Amazing nature: Run to survive

[Music] in a land of dangers plant-eating animals are always at risk and never more so than at the time of that birth [Music] out on the open they are vulnerable and there are a few places to hide [Music] but luckily these little ones are born to run [Music] on the African plains a topi antelope welcomes a new life [Music] and so begins a desperate struggle the clock is ticking the baby must learn to run [Music] [Music] already other youngsters in the herd have found their feet but for this little one the timing of his birth couldn't have been worse [Music] a cheetah is watching she has little ones of her own and for their survival she must make a kill only a few minutes old she puts up a good fight but she can't outrun the fastest animal [Music] one's lost but others survived [Music] all over the plains similar struggles are playing out though some will have a happier ending [Music] the mayor cleans and dries her baby trying to remove all scent of the birth before it's detected by predator [Music] it's instinct for baby runners to find their feet in minutes she'll be able to walk and in just a few weeks she'll be keeping up with her mother at sixty kilometers per hour [Music] licking helps strengthen their bonds they will remember each other scent and sounds vital for life in the herd where it's easy to become separated [Music] but the most prolific player in this African baby boom is the wildebeest [Music] more than 300,000 are dropped in the space of a few weeks all are desperate to find their feet [Music] among them a little boy just minutes old already staggers around his mother [Music] his life will be a never-ending March and to survive his only defense is to run [Music] [Music] birthing is a dangerous time for any mother but herd animals have an inherent advantage even in the South American Andes when a guanaco is incapacitated she knows other members of the group will be on the lookout for danger [Music] her thick fur needs to dry out to protect her from the freezing Andean twins for all babies the first few weeks are the most critical [Music] they have a lot to learn about survival and there are dangers everywhere gwenna Co enemy number one the Puma but she spotted by Sentinel [Music] the mother seems to draw the attack and the calf runs for his life the Puma will go hungry today moose don't have the benefit of the herd for protection but weighing 350 kilos she's a formidable mother capable of driving off most would-be attackers [Music] most hoofed animals have a single baby for this moose as an insurance plan she delivers twins [Music] the carbs have a reddish fur that will darken with age [Music] she meticulously licks them clean paying special attention to their umbilical cords to keep them free from infection [Music] about the size of the beagle the youngsters will have to master their spindly legs [Music] not only do they need to be able to run within hours of birth but they will also master the art of swimming within their first two weeks and that's going to require a lot of energy for mammal babies it's all about milk thanks to this fat and protein rich power drink moose calves can increase in weight by one and a half percent per day [Music] but after six weeks it's time to branch out the carbs copy their mother learning what to eat the named moose comes from a Canadian tribe it means twig eater and the little one is finding out why some babies have a tough start in life to make the most of a short northern winter Arctic musk ox dropped their lambs in April a time when there is still snow on the ground luckily their thick fur or kiveat is among the warmest on earth protecting their little bodies [Music] baby runners use various techniques to keep their little ones safe quails are very vulnerable on the ground but their cryptic camouflage helps them to disappear in the grass these youngsters leave their eggs ready to run there is no milk for them from day one they must feed themselves though their parents give them constant tutorials on what leaves and sea to eat dear go a step further a road dear kid with long gangly legs is not the fastest creature on earth but when danger appears his mother barks a warning the kid with his dappled markings knows instinctively to lie perfectly still hoping to go unnoticed [Music] it seems the Fox didn't notice the fawn and settled for a mouse of course lying still is not without its risks [Music] farmers fields can be dangerous places to hide out luckily the little one seems to sense the danger and wobbles back to mother his kind may be born to run but it will take a few weeks to get up to speed in the meantime hiding is his best bet not all cars have the same strategy for wildebeest who must endlessly march in search of fresh grazing there is no choice for the youngsters other than to follow the great herds waterholes are drying up and the herds flock around them they quickly become deadly Quagmire's but our little calf and her mother must risk the treacherous ground to drink [Music] [Music] after struggling free the mud the calf realizes she's lost her mother [Music] she tries to attach herself to a likely-looking female [Music] but it's not her mother [Music] more than half of the carps perish at this time but the mother's bond to her calf is strong and she searches for her infant [Music] but can she find the right calf 16% of the wildebeest deaths are down to nothing more than accidents like falling or getting left behind [Music] gradually the confusion of lost carbs find their mothers [Music] the female is a familiar voice [Music] [Music] but there is no time for a long greeting the herd is moving on in the chaos of the mass movement there can be stragglers this is not a good time to be alone a little male has wandered from the herd a cheetah wouldn't normally tackle prey as large as a wildebeest the adults weigh three times more than it does and have been known to fight back but a little one on its own is a sitting duck though they are born to run wildebeest clock in there about 60 km/h the cheetah tops 100 being a youngster can be serious but there is also time to play the frolicking of Red Deer Kars helps build their muscles and stamina it's little more than a game at the moment but a fit calf will have the best chances of survival [Music] the Bambi ballet [Music] for boars it's fun to have a lot of brothers and sisters once au can have up to 12 piglets [Music] like turbocharged humbugs they - around the forest truly Born to Run [Music] mum interrupts the wrestling match schools not all fun and games the piglets must learn what to eat which luckily for Boers is not very restrictive they'll eat almost anything from fungi to carrion but this gang are only a few weeks old and soon lose interest in lessons [Music] for society is female-led and within the sounder there is a strong hierarchy even at this tender age the youngsters are working out who among them is top dog [Music] when they do get hungry they have an easier option mum she'll provide milk for their first three months though she does require some manners at the dinner table now the games pay off the piglets that won the play fights will be able to command the best places for dinner and there is one other thing baby animals do a lot of sleeping is a chance to recharge their batteries [Music] the spotted fallow deer enjoy a lazy afternoon but it's boring performs [Music] mounting one another in play is also a life lesson they are playing and being grown-ups learning social etiquette that will help them in later life to win mates and have forms of their own but once again kids running off makes life hard for mothers the dough's bark each with a distinct voice to try and find their little ones mum checks but this one isn't hers nope this one is neither the little fullness letter is alarm but certainly seems pleased to see mum and quenches thirst [Music] Rony can be as much about interacting with each other as it is escaping from predators it's encouraged from day one [Music] childhood can pass quickly these Shinhwa will be fully grown in less than a year the males will have to leave the herd and so make the most of the company now [Music] [Music] the herd has close bonds if a kid is orphaned other females will even try to raise it themselves like most runners they can be a bit highly strung it's wise to stay alert you never know when danger might threaten but with someone on what it's all fun in the guanaco nursery without horns and antlers like antelope and deer guanaco and their camel cousins use boxing and nipping to settle disputes and it's good to get in training from a young age [Music] [Music] but then what every youngster dreads bathtime in the freezing Andes there isn't water on tap so they dust bathe a healthy coat is the only way to beat the weather and it's never more important than at the poles where every season can pass in a day the ultimate all-weather coat belongs to the muskox though in summer it malts out in great clumps for the hot-headed oxen it's important not to overheat in summer this is the time of the rut [Music] time to go head-to-head though they may not look born to run these heavyweights can go faster than 40 kilometers per hour muskox have built-in crash helmets seven centimeters of bone in case the brain cushioned by horny mass known as the boss dense matted hair 10 centimeters thick a natural shock absorber the impact is the force of a car ramming a brick wall at 27 kilometers an hour [Music] eventually one of the Bulls realizes he's been out butted this is muskox tradition and the young kids will soon develop crash helmets of their own they get in some practice sometimes picking the wrong opponent he might have won the fight but the victors also get a bit hot under the collar he can't take his coat off so there is only one thing for it and for this flock bathtime means family fun [Music] [Music] the poolside games help to keep the herd fit and healthy their lives are spent constantly on the move running to cover a vast territory over 200 square kilometers it's the only way to find enough to eat though it's not often they seem to run for fun [Music] it takes a while to clean and dry the firm [Music] though born with the wooly kiveat it will take months before the little ones long guard hairs grow in in the meantime if he gets too cold he shelters against mother her dress like fur can curtain him portable protection against the wind the summer season is short so the lamb must race to put some weight before winter he'll gain half a kilo a day [Music] he was able to eat solids when just a few weeks old but will still suckle throughout his first year with a good layer of fat for insulation this little one doesn't look like he was born to run but when pushed musk ox can run twice the speed of the fastest human sprinter happy family life the protection of the herd is what has enabled them to survive in the harshest conditions on the planet and to remain unchanged since the days that mammoths roamed the earth [Music] while arctic musk ox struggled to keep cool in the summer it's winter in the southern hemisphere now the guanacos fleecy wool is really put to the test like their camel cousins they are good at coping with extremes when the mountains freeze they can survive extended periods without water [Music] they have another adaptation to help whether their high altitude home four times more red blood cells than a human to enable them to extract oxygen from the thin air sticking with the herd they act as wind breaks for one another while they brush snow to expose vegetation [Music] the seasons shape the fortunes of those born to run [Music] it's getting hot on the planes and the herds need water the zebra foal is looking strong and healthy despite the perilous March and she needs to be if she's to survive the next few hours the herds jumpy as it approaches the waterhole the young wildebeest looks a bit bewildered as he picks his way through the throng the zebras seem confident and drink first they are not expecting company it's a dangerous time for the inexperienced youngsters thanks to her powerful legs she'll live to learn from the experience crocodiles are patient animals they know the thirsty will return now it's the wildebeests turn to drink the youngster can sense the tension a careless calf pays the ultimate price with more than 2,000 kilos of bite force the outcome is devastating our young male flees with the herd but sooner or later he will have to face his fears and drink the herd regroups despite the dangers the crocodiles are less of a threat than dehydration [Music] shaken but not stirred he must try again [Music] the young male tries to get ahead of the queue [Music] water at last [Music] he was born to run with strong legs fast reactions and a powerful heart [Music] only his speed can say them now [Music] [Music] this time he was lucky but this will not be the last time you will have to face this phone far from the heat in the drought of the Savannah late summer marks the breeding season for roe deer the kids have doubled in size and are now enjoying greens for dinner this is the first time they have met a buck because the ROE have small home ranges this is probably their father the male plays no role in raising the youngsters and when she sees him their mother pushes them away though they are three months old they still get the occasional drink of milk but not for much longer [Music] by the end of the summer they will be completely weaned but will probably hang out in a family group through winter male Roe's can breed at just 12 months old but to stand a chance of winning access to a female this Bucks likely to be at least three years older the young buck seems both fascinated and intimidated by the sight of the male [Music] he seems to wonder where his own antlers are the male isn't interested in the fawns though he wants their mother [Music] [Music] milk time is interrupted [Music] once the female is mated she'll be keen to win her twins as soon as she can the male may have to pursue the female for several days before she's finally ready to mate roe deer have a unique survival strategy though she's mated she will delay the formation of an embryo she can put his development on hold if over the coming months she faces a tough winter she may decide to terminate the pregnancy to avoid draining her precious resources however if she can find enough to eat and is in good shape she'll begin the pregnancy in late winter ready to give birth in spring it's a strategy that means she'll only give birth when she's fit enough to give her youngsters the best started life looking at her almost full-grown twins it seems to be a technique that works it's an uphill struggle for all youngsters but on the Serengeti the greatest challenge lies ahead the young wildebeest is doing well but because his herd numbers in the millions they must keep constantly on the move following the rains to fresh pasture without their migration they'd over graze an area and starve they know where to find fresh food but there is an obstacle in their way the Mara River currents and crocodiles it will be the ultimate test [Music] the sheer volume of animals massing behind them pushes the herd leaders to take the plunge [Music] the calf has little choice but to go with the flow [Music] the steep banks crumble the struggle is relentless [Music] some members of the herd will fall but the majority can make it just as long as they keep on running [Music] [Music] three thousand wildebeest will perish on his last epic chapter of their migration a huge death count but a drop in the ocean compared to the two million animals that undertake the journey the mail slips past the distracted croc has to countless others [Music] now the bank becomes a deathtrap with even more bodies crammed together and getting in each other's way it's easy to get trampled in the chaos the calf is pinned against the shore he finds himself back in the river [Music] a firm footing at last [Music] [Music] before him lies the promised land endless grazing plenty of companions and above all room to run [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

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Keywords: Nature, Documentary, HD, Animals, People, Places, Adventures, Countries, Wildlife, Technology, Travel, Portraits, Biography, Science, animals, runner, run, safari, wilderness, Africa, plains, zebra, antelopes, lions, chettahs, crocodiles

Id: ibzAZyO5wmM

Length: 50min 0sec (3000 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 07 2017