New Frontiers

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.

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.