BORN SURVIVORS
CAMERAS FOLLOW ANIMAL FAMILIES as they fight to bring up their young in a fascinating docuseries
NEW WILDLIFE Dynasties II
Sunday, 8pm, BBC1
In 2018, BBC1’S acclaimed naturalhistory series Dynasties shone the spotlight on a range of animals as they battled to ensure the future of their line.
Now, the series, narrated by
Sir David Attenborough, is back to follow the fortunes of a puma family, an elephant herd, a group of cheetahs and a clan of hyenas – each led by a courageous female – as they come under threat from weather, hunger and deadly rivals.
‘Survival is a big deal,’ says series producer Simon Blakeney. ‘We have big, charismatic, powerful animals that seem unstoppable, but they have huge challenges just making it from one day to the next, especially when it comes to bringing up families.’
Here, Blakeney guides us through the series…
EPISODE ONE: PUMA
In the Patagonian ice fields of South America, cameras follow puma Rupestre as she tries to raise her four young cubs. Amid freezing temperatures and challenging terrain, she faces risky hunts, aggressive males and a violent dispute over territory.
‘Rupestre has to catch prey and has a big job on her hands,’ says Blakeney. ‘She’s also bringing up these cubs in close proximity to other pumas who can be a massive threat. When Rupestre meets another mother, Blinka, no one had ever seen two females fighting with that degree of ferocity before. Rupestre is tactile with her cubs. She’s always staying close to them, and we film them to a point where they are all about to leave her.’
EPISODE TWO: ELEPHANT
At Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, new herd leader Angelina gives birth to twins Atlas and Alana and the family must protect them from muddy swamps, drought and predators.
‘Elephant twins are rare and Angelina gives birth to them several days apart,’ explains Blakeney. ‘Lots of the parenting duties are shared with cousins and sisters, but it’s at least double the work – and when you are on the borders of survival, that’s a big deal. There are heart-warming moments with the twins but also massive jeopardy. They have a tough time in terms of the weather and we see one calf in danger when it gets stuck in the mud.’ Cheetah mother Kali, who lives in Zambia, has lost 12 out of her 14 previous cubs, but is now raising three daughters. There are threats from rivals as the family hunts to survive, but as the cubs grow, they learn to work as a team.
‘Kali’s strong and experienced, but she struggles to bring up the next generation,’ says Blakeney. ‘There are amusing moments when her daughters learn what it’s like being an adult cheetah. Lalu has a to-and-fro with a mole rat punching above his weight! As the cubs get larger, they learn how to make themselves look aggressive.’
EPISODE FOUR: HYENA
‘They have huge
challenges just making it from one day to the next’
SIMON BLAKENEY
On Zambia’s Liuwa Plain, a clan of spotted hyenas have lost their alpha-female leader and her daughter Sia has to battle for supremacy with older hyena Suma, while the family also experience drought and challenging hunts.
‘Sia is like a young princess,’ says Blakeney. ‘She’s too young to lead, but by birthright, it’s her clan. Suma comes in to claim the clan and we see the power struggle between them. It’s amazing the way that they build allies and interact with each other. Hyenas get a bad press, but we see the softer side of them – from playing with their young to one new mother going off to have a bath and falling asleep in the water!’