Andy's Baby Animals

Andy Day looks at the tricky first steps of baby animals such as polar bears, elephants and Mandarin ducklings.

Preschool wildlife series. Andy Day looks at baby animals as they learn climbing skills. Bears make excellent climbers, but that does not mean the young don't have to practice this vital skill needed for food, safety and somewhere to rest, as well as learning which are the right trees to climb. Their first attempts are on trees that are too small or too slippery but the third tree they choose is just right. Giant otters must master the art of climbing up muddy river banks to mark their territory and maintain its boundaries, which is tougher than it first appears. They try to copy mum but can only get halfway. Ibex are mammals that rely on the safety afforded by cliff faces. The young are born at the top of a cliff, but there is no food up there. They must descend to the bottom where they can find water and plants to eat. Mum descends alone leaving her young to play, but once they start to descend they realise it's a skill they are born with.

Preschool wildlife series. Andy Day looks at a selection of baby animals as they learn how to warm up and cool down. When king penguins are too cold they huddle together for warmth, and when they need to cool down they will take a mud bath. The young penguin dives face down into a muddy pool in one of its first attempts to learn this skill. The Japanese macaque uses hot springs to stay warm in the snowy winter, learning the value of these hot tubs of the animal world. Meanwhile, in the baking heat of the summer the best place for an elephant to cool down is in the water, and for young elephants this is a fun learning experience.

Preschool wildlife series. Andy Day looks at a selection of baby animals as they learn valuable jumping skills. For baby animals, jumping can help in so many ways. Springbok don't just jump, they pronk, which means showing off! The odd-looking Jerboa jumps to avoid danger, while the Arctic fox pups jump to help them burst through the snow in order to find food.

Preschool wildlife series. Andy Day looks at a selection of baby animals as they learn how to stand up and move around. Newborn wildebeest can learn to stand just three minutes after they are born. Adelie penguin chicks must race to catch a parent for food, while young caiman need mum to dig them out of their nest and carry them to the water in her jaws.

Preschool wildlife series. Andy Day looks at a selection of young animals as they learn important fishing lessons. Mum finds it easy, but fish slip away from young grizzly bears in Canada. Meanwhile, oriental darters practise with twigs, while river otter pups watch Mum's sat nav guide her to the fish in North America.

Preschool wildlife series. Andy Day takes a look at how young animals get a ride. In Madagascar, ring-tailed lemurs get a piggyback from mum, while kangaroos have a special pouch to carry their babies. And tiny poisondart frogs carry their tadpoles up into the trees of Central America.

Preschool wildlife series. Andy Day takes a look at young animals as they learn important skills. A young sea otter watches mum as she cracks a shellfish open, while Capuchin monkeys learn how to break into yummy nuts. And an elephant calf faces the challenge of learning how to use its trunk.

Preschool wildlife series. Andy Day takes a look at young animals as they learn important swimming skills. In New Zealand baby fur seals choose a safe pool in a river, while in Antarctica, Adelie penguin chicks have to learn how to sink. Polar bears live on the ice but are also great in the Arctic water.

Preschool wildlife series. Andy Day takes a look at young animals as they learn how to make a place to rest. Many young apes must learn how to make a bed out of leaves, while in Tibet, bar-headed geese make a soft, fluffy nest out of feathers on the hard rock. And meerkats spend the night in underground burrows.

Polar bear cubs in the arctic and langur monkeys in India all love to play. But the masters of playtime are the gorillas, who climb trees, roll around and try to beat their chests like dad.

Sand grouse chicks in Namibia rely on dad, whose feathers are like a sponge, while an elephant calf has to learn to drink with a trunk. And Ostrich chicks follow mum and dad to find water in the desert.

Californian ground squirrels use an old snakeskin to confuse a hungry rattler. The coconut octopus rolls away from trouble in an old shell, while the orchid mantis plays many tricks - even kung fu!

In Antarctica a wandering albatross chick masters the largest wings of any bird, while lar gibbons swing through the rainforest as if they are flying. Meanwhile, the great grey owl chicks leap from the top of huge trees.

The sengi is one of the fastest small mammals on earth - it even has a racetrack. In the Arctic, guillemot chicks leap from clifftop nests. And Chacma baboons walk upright to reach the best food.

This episode looks at how young animals talk. Andy Day learns that lions aren't born with loud roars. In Antarctica, a penguin chick can be heard by his mum amid 150,000 other penguins. A baby macaque must learn the value of funny faces if she is to fit in.

Andy Day explains how baby animals are great at teamwork. In Africa, young meerkats learn to look out for their mob. Emperor penguins work together to keep their chicks fed and warm. The fry of convict fish stick together in a shoal to fool bigger fish.

Young animals must learn to hide. Andy Day sees how coatis follow mum's tail to safety in the forest. Eider ducks keep a wolf busy while their ducklings find a safe spot. The big mouthed hap is strangest of all - the young fish hide in its mouth.

Andy Day looks at how young animals explore. In Antarctica, a seal pup takes its first journey under the ice. Leopard cubs must climb as they explore the river bank with mum. A tiny goby fish faces a huge obstacle - getting up a waterfall!

Andy Day explains about the favourite meals of young animals. For meerkats, a scorpion is a tasty desert treat. In Finland, raccoon dog pups stock up before winter arrives. Young capuchin monkeys learn how to hammer and roll shellfish to get them open.