Born survivors

Born surv Cameras follow animal families as they fight to bring up their young in a fascinating docuseries

- CAREN CLARK, ALISON SLADE

NEW WILDLIFE

Dynasties II

Sunday, 8pm, BBC1

In 2018, BBC1’s acclaimed natural-history series Dynasties shone the spotlight on a range of animals as they battled to ensure the future of their line.

Now, the series, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, is back to follow the fortunes of a puma family, an elephant herd, a group of cheetahs and a clan of hyenas – each led by a courageous female – as they come under threat from weather, hunger and deadly rivals.

‘Survival is a big deal,’ says series producer Simon Blakeney. ‘We have big, charismatic, powerful animals that seem unstoppable, but they have huge challenges just making it from one day to the next, especially when it comes to bringing up families.’

Here, Blakeney guides us through the series…

Episode one: PUMA

In the Patagonian ice fields of South America, cameras follow puma Rupestre as she tries to raise her four young cubs. Amid freezing temperatures and challenging terrain, she faces risky hunts, aggressive males and a violent dispute over territory.