Baby Animals: The Top 10

[narrator] Growing up in the wild can be pretty hardcore.

Imagine learning to leap, roar, swim, or fly for the very first time.

You've got to get it right because the faster you are, the stronger you are, or even the better you can camouflage yourself, the greater your chances of surviving and thriving in the wilderness... when you grow up that is!

But with all this feral rivalry going on, you've got to wonder who really is Mother Nature's biggest or smallest or most dangerous untamed youngling of them all?

The answers will astound you, and we are counting them down from 10 to 1.

They are cute, they are "wild".

They are the "cover girls and boys" of the animal kingdom and they know it!

They are baby animals.

[upbeat theme music] You don't make it to the top of the food chain without some seriously strong survival weapons in your artillery like powerful jaws that will crush the bones of your prey, the fierce fighting power to knock out your competition, not to mention, the sheer grit to endure the harshest of climates.

These baby animals will grow up to out-chomp, out-lift and out-last us humans, because in the wild, it's survival of the strongest.

So, let's get the party started!

[pensive music] Prowling the forests and mountains of Canada and the United States is an animal with deadly strength and an attitude to boot.

Number 10 is the grizzly bear.

While these cubs look adorable now, they've got a one-way ticket to the top of the food chain.

When they grow up, these apex predators can use their super-strength to take you down.

Suddenly not so cute anymore.

Am I right?

If you think your mum is intense, you don't want to cross this Mumma bear.

At up to 160 kilograms of pure maternal instinct, this boss bear can be the most aggressive of the grizzlies, and will protect her cubs at all costs.

[tense music] If you're one of her cubs though, you'll get to see her more laidback side.

Bear milk is super-high in fat, which means her cubs grow to be big and strong fast.

On average, these cubs spend the first two or three years of their lives with their mum, and it's not just milk on the menu.

Like all of the subspecies of brown bears, grizzlies are omnivores, meaning these cubs enjoy a balanced diet of plants and meat.

[soft music] An important skill the mothers teach their babies is how to hunt.

Even when your salmon practically jumps out of the water and into your paws, it's harder than it looks.

[curious music] A Mumma bear will find safe spaces for her cubs to play and prepare for life on their own in the wild where, at times, they'll need their strength to fight for their lives.

[dramatic music] When they're all grown up, there's not much that will challenge a grizzly bear, apart from human hunters and other grizzlies.

These big hitters of the animal world can deliver more than 270 kilograms of force in a single swipe.

Their long sharp claws add insult to injury.

Male grizzlies will fight like this during mating season if an interested female is nearby.

That's when they'll showcase their brawn.

[growling] A single grizzly bear can have the strength of up to five adult humans, and some mature grizzlies can lift close to half a tonne.

Let's not forget their extremely powerful jaws.

They have a bite force of up to nearly 8 million newtons per square metre, which really just means one bite from a grizzly bear can easily be life-ending.

But here's where the grizzly bear really ups the ante.

They also have the strength to endure the toughest of winters.

[soft music] After spending summer and autumn feasting on as much fatty food as they can, come winter, they head into a den and enter a state of torpor, which is a milder form of hibernation.

On the whole, it's endurance combined with savage strength that makes the grizzly bear a powerful force to be reckoned with.

And that's what makes these grizzly babies the furry, yet formidable powerhouses of tomorrow.

[soft music] Let's swing on by the second largest forest in the world.

Central Africa, a place filled with more than 10,000 plant and animal species including the next heavy hitter on our "Strongest Baby Animal Countdown".

Number 9 is one of our closest animal cousins, the chimpanzee.

[soft music] Though we are closely related, make no mistake, this powerful primate with unpredictable impulses is about four times stronger than a human.

And when they're babies, they might just be about four times as cute.

If you're a baby chimp, you're kind of a big deal.

Chimpanzees are an endangered species.

They've already disappeared completely from four countries and where they do remain, it's a fight for survival.

[soft music] We can learn a lot about how to protect chimps that remain in the wild, from those that live in zoos and animal sanctuaries across the world.

And we know that this little fuzzball is tiny but tough.

A baby chimp has the strength to cling to its mum's belly for the first six months of its life for what looks like a wild ride!

When they mature, they'll modify their position and zoom around on their mother's back.

After a couple of laps, it's time for a pit stop.

Baby chimps will spend anywhere from seven to ten years with their mum, learning how to live their best chimp lives.

[upbeat music] When a chimpanzee graduates to adulthood, its natural tendency is aggression.

They use their impressive strength to defend their territory, and often to take over more.

Chimps have longer and denser muscle fibres than humans, giving them the ability to pack a much stronger punch using the same motion range.

Now, combine that brute force with the power of intelligence.

[gentle music] Chimps have a wide range of smarts including some seriously savvy skills with sticks.

Primates are well known for their use of tools and chimpanzees often use long thin sticks to "fish out" hard-to-reach morsels, like termites and ants.

Bugs on a stick are a favourite here at "Cafe de la Chimp".

Let's check out these hungry customers.

Ooh, they've ordered the fruit platter.

Yep, apart from bugs and other sources of protein, chimpanzees enjoy fruit, plus leaves and seeds.

[pensive music] Similar to humans, chimps experience all kinds of emotions, but they are known to be explosive and unpredictable.

This, combined with their ample share of smarts and strength, makes these furry little bundles the future of fierce.

[tranquil music] Ah, the serenity of the forest.

Breathe in that sweet fresh air and... [growling] Hold up.

Strong and deadly predator alert!

Coming in at Number 8, the largest of the big cats the tiger.

With six subspecies prowling a range spanning from the Russian Far East through to North Korea, India, South-East Asia and Indonesia, this big kitty's got the strength to take the heat as well as the bitter cold.

And then of course there's the fact that they have the power to tear their prey limb from limb.

Oh yes.

These little kitties will go from cutesy to kill-sy in no time.

[soft music] Tiger cubs are born blind.

Vulnerable, and totally dependent on their mum, they won't have their full vision until they are a few weeks old.

In the wild, cub mortality is high and Mum is on duty around the clock, protecting and feeding her precious babies.

But here in the comfort of this sanctuary, this new little family can enjoy some predator-free bonding time.

In sanctuaries like this one, humans can learn more about these endangered wonders, as well as give the next generation of tigers their best shot at survival.

Once they're a bit bigger, cubs will start to test their limits and build their strength with a bit of rough and tumble.

Emphasis on the rough.

Looks like these cubs are also testing their mum's patience.

And she's out!

So when does the killing instinct kick in?

In the case of tigers, it's part nature, part nurture.

Cubs will head out on the hunt with Mum, learning how to become the ultimate copycat killers.

Meat is on the menu once cubs hit six to eight weeks of age.

Young tigers like hanging out at the "maul" too.

It's just a different kind of maul.

Cubs earn their stripes when they can catch and kill for themselves, which usually happens in their second year, from which point they'll leave their mother and head out into the big wide world, alone.

[soft music] Fully grown, the largest tigers in the world are over three metres long, and tip the scales at over 300 kilos.

That's about the same as 24 bars of gold.

Using its explosive strength, a tiger can jump around five metres into the air to catch its prey.

If you're wondering what's going on here, our tiger is using its super-strong bite force, of up to 7 million newtons per square metre, to clamp down on its prey's neck until the kill is complete.

It can also lift something that weighs up to 550 kilograms, making much larger animals, like this, part of a tiger's hit-list.

Just when you thought this apex predator's "hunting game" couldn't get any stronger, a tiger can also hunt from the water.

Yeesh.

Wouldn't want to be whatever that tiger was going for.

Unlike most cats, from a young age tigers do seem to like the water.

With their adaptability, pure power and hunting prowess, these little water babies are the future strong empe-roars of the jungle.

[soft music] Here in the forested regions of India and South-East Asia, stomps one of the strongest land mammals in the world.

Baby Number 7 is the Asian elephant.

Weighing over 68 kilograms at birth, that's more than seven car tyres, an Asian elephant baby has the strength to stand and walk just minutes after being born.

[elephant trumpets] [curious music] In the wild, Asian elephant herds are tight-knit family groups, led by mature females, also known as cows.

They sure don't look much like farmyard cows but they do produce a lot of milk to help their young grow up big and strong.

On average, this little sucker will down 10 litres of the good stuff every day for the first six months of its life.

By four months of age, a calf will be interested in eating plants too.

And then, there are siblings to deal with.

These playfights are more than just random shoves and headbutts.

It's a safe way for growing calves to test their strength in a safe environment, where everyone knows the rules.

[upbeat music] When it gets too rough, it's time to tap out and retreat to the shelter of Mum.

A young female will stay with its mother and the herd, forming strong bonds and learning all the ins and outs of elephant life.

[tranquil music] On the outs once young males hit puberty between the age of 8 and 12, they're forced out of the herd.

[soft music] About a third of the world's Asian elephant population live in captivity, some in reserves and animal sanctuaries.

As an endangered species, here we can learn more about them, and hopefully help boost their numbers.

As one of the Asian elephant's most recognisable features, its trunk is also one of the strongest.

An adult male can lift a load of up to 350 kilos with his trunk.

That's like lifting an average motorcycle.

Trunks are as versatile as they are strong and have several different uses, a hose, a snorkel, a mud slinger, and a spoon to name just a few.

[soft music] Considering all this, and the fact that an adult Asian elephant can comfortably carry a load of up to 600 kilograms, we won't be challenging one or its babies to a tug of war anytime soon.

When it comes to strength, these babies are really pulling their weight on this countdown.

[tense music] Trust us, you do not want to swim in these wetlands, unless of course you want to come face to face with a deadly predator.

Let's sink our teeth into Number 6 on our "Strongest Baby Animal Countdown", the saltwater crocodile.

Found in coastal areas and freshwater rivers in Australia, India and South-East Asia, the largest reptile species in the world is salty by name, and even saltier by reputation.

One day these sweet babies will be capable of delivering the world's strongest bite.

[soft guitar music] Mumma crocs know there's strength in numbers.

You'll find anywhere between 40 to 70 eggs in a saltwater crocodile's nest.

At this size, predatory fish, birds, turtles and even other crocodiles will make a salty snack of them.

Fully grown, there's not much that can threaten a saltwater croc, but when they're this small, it's a very vulnerable existence.

The strongest babies learn quickly, it's eat or be eaten.

[tense music] Under the watchful eye of Mumma croc, these babies will attempt to master the "minimum exposure" strategy, hovering with just the tops of their heads out of the water when they hunt their prey.

This position allows them to stealthily approach their future lunch undetected, until they're within snapping distance.

Don't you just hate it when your siblings try and steal your snacks!

Growing up to 7 metres long and weighing about 1000 kilos, this is what it looks like at the top of the food chain.

[soft music] Built for the hunt, they love to lurk patiently in the water, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike down their prey.

They'll try to eat just about anything they can get their jaws on, birds, water buffalo, sharks, and humans are all on the menu.

Ain't nobody wanna mess with this hungry reptile, capable of the world's strongest bite force, recorded at about 16.5 million newtons per square metre.

To put this in perspective, when human teeth tear through a piece of steak, it's up to around a measly 890 newtons per square metre.

[soft music] With all its future super-strengths, and its champion chomp, these baby apex predators earn our respect, if not a little fear, and of course, the Number 6 spot.

[soft guitar music] Slap on your scarf, because we're off on an Arctic adventure.

Only the toughest of the tough can survive out here in the mountains and treeless plains of Greenland, Norway, Alaska, Siberia, and Canada.

Say hello to Number 5, the muskox, an animal so strong it laughs in the face of temperatures that can be lower than 40 degrees below zero.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

And when it comes to battling the elements, these babies are born ready.

[soft music] There's no time to mess around when you're a newborn muskox.

These super-strong calves have the ability to run with the herd just hours after being born.

Hoofing it at up to 60 kilometres per hour as an infant, that's some serious strength.

This incredible skill helps muskox calves evade hungry bears and wolves that might like to make a meal of them.

If you're a baby muskox and trouble does sniff you out, you can sit back and watch your very impressive bodyguards spring into action, forming an angry, protective circle around you, flanked by deadly horns, ready to butt at a moment's notice.

Yeah, you've got to be pretty brazen, or bonkers, to try to take on this clan.

[soft music] No hibernation for this hardy herd.

Their long, shaggy coat has some amazing adaptations to help them stay strong in the cold with not one but two layers.

The outer layer is made up of long, coarse "guard hairs" that protect the fur and skin below.

And underneath, there's an additional, much shorter layer of fur that keeps muskoxen nice and cosy.

[curious music] A symbol of a muskox's strength has got to be their horns.

Both males and females have them.

Calves start to grow theirs when they're yearlings.

During mating season, male muskoxen will give off some seriously strong B.O.

called "musk".

It's this strong odour that gave the muskox their name.

Phwoar, got to be careful where you sniff around here!

The mating season is also when you'll see bulls going head-to-head, literally.

With the biggest tipping the scales at around 360 kilograms, these heavyweights are battling to be the undisputed champion of their harem's hearts.

That's right, these battles are for an entire herd of females.

How do they endure butt after butt at such incredible force?

Like a boss.

See the plate between their horns?

It's called a "boss".

No jokes.

The boss acts as a super-strong horny helmet, with a purpose-built air cushion underneath to help protect their brains from being turned to mush.

Handy!

Butt-les like these are worth it in the end, with the champ going forth with his harem to procreate and start their super-strong life cycle all over again.

Growing up to live this strong in sub-zero temperatures?

No buts about it.

This is one ice-cold baby with strength to boot.

[soft music] If you want to catch our next animal, you better look up quick!

[bird screeches] Time to take to the skies where a stalking, soaring, strong bird of prey is on the hunt.

Number 4 is a symbol of strength and power, the eagle.

With over 60 species found around the world, the eagle is a prolific predator with an epic artillery of strengths.

And these little eaglets are soon to be fully-fledged powerhouses with wings.

Meet the proud parents of some new osprey offspring.

Like other eagle species, ospreys generally stay with their mating partner until "death do them part", often returning to the same nest together each year.

This is one committed couple with a strong family bond.

They like to make their nest as inaccessible to predators as possible.

How about the water views from this eagle home?

[soft relaxed music] When it comes to raising the kids, it's often a team effort.

Mum will stay in the nest to protect her eaglets, and Dad brings home dinner and very thoughtfully tears it into tiny pieces for the chicks before dishing it up.

Eaglets can have strong aggression from birth.

Yep, these baby steppe eagles have got some serious sibling rivalry going on.

If you think your siblings are challenging, be thankful they're not eaglets.

Some have been known to kill their brothers and sisters over what appears to be food-related disputes.

As they grow, eaglets will start to build up their wing strength with what else, but wing workouts.

This osprey will flap and have mini-practice flights in the safety of its nest before building up the courage, and strength, to take full flight at around two months of age.

[soft music] Unlike tiger cubs, eaglets will learn to hunt on their own and what prolific hunters they grow up to be.

Well, they don't call it a bird's eye view for nothing.

Bald eagles sit at the tippety-top of the avian food chain.

While it's on the hunt, a bald eagle will perch high up waiting to spot its favourite food in the wild, fish.

Once it's clocked its next meal with its super-strong vision, we get to see this powerful aerial predator in full force.

Bald eagles make it look so effortless.

In normal flight, they can zoom up to 64 kilometres per hour, but when they dive, it's possible for them to reach speeds of over 160 kilometres per hour.

[soft tense music] When they reach their prey, it's time to really show off their talon talents.

Talons are one of an eagle's strongest weapons.

Scientists have reported a bald eagle's grip can be a crushing 10 times stronger than a human's.

As a fish just going about your regular fishy business, that's really got to kill your vibe.

Bald eagles will use their killer claws to both catch and kill their prey, before finding a nice spot to take it all in.

If you're an eagle dad, maybe you'll even take your catch home and share it with the kids.

When you've got the likes of super-strong vision and bone-crushing talons to look forward to, these ravenous raptor babies are destined for life in the strong lane.

[curious music] In the animal kingdom, it could be fair to assume that size is synonymous with strength, right?

Wrong!

Number 3 on our "Strongest Countdown" is the teeny, tiny leafcutter ant!

Fun fact, practically every type of ant possesses amazing strength, and that's strength relative to size.

And, in the ant world, leafcutters come out on top.

They're capable of carrying up to a whopping 50 times their own bodyweight!

To put that in human terms, that's like an adult being able to lift and carry two cars over their head.

Now, try that while balancing on a log, with thousands of your friends.

Impressive, right?

[quirky music] But it takes a while for them to become impressive.

When they start out, they pretty much look like little blobs.

And this is their proud mother, the queen.

Now she is impressive.

As her title suggests, she's the big boss of this colony and during her lifetime, she can produce up to 200 million baby ants.

When her larvae hatch out, "worker ants" act as babysitters caring for the queen's brood, feeding these pale little bundles and keeping them clean.

After these little beauties go through their pupal stage, they'll be put to work at the family farm.

Yep, leafcutter ants live up to their name.

They don't eat the leaves they so carefully collect.

Instead they use this vegetation to farm fungi.

And they've been doing it for over 50 million years.

No biggie.

Now, let's check out those chompers up close.

How would you like a chainsaw jaw with mandibles that vibrate 1,000 times a second?

Yeah, that'll get the job done.

On the way back to the nest, they need to keep their wits about them and watch out for a species of fly that will try to lay eggs on their heads.

Eugh!

To help ward off this predator, a leafcutter ant might ride up top to shoo the fly away.

So, how are ants so strong?

These invertebrates are strong on a small scale thanks to their tiny, light compact bodies.

Having a sturdy exoskeleton means their muscles don't have to support their bodies, giving them plenty of power to spare for lifting things.

Carrying a load equivalent to the weight of two cars plus an extra body on top, now that's just showing off.

When it comes to strength, size most definitely does not matter.

[soft music] We are eight animals deep now on our "Strongest Countdown", and they're a pretty tough bunch, from the giant, gutsy jaws of the saltwater crocodile, delivering the world's most powerful bite, to the massive, mighty muskox enduring brutal sub-zero temperatures, and the titanic tiger, with the sheer grit to lift over half a tonne.

Here in the tropical forests of Africa you'll find a huge hulk of muscle with a bite that's stronger than a lion.

Number 2 on our "Strongest Baby Animal Countdown", is the gorilla.

Brandishing muscle power four to nine times stronger than the average human, an adult gorilla is a force to be reckoned with.

But, will typically only get up in your go-rill and show aggression if they get disturbed.

It's hard to believe now, but one day these tiny babies will be large and in charge.

[soft curious music] Gorilla infants start life smaller than human babies, about half the size of us at birth.

Considering they end up being the world's largest primate, they've got some serious growing to do, going from fluff to buff by around age 12.

Gorilla mums and their babies have a strong connection, staying together almost always for the first six months.

Like a chimpanzee, gorilla babies have the incredible strength to be able to grasp onto their mother, even while she's moving quickly.

These little cling-ons can somehow manage it whilst snoozing!

Infants will drink Mum's milk for up to three years, but will start munching on vegetation when they're about two and a half months old.

Gorilla babies are playful and as they get older, they'll start to explore the world around them, but Mum's never too far away to lend a helping hand if needed.

[relaxed rock music] In the wild, gorillas live in groups with up to 30 members.

The leaders of the pack are called silverbacks, and can be either one or two males, like a father and son, or a couple of bros.

The guys can grow to be twice as heavy as the gals, and have been recorded to weigh up to 220 kilograms in the wild!

And boy, can they lift.

A silverback can heave up to 815 kilos.

That's nearly four times their weight!

[soft music] Gorillas are mostly herbivorous, meaning their diet is plant-based, and they won't hesitate to exhibit their profuse power at mealtime.

When it comes to gorilla warfare, they're not actually as innately aggressive as you might think.

[tense music] Many studies have shown that gorillas tend to be unaggressive, and can even be shy.

But you will see males assert themselves when clashing for dominance in their group.

When you grow up to have this kind of controllable power, and you've got a clamp-like grip in your sleep, you sure are one brawny baby.

[soft music] We've seen some incredible feats of strength on this countdown, but none are more impressive than what a creature that lives in tropical climates across the world is capable of.

Number 1 is the rhinoceros beetle.

Trust us, this buff bug might be small on size, but it's big on performance.

These brawny creatures can lift 100 times their own weight.

For its size, that's stronger than all the other animals on this countdown put together!

And it might surprise you to know that these wrestlers actually start out as wrigglers.

[tranquil music] The rhino beetle starts its life looking like a completely different creature.

It's a master of metamorphosis.

Unlike many of our other strong babies, this larva has the strength to survive alone.

Who needs parents when you just instinctively know how to live your best beetle baby life?

Digging head-first into thick mud to find a feed?

No problem for this baby.

Rhino beetle larvae are on a mission, eat, eat, eat.

They'll feast on as much decaying plant material as they can for what can be up to four years until they're plump enough to go into their pupal stage and emerge completely transformed, with a few very impressive new body parts.

Look out!

Someone is rocking their brand new exoskeleton.

Rhino beetles are some of the largest beetles on the planet, with one species growing up to around 17 centimetres long.

They're named after, what else, but the giant rhino-like horns on their head.

Yeah.

They're kind of hard to miss.

They'll use them to dig into the ground to escape predators and forage for their favourite forest snacks.

[tense music] Even though they have been recorded carrying a hundred times their own bodyweight, you won't typically see rhino beetles using their strength to lift large loads in the wild.

Similar to the muskox, these males use their power, and their horns, to fight for a female.

In gladiator-style battles, rhino beetles will employ their strength to overcome their opponent.

Only the strongest beetle will win the chance to mate.

[soft tranquil music] Researchers are yet to understand just how a rhino beetle is so strong, but think it might have something to do with their sturdy exoskeleton, or their slowly contracting and relaxing muscles.

[relaxed music] These kinds of muscles can be both super-powerful and energy-efficient at the same time.

Drama-filled battles, like this one, are only over when a beetle is defeated, or in this case, hurled onto the ground.

The hardy champion will then mate with the female, ensuring the utmost strength of the next generation to come.

Growing up to have the power to lift a hundred times your own bodyweight, a strength so immense that it's yet to be fully understood?

That makes this baby animal the undisputed champion of our "Strongest Baby Animal Countdown".

[upbeat theme music]