Animal Babies: First Year on Earth - BBC2

Spotted hyenas in Animal Babies: First Year on Earth
(Image credit: BBC Studios/Mark McClean)

The BBC2 series Animal Babies: First Year on Earth concludes with the young animals making their way in the world without their mothers' help

The six baby animals’ first months on Earth takes us to the end of their first year as BBC1's Animal Babies concludes

This is a time for most of them to work out how to do things without their mothers’ help.

Ugandan mountain gorilla Nyakabara soon gets the hang (literally) of stripping bark off trees and picking berries.

Meanwhile, the Arctic fox cubs are out on their own after their mother rejects them.

Not only that - they have to find their own food.

And spotted hyena twins Chowder and Bisque have to go out and explore the Kenya savannah alone.

The young hyenas must fend for themselves as BBC1's Animal Babies: First Year on Earth concludes

The young hyenas must fend for themselves as BBC1's Animal Babies: First Year on Earth concludes

‘For many infants in the wild, the first year is the toughest,’ says series producer Dominic Weston.

‘Hyenas are massively misunderstood,’ he adds.

'They are highly socially intelligent, the mothers are incredibly devoted and the cubs are so cute!'

It’s a real-life Lion King.

TV Times rating: ****