The remote Orsted Dal Valley in Greenland provides a scene of one of the most extraordinary trials that any animal must face at the beginning of its life.
Barnacle Geese chicks cannot fly for 8 or more weeks. However, to survive they must jump from heights of 120 meters (approx. 36 stories) or so in less than 24 hours of hatching.
This is when they are the smallest and most vulnerable.
The parents nest on top of huge rock towers to provide natural protection from predators on the ground.
But this nesting strategy has a drawback since there is nothing to eat at this high altitude. Unlike other birds, the parents can’t provide any food to their chicks.