Animal Babies: First Year on Earth

Join the baby animals as they near the end of their first year of life. It’s time for these young ones to branch off from the comfort of their mothers and learn to explore the great unknown on their own.

Jazir, the toque macaque, is now one year old. Camerawoman Sue Gibson notices him moving away from his mother and feeding by himself. He is also learning to use his bigger size to out-muscle his smaller, lower ranking peers. Other frustrated infants must wait their turn, but Jazir needs to be careful as frustration can build into tension, and boil over into fights that leave macaques injured.

Spotted hyena sisters, Bisque and Chowder, challenge a rival cub for scraps from a kill, and chase off their competitors. Adult hyenas have reinforced oversized teeth and a crushing bite to pulverize bones. The sisters need four years to develop this phenomenal weaponry and must practice at every opportunity. But feeding alone, they are at their most vulnerable to attack from predators like lions.

Learn the new challenges baby animals face once they can get around on their own. Every day brings new trials and tribulations, like searching for food, surviving in harsh environments and bonding with family members.

From birth, the spotted hyena clan’s den site has been Bisque and Chowder's entire world. Now that they have reached seven months in age they need to start learning the skills to survive outside it, and their mother takes the lead. The sisters must stick close to her, as she has to teach them how to identify and escape threats. At this time of year long grass can easily conceal stalking predators.

Southern sea otter pup, Limpet, is 12 weeks old and needs to retrieve food from the seabed. Monterey Bay is one of the most protected marine sanctuaries in the US, yet pollution on land can still run off into the ocean. 40% of otter deaths are as a result of poisoning, infection or contamination, and plastic waste also ends up in the sea otters’ home range.

In Uganda, a tiny miracle is hidden in the last fragment of a once-giant forest kingdom, called Bwindi, the impenetrable forest: a baby mountain gorilla, Nyakabara. Her name means "marked," because she was born with a white bracelet of fur, never seen before. Nyakabara is one of perhaps only 50 mountain gorilla babies in the world, and at eight weeks old she weighs only five pounds.

See how the babies learn to understanding their surroundings in environments ranging from Africa to Sri Lanka to Iceland. The most basic tools for survival must be learned in their first three months to thrive and ultimately survive.

Savanna elephants spend their lives on the move, foraging for food and looking for water. Even newborn babies are expected to walk from day one. Baby Safina may have to cover nine miles a day, and more than 2,000 miles in her first year. But sometimes walking isn't as simple as putting one foot in front of the other as Safina discovers when she has to cross mud for the first time.

Meet six baby animals from across the globe. Follow along as they experience joy and hardship, confront near-daily adversities, navigate their habitats, and overcome challenges in their first year of life.