Original subtitles

[NARRATOR] Meet Frida, the jaguar cub.

For this youngster, growing up wild

is one giant adventure.

To survive in Brazil's iconic wetlands,

Frida must learn the laws of the land.

Like when to hide...

and when to fight.

[GROWLS]

She has her mother to teach her.

But her greatest test,

will be using those skills alone,

in this fierce land.

All across South America,

baby animals are taking their first steps,

and tackling their first challenges.

Their generations

are the future of their species.

They are, the New Kids In The Wild.

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

[JAGUAR HUFFS]

This is Gatuna.

She's a 7-year-old jaguar,

one of the most elusive cats on the planet.

[SNIFFING]

Her home is Brazil's Pantanal,

the largest tropical wetland in the world.

It stretches along the western border of Brazil

and is crisscrossed with rivers.

Gatuna, lives in a pocket of this wild land

called Caiman Ecological Refuge,

a protected area rich in wildlife.

It's over 500 square kilometres of wetland,

grassland, and small pockets of forest.

Jaguars are increasingly rare across South America.

But not here.

Caiman Ecological Refuge, floods every year.

[SNORTING]

With its huge range of habitats,

the wildlife is diverse.

This means, plentiful prey

for Gatuna and the other jaguars

who live in this hotspot.

[SNIFFING]

Gatuna has a GPS collar,

to help people learn more about these elusive hunters,

and keep them protected.

She's a solitary predator,

with a wealth of experience on her side.

And today, she has vital work to do.

She's marking her territory.

Spraying urine, and leaving droppings.

It's a warning to other jaguars.

This is her domain.

[GROWLING SOFTLY]

It's especially important right now,

because she's hiding something precious.

Tucked away in the undergrowth,

Gatuna has cubs.

[PURRING]

This is Frida,

and her sister, Alma.

They're six months old,

and starting to explore the world.

Like all jaguar cubs,

Frida and her sister were born blind and deaf.

[CRYING]

They're so vulnerable, the early weeks were spent

in remote dens, out of sight.

Frida was three months old when the family set off

into Gatuna's wider world.

She'll stay close to her mum for two years

as she learns the skills to be a successful jaguar.

She needs her mum's protection.

There are many dangers here.

The biggest, is from other jaguars.

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

Now, at six months, the family are in a wood

at the edge of Gatuna's territory.

Day by day, Frida gets to see more of her home.

There's lots of new sights.

New smells to sniff.

New animals to discover.

It's very exciting.

[FLIES BUZZING]

But her first jaguar lesson,

definitely isn't exciting.

How to stay safe and hidden when Gatuna heads off.

Her mum has a busy morning ahead.

Female jaguars raise their cubs alone,

and it's breakfast time.

There's a lot of choice on the menu.

Like this pampas deer.

But sneaking up on herbivores is no easy task.

They're constantly wary.

Gatuna is an expert in ambush.

The tall grass is the perfect cover.

Gatuna's built for strength, not speed.

She needs to get close

before making her move.

Spotted.

She's an expert huntress, but even she

will regularly miss her targets.

Gatuna has had no breakfast,

but Frida can definitely have hers.

[GATUNA GRUNTING]

Her mum's milk is so rich and filling,

Frida can go for days without nursing.

Very handy.

Frida is eating meat now, too,

as she's almost weaned.

With breakfast finished, there's no time to rest

for our jaguar mum.

Frida and her sister are left to hide. Again.

Already, they're very different cats.

Frida is curious and bold.

Alma is much more cautious.

But Frida can usually coax her sister to play.

[FRIDA GROWLING]

These games are a vital part of growing up.

[GRUNTING GENTLY]

They're helping Frida get strong and coordinated.

[BOTH HUFFING]

She'll need those skills, very soon.

Although this reserve is huge,

Gatuna's territory overlaps with other jaguars.

Frida spots movement.

This is Luna, a neighbour.

She's a young mum, with cubs of her own.

Frida knows to stay quiet and hope she's not seen.

Without her mum, she's an easy target.

Danger averted,

thanks to her mother's teaching.

[YAWNING]

Frida was born just before the rainy season.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

[RAIN PATTERING]

The Pantanal, floods every year.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

Rivers overflow their banks.

And immense lakes appear.

[INSECTS TRILLING]

Now, the cubs are nine months old,

and it's the middle of the dry season.

Water levels are dropping daily.

Frida is a full-time meat eater,

and she has a growing appetite.

The good news is, during the dry season,

lakes turn to ponds.

Animals congregate in these smaller areas.

[WARTHOG GRUNTING]

So, with the cubs hiding nearby,

Gatuna sets out to find lunch for everyone.

But here, there's fierce competition.

These are yacare caiman.

They're top ambush hunters,

constantly ready to kill.

These caiman have few predators.

But Gatuna is one of them.

She has a secret weapon.

Swimming.

Gatuna arrives unnoticed.

Caiman are quick.

Gatuna...

- [CAIMAN GROWLING] - [WATER SPLASHING]

[BIRDS SQUAWKING]

...is quicker.

She carries the caiman back to her cubs.

[GATUNA GRUNTING]

It's still safer for Frida to eat takeout,

than go to a kill site.

[FLIES BUZZING]

A fresh carcass attracts other predators,

and a young cub could suddenly be on the menu.

Frida loves the soft white meat.

It's her absolute favourite.

This is another great reason to learn how to hunt.

[CRUNCHING]

So after lunch, while Gatuna relaxes,

Frida practices her takedown skills on Alma.

[BOTH GROWLING GENTLY]

She's watched her mother pounce on her prey,

then bite through the skull, or back of the neck.

Frida is getting stronger and braver every day.

[BOTH SNARLING]

It's great fun being able to wrestle

her sister to the ground.

Building the agility to catch a caiman, though,

is going to take some real practice.

The sun rises on the Pantanal.

For Frida and Alma,

there's an exciting morning ahead.

[BIRD WARBLING]

Each day, Gatuna leads them deeper

into her 40-square-kilometre territory,

and teaches them more about being a jaguar.

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

Today, it's sniffing out the nearest freshwater.

[FRIDA GROWLING]

It's a timely lesson.

As the sun burns through, temperatures rocket.

It doesn't take them long to find a watering hole.

It's the perfect spot for Frida's coolest lesson.

Swimming.

Frida heads straight to the edge,

while Alma and her mum watch from the sidelines.

She can't resist a dip.

Frida is a natural,

paddling in the shallows.

Alma isn't so sure.

Frida looks to her sister to tempt her in.

Following her mum, Alma finds her courage.

But stays close.

Learning to swim will mean Frida can catch more caiman,

a food she loves so much.

But Alma has already had enough.

Looks like learning to swim is going to take ages.

Early afternoon, and it's still sweltering.

Everyone is resting in the heat.

Gatuna can't sit around all day.

She has two hungry mouths to feed.

The sisters have to play the waiting game, again.

Their mum, could be gone for hours.

And they should stay put and stick together.

Usually, Alma's the timid one.

But today, she's the first to break the rules,

and head out on an adventure.

Frida is quick to follow.

Traveling with mum

has brought them more confidence.

Soon, Gatuna will let them hunt small prey, alone.

Their instincts tell them to get exploring,

and test out some new skills.

Frida has learned from her mum.

But to find prey, she must listen,

and sniff out clues.

[SNIFFING]

Her nose has found something.

It's a great chance to try out some stalking.

She creeps as close as she can.

Hmm. Definitely one for the practice list.

[SNORTS]

Alma's following a very different smell.

[SNIFFING]

She's not sure what it is.

Or, more importantly, if it's tasty.

This giant anteater is out on the hunt.

His strange shape is perfect for eating ants and termites.

His long snout fits into narrow holes,

with a tongue that can reach up to 60 centimetres.

His sense of smell is superb.

It sniffs out prey,

and predators.

Curious Frida, can't resist a closer look.

The anteater is alarmed by their scent,

but stands its ground.

An adult jaguar would be frightening.

But not these two cubs.

Undeterred, Frida tries her new stalking technique.

[FRIDA GROWLING]

And gets firmly told off.

The sisters have got the drive,

just not the size or the skill.

[BIRDS SCREECHING]

While the cubs are off getting into mischief,

Gatuna is nearby,

keeping an eye

on a squadron of peccary.

They're snuffling for grubs and roots.

The shrinking lake has lots of visitors.

More eyes to watch out for danger.

[GRUNTS]

Gatuna needs to be at her stealthy best.

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

The peccary have babies.

But a baby wouldn't make much of a meal

for a family of three.

So, Gatuna sets her sights on something bigger.

[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]

An adult foraging alone.

[PECCARY SQUEALING]

[PECCARY GRUNTING]

Gatuna catches it...

[PECCARY GRUNTS FAINTLY]

...and carries it back to the cubs.

Her daughters are tucked in their hiding place

just in time.

[YAWNING]

[SNIFFING]

Frida emerges to find a family-sized peccary,

and Alma's already pushing her way to the front.

[MUNCHING]

These new adventures really are making her braver,

and hungry.

[BONES BREAKING]

Frida lets her have first dibs, for now.

The peccary has left its mark on Frida's mum.

It's a reminder of just how dangerous

hunting can be.

But right now, this cut

is the least of Gatuna's worries.

With highly-tuned nose and ears,

she senses they have company.

Gatuna's biggest threat

comes from other jaguars.

She's on the edge of her territory.

This could be a male looking for a mate,

or a hungry neighbour.

Either way, her family are at risk.

[BONES CRACKING]

Scratching the grass where they were lying,

she covers their scent,

and sends them into hiding.

It's just in time.

The intruder is here.

It's Luna,

the young mum from next door.

She's smelled the peccary, and wants it for her family.

She's too close for comfort.

They'll avoid fighting, if they can.

Neither can afford to get hurt.

Gatuna tries to push her rival away.

Luna, stands her ground.

[BOTH SNARLING]

The younger cat, backs down.

For now.

The battle is over,

but definitely not the war.

The following morning,

both mothers are battle-worn,

but haven't moved far.

Both have territories and cubs to defend.

Both, want to hold their ground.

Luna is back for round two.

By rolling, she indicates some submission.

But she's not giving any ground.

Gatuna is having none of it.

Neither cat can afford another fight.

Neither can they sit here forever.

Their cubs need them.

Gatuna is the more experienced and heavier cat.

Luna knows it.

Gatuna needs Luna gone.

She stalks the other cat.

Pushing her back into her own patch.

She holds the pressure when Luna pauses.

And then pushes again.

[GATUNA SNARLS]

Finally, the younger cat accepts defeat.

With Luna gone, Gatuna hurries back to her cubs.

She's been away almost 48 hours.

They'll be hungry.

She heads towards the peccary dinner spot,

calling as she gets near.

[GATUNA GRUNTING SOFTLY]

[GATUNA GRUNTING SOFTLY]

Alma appears obediently from the hiding place.

Frida, is nowhere to be seen.

Gatuna calls...

[GATUNA GRUNTING SOFTLY]

...but no second cub bounces from the woodland.

Gatuna keeps calling.

[GATUNA GRUNTING SOFTLY]

But nothing.

[BIRD SQUAWKING]

In fact, Frida is too far away to hear her mum.

Bored with waiting, she's headed off alone.

She's found a great new patch of forest to explore,

but her solo adventure has taken an unexpected turn.

Pumas also stalk the Pantanal.

Normally, they give way to the larger jaguars.

But at nine months old,

Frida is nearly the same size as this prowler.

Frida's just witnessed a catfight,

and it wasn't pretty.

She stays hidden.

But now, she has a bigger dilemma.

Hide out here with only a chance

that her mother will find her.

Or search for her family,

exposing herself to more danger.

Frida decides to stay put for now.

One prowling cat is more than enough company

for an afternoon.

Gatuna has been calling and walking for hours,

with no response.

[GATUNA GRUNTING SOFTLY]

The reality is harsh.

Alone, Frida's chances are slim.

[GATUNA GROWLING SOFTLY]

Gatuna has to choose

between a lost cub that may never be found

and a hungry cub she still has.

She does what she must,

and heads south, to her favourite watering hole.

They don't wait long.

There's a coati on the bank.

Gatuna races in.

Alma is ravenous.

[BONES CRUNCHING]

Night rolls in.

A few kilometres to the north,

for the first time in her life,

Frida is sleeping alone.

In the morning, Frida decides to leave the woodland.

Instinct and hunger urges her to find her mother.

[FRIDA GROWLING]

She's still too young to hunt alone.

Her sense of smell tells her

she's still in Gatuna's territory.

But her scent markings are old and faint.

By using her newly-trained nose and ears,

there's a chance she could track down her family.

If another jaguar doesn't find her first.

Gatuna and Alma are on the marshland.

They've headed north,

back towards where Frida was lost.

Today, it's caiman for breakfast.

Soon, this area will be transformed.

When the rainy season comes, the land will flood.

Then catching food, will become harder again.

Frida hasn't had any breakfast.

But she has avoided danger so far.

Now, she stumbled upon a brand-new sight.

[COW MOOING]

As well as being a protected reserve,

Caiman Lodge also has a cattle ranch.

These Pantaneiros herd cattle through the wetland

all year round.

Jaguar mums prey on calves to feed their cubs.

[COW MOOING]

In much of Brazil, they'd be shot by ranchers.

[COWS MOOING]

But in this protected area, jaguars are left alone.

As the ranchers head away, Frida spots something else.

One of the herd has died.

It's an incredible stroke of luck.

She hasn't eaten since the peccary,

three days ago.

The carcass could be a huge feast.

But she's learned a kill site is dangerous.

Other cats could be lurking.

She hangs back, watching and listening.

Then, keeping alert, as her mother has shown her,

Frida tucks in.

[BIRDS TRILLING]

Morning comes.

It's day two without her family.

Frida's done well to survive this long alone.

But this morning, her well-trained nose

has got a whiff of something special.

A recent scent from her mum and Alma.

She may be too late.

[SNIFFING]

But if she can follow the trail,

there's a chance.

[BIRDS WARBLING]

[SNIFFING]

Soon, she's not the only one smelling something familiar.

Gatuna and Alma, are catching it too.

This mum has taught her bold cub well.

She calls out to her daughter.

[GATUNA GRUNTING SOFTLY]

[FRIDA SNIFFING]

After days alone in the wild,

Frida is reunited with her sister,

and her mum.

She's home.

It's been a big nine months for this small cub.

From vulnerable beginnings, she's become a bold explorer.

Beating the odds, and making it home.

She's found her love of climbing,

of water,

and of caiman.

There's still lots to learn.

[ANTEATER GROWLING]

But with a wise mum to teach her,

she'll soon have her own territory,

defending it, when she needs to.

And in this protected land,

become a great mum herself one day.