Sky's Wild Animal Babies: Wildebeest calf misses deadly run-in with lion

Sky is set to drop its latest nature programme, Wild Animal Babies, seeing biologist Patrick Aryee examine what really goes on in the first few days and months of some of our most beloved creature’s lives.

But don’t be fooled by the title, as while it might sound all fluffy and cute, there are some harrowing scenes that show the youngsters fight against their deadly preditors.

In a clip shared exclusively to Metro.co.uk, a wildebeest calf can be seen running for its life as a male lion singles it out from the herd – hoping for a bite to eat.

However, after a scuffle the little one narrowly escapes the big cat, reminding us all that the real world is nothing like The Lion King one bit.

‘The herd spooks him, alerting him to danger,’ Patrick explains in the voiceover. ‘But the lion has picked his target.’

As the scenes come to an end, the presenter adds: ‘Less than one day old, this calf can already outrun Africa’s top predator. The calf rejoins the herd where its mother is calling.’

Following the wildebeest’s race against time, the wildlife expert concludes: ‘At last they are reunited.’

The series sees Patrick take us on a journey and teaches us all about the hardships confronted by the babies as they take their first steps in the wild.

From Australia to Costa Rica, the show examines the likes of Puffins, Meerkats, Elephants and even baby kangaroos as they crawl into their mother’s pouches before entering the world.

But we must prepare you for some tragic moments, as not everyone makes it out the other side of the show.

We have high expectations for the new Sky hit, as Patrick has worked closely with the documentary God himself Sir David Attenborough – and we think the guru must be proud of his protege.

After studying cancer biology at the University of Bristol, Patrick got behind the camera on a whole host of BBC productions including Frozen Planet and Attenborough: 60 Years In The Wild.

A number of Attenborough’s shows will be launching on the new Sky channel, Sky Nature, alongside Patrick’s brand new series.

Wild Animal Babies will premiere on Sky Nature May 31.

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