Baby Animals and Mother's Milk
In Baby Animals and Mother's Milk, narrator Gordon Buchanan describes how a newborn baby elephant learns the importance of its mother's milk while it hurries to rejoin its herd, so it can be protected from lions. Meanwhile, mongoose babies emerge from their burrow, where the smallest of the babies learns to suckle and the importance of family to its survival. This video is excerpted from BBC's Animal Babies, a heartwarming show that follows the first breaths, first steps, and first feeds of some adorable baby animals, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest but most beautiful places on the planet.
Lesson Express
Q: Why is it so important for the baby elephant to find the herd right away?
A: The mother can’t protect the baby from lions on her own.
Q: Why is rushing to the herd a mistake on the mother elephant’s part?
A: Without stopping, the baby misses out on its first feed, which contains vital nutrients and much-needed fluids. The calf is too exhausted and hungry to go on until it can suckle.
Q: Why is the baby male mongoose at risk?
A: He is small and weak, his eyes aren’t fully open, and instead of feeding, he wanders away from the mob. His cries for help could attract predators.
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