 10 lions trying to eat.

She's acting like a normal lion on a kill.

Slow down.

Slow down.

Tiger lily really doesn't mind.

She's probably just thinking, that crazy lion.

I mean, there's food on this slab.

There's food on that slab.

I don't know why she's getting so worked up about it.

Narrator: There's a reason for tiger

Lily's laid-back attitude.

Allison hedgecoth: Tigers are solitary.

When a tiger makes a kill--

It's the apex predator.

It's usually able to dine at leisure.

You're a good girl.

Narrator: Lily's chilled-out style

And liberty's displays of affection,

Despite her possessiveness over food,

May be the key to their harmonious relationship.

The two have now been living happily together

For five years, but captive animals need more than company

To thrive.

To keep them stimulated, allison designs enrichment activities

To engage their brains.

Today, she's trying something new.

Allison hedgecoth: It's the first time

They've had the bubble bath.

Narrator: Playful liberty is first in, and heads straight

For the ball.

Allison hedgecoth: Get it!

Liberty loves balls.

That's obviously a very predatory reaction.

It helps them use these natural talents

And instincts that they have.

What do you think?

Narrator: Tiger lily is less interested in the ball

And more eager for a bath.

That makes sense, as wild tigers love to lounge in water.

Allison hedgecoth: Finally, some peace and quiet.

She can just wear herself out with that ball.

You sit there and soak in the tub.

Narrator: But liberty spots that tiger lily also has a ball.

Allison hedgecoth: Don't you come over here to steal hers.

She's not going to let you have her ball.

Narrator: Despite their different characters,

The two animals are connecting through play.

Allison hedgecoth: Uh-oh.

Oh, no.

Oh, no! It's a goner.

Tiger lily's just like, fine, I don't care.

I pushed it out. I didn't want it anyways.

You two are such sisters.

Narrator: It's an odd coupling-- the social

Lion and the solitary tiger--

But in this case, it works.

And that's to both their benefit.

Allison hedgecoth: Having a companion

Changed liberty's life immensely.

She would not be nearly as happy today.

She wouldn't be as healthy today.

You big goofball.

I think it enriched tiger lily's life as well.

And maybe it was like the little sister she always wanted.

Narrator: And, as everyone knows,

A sibling bond is for life.

[music playing]

Sometimes, the search for company

Need only extend to the friends next door.

That's what happened here, at auchingarrich wildlife centre

In the scottish countryside.

Every year, the lambing season brings delicate new life

To the farm's fields.

The bond between mother and lamb is instant and vital.

But a small percentage of the lambs are sometimes rejected.

Either their mother isn't producing milk

Or the lamb isn't suckling properly.

Without milk and warmth, the new lambs won't survive.

Thankfully, the farm has a supply

Of warm, woolly sweaters knitted by the ladies from the village.

So every morning starts with fitting in the hands

Of owner maxine scott.

They wear little jumpers in the wintertime.

Indeed, in February, we have to have them with jumpers

On because it's quite cold, even though we've

Got a heat lamp inside.

Narrator: Another way to keep the lambs warm

Is to build up their fat reserves.

At this age, they need to be fed five times a day.

The young flock of orphans eats and sleeps here,

In the farm's hatchery.

It may be full of noisy birds, but it's the warmest barn,

And just what young lambs need.

But these de facto orphans also crave a mother figure.

Once in the barn, they become intrigued by who's

Living next door.

Millie is a giant continental rabbit.

Rabbits aren't normally the size of lambs,

But giant continentals can weigh up to 50 pounds.

That's eight times your average rabbit.

And size has been a problem for millie.

Maxine scott: She's bigger than the domestic rabbits

That we have.

She hasn't got the same companionship

As the other rabbits in here because we

Don't have anything her size.

The other rabbits, they've got burrows and things.

And millie is too big to be there with them.

Narrator: But rabbits need social interaction

To prevent stress.

Now, who could possibly fulfill that role?

Hello, are you here to see millie?

Narrator: One day, maxine decided

To let millie out of her pen to meet

The barn's other residents.

The reception she received was instant.

Maxine scott: When the lambs came,

It was just so unusual to see.

They were all racing around together,

And then we'd have a little race and lie down together,

And a little bit of grooming, and then they would

Move on and have another race.

Millie really seemed to want to be with them.

I think she takes them on as her little babies

And wants to look after them.

Narrator: Now, maxine lets them out together every day.

Today, it's warm enough for them to head out

To the field for a play date, where the big babysitter

Can watch over her young lambs.

Their constant affection has transformed

Millie from lonely rabbit to doting playmate.

Maxine scott: I'm so pleased that we did let her out

Beside them, because she's really been enjoying life

Since the lambs came along--

And getting lots of exercise as well, eh, millie?

Narrator: With the coldest months behind,

The woolly sweaters will soon be shed.

The warmth millie and the lambs get from their friendship

Will be more than enough.

In England, a dog's herding instinct and playful

Personality are helping some very important

Birds live up to their legacy.

Here in the suffolk countryside, a puppy and his owner

Have been trusted with a royal mission.

Mike keen and ralph the sheepdog run a country pub.

But this one is different.

In one of the outbuildings--

Hi, guys.

Narrator: --Three very special birds

Are training for an exceedingly important job.

How are ya?

Good morning.

Who's hungry?

Super exciting.

These are the three chicks from the tower of london.

Narrator: For centuries, ravens have been associated

With the tower of london, one of the most

Historic buildings in britain.

Mike is hand-rearing these two brothers and their sister,

Who will all have a key role to play there.

They're deeply entrenched in british mythologies

Now, so yeah, big responsibility for me.

Narrator: The tower of london is the royal castle that

Houses britain's crown jewels.

Royal tradition decrees that six ravens must guard

The treasures at all times.

Legend has it that if the ravens die or fly away,

The kingdom will fall.

So a supply of loyal ravens is always at the ready,

Able to jump in if duty calls.

Mike enlists ralph, who's worked with birds before,

To help train the new recruits.

Mike keen: This is grippe.

This is the original.

She's 15 months old.

I've had her since she was three weeks.

And she-- ralph is exactly the same age.

Grippe was hatched on the same day ralph was born,

So they're almost twins.

Narrator: Ralph's job was to help grippe fly longer

And build her wing strength by chasing her around.

He's a briard, which is a french sheepdog,

So they've got a lot of herding instinct.

Ralph.

Narrator: But he didn't always know when to stop.

Mike keen: Ralph.

[caw]

Narrator: He's fully grown now, but ralph

Still loves to play chase.

Mike keen: Ralph.

Ralph!

Narrator: Today, mike and ralph are training

The next generation using professional falconry

Techniques and positive reinforcement.

They must learn to fly, and more importantly, come back.

Hey, guys. Come on.

Narrator: At the tower of london,

The ravens are free to fly around.

They must be trained to stay within the castle walls.

So the first challenge here is to ensure the youngsters, who

Have only just started flying, don't disappear

Off into the distance.

Mike keen: Come on.

Narrator: The future of the realm could depend on it.

Mike keen: Come on.

[whistle] ralph.

Narrator: All three ravens are out,

But they haven't flown away.

So far, so good.

Now, ralph and mike must put the ravens through their paces

At flight school.

Grippe keeps a sharp eye on the new recruits.

Come on.

They can go for about a good five minutes now--

Clear flight.

What I'm just trying to do now is get them to associate coming

Back to my hand with food, so if I'm walking around,

I can call them and they come back to the hand.

That's the theory, anyway.

Whether it happens or not, they have their own thoughts

On that matter.

There we go.

Narrator: First lesson is takeoff and landing.

Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.

Come on.

Go on, sit on here.

Narrator: Each time, mike steps back a few paces

To build their confidence.

Go on. It's on there.

Good boy.

Narrator: The young ones are still hesitant.

That wasn't very good, was it?

That wasn't very impressive.

Narrator: But then ralph steps in with some gentle motivation.

Mike keen: You've been a bit lazy.

Come on.

Good boy, ralph.

I guess he's like the annoying younger brother,

And they just try to get away from him now.

Yeah, he's great.

He's a very good, helpful flying companion.

Ready?

Go on.

Narrator: But today, ralph's enthusiasm

Overwhelms one of the youngsters.

Mike keen: Ralph, where's the bird?

Where's the bird?

Narrator: The kingdom is in danger.

Mike keen: Hey, you.

Narrator: Mike to the rescue.

Mike keen: Where did you get to, eh?

Narrator: It's not the best of starts.

So can ralph do better with the next raven?

This is the girl.

She's the cleverest one.

Good girl.

Narrator: That's more like it.

Just going to take her, see if she wants to do a slightly

Longer fly this time.

You ready?

Go on.

Narrator: Ravens are powerful birds that can fly over 100

Miles a day, but here, short flights

Are what mike is hoping for.

Mike keen: It's always really nerve-racking when you let them

Off, because there's always the worry that they're

Not going to come back.

Here she comes.

Look!

[whistle]

Here she comes.

Narrator: But this time, success.

Mike keen: That was great.

Just flown back to a safe place that is visible,

And hasn't flown away.

But yeah.

That was really good.

Yeah.

Proud dad.

And you two, you need to practice a bit more.

Your sister's shown you up.

Narrator: The three royal ravens might not

Be quite ready for the tower yet,

But with ralph eager to push them on,

The queen's future should be in safe claws and paws.

[whistle]

In california, the dense woods fringing lake tahoe

Provide the perfect habitat for diverse wildlife,

Including one of north america's largest rodents, the porcupine.

But this young female is special.

She's called maude, and she's a rescued porcupine who lives

Here in homewood, california.

Maude is returning from her daily walk in the woods.

Ann bryant has a permit to provide

Rehabilitation care to a range of injured

And orphaned native animals.

Ann bryant: Here you go, buddy.

I know, it doesn't taste like mama.

Narrator: Ann's goal is to return as many

Of them as possible back to the wild.

Occasionally, there will be one that isn't

Releasable for whatever reason.

This would be the case with maude.

She was born of a mother that was injured.

Narrator: Maude's mom had been hit by a car.

Ann bryant: Maude's mother was rescued

By the side of the road.

I knew she was in pretty rough shape,

But I didn't know that she was about to have a baby.

Three days later, she gave birth to maude.

She was a teeny little ball of fluff.

Narrator: Ann hoped the mother would

Soon be strong enough to take maude back to the wild

With her.

Sadly, it was not to be.

Her mother died of her injuries, leaving maude

Reliant on human help forever.

As she grew bigger, ann's bulldog puppy

Called mack took a liking to the prickly newcomer.

So did mack's older sister, mosey.

Over time, the three became inseparable.

Ann bryant: I don't think either one of my bulldogs

Gave it a thought that other bulldogs don't have porcupines

Living in their house.

To them, it is normal.

Narrator: They may be different species,

But they do have some similarities.

Ann bryant: They're kind of at the same eye level.

They're kind of chubby, and they kind of walk funny.

They're kind of close to the ground.

They're not very graceful.

They're not very speedy.

One's a rodent.

One's a canine.

Go figure.

Narrator: Even so, dogs and porcupines

Don't normally see eye to eye.

Something to do with the 30,000 sharp quills, perhaps?

Ann bryant: Dogs are notorious for getting

A face full of quills.

And people always think that the porcupine

Shot their quills at the dog and hit them right in the mouth.

But what actually happens is, the dog will attack

The porcupine and bite them, and then the quills

Go into the dog's mouth.

Narrator: But maude has never had any reason to show

Her quills to mack and mosey.

They remain hidden under her dense coat of guard hairs.

Unfortunately, maude's domestic upbringing means she'll

Have to stay in ann's care.

Ann bryant: She became extra tame.

She would have no fear of people--

Or dogs.

And that would be important being a wild porcupine.

Narrator: Maude and the bulldogs are now an integral part

Of ann's animal rehab efforts.

Right now, the dogs are helping to nurture this gosling as it

Recovers from a damaged leg.

Ann bryant: My dogs, they're like surrogate parents.

They've helped raise several goslings.

We have one right now that they're very attached to.

When we get baby animals, they want to help.

Sometimes, they'll just let them sleep next to them

To stay warm.

These guys just were raised around the critters,

And they know to be nice.

Narrator: Maude also pitches in.

She's comforted this little orphan

And got her ready for rehabilitation without the need

For human contact.

Ann bryant: She is so sweet with them.

She helps take care of them, watch

Them, give them tenderness.

Narrator: Today, the unlikely trio

Is joining ann on a mission.

Five rescued merganser ducklings are destined

For release in lake tahoe.

Ann bryant: Put them in the back.

Narrator: First, the team must find a potential foster parent

On the lake with a brood of appropriately sized ducklings.

It should then instinctively take

The five orphans into its care.

Ann bryant: The tricky part is, our babies cannot

Be smaller than their babies.

They have to either be the same size or bigger.

And then the adoptive parents should take them.

So everybody watch.

Mack, keep your eyes open.

There's a family.

Narrator: There's only one way to see whether the mother duck

Is willing to expand her brood.

It's a rather unceremonious introduction

Which causes no harm.

Ann bryant: But that's a good sign.

Go with her.

She's taking them.

She's taken them.

Oh, there we go.

Success!

That's our five.

Narrator: She's going to be busy.

Her family of 12 is now 17.

Ann bryant: They're all over there.

Ok, now she's got them.

Ok, let's get out of here.

That's always one of the rewards.

Now, they're where they belong.

Narrator: Maude and the bulldogs have provided

Invaluable moral support.

Yay, we did it!

What do you think?

Porcupine slept right through it.

We'll have to show her pictures later.

It's all one big team.

Thanks, guys.

Narrator: Now, it's back to the sanctuary to help some more

Wayward animals settle in.

When young animals help each other through tough times,

It can build a happier life for all

And result in some truly amazing animal friendships.