In the harsh Arctic environment, barnacle geese face incredible challenges, and their chicks must confront nature’s extremes from the moment they hatch. In a scene from Hostile Planet, spring arrives early, pushing the geese to begin their migration sooner than usual. Exhausted from the journey, the mother goose incubates her eggs for 25 days, losing 30% of her body weight.

Once the chicks hatch, they face their biggest test yet. The family’s nest is perched on a 400-foot cliff, chosen to avoid predators. However, their food source is far below, and the chicks, unable to fly, must jump from the cliff to reach the grasslands.

The journey is perilous. One chick dies, but against the odds, two others survive the dangerous descent. With unpredictable seasons causing more challenges for wildlife, fewer barnacle goose chicks survive each year. Yet, for this family, hope endures as one chick defies the odds and makes it through this daunting test of survival.

The gripping journey of these geese is a powerful reminder of nature’s resilience in the face of adversity.