大熊猫回归自然路
果酱字幕组
在南极洲的隆冬。大自然最神奇的故事即将开始。经历了两个月寒风，暴风雪和难以想象的寒冷，这些雄性帝企鹅们，每只都孵育出了一颗珍贵的蛋。一个又一个，他们迎接着来到这个世界上的新生命。但不是所有的蛋都能孵化出来，有一位父亲还在等待。一位邻居正在炫耀自己的新宝宝，他的叫声将会鼓舞新的小企鹅出现。终于，这个栖息地里最年轻的成员诞生了。但是，想要在世界上最严酷的托儿所长大将是一个巨大的挑战。
在浩瀚壮阔的南冰洋中，他必须在仅仅六个月的时间里学会足够多的知识去照料自己，这个故事是关于一只非凡小企鹅的戏剧鸟生，在远离小雏鸟的地方，企鹅妈妈们花了过去两个月的时间捕鱼和增肥。与此同时，爸爸们被留了下来，孵化他们的蛋。现在，回家喂养宝宝的旅途已经开始了，在激动的企鹅群中央的是雪小宝的母亲，她为自己的小宝宝存了满满一肚子的鱼，但是横在她们和宝宝之间的是一段60英里长的冰海跋涉。企鹅每小时走不到2英里，要花很多天才能赶回家。本能驱使着她们，企鹅宝宝们能否活命全靠她们是否能按时返回。在栖息地，企鹅爸爸正试着了解自己的孩子，他通过自己喉咙中的腺体，给了宝宝一些高热量的婴儿奶。但这些供给只能支撑几天，幸好他的妈妈正在赶回来的路上，跟随着自己的母性本能，雪小宝的妈妈和其他的母企鹅们在回家的路上稳步前进着，但在有些地方，冰面很薄。
水下，捕食者跟踪着它们的一举一动。一只豹海豹——企鹅最大的敌人。企鹅妈妈察觉到了危险（企鹅叫）。她小心谨慎是正确的，破裂的冰面是一个死亡陷阱。除此之外，孩子们是她们此刻唯一的担忧。但是这只海豹只需要一个受害者，就差一点点，她的前方还有40英里的危险旅程。于此同时，小雏鸟正等着妈妈回去。室外温度有零下三十度，但是育儿袋就像个茶壶罩，让他舒舒服服地待在37度的环境里。
对一只刚当上爸爸的企鹅来说，带着宝宝行走就像一场微妙的平衡表演，他不久就会掌握其中的技巧的。母亲们此刻也正在冰冷的环境下挣扎，他们正在穿越地球上一些最艰难的地形。他们锋利的爪子抓着冰，脚上的鳞片动起来，就像是踏板。但是在冰雪融化的地方创造出来的湿滑环境，即使对企鹅来说，也是一种挑战。在栖息地，企鹅宝宝们已经一周大了。在这样的温度条件下，生存依赖于能够吃到足够的食物。企鹅爸爸很努力，但是他已经分泌不出任何食物了。母亲们在继续努力着。遗憾的是，有些年份，她们还是无法及时赶到。
随着时间的流逝，小雏鸟越来越虚弱。然后终于，那些疲惫的身影出现了。旅途已使她们精疲力尽，但是企鹅妈妈们离见到自己的小宝宝，还有最后一关挑战——找到他。这里有3000多对企鹅父子，即使在企鹅自己的眼里，他们长得也都差不多。对企鹅宝宝来说，时间已经不多了，但是企鹅们自有解决方法。父亲们站成一列，带着自己的小雏鸟，他们组成了一个验证身份的游行，雌企鹅所要做的就是顺着队列往前走，听起来很简单对不对。但是在这一大排一模一样的企鹅里，想找到自己的伴侣还是很难，因此，她经常停下来呼喊（企鹅叫声）。她的叫声很特别，企鹅爸爸用自己的声音回复了她（企鹅叫声）（企鹅雏鸟叫声）。这正是她希望听到的声音。经历了两个月的海上捕食和一条60英里的漫漫冰路，她终于在关键时刻赶了回来，大自然奇迹一般地算准了时机，企鹅宝宝吃到了一口能够救命的食物。现在由母亲接手来照顾孩子。但他们必须非常小心，在冰面上多耽误几秒钟，他们的孩子就可能会死。最后，他们的小家庭团聚了，他们之间牢牢的羁绊，是这大自然中最瞩目的一种。接下来的五个月，他们将轮流前往大海为他们日益成长的孩子，带回食物（雏鸟叫声）（企鹅叫声）。至少现在，还有妈妈一直都在。在开阔的外海里，企鹅爸爸们都在享受重回海洋的感觉，他们已经整整四个月没有进食了，他们都减去了一半体重。为了捕到鱼和鱿鱼，他们可以长达20分钟不呼吸，下潜近2000英尺，比其他任何鸟类都深。
在栖息地，三个星期已经过去了，雏鸟放心地跟着它的母亲。不管她去哪里，他还在学习应该干什么，不应该干什么。很快，他觉得没什么可学的了，从惴惴不安蹒跚学步的小孩变成骄傲的探险者。但是在他这个年龄，母亲不能让他离开她的视线（企鹅叫声）。企鹅妈妈看不见他了，她向着错误的方向前进，惊慌失措的他做了一个明智的决定。他回到了栖息地，现在，他感觉安全多了。他的母亲肯定在这里。然后，终于安全了。但他搞错了，这不是他的母亲。这一定是她。肯定吗？又错了，他依次站在每只企鹅身边，但没有一只回应他，在这么大的栖息地，他可能再也找不到他的母亲了。
冰天雪地里，迷路的雏鸟很难长时间存活下去。在许多带着新鲜食物蜂拥而回的企鹅中，有一个是他的父亲，但是他必须要小心，一小群虎鲸跟在他们后面，他们在寻找有失误的企鹅。仅仅是一个小失误，现在他的麻烦可就大了。他成功逃脱，安全了。但是虎鲸是十分聪明和执着的捕食者，而且在春天，冰块的边缘已经开始融化了。结冰的海面上满是水沟和孔洞，这十分有利于发动突然袭击。为了能盯住企鹅，虎鲸跳起来观察他。他必须在坚固的冰块上找到一条安全的通道，他在寻找路线并朝着安全的方向走，他暂时脱离了危险，但其他企鹅爸爸没等他就离开了。一场风暴正在酝酿中，他没有任何遮挡。暴风雪已经吹到了栖息地，雏鸟唯一的保护就是他全身上下的羽绒外衣。在零下40度，这显然是不够暖的。不幸的是，其他企鹅妈妈都只照顾自己的宝宝（雪小宝吱吱的叫声）。孩子的母亲最后一次呼唤他，但她的叫喊声随风而去（企鹅叫声 风的呼啸声）。最终，他被找到了，还不算太晚。
但在冰上，孤单的企鹅爸爸还在为他犯的错误埋单，短短几个小时内，暴风雪全面席卷企鹅栖息地，雏鸟也许是安全的。但是当温度下降到零下60度时，他母亲的体温已经不足以保暖了。为了保护雏鸟，企鹅妈妈需要寻找庇护——那就是和其他企鹅相互取暖。时速70英里的暴风席卷企鹅栖息地，他们紧紧地挤在一起，他们最后都能温暖舒适地抵挡暴风雪。而暴露在外的企鹅爸爸存活的机会就很小了，他唯一的希望就是及时抵达安全的栖息地，只要能舒服地挤在一起相互取暖，企鹅们便不需要更多的庇护。在企鹅群中心，温度甚至可以高达37度。为了降温，他们还会慢慢挪到外面，让其他企鹅站到他们的位置，通过互相取暖，他们可以经受住任何暴风雪，渴望着家庭的温暖。孤独的企鹅爸爸竭力支撑着，为了他的孩子，他一定要回去（企鹅叫声）。然后，穿越了暴风雪，安全了，冲破重重困难，他回到家了。几周过去了，白昼渐长，爸爸在履行育儿的职责，轮到企鹅妈妈去捕鱼了。但是，尽管在安全的栖息地，也有意想不到的危险。
没能繁育后代的企鹅，会在冰块上训练育儿技能，但是她们的母性太强烈了，她们想要自己的企鹅宝宝。在栖息地里，谁能比最娇小可爱的雏鸟更吸引人呢。企鹅爸爸停下工作，来保护孩子不被抢夺。想要孩子的企鹅不止他们一群，还有许多其他雏鸟抢夺者。他们常常挡住企鹅爸爸的去路（企鹅叫声），所以在他的孩子被爱慕者死死压住时。他也束手无策，对那些孤单的雌性企鹅来说，她们想要哺育自己孩子的冲动是不可控制的。在这股狂热的争夺中，雏鸟宝宝会因为这份爱而有生命危险（雏鸟的吱吱叫声）。企鹅爸爸最终救出小雏鸟的时候，他已经处在极端危险的状况下。真走运，他把他那饱受折磨的宝宝救回来了，没有比自己孩子的安全更重要的事情了。
几周过去了，春天走了，夏天来了，海上的冰块融化，海岸线也越来越近了，这意味着哺育雏鸟更加容易了，所以孩子们也在快速成长，孩子们一起玩耍，挤在一起取暖。尽管他体型太大了，已经装不进父亲育儿袋了，但是雪小宝还没有准备好离开他的父亲。这就有点尴尬了，早过了还可以待在育儿袋的年纪了。企鹅爸爸最终还是说服了他加入到属于他的队伍中。但是加入企鹅群也是一门艺术，他现在还不是很会，但是熟能生巧，当有其他企鹅紧贴在你身后，你就知道你做对了。最终，成功加入队伍了，这也意味着他的父母第一次可以双双去捕鱼。
宝宝还不是很确定他可以离开父母，但是栖息地有一堵无形的墙，他出生时就知道了，他们不能穿过去。被留下来的成年企鹅，不会像他的父母那般照顾他。在他们回来之前，他必须找到栖息地中的一个幼儿托管人，一般是还没有繁殖的企鹅，通过照顾孩子们为将来哺育雏鸟作准备。她会庇护这个孩子，但只是在他听话的情况下。她十分强调纪律，要照顾这么多雏鸟，她不能容忍掉队的那些孩子，他必须坚强起来，但是这里严格的新制度是有情可原的。
随着气温一天比一天暖和，大海越来越接近了，一些新来的不速之客可以更轻易地来到栖息地（吱吱叫）。一只巨型海燕，他们常常选些最小的企鹅。他被捉住了，但只是咬住了他的绒毛，现在幼儿托管人很受欢迎了。现在，开始了捉迷藏的死亡游戏。幸运的是，海燕自己发现了一顿更易获得的残羹剩饭，小家伙也上了宝贵的一课。
温暖的春日继续着，消融的冰雪又带来了新客人（企鹅的叫声）。阿德利企鹅，个性自大骄傲，与悠然自得的帝企鹅迥然不同，他们在南极的夏季繁殖。他是第一个到达这里的，径直就去找他的繁育温床，也就是帝企鹅生活的区域。这些天，最小的雏鸟加入了大部队，孩子们做什么都在一起，但是这刚刚到来的安宁就要被无礼地打破。这只阿德利企鹅是带着任务到达栖息地的，他在为夏天的繁殖安排处所，他希望找到属于他自己的地方。阿德利企鹅只有半米高，却是所有企鹅中最好战的。他不在乎与整个栖息地为敌，没有让路的孩子们很快得到了讯息。在他把大家都赶走之前，会一直这样祸害人，与此同时，他也像在自己家一样自在。
冰雪消融使得大海越来越靠近岸边，家长们更加频繁地关注着自己的孩子，虽然最小的一个还得做些努力才能赶上同伴。但是食物连续不断，每个小家伙都在茁壮成长，小家伙不是在进食，就是在眼巴巴地等着吃下一顿。他母亲刚回来，就被贪吃的小家伙们团团包围，都在索要免费的午餐。一旦她喂了其中任何一个小骗子，她自己的宝贝就要挨饿了，他躲在挤在一团的孩子堆里。为了找到他，她必须用最独特和最安抚人心的呼唤（母亲的叫声）。雏鸟们挤得严严实实的，他只能从大家头顶上挤到她面前。即使是这样，在他真正吃到食物之前，也必须经历一番身份验证，幸运的是，他通过了验证。
随着天气越来越暖和，冰雪在白天融化，但在夜里又重新冻结，为水面薄冰层的形成创造了完美的条件，大人们仔细地检查着新的溜冰场。在冰雪世界里，这是一项必须学习的技能，对于最小的雏鸟来说，这又是另一个挑战。他的脚无法成为最好的滑冰鞋，但我们都是从错误中学习成长的，但也不是每个人都不适应这样的状况。阿德利企鹅正在自由自在地健步如飞，目前他还是个孤独的战士，但很快就不是了。增援部队正在赶来的路上，更多的阿德利企鹅，好几百只，他们准备在这儿繁育后代，没有什么能阻挡他们，他们会与帝企鹅们分时段使用这一块繁育区。夏季就该轮到他们了，如果你个子小，最好就保持低调，希望他们会挑跟他们差不多大小的，大点的孩子们摩拳擦掌，准备抵御入侵。他离开了（叫声）。当新邻居们不再对小家伙们寻衅滋事时，他们开始内部斗争了（大叫）。阿德利企鹅的入侵也意味着更大更深远的改变。经过五个月的抚育，大人们准备永远地离开他们的孩子了。食物传送带夜以继日地工作，让小家伙们健康成长，直到他们能照顾自己，从最小的孩子到最大的孩子，他们的食量都越来越大，以至于一次要喂满五公斤的鱼。但是你一直觉得饿的时候，总觉得别人好像能吃到更多。很多大人都最后一次离开栖息地，最小的孩子还需要喂食，但是他的父母却不见了踪影。接着，出现了两个熟悉的身影，这次是双倍的食物，他需要额外的营养，只不过他还不知道，这是他从父母口中得到的最后一餐食物了。最后，爸爸妈妈头也不回地重返大海。他们的工作完成了，他们抚育了五个月的孩子，现在必须自力更生了。
所有的孩子都被抛弃了，只有一些保姆留了下来，他们教孩子们练习使用鳍肢，让他们循序渐进地进入生命的下一阶段——在南冰洋中遨游四年，即使是最小的雏鸟也必须要学，他很快就会熟练使用鳍肢。但现在，似乎没有谁准备好在海洋中艰苦跋涉。一周过去了，天气越来越糟糕。一直以来，孩子们都在等待，但他们的父母再也没有回来。甚至连阿德利企鹅都开始困惑。最终，在饥饿和本能的驱使下，他们唯一的选择就是穿过栖息地无形的边界，开始他们生命中最重要的旅程。阿德利企鹅巴不得看到他们早点走，他护送他们离开栖息地。风力达到了每小时80英里，最小的孩子仍在努力坚持，只有跟着大部队，他最后才能活下来。但在暴风雪中，太容易跟丢了。
零下二十度的严寒中，他们还在坚持，本能的需要驱使着他们前往大海。几小时后，这个顽强挣扎的孩子没有了体力（雏鸟叫）。即使大部队不能再继续行进，这只疲惫不堪的小家伙也必须做出最后的努力。这支勇敢而年轻的队伍一起等待风暴过去。几天后，天气转好，孩子们也发生了转变，他们一边准备着海洋中的生活，一边用嘴清理着雏鸟时期的羽毛，好让下面的成年羽毛展露出来。像以往一样，总有一个小家伙赶不上进度，阿德利企鹅希望他们赶紧上路，就用自己的方式帮助他们清理羽毛（叫声）。在阿德利企鹅的三催四促之下，衣衫褴褛的队伍到达了他们的目的地，这是他们第一次见到大海——广袤的南冰洋，他们面临着年轻生命中最大的挑战，他们只有完全准备好了才会跃入海中。但是他们的冰雪世界正在迅速消失，他在犹豫，什么事不对头。冰雪坍塌，他摔入了海中，他不能孤军奋战，他必须归队（雏鸟叫）。接着，他安定了下来，感觉……莫名的自然。但是剩下的队员们没有要加入他的意思，他唯一的选择就是爬上冰面归队，这比掉入水中可要难多了，而且似乎水里也不止他一个。
孩子们准备前往一个更安全的地点。尽管存在危险，大洋还是十分诱人的，兴奋的情绪在蔓延着，一个夙敌在这里等着他们入水。这只小家伙虽然还是最小的，但现在他看起来更自信了，他可能面临着巨大的未知。但是他已经品尝过海洋的味道。他挤到最前面，在学习了一切技能之后，这是他一鸣惊人的时候了。他充满信心地一跃而起，而这次，就真的不会再回头了，其余的跟随着他的脚步。他可能曾经是最弱小的一个，但他现在可以强大到迎难而上。现在，他带领着企鹅群潜入广阔的南冰洋，这里将是他们接下来四年的家。然后，他会被当初驱使他父母的那种感受驱使，雪小宝会回到这里寻找他的另一半，然后，整个不可思议的故事又将轮回。
Midwinter in Antarctica and one of nature‘s most extraordinary stories is about to begin.Through two months of biting winds， blizzards and unimaginable cold，these male emperor penguins have each nurtured a single precious egg.One by one， they welcome their tiny chicks into the world.But not all eggs will hatch and one father is still waiting.A neighbour shows off his own new youngster.His calls will encourage the chick to emerge.Finally， the youngest member of the colony is born。
But growing up in the world‘s most extreme nursery will be a huge challenge，for in just six months he must have learned enough to fend for himself in the great Antarctic Ocean.This is the dramatised story of one extraordinary little bird.Far from their chicks，the mothers have spent the last two months catching fish and fattening up while the fathers were left alone to hatch their eggs.Now， the race is on to get back and feed their young.Among the excited crowd is Snow Chick’s mother.She‘s got a belly full of fish for her newborn，but between them is a gruelling 60-mile trek across the frozen sea.Waddling at less than 2mph， it will take many days to get home.Instinct drives them on -their babies’ lives depend on them arriving in time.Back at the colony， the father is getting to know his chick.He gives him some high-calorie baby milk produced from a gland in his throat.But these supplies will only last a few days.It‘s just as well his mother is on her way.Following her maternal instinct， she and all the other females are making steady progress on their journey home。
But in places， the ice is wafer-thin.Below， a predator tracks their every move.A leopard seal， the penguins‘ greatest enemy.The chick’s mother senses danger.PENGUINS CALL She was right to be cautious.Broken ice is a death-trap.For the rest， their chick is their only concern.But the seal needs just one victim.A near miss and she still has 40 treacherous miles ahead of her.While the chick waits for her return，outside temperatures are at -30.But the pouch covers him like a tea cosy and keeps him at a comfy +37 degrees。
For a new father，walking with a chick on your feet is a tricky balancing act.He‘ll get the hang of it soon.The mothers are also struggling with the icy conditions and they are crossing some of the toughest terrain on earth.Their sharp claws grip the ice，while scales on their feet act like treads.But where the snow melts and re-thaws it creates slippery conditions that even a penguin finds challenging.Back at the colony， it’s been a week since the chick was born.At these temperatures， survival depends on getting enough to eat.His father tries， but there‘s nothing left to give.The mothers battle on.Sadly， some years， they simply don’t make it in time.The chick is getting weaker by the hour.Then， at last， some weary figures appear.Utterly exhausted by the walk，the mother still has one final challenge before she can meet her chick.Finding him.There are over 3，000 fathers with chicks here and， even to penguins， they all look the same.For the chick， time is running out.But the penguins have a solution.The fathers get in line and dad and his chick join them.They form an identity parade.All she has to do is simply work her way along the line.Sounds simple enough，but among all the penguin lookalikes her partner is still tricky to recognise.So， every so often， she stops and calls。（PENGUIN CALLS） Her cry is unique and the father responds with a call of his own。（PENGUIN CALLS） （PENGUIN CHICK CHEEPS） It‘s what she was hoping to hear.After two months at sea and a 60-mile trek across the ice，she’s made it back in the nick of time.In a miracle of natural timing，he gets a morsel that will save his life.It‘s now his mother’s turn to take over the childcare。。。but they must be careful -a few seconds too long on the ice and their chick will die.Finally， they unite as a family.The bond they share is one of the most remarkable in nature.For over the next five months，they‘ll take it in turns to trek to the sea to bring back food for their ever-growing baby。（PENGUIN CHICK CHEEPS） His father endured so much to get the tiny chick this far.Saying goodbye is hard.This time， there’s no looking back.In four weeks， he will return with fresh supplies.But first， there‘s the little matter of a 120-mile round-trip to the sea.Now， it’s Mum‘s turn to feed him.A natural preservative has kept the fish as fresh as the day it was caught.The chick may be satisfied， but his father hasn’t eaten for four months.He and the rest of the hungry fathers are now two days into their long walk to the sea.But sometimes， the ice offers a short-cut.An ice hole，a portal to the sea which could cut their journey by days.And when you‘re famished， it’s got to be worth investigating.But such holes don‘t appear by themselves.There had to be a catch.They can either stay and hope the leopard seal goes away or continue their long， risky trek to the sea.Time to regroup。 This must be a joint decision.Emperors rely on each other for their very survival，so learning social skills starts early.Penguins are naturally argumentative，so his first lesson is sticking up for himself.His mother only intervenes when things go too far.But no kid likes being told off.At the ice hole， the standoff continues.No-one is keen to be first.But they egg each other on， as penguins like to do.The coast is clear.Their gamble paid off.At the colony， two weeks have passed.The chicks are testing their independence and spending time away from their mothers.All， that is， except one.As the last to hatch， he’s way behind in development.While the older chicks are boisterous and confident，he still feels most comfortable in his mother‘s pouch.But penguins are sociable birds and to survive， he must learn to play his part in the colony.It’s a daunting prospect。。。but the little chick finds some courage。（SNOW CHICK CHEEPS） It‘s a shaky start，but he mustn’t lose his nerve.Time for a bit of tough love.With every step， he gains more confidence.It‘s just as well - he has so many friends to make.But when you’re the smallest，it‘s tough to join the gang。（PENGUIN CALLS） For now， there’s always Mum.Out in the open ocean，the fathers are revelling in being back in the water.They haven‘t eaten for four whole months and have lost half their body weight.To stock up on fish and squid，they hold their breath for up to 20 minutes and dive to nearly 2，000 feet，deeper than any other bird。
At the colony， three weeks have passed and the chick is confidently following his mother wherever she goes.He‘s still learning how things should be done。。。and how they shouldn’t.He soon thinks there‘s nothing left to learn。。。so nervous toddler turns cocky explorer.But at this age， she mustn’t let him out of her sight。（PENGUIN CALLS） She‘s lost him and heads off in the wrong direction.Confused， he does the only sensible thing and heads towards the colony.He feels safer now.His mother must be here somewhere.And then， security at last.But he’s got it wrong，it‘s not his mother.This must be her， surely？Wrong again.He tests each penguin in turn， but nobody wants him.In a colony this size， he may never find his mother again.These are desperate times。
In this frozen world， lost chicks don‘t survive for long.His father is among the many rushing back with fresh supplies，but he must be careful.A pod of killer whales are on their tail.They look for any penguin that makes a mistake.Just a tiny error， but now he’s in deep trouble.He torpedoes to safety。。。but killer whales are intelligent and persistent predators and the spring melt has turned the ice edge into a maze of gullies and openings，perfect for a surprise attack.To keep him in their sights， they spy-hop.He must find a safe passage out by staying on solid ice.He sees a route and heads for safety.A reprieve of sorts，but the other fathers left without him.And with a storm brewing， he‘s totally exposed.Already， the blizzard has reached the colony.The chick’s only protection is his overcoat of down and at -40， it‘s simply not enough.And unfortunately， the other mothers care only for their own。（SNOW CHICK CHEEPS） The chick’s mother calls one last time。。。but her cries are lost on the wind。（PENGUIN CALLS， WIND HOWLS）At last， he‘s found。。。and not a moment too soon。
But out on the ice，the lone father is still paying the price for his mistake.Within a few hours， the full force of the storm engulfs the colony.The chick may be safe，but as temperatures drop to -60，his mother‘s warmth is not enough.To protect him， she needs to find refuge in the shared warmth of the other penguins.As 70mph winds lash the colony， the penguins huddle together.Sheltered from the storm， they’re snug at last.Out in the open， the father‘s chances are slim.His only hope is to reach the safety of the colony in time.In the comfort of the huddle，the penguins have all the shelter they need.In the centre， temperatures can even reach a toasty 37 degrees.To cool down， they shuffle to the outside，letting others take their place.By sharing body heat， they weather any storm.Desperate for the warmth of the family，the lone father struggles on.For the sake of his chick， he simply has to make it back。（PENGUIN CALLS） Then， through the blizzard， salvation.Against the odds， he’s made it home.A few weeks pass and the days are lengthening.Dad is on parenting duties while Mum takes the fishing shift.But even in the safety of the colony， there are unexpected dangers。
Penguins who have failed to breed practise child-rearing skills on chunks of ice.But their mothering instinct is so overwhelming，what they really want is a baby of their own.And who better than the smallest， most adorable chick in the colony？Dad has his work cut out keeping these kid-snatchers at bay.And they aren‘t the only broody penguins。。。Soon， there are so many baby-snatchers，they block the father’s path at every turn。（PENGUINS CALL）As his chick gets smothered by admirers，there‘s nothing he can do.For these lone females，the urge to nurture a chick of their own is overwhelming.In the frenzy， they are in danger of loving him to death。（CHICK CHEEPS）When Dad can finally reach him， his little chick is in real peril.Then a lucky break -he gets his battered baby back.Nothing is more important than the safety of your young。
As the weeks go by， spring turns to summer.The sea ice melts and the ocean gets closer.It means feeding the chicks is easy， so they are growing up fast.They hang out together in small， comforting huddles.But Snow Chick isn‘t ready to cut the ties，despite being too big for his father’s pouch.It‘s starting to get embarrassing。。。It’s long overdue，but his father finally persuades him to find his place in the gang.But there‘s an art to joining a huddle and he hasn’t mastered it.But practice makes perfect，and the first thing to work out is which way to face.You know you‘ve got it right when someone snuggles in behind you.Accepted at last.This is a huge milestone in his development -it means that， for the first time， both parents can go fishing。
The chick is not so sure he‘s ready to be left on his own.But the colony has invisible wallsand he instinctively knows they mustn’t be crossed.The adults left behind don‘t have the caring ways of his parents.Until they return， he must find one of the colony’s childminders.A penguin who hasn‘t bred takes on the role as practice for the future.She’ll take him under her wing，but only if he does as he‘s told.She’s a firm believer in discipline.With so many chicks in her care，stragglers won‘t be tolerated.He will just have to toughen up.But there’s a reason for the new， strict regime.With the warmer days，the open sea is closer now and new and unwelcome visitors can reach the colony easily。（CHEEPING）A giant petrel.They always pick on the smallest.He‘s caught！But just by his baby fluff.The childminder is welcome now.It’s now a deadly game of hide-and-seek.Luckily， the petrel spots an easier meal of scraps。。。and the chick has learned a valuable lesson。
As spring continues，the melting ice brings another new arrival。（PENGUIN SQUAWKS）The Adelie penguin.A cocky character， very different to the laid-back emperor.Adelies breed in the Antarctic summer.He‘s the first to arrive and he’s heading straight for his breeding grounds。。。exactly where the emperors are living.These days， the smallest chick is one of the gang and the youngsters do everything together.But this new-found harmony is about to be rudely interrupted.When the Adelie reaches the colony， he‘s on a mission.He’s setting up home for the summer and he expects to have the place to himself.Adelies are only half a metre tall，but they‘re the most pugnacious of all penguins -he thinks nothing of taking on the whole colony.Chicks that don’t give way soon get the message.He‘ll be a thorn in their side until he’s seen the back of them.In the meantime， he makes himself at home。
As the melt brings the sea ever closer，the parents visit their chicks more frequently.The littlest still has some catching up to do，but with this continuous relay of food，everyone is piling on the pounds.When the chick isn‘t eating，he spends his time hungrily waiting for his next meal.When his mother does arrive，she’s plagued by greedy chicks， all trying to blag a free lunch.But if she feeds any of these impostors，her chick will go hungry.He‘s hidden somewhere in the huddle.To find him， she must use her unique and comforting call。（MOTHER CALLS） The chicks are so tightly packed，he can only reach her by crowd-surfing.Even now， he must undergo an identity check before he gets a meal.Fortunately， he passes the test。
With the warming weather，the snow melts in the day but refreezes at night，creating the perfect conditions for sheet ice.The adults test out the new ice rink.But in a land of ice and snow， it‘s a skill all must learn.For the smallest chick， it’s yet another challenge。。。and his feet don‘t make the greatest ice skates.But we all learn from our mistakes.Not everyone is struggling with the conditions.Nimbler and faster， the Adelie has a skating style all of his own.He’s still a lone warrior， but he won‘t be for long.Reinforcements are on their way.More Adelies。。。Hundreds of them！They’re ready to breed and nothing will stand in their way.They time-share these breeding grounds with the emperors and the summer season is their turn.If you‘re small， it’s best to keep a low profile and hope they‘ll pick on someone their own size.While the bigger chicks are squaring up，he makes his exit。（SQUAWKING）When the new neighbours aren’t picking fights with the chicks，they argue amongst themselves。（LOUD SQUAWKING） The Adelie invasion is also a sign of a bigger and more profound change.After five months of nurturing，the adults are preparing to leave their chicks for good.A conveyer belt of food is now arriving around the clock，building them up until they can fend for themselves.From the smallest to the largest， the chicks are getting huge meals -up to five kilos of fish in a single session.But when you‘re always hungry，everyone else seems to be getting more！ Many adults are leaving the colony for the last time。。。and the smallest chick here still has some feeding up to do and his parents are nowhere to be seen.Then， two familiar figures.It’s double helpings this time.He‘ll need the extra nourishment he doesn’t know it yet，but this is the last meal he‘ll ever get from them.Without so much as a backward glance， Mum and Dad head back to sea.Their work is done.The chick they spent five months rearing must now stand on his own two feet。
All the chicks have been abandoned，just a few baby-sitters remain。 They exercise their flippers as they prepare for the next phase in their lives -four years at sea in the Antarctic Ocean.It‘s something even the smallest must do。 He’ll soon be using these flippers in earnest，but right now， no-one seems ready to make the long trek to the sea.A week goes by and the weather deteriorates.All that time， the chicks have been waiting，but their parents never returned.Even the Adelie seems confused.Eventually， driven by hunger and instinct，their only choice is to cross the colony‘s invisible boundary and begin the most important journey of their lives.The Adelie couldn’t be happier to see them go.He escorts them off the premises.As winds reach 80mph，the smallest struggles to keep up.But he‘ll only survive if he stays with the group and it’s so easy to lose them in a blizzard。
In temperatures of -20， they battle on，driven by a need to reach the sea.After several hours，the struggling chick is losing energy。（CHICK CALLS） Then， even the other chicks can travel no more.Completely exhausted， the chick must make one final effort.Together， the plucky little gang wait for the storm to pass.A few days later， the weather has changed。。。and so have the chicks。 As they prepare for a life in the ocean，they preen away their baby fluff to reveal their adult plumage underneath.As ever， one chick has some catching up to do.The Adelie wants them on their way and encourages them with a little preening of his own。（SQUAWKING）Urged on by their escort，the ragtag army reach their destination.This is their first sight of the sea -the great Antarctic Ocean.They‘re facing the greatest challenge of their young lives and they’ll only go when all are ready.But their ice world is disappearing fast.He hesitates。 Something‘s wrong.The ice gives way，he’s tossed into the sea.He can‘t go it alone， he must rejoin the others。（CHICK CALLS） Then he starts to settle.It feels。。。strangely natural.But as the rest show no sign of joining him，his only choice is to clamber back out.It’s far more difficult than getting in and it seems he‘s not alone in the water.The chicks head for a safer spot.But despite the danger， the ocean is beckoning and the excitement is contagious.An old foe is here to see them off.The chick may still be the smallest， but he seems more confident now。
He may be facing the great unknown，but he‘s already had a taste of the sea.He pushes his way to the front.After all he has learned， this is his moment.He takes a leap of faith。。。and this time， there is no turning back.The rest follow his cue.He might have been the smallest，but he was strong enough to survive against the odds。。。and now， he leads the penguin gang into the vast Antarctic Ocean.This will be their home for the next four years.Then， driven by the same feelings that drove his parents，Snow Chick will return here to find a partner of his own。。。and the whole incredible story will begin all over again。
