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Midwinter in Antarctica
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and one of nature's most extraordinary
stories is about to begin...
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Through two months of biting winds,
blizzards and unimaginable cold
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these male emperor penguins
have each nurtured a single precious egg.
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One by one they welcome
their tiny chicks into the world.
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But not all eggs will hatch
and one father is still waiting.
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A neighbour shows off
his own new youngster.
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His calls will encourage
the chick to emerge.
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Finally, the youngest member
of the colony is born.
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But growing up in the world's most
extreme nursery will be a huge challenge
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for in just 6 months he must have
learnt enough to fend for himself
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in the great Antarctic Ocean.
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This is the dramatised story
of one extraordinary little bird.
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Far from their chicks
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the mothers have spent the last two months
catching fish and fattening up
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while the fathers were left alone
to hatch their eggs.
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Now the race is on to get back
and feed their young.
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Among the excited crowd
is Snow Chick's mother.
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She's got a belly full of fish
for her newborn
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but between them is a gruelling
100km trek across the frozen sea.
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Waddling at less than 3km an hour,
it will take many days to get home.
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Instinct drives them on...
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their babies' lives depend
on them arriving in time.
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Back at the colony,
the father is getting to know his chick.
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He gives him some high-calorie baby milk
produced from a gland in his throat.
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But these supplies
will only last a few days.
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It's just as well his mother
is on her way.
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Following her maternal instinct
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she and all the other females are making
steady progress on their journey home.
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But, in places, the ice is wafer thin!
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Below, a predator tracks their every move.
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A leopard seal...
the penguins' greatest enemy.
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The chick's mother senses danger.
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She was right to be cautious.
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Broken ice is a death trap.
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For the rest, their chick
is their only concern.
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But the seal needs just one victim...
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A near miss, and she still has
60 treacherous kilometres ahead of her!
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While the chick waits for her return,
outside temperatures are at minus 30.
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But the pouch covers him like a tea cosy
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and keeps him at a comfy plus 37 degrees.
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For a new father, walking with a chick
on your feet is a tricky balancing act.
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He'll get the hang of it soon!
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The mothers are also struggling
with the icy conditions
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and they are crossing some of
the toughest terrain on earth.
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Their sharp claws grip the ice,
while scales on their feet act like treads.
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But where the snow melts and re-thaws
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it creates slippery conditions
that even a penguin finds challenging...!
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Back at the colony,
it's been a week since the chick was born.
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At these temperatures,
survival depends on getting enough to eat.
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His father tries,
but there's nothing left to give.
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The mothers battle on.
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Sadly, some years they
simply don't make it in time.
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The chick is getting weaker by the hour.
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Then, at last, some weary figures appear.
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Utterly exhausted by the walk
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the mother still has one final challenge
before she can meet her chick...
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Finding him!
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There are over three thousand fathers
with chicks here
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and, even to penguins,
they all look the same.
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For the chick, time is running out.
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But the penguins have a solution.
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The fathers get in line
and dad and his chick join them.
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They form an identity parade!
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All she has to do is simply
work her way along the line.
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Sounds simple enough
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but among all the penguin lookalikes,
her partner is still tricky to recognise!
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So every so often she stops and calls!
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Her cry is unique and the father responds
with a call of his own.
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It's what she was hoping to hear.
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After 2 months at sea,
and a 100km trek across the ice
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she's made it back in the nick of time.
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In a miracle of natural timing,
he gets a morsel that will save his life.
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It's now his mother's turn
to take over the childcare.
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But they must be careful...
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a few seconds too long on the ice
and their chick will die.
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Finally, they unite as a family.
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The bond they share is one of
the most remarkable in nature.
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For over the next 5 months
they'll take it in turns to trek to the sea
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to bring back food
for their ever-growing baby.
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His father endured so much
to get the tiny chick this far...
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saying goodbye is hard...
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This time there's no looking back.
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In 4 weeks he will return
with fresh supplies.
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But first there's the little matter
of a 200km round trip to the sea.
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Now it's mum's turn to feed him...
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a natural preservative has kept the fish
as fresh as the day it was caught.
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The chick may be satisfied,
but his father hasn't eaten for 4 months.
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He and the rest of the hungry fathers
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are now two days
into their long walk to the sea.
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But sometimes the ice offers a shortcut...
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An ice hole... a portal to the sea,
which could cut their journey by days.
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And when you're famished,
it's got to be worth investigating!
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But such holes don't appear
by themselves....
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There had to be a catch!
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They can either stay
and hope the leopard seal goes away
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or continue their long,
risky trek to the sea.
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Time to regroup.
This must be a joint decision.
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Emperors rely on each other
for their very survival,
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so learning social skills starts early.
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Penguins are naturally argumentative,
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so his first lesson
is sticking up for himself.
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His mother only intervenes
when things go too far.
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But no kid likes being told off!
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At the ice hole, the standoff continues.
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No one is keen to be first!
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But they egg each other on,
as penguins like to do.
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The coast is clear.
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Their gamble paid off.
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At the colony, two weeks have passed.
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The chicks are testing their independence
and spending time away from their mothers.
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All, that is, except one.
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As the last to hatch,
he's way behind in development!
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While the older chicks
are boisterous and confident
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he still feels most comfortable
in his mother's pouch.
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But penguins are sociable birds
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and, to survive, he must learn
to play his part in the colony.
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It's a daunting prospect...
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but the little chick finds some courage.
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It's a shaky start...
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but he mustn't lose his nerve.
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Time for a bit of tough love.
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With every step he gains more confidence.
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It's just as well...
he has so many friends to make!
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But when you're the smallest,
it's tough to join the gang.
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For now, there's always mum!
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Out in the open ocean
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the fathers are revelling
in being back in the water.
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They haven't eaten for four whole months
and have lost half their body weight.
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To stock up on fish and squid,
they hold their breath for up to 20 minutes
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and dive to nearly 600 metres...
deeper than any other bird.
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At the colony, three weeks have passed
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and the chick is confidently
following his mother wherever she goes.
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He's still learning
how things should be done.
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And how they shouldn't!
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He soon thinks
there's nothing left to learn...
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so nervous toddler turns cocky explorer.
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But at this age,
she mustn't let him out of her sight.
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She's lost him...
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and heads off in the wrong direction.
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Confused, he does the only sensible thing
and heads towards the colony.
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He feels safer now...
his mother must be here somewhere.
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And then... security at last!
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But he's got it wrong,
it's not his mother!
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This must be her, surely?
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Wrong again.
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He tests each penguin in turn...
but nobody wants him!
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In a colony this size,
he may never find his mother again!
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These are desperate times.
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In this frozen world, lost chicks
don't survive for long.
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His father is among the many
rushing back with fresh supplies.
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But he must be careful...
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A pod of killer whales are on their tail.
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They look for any penguin
that makes a mistake.
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Just a tiny error,
but now he's in deep trouble...
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He torpedoes to safety.
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But killer whales are intelligent
and persistent predators
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and the spring melt has turned the ice-edge
into a maze of gullies and openings.
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Perfect for a surprise attack.
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He must find a safe passage out
by staying on solid ice.
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To keep him in their sights, they spyhop.
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He sees a route, and heads for safety.
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A reprieve of sorts.
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But the other fathers left without him.
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And, with a storm brewing,
he's totally exposed.
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Already, the blizzard
has reached the colony.
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The chick's only protection
is his overcoat of down
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and at minus 40 it's simply not enough.
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And, unfortunately,
the other mothers care only for their own.
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The chick's mother calls one last time...
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but her cries are lost on the wind.
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At last he's found...
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And not a moment too soon.
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Within a few hours, the full force
of the storm engulfs the colony.
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The chick may be safe
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but as temperatures drop to minus 60
his mother's warmth is not enough.
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To protect him,
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she needs to find refuge in the shared
warmth of the other penguins.
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As 100km an hour winds lash the colony,
the penguins huddle together.
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Sheltered from the storm,
they're snug at last.
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But out on the ice, the lone father
is still paying the price for his mistake.
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His only hope is to reach
the safety of the colony in time.
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In the comfort of the huddle,
the penguins have all the shelter they need.
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In the centre, temperatures
can even reach a toasty 37 degrees!
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To cool down, they shuffle to the outside,
letting others take their place.
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By sharing body heat,
they weather any storm.
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Desperate for the warmth of the family,
the lone father struggles on.
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For the sake of his chick,
he simply has to make it back.
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Then, through the blizzard... salvation.
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Against the odds, he's made it home.
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A few weeks pass
and the days are lengthening.
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Dad is on parenting duties,
while mum takes the fishing shift.
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But even in the safety of the colony
there are unexpected dangers...
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Penguins who have failed to breed
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practice child-rearing skills
on chunks of ice.
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But their mothering instinct
is so overwhelming,
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what they really want
is a baby of their own!
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And who better than the smallest,
most adorable chick in the colony?
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Dad has his work cut out
keeping these kid-snatchers at bay.
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And they aren't
the only broody penguins...
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Soon there are so many baby-snatchers
they block the father's path at every turn.
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As his chick gets smothered by admirers,
there's nothing he can do.
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For these lone females, the urge to nurture
a chick of their own is overwhelming.
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In the frenzy, they are in danger
of loving him to death.
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When dad can finally reach him,
his little chick is in real peril.
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Then a lucky break...
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He gets his battered baby back.
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Nothing is more important
than the safety of your young.
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As the weeks go by,
spring turns to summer.
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The sea ice melts
and the ocean gets closer.
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It means feeding the chicks is easy,
so they are growing up fast.
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They hang out together
in small, comforting huddles.
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But Snow Chick isn't ready to cut the ties
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despite being too big
for his father's pouch.
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It's starting to get embarrassing!
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It's long overdue,
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but his father finally persuades him
to find his place in the gang.
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But there's an art to joining a huddle...
and he hasn't mastered it!
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But practice makes perfect, and the first
thing to work out is which way to face.
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You know you've got it right
when someone snuggles in behind you.
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Accepted at last!
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This is a huge milestone
in his development.
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It means that, for the first time,
both parents can go fishing.
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The chick is not so sure
he's ready to be left on his own.
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But the colony has invisible walls
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and he instinctively knows
they mustn't be crossed.
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The adults left behind
don't have the caring ways of his parents.
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Until they return, he must find
one of the colony's childminders.
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A penguin who hasn't bred
takes on the role as practice for the future.
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She'll take him under her wing
but only if he does as he's told.
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She's a firm believer in discipline.
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00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:38,846
With so many chicks in her care,
stragglers won't be tolerated.
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He will just have to toughen up!
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But there's a reason
for the new, strict regime.
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With the warmer days,
the open sea is closer now
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and new and unwelcome visitors
can reach the colony easily.
237
00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:13,768
A giant petrel.
238
00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:22,247
They always pick on the smallest.
239
00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:30,363
He's caught! But just by his baby fluff.
240
00:35:37,080 --> 00:35:39,890
The childminder is welcome now!
241
00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:54,441
It's now a deadly game of hide and seek.
242
00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:15,683
Luckily, the petrel spots
an easier meal of scraps.
243
00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:22,362
And the chick has learnt
a valuable lesson.
244
00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:28,809
As spring continues, the melting ice
brings another new arrival.
245
00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:36,442
The Adélie penguin.
246
00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:46,008
A cocky character... very different
to the laid-back emperor.
247
00:36:53,120 --> 00:36:55,500
Adélies breed in the Antarctic summer.
248
00:36:55,600 --> 00:37:00,208
He's the first to arrive and he's heading
straight for his breeding grounds...
249
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:06,168
Exactly where the emperors are living!
250
00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:15,051
When the Adélie reaches the colony
he's on a mission.
251
00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:22,404
He's setting up home for the summer
and he expects to have the place to himself!
252
00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:28,646
Adélies are only half a metre tall
253
00:37:28,746 --> 00:37:31,940
but they're the most pugnacious
of all penguins.
254
00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:35,761
He thinks nothing of taking on
the whole colony!
255
00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:44,205
Chicks that don't give way
soon get the message.
256
00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:49,923
He'll be a thorn in their side
until he's seen the back of them.
257
00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:05,970
In the meantime, he makes himself at home.
258
00:38:13,340 --> 00:38:16,188
As the melt brings the sea ever closer,
259
00:38:16,288 --> 00:38:19,968
the parents visit their chicks
more frequently.
260
00:38:26,200 --> 00:38:29,180
The littlest still
has some catching up to do
261
00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:34,969
but with this continuous relay of food
everyone is bulking up.
262
00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:41,083
When the chick isn't eating, he spends his
time hungrily waiting for his next meal.
263
00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,100
When his mother does arrive
264
00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:54,206
she's plagued by greedy chicks
all trying to blag a free lunch.
265
00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:04,247
But if she feeds any of these imposters,
her chick will go hungry.
266
00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:10,090
He's hidden somewhere in the huddle.
267
00:39:10,760 --> 00:39:15,700
To find him she must use
her unique and comforting call.
268
00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:34,206
The chicks are so tightly packed
he can only reach her by crowd-surfing.
269
00:39:48,240 --> 00:39:52,100
Even now he must undergo
an identity check before he gets a meal!
270
00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:10,127
Fortunately, he passes the test!
271
00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:20,444
At the ice-edge, a new invasion.
272
00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:24,207
More Adélies!
273
00:40:25,520 --> 00:40:27,966
Hundreds of them!
274
00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:55,969
They're ready to breed
and nothing will stand in their way.
275
00:41:00,720 --> 00:41:03,460
They time-share these breeding grounds
with the emperors
276
00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:06,404
and the summer season is their turn.
277
00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:28,260
If you're small,
it's best to keep a low profile
278
00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:31,284
and hope they'll pick on
someone their own size!
279
00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:39,568
While the bigger chicks are squaring up,
he makes his exit...
280
00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:06,180
When the new neighbours
aren't picking fights with the chicks
281
00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:08,965
they argue amongst themselves.
282
00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:21,965
The Adélie invasion is also a sign
of a bigger and more profound change...
283
00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:25,446
After five months of nurturing
284
00:42:25,720 --> 00:42:29,088
the adults are preparing
to leave their chicks for good.
285
00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:33,940
A conveyer belt of food
is now arriving around the clock
286
00:42:34,040 --> 00:42:37,567
building them up
until they can fend for themselves.
287
00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:42,491
Many adults are leaving
the colony for the last time.
288
00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:47,540
And the smallest chick here
still has some feeding up to do
289
00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:50,962
and his parents are nowhere to be seen.
290
00:42:55,800 --> 00:42:59,043
Then, two familiar figures.
291
00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:16,360
It's double helpings this time!
292
00:43:26,240 --> 00:43:28,420
He'll need the extra nourishment...
293
00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:34,050
he doesn't know it yet, but this is
the last meal he'll ever get from them.
294
00:43:47,240 --> 00:43:52,940
Without so much as a backward glance,
mum and dad head back to sea.
295
00:43:53,040 --> 00:43:55,100
Their work is done.
296
00:43:55,200 --> 00:44:01,321
The chick they spent 5 months rearing
must now stand on his own two feet.
297
00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:13,960
A week goes by
and the weather deteriorates.
298
00:44:19,200 --> 00:44:26,049
All that time, the chicks have been waiting,
but their parents never returned.
299
00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:33,890
Even the Adélie seems confused.
300
00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:40,420
Eventually, driven by hunger and instinct
301
00:44:40,520 --> 00:44:44,380
their only choice is to cross
the colony's invisible boundary
302
00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:49,486
and begin the most important
journey of their lives.
303
00:44:51,720 --> 00:44:55,020
The Adélie couldn't be
happier to see them go.
304
00:44:55,120 --> 00:44:57,885
He escorts them off the premises.
305
00:45:03,560 --> 00:45:09,886
As winds reach 120km per hour,
the smallest struggles to keep up.
306
00:45:13,360 --> 00:45:16,420
But he'll only survive
if he stays with the group
307
00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:19,729
and it's so easy
to lose them in a blizzard.
308
00:45:38,200 --> 00:45:42,252
In temperatures of minus 20,
they battle on...
309
00:45:42,352 --> 00:45:45,951
driven by a need to reach the sea.
310
00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:54,049
After several hours,
the struggling chick is losing energy.
311
00:46:19,480 --> 00:46:23,883
Then, even the other chicks
can travel no more.
312
00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:31,961
Completely exhausted,
the chick must make one final effort.
313
00:46:44,800 --> 00:46:50,523
Together the plucky little gang
wait for the storm to pass.
314
00:47:00,360 --> 00:47:03,700
A few days later, the weather has changed
315
00:47:03,800 --> 00:47:06,371
and so have the chicks!
316
00:47:08,120 --> 00:47:12,700
As they prepare for a life in the ocean,
they preen away their baby fluff
317
00:47:12,800 --> 00:47:16,009
to reveal their adult plumage underneath.
318
00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:22,562
As ever, one chick
has some catching up to do.
319
00:47:28,720 --> 00:47:31,200
The Adélie wants them on their way.
320
00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:54,251
Urged on by their escort,
the ragtag army reach their destination.
321
00:48:03,080 --> 00:48:05,970
This is their first sight of the sea...
322
00:48:06,800 --> 00:48:10,009
The great Antarctic Ocean.
323
00:48:19,400 --> 00:48:23,140
They're facing the greatest challenge
of their young lives
324
00:48:23,240 --> 00:48:27,290
and they'll only go when all are ready.
325
00:48:29,920 --> 00:48:33,606
But their ice world is disappearing fast.
326
00:48:47,400 --> 00:48:50,165
He hesitates. Something's wrong.
327
00:48:51,880 --> 00:48:53,700
The ice gives way!
328
00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:56,121
He's tossed into the sea!
329
00:49:04,480 --> 00:49:08,280
He can't go it alone...
he must rejoin the others.
330
00:49:15,040 --> 00:49:17,122
Then he starts to settle...
331
00:49:22,000 --> 00:49:25,243
It feels strangely natural.
332
00:49:30,440 --> 00:49:33,460
But as the rest show
no sign of joining him
333
00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:35,961
his only choice is to clamber back out.
334
00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:40,650
It's far more difficult than getting in!
335
00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:44,447
And it seems he's not alone in the water.
336
00:50:17,120 --> 00:50:19,930
The chicks head for a safer spot.
337
00:50:23,080 --> 00:50:26,780
But, despite the danger,
the ocean is beckoning
338
00:50:26,880 --> 00:50:29,724
and the excitement is contagious.
339
00:50:34,360 --> 00:50:37,967
An old foe is here to see them off.
340
00:50:42,600 --> 00:50:47,447
The chick may still be the smallest
but he seems more confident now.
341
00:50:48,880 --> 00:50:51,500
He may be facing the great unknown
342
00:50:51,600 --> 00:50:54,285
but he's already had a taste of the sea.
343
00:50:55,800 --> 00:50:58,060
He pushes his way to the front.
344
00:50:58,160 --> 00:51:02,245
After all he has learnt,
this is his moment.
345
00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:06,002
He takes a leap of faith...
346
00:51:10,920 --> 00:51:13,844
and this time there is no turning back.
347
00:51:19,880 --> 00:51:22,121
The rest follow his cue.
348
00:51:34,320 --> 00:51:36,220
He might have been the smallest
349
00:51:36,320 --> 00:51:40,086
but he was strong enough
to survive against the odds.
350
00:51:45,880 --> 00:51:51,649
And now he leads the penguin gang
into the vast Antarctic Ocean.
351
00:51:53,800 --> 00:51:56,963
This will be their home
for the next four years.
352
00:51:57,320 --> 00:52:00,260
Then, driven by the same feelings
that drove his parents
353
00:52:00,360 --> 00:52:04,888
Snow Chick will return here
to find a partner of his own.
354
00:52:06,640 --> 00:52:12,647
And the whole incredible story
will begin all over again.