大象传媒

In November, Antarctic fur seals return to South Georgia to breed. Bulls claim a territory on the beach and defend it. David Attenborough approaches a bull, carrying a stick in case he has to fend it off. The bulls have sharp teeth and can be aggressive. In two weeks the females will arrive, and David couldn't walk here. A lapsed time shot of the whole beach shows it gradually filling up with more than 100,000 seals. Each bull rules a territory of 30 square metres which contains about 12 females. We can't see the borders but the bulls know where they are and won't fight unless another male trespasses. The females prefer the territories near the high water mark. By December more than a million Antarctic fur seals, 95 per cent of the world population has arrived here to breed. As a female gives birth, skuas fight over the afterbirth. She picks up her wobbly newborn pup. Older pups are suckling, play fighting and rolling about. The males won't fight for territory until they are eight years old.