00:00:40,529 -- 00:00:44,769
A universe of stars shines down
on one special planet.
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00:00:49,571 -- 00:00:52,331
Our planet. Our home.
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00:00:53,571 -- 00:00:55,851
The only planet we know that has life.
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00:01:01,253 -- 00:01:04,934
Life began when the Earth was young
and it started small...
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00:01:05,654 -- 00:01:09,055
when one tiny molecule
managed to make a copy of itself.
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00:01:15,217 -- 00:01:16,456
Since then...
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00:01:16,616 -- 00:01:18,856
since that magical moment...
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00:01:19,537 -- 00:01:21,857
life has swept across the globe...
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00:01:22,658 -- 00:01:25,378
filling every corner of our world.
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00:01:50,745 -- 00:01:55,384
Today there are some 5 million
different species on the planet.
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00:01:56,425 -- 00:01:59,546
5 million different ways
of staying alive.
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00:02:31,953 -- 00:02:34,913
This is a story that connects us all.
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00:02:35,594 -- 00:02:38,314
lt's a story of hope and of triumph.
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00:02:48,837 -- 00:02:51,237
A story of our journey through life.
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Every life begins with a birth.
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00:03:15,763 -- 00:03:18,882
And every mother must choose
where her baby's life begins.
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00:03:35,167 -- 00:03:39,407
A Weddell seal has come to this desert
of snow and ice to have her pup.
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00:03:46,169 -- 00:03:48,809
The pup is only a few hours old
and is helpless.
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00:03:49,610 -- 00:03:52,090
He is entirely dependent
on his mother.
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00:04:15,736 -- 00:04:17,295
lt may be spring,
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00:04:17,456 -- 00:04:21,016
but the temperature can still drop
to minus 20 degrees
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00:04:21,658 -- 00:04:25,297
and winds of 70 miles an hour
roar across the ice.
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00:04:45,702 -- 00:04:49,343
All his mother can do is try to shelter him
with her own body.
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Trust that she can keep
her infant alive.
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00:05:03,266 -- 00:05:06,666
So why has she chosen here,
of all places, to have her pup?
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00:05:09,427 -- 00:05:12,347
lt's because here,
they're safe from their enemies.
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00:05:14,669 -- 00:05:18,748
ln the middle of this vast frozen sea,
no predator can reach her or her baby.
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00:05:31,553 -- 00:05:32,712
but there's no food here.
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So the mother keeps this ice hole open,
the only route to her hunting ground.
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00:05:38,874 -- 00:05:41,113
And it must become
his hunting ground, too.
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She has to persuade him
into the water.
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00:05:50,036 -- 00:05:52,516
He's not keen.
And who can blame him?
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00:05:53,877 -- 00:05:57,477
but he soon discovers
this is where he was born to be.
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Now, life's adventure can begin.
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Wherever you look in the world,
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00:06:39,847 -- 00:06:41,207
so much of growing up
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depends on the skill and determination
of your parents.
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These snow monkeys
live in a volcanic mountain range
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00:06:52,411 -- 00:06:54,010
in the cold North.
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00:07:17,696 -- 00:07:21,655
They have wonderfully thick furry coats,
but they still feel the cold.
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00:07:21,816 -- 00:07:24,576
And the winter here is hard
on the little ones.
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Some snow monkeys have discovered
there is a better way.
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00:07:40,580 -- 00:07:43,780
Steamy hot thermal springs.
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These resourceful mothers
bring their babies here
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to escape the worst of the winter
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00:07:51,944 -- 00:07:54,663
in a long warm bath.
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ln here, the water
is a delightful 100 degrees.
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00:08:14,748 -- 00:08:16,748
So why aren't all the monkeys
in the pool?
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00:08:22,230 -- 00:08:26,510
Well, it's a privilege
which is jealously guarded.
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00:08:44,435 -- 00:08:47,394
lnside the pool,
a royal family.
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00:08:48,115 -- 00:08:51,075
A queen and a ruling dynasty
of snow monkeys.
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00:09:00,638 -- 00:09:02,038
Outside the pool...
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00:09:02,839 -- 00:09:04,158
everyone else.
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00:09:15,681 -- 00:09:19,962
The youngest princess can luxuriate
because she has an extended family
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00:09:20,123 -- 00:09:22,802
determined to give her the best in life.
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00:09:39,327 -- 00:09:42,367
Not everyone has the advantage
of such a supportive family.
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00:09:43,568 -- 00:09:46,487
Some have to depend
on a dedicated single mother.
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00:09:48,129 -- 00:09:49,288
And here she is.
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00:09:50,049 -- 00:09:53,129
A strawberry poison arrow frog
no bigger than your fingernail.
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00:09:54,570 -- 00:09:56,689
She's laid her eggs
on the forest floor.
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00:09:58,371 -- 00:10:01,090
For most frog mothers
that would be the job done.
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00:10:04,453 -- 00:10:08,532
but her maternal instinct is so strong
she guards them until they've hatched,
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00:10:09,774 -- 00:10:11,653
and then she moves her tadpoles
out of danger.
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00:10:15,334 -- 00:10:17,294
She hitches a tadpole on her back,
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00:10:17,455 -- 00:10:19,054
then sets off.
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00:10:27,457 -- 00:10:30,377
Surprisingly, she starts to climb.
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00:10:50,182 -- 00:10:51,902
And this is what she's looking for:
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00:10:53,583 -- 00:10:57,263
a special plant way up in the branches
of a tree, 0 feet above the ground.
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00:10:58,304 -- 00:11:02,664
There's water trapped in its leaves
that makes it a perfect nursery pool.
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00:11:22,230 -- 00:11:24,588
She has to leave him
because she still has 4 more tadpoles
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00:11:24,750 -- 00:11:25,829
waiting on the forest floor,
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00:11:25,990 -- 00:11:29,310
and each must be carried up
to its own private nursery.
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00:12:00,237 -- 00:12:01,997
There's nothing to eat in these pools,
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00:12:03,519 -- 00:12:07,558
so she feeds each tadpole
with one of her own unfertilized eggs.
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00:12:18,442 -- 00:12:21,041
A single egg won't sustain
a hungry tadpole for long,
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00:12:22,723 -- 00:12:23,762
so every few days,
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00:12:23,923 -- 00:12:26,403
she has to climb back up
to each youngster...
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00:12:29,284 -- 00:12:31,163
and do it all over again.
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00:12:48,288 -- 00:12:51,728
One day, this fine young frog
emerges from his pool,
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00:12:52,809 -- 00:12:55,128
and leaves his devoted mother behind.
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00:13:03,052 -- 00:13:04,371
(growling)
82
00:13:11,533 -- 00:13:13,013
(adult gorilla snorting)
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00:13:14,414 -- 00:13:16,013
There are fathers
who do their bit, too.
84
00:13:16,174 -- 00:13:19,574
A male silverback gorilla
left in charge.
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00:13:21,535 -- 00:13:23,615
(upbeat music)
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00:13:25,656 -- 00:13:27,056
(snorting)
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00:13:29,256 -- 00:13:32,016
but he's not what you might call
a hands-on dad.
88
00:13:33,138 -- 00:13:34,577
(snorting)
89
00:13:35,338 -- 00:13:37,178
(growling)
90
00:13:44,341 -- 00:13:46,220
(birds chirping)
91
00:13:55,903 -- 00:13:57,142
(distant growling)
92
00:14:02,944 -- 00:14:17,347
(growling)
93
00:14:29,270 -- 00:14:30,430
babysitting.
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00:14:31,231 -- 00:14:33,110
lt's so exhausting.
95
00:14:35,711 -- 00:14:37,311
(growling)
96
00:14:41,953 -- 00:14:43,313
(screaming)
97
00:14:45,113 -- 00:14:47,153
(distant whooping)
98
00:14:49,075 -- 00:14:50,314
(distant thumping)
99
00:14:53,836 -- 00:14:56,275
That sound is another male.
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00:14:56,916 -- 00:14:59,275
A rival. A challenge.
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00:14:59,437 -- 00:15:01,436
(whooping)
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00:15:05,678 -- 00:15:06,918
(echoing sound effects)
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00:15:08,119 -- 00:15:10,518
The rival would steal his territory,
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00:15:11,239 -- 00:15:15,399
and that would be the end of his family
and everything he holds dear.
105
00:15:15,561 -- 00:15:17,480
(distant whooping)
106
00:15:18,441 -- 00:15:19,401
(distant thumping)
107
00:15:28,243 -- 00:15:29,602
(whooping)
108
00:15:34,765 -- 00:15:36,244
(echoing sound effects)
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00:15:40,045 -- 00:15:41,325
No reply.
110
00:15:42,446 -- 00:15:44,285
(soft music)
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00:15:49,568 -- 00:15:51,887
When it comes to
the important things in life,
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00:15:53,009 -- 00:15:54,768
he's actually a pretty good dad.
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(wind gusting)
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(whimpering)
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00:16:21,735 -- 00:16:24,334
Often, being a good parent
comes naturally.
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00:16:25,496 -- 00:16:29,135
but there are times
when you have to learn the hard way.
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00:16:31,296 -- 00:16:34,657
This baby elephant was born last night
to a first-time mother.
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00:16:35,858 -- 00:16:39,017
These are the first steps on a life
that could last 70 years,
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00:16:40,338 -- 00:16:43,098
if the baby survives
these critical early days.
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00:16:48,261 -- 00:16:51,701
To produce enough milk to feed her calf,
the mother must find water.
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00:16:52,542 -- 00:16:56,021
The baby has no option,
she has to join the march.
122
00:16:58,862 -- 00:17:00,223
(soft music)
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00:17:09,826 -- 00:17:11,384
She manages 5 miles,
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00:17:12,266 -- 00:17:14,065
but there's still a long way to go.
125
00:17:18,427 -- 00:17:20,627
(growling)
126
00:17:29,629 -- 00:17:30,949
(soft music)
127
00:17:42,672 -- 00:17:44,072
(trumpeting)
128
00:17:46,473 -- 00:17:48,073
(growling)
129
00:17:51,874 -- 00:17:53,354
(trumpeting)
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00:18:10,719 -- 00:18:12,678
She's not sure what to make
of a waterhole.
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00:18:12,839 -- 00:18:15,479
(whimpering)
And no idea how to get out of it.
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00:18:20,881 -- 00:18:22,720
As the herd moves deeper
into the swamp,
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00:18:22,881 -- 00:18:25,000
the young mother and her calf follow.
134
00:18:25,161 -- 00:18:26,561
This is dangerous.
135
00:18:32,603 -- 00:18:33,843
(trumpeting)
136
00:18:35,444 -- 00:18:38,083
baby elephants can get fatally stuck
in mud.
137
00:18:39,325 -- 00:18:42,204
(calf crying)
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00:18:51,848 -- 00:18:53,247
The mother's trying to help,
139
00:18:54,168 -- 00:18:57,368
but she's actually pushing her baby
deeper into the mud.
140
00:18:57,969 -- 00:19:00,649
(trumpeting)
141
00:19:10,571 -- 00:19:12,251
The grandmother sees the problem.
142
00:19:13,532 -- 00:19:15,612
(trumpeting)
143
00:19:18,053 -- 00:19:20,813
She barges her daughter out of the way
just in time.
144
00:19:29,335 -- 00:19:30,975
(soft music)
145
00:19:40,418 -- 00:19:43,258
Whether it's a baby elephant
or a baby frog,
146
00:19:43,419 -- 00:19:45,298
a snow monkey or a gorilla,
147
00:19:46,740 -- 00:19:50,539
they're all cared for by parents
who do their best to keep them safe.
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00:19:55,581 -- 00:19:57,501
Too soon, childhood ends...
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00:19:57,662 -- 00:19:58,861
(trumpeting)
150
00:19:59,022 -- 00:20:01,981
...and they'll discover it's time
to make their own way in the world.
151
00:20:03,663 -- 00:20:06,262
The lifelong search for food begins.
152
00:20:07,424 -- 00:20:08,824
(birds chirping)
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00:20:10,545 -- 00:20:13,745
lmagine trying to feed
10 million hungry mouths.
154
00:20:15,146 -- 00:20:18,546
Well, that's the challenge facing
the inhabitants of this underground city.
155
00:20:23,228 -- 00:20:25,587
The city is surrounded by grassland.
156
00:20:26,508 -- 00:20:29,708
Unfortunately its citizens,
grass-cutter ants,
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00:20:29,869 -- 00:20:32,429
can't actually eat grass.
158
00:20:41,832 -- 00:20:43,550
(crunching)
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00:20:51,474 -- 00:20:56,154
(thumping)
160
00:21:01,836 -- 00:21:03,556
(upbeat music)
161
00:21:09,477 -- 00:21:12,637
Yet they collect
every blade of grass they can,
162
00:21:13,159 -- 00:21:15,918
and they carry it all the way back
to the colony.
163
00:21:37,244 -- 00:21:39,644
(upbeat music)
164
00:21:55,968 -- 00:21:57,327
And they do this all day.
165
00:21:57,488 -- 00:21:59,287
Every day.
166
00:21:59,448 -- 00:22:01,968
365 days a year.
167
00:22:03,169 -- 00:22:05,289
(upbeat music)
168
00:22:21,813 -- 00:22:23,773
So why are they doing it?
169
00:22:24,814 -- 00:22:27,374
The answer lies deep underground.
170
00:22:27,975 -- 00:22:29,975
(cringing)
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00:22:40,617 -- 00:22:44,498
They chop it up and feed it to a fungus
that can eat grass.
172
00:22:46,859 -- 00:22:48,858
And then they eat the fungus.
173
00:22:57,061 -- 00:23:00,501
The anthill is a massive
underground farm.
174
00:23:08,384 -- 00:23:10,103
lt's a perfect arrangement,
175
00:23:10,704 -- 00:23:13,704
except that the fungus produces
so much carbon dioxide
176
00:23:13,865 -- 00:23:15,904
it poisons the air down here.
177
00:23:18,386 -- 00:23:20,305
The ants have sorted that problem, too.
178
00:23:22,987 -- 00:23:27,107
They've built specially designed
ventilation shafts to keep their air clean.
179
00:23:28,708 -- 00:23:31,747
They're farmers,
architects and engineers.
180
00:23:37,590 -- 00:23:40,830
Each individual ant has a brain
the size of a pinhead.
181
00:23:42,631 -- 00:23:44,591
but somehow, together,
182
00:23:44,751 -- 00:23:47,591
they have invented a solution
to feeding themselves
183
00:23:47,753 -- 00:23:49,672
that we would be proud to match.
184
00:23:57,994 -- 00:24:01,034
Sometimes in life, the best way
is to follow your own path.
185
00:24:01,955 -- 00:24:04,835
Choose food that no one else
has a taste for.
186
00:24:23,280 -- 00:24:24,599
(distant squawking)
187
00:24:30,562 -- 00:24:32,001
Here's a lammergeier,
188
00:24:33,082 -- 00:24:34,762
a huge bearded vulture,
189
00:24:34,923 -- 00:24:37,082
scanning the ground for his next meal.
190
00:24:37,243 -- 00:24:38,962
(squawking)
191
00:24:44,525 -- 00:24:46,564
(distant squawking)
192
00:24:50,726 -- 00:24:53,885
A lot of rival scavengers
have beaten him to this carcass.
193
00:24:55,207 -- 00:24:56,686
(squawking)
194
00:25:08,210 -- 00:25:10,610
but a lammergeier is happy
to miss out on the meat.
195
00:25:11,531 -- 00:25:13,450
lt's the bones he's after.
196
00:25:14,811 -- 00:25:18,731
Why? because inside,
they are full of rich marrowfat.
197
00:25:20,812 -- 00:25:23,212
The problem: how to get at it.
198
00:25:26,854 -- 00:25:28,533
(epic music)
199
00:25:51,939 -- 00:25:53,058
Here's how.
200
00:26:17,545 -- 00:26:19,624
(cawing)
201
00:26:20,426 -- 00:26:24,506
Now the juices in his stomach -
as corrosive as battery acid -
202
00:26:24,667 -- 00:26:26,746
can get to work dissolving the bone.
203
00:26:28,267 -- 00:26:29,707
(squawking)
204
00:26:33,869 -- 00:26:36,188
Every young lammergeier
wants to learn the trick.
205
00:26:38,270 -- 00:26:40,029
lt's not as easy as it looks.
206
00:26:42,070 -- 00:26:44,790
And a beginner needs
to be closely watched.
207
00:26:52,913 -- 00:26:55,112
(angry squawking)
208
00:26:55,274 -- 00:26:57,393
lf at first you don't succeed...
209
00:27:03,555 -- 00:27:04,794
try...
210
00:27:05,956 -- 00:27:07,435
(squawking)
211
00:27:07,596 -- 00:27:08,996
try...
212
00:27:14,758 -- 00:27:16,317
try again.
213
00:27:34,362 -- 00:27:37,561
A unique and inventive way
to get food.
214
00:27:38,763 -- 00:27:41,242
One that lammergeiers
have made their own.
215
00:27:45,564 -- 00:27:47,404
(crickets chirring)
216
00:28:03,888 -- 00:28:08,048
For centuries, these rocks have been
a special place for preparing food
217
00:28:08,209 -- 00:28:09,928
by a really clever animal.
218
00:28:11,050 -- 00:28:12,809
ln fact it's so clever
219
00:28:12,970 -- 00:28:15,450
it's changed the way
we think about animals
220
00:28:15,611 -- 00:28:17,130
and even about ourselves.
221
00:28:25,333 -- 00:28:28,172
These caves are home to a monkey:
222
00:28:28,333 -- 00:28:30,453
the brown tufted capuchin.
223
00:28:46,738 -- 00:28:49,217
Capuchins love palm nuts.
224
00:28:49,819 -- 00:28:54,258
The problem is they're incredibly tough
to crack, even harder than bone.
225
00:29:17,344 -- 00:29:19,024
(birds chirping)
226
00:29:32,068 -- 00:29:34,547
An old hand knows
that first a nut should be peeled.
227
00:29:35,988 -- 00:29:38,628
Then given a week or so
drying in the sun.
228
00:29:42,550 -- 00:29:44,189
Here's some he prepared earlier.
229
00:29:49,591 -- 00:29:52,071
Long ago, these clever capuchins
worked out
230
00:29:52,232 -- 00:29:55,192
that this is what they needed
to finish the job.
231
00:30:06,515 -- 00:30:08,434
Now the final step.
232
00:30:11,756 -- 00:30:13,316
(soft dramatic music)
233
00:30:41,563 -- 00:30:43,322
(music intensifying)
234
00:30:49,084 -- 00:30:52,644
We used to think only humans
were clever enough to use tools like this.
235
00:31:00,846 -- 00:31:02,766
(joyful music)
236
00:31:02,927 -- 00:31:04,806
Youngsters watch
and imitate their elders,
237
00:31:04,967 -- 00:31:06,967
just as human toddlers do.
238
00:31:31,134 -- 00:31:32,453
(thumping)
239
00:31:34,134 -- 00:31:37,134
They learn very early
that to do a job properly,
240
00:31:37,295 -- 00:31:39,054
you've gotta have the right tool.
241
00:31:46,137 -- 00:31:47,576
(fly buzzing)
242
00:31:49,778 -- 00:31:52,857
lt takes 8 years to become
a master nutcracker.
243
00:31:56,339 -- 00:31:57,859
(birds squawking)
244
00:32:10,942 -- 00:32:14,342
ln many parts of the world,
you need more than just skill.
245
00:32:14,943 -- 00:32:17,023
You need courage to find food.
246
00:32:17,943 -- 00:32:19,663
(birds squawking)
247
00:32:26,666 -- 00:32:29,946
A couple of weeks ago,
this ibex gave birth to her kids
248
00:32:30,107 -- 00:32:31,505
at the top of this cliff,
249
00:32:31,666 -- 00:32:33,947
out of the reach of predators.
250
00:32:38,108 -- 00:32:39,907
Now they need food and water.
251
00:32:40,669 -- 00:32:42,588
And that is down in the valley.
252
00:32:44,910 -- 00:32:46,829
Getting there is going to be tough.
253
00:33:14,676 -- 00:33:16,156
(pebbles falling down)
254
00:33:21,758 -- 00:33:25,078
(hooves echoing)
255
00:34:11,808 -- 00:34:13,288
(wind gusting)
256
00:34:16,169 -- 00:34:17,249
(birds squawking)
257
00:34:30,493 -- 00:34:33,212
Trailing behind,
this little one is almost down,
258
00:34:34,534 -- 00:34:36,853
when she runs right into trouble.
259
00:34:38,775 -- 00:34:40,454
(dramatic music)
260
00:34:44,336 -- 00:34:48,216
The kid has never seen a fox before
but she knows she must run for her life.
261
00:35:02,620 -- 00:35:05,699
One wrong turn, one hesitation
262
00:35:05,860 -- 00:35:08,140
and the ibex's short life will be over.
263
00:35:40,468 -- 00:35:41,547
The kid has the good sense
264
00:35:41,708 -- 00:35:44,507
to make for a place
where only an ibex could stand.
265
00:36:03,513 -- 00:36:05,552
(soft music)
266
00:36:44,562 -- 00:36:46,882
Today the little kid
made all the right choices...
267
00:36:49,924 -- 00:36:52,243
and the fox goes home hungry.
268
00:37:02,406 -- 00:37:03,965
(birds chirping)
269
00:37:04,727 -- 00:37:07,006
So being a hunter isn't always easy.
270
00:37:07,607 -- 00:37:10,287
You have to be
at the top of your game to survive.
271
00:37:17,929 -- 00:37:19,689
(crunching)
272
00:37:21,610 -- 00:37:22,889
A praying mantis.
273
00:37:23,531 -- 00:37:25,530
Sharp-eyed and lightning quick.
274
00:37:26,251 -- 00:37:27,771
A perfect hunter.
275
00:37:37,173 -- 00:37:40,093
And a cricket, a perfect meal.
276
00:37:45,616 -- 00:37:47,455
(sound effects)
277
00:37:52,337 -- 00:37:54,937
but he's outgunned by something
even more deadly:
278
00:37:55,578 -- 00:37:56,897
a chameleon.
279
00:37:57,538 -- 00:38:00,337
She can camouflage her skin
to melt into the background.
280
00:38:04,339 -- 00:38:07,659
She can move her eyes independently
to lock on to her target.
281
00:38:10,460 -- 00:38:12,340
Her tongue is a guided missile,
282
00:38:13,302 -- 00:38:16,541
striking her victims at 50 feet a second.
283
00:38:18,822 -- 00:38:21,342
And it comes totally out of the blue.
284
00:38:40,947 -- 00:38:42,227
Delicious.
285
00:38:45,748 -- 00:38:49,148
You don't have to work alone.
You can be part of a team.
286
00:38:50,470 -- 00:38:53,869
Get it right and it can totally
change your life.
287
00:38:59,751 -- 00:39:02,151
ln this corner of Africa,
things are changing.
288
00:39:03,393 -- 00:39:04,752
Fast.
289
00:39:09,593 -- 00:39:11,633
(birds squawking)
290
00:39:16,435 -- 00:39:18,555
(soft music)
291
00:39:21,236 -- 00:39:22,596
Cheetahs hunt alone.
292
00:39:23,316 -- 00:39:24,436
They're very fast,
293
00:39:24,597 -- 00:39:27,397
but not strong enough
to take down a big animal.
294
00:39:29,318 -- 00:39:30,678
And the zebra know it.
295
00:39:34,079 -- 00:39:35,678
but this cheetah is different.
296
00:39:36,599 -- 00:39:37,959
He doesn't hunt alone.
297
00:39:53,203 -- 00:39:55,963
He's joined forces with not just 1,
298
00:39:56,124 -- 00:39:57,763
but his 2 brothers.
299
00:40:05,886 -- 00:40:07,166
As fast as ever,
300
00:40:08,286 -- 00:40:10,126
and now 3 times as strong.
301
00:40:12,928 -- 00:40:15,287
They're turning their sights
on much bigger prey.
302
00:40:20,769 -- 00:40:22,448
(distant zebra crying)
303
00:40:33,172 -- 00:40:36,811
An ostrich knows a lone cheetah
is too small and weak to worry about.
304
00:40:44,215 -- 00:40:46,413
but these brothers have changed the rules.
305
00:40:49,016 -- 00:40:50,935
(dramatic music)
306
00:41:01,138 -- 00:41:02,698
(ostrich squawking)
307
00:41:09,020 -- 00:41:11,979
The female is slow to react
and the cheetahs switch target.
308
00:41:21,903 -- 00:41:23,302
(squawking)
309
00:41:28,384 -- 00:41:30,144
(groaning)
310
00:41:40,307 -- 00:41:42,226
(cheetahs panting)
311
00:41:45,908 -- 00:41:49,508
These brothers have figured out
how successful a team can be.
312
00:42:12,634 -- 00:42:14,713
Strange circular scars on the sea floor
313
00:42:14,875 -- 00:42:17,834
are the mark of a spectacularly
successful team.
314
00:42:18,515 -- 00:42:21,995
Cunning, coordinated and creative.
315
00:42:29,637 -- 00:42:31,236
These dolphins have worked out
316
00:42:31,398 -- 00:42:34,478
that fish out of water
are much easier to catch.
317
00:42:37,679 -- 00:42:39,318
(puffing)
318
00:42:46,961 -- 00:42:48,561
by beating her tail down hard,
319
00:42:48,722 -- 00:42:51,561
this bottlenose dolphin
stirs up the seabed.
320
00:42:54,963 -- 00:42:56,563
And by swimming in a circle,
321
00:42:56,724 -- 00:43:00,403
she creates a ring of mushrooming mud
around a shoal of fish.
322
00:43:01,604 -- 00:43:04,044
A fishing net... made of mud.
323
00:43:08,646 -- 00:43:11,845
As the net pulls tighter and tighter,
the fish are trapped,
324
00:43:12,487 -- 00:43:13,846
till there's only one way out...
325
00:43:15,488 -- 00:43:18,687
straight into the mouths
of the waiting dolphins.
326
00:43:22,209 -- 00:43:24,129
(classical music)
327
00:44:26,063 -- 00:44:27,982
(birds chirping)
328
00:44:28,143 -- 00:44:32,663
What can you do if you're a hunter
that doesn't move, can't move?
329
00:44:33,265 -- 00:44:36,504
There's only one option:
lure your victim in.
330
00:44:38,506 -- 00:44:39,865
(fly buzzing)
331
00:44:42,307 -- 00:44:44,866
The Venus flytrap does just that:
332
00:44:45,587 -- 00:44:47,147
making itself irresistible,
333
00:44:47,307 -- 00:44:51,108
oozing sugary nectar
around the brim of each leaf.
334
00:44:51,789 -- 00:44:54,148
bait for hungry visitors.
335
00:45:02,151 -- 00:45:04,110
The triggers, fine hairs,
336
00:45:04,271 -- 00:45:07,590
which only work when 2 of them
are touched within 20 seconds.
337
00:45:12,273 -- 00:45:13,232
(metallic clanging)
One...
338
00:45:13,393 -- 00:45:14,993
(clock ticking)
339
00:45:32,918 -- 00:45:33,997
(metallic clanging)
...two.
340
00:45:36,519 -- 00:45:38,278
(buzzing)
(dramatic music)
341
00:45:50,001 -- 00:45:52,720
(fly squirming)
342
00:46:01,484 -- 00:46:03,684
Once the plant has digested the fly,
343
00:46:03,844 -- 00:46:06,484
the trap reopens and resets itself,
344
00:46:07,205 -- 00:46:08,485
ready for its next meal.
345
00:46:11,446 -- 00:46:13,205
lt works brilliantly, except...
346
00:46:13,967 -- 00:46:15,926
if it eats all the visiting flies,
347
00:46:16,087 -- 00:46:18,327
there'll be nobody left
to pollinate its flowers.
348
00:46:18,927 -- 00:46:20,687
No baby flytraps next year.
349
00:46:24,209 -- 00:46:27,328
So it sends up its flowers on stems
a foot long,
350
00:46:27,970 -- 00:46:29,689
well away from the traps below.
351
00:46:31,410 -- 00:46:33,650
(birds chirping)
352
00:46:38,092 -- 00:46:41,211
Up here, flies can safely graze
on nectar.
353
00:46:41,373 -- 00:46:43,732
ln return, they fertilize the flowers.
354
00:46:54,816 -- 00:46:55,974
(buzzing)
355
00:46:57,576 -- 00:47:00,136
Down below, business as usual.
356
00:47:17,540 -- 00:47:20,420
When it comes to the truly ruthless
pursuit of prey...
357
00:47:21,301 -- 00:47:23,341
there is one hunter
you don't want to meet.
358
00:47:27,623 -- 00:47:30,222
The Komodo dragon,
the biggest lizard on the planet.
359
00:47:30,823 -- 00:47:33,103
10-feet long and weighing 300 pounds.
360
00:47:38,665 -- 00:47:40,184
lt's the height of the dry season.
361
00:47:42,465 -- 00:47:44,185
Perfect times for a dragon.
362
00:47:46,186 -- 00:47:48,627
(insects buzzing)
(growling)
363
00:47:49,988 -- 00:47:54,027
ln the pitiless heat, buffalo concentrate
at the shrinking waterholes.
364
00:48:35,477 -- 00:48:37,597
The dragon is wary of getting too close.
365
00:48:43,439 -- 00:48:44,959
A jab from those horns,
366
00:48:45,120 -- 00:48:48,280
even a kick from those legs
could badly injure him.
367
00:48:54,162 -- 00:48:57,001
He knows all he needs is just one bite.
368
00:49:05,804 -- 00:49:06,883
lt's just a nip,
369
00:49:07,044 -- 00:49:10,925
a flesh wound,
but it alerts the other dragons close-by.
370
00:49:11,805 -- 00:49:14,645
Like sharks,
they're attracted by blood.
371
00:49:19,287 -- 00:49:21,047
(grunting)
372
00:49:33,570 -- 00:49:38,290
They gather round and watch
the buffalo's every move... for days.
373
00:49:45,973 -- 00:49:47,532
The wound doesn't heal.
374
00:49:48,494 -- 00:49:50,973
This is the Komodo dragon's
secret weapon.
375
00:49:51,734 -- 00:49:55,774
lts bite injected a poisonous cocktail
of bacteria and venom.
376
00:50:00,256 -- 00:50:03,936
As days turn into weeks,
the buffalo weakens.
377
00:50:09,018 -- 00:50:10,257
And the dragons wait.
378
00:50:11,539 -- 00:50:12,978
That's all they have to do.
379
00:50:14,419 -- 00:50:16,098
Just bear the hunger, watch,
380
00:50:16,259 -- 00:50:18,819
and wait for the poison to take effect.
381
00:50:24,781 -- 00:50:26,260
(snorting)
382
00:50:44,066 -- 00:50:46,745
(groaning)
383
00:51:17,513 -- 00:51:19,313
The buffalo died in the night.
384
00:51:26,675 -- 00:51:28,474
(flies buzzing)
385
00:51:32,356 -- 00:51:34,956
The dragons can eat almost
their own body weight in one meal.
386
00:51:35,917 -- 00:51:38,917
They strip the buffalo to the bone
in under 3 hours.
387
00:51:42,238 -- 00:51:43,318
Hunters.
388
00:51:43,478 -- 00:51:46,598
Resourceful, imaginative, determined.
389
00:51:47,720 -- 00:51:49,639
They seem to hold all the aces.
390
00:51:55,802 -- 00:51:58,961
So what can you do
if you're the one being hunted?
391
00:52:04,563 -- 00:52:06,603
beneath this tree lives a tiny creature
called a sengi.
392
00:52:07,483 -- 00:52:08,683
And she has a plan.
393
00:52:11,725 -- 00:52:13,924
One needing speed, agility,
394
00:52:15,006 -- 00:52:16,525
and a very good memory.
395
00:52:17,606 -- 00:52:20,766
She's cleared an intricate network of trails
all around her territory.
396
00:52:22,687 -- 00:52:25,567
And she's memorized
every twist and turn of this maze.
397
00:52:30,528 -- 00:52:31,848
And here's why.
398
00:52:42,051 -- 00:52:44,771
(dramatic music)
399
00:52:47,373 -- 00:52:50,533
The monitor lizard is very fast
in short bursts.
400
00:52:51,894 -- 00:52:54,413
but she's the one with the agility
to take the tight corners.
401
00:52:58,415 -- 00:53:00,255
(dramatic music)
402
00:53:12,618 -- 00:53:14,897
And she makes the most
of home advantage.
403
00:53:36,423 -- 00:53:38,823
She's not only outrun the lizard,
404
00:53:38,983 -- 00:53:40,223
she's outwitted him.
405
00:53:47,866 -- 00:53:50,265
(insects buzzing)
406
00:53:56,068 -- 00:53:58,907
Home safe,
in time to suckle her baby.
407
00:54:00,268 -- 00:54:02,748
Her escape plan
has kept them both alive.
408
00:54:23,954 -- 00:54:26,593
For every hunter
who thinks he's invincible,
409
00:54:26,754 -- 00:54:29,234
there's an escape artist
to gladden your heart.
410
00:54:36,717 -- 00:54:38,836
(soft music)
411
00:54:45,759 -- 00:54:47,678
Meet the pebble toad.
412
00:54:54,920 -- 00:54:59,120
And his sworn enemy,
the toad-eating tarantula.
413
00:55:12,245 -- 00:55:13,884
The pebble toad has no armour.
414
00:55:14,565 -- 00:55:16,164
He crawls very slowly...
415
00:55:20,326 -- 00:55:22,246
and hopping is quite beyond him.
416
00:55:29,168 -- 00:55:30,247
On the face of it,
417
00:55:30,408 -- 00:55:31,767
no contest.
418
00:55:33,969 -- 00:55:34,888
(gulping)
419
00:55:36,409 -- 00:55:38,569
but he's not called a pebble toad
for nothing.
420
00:55:40,530 -- 00:55:42,169
(dramatic music)
421
00:55:49,852 -- 00:55:51,211
He rolls like a pebble
422
00:55:51,372 -- 00:55:53,533
and he bounces like a pebble...
423
00:55:57,614 -- 00:55:59,053
right out of danger.
424
00:56:23,020 -- 00:56:24,939
(birds chirping)
425
00:56:50,225 -- 00:56:52,105
Now meet the Jesus Christ lizard.
426
00:56:52,986 -- 00:56:54,225
He may look relaxed,
427
00:56:54,386 -- 00:56:57,186
but he's actually about to do
something quite miraculous.
428
00:56:57,347 -- 00:56:58,667
(squawking)
429
00:56:59,427 -- 00:57:01,627
That hunter's too close.
Time to go.
430
00:57:01,788 -- 00:57:04,028
(rhythmic music)
431
00:57:08,229 -- 00:57:10,429
(soft music)
432
00:57:35,755 -- 00:57:39,315
We'd have to run at more
than 65 miles an hour to do this.
433
00:57:42,877 -- 00:57:46,717
He's got a talent for walking on water
and a name to match.
434
00:57:58,000 -- 00:58:00,040
(joyful music)
435
00:58:03,002 -- 00:58:06,042
There are places
where there's simply nowhere to run.
436
00:58:06,882 -- 00:58:09,522
Then your best chance
is to hide in a crowd.
437
00:58:19,885 -- 00:58:22,885
Each individual fish joins the shoal
to save its own skin,
438
00:58:23,926 -- 00:58:25,886
but the synchronized flash of silver
439
00:58:26,406 -- 00:58:28,926
makes it hard for the hunter
to pick out a victim.
440
00:58:33,288 -- 00:58:34,808
(joyful music)
441
00:58:40,570 -- 00:58:41,809
(squawking)
442
00:58:41,970 -- 00:58:44,450
Unfortunately,
a crowd attracts attention.
443
00:58:55,413 -- 00:58:58,973
And the fish find themselves
at the centre of a feeding frenzy.
444
00:59:00,734 -- 00:59:02,573
(dramatic music)
445
00:59:31,501 -- 00:59:34,221
A shoal reduced to a few survivors,
446
00:59:35,022 -- 00:59:38,421
this time by calm,
surgical precision.
447
00:59:41,063 -- 00:59:43,622
Sailfish combine speed
with skilful swordplay
448
00:59:43,783 -- 00:59:45,863
to pick off one fish after another.
449
00:59:55,586 -- 00:59:57,345
So is there anywhere to escape?
450
01:00:01,147 -- 01:00:02,867
(epic music)
451
01:00:15,950 -- 01:00:18,150
Fish... that fly.
452
01:00:38,915 -- 01:00:43,516
Escaping the clutches of a hunter
is not just about self-preservation.
453
01:00:44,197 -- 01:00:46,236
Often there is even more at stake.
454
01:00:49,798 -- 01:00:51,357
(dramatic music)
455
01:00:52,159 -- 01:00:55,158
Red-billed tropicbirds coming home
from a fishing trip.
456
01:00:55,319 -- 01:00:56,919
(squawking)
457
01:00:57,080 -- 01:00:59,479
Frigate birds patrolling offshore.
458
01:01:00,801 -- 01:01:01,760
Waiting.
459
01:01:24,325 -- 01:01:27,645
They don't want to kill him;
they want to steal his fish.
460
01:01:28,647 -- 01:01:30,366
lt's easier than catching their own.
461
01:01:41,289 -- 01:01:42,489
Another ambush.
462
01:01:48,970 -- 01:01:50,530
(squawking)
463
01:02:00,493 -- 01:02:01,773
There goes the fish.
464
01:02:04,734 -- 01:02:06,334
Another victory for the robbers.
465
01:02:08,976 -- 01:02:12,295
lt's nesting time here in Tobago
and this chick is hungry.
466
01:02:14,457 -- 01:02:16,736
lts father has yet
to battle his way through.
467
01:02:18,298 -- 01:02:19,976
(dramatic music)
468
01:02:26,299 -- 01:02:30,219
Frigate birds are faster,
but tropicbirds are quicker on the turn.
469
01:02:34,741 -- 01:02:36,580
(squawking)
470
01:03:08,388 -- 01:03:09,708
(chirping)
471
01:03:20,951 -- 01:03:23,510
He didn't fight off his attackers
to feed himself.
472
01:03:23,672 -- 01:03:25,591
He did it for his chick.
(chirping)
473
01:03:37,194 -- 01:03:40,595
because nothing is more important to him
than family.
474
01:03:45,797 -- 01:03:47,636
lt's tempting to think
that the story of life
475
01:03:47,797 -- 01:03:50,556
is just about survival,
staying alive,
476
01:03:51,558 -- 01:03:54,998
but living here is an animal
who turns that idea on its head
477
01:03:55,158 -- 01:03:58,118
because in life,
there is one greater purpose,
478
01:03:58,279 -- 01:03:59,838
one greater goal.
479
01:04:05,681 -- 01:04:07,560
(breathing)
480
01:04:29,006 -- 01:04:31,645
This giant octopus is looking
for a new home.
481
01:04:39,248 -- 01:04:41,167
(breathing)
482
01:04:48,370 -- 01:04:50,049
lt has to be just right.
483
01:04:50,210 -- 01:04:52,489
She's planning on raising a family,
484
01:04:52,651 -- 01:04:54,931
and living there
for the rest of her life.
485
01:05:14,816 -- 01:05:16,295
(breathing)
486
01:05:23,738 -- 01:05:27,938
These translucent curtains of eggs
are her first brood.
487
01:05:28,699 -- 01:05:30,138
Her only brood.
488
01:05:31,020 -- 01:05:34,460
A giant octopus has only one chance
to be a mother.
489
01:05:47,623 -- 01:05:49,302
For 6 long months,
490
01:05:49,463 -- 01:05:52,343
she dare not leave her eggs
unprotected for a moment.
491
01:05:52,944 -- 01:05:54,223
Not even to feed.
492
01:05:57,465 -- 01:05:59,625
She's prepared to starve herself
to death...
493
01:06:01,186 -- 01:06:02,505
for the sake of her young.
494
01:06:04,907 -- 01:06:06,466
(soft music)
495
01:06:10,588 -- 01:06:14,228
She softly blows water over her eggs
to encourage them to hatch.
496
01:06:29,712 -- 01:06:31,112
As her life ebbs away,
497
01:06:32,473 -- 01:06:34,793
she sees her babies
born into the world.
498
01:06:49,357 -- 01:06:51,116
They mean so much to her
499
01:06:52,077 -- 01:06:53,597
she's willing to die for them.
500
01:06:57,118 -- 01:07:01,959
but she lives on, in her children
and in the generations to come.
501
01:07:05,680 -- 01:07:07,600
(birds chirping)
502
01:07:10,241 -- 01:07:12,201
(soft music)
503
01:07:13,082 -- 01:07:15,481
To raise that next generation,
we all dream
504
01:07:15,642 -- 01:07:19,522
of finding the perfect partner,
the love of our life.
505
01:07:34,327 -- 01:07:35,806
lt's why, every spring,
506
01:07:35,967 -- 01:07:38,847
these beautiful birds fly north
to find each other again
507
01:07:39,008 -- 01:07:41,047
after a long, lonely winter apart.
508
01:07:46,809 -- 01:07:48,208
To celebrate their reunion,
509
01:07:48,369 -- 01:07:50,849
the male gives her
the most romantic gift he can.
510
01:07:52,050 -- 01:07:53,130
A fish.
511
01:08:15,616 -- 01:08:18,855
but the female still wants to test
her partner's true commitment,
512
01:08:19,617 -- 01:08:23,936
so she invites him
to join her in a dance.
513
01:08:26,178 -- 01:08:28,057
(soft music)
514
01:09:27,031 -- 01:09:28,871
(splashing)
515
01:09:41,874 -- 01:09:43,593
(birds chirping)
516
01:09:59,678 -- 01:10:03,278
This stag beetle is in search
of his perfect mate,
517
01:10:04,119 -- 01:10:06,839
and he thinks he's going to find her
at the top of this tree.
518
01:10:11,801 -- 01:10:14,600
And sure enough here she is, waiting.
519
01:10:15,321 -- 01:10:17,121
but the love life of a beetle
520
01:10:18,322 -- 01:10:19,961
is never that simple.
521
01:10:23,923 -- 01:10:26,923
Those aren't horns on his head.
They're jaws.
522
01:10:31,005 -- 01:10:34,445
The male Darwin's beetle has
some of the biggest jaws in nature...
523
01:10:37,086 -- 01:10:38,526
for fighting rivals.
524
01:10:40,807 -- 01:10:42,606
(squeaking)
525
01:10:50,569 -- 01:10:53,089
The bigger the jaws,
the better the fighter.
526
01:11:32,138 -- 01:11:33,818
Just as well that armour's tough.
527
01:11:36,299 -- 01:11:37,698
(amusing music)
528
01:11:40,180 -- 01:11:41,660
A second rival.
529
01:11:54,623 -- 01:11:55,663
And another.
530
01:11:59,024 -- 01:12:00,304
One more.
531
01:12:03,385 -- 01:12:04,904
And yet another.
532
01:12:11,347 -- 01:12:13,026
Here she is at last.
533
01:12:22,429 -- 01:12:25,589
After all he's been through,
she doesn't seem that impressed.
534
01:12:26,430 -- 01:12:28,469
(amusing music)
535
01:13:00,277 -- 01:13:04,238
Unfortunately for her,
the hurling habit dies hard.
536
01:13:12,440 -- 01:13:13,800
(squeaking)
537
01:13:14,960 -- 01:13:18,960
When it comes to winning a mate,
males may think they call the shots,
538
01:13:20,562 -- 01:13:23,642
but often it's the females
that do the choosing.
539
01:13:33,245 -- 01:13:35,645
This is a female humpback whale
540
01:13:36,365 -- 01:13:37,885
and she's ready to mate.
541
01:14:13,173 -- 01:14:17,133
As well as making a scene,
she's releasing her scent into the water,
542
01:14:19,695 -- 01:14:22,015
attracting males from far and wide.
543
01:14:22,175 -- 01:14:41,419
(whale singing)
544
01:14:45,140 -- 01:14:48,341
but the minute they turn up,
she swims away,
545
01:14:48,502 -- 01:14:50,741
enticing her suitors to chase her.
546
01:14:53,782 -- 01:14:56,422
They challenge for the one position
that counts:
547
01:14:56,583 -- 01:14:58,503
to swim right behind her.
548
01:14:59,544 -- 01:15:01,623
They're doing exactly what she wants.
549
01:15:01,784 -- 01:15:03,223
She wants them to fight.
550
01:15:03,384 -- 01:15:05,024
(whales singing)
551
01:15:07,185 -- 01:15:09,145
(epic music)
552
01:15:40,753 -- 01:15:43,233
40-ton males lash out
at each other.
553
01:15:47,274 -- 01:15:48,633
lt's an epic battle
554
01:15:49,355 -- 01:15:51,314
where there can only be one winner.
555
01:15:58,437 -- 01:16:00,115
(dramatic music)
556
01:16:06,799 -- 01:16:10,198
Only when the female is sure
that the strongest male has won
557
01:16:10,359 -- 01:16:13,799
will she allow him to take his place
at her side to be her mate.
558
01:16:17,721 -- 01:16:19,441
(whales singing)
559
01:16:55,249 -- 01:16:56,848
(whale singing)
560
01:17:00,130 -- 01:17:01,810
A year later,
561
01:17:01,971 -- 01:17:06,090
she comes back to Tonga
with her perfect newborn calf.
562
01:17:16,494 -- 01:17:20,013
Her whole story,
her whole life
563
01:17:20,175 -- 01:17:22,334
has brought her
to this moment.
564
01:17:27,096 -- 01:17:30,216
Every living thing on our planet
shares the same desire:
565
01:17:31,377 -- 01:17:32,736
not just to live,
566
01:17:33,658 -- 01:17:35,137
but to foster new life.
567
01:17:41,739 -- 01:17:43,259
And we're no different.
568
01:17:43,419 -- 01:17:45,419
(soft music)
569
01:17:48,061 -- 01:17:50,100
We see so much of us in them...
570
01:17:51,381 -- 01:17:52,500
and them in us.
571
01:17:56,222 -- 01:17:58,702
Whether it's intelligence
or ingenuity...
572
01:18:10,546 -- 01:18:13,545
...strength, grace
or determination.
573
01:18:19,107 -- 01:18:20,427
Courage...
574
01:18:24,068 -- 01:18:25,387
even love.
575
01:18:33,630 -- 01:18:34,950
Their lives...
576
01:18:36,511 -- 01:18:37,790
our lives...
577
01:18:38,392 -- 01:18:40,711
all life on Earth will be richer
578
01:18:40,872 -- 01:18:43,911
if we choose to remember
everything we have in common.
579
01:18:46,634 -- 01:18:48,113
To remember
580
01:18:48,794 -- 01:18:50,313
we share one planet...
581
01:18:51,594 -- 01:18:53,154
one future.