Original subtitles

It's not easy being a baby.

Sure they're cute, furry and even frisky

but raising wild animals like these in captivity

is challenging.

Some have parents, others are orphans

and it's not guaranteed they'll all survive.

Okay.

Most of the time it goes well but they can also not make it

so it's really hard sometimes.

Every animal is worth doing something

to have them to survive.

Azalee has been raising baby animals

for the past 8 years at Parc Omega in Quebec, Canada.

Parc Omega is a wildlife park

where variety of North American animals reside.

The park sits on 2,200 acres of forests, meadows and lakes

where all types of different animals

interact with each other.

In the spring a lot of these

rambunctious residents are babies,

all with different needs.

Azalee and her team are going to have to work extra hard

this season to make sure they survive

the first few months when they're most vulnerable.

It's a baby boom because they all arrived

mostly in the same time

at the beginning and middle of spring,

so it's a lot of babies at the same time.

It's a lot of bottle feeding, less sleep

but it's always worth it.

Even if it is a bit noisy.

(Geese squawking)

The staff knows keeping a baby animal alive is hard work

but they're up for the challenge.

(♪♪♪)

(♪♪♪)

This is the rehabilitation are of Parc Omega

where injured and orphan baby animals live.

We are not always aware that we'll get these animals

so we need to plan where we will put them

and what we'll gonna do and which kind of milk we need,

so it's a lot of preparation, but then we try our best.

(♪♪♪)

Hope is a month old orphaned moose,

she was found alone by the side of the road

at just three days old and was very fragile.

In the wild moose calves have only a 50% chance

of surviving past six weeks old even when they have their mom,

so it was a miracle Hope had survived

three days alone without anyone to protect her.

I think everybody who seen her would say

she's just so gorgeous and she's really cute.

Baby moose are so dependent and they see you

and they love you.

Hope is extremely affectionate

and her keeper Stephanie welcomes the attention.

I love her so much.

Bonding with people is helping Hope

get through this difficult time.

Licking is Hope's way of showing affection

because that's what her mom would do to her

if she were alive.

Although Hope love a good back rub

without her mom by her side she's having a hard time.

When we first got her

she look really healthy and everything

but she was just crying all the time

and we could not leave her.

But the staff had a plan, they found Hope a new roommate.

We brought a goat with her

and we have a really nice and gentle goat.

Becat is a an adult goat who's an experienced mom

and happens to be pregnant right now.

Hopefully she'll be good company for the baby moose,

especially since these two are going to be spending

a lot of time together,

but without much in common no one's sure

whether they'll get along.

When you have a big family there's bound to be some feuds,

especially when there are siblings involved

but these goslings are close knit.

Families like these come and go as they please

at the park.

Well the goslings for us, they are like guests,

they come into the park and we feed them

and we see them all summer long.

We appreciate their stay

because it's nice to see them really small and then grow up.

These overachievers can eat, run and swim

within one day of being born.

They have to be fast learners,

so they can fly by the end of summer

or else they risk being left behind.

Canada geese book rooms seasonally at Parc Omega.

After spending their winter months

vacationing in Florida,

mothers and babies born here return year after year.

It varies a lot but usually in spring

we have around 100 geese and most of them are babies.

The really young Canada geese are all yellow

and they are covered with dung,

so they're pretty cute at that stage.

Parc Omega is where these babies practice swimming

and learn to fly.

These gosling will grow up

to be one of the most recognized birds

in North America,

but Canada geese aren't always known

for their better qualities.

In the city Canada geese like these

are seen as a nuisance,

pooping and squawking in public parks.

But the parents aren't just lounging

by the lakes and taking strolls in the park,

they're actually protecting their young.

Well at this stage they're really vulnerable

because they are not able to fly so if there's a predator

they cannot get off really quickly.

The short grass and open space help mom and dad

keep a watchful eye out for danger

and a lake is a great escape route

from predators like bob cats

that might be lurking in the wild.

It's also a great place for scavengers to find food.

Even scavengers can be cute when they're little babies.

When they want their bottle they can be well behaved,

but they can also be rowdy rascals.

What's worse than raising a toddler;

raising unruly baby raccoons.

Come on, guys.

They're like little monster.

These little mask-faced bandits

are hyper, hungry and a bit clingy.

Well raccoons are a little playful

and sometimes affectionately little demons

because they do a lot of trouble around.

By the time spring rolls around

Parc Omega is flooded with calls from people

about orphaned raccoons.

They practice a kind of catch and release strategy

with some of the orphans here.

The staff hand-raise them with the hopes of releasing them

back into the wild at the end of summer.

This group seems happy to get their meals from a bottle

rather than getting it themselves in the wild.

The raccoons are a lot of work because they drink

really awfully off the bottle

and they also need a lot of affection

and they need to move enough so we have to bring them outside

and make them play and then bring them back in.

At a month old these baby raccoons

are voracious eaters

and are bottle fed by the staff every three hours.

In the wild they would nurse from their mother

until they were four months old,

but even as early as two months of age

these opportunistic eaters will become foragers.

They are really good eaters.

Right now they are a little needy

but you know what they say about the squeaky wheel.

They are loud when they need to be.

Raccoons have 13 vocalizations.

Baby raccoons and their mom exchange 7 of those 13 calls

which tell her they're hungry, cold

or in need of affection but they'll grow out of it

they won't be cry-babies forever.

Oh, they are so nice when they are small.

They follow us.

They like to be with us, they climb on us.

These babies are hanging on tight

but they're going to have to let go.

The park is just a temporary home

for these raccoons,

they need to find their independence

if they're going to be able to return to the wild.

(♪♪♪)

Hope and Becat are getting along great.

Sure they're a bit of an odd couple

but their friendship seems to work.

Becat has even let white tailed fawns nurse from her,

so she's used to caring for babies that aren't her own.

The goat is like a mother for her

because she don't like to alone so she always stay with her.

They like to be together.

They sleep together and they follow

always together.

Since Becat is pregnant

they're optimistic she'll do more than

just keep Hope company.

The staff think that

she'll let Hope nurse from her too

although it might be a bit tricky.

The moose is already way bigger than the goat

so we will have to build a ramp

to make sure this will work.

The staff is still working on it.

For now, Hope is being bottle fed.

And they are starting to introduce her to leaves

which moose loves to eat.

Like any picky toddler Hope is a bit curious

but hasn't quite developed an appetite.

She's already nibbling on the leaf,

she doesn't really eat the leaf but it's a good sign

that she's got the idea.

Moose are the largest members of the deer family

and they are pretty big babies weighing thirty pounds

when they're born.

If all goes well, by fall

Hope will end up gaining 10 times her birth weight.

Hope would be getting most of her nourishment

from her mother's milk if she were still alive,

so the staff has to make sure that they're providing her

with enough nutrition to survive.

It's pretty hard to raise a moose.

Moose calves need care around the clock

and if they don't bond with their caretaker

during these first few months of life

they'll stop eating and risk not surviving.

This summer would be really critical

for this baby moose.

(Goslings chirping)

Right now it's also a critical time

for these goslings.

While they are pretty self-sufficient

but they won't all survive

so if there are 6 babies may be just 4 will survive.

Even though these babies can swim on their own

and feed themselves they still need protecting.

Lucky for them their parents are fearlessly protective

and work as a team to guard their young.

If the parents think the babies are in any danger

they will do all they need to do to protect them

so they're really, really brave.

This is no wild goose chase, it's a matter of life and death.

These pigs will gobble up a gosling

if their parents weren't so attentive.

When threatened adult geese will spread their wings,

pump their heads, hiss and honk to scare away predators.

Even though mom and dad can hold their own

they're vulnerable right now too.

Shortly after goslings are born

adult geese loose their ability to fly

and are grounded.

Adults shed their flight feathers

leaving them as flightless as their little babies.

Parents will grow their feathers back

by the time the babies are ready to fly.

But will all the goslings make it to their destination?

A big test is when they will have to migrate;

some won't be able to do it the whole way.

Learning to fly in such a short time

is a huge challenge for these little babies

born just a few weeks ago.

Will they rise to the occasion?

The raccoon kits will need to learn a lot more

before they are ready to leave the park too,

especially if they're going to survive in the wild.

These babies are taking on more responsibilities.

They're animal ambassadors in the shows at the park

where people can learn more about their species.

It might seem like a cushy job

but in fact they're spending a lot of their time

honing their climbing abilities.

Baby raccoons can start climbing as early as three weeks

and it's a good thing they get such an early start.

It's really important to them to climb

and to climb really quickly

because it's the way they need to escape from predators.

Sometimes they're not so strong on their feet

and sometimes they fall off but it's a part of learning.

And they're starting to get the hang of it.

Their tails help them balance, but if they lose their footing

raccoons are able to fall up to 30-feet

without being injured.

Handy if you fall out of a tree.

Their dexterous paws are part of the reason

why they're able to climb so fast.

Their feet can even turn backwards

allowing them to climb down trees face-first.

But that's not the only thing their paws are good for.

They like to open garbage.

They like to open everything, every door.

They're really agile since why they're like monsters.

Well they're not trashing the place just yet,

they are starting to use their opposable thumbs

to grab things like food.

Their front paws are also highly sensitive

and can help them find food in the dark

which is perfect for these night owls.

These babies are maturing fast.

But is it fast enough?

How will the park know

when they are ready to be released?

When they get older we have to be careful,

they can be a little bit more aggressive

so they can start to bite, show some sign--

they are ready to come back in the wild.

(♪♪♪)

One month later and the babies have grown up a lot.

The park's staff has decided that Hope won't be released

back in to the wild.

Without the guidance of her mother

her chances of surviving on her own

would be little to none.

Hope is the only female moose in the park,

she wouldn't be able to live

with the male moose they have here,

especially since she isn't sexually mature yet.

The trouble will be finding her a place of her own

when she's older.

For now at almost two months she's getting stronger

despite the recent changes in her life.

Hope is now a big sister

although she's not really jumping for joy.

She doesn't interact so much with the baby goats.

For playing and everything not so much at the moment.

But the baby goats are just from last week

so it's really new

but they are all sleeping in the same shelter altogether,

the goat, the moose and the two baby goats.

Cute.

Hope is missing the attention she was getting from Becat

but this mom is doing a great job

of performing double duty.

The mother goat is a really, really good mother.

She can take care of her babies and take care of Hope

in the same time.

Despite trying for a couple of weeks

Hope wasn't able to nurse from Becat.

This new mom is too busy feeding her own babies

and they'll demand all of her milk

for the next six months.

They're also very energetic.

When these babies grow up

they will be able to jump up to 5 feet high

and they're getting a lot of practice

which might take some getting used to from Hope.

In spite of having to deal with her new siblings

Hope has really come out of her shell.

Hope is doing fine, she's growing really nicely.

I think she's--not so big but she's not so small.

She starts eating leaves already quite a lot

and she's drinking water by herself as well.

She's playful.

Yeah, she's doing really well.

These first two months for Hope haven't been easy.

It's been hard not having her mom around,

but at least she's not alone anymore.

She has a new family to keep her company.

But not as much company as this family.

It's a full house.

At six weeks these goslings aren't so little anymore.

Right now the goslings are looking kind of funny

I would say.

They are not at their best looking

because they are kind of getting rid of the small feather

that they has when they were young

but they are not having their full grown feathers yet.

They are the perfect nuclear family,

low divorce rates, obedient children

and a safe household.

And they're a pretty tight knit group.

Family stick together with the babies

sandwich between mom and dad to keep them safe.

They'll even join other group of geese

with adults taking turns babysitting.

But these gosling can't be coddled forever.

They're going to have to fly the coop sometime.

But will they know how?

It's natural for them to fly.

They are really followers,

so if the parents go there they all go there,

if the parents run there they'll run there,

and if the parents fly there they'll fly there.

If the wind is in their favor

Canada geese can travel as far as 1,500 miles

in one day.

Veterans will take turns leading the flock

while newbies will follow close behind.

Before they're ready to fly

they will look exactly like an adult one

except they will make the baby noise like queak, queak

and that's so funny

because they look really like full grown.

And they grow up so fast.

Canada geese might not always get a warm welcome

but they're loved here.

We really like the gosling here at the park

because well it's the Canadian geese

so it's really a-- our geese that we really need to have

and it's a really pretty bird actually.

I find them really brave

and really good to do this big travel

even just in the first year of life.

It's always sad when guests leave,

especially when you watch them grow up

from a baby to an adult.

But they won't be gone for long,

by next spring there'll be another group

of gaggles and goslings at the park.

(Birds chirping)

Once these three pack their bags though,

they're gone.

They're independent.

He don't want to stay on us,

so it's a sign to release them.

It's getting a little cramped for these babies

and they're already starting to show signs

that they are ready to leave.

While usually we know that the raccoons

are ready to be released into the wild

because they are really quick on the run.

And they have to be.

As adults these baby raccoons

will run up to 15 miles an hour

which will help them avoid danger in the wild.

These raccoons kits will be released

close to where they were originally found

outside the park.

Parc Omega will strategically release them

at a time that gives them the best chance at survival.

Well I usually find it better to release them into the wild

at the end of July.

They still have a long time to get used to,

live by themselves into the wild

before starting thinking of the hibernation,

be preparing for that.

During the spring and summer

they'll gorge themselves on insects, fruits and anything

they can get their little paws on.

They are not calorie counting, they're packing on the pounds.

That extra padding will help them get through

the colder months

when they have to face winter alone.

When we release the raccoons into the wild

it's always like a mix of feelings.

In one hand we're really happy for them

to get the life that

they should have to live in the wild and be a raccoon

and in the other hand we'll miss them

and we always hope that everything will do well

for them.

(♪♪♪)

You never know how these babies will do once they grow up

but living at Parc Omega is more than just a roof

over their heads.

I think that if people that comes in the park

really love nature here

and find it a nice attachment to it

they will be willing to protect it

and they'll find it really important.

The raccoons came here as little kits

and are leaving almost full grown

to face the real world.

And those furry little goslings that were born here

are now old enough to fly away.

But why put so much work into raising them

if they're just going to leave?

For us taking care of these animals

is really important

just because they need to have a chance.

We need to give them a chance to grow

and then be released into the wild

and have their chance to live freely as they would be.

Even though Hope won't be released from the park

she still has a bright future ahead

once they built her a separate enclosure

from the males.

She'll be able to grow bigger and stronger

under the care of her keepers here at Parc Omega

and maybe one day

she can be safely introduced to a male

and have her own family.

It's our reward to see them grow and be well after.

And the biggest reward is that

they have a fighting chance to make it on their own.

(♪♪♪)

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(♪♪♪)