Nature's Deadliest Animal Showdowns | 1 Hour | BBC Earth

0:06 The struggle to survive in our green seas can have farreaching consequences.

0:14 Once a year, one particular meadow in Australia is transformed.

0:27 Around the first full moon of winter, an army materializes.

0:36 Spider crabs.

0:46 For the past year, they'd been feeding in deeper waters.

1:00 Now they march across the seaggrass plains.

1:22 Hundreds of thousands of them.

1:33 They clamber over one another.

1:42 creating great mounds, nearly 100 m long.

1:56 They're not seeking mates, neither are they laying eggs.

2:01 They have come here in order to grow.

2:08 Like all crabs, their bodies are enclosed in a hard, unexpandable shell.

2:16 So to grow, they have to break out of it.

2:29 And that allows the soft one that has developed beneath to expand.

2:43 It will take days for the new shell to harden.

2:58 Its legs are so limp that they won't work properly.

3:06 The crab is unprotected and in great danger.

3:19 a smooth stingray.

3:24 It's huge, about 4 m long.

3:30 It wants a soft, freshly molted crab that will be easier to eat.

3:56 The crabs try to stick together, but now disturbed by the gray.

4:10 They're scattering.

4:17 A newly molted crab is too weak to keep up with the crowd.

4:37 The safest place is right in the middle of the pile.

4:42 That is why they have all assembled here.

4:54 There is safety in numbers.

5:12 But the vast majority of the crabs escape, and within the next few days,

5:18 they will be ready to return to the depths

5:20 and resume their lonely wanderings in search of food.

5:37 This is no graveyard, but the triumph of a 100,000 crabs successfully molted.

5:58 It's July in the deserts of Nevada in the western United States,

6:05 the hottest time of the year.

6:21 Bands of wild horses, Mustang,

6:23 are converging on one of the last remaining water holes around.

6:33 Now, water not only offers them the chance to drink, it can also bring power.

6:42 If a stallion can control access to water,

6:46 he will have secured mating rights to the entire herd.

6:51 So stallions try to dominate these pools,

6:54 fighting off rivals who venture too close.

7:09 A stranger He's traveled 15 kilometers to be here because

7:16 the pools where he's come from have already dried up.

7:22 With him come his females.

7:27 If he can't provide them with water,

7:29 they will leave him for the white stallion who already dominates this pool.

7:44 So he will have to fight.

8:05 Fire.

8:29 Ah.

8:47 There is everything to lose.

8:50 A broken leg or a shattered jaw would mean a slow and painful death.

9:16 A missed kick and it's all over.

9:21 The new arrival has won.

9:26 And his prize is more than just a chance to drink.

9:30 He has provided for his herd and in the process stolen his rival females.

9:37 The white stallion's rule is over.

9:45 The Nile crocodile, a creature older than Africa itself,

9:50 its hunting skills honed over 200 million years.

10:05 Using extreme stealth, the crocodile needs to get within a meter of its prey.

10:17 Desperate to drink, the buffalo seemed blind to the danger.

10:33 There's another Just too much for a croc out of water.

11:20 But there'll be another chance.

11:25 The differences are only in the animals themselves,

11:28 their strategies, and their settings.

11:31 In the sky, there's no place for a stalking predator to hide.

11:41 So for the element of surprise, the peragan falcon has to resort to sheer speed.

11:50 In a dive, it's the fastest bird in the world.

11:53 So fast, it's breathtaking.

12:01 It stalks by flying high and relying on eyes that are as good as telescopes.

12:08 The fat, slow-looking pigeon might seem to be doomed,

12:12 but it evolved as peragins evolved and is equipped to watch for them.

12:17 Eyes on the side of its head enable the pigeon

12:20 to forage for seed and scan the sky at the same time.

12:28 It spies the paragrin and once it's in the air, it becomes a racer.

12:50 The paragin.

12:52 Lightness, streamlining, speed.

12:58 The pigeon.

12:59 Strength, endurance, enough speed, and a head start.

13:10 The Paragan is more maneuverable.

13:14 The Pigeon has a wider field of vision,

13:16 though, and plenty of maneuvers of its own.

13:23 It's also flying for its life.

13:30 This time, the pigeon outflies its pursuer.

13:41 This paragrin is still young and just

13:43 learning that speed by itself isn't always enough.

13:49 It must raise its game.

13:51 For sea lions to venture into deep water here is very dangerous indeed.

13:55 It's much safer to stay in the shallows if they can.

14:28 In one or two places,

14:30 channels enable the whales to get really close to the beach.

14:33 Those are the danger spots.

15:04 To get off the beach, the killer has to thrash its body.

15:13 No other whale deliberately beaches itself in this way

15:16 or has perfected this method of getting back to the sea.

15:36 As long as the sea lions stay well up the beach,

15:39 you might think they would be safe.

15:41 But the hungry whales are very daring.

15:58 Now, several of the whales are hunting in a group.

16:23 That sea lion was keeping just ahead of one of the whales,

16:26 but was caught by another it probably hadn't seen.

17:08 Heat.

17:08 Heat.

17:36 This savage beating may be to separate hide from flesh.

17:45 The Maru River marks the edge of the Ridge Pride's territory.

17:49 Right now, it looks peaceful enough, but believe me, it can be a death trap.

18:18 I can't remember the last time I saw something like this.

18:21 Lions hardly ever attack crocodiles.

18:23 In fact, normally they give each other a wide birth.

18:59 with these.

19:00 lions almost anything can happen.

19:02 The message is don't mess with the ridge pride.

19:10 Donkeys have been bred to be dosile and they have no instinct of how to escape.

20:10 No animal has a concept of restraint.

20:14 Predators least of all.

20:50 These last 45 minutes could be their undoing

20:53 and it puts Flip in a really awkward position.

20:58 He doesn't want the cubs killed, but keeps to his promise to inform the village.

21:06 These two young lions are very important to to your conservancy.

21:12 But if these lions kill any of your livestock,

21:17 you know, you can shoot them if they cause problems.

21:25 And it is not for me to say or ask for you not to shoot them.

21:30 That's your decision.

21:31 And all I'm saying to you is before people shoot them,

21:35 if they kill livestock, you've got to think very carefully.

21:38 Those two lions were born here.

21:40 They are used to this area and that's very valuable.

22:00 To see a tiger hunting bore is extremely rare.

22:05 To capture it on camera is virtually impossible.

22:25 But Bagani takes me by surprise.

22:43 I'm worried.

22:45 She's taking a terrible risk.

22:54 But as I watch, I see a new bagi, a changed tiger.

22:59 This one is the master hunter I knew at Rantambo.

23:08 She carefully moves her tail round the grass stems to ensure she makes no noise.

24:25 Hm.

25:00 Surely nothing can stop her now.

25:15 The fact that Beagani leaves her kill shows her confidence.

25:20 There is no one who would dare take it.

25:25 This really is her territory now.

25:36 If undisturbed, wilderbeast can drink 8 lers in a single session.

25:57 As his confidence builds, he is oblivious to what lurks beneath the surface.

26:16 The herd is bewildered.

26:18 Some have never seen a crocodile before.

26:29 Even as the full horror unfurs,

26:32 there is great confusion about just what is going on.

26:46 And that was just the first attack.

26:57 300 hungry crocodiles live in the Gmeti River.

27:11 Wilderbeast react differently to crocodiles and other predators.

27:17 Even the adults seem unsure of just how much danger they're in.

27:23 The cast's desire to quench his thirst overcomes any fear he may have.

27:41 The crocodiles maneuver around them with surprising ease.

27:46 They are intelligent hunters plotting their attack with precision.

28:03 A strike can happen at any time.

28:27 Despite the carnage, the mother and calf survive.

28:30 They stampede back onto the plains.

28:42 For the baboons, it's more like a spectator sport.

28:47 They might as well settle down.

28:50 A single croc can take some time to overpower its victim.

29:03 But crocodiles are cooperative feeders.

29:07 They work together.

29:14 The death roll breaks the prey into bite-sized chunks,

29:19 but aggression can spill over.

29:26 Wolves.

29:28 These in northern Canada are the largest and most powerful in the world,

29:32 and they are setting out to hunt.

29:38 The pack is 25 strong, a sign that the prey they're seeking is formidable.

29:53 These bison are even bigger than their southern

29:55 cousins and the largest land animals in North America.

30:00 For generations, wolves and bison here have

30:03 been shaped by their battles with each other,

30:06 making each the most impressive of its kind.

30:11 The bison will not stay long among the trees.

30:14 They're not safe here.

30:22 The wolves are closing in, but their chance

30:25 of ambushing the bison in the woods has passed.

30:28 Their prey are now in the open and grouped together for safety.

30:35 The wolves will need to work as a team if they're to make a kill.

30:43 They circle the herd, trying to unsettle it and split it up.

30:47 But the bison are armed and dangerous.

30:49 They will be safe as long as they stick together.

30:58 The wolves up their game, harrying the herd,

31:01 a ploy to trigger a stampede and split away one of the smaller ones.

31:08 The bison form a defensive circle around their young, horns pointing outwards.

31:19 The wolves need a bison to break rank.

31:28 But the tables are turning and now the wolves have to retreat.

31:35 The pack focus their attention on the rear

31:38 of the herd and the bison begin to panic.

32:16 A young bison falls behind.

32:24 Even this yearling dwarfs the wolves.

32:35 Running head down the herd's only thought is escape.

32:43 A stroke of luck for the wolves.

32:59 The kill will feed the pack for several days,

33:03 but then they will have to resume the chase.

33:06 At the frozen ends of our planet, the struggle for survival never eases.

33:16 Little fish try to hide amidst the undulating swell of the ocean.

33:20 The only cover there is.

33:29 It's a game of hideand seek played out amongst the waves.

33:37 Their cover blown.

33:41 Escape seems impossible.

33:52 But these particular fish have a unique ability.

34:10 They are flying fish.

34:34 With an extra thrust from their tails, the flying fish get airborne once more.

34:48 With a good wind, they can glide for hundreds of meters.

35:09 But this is just what the frigot birds have been waiting for.

35:17 When frigots join the hunt,

35:19 the flying fish are literally caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

35:47 If the flying fish get too much lift, they become easy prey for the frigots.

36:07 If they dive to evade attack from above,

36:14 they could fall into the mouths of the Dorado.

36:55 Food is so hard to find this far north that a wolf

36:58 pack must search hundreds of square kilometers if it's to be successful.

37:04 And success means raising the next generation.

37:13 To do that here, the wolves must work together.

37:20 So the young are raised not only by their parents

37:24 but by their aunts and uncles as well.

37:27 Together they try to ensure that each pup

37:34 reaches near adult size before the snow returns.

37:42 A growing pup needs more than just a few levers.

37:47 The wolves need bigger prey and to catch that they must hunt as a pack.

37:56 Woo!

38:17 Adult hairs may be easy to spot, but they're far from easy to catch.

38:24 They run at 60 kilometers an hour.

38:32 To catch one, the wolves work as a team.

39:18 One of them gets close enough to bite the hair's tail.

39:21 tail.

39:25 But a hair can change direction in an instant.

39:37 If it can continue to sidestep and it may ultimately outlast them.

39:56 Finally, it gets away.

40:11 For the next hair, the whole pack gives chase.

40:30 Now numbers count.

40:34 The lead wolves keep up the pace.

40:36 Others run on either side so the hair can't change direction.

40:48 A tiny meal for a whole pack.

40:52 Kenya, famous for its big cats.

40:56 The supreme hunters.

41:10 Cheetahs specialize in hunting at speed.

41:14 Though fast, they're fragile creatures built to sprint after small prey.

41:21 They don't have the strength or weight of a lion to bring down larger animals.

41:28 This male is different.

41:30 He doesn't hunt alone.

41:31 He's learned that there is strength in numbers.

41:48 But here there are not just two but three cheaters.

41:53 A band of brothers.

42:02 They have changed their tactics and by doing

42:04 so have taken their prey by surprise.

42:09 They have learned that working together they can bring down large prey.

42:19 An ostrich, a bird that towers over a cheetah and is more than twice as heavy.

42:26 It can't fly to escape danger, but it can lash out with a deadly kick.

42:33 A female unaware as yet of any danger.

42:43 Even with three of them, this is still highly risky.

42:47 If one gets injured, the other two couldn't hope to tackle such large prey.

43:00 On the other hand, if they get it right, the rewards are huge.

43:13 The male has spotted one of the brothers, but only one.

43:18 It's not too worried.

43:32 Then suddenly there are three.

43:46 The female is slower to realize the danger and the cheaters switch targets.

44:16 It takes the combined effort and weight of all three brothers.

44:20 to bring down this powerful bird.

44:23 Even now, the ostrich could land a fatal kick.

44:34 So far, the brothers are winning.

44:36 Ostriches have yet to find a way to foil such tactics.

44:44 Lions will normally avoid hunting in such heat.

44:50 But they're also opportunists.

45:14 The lions will need to bring him down quickly before they overheat.

45:53 Even away from the herd, a bull is a formidable opponent.

45:59 He could gore and kill a lion.

46:03 Heat.

46:15 Heat.

46:55 close to overheating him.

46:56 They finally succeed in bringing him to the ground.

47:13 But the massive bull is not giving up.

47:28 Against the odds and the full weight of the lions, he regains his feet.

47:41 And it is now that the tables turn.

47:50 The lions are exhausted.

47:53 After a 20inut struggle, only the bull has the energy to finish the fight.

48:21 In such exposed and extreme conditions,

48:25 the challenge for predators and their prey is at its most intense.

48:45 In the Serengeti, youngsters spend years watching

48:48 how old the lionesses tackle large prey.

48:52 However, it looks as though these cubs will

48:54 have to teach themselves through trial and error.

49:24 They begin the stalk like seasoned hunters.

49:28 using the scant cover to conceal themselves

49:39 and they have to be incredibly quiet.

49:42 Orics are spooked by the slightest sound.

50:44 One of the youngsters looks as though it's made a mistake.

50:48 It's broken cover.

50:54 Actually, very cleverly, it's pushing the orics towards the other lion.

51:29 An orx is quite capable of seeing off a lion

51:32 as long as the antelope stands its ground and doesn't run.

51:36 But will the orics keep its nerve?

52:05 Finally, the youngsters lose heart.

52:19 Back in the hive, those bees too young to forage are housekeeping.

52:28 Like the hornet queen, the queen bee has the immeasurable task of laying enough

52:33 eggs to ensure the health and future of the colony.

52:43 The custom of keeping wild Japanese bees is as old as society itself.

52:48 And Yamaguchi has kept bees since boyhood.

52:55 Japanese bees are so sensitive that it

52:58 takes great patience and skill to keep them.

53:02 The art of keeping them lies in understanding their behavior.

53:07 They make honey stores for the winter,

53:10 but they also produce enough for Yamaguchi to harvest.

53:16 Japanese bees may produce less honey than European bees,

53:20 but the taste is very special.

53:26 It's the smell of this growing store of energy richch honey

53:30 which could be their downfall if it draws in a hornet scout.

53:38 But right now, the hornets have other problems to contend with.

53:43 The nest is now monstrous.

53:45 The workers have excavated over a ton of earth.

53:56 There are so many bodies living at close quarters

53:59 that the queen and her dynasty are in danger of overheating.

54:07 So workers create air conditioning.

54:10 Keeping a steady flow of fresh air circulating.

54:17 Being unable to cope with high temperatures is a giant hornet's Achilles heel.

54:26 The warmth of the hornet's nest belies the change in season.

54:36 Seasons change fast up here in the mountains,

54:39 and when autumn arrives, there are far fewer insects around.

54:47 This means my hives are even more vulnerable to attack.

54:53 For me, it's an anxious time.

55:01 In the search for autoutumninal food,

55:04 a scout hornet discovers Yamaguchi's wild bees.

55:15 The honeybees fan an alarm pheromone through the air.

55:19 This alerts the whole hive to the hornet's presence.

55:26 The scout smells the honey within.

55:29 A prize this rich is worth scent marking.

55:40 But unlike the European bees, these Japanese bees do not attack.

55:45 Instead, they lure the scout inside.

55:56 Still the bees hang fire.

56:04 Then one is caught.

56:06 It's the signal the others have been waiting for.

56:19 Surrounded by vibrating bodies,

56:45 the hornet at the core of the bball begins to overheat.

56:50 The bees have the advantage.

56:52 A heat tolerance 2° above that of their enemy.

56:56 At 46° C, the aggressor is roasted alive.

57:14 The wild bees have spent millions of years living with the enemy.

57:18 That's why they alone have developed this extraordinary survival strategy.