
Life is full of difficulties and dangers. For things to go wildly wrong, all it takes is a lapse in concentration, a stumble, poor planning, or just plain bad luck. Predators and prey circle one another, waiting for a single mistake. Even the strongest instincts can lead to sudden, dangerous consequences.
The greatest risks come when animals are distracted by survival itself – drinking, feeding, or mating. A wildebeest drinks in crocodile-infested waters. A seal cub is left vulnerable to hyenas while its mother hunts offshore. Sea creatures live in the shadow of a volcano, risking molten rocks raining into the water. When you live in the wild, a moment can change everything, and nature can be unforgiving. By examining the moments before disaster, can we learn from animals’ missteps and apply those lessons to our own lives?