- [Narrator 1] The elephants don't realize
that down at the river
the pride is feasting on a buffalo kill.
(lion growls)
The elephants become more distressed.
(elephant grunts)
(elephant roars)
(grass rustles)
(birds chirp)
- [Narrator 2] Within minutes of crossing the border,
Sam spots a familiar predator
but it's not one of the lions.
It's a lone hyena mother and a young Cub Sam's seen before.
She's named the cub Kadiki, local dialect for little thing.
- When they're tiny cubs, they are so, so cute with dog fur
and just these tiny little faces with big ears.
They really, they really are something.
(gentle music)
- [Narrator 2] The black fur indicates
the cub's about two months old.
Young hyena cubs only come out of their den
when their mothers are present.
So this is a rare treat for Sam.
- You see it's a greedy little baby.
He just keeps pushing up a mom's belly
trying to get more milk.
- [Narrator 2] Kadiki won't be weaned
for another year or two.
Soon, her mother will take her to a communal den
where she'll live with other cubs and babysitters,
but for now she's alone in the den she was born in
and completely dependent on her mother.
- Unlike lions, where they have group suckling
and the females help each other look after the cubs,
this is all the responsibility belies on this female.
(hyena cub whines)
So when we see these hyenas
trying to scavenge from the leopards and the lions,
it's nice to just remind yourself
that there's a reason that they're doing it.
Obviously, they have to stay alive
and they have to feed their cubs back at the den.
- [Narrator 2] Suckling is a huge demand
on the mother's energy.
To keep Kadiki fed, she's got to keep herself fed, too.
(soft music)
Every feeding trip she takes
leaves the cup alone and vulnerable.
(soft dramatic music)
(monkeys chatter)
- Started hearing some alarm calling and saw these monkeys
and now we can hear the birds alarm calling, too.
(birds squawk)
And often they're really good indicators
that there's a predator nearby.
(intense music)
(monkey chatters)
(birds squawk)
- [Narrator 2] Right on cue, a leopard appears
(intense music)
barely 100 yards from the den.
(monkey chatters)
Luckily for the little hyena cub,
this skilled hunter is heading in the opposite direction.
(whimsical music)
- [Narrator 3] Borneo's jungles flood every year
in the rainy season.
So being able to navigate over water is a crucial skill.
(upbeat music)
Orangutans aren't built to swim
as their dense bodies sink rather than float,
but crossing a rope bridge is a walk in the park
for these arboreal apes.
(gentle music)
Even Kesi with her missing hand,
isn't phased by the obstacle course.
She's become much braver
since her arrival to Bangamat Island
but she still prefers eating alone.
She can't sit in her usual spot under the platform here,
so she improvises.
(water splashes)
As she munches away on her favorite turnips,
something catches her attention.
(dramatic music)
She moves in for a closer look
but there are no ropes to get her there.
(water splashes) (leaves rustle)
At first, she walks on submerged trees
to keep her head above water,
(inspirational music)
but then she actually swims.
This is very unusual.
(water splashes)
Drowning is a major cause of orangutan deaths
but orangutans who grew up in rehab
appear to be more curious than those in the wild.
(gentle music)
Kesi's motivation for this risky choice is of course food.
What she spied were termites.
- While Clover is away, I quickly install a small camera
and sure enough,
(baby quoll murmurs)
I hear something very exciting,
(baby quoll murmurs)
the sound of baby quolls.
Nobody has ever filmed inside a wild Eastern quoll den.
I can't wait to discover
how they develop over the coming months.
This is the moment I've been waiting for.
I'm eager to know how many joeys Clover has
but I'll have to wait.
Each time she leaves the nest,
she covers them to keep them warm and safe.
(gentle music)
Eastern quolls give birth to as many as 20 tiny young,
not much bigger than a grain of rice,
but only the fittest will survive the struggle
to find their way to the six teats
waiting inside her warm pouch.
Up to six joeys will remain locked to their mother
for two months.
My guess is these youngsters are now about 10 weeks old.
(bright music)
I come back to Clover's den many times in the coming weeks
to watch her wild babies grow.
At each visit they appear more active,
and once detached from the teats, they grow rapidly.
What a privilege it is to see into their world
and how fortunate am I to have found this special place.
(gentle music)
- [Narrator 4] Clownfish deal with a problem
of over crowding
by sharing space with another creature, gigantic anemones.
(uplifting music)
They've formed a relationship in which both parties benefit.
Anemones have tentacles that are packed with stinging cells.
Most fish touching one get a very nasty sting,
but not the clownfish.
Thanks to the protective layer of mucus
that covers its body.
The clownfish keeps the anemone in good health
by removing unwanted parasites.
And in return, the anemone offers security.
Its stinging cells ward off the sort of creatures
which would otherwise threaten the clownfish.
(gentle music)
When the time comes for a pair to breed
that protection will be vital.
(gentle music)
A female may lay up to a thousand eggs
on the rock beneath her anemone home.
As she delicately attaches them,
the male follows closely behind
fertilizing the eggs as he goes.
A week will pass before the young are ready to emerge.
Hatching only happens at night,
so to record it we have to use infrared cameras
in a specialized filming environment.
This is the very first time
that this behavior has been filmed.
With gentle encouragement from their father,
the young are helped on their way.
(gentle music)
Once the little larva are set free, they're on their own.
They'll spend the first few weeks of their life
developing in the open ocean.
(tribal music)
- [Narrator 1] Jalama and her family
have bumped into the Nsefu pride again.
(elephant grunts) (lions growl)
It's not third time lucky for the herd.
They get more and more agitated
and it becomes a dangerous place for the lions
(elephants roar)
but they have no intention of moving on.
(elephant grunts) (lions growl)
The elephants don't realize that down at the river
the pride is feasting on a buffalo kill.
(birds chirp)
(elephant grunts) (lions growl)
The elephants become more distressed.
(elephant huffs)
(elephants roar)
(intense music)
(elephant roars)
(intense music continues)
Finally, the matriarch has had enough.
(feet stomp)
(elephant roars) (lions growl)
Why she would approach a carcass in this way
is hard to explain, but the message is clear.
(dramatic music)
(elephants grumble)
She leaves the lions to their kill
but there's no question whose boss around here.
(birds chirp)
(gentle music)