Animal Mothers

VHS cover

Animal Mothers is the sixth episode of the second season of Amazing Animals. The plot revolves around Henry trying to avoid doing chores when his mother comes to his house, and learning about the roles that animal mothers play. It first aired on the Disney Channel on 20th May 1997.

## Episode

### Episode outline

Click here for the full transcript for Animal Mothers.

When the narrator greets Henry, the lizard is panicked. His mother is coming to visit, even though he had a wild party with his animal friends the night before and his house is a mess. Henry’s mother arrives and says the house is a mess, and that her work is never done. When the narrator asks Henry what he has against his mother, Henry responds by saying that he thinks mothers are lazy. Henry and the narrator get into an argument over whether looking after baby animals is hard work or not, with the narrator assuring Henry that it is very difficult work.

#### First cartoon

* A mother Elephant gives birth in a hospital with Lizards acting as midwives. They try to hoist the baby up on a crane to clean it, but the baby knocks them over. It ends up tucked up in the bed with its mother.

Henry still thinks looking after a baby animal is easy, and looks to find a baby to prove it. At first, Henry thinks that babies come from supermarkets or are delivered by storks but, when he asks the narrator where babies actually come from, the narrator awkwardly decides to show Henry how some animals do it. Porcupines give birth to live young which fortunately have soft quills when they are born, while chameleons also have live young that fend for themselves immediately after birth – Henry responds that mothers are supposed to look after their kids. The grey-headed flying fox not only has to carry a baby inside her but also gives birth while hanging upside down. Henry accepts that actually having a baby is hard, but says the rest of motherhood is easy. The narrator now reminds Henry of his Special Report, which is supposed to be what being an animal mother is all about. Henry chooses the lioness as an example, saying they leave their babies in day-care while they go out to enjoy themselves, leaving the male lions to do all the work. The narrator tells Henry that his report has actually got it all the wrong way around – the male lions spend their time lazing around while the lionesses do all the hunting and look after the cubs. Once they’ve made a kill, they have to wait for the male lion to finish eating before they can have a turn. Henry says that maybe lions weren’t the best example, but the narrator assures him that most animal mothers are like this. Henry remains quietly unconvinced.

#### Second cartoon

* Rabbit tries to feed her five babies with a carrot and a piece of meat, both of which they reject. She then offers Rattlesnake with an apple in his mouth but Rattlesnake swallows all the babies. Rabbit angrily shakes Rattlesnake until all the babies fall out and then uses him as a holder for the milk bottles that she gives her babies.

Henry is looking after his little cousin Lizzie, after his mother said he would do it. She won’t stop crying so Henry tries feeding her with baby food he steals from a nearby lion cub. The lioness is angered by this, and Henry and Lizzie flee. The narrator says that many animals have a very hard time feeding their young – puffin mothers have to go out fishing ten times a day to collect enough food for their chick. But each time she returns, she has to escape the attacks of thieving jaegers. Henry now does the Golden Gecko Awards. The bronze medal goes to the puffin and the silver medal to the fruit bat. But the Golden Gecko Award is given to the *Pipa* toad, which hatches her eggs under a layer of skin on her back. The narrator recommends a prettier mother, like the elephant, but Henry’s decision is final.

#### Third cartoon

* Hen is trying to hoover the house but the Chicks keep interrupting her. She goes to Rooster and gets him to make a special hoover that sucks up the chicks so that she can relax.

Henry gets muddy outside and goes into the house where his mother has just cleaned – while Henry says it is his house and he can get it as dirty as he wants, the narrator says that Henry isn’t being very nice. Henry’s mother is about to tell stories about how naughty Henry used to be, so Henry tells the narrator to quickly show some more animals. He does so, but all the clips are of baby animals generally being naughty and annoying their mothers. Henry says this is a set-up, but the narrator points out that baby animals are often naughty, as they need lots of attention and have too much energy, but that you do have to feel for their mothers.

#### Fourth cartoon

Mother Tiger is called into her child’s school because he swallowed the Rabbit teacher. After she pulls the Rabbit out of her child’s mouth, the Lizard headmaster berates her until she angrily swallows him instead.

Henry is washing his clothes at his mother’s behest, and she reminds him that there are many more chores to do. Henry angrily mutters that the sooner she goes home the better, which upsets her as Henry as left home and never calls, even after everything she has done for him. The narrator goes to call his own mother. He tells Henry that young animals owe their mothers a lot, as they are taught the skills that help them to survive. A young sea otter is shown ignoring its mother’s lessons on opening shellfish, but it gets unsettled when the mother leaves to go off and find food. Back at his house, Henry is now helping with the tidying up, but the hoover he is using explodes and leaves dirt everywhere. Henry’s mother now comes on-screen and tells Henry she will clean up. Henry tells the narrator that he loves his mother really, and thinks she is the greatest. The narrator agrees, and reminds Henry that without our amazing mothers, none of us would be here.

## Animal species filmed for the programme

### Studio footage

* Green-cheeked parakeet, *Pyrrhura molinae*
* Egyptian spiny mouse, *Acomys cahirinus*
* Mallard, *Anas platyrhynchos*
* Scarlet macaw, *Ara macao*
* Lion, *Panthera leo*
* Domestic cat, *Felis catus*
* Domestic dog, *Canis familiaris*
* Domestic sheep, *Ovis aries*
* Domestic pig, *Sus domestica*
* Crested porcupine, *Hystrix sp*.

### Stock footage

* Cheetah, *Acinonyx jubatus*
* Bornean orangutan, *Pongo pygmaeus*
* Grey wolf, *Canis lupus*
* Lar gibbon, *Hylobates lar*
* Great tit, *Parus major*
* European eider, *Somateria mollissima*
* Northern tamandua, *Tamandua mexicana*
* African hunting dog, *Lycaon pictus*
* Common raccoon, *Procyon lotor*
* Common chaffinch, *Fringilla coelebs*
* Long-tailed macaque, *Macaca fascicularis*
* Flying fox, *Pteropus sp*.
* Tiger, *Panthera tigris*
* Cape porcupine, *Hystrix africaeaustralis*
* Natal dwarf chameleon, *Bradypodion sp*.
* Grey-headed flying fox, *Pteropus poliocephalus*
* Blue wildebeest, *Connochaetes taurinus*
* Plains zebra, *Equus quagga*
* African buffalo, *Syncerus caffer*
* Spotted hyena, *Crocuta crocuta*
* Atlantic puffin, *Fratercula arctica*
* Great skua, *Stercorarius skua*
* Surinam toad, *Pipa pipa*
* African bush elephant, *Loxodonta africana*
* Verreaux’s sifaka, *Propithecus verreauxi*
* Ring-tailed lemur, *Lemur catta*
* Chimpanzee, *Pan troglodytes*
* Meerkat, *Suricata suricatta*
* Magellanic penguin, *Spheniscus magellanicus*
* Olive baboon, *Papio anubis*
* White-nosed coati, *Nasua narica*
* Sea otter, *Enhydra lutris*

## Credits

* Henry - Eric Meyers
* Narrator - Tom Clarke-Hill
* Writer - Alastair Swinnerton
* Script Editor - Jennifer Lupinacci
* Music - David Poore
* Director - Anne Neale
* Graphic Designer - Kate Beldon
* Graphic Design Assistant - Emma Rigney
* Researchers - Matthew Brennan and Clare Dornan
* Production Co-ordinator - Esta Porter
* Post-Production Co-ordinator - Liz Lewin
* Production Secretary - Vivienne Mackay
* Production Team - Steve Cronick, Pauline Davis, Sam Evans, Susan Hubble and Dominic Weston
* Camera - Andy Shillabeer
* Animation - A for Animation
* Animation Director - Mark Taylor
* Computer Animation - Ricochet 4 and Daniel Pearson
* Computer Animation Director - Henry Lutman
* Sound Editor - James Pursey
* Dubbing Mixer - Andrew Wilson
* Editors
	+ Offline - David Hindmarsh and Vincent Pipe
	+ Graphics - Sue Land
	+ Online - Sharon Stiles
* Producer - Jessica Wootton

## Home media releases

The VHS for Animal Mothers released on 3rd November 1997. The cover shows Henry holding a baby bottle in his hand. He is accompanied by lioness with four cubs and a giraffe suckling its calf.

**Cartoon Characters**: \* Eagles • Tyrannosaurus • Rattlesnake • Tiger • Squirrel • Lizards • Elephant • Bat • Fish • Camel • Gorilla • Caveman • Mole • Bear • Stickman • Chicks • Hen • Rooster • Owl • Chameleon • Tortoise • Crocodile • Frog and Toad •
• Parrot • Porcupine • Mouse • Whale • Rhinoceros • Beavers • Snail • Rabbit • Dog • Skunk • Spider • Octopus • Vulture • Woodpecker • Flea • Dung Beetle • Butterfly • Gibbon • Fly • Mosquito • Bee • Beetles • Crab • Pigeon • Carnivorous Plant • Lamb

**Voice Actors**: Eric Meyers • Tom Clarke-Hill
**Season One**: Tropical Birds • Animal Disguises • Nighttime Animals • Animal Appetites • Animal Survivors • Animal Senses • Animal Weapons • Animal Builders • Armoured Animals • Mini-Beasts • Animal Babies • Poisonous Animals • Animal Journeys
**Season Two**: Birds of Prey • Desert Animals (Amazing Animals) • Scary Animals • Animal Records • Animal Colors • **Animal Mothers** • Animal Pets • Seashore Animals • Animal Families • Endangered Animals • An Animal Year • Prehistoric Animals • Monkeys and Apes
**Season Three**: Animal Hunters • Animal Talk • Slimy Animals • Rainforest Animals • Animal Acrobats • Underwater Animals • Animal Neighbors • Giant Animals - Creepy Crawly Animals • Farm Animals (Amazing Animals) • Animal Changes • Extinct Animals • Animal Eggs
**Season Four**: Around the World • Polar Animals • Clever Animals • Underground Animals • Animal Helpers • Woodland Animals (Amazing Animals) • Mountain Animals • Backyard Animals • Tiny Animals • Animal Partners • Scaly Animals • River Animals • Animal Flight