Seven Worlds, One Planet viewers were left heartbroken on tonight’s first episode as a baby albatross was rejected and ignored by its parent after falling from the nest.
Abandoned while its life-giver went to get food, huge winds and cold weather threw the chick from its nest into the cold earth below, leaving it with just hours to get to safety or die.
As others around him perished, the fluffy white bird was seen scrambling for help from its father – except due to evolution, the adult didn’t see the baby as its own and therefore ignored it.
Sir David Attenborough explained that albatross don’t identify their offspring by sight, sound or smell, only their presence in the nest.
So try as the baby might to get his attention, his pleas for help were refused.
Thankfully, the tiny bird was able to fight its way back to safety in time, and its parent was finally able to acknowledge, feed it, and keep it safe.
But there was more heartbreak to come from the viewers as it was revealed that they might not survive much longer.
The albatross population has more than halved in 15 years and now faces extinction, as they struggle to adapt to the increasing problems climate change has caused.
Viewers couldn’t cope with the horrid scenes of the baby scrambling for survival so close to their oblivious parent.
Oh little albatross chick please, please don't give up 😭😭😭 #sevenworldsoneplanet
— Katy Base (@KatyBasey) October 27, 2019
Noooooo, poor little Albatross #SevenWorldsOnePlanet
— Natasha ✨ (@Londongirl75) October 27, 2019
#SevenWorldsOnePlanet OMG those albatross are breaking my heart 💔 bless.
— Mary (@Mary83399751) October 27, 2019
#sevenworldsoneplanet I am getting emotional about an Albatross chick 🐣
— Sally Lord (@Vidardogsmum) October 27, 2019
The albatross chick 😭😭😭#SevenWorldsOnePlanet
— Mike Brennan (@TheRealMikeyBee) October 27, 2019
I hate this. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😢😢😢😢😢 #SevenWorldsOnePlanet
— DenisDenis (@DnieceD) October 27, 2019
NO NO NO NO NO 😢😢 #SevenWorldsOnePlanet
— Karen Grant (@iamkarengrant) October 27, 2019
😭Oh dear, baby albatross😭 #SevenWorldsOnePlanet #ClimateChange
— Lucy (@lucylovestoquiz) October 27, 2019
Oh my goodness. Baby albatross chick trying to get back into the nest 😭 #SevenWorldsOnePlanet
— Marguerite Hogg (@MargueriteHogg) October 27, 2019
The heartwrenching scene was one of the many stunning pieces by the team who focused the first episode of the new series on Antarctica.
Each episode will take viewers on a trip to a new continent, the animals that inhabit it, and the threats that they face on a day-to-day basis
Seven Worlds, One Planet continues Sunday at 6.15pm on BBC One.
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