WEBVTT 00:00:08.341 --> 00:00:09.551 Enter a world 00:00:10.802 --> 00:00:13.805 just beyond your perception. 00:00:19.019 --> 00:00:22.147 A world of extraordinary animals 00:00:23.106 --> 00:00:26.401 with hidden powers and super senses. 00:00:27.527 --> 00:00:30.155 If you think you know nature... 00:00:32.657 --> 00:00:33.825 ...think again. 00:00:45.962 --> 00:00:48.423 In this unpredictable world... 00:00:50.675 --> 00:00:52.552 animals will do whatever it takes... 00:00:52.635 --> 00:00:54.679 ...to keep their families safe. 00:00:57.432 --> 00:00:59.934 But with great parenting 00:01:00.060 --> 00:01:02.599 comes great responsibility. 00:01:12.810 --> 00:01:15.751 This male African jacana 00:01:15.775 --> 00:01:18.578 has been left holding the babies. 00:01:21.831 --> 00:01:25.126 For four weeks, he's cared for his eggs alone. 00:01:26.419 --> 00:01:28.671 And since they hatched two days ago, 00:01:29.714 --> 00:01:32.133 he's taken them under his wing. 00:01:36.453 --> 00:01:38.902 Jacana chicks hatch out 00:01:38.926 --> 00:01:41.703 as matchbox-sized mini-mes of the adults. 00:01:47.816 --> 00:01:50.110 And they're surprisingly independent. 00:01:52.403 --> 00:01:54.239 Just like Dad's, 00:01:54.405 --> 00:01:57.450 their huge splayed toes spread their weight 00:01:57.575 --> 00:01:59.369 over a large surface area, 00:02:01.579 --> 00:02:03.998 so they can almost walk on water. 00:02:06.584 --> 00:02:09.129 They venture deep into the lily field... 00:02:10.713 --> 00:02:12.215 ...feeding on flies. 00:02:16.886 --> 00:02:20.865 Dad treads a delicate line between allowing his chicks 00:02:20.890 --> 00:02:22.934 the freedom they need to grow, 00:02:23.810 --> 00:02:25.436 and keeping them safe. 00:02:31.109 --> 00:02:33.069 They may be self-sufficient, 00:02:33.778 --> 00:02:35.864 but they're naïve to danger. 00:02:46.338 --> 00:02:50.130 Only one in four will reach adulthood. 00:02:56.134 --> 00:02:58.168 With polarized eyesight, 00:02:58.192 --> 00:03:01.347 African fish eagles see through glare 00:03:01.431 --> 00:03:05.351 reflecting off water and zero in on movement. 00:03:16.828 --> 00:03:19.004 When Jacanas sense a threat, 00:03:19.028 --> 00:03:20.792 they usually scoop up their young 00:03:20.817 --> 00:03:23.032 and head for cover. 00:03:26.039 --> 00:03:29.292 But his chicks are scattered too far. 00:03:30.335 --> 00:03:32.879 So he sends out a secret alarm call... 00:03:33.046 --> 00:03:36.257 ...triggering an incredible anti-predator instinct. 00:03:41.679 --> 00:03:43.765 The chicks freeze. 00:04:03.536 --> 00:04:05.533 All Dad can do is hope 00:04:05.557 --> 00:04:08.388 they keep as still as possible. 00:04:34.878 --> 00:04:36.844 Once danger's passed, 00:04:36.868 --> 00:04:39.371 he runs to pick them up. 00:04:57.130 --> 00:04:59.507 But one of his chicks is still missing, 00:05:02.570 --> 00:05:04.751 still frozen. 00:05:09.309 --> 00:05:13.006 Holes in her beak act like a snorkel, 00:05:13.030 --> 00:05:15.009 helping her breathe. 00:05:15.189 --> 00:05:17.326 But because she's under water, 00:05:17.350 --> 00:05:19.694 she can't hear her dad's call. 00:05:27.744 --> 00:05:29.403 The more he searches, 00:05:29.427 --> 00:05:31.956 the more attention it attracts. 00:05:38.171 --> 00:05:41.169 Crocodiles detect vibrations 00:05:41.193 --> 00:05:44.180 with their acutely sensitive skin. 00:05:47.844 --> 00:05:50.507 Those huge feet... 00:05:50.532 --> 00:05:53.024 ...come at a price. 00:06:00.735 --> 00:06:03.780 Finally, Dad's call is close enough to be heard, 00:06:07.825 --> 00:06:10.036 and the chick moves towards it. 00:06:46.019 --> 00:06:47.589 At last, 00:06:48.282 --> 00:06:49.989 all back together, 00:06:50.996 --> 00:06:52.703 tucked in with Dad. 00:06:56.916 --> 00:07:00.301 When animals take on the challenge of raising young, 00:07:00.962 --> 00:07:06.114 it takes phenomenal skills to keep the family growing strong. 00:07:27.113 --> 00:07:30.867 Mothers will go to extraordinary lengths to ensure 00:07:30.892 --> 00:07:33.606 the best start in life for their young. 00:07:36.831 --> 00:07:39.899 This giant Amazon river turtle 00:07:39.923 --> 00:07:41.919 is searching for the perfect beach 00:07:41.944 --> 00:07:43.934 to lay her eggs. 00:07:47.535 --> 00:07:49.378 Problem is, 00:07:49.403 --> 00:07:51.848 they only exist for two months 00:07:51.873 --> 00:07:54.012 at the end of the dry season... 00:07:56.809 --> 00:07:59.937 hidden down a complex maze of waterways. 00:08:06.302 --> 00:08:09.973 And the river is too murky to find her way. 00:08:11.993 --> 00:08:15.074 But this mom is determined, 00:08:17.022 --> 00:08:21.026 tapping into an incredible hidden network. 00:08:27.910 --> 00:08:32.629 She navigates towards the faint calls of other turtles. 00:08:38.633 --> 00:08:40.488 They get louder, 00:08:41.521 --> 00:08:43.199 and multiply. 00:08:46.234 --> 00:08:50.446 From an area of 1500 square miles, 00:08:51.294 --> 00:08:54.631 turtle mothers are gathering. 00:09:03.962 --> 00:09:06.569 Forty thousand of them. 00:09:21.060 --> 00:09:23.538 Somehow, along with the other females, 00:09:23.563 --> 00:09:25.815 she needs to ensure her eggs hatch 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:27.639 with the onset of the rains. 00:09:31.737 --> 00:09:33.406 Lay too early, 00:09:33.948 --> 00:09:36.284 and her young won't be able to dig themselves out 00:09:36.367 --> 00:09:37.994 of the hot, dry sand. 00:09:42.415 --> 00:09:44.292 Lay too late, 00:09:44.959 --> 00:09:47.920 and the rising water will drown her eggs. 00:09:50.965 --> 00:09:54.844 Recently discovered, these turtles have a remarkable ability 00:09:55.052 --> 00:09:57.513 for predicting the future. 00:09:57.638 --> 00:10:02.435 Using collective intelligence, they can judge the ideal time to lay. 00:10:03.894 --> 00:10:08.316 With eight different calls, they discuss humidity, temperature, 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:09.609 and water level, 00:10:11.986 --> 00:10:14.697 until they come to a consensus. 00:10:16.407 --> 00:10:18.868 The time is now. 00:10:30.713 --> 00:10:33.674 She uses guidance from others to choose her spot, 00:10:35.426 --> 00:10:38.387 right here in the center of the beach. 00:10:40.139 --> 00:10:41.515 By nesting together, 00:10:42.642 --> 00:10:45.227 they give four million baby turtles 00:10:45.394 --> 00:10:49.148 the best chance of survival in two months' time. 00:10:54.737 --> 00:10:57.239 As the eggs incubate in the sand, 00:10:59.408 --> 00:11:03.329 up above, the rains finally arrive. 00:11:10.044 --> 00:11:11.962 Just like his mother... 00:11:12.088 --> 00:11:15.716 ...this newborn turtle is talking. 00:11:19.345 --> 00:11:20.596 And he's not alone. 00:11:23.015 --> 00:11:25.487 Thousands of nests across the beach 00:11:25.511 --> 00:11:27.811 take part in the conversation. 00:11:30.064 --> 00:11:35.361 Together, they decide on the perfect time to emerge. 00:11:44.829 --> 00:11:47.081 The moist sand is easy to dig, 00:11:52.545 --> 00:11:55.256 but he emerges into a dangerous world. 00:12:06.058 --> 00:12:07.935 Some will never make it to the river. 00:12:11.731 --> 00:12:14.316 But the mothers' incredible teamwork 00:12:15.276 --> 00:12:18.189 has ensured that these little turtles 00:12:18.214 --> 00:12:20.479 have safety in numbers. 00:12:25.241 --> 00:12:27.675 Hiding in the crowd, 00:12:28.385 --> 00:12:30.799 keeping in communication... 00:12:31.959 --> 00:12:33.595 ...those at the front encouraging 00:12:33.619 --> 00:12:35.904 others onwards. 00:12:51.562 --> 00:12:53.647 And just like his mother before him, 00:12:54.482 --> 00:12:56.317 with the guidance of the group, 00:12:59.028 --> 00:13:01.720 he's made it. 00:13:10.325 --> 00:13:13.606 Now, he must swim to safety. 00:13:16.442 --> 00:13:18.610 And incredibly, he has someone 00:13:18.634 --> 00:13:20.883 to help show the way. 00:13:24.725 --> 00:13:27.988 Mom is still here. 00:13:30.392 --> 00:13:34.313 In fact, all the turtle mothers have been waiting. 00:13:37.300 --> 00:13:39.062 When they hear their young, 00:13:39.086 --> 00:13:40.901 they call to them, 00:13:40.926 --> 00:13:43.345 guiding them to deeper water. 00:13:45.658 --> 00:13:47.413 This recent discovery 00:13:47.437 --> 00:13:49.703 is the first example of turtle parents 00:13:49.728 --> 00:13:52.832 helping their offspring after they've hatched.... 00:14:00.422 --> 00:14:02.406 For many animals, 00:14:03.539 --> 00:14:06.129 super-powered parenting 00:14:06.153 --> 00:14:08.681 starts long before birth. 00:14:17.569 --> 00:14:19.699 Inside a womb, 00:14:19.723 --> 00:14:22.218 an extraordinary life is beginning. 00:14:27.241 --> 00:14:31.161 Four months old, less than one ounce. 00:14:33.622 --> 00:14:36.660 Before birth, this African elephant 00:14:36.684 --> 00:14:40.212 must increase his weight 6,000 times. 00:14:41.547 --> 00:14:44.717 Just as well, someone else will be doing the heavy lifting. 00:14:50.472 --> 00:14:54.560 An elephant mother faces the greatest gestation of any mammal. 00:14:58.564 --> 00:15:02.359 She must carry her baby for almost two years... 00:15:03.193 --> 00:15:06.113 ...keeping him growing... 00:15:09.366 --> 00:15:11.349 through extreme seasons... 00:15:15.474 --> 00:15:18.028 ...and safe from many deadly enemies. 00:15:21.837 --> 00:15:23.964 But she won't have to do it alone. 00:15:29.470 --> 00:15:32.765 Her herd is her lifeline... 00:15:37.311 --> 00:15:39.229 ...and his too. 00:15:41.106 --> 00:15:43.484 Now twelve months in the womb, 00:15:43.609 --> 00:15:46.278 ears and hearing are still developing. 00:15:49.573 --> 00:15:52.701 But already he's listening... 00:15:53.953 --> 00:15:55.537 ...with his feet. 00:15:59.208 --> 00:16:02.795 Special cells in his toes and heels pick up the vibrations 00:16:02.962 --> 00:16:04.755 of the herd communicating. 00:16:08.467 --> 00:16:10.219 He's learning to recognize Mom... 00:16:11.136 --> 00:16:14.515 ...and his huge extended family. 00:16:18.268 --> 00:16:20.896 Through communication and cooperation, 00:16:21.063 --> 00:16:23.607 elephants form powerful relationships 00:16:24.149 --> 00:16:27.528 and social networks that will be essential to his survival. 00:16:36.829 --> 00:16:39.610 But making sense of life within the herd 00:16:39.635 --> 00:16:42.584 requires incredible intelligence. 00:16:43.711 --> 00:16:46.897 And even at 20 months, 00:16:46.922 --> 00:16:49.149 he still needs more time to develop 00:16:49.174 --> 00:16:51.885 the biggest brain of any terrestrial animal. 00:16:54.888 --> 00:16:58.384 So, she prolongs her pregnancy 00:16:58.408 --> 00:17:00.589 for another two months 00:17:00.614 --> 00:17:03.564 by maintaining the flow of hormones to her womb... 00:17:13.365 --> 00:17:16.493 ...until finally... 00:17:17.411 --> 00:17:19.538 ...he's ready for the outside world. 00:17:26.837 --> 00:17:30.007 Her newborn baby's eyes are not yet fully functioning. 00:17:34.470 --> 00:17:39.141 But Mom's low frequency calls are reassuringly familiar. 00:17:42.644 --> 00:17:44.438 The other females in the herd... 00:17:44.463 --> 00:17:46.612 ...soothe him with gentle rumbles... 00:17:52.446 --> 00:17:55.240 ...and show their excitement by secreting pheromones 00:17:55.324 --> 00:17:56.825 from their temporal glands. 00:18:06.668 --> 00:18:08.921 But there's little time for celebration. 00:18:11.198 --> 00:18:15.744 The scent of birth travels quickly on the morning air. 00:18:22.768 --> 00:18:25.037 As other females remove the after-birth 00:18:25.062 --> 00:18:27.698 and throw mud to disguise the smell, 00:18:33.445 --> 00:18:35.999 Mom encourages him 00:18:36.023 --> 00:18:38.174 to stand with the promise of milk. 00:18:54.216 --> 00:18:55.915 But before he drinks, 00:18:55.939 --> 00:18:57.849 they must move. 00:19:03.143 --> 00:19:05.702 There are lion prides here that specialize 00:19:05.727 --> 00:19:08.065 in hunting vulnerable elephants. 00:19:10.816 --> 00:19:13.794 But in an increasingly warming world, 00:19:13.819 --> 00:19:16.351 a newborn's greatest threat 00:19:16.375 --> 00:19:18.901 is dehydration. 00:19:28.417 --> 00:19:30.877 The rain never came this year. 00:19:36.633 --> 00:19:38.983 It will take the combined force of family 00:19:39.007 --> 00:19:41.370 to find water during drought, 00:19:43.463 --> 00:19:45.771 and amazing parenting skills 00:19:45.796 --> 00:19:47.886 to help him survive the journey. 00:19:50.856 --> 00:19:52.962 Not all animal parents stay around 00:19:52.986 --> 00:19:55.402 to protect their young. 00:19:57.237 --> 00:20:00.032 Instead, they use supernatural powers 00:20:00.056 --> 00:20:01.815 to keep their babies safe 00:20:01.840 --> 00:20:03.653 when they are gone. 00:20:06.121 --> 00:20:08.399 In the Ecuadorian Cloud Forest, 00:20:08.423 --> 00:20:11.293 a thumbnail-sized little devil frog 00:20:11.318 --> 00:20:13.493 has been busy finding pools 00:20:13.517 --> 00:20:15.911 for each of her five tadpoles. 00:20:18.508 --> 00:20:20.344 Just one more to go. 00:20:23.639 --> 00:20:25.319 She secretes a special liquid 00:20:25.343 --> 00:20:27.935 so her tadpole can swim on her back. 00:20:33.565 --> 00:20:35.943 Then she tracks down standing water 00:20:36.026 --> 00:20:38.576 with her incredible sense of smell. 00:20:41.865 --> 00:20:46.036 But it's all the way... up there. 00:20:50.249 --> 00:20:53.377 Bromeliad plants grow on branches in the canopy. 00:20:57.589 --> 00:21:00.491 There's no soil to absorb water up here, 00:21:01.238 --> 00:21:03.545 so they trap their own. 00:21:03.971 --> 00:21:06.077 The perfect nursery pool, 00:21:10.811 --> 00:21:13.991 but one epic climb for a tiny frog. 00:21:23.824 --> 00:21:27.077 She drops off her tadpole in its new home. 00:21:27.897 --> 00:21:30.050 But there's nothing for her up here. 00:21:31.133 --> 00:21:34.333 She must return to feed on the forest floor, 00:21:35.669 --> 00:21:37.637 leaving her young exposed 00:21:38.340 --> 00:21:42.348 to the predators that hunt around bromeliad pools. 00:21:50.350 --> 00:21:52.404 But Mom has a plan. 00:21:56.690 --> 00:21:58.404 Back in the leaf litter, 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:03.780 she gorges on tiny, poisonous ants. 00:22:05.866 --> 00:22:07.924 They have little nutritional value, 00:22:11.049 --> 00:22:12.764 but this ingenious frog 00:22:12.789 --> 00:22:17.085 can assimilate ant toxins into a much more potent compound... 00:22:20.143 --> 00:22:23.721 making her skin fatal to the touch. 00:22:28.993 --> 00:22:32.147 She's cloaked herself in a chemical shield. 00:22:34.394 --> 00:22:38.155 Now she needs to pass her poison power to her young. 00:22:43.760 --> 00:22:45.668 In each pool, 00:22:47.089 --> 00:22:50.090 she lays a single, unfertilized egg, 00:22:52.879 --> 00:22:55.262 laced with neurotoxins. 00:22:57.959 --> 00:23:00.020 As the tadpoles eat, 00:23:02.130 --> 00:23:04.629 poison releases from the egg 00:23:06.426 --> 00:23:08.136 and floods the nursery pool. 00:23:20.273 --> 00:23:22.777 Wandering spiders detect their prey 00:23:22.801 --> 00:23:25.320 by tasting with their legs. 00:23:28.698 --> 00:23:32.494 But this water is too toxic to enter. 00:23:39.793 --> 00:23:42.521 For two months, this helicopter mom continues 00:23:42.546 --> 00:23:45.222 to drop off poisoned eggs to her tadpoles, 00:23:48.552 --> 00:23:50.554 ensuring that as they grow, 00:23:50.637 --> 00:23:53.390 they transform into poisonous little devils, 00:23:57.488 --> 00:23:59.481 just like Mom. 00:24:06.653 --> 00:24:09.949 When raising young is a more long-term investment, 00:24:10.961 --> 00:24:14.038 it takes even more exceptional parenting. 00:24:18.613 --> 00:24:21.308 Six cubs is a lot, 00:24:21.332 --> 00:24:23.493 especially for a first-time mother. 00:24:30.072 --> 00:24:33.806 But this cheetah descends from a bloodline of supermoms, 00:24:34.917 --> 00:24:37.736 famous for raising large litters. 00:24:42.174 --> 00:24:45.567 Fending for such a large family on the African savanna 00:24:45.592 --> 00:24:48.206 calls for a very particular set of skills. 00:24:52.547 --> 00:24:55.673 She must hunt almost every day. 00:25:02.095 --> 00:25:04.223 To find enough prey, 00:25:04.248 --> 00:25:06.848 she taps into a hidden sensory world. 00:25:13.261 --> 00:25:14.696 Impala. 00:25:14.721 --> 00:25:17.224 They leave scent trails with their hooves 00:25:17.249 --> 00:25:19.705 to keep their herd together, 00:25:20.861 --> 00:25:22.938 which means she can track them down 00:25:22.963 --> 00:25:25.244 with her acute sense of smell. 00:25:29.563 --> 00:25:31.004 But there are those 00:25:31.028 --> 00:25:33.609 that follow her family in the same way. 00:25:34.142 --> 00:25:36.022 Larger predators will seek out 00:25:36.046 --> 00:25:38.725 and kill cheetah cubs. 00:25:41.831 --> 00:25:44.034 So to stop her family being traced, 00:25:44.058 --> 00:25:46.670 this mother does something remarkable. 00:25:49.673 --> 00:25:53.100 By neutralizing the sulfur compounds in her diet, 00:25:53.125 --> 00:25:56.022 she removes the scent from her urine, 00:25:58.209 --> 00:26:01.350 making her almost impossible to follow. 00:26:05.216 --> 00:26:09.005 Six cubs are a handicap for a stealth predator. 00:26:11.689 --> 00:26:13.862 But her advantage is her ability 00:26:13.886 --> 00:26:16.490 to hunt during the heat of the day. 00:26:20.062 --> 00:26:22.365 Most other predators have to rest now, 00:26:24.731 --> 00:26:27.732 so this is the safest time to leave her cubs, 00:26:29.793 --> 00:26:31.514 and head out alone. 00:26:44.603 --> 00:26:46.498 In thick bush, 00:26:46.523 --> 00:26:49.441 her spotted coat blends with the dappled light, 00:26:51.026 --> 00:26:53.153 allowing her to close in on a target. 00:26:59.710 --> 00:27:01.614 But her final approach... 00:27:03.913 --> 00:27:05.790 must be on open ground. 00:27:10.170 --> 00:27:13.757 So, once again, she turns the heat to her advantage. 00:27:15.842 --> 00:27:19.387 Side-facing eyes give impalas a wide field of view, 00:27:25.894 --> 00:27:28.563 but their depth perception is poor. 00:27:33.109 --> 00:27:37.155 The heat haze acts like a cloak of invisibility. 00:27:42.243 --> 00:27:45.830 allowing her to hide in plain sight, 00:27:52.837 --> 00:27:57.300 to move closer, and closer, 00:27:59.010 --> 00:28:01.680 until she's ready to strike... 00:28:09.120 --> 00:28:12.467 Zero to 60 in under three seconds. 00:28:36.381 --> 00:28:39.300 At last, a family-sized meal. 00:28:41.545 --> 00:28:44.881 Still, she has to make her cubs eat fast. 00:28:45.140 --> 00:28:47.186 She knows time is tight. 00:28:51.980 --> 00:28:54.374 As soon as flesh is exposed, 00:28:54.398 --> 00:28:56.584 blood mixes with oxygen, 00:28:56.609 --> 00:28:58.421 creating a scent that carries far 00:28:58.445 --> 00:29:01.284 on the wind. 00:29:08.663 --> 00:29:11.624 But she has an uncanny ability to see trouble coming, 00:29:15.391 --> 00:29:17.802 and keep one step ahead. 00:29:24.304 --> 00:29:27.182 Bellies full, the whole family's safe. 00:29:27.557 --> 00:29:31.311 Finally, mom should get some well-deserved rest. 00:29:32.479 --> 00:29:34.495 But not too much. 00:29:35.482 --> 00:29:37.468 In just over a year, she has to ready 00:29:37.492 --> 00:29:40.003 these cubs for independence. 00:29:43.823 --> 00:29:46.701 Parents have their work cut out, preparing their young... 00:29:46.826 --> 00:29:49.454 ...to fly the nest. 00:29:55.376 --> 00:29:57.571 Chicago's urban jungle 00:29:57.596 --> 00:30:00.590 may not seem like a great place to bring up the kids, 00:30:02.300 --> 00:30:04.636 unless you're a super-powered parent. 00:30:09.550 --> 00:30:14.495 For a peregrine, the Windy City has a lot going for it. 00:30:16.314 --> 00:30:18.694 An invisible network of air currents 00:30:18.718 --> 00:30:21.127 flowing around Downtown Chicago, 00:30:21.152 --> 00:30:24.405 that this mother turns to her advantage. 00:30:28.993 --> 00:30:31.657 When the sun heats the tarmac and concrete, 00:30:32.184 --> 00:30:34.578 it creates powerful thermals 00:30:36.209 --> 00:30:40.672 that help her soar half a mile above the skyline, 00:30:46.377 --> 00:30:49.147 ready... to dive. 00:30:59.274 --> 00:31:01.943 Two hundred and fifty miles per hour. 00:31:03.403 --> 00:31:05.655 And if her prey dodges behind buildings, 00:31:07.115 --> 00:31:11.119 she uses fast-flowing air channeling between blocks like a jet stream, 00:31:13.079 --> 00:31:15.330 increasing her horizontal speed... 00:31:17.292 --> 00:31:19.502 ...gaining the element of surprise. 00:31:26.654 --> 00:31:28.717 Making a killing in the city, 00:31:28.742 --> 00:31:31.042 she raises more young 00:31:31.067 --> 00:31:33.419 than her rural peregrine cousins. 00:31:39.998 --> 00:31:41.783 Over the past five weeks, 00:31:41.807 --> 00:31:44.732 she's kept three chicks growing strong... 00:31:51.534 --> 00:31:54.818 ...providing all they needed to survive. 00:31:55.914 --> 00:31:59.225 With a little help from superdad. 00:32:05.840 --> 00:32:09.052 Together, they share the babysitting and the hunting. 00:32:12.180 --> 00:32:14.492 Now, the chicks are fledging. 00:32:15.767 --> 00:32:17.744 And in only eight weeks, 00:32:17.769 --> 00:32:20.855 they must be ready to survive in the city on their own. 00:32:24.067 --> 00:32:25.895 Getting them up to speed will be 00:32:25.919 --> 00:32:28.531 the greatest parenting challenge yet. 00:32:32.575 --> 00:32:35.906 So when Dad goes to grab lunch for the family, 00:32:40.061 --> 00:32:42.477 Mom begins schooling her chicks 00:32:42.502 --> 00:32:44.906 in extreme urban flying. 00:32:49.968 --> 00:32:53.680 Learning to hunt above the city requires unique skills. 00:32:56.849 --> 00:32:58.777 Mum needs to show them how to use 00:32:58.801 --> 00:33:00.620 these complex thermal currents 00:33:00.645 --> 00:33:02.680 as aerial superhighways. 00:33:08.486 --> 00:33:10.279 So she demonstrates... 00:33:11.804 --> 00:33:13.812 again. 00:33:15.034 --> 00:33:16.687 And again. 00:33:18.245 --> 00:33:20.155 And again. 00:33:22.125 --> 00:33:25.617 The chicks practice balancing on the thermals, 00:33:32.093 --> 00:33:33.511 until finally, 00:33:35.304 --> 00:33:36.514 they're ready... 00:33:40.184 --> 00:33:41.686 to take to the air. 00:33:52.238 --> 00:33:54.365 Now they've found their wings, 00:33:55.917 --> 00:33:59.245 it's time to move on to more advanced aerobatics. 00:34:14.886 --> 00:34:16.792 Dad's returned with an incentive 00:34:16.817 --> 00:34:19.390 to take the lesson to the next level. 00:34:24.020 --> 00:34:26.586 Releasing prey helps teach his chicks 00:34:26.610 --> 00:34:28.926 how to use gravity 00:34:29.525 --> 00:34:32.862 and change their body shape to cut through the air 00:34:34.596 --> 00:34:36.985 and gain speed. 00:34:40.078 --> 00:34:43.456 Now Mom ups the ante with the food pass, 00:34:49.712 --> 00:34:53.841 an essential step in developing the agility to tackle fast-flying prey. 00:35:00.902 --> 00:35:04.965 No other birds devote so much time to teaching their young. 00:35:08.527 --> 00:35:12.956 But with high investment comes high reward. 00:35:20.034 --> 00:35:23.121 In just a month's time, a new generation of super hunters 00:35:23.329 --> 00:35:26.124 will be ready for the big, bad city. 00:35:33.506 --> 00:35:35.790 On this coral reef, 00:35:35.815 --> 00:35:37.647 there's one tiny animal 00:35:37.671 --> 00:35:40.456 that never lets its offspring leave. 00:35:42.431 --> 00:35:47.353 A sea sponge makes a living castle for a queen snapping shrimp... 00:35:48.763 --> 00:35:52.081 and her 300-strong colony. 00:35:53.359 --> 00:35:57.050 Each shrimp is no bigger than a grain of rice. 00:36:00.729 --> 00:36:02.936 And she has potent powers 00:36:02.960 --> 00:36:05.244 to keep them under her control. 00:36:07.174 --> 00:36:09.689 She emits a chemical cocktail 00:36:10.918 --> 00:36:14.096 that suppresses her daughters' ability to reproduce, 00:36:15.878 --> 00:36:18.713 turning them into dutiful workers. 00:36:20.219 --> 00:36:24.490 They toil relentlessly, cleaning the sponge 00:36:24.515 --> 00:36:26.557 and maintaining passageways. 00:36:30.009 --> 00:36:33.104 But not all her subjects are born equal. 00:36:34.025 --> 00:36:36.440 Others develop into soldier shrimps 00:36:37.153 --> 00:36:40.823 with outsized claws and an instinct to defend. 00:36:48.831 --> 00:36:51.292 Sea stars are sponge predators, 00:36:52.806 --> 00:36:57.369 always trying to eat the shrimp out of house and home. 00:36:59.508 --> 00:37:02.220 Though it's around a thousand times their size, 00:37:02.929 --> 00:37:05.867 the shrimp unite against the enemy. 00:37:20.529 --> 00:37:23.500 But with all soldiers guarding out front, 00:37:24.275 --> 00:37:27.203 a greater threat sneaks in the back. 00:37:30.023 --> 00:37:31.813 A polychaete worm, 00:37:32.792 --> 00:37:36.254 perfectly shaped to infiltrate the heart of the colony. 00:37:39.335 --> 00:37:41.485 But they don't eat sponges. 00:37:43.094 --> 00:37:47.930 Those jaws are for slicing shrimp. 00:37:49.350 --> 00:37:52.399 The workers are powerless to fight back. 00:37:54.899 --> 00:37:56.624 But with alarm clicks... 00:37:56.649 --> 00:37:58.415 ...they call for backup. 00:38:07.326 --> 00:38:09.340 The soldiers arrive, 00:38:10.039 --> 00:38:12.769 and deploy their ultimate weapon. 00:38:15.459 --> 00:38:18.664 They snap their claws so fast, 00:38:18.688 --> 00:38:20.690 it vaporizes water, 00:38:20.715 --> 00:38:23.332 creating a bubble. 00:38:23.843 --> 00:38:27.113 When the pressure of the ocean makes the bubble implode, 00:38:28.723 --> 00:38:33.227 water inside super-heats to 7,000 degrees, 00:38:34.979 --> 00:38:37.565 pushing out a powerful shockwave. 00:38:39.998 --> 00:38:41.873 It stuns the worm... 00:38:42.570 --> 00:38:44.697 ...into a full retreat. 00:38:50.536 --> 00:38:53.285 But not before damage is done. 00:38:57.126 --> 00:38:59.628 The queen is dead. 00:39:03.915 --> 00:39:06.864 As soon as her influence is removed, 00:39:06.888 --> 00:39:09.274 there is a race for power. 00:39:12.767 --> 00:39:15.328 Free from their mother's chemical control, 00:39:15.353 --> 00:39:17.665 these workers begin to transform. 00:39:19.357 --> 00:39:22.735 And the winner is the first to mature 00:39:23.486 --> 00:39:27.239 and to begin exerting influence over her siblings. 00:39:34.955 --> 00:39:37.634 The bloodline lives on. 00:39:39.400 --> 00:39:41.474 Families are most powerful 00:39:41.498 --> 00:39:43.540 when they stick together. 00:39:44.715 --> 00:39:47.918 But that's not always an option. 00:39:53.808 --> 00:39:57.186 The quest for water is getting so desperate, 00:39:58.104 --> 00:40:00.272 it's splitting this family apart. 00:40:03.639 --> 00:40:06.183 Elephants can cover 20 miles a day, 00:40:08.447 --> 00:40:11.117 but some are struggling to keep up. 00:40:16.705 --> 00:40:18.749 For each step an adult takes, 00:40:19.925 --> 00:40:22.877 a calf must take six. 00:40:24.836 --> 00:40:27.198 The herd had to keep moving, 00:40:28.917 --> 00:40:31.690 but a mother won't abandon her baby. 00:40:33.425 --> 00:40:35.705 In 100-degree heat, 00:40:37.093 --> 00:40:38.823 they're exhausted... 00:40:42.231 --> 00:40:44.221 ...close to dehydration, 00:40:47.403 --> 00:40:49.159 close to death. 00:40:51.949 --> 00:40:54.070 Exposing cool soil is the only way 00:40:54.094 --> 00:40:56.886 to give her calf relief. 00:40:58.456 --> 00:41:00.409 It buys her a little time... 00:41:02.042 --> 00:41:05.087 for her to summon her greatest superpower. 00:41:11.860 --> 00:41:13.404 Leaning forward, 00:41:13.429 --> 00:41:16.474 she shifts her weight to align her head with her legs, 00:41:18.360 --> 00:41:20.364 and spreads her front feet 00:41:20.388 --> 00:41:22.688 so they are fully engaged with the ground. 00:41:24.356 --> 00:41:27.890 Then she does something extraordinary. 00:41:31.816 --> 00:41:34.846 She feels for her family. 00:41:37.708 --> 00:41:39.854 Three miles away... 00:41:42.759 --> 00:41:44.498 ...using their trunks 00:41:44.522 --> 00:41:47.103 to lower the frequency of their calls, 00:41:48.088 --> 00:41:50.966 the herd sends vibrations through the ground. 00:41:54.887 --> 00:41:58.807 Sensitive cells in the mother's feet pick up the sound 00:41:58.832 --> 00:42:02.622 and channel it through her skeleton towards her ear. 00:42:07.117 --> 00:42:12.490 By shifting position, she deciphers the direction of the message 00:42:12.750 --> 00:42:15.878 and what it means. 00:42:18.202 --> 00:42:20.896 The family is urging them on. 00:42:24.333 --> 00:42:26.335 Her baby can't take much more, 00:42:35.886 --> 00:42:37.888 but Mom is determined. 00:42:38.973 --> 00:42:41.149 She knows her family is calling 00:42:41.173 --> 00:42:43.098 for good reason. 00:42:49.191 --> 00:42:51.986 Using the same ability to detect distant vibrations, 00:42:52.736 --> 00:42:55.197 they've heard something phenomenal. 00:42:57.324 --> 00:43:01.669 Thunderstorms also produce low-frequency infrasound. 00:43:04.818 --> 00:43:06.892 It's thought elephants can sense them 00:43:06.916 --> 00:43:09.576 from more than 100 miles away. 00:43:10.819 --> 00:43:13.294 Keeping all ears to the ground, 00:43:17.839 --> 00:43:21.075 the herd heads straight to the source. 00:43:26.577 --> 00:43:29.325 They're hungry, and weak. 00:43:31.029 --> 00:43:33.334 But the promise of life-sustaining water 00:43:34.127 --> 00:43:35.935 drives them on. 00:43:44.215 --> 00:43:46.342 Until finally... 00:43:51.086 --> 00:43:53.380 ...it's within reach. 00:44:00.512 --> 00:44:03.474 As the message of hope spreads far and wide, 00:44:04.892 --> 00:44:06.644 more elephants gather... 00:44:09.688 --> 00:44:13.484 ...until the whole extended family is reunited... 00:44:15.653 --> 00:44:17.201 almost. 00:44:22.080 --> 00:44:24.443 The baby is still struggling. 00:44:26.664 --> 00:44:29.041 But Mom never left his side, 00:44:31.528 --> 00:44:33.942 and now they're so close, 00:44:34.540 --> 00:44:36.606 they can smell it. 00:45:06.912 --> 00:45:08.872 When family sticks together, 00:45:10.749 --> 00:45:12.876 communicating, collaborating... 00:45:13.001 --> 00:45:15.254 and combining as one... 00:45:18.507 --> 00:45:21.335 ...everyone, no matter how small, 00:45:23.035 --> 00:45:26.095 has the very best chance of survival. 00:45:39.236 --> 00:45:43.615 Continuing your bloodline is life's ultimate mission. 00:45:49.621 --> 00:45:52.666 It takes every superpower possible 00:45:52.875 --> 00:45:55.586 to protect and provide for the family... 00:45:58.839 --> 00:46:00.132 ...and secure the future 00:46:01.759 --> 00:46:04.094 for a new generation... 00:46:04.261 --> 00:46:06.388 ...of amazing animals. 00:46:12.936 --> 00:46:15.022 If you think you know nature... 00:46:17.065 --> 00:46:18.358 ...think again.