Review of Animal Babies: First Year on Earth (2019)
Seen in 2020.
Seen with Swedish-language narration on SVT.
Individual young mammals of six species, from Arctic foxes to Kenyan hyenas and elephants, followed roughly from birth to weaning.
As nature films go, it’s far more serious and technically accomplished than Wonderful World of Baby Animals (2019), but similarly adapted to an audience of children, including similarly light intro music. Status-based bullying, parental abandonment and risk of death—as well as the existential threat to mountain gorillas—are brought up as honesty requires. I think this one would be more appealing even to children, past the age of about 6; it’s certainly more appealing to adults. Cutest animal: Nyakabara the gorilla.