For the first few weeks of life, danger lurks for newborn animals everywhere. A new puku antelope calf struggles to her feet as her mother licks the odor from her skin and bonds with her baby. A lion mother hides her blind cubs in a secret lair for six weeks before they meet the rest of the pride family which is protected by the males. Bonding with parents is important to many species, and a young hippo calf uses his sense of smell to stay close to mom when they join the rest of the family pod. A young vervet monkey is cared for by many females in the family group, as the develop their social skills. But some species, like tree frog tadpoles, are deserted when they are eggs. Ground hornbill chicks are cared for by their parents for two years, helped by the rest of their cooperative breeding group. Giraffe calves are vulnerable to lions, relying on camouflage to protect them while mother forages for sustenance. Some babies spend years learning how to protect themselves. Elephant babies learn life lessons from their families, building a vital mental map of the locations of food and water. Lionesses also benefit from raising their cubs communally, forming the future pride's bonds. Baby impalas are vulnerable to omnivore male baboons, and a mother and her three-banded courser chicks are saved from a mongoose attack by instinctively hunkering, camouflaged, close to the ground. Warthog piglets rely on their super sense of smell to find food, and a baboon's early warning alarm sends the scurrying back to safety. Hyena twin cubs move into the matriarchal den early in life and play fights help establish their rank in the group. Lion cubs learn stalking skills through play. In the wilds of Africa, making it through the first weeks of life is just the start.