Animal Babies: First Year on Earth

The first three critical months are when our animal babies have to rapidly get to grips with their new family and the challenges of environment that surrounds them. In Kenya, a new-born elephant calf Safina is learning how to keep up with her fast moving herd. In Sri Lanka, one-week-old Jazir has to quickly learn the ropes of a primate society that is enmeshed with the world of people. At the edge of the Arctic, five-week-old fox cubs must learn to hunt before their siblings beat them to limited food. And in Uganda, an eight-week-old mountain gorilla has to cling on tight to survive the ups and downs of forest life. All six babies must learn the most basic of skills to thrive - and for some animals, to even survive.

From around three months old, our animal babies can all get around on their own, but that means the impact of their environment and the struggle to find food really begin to hit home. In California, a three-month-old sea otter pup has to learn what is safe to eat in a world enmeshed with humans. In Sri Lanka, a seven-month-old macaque is forced by his mother to toughen up to stay on top. And in Kenya, a five-month-old elephant has a limited window to meet and bond with new families to survive in an increasingly dangerous world. The animal babies are fast growing into their abilities, but every day brings new challenges to their success.

Baby animals approach the end of their first year of life, branching away from their mothers and exploring the world on their own.