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AnimalsTranscript
00:00 The cubs have learned from mum and are starting to search for their own food.
00:04 In the shadows of the rocks where they're foraging hides a deadly surprise.
00:11 Scorpions.
00:14 Equipped with vice-like pincers,
00:17 venomous stings and lightning-fast, aggressive reflexes.
00:22 More than a hundred different species are found in India.
00:30 Including some of the most venomous in the world.
00:32 Many of them thrive in this arid environment.
00:39 This one is looking for a dark corner to hide in until nightfall,
00:45 when it will emerge to hunt its prey of grasshoppers and cockroaches.
00:50 Although its venom isn't likely to kill an adult bear,
00:57 it could deliver a painful sting to a young cub.
01:00 Bibi knows to steer clear of scorpions.
01:06 But her cubs haven't yet learned which creatures to avoid.
01:11 Their soft snouts probe the nooks and crannies.
01:26 Thankfully this scorpion isn't deadly.
01:28 But a painful pinch has just delivered an important lesson.
01:33 Frightened, they run straight for their mother and both climb on board.
01:39 Sloth bears are the only bears that routinely carry their offspring on their backs.
01:49 It's a behaviour developed to help the cubs save precious energy.
01:55 And allows Bibi to protect them from predators, big and small.
01:59 Out of harm's way, the family retreats to their cave on the edge of the clearing.
02:12 Since she gave birth here eight months ago, this cave has been the family home.
02:22 It still provides safety and relief from the heat while they wait for the rains.
02:26 By the end of June, the rains still haven't arrived.
02:40 Drought is setting in.
02:48 It's a real threat to the peacocks, but they have more than just their own survival to think about.
02:53 They must pass on their genes, while there's still time.
02:59 Peacocks have a limited window for mating.
03:03 If they don't breed in the next few weeks, they won't breed at all.
03:09 And if they do, they'll be gone before the end of the year.
03:14 If they don't breed in the next few weeks, they won't breed at all.
03:18 And will have to wait until next year, if they survive that long.
03:23 This male is in his prime.
03:27 He has successfully fought off the competition, and preened himself to perfection.
03:33 But does he understand the basic principles of courtship?
03:43 First, pick your target.
03:45 Preferably one that's not a rock.
03:48 Choosing an animal is better, but maybe not a mongoose.
03:55 Or a monkey.
03:59 At last, he's on the right track.
04:04 But turning his back on her might be sending the wrong signal.
04:10 [Music]
04:15 Looks like Romeo has blown his chance.
04:19 [Music]
04:28 He's got to get this right, and soon.
04:32 Most peacocks lose their tail feathers by the end of August.
04:40 So time is running out.
04:42 With the relief of the monsoon still nowhere to be seen,
04:52 trees and plants are starting to wilt.
04:55 And with them, the last of the macaque's food supplies.
05:00 These mothers need to be well fed to produce milk for their infants.
05:08 The youngest babies were born back in March,
05:10 when their mothers had plenty of food to produce rich, nutritious milk.
05:14 But like all mammals, without enough to eat themselves, their supply will dry up.
05:22 And in the 90 degree heat, without its mother's milk, a nursing infant will almost certainly die.
05:29 In times of drought, eight in ten of these babies will starve.
05:37 Unaware of the looming danger, the babies are getting more adventurous,
05:41 starting to explore the area to look for food and playmates.
05:47 But like all toddlers, squabbles break out easily.
05:52 Although young females inherit their mother's position in the troop's hierarchy,
05:57 all the infants scuffle to assert their dominance.
06:03 Even at this young age, social rank is all important.
06:08 When food is scarce, animals higher up the ladder have better access to the finite resources.
06:16 Being at the top of the hierarchy still doesn't necessarily mean you have the pick of the food.
06:32 Bibi and her cubs are here too, scouring the ground for insects.
06:36 Bears, macaques and peacocks alike search for what's still on offer.
06:44 On the far side of the clearing, despite the wait for rain, another species has a schedule to keep to.
07:01 This is a colony of Bayer weaver birds,
07:04 and these peculiar-looking structures are the early stages of their intrepid nests.
07:10 These birds were stimulated to start building when the summer days reached a certain length,
07:17 and construction is now well underway.
07:22 The males alone do the weaving.
07:30 They tear long, thin strands from leaves and grasses,
07:33 then carefully thread and knot them together into the foundations of their complex nests,
07:39 anchored in the branches.
07:41 They will make more than 500 separate trips backwards and forwards to create their tubular masterpieces.
07:52 [birds chirping]
08:01 Each male has his own technique.
08:04 There's the analytical architect, the one who will make a strong, sturdy nest, but likes to take his time.
08:14 Then there's the cowboy builder.
08:17 He's certainly quick, but he's a little slapdash.
08:22 [birds chirping]
08:24 All this activity is for one simple reason.
08:27 To impress a watching female.
08:31 She has the perfect vantage point from which to choose a partner.
08:37 Flapping their wings, each male vies for her attention.
08:46 [birds chirping]
08:51 She carefully inspects both building sites.
08:55 She needs to choose the structure most likely to provide a secure home for her precious clutch of up to four eggs.
09:05 It needs to be high enough off the ground and on the thinnest possible branch to be safely out of reach of predators.
09:16 Yet the nest and branch must also be strong enough to withstand the monsoon storms, if they arrive.
09:23 She chooses the perfectly executed structure built by the architect.
09:29 His attention to detail has won him the girl.
09:33 Now he's got a mate, he needs to hurry up and finish the construction.
09:42 Rain or no rain, this female will lay her eggs within the next few weeks.
09:47 [birds chirping]
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