Epic Animal Wars | Animal Fight Night S2 & S6 MEGA Episode | Nat Geo Animals

0:01 Narrator: The tropics home to millions of species

0:04 of animals who clash in savage battles of survival.

0:10 But what happens when the tropics' most ruthless turn on each other?

0:21 Animals fight tooth and claw against their own kind

0:25 to win food territory and rights to the bloodline.

0:32 In the wild jungles great oceans and savannas of the tropics there are no rules.

0:40 This is Animal Fight Night.

1:00 An Indian jungle...

1:06 home to the deadly tiger.

1:09 One of the world's biggest cats...

1:16 at 450 pounds he strikes with ten-times the force of a heavyweight boxer.

1:24 He can leap over 30 feet...

1:32 and when it comes to protecting

1:34 their turf tiger-on-tiger clashes bring savage battles.

1:46 On an African game reserve...

1:48 this amarous male has one thing on his mind.

1:54 But adult tigers are solitary...

1:56 living in areas up to 60 square miles.

2:02 His hunt for love has earned him the anger of a ferocious female.

2:18 A tiger can deal an estimated 1,000 pound blow.

2:22 Powerful muscles in their front legs and broad shoulders deliver a force

2:27 stronger than it takes to hit a baseball at 90 miles per hour.

2:35 The tigress fights back fiercely.

2:38 But she could be a future mate so the lover holds back...

2:43 allowing the tigress to land a painful claw-swipe to the paw.

2:55 The male cuts his losses and limps away.

3:03 But the battle isn't over yet.

3:06 The raging skirmish draws another amarous male into this tigers living room.

3:11 A clash is inevitable.

3:14 The "Lover" and the "Young Bruiser" will now

3:19 "Duke it out" over the perfect patch and partner.

3:26 They're matched pound-for-pound...

3:32 which means risking way more than a scratched paw.

3:36 If he wants to win the girl...

3:38 he'll have to risk his life.

3:44 Tigers specialize in ambush and their paws are specially designed to help.

3:57 They can retract their claws into a protective

4:00 glove of skin helping to silence their steps.

4:04 When the tiger wants to attack the tendons that attach

4:07 the claws to the bone extend unleashing 4-inch-long sabers.

4:13 A single swipe can take the face off a human.

4:30 A 10-foot leap.

4:39 On his back the Bruiser looks vulnerable.

4:43 But in this position all his claws are aimed at the Lover.

4:49 The Lover can't get in close enough.

4:52 He jabs with his 4-inch claws and deals a bloody blow.

5:04 But the tigers are tiring.

5:07 Heavy bones and dense muscle mass they're built for short bursts of aggression.

5:18 The old Bruiser is bloodied and looks beat.

5:22 The Lover thinks he's nailed it but the Bruiser's still standing.

5:30 He's got the advantage of youth on his side.

5:35 What the bruiser lacks in experience...

5:37 he makes for with combat stamina; overcoming home advantage.

5:46 A sucker punch turns the fight on its head.

5:52 He goes straight for the jugular.

6:01 His 3-inch canines are the longest of any cat.

6:06 Gaps between the canines and back teeth allow

6:09 him to sink his teeth deep into prey.

6:14 Nerve endings in his teeth are so sensitive that he

6:17 can feel exactly where to bite to sever the spinal cord.

6:24 Delivering up to 1000 pounds of pressure per square inch.

6:30 Unlike a human jaw tiger jaws can only move up and down not side to side.

6:40 So no amount of twisting by the prey slackens the grip.

6:46 Male tigers can kill one another.

6:48 but this time the bruiser just teaches an old cat a lesson.

6:53 "The Lover" is bloodied...

6:55 but still alive.

6:57 "The Bruiser" takes his territory...

7:00 and his pick of the females.

7:04 For his rudeness...

7:05 the older tiger accepts his heavy punishment.

7:14 Big cats aren't the only super-sized fighters prowling the tropical backcountry.

7:31 The same weight as 25 grown men the rhino is the second-largest land-dwelling

7:38 mammal on earth and it has a secret weapon its sense of smell.

7:48 Its odor-detection system is bigger than the rest of its brain put together.

7:55 A rhino can detect the age and sex of another rhino from up to a mile away.

8:02 And when they don't like what they smell...

8:04 it's fight time.

8:11 The old bull is picking up the scent of a young male.

8:19 This Challenger wants to boot him out and take over his turf.

8:26 The old bull weighs up the risks.

8:31 The young Challenger is smaller than him

8:34 but makes up for it with youthful agility.

8:39 Without territory the old bull may never mate again.

8:51 He hurtles at 30 miles per hour toward

8:54 his enemy the same force as a pick-up truck.

8:59 The young Challenger braces for impact dropping

9:02 his head to protect his neck from a skewering.

9:11 The old bull's armed with a 2-foot-long horn.

9:15 Weighing 6 pounds it's made of the protein keratin.

9:21 And because it contains no nerves it can't feel pain only inflict it.

9:28 Mounted on his 800-pound head the force behind a single uppercut can be fatal.

9:40 A crafty hook and he has him where he wants him.

9:47 One thrust could gore the young Challenger's underbelly where

9:51 the skin is half as thick as on his armored back.

10:00 But instead he tosses him more than a foot off the ground with neck

10:05 muscles so strong he can sling the weight of a family car into the air.

10:11 A second leg-lock drives the message home.

10:16 Take on this old timer at your peril.

10:21 But the old bull lets him off the hook.

10:24 This time.

10:27 He's taught the young Challenger a golden rule of engagement:

10:32 Pick on someone your own size.

10:39 Next up a surprising contender in Animal Fight Night.

10:44 This penguin might look cute and cuddly but when it comes to fighting

10:49 over females there's nothing cute about a bloody beak to the face.

11:05 Narrator: This neotropical South American peninsula is

11:09 the go-to vacation destination for the Magellanic penguin.

11:16 This devoted husband has spent all day gathering food for his wife.

11:27 Every September 200,000 penguins flock here to fix up their nests and breed.

11:36 Life here is good...

11:43 but this husband has come home to find his wife with another penguin.

11:50 He flips out.

11:53 His strategy is simple batter the Home wrecker until he flees.

11:59 Most birds have hollow bones in their wings to make them lighter for flight.

12:04 But penguins don't fly their flippers contain solid bone.

12:10 They use them like baseball bats to club

12:12 each other delivering up to 8 blows a second.

12:18 Thick blubber helps protect vital organs from the pummeling.

12:27 Stalemate.

12:31 The love rivals call to the female to let her decide the victor.

12:43 She chooses the Home wrecker.

12:51 The husband stands to lose the mother of his children.

12:55 He follows them home.

12:58 This fight isn't over yet.

13:01 With the Home wrecker hiding in the burrow the only

13:04 way to get to him is with a beak attack.

13:10 Penguins usually use their beaks to gouge

13:13 their burrows now they are gouging out eyes.

13:33 The husband escalates the fight.

13:35 He stands to lose more than his partner an injured

13:39 penguin is a prime target for hungry birds of prey.

13:49 He makes one last plea to the female but she's got no time for losers.

14:01 Defeated and humiliated he's left out in the cold.

14:10 He'll lick his wounds and move on.

14:14 In a colony of nearly a quarter of a million

14:17 there are plenty more fish in the sea.

14:29 Being a fish in the sea comes with its own set of problems.

14:36 In shallow waters this shark is used

14:38 to taking his pick when it comes to lunch...

14:45 but an octopus shows who's boss.

14:49 6-foot-long arms and over 2,000 suckers lock

14:53 the shark down slowly strangling it to death.

15:02 But when octopuses fight each other arms don't cut it.

15:07 They fight dirty and face being eaten by their own kind.

15:15 The balmy waters of Myanmar.

15:19 Home to this armed assassin who's hot in pursuit

15:24 of another octopus he caught red-handed snooping in his food stash.

15:32 As the assassin closes in the snooper takes off

15:39 breaking out some of the animal kingdom's smartest secret weapons.

15:44 A squirt of ink creates a smokescreen.

15:48 He flees the scene.

15:55 When an octopus needs to move fast it uses its own inbuilt jet engine.

16:04 A siphon in the mantle sucks water in and spits it out at 27 miles per

16:11 hour the same swimming speed as a barracuda

16:16 propelling it headfirst through the water like a bullet.

16:23 But the Assassin still has him in his sights.

16:29 The snooper tries a different trick camouflage.

16:37 But hiding doesn't cut it.

16:40 The Assassin prepares to strike with the most deadly

16:44 weapon of all a venomous bite from a hidden beak.

16:58 Narrator: This angry octopus won't give up.

17:07 If the snooper doesn't step up or get away he could become lunch.

17:16 There's one part of these invertebrates that isn't soft and slippery.

17:21 Each octopus has a mouth at the center of its body.

17:25 It's like a parrot's beak and every bit as sharp.

17:28 Inside the beak is a tongue with a strip of teeth.

17:32 Glands release paralyzing venom.

17:37 The Assassin closes in.

17:46 The snooper fights back.

18:01 Assassin turns cannibal.

18:05 The snooper becomes sushi.

18:21 High above the oceans in the mountainous rain forests

18:24 of Kenya a Jackson's chameleon makes light work of lunch.

18:36 This high roller has food a canopy condo

18:39 and all the girls he can get his claws on.

18:52 His neighbor is green with envy.

18:55 He wants the Roller's patch and the girls.

19:02 It's time for a tree-top joust.

19:07 In the tall rainforest trees the stakes are high.

19:11 The loser is for the long drop.

19:17 These are their not-so-secret weapons.

19:20 Three bone horns with a keratin coating

19:26 evolved solely for the purpose of dueling.

19:34 The challenger sets his sights on the high roller.

19:38 He can rotate each eye 180 degrees

19:42 in different directions without moving his head.

19:47 So one eye always remains trained on the enemy.

19:56 The High Roller's hiss is a warning to stand down

20:01 but the challenger needs to risk it all to improve his breeding rights.

20:10 Game on.

20:15 The aim of the game is to topple your opponent from the branch.

20:19 The winner keeps the territory.

20:22 The first tactic lance each other with their custom-built weapons.

20:27 Natural selection has given the High Roller longer horns.

20:32 A breakage is intensely painful and leaves the owner unarmed.

20:41 He tries to pierce the four layers of skin on his opponent's head.

20:47 These guys have a head for heights.

20:51 It's like wrestling on an iron girder on top of a 20-story high rise.

20:57 Their pincer-like feet act as clamps.

21:10 A leg grab forces the challenger off the branch.

21:16 Their tails are as long as their bodies and act as safety harnesses.

21:31 The High Roller channels all the power

21:33 in his neck muscles into a powerful head flick.

21:41 Game over.

21:44 The fall is physical and hierarchical.

21:49 If he wants to breed he'll have to duel with someone else.

21:56 Because here the High Roller is still top of the tree.

22:09 Australia is the place our next contender calls home.

22:15 Meet the kangaroo.

22:19 Animal Fight Night's very own Mixed Martial

22:22 Artists who go head-to-head for total ultimate fighting.

22:34 Narrator: 25 feet in a single leap.

22:39 Break-neck speeds of over 35 miles per hour.

22:44 As fast as a wolf.

22:48 Solid muscle makes up 80% of its body

22:51 mass making the male kangaroo built for fighting.

23:00 It's easy to see why a group of kangaroos is called

23:03 a mob and when they clash they become nature's ultimate kickboxing champions.

23:19 This Mobster has been in charge for two years twice as long as usual.

23:26 He's still armed and dangerous.

23:29 Within the mob...

23:30 ranks are strict.

23:32 The only way to the top is to fight your way up.

23:40 Now this deputy is tired of playing second fiddle

23:44 but he has to be sure he can win.

23:48 The Mobster has exclusive rights to the females.

23:53 With those kinds of privileges at stake fights often get ugly and deadly.

24:02 The Mobster must crush this rebellion.

24:22 The deputy takes some shots but comes back.

24:32 They interlock claws to hold each other off.

24:36 That was just the start it's time to pull out the big guns.

24:43 A kangaroo's spine runs all the way to the end of its tail.

24:47 Over 3-feet long it has up to 25 vertebrae supported by ligaments.

24:54 Their tails can support their entire bodyweight.

24:58 Balancing on their tails their legs go into trigger mode.

25:02 Their large muscles contract and release

25:05 a massive burst of energy delivering a mega-kick.

25:12 Their kicks are so loud they can be heard nearly 500-feet away.

25:24 The force pushed through double claws on their fused second and third

25:29 toes could disembowel so kangaroos have

25:32 evolved extra-thick skin on their stomachs.

25:38 The kicking's not cutting it.

25:40 The Mobster tries something new the neck grab.

25:47 Claws nearly 2-inches long are sharp enough to puncture eyes so they

25:53 throw their heads back for protection exposing their necks to being ripped open.

26:01 A powerful floor slam and the deputy knows he's fighting a losing battle.

26:08 He waves the white flag with a grunt.

26:13 Satisfied...

26:13 the Mobster leaves him to wallow in his defeat

26:16 and returns to his mob to remind them who's boss.

26:25 1700 miles northwest in the steamy mangrove swamps

26:30 of Indonesia lurks the world's second-largest lizard: the water monitor.

26:44 Armed with 54-serrated teeth there's no

26:48 creature this extreme carnivore won't eat.

26:52 It's even been known to dig up and devour human corpses.

26:58 Monitors are solitary creatures who really don't get along.

27:05 But breeding time brings them to the same

27:09 watering hole and such close quarters means war.

27:19 This male monitor is "Top Dog." He gets the best of everything...

27:25 the most food and his choice of females.

27:32 This challenger is willing to risk injury

27:34 and even death for a slice of the action.

27:41 Monitors fight prey on four legs.

27:44 Monitor on monitor upright is preferred.

27:48 It's a full-on sumo grapple.

27:52 Their legs are so strong they can outrun an Olympic sprinter.

27:58 Now they harness that power trying to slam each other into the riverbed.

28:04 Strong clawed feet mean they can hang from a tree by a single toe.

28:10 Round one to Top Dog.

28:13 But it's not over yet.

28:17 Their tails are one-and-a-half-times the length

28:21 of their bodies and packed full of muscle.

28:24 The challenger uses his as a third leg anchoring him to the river bed.

28:29 But it's not enough.

28:31 Smack down!

28:43 Round three and the challenger knows he's lost.

28:51 The Top Dog retains his title for another day.

29:04 Narrator: You don't need all the moves to win in Animal Fight Night.

29:12 Sometimes a single strike is enough to take the title.

29:21 In the Vietnamese jungle this four-year-old Burmese python is out for lunch

29:28 and he's just spotted his favorite bite: a nice juicy rat.

29:36 The hungry diner constricts his 16-foot-long body around it.

29:43 Pythons can go months without eating but when they do they really pig out.

29:50 They can eat their own bodyweight in one sitting.

29:54 That's like a grown man eating a 200-pound cheeseburger.

30:00 Once he's gulped down his fast food he'll slope off

30:03 to a sunny spot and spend several days digesting it.

30:09 But not so fast.

30:11 A Rat Thief's forked tongue sniffs him out.

30:19 The tongue's two prongs pick up scent

30:22 from different directions giving him stereo smell...

30:32 and he wants a piece of the pie.

30:37 An opportunist it's easier to steal than catch something himself.

30:48 The Diner quickly stashes away his rat.

30:57 If the Thief wants the rat he'll have to think big.

31:06 He goes for the Diner.

31:13 With 350 bones in his spine ten times

31:15 that of a human he loops his body around the Diner.

31:30 He contracts his muscles to tighten the coil

31:33 and squeezes so tight his victim can't breathe.

31:38 Each time the victim breathes out the python tightens the coil.

31:43 Death by suffocation.

31:45 The python can feel its victim's heartbeat stop.

31:49 Once it does he relaxes the coil.

31:54 A full-grown Burmese could easily strangle an adult human to death.

32:00 The Rat Thief has committed a crime now he must dispose of the evidence.

32:09 He can dislocate his own jaw and get

32:12 his mouth around something five-times bigger than his own head.

32:22 His backward-facing teeth act as ratchets driving

32:26 his victim further down into his belly.

32:42 As the Rat Thief swallows the Diner he

32:46 begins to redesign his own body to aid digestion.

32:51 Over the next few days his metabolism will increase sevenfold.

32:57 His heart and intestine will expand by up to 150%...

33:08 leaving not a shred of evidence.

33:18 The tropical mountain forests of western India...

33:22 stomping ground of the Travancore tortoise.

33:26 It may not be fast but it's nothing less than furious.

33:33 This Trooper has been having an off-duty snooze to keep cool.

33:40 But something's got him hot and bothered.

33:45 There's been a break-in and someone's making himself right at home.

33:51 He might only be 13-inches long but this invader wants to wage war.

33:57 He plans to run the Trooper out of town annex his land and take all his women.

34:05 The Trooper needs to mobilize fast or he'll be homeless and loveless.

34:13 He storms over...

34:21 but is met with a series of sharp nips.

34:26 Too many bites will damage the Trooper's only

34:28 mode of transportation leaving him unable to find food.

34:34 He takes cover under his hard hat rallies

34:40 himself and hits back with his biggest weapon yet.

34:48 These are nature's miniature battering rams.

34:51 And given they live around 30 years they get a lot of practice.

34:58 It might look like these warriors are in slow-mo

35:02 but they are operating at maximum tortoise speed.

35:09 The Trooper reels his front legs back to inject

35:12 as much force as possible into his body-blows.

35:21 He tries to flip the Invader.

35:24 If he can capsize him he could be stuck on his back and starve to death.

35:34 But the Invader is no stranger to some heavy shelling.

35:38 He bites back even harder.

35:46 The Trooper beats a hasty retreat.

35:50 He'll have to set up camp somewhere else.

35:58 There's more than one pint-sized prize fighter in the tropics.

36:03 The rain forests of Thailand playground of the quirkiest

36:07 contender in the Animal Fight Night fray.

36:11 The stalk-eyed fly.

36:20 This little fella is newly hatched.

36:25 But before he ventures out into the world there's one last thing he needs to do.

36:34 He sucks in air to form bubbles.

36:39 The bubbles travel up through his head inflating his eye stalks.

36:46 The whole process takes only fifteen minutes.

36:56 Transformation complete.

36:59 He's no longer just a fly he's super-fly and it's time for a fly fight.

37:13 Narrator: Stalk-eyed flies are a social bunch.

37:17 The males and females hang out together every night and all the chicks

37:23 go weak in the knees for a guy with a substantial stalk.

37:29 It's a sign of virility.

37:33 The New Kid's been blessed by nature.

37:37 His stalk is so long it's the same length as his body.

37:44 He heads out to test-drive his new stalk but someone's eyeballing him.

37:54 The stalk-eyed fly has an excellent field of vision.

37:57 Their eyes are like balls on stalks and covered in around 2,500 tiny lenses.

38:05 So they can see behind their heads and their vision at the front

38:10 overlaps by up to 70% perfect for spotting a peripheral threat.

38:22 This aggressive fly is also well-endowed.

38:29 There's only room for one big stalk in this town.

38:34 The New Kid lifts his front legs to demonstrate the size of his stalk.

38:43 He measures up.

38:47 He's won the right to challenge the Big Shot.

38:58 They go stalk-to-stalk trying to butt each other off the branch.

39:05 If the New Kid can oust the Big Shot

39:07 he'll have rights to all females who pass by.

39:16 Butting stalks isn't working.

39:20 The New Kid changes up.

39:26 He starts throwing punches.

39:32 Each of their six feet has two pads that release a type of glue

39:37 anchoring their back legs to the branch so they can rear up and spar.

39:46 These fights can last over a minute

39:49 a fair stretch in a fly's eight-week lifetime.

39:53 It all comes down to stamina.

39:56 This New Kid has youth on his side.

39:59 The Big Shot can't keep up.

40:04 He runs off his pride dented and his chances with the ladies ruined.

40:11 The New Kid rubs his hands together with glee.

40:24 A mobile city of one-and-a-half-million wildebeest.

40:34 They live bumper to bumper.

40:37 The only other mammals to live this densely are humans.

40:42 On the move these wanderers of the African wilderness get

40:47 along fine but when they stop to breed friends become foe.

41:00 Able to run at 40 miles per hour and with lethally sharp horns.

41:09 When these bulls go head-to-head in a bid to extend

41:13 their bloodline only the toughest referees can break up the fight.

41:25 This mature male is guarding a patch of land filled with his female mates.

41:30 He marks his territory with scent glands.

41:35 But he's got competition a cocky Young Bachelor bull without a bachelor pad.

41:44 He wants to kick the older male out of town and inherit his females.

41:53 The Young Bachelor strikes.

42:02 They fight on their knees.

42:10 Each beast has horns that curve up 90 degrees.

42:16 Deadly hooks nearly 3-feet long an uppercut

42:20 to the jugular would cause fatal blood loss.

42:27 Known as twist fighting they bow and turn

42:30 their heads to protect their necks from a stabbing.

42:37 The Young Bachelor beats the old bull in size he

42:40 uses his powerful neck muscles to lob him into the air.

42:53 The youngster tries a new tactic a half-nelson.

43:02 His horn is in a precarious position

43:04 one jab could pierce the old bull's underbelly.

43:09 It's too close to the vital organs

43:11 the youngster's shown how far he's prepared to go.

43:19 The risks are too great.

43:29 The old bull makes a run for it leaving his harem behind.

43:41 The triumphant young bachelor has earned his right to the top spot.

43:57 All over the world, species clash in nature's savage battle of survival.

44:06 On the open plains, in mountain forests and city streets,

44:14 all are locked in deadly conflict.

44:18 Animals fight tooth and claw to win food, territory and rights to the bloodline.

44:28 From the Mediterranean shores to the Canadian wilderness, there are no rules.

44:35 This is Animal Fight Night.

44:45 In the battle of the sexes, males can be stronger.

44:51 But when it comes to the bloodline, females hold the power.

44:56 (roaring) (whooping) (chest beating) In the high forests of Rwanda,

45:08 mountain gorillas walk a fine line between peace...

45:13 and war!

45:15 (roaring) With plenty of food, fights usually erupt over females.

45:26 (chest beating) And this local troop has a battle brewing.

45:33 Males from a neighboring band are after their females.

45:41 But the dominant male, the silverback, gives a warning.

45:46 (grunting) The group flees and a dangerous battle is avoided.

45:55 (shrieking) Gorillas choose their fights carefully.

46:05 (shrieking) Because when these powerhouses duke it out...

46:10 (roaring) ...the damage can be devastating.

46:16 (music) (music) Gorillas eat roots...

46:26 fruits...

46:29 and tree bark.

46:32 But their colossal power and bulk is thanks to an incredible super-powered gut.

46:43 Gorillas can consume over 10% of their body weight in vegetation a day.

46:50 Their enlarged colons are far more efficient than

46:53 ours at processing plant fiber to produce power-building energy.

47:01 While we can't digest plant cellulose at all,

47:04 a gorilla's colon contains a bacteria that breaks it down,

47:08 converting it into energy.

47:10 (roaring) With so much raw power, diplomacy is critical.

47:18 But another battle over mating threatens to erupt.

47:23 Females sometimes transfer between groups,

47:27 a behavior that guards against interbreeding.

47:33 An outsider mother and her three-year-old arrive from another troop.

47:42 A male's harem is limited to three adult females.

47:48 So to the ladies, this newcomer is a threat.

47:55 A dominant female takes the lead.

47:58 (roaring) (roaring) Urinating is an involuntary fight-or-flight response—

48:11 a clear sign that the dominant female is serious.

48:15 (roaring) The newcomer can't back down.

48:21 She must earn her place.

48:23 (roaring) (roaring) Behind the females, a male's pig grunts mean he's angry.

48:38 (grunting) A firm hand splits the pair.

48:43 (shrieking) But the silverback strong-arms him.

48:52 (shrieking) He wants the females to settle this themselves.

48:59 (roaring) The newcomer asserts herself.

49:10 The long-timer retreats...

49:12 (shrieking) ...but has the last word.

49:19 (roaring) The newcomer may not win over her rival,

49:28 but earns approval from the silverback and secures safety for her and her child,

49:38 at the cost of just a few bruised egos.

49:44 When males clash over territory, the outcome is rarely amicable.

49:55 A pair of waterbuck wages war.

49:58 (grunts) This landowner caught a young buck gate-crashing his territory.

50:07 Time for a hard lesson in waterbuck etiquette.

50:14 Waterbuck love water.

50:19 They emit an oily, smelly secretion that waterproofs their shaggy coat.

50:26 When threatened, they head where few predators will follow.

50:32 An effective tactic, unless they're up against another waterbuck.

50:42 (bellows) Brutally battered, the buck is on death row.

50:52 But the landowner stops.

50:56 Danger is in the air.

51:03 (music) To a lion, the sound and smell

51:11 of fighting waterbuck are like a dinner bell.

51:15 Expert hunters, lions work in small teams to separate a beast from the herd.

51:25 (braying) Today's prey is a sitting duck.

51:37 The 12-strong pride surrounds him.

51:41 Fishing waterbuck from ponds doesn't seem to be in the lions' hunting handbook.

51:50 The waterbuck sees a gap.

51:53 (roar) A lioness strikes.

52:02 On dry land, she'll haul her prey to ground.

52:06 But here, she clings on.

52:09 (music) (music) The lioness moves in for the kill.

52:22 (bellowing) But the youngster refuses to give in.

52:31 He plunges the lion's face beneath the water.

52:36 Unable to breath, she releases her grip.

52:40 (music) (music) But the waterbuck makes a fatal mistake.

52:53 Water is his turf; land is theirs.

52:59 (music) When a pack of hungry lions invite you to dinner,

53:07 it's an offer you can't refuse.

53:12 (growl) While many animals fight for the chance to mate,

53:18 cuttlefish save some of their fiercest battles for afterwards.

53:23 (music) (music) Living just 18 months, cuttlefish have only one mating season.

53:42 So it's time for some fast love.

53:47 Romeo finds his Juliet.

53:52 Sophisticated cells let him change his skin to display vibrant zebra stripes.

54:02 It's how cuttlefish declare their love.

54:07 The mating begins, face to face.

54:14 A male takes sperm with his enlarged fourth arm, and inserts it into the female.

54:22 Soon she'll lay her eggs.

54:27 And shortly after, the pair will die.

54:34 Until then, Romeo will guard her, because

54:39 a fertile female can quickly gather attention.

54:45 A handoff tells an intruder that Juliet is taken.

54:51 This rival could replace Romeo's sperm with his own.

54:57 Romeo isn't going to let anyone trash his bloodline.

55:02 He's got a deadly move that could save the day.

55:12 A rival makes a move on Romeo's Juliet.

55:17 Cuttlefish have just one short season to extend their bloodline.

55:22 (music) (music) Romeo makes his skin dark and squirts an inky cloud.

55:37 Ink is made in the ink gland before it's released into the ink sac.

55:43 When threatened, a muscular contraction forces it through the funnel.

55:50 Containing the dark pigment melanin, the ink acts as a smokescreen.

55:57 The cuttlefish can also mix the ink with mucus to create pseudomorphs:

56:02 smaller cuttlefish-sized clouds which act as a perfect predator decoy.

56:08 (music) The rival's zebra stripes make his intentions loud and clear.

56:18 But Romeo won't give up on his Juliet.

56:21 (music) His next defense is jet-propelled.

56:31 (music) (music) He sucks water through apertures

56:42 at the side of his head into his mantle cavity.

56:46 He then contracts the muscles quickly, to force the water through the funnel.

56:52 This pushes him rapidly in the opposite direction.

56:56 Moving the funnel lets him quickly change his course,

57:00 so he can outmaneuver enemies.

57:02 (music) In the panic, the rival grabs Juliet.

57:14 Cuttlefish arms are lined with suckers,

57:17 which they use to secure their prey and drag them towards their pointed beaks.

57:23 This love story is now a horror movie.

57:28 Juliet breaks free.

57:31 Patience tested, Romeo explodes!

57:35 (music) He corkscrews his rival with a triple barrel roll!

57:47 Dazed and defeated, the rival's hunt for a mate continues elsewhere.

57:55 Reunited, Romeo and Juliet's struggle is far from over.

58:00 Laying eggs is their next challenge, and their final one.

58:11 When a beast loses the final battle,

58:14 his flesh becomes a feast worth fighting for.

58:18 (growling) A dead hippo is way past its expiration date.

58:29 Notorious scavengers, hyenas are not fussy eaters.

58:37 They live in large packs and eat anything...

58:45 and everything.

58:49 Skin, hair, teeth.

58:53 Their bone-crunching jaws even let them feast on nourishing marrow.

59:02 A rotting hippo creates a big stink.

59:08 A hungry warrior locks on to the scent.

59:14 Called by some the most fearless animal in the world,

59:20 honey badgers are 10-inch-tall powerhouses.

59:26 They pack long, sharp claws, and a savage bite.

59:32 (growling) These stocky beasts prey on anything...

59:41 even killer snakes.

59:46 But when food is scarce, he'll turn scavenger.

59:54 The honey badger spots the clan.

59:58 No amount of hippo is worth taking on a pack of hyenas.

1:00:03 But it's too late.

1:00:05 (yipping) He's been spotted, and the hyenas think he looks tasty!

1:00:14 Outnumbered seven to one, the honey badger's only chance is to fight dirty!

1:00:21 (growling) A rotting hippo carcass attracts a pack of hyenas.

1:00:31 But they'd sooner feast on fresh honey badger.

1:00:36 (yipping, growling) He can't outrun them, but he can fight nasty!

1:00:45 (growling) Leg cocked, he unleashes his secret weapon.

1:00:54 A stomach-churning liquid sprayed from his anal glands.

1:00:58 (growling) Then, he pulls the dirtiest move in the book.

1:01:07 He bites a hyena's genitals!

1:01:11 Once bitten, twice shy.

1:01:16 No meal is worth the crown jewels.

1:01:19 (growling) The honey badger makes a break with the pack on his heels.

1:01:26 (yipping) Things don't look good.

1:01:32 But grit pays off!

1:01:37 For the honey badger, 3 tons of hippo wasn't worth the fight.

1:01:44 But for hyenas, nothing's past its use-by date.

1:01:48 (music) When food is scarce, the scavengers will do anything to survive.

1:02:01 A clan stumbles on a pair of lionesses enjoying fresh buffalo.

1:02:06 Much tastier than rotting hippo.

1:02:11 Hyenas and lions are both apex predators and mortal enemies.

1:02:18 (growling, shrieking) They hunt the same prey, scavenge the same remains...

1:02:28 (yipping) ...and slaughter each other's young.

1:02:38 A fresh kill will see these rivals compete for calories.

1:02:42 (music) The hyenas may outnumber the lions five to two...

1:02:51 (growling) ...but caution is key.

1:02:58 Other members of the 80-strong clan have come across a lone lioness.

1:03:04 And this time, the numbers favor them.

1:03:07 (yipping) If they banish her, there'll be less competition for nearby prey.

1:03:16 And if they kill her, she could be dinner.

1:03:23 (whooping) Mobbing with loud cries is a risky scare tactic.

1:03:30 The clan has numbers, but the lioness is stronger.

1:03:35 (whooping, yipping) (whooping, yipping) The clan gains confidence.

1:03:45 (yipping) (growling) Hyenas fight with razor-sharp teeth...

1:04:00 but so does she.

1:04:01 (yipping, growling) (yipping, growling) One bite to a hyena's neck can kill.

1:04:19 (yipping) But the clan target her haunches.

1:04:27 Their carnassials shear straight through flesh.

1:04:33 Staring 12 kinds of death in the face, flight wins out over fight.

1:04:41 (yipping, growling) (music) As the frustrated hyenas give up,

1:04:56 the lioness strikes gold: a leopard's treetop stash.

1:05:05 Even a discarded head yields life-giving protein.

1:05:10 And she should know— this famed predator scavenges more than the lowly hyena.

1:05:20 (music) (music) Some Native Americans believe that seeing

1:05:31 the elusive wolverine is a sign of good fortune.

1:05:37 But not if you're a rival wolverine.

1:05:42 They'll stop at nothing to protect their turf.

1:05:48 A wolverine's jagged teeth can slice off their rival's scalps.

1:05:54 (music) Wolverines don't hibernate in the winter.

1:06:06 They tough it out.

1:06:11 Finding food...

1:06:14 (cawing) ...by fair means or foul.

1:06:22 The scavenger hits the jackpot.

1:06:25 His highly developed sense of smell picks out flesh, buried deep in the snow.

1:06:33 But a moose carcass out in the open is 1,800 pounds of easy booty.

1:06:41 Except there's a thief about...

1:06:45 a rival wolverine!

1:06:48 A moose is more than enough meat for two.

1:06:52 But the Latin name for wolverine is glutton,

1:06:55 and neither of these guys wants to share!

1:07:01 When wolverines wage war, they go in armed to the teeth!

1:07:09 Over generations, wolverines were born with a genetic anomaly— fewer teeth.

1:07:17 This allowed their descendants to develop larger carnassials,

1:07:22 which were more efficient at hacking through frozen meat.

1:07:27 Wolverines' upper molar teeth are rotated 90 degrees.

1:07:33 Hour glass in shape, with well-developed shearing blades, they can crush bones.

1:07:39 (snarling) The thief unleashes a scratch attack.

1:07:48 (music) Unlike the X-Man, wolverines can't retract their lethal claws.

1:08:01 The thief sinks those flesh-shredding teeth into the scavenger's head.

1:08:06 One false move, and the scavenger loses more than his dinner;

1:08:11 he could be scalped!

1:08:17 (snarling) Battling over a moose carcass,

1:08:21 a wolverine thief locks his teeth on the owner's scalp!

1:08:27 But the scavenger twists himself free.

1:08:31 The thief counters with another twist.

1:08:37 This violent motion can be used to dismember an opponent.

1:08:43 (snarling) The scavenger quits while he still can, with his scalp in one piece.

1:08:57 The thief chows down.

1:09:01 Food tastes better when you've worked up an appetite!

1:09:08 (music) The only thing that bites

1:09:12 harder than Yellowstone's winter is the grizzly!

1:09:19 Time's running out for this bear.

1:09:24 He needs to pile on the pounds for his five-month hibernation by foraging...

1:09:33 or hunting.

1:09:36 Grizzlies are one of the largest land-based carnivores.

1:09:41 But fighting over a fish is high on effort, low on calories!

1:09:49 Our bear finds a bison carcass: pounds of chow, without the fight.

1:09:58 To mark his claim, he leaves his bear-stink on a nearby tree.

1:10:07 Back scratching is a grizzly's 'keep out' sign.

1:10:11 A strong scent lets neighboring bears know to steer clear.

1:10:17 But this bear wasn't the first one to find the carcass.

1:10:22 He was.

1:10:25 And he's not happy that someone is eating his bison.

1:10:31 (roar) The owner attacks.

1:10:34 He launches 600 pounds of teeth, claws and muscle at the thief.

1:10:40 The grizzly is one of the most powerful large carnivores.

1:10:45 His distinctive shoulder hump is a mass of muscle

1:10:48 that helps power his strong front legs when digging for food.

1:10:55 In combat, this gives him the fighting strength of up to 5 grown men.

1:11:01 (roaring) Battling grizzlies can kill.

1:11:09 (roaring) The thief gains the higher ground.

1:11:19 (music) But the owner fights for what's rightfully his.

1:11:30 He uses the bank to power the thief into the freezing waters.

1:11:38 (music) (music) The thief rears up in defiance.

1:11:49 But the owner takes the victory!

1:11:53 He turns his back to let the thief know who's the boss.

1:11:59 The thief's free lunch proved too good to be true.

1:12:03 With winter settling in, he should be saving energy, not wasting it.

1:12:13 (roaring) Nothing is as fierce as a mother fighting for her young.

1:12:22 (squawk) India's Satpura Hills.

1:12:32 Away from her herd's protection, a female gaur nurses a newborn calf.

1:12:40 But the pair is not alone.

1:12:44 Wild dogs are nearby, and they're hungry!

1:12:50 Gaur are wild cattle Goliaths.

1:12:54 Bigger than their bison and buffalo cousins.

1:13:01 During the mating season, male gaur lock horns with ferocious power.

1:13:09 Nearby, Indian wild dogs, or dhole, get their strength through numbers.

1:13:15 (growling) These ruthless assassins run in packs and use killer tactics.

1:13:25 Against a mother 40 times heavier than them,

1:13:31 the wild dogs turn to guerrilla warfare.

1:13:35 (gaur cries) Having carried him for 9 months,

1:13:38 there's no way mom's going to let her precious child become dog food!

1:13:47 (calf crying) Indian wild dogs prey on the weak.

1:13:55 They single out a newborn gaur.

1:13:59 The calf dives for his mother's protection.

1:14:02 But her eyes are on the bandits.

1:14:05 (cries) (music) The pack coordinates its attack with whistles and clucks.

1:14:17 (yipping) As soon as the mother fends off one bandit,

1:14:23 others swoop from the opposite direction.

1:14:26 Dholes stagger their assault to allow rest between attacks.

1:14:31 (crying) (yipping) And disembowel their prey while they're still alive.

1:14:45 (calf crying) Mom's strength and size

1:14:49 are useless against the swarming tormentors.

1:14:53 They're just too quick for her advances.

1:14:56 (cries) The calf goes into shock.

1:15:02 He's breathing, but only just.

1:15:05 (barking) Adding further insult, the bandits torment the distraught mother.

1:15:14 (cries) (yipping) The assault rages for over 15 minutes,

1:15:25 and the calf's cries stop.

1:15:27 (music) (music) Feeding their hunger, many overpowers might.

1:15:42 The mother spent just two short days with her calf.

1:15:47 She'll have others, but today she returns to the herd alone.

1:15:57 In the battle for survival, surprise...

1:16:02 can be the greatest weapon.

1:16:09 Fiercely territorial, capercaillie roosters are the original Angry Birds.

1:16:17 When the red mist drops, they attack anything and anyone.

1:16:25 The main predators to worry these kamikaze cockerels are red foxes and raptors.

1:16:34 This rooster is king of all he surveys.

1:16:39 Fantail feathers declare his fertility, along with his harem of hens.

1:16:47 But someone wants his crown.

1:16:50 (clicking) The king makes his displeasure known.

1:16:59 But his enemy wants a mate, and he's prepared to fight.

1:17:05 Neck feathers puff up to intimidate.

1:17:10 (screech) But kings don't scare easy.

1:17:17 Capercaillies pack a deadly peck.

1:17:20 Battles can decapitate.

1:17:23 (screeching) Blows from their powerful wings echo around the forest.

1:17:34 (screech) The warriors know that one slip could be fatal.

1:17:40 They mustn't lose focus.

1:17:43 But neither sees the next attack coming.

1:17:47 (music) (music) Golden eagles dive at 200 miles per hour,

1:17:59 and strike with ruthless efficiency.

1:18:03 These airborne assassins know no bounds,

1:18:06 readily sinking their powerful talons into beasts twice their size.

1:18:10 (bleating) (clucking) A capercaillie makes for an easy meal.

1:18:19 (clucking) The king's enemy has been dealt with, but he doesn't walk away!

1:18:33 He confuses the golden eagle for a rival!

1:18:39 The predator just wants to enjoy his meal.

1:18:44 Fat chance!

1:18:46 (clucking) Oblivious to the eagle's power, the king tests his patience.

1:18:56 (music) A capercaillie will do anything to defend its terrain.

1:19:06 (music) The king pays the ultimate price.

1:19:19 Two roosters is more than one eagle can eat.

1:19:24 The king is left to the flies.

1:19:30 (siren) The urban jungle.

1:19:37 Stalking our sewers...

1:19:40 and subways...

1:19:44 (squeaking) ...the brown rat survives on what others leave behind.

1:19:52 (music) But the hunt for food can take you into the wrong neighborhood.

1:20:03 Squaring up to a predator 30 times your weight would send most running.

1:20:13 But packing a host of combat skills, rats fight like ninjas!

1:20:21 They box, wrestle, and pack a powerful bite!

1:20:28 (squeaking) Rats' jaw muscles give them a strong bite for their body size.

1:20:39 One pair of muscles even loops through the eye sockets,

1:20:43 forcing the eyes to bulge as they gnaw.

1:20:47 Their four incisors are made of soft dentin and hard enamel.

1:20:53 The dentin wears faster than the enamel, creating a razor-sharp edge.

1:20:59 Rats' teeth never stop growing, so unless he frequently gnaws,

1:21:05 they'll spiral round, eventually filling his mouth.

1:21:09 (squeaking) A decisive hold takes the victory.

1:21:14 An even fight, fairly fought.

1:21:17 (squeaking) But rat versus cat?

1:21:22 The odds are in the feline's favor.

1:21:27 Like their big cat cousins, the kitty cat packs serious combat smarts.

1:21:33 Fast and agile, they can leap 5 times their own height.

1:21:38 They have sharp, retractable claws, perfect for pinning down prey.

1:21:44 And to complete the kill, 30 flesh-shredding teeth built for eating meat.

1:21:54 The warriors square off.

1:22:00 Tackling just one of these killers is unthinkable, and this puss has backup!

1:22:13 Like their big cat cousins, domestic cats are ruthless killers,

1:22:19 so the odds look long for this rat.

1:22:23 (cat screeching) A flying leap,

1:22:31 claws outstretched, sends Lucky running for cover.

1:22:35 And ratty's not stopping at the leader.

1:22:39 He takes on the whole gang!

1:22:42 (cats screeching) (music) (music) Cats stalk prey with stealth.

1:23:00 But rats' eyes are at the side of their head for incredible peripheral vision.

1:23:08 (screech) Lucky backs the rat into a corner.

1:23:17 This must be game over.

1:23:20 Not for this little squeaker!

1:23:23 (squeaking) Outmaneuvered and outclassed, Lucky throws in the towel.

1:23:30 His next meal will come out of a can.

1:23:35 The rat will fight for his.

1:23:42 In the American Southwest, water is life.

1:23:51 (rattling) But finding it is murder.

1:23:59 The thermometer here can top 125.

1:24:05 And this roadrunner is thirsty.

1:24:09 He can get most of his water from the meat of prey.

1:24:12 (music) His stubby wings make flying clumsy.

1:24:22 But he can run down his victims at almost 20 miles per hour.

1:24:28 This fleet-footed hunter spies another speed demon.

1:24:35 (rattling) A rattlesnake.

1:24:39 A dead snake is a water-filled feast.

1:24:46 But a live one is as quick as a whip.

1:24:50 (hissing) (rattling) The legendary rattle,

1:24:54 made from interlocking segments of keratin,

1:24:57 is used to warn off potential predators.

1:25:01 And if the warning doesn't work,

1:25:05 America's most dangerous snake can strike at over 14 feet per second.

1:25:11 But it's what's in the fangs that causes the damage.

1:25:17 As his jaws widen, hinged fangs extend forward from the roof of his mouth,

1:25:23 before being plunged deep into his prey.

1:25:27 The venom gland above the upper jaw compresses

1:25:30 and pushes the deadly liquid along the venom duct,

1:25:34 through hollow channels in the fangs.

1:25:37 The contents of the venom depends on the snake's location.

1:25:45 Some use neurotoxins to paralyze their prey.

1:25:50 Others use hemotoxins to starve animals' blood cells of oxygen.

1:25:56 While some have a lethal cocktail of both!

1:26:00 (hissing) (rattling) The roadrunner's no bird-brain.

1:26:12 They'll rarely tackle a rattler over two feet long.

1:26:19 But there's a youngster nearby; less water, but seemingly less risk.

1:26:30 But even a young rattler's venom could kill a roadrunner.

1:26:33 (music) So the bird dances with a mini murderer.

1:26:43 (hooting) Like a matador with his cape,

1:26:52 the roadrunner uses his wings to divert the rattler's strike.

1:26:57 (music) (music) With up to 15,000 muscles,

1:27:08 the snake strikes faster than a human can blink.

1:27:13 But it's not enough to bag a roadrunner.

1:27:17 Sensing defeat, the rattler retreats.

1:27:21 The bird seizes his chance by seizing the snake!

1:27:29 Grabbing behind the head prevents the rattler unleashing its deadly venom.

1:27:37 Known to the locals as the snake bird,

1:27:42 the roadrunner's assault doesn't just kill;

1:27:46 crushing bones makes the water-filled snake easier to swallow,

1:27:52 venom gland and all!

1:27:59 All over the world, species clash...

1:28:04 in nature's savage battle of survival.

1:28:07 (screeching) On the open plains...

1:28:11 in the oceans...

1:28:13 and under desert skies...

1:28:17 all are locked in deadly conflict.

1:28:19 (grumbling) Animals fight tooth and claw to win food,

1:28:26 territory, and rights to the bloodline.

1:28:30 From the uplands of America, to the wilds of Africa, there are no rules.

1:28:38 This is Animal Fight Night.

1:28:51 Hippos spend three quarters of their lives in water.

1:28:57 They can even sleep underwater.

1:29:02 A unique reflex brings them up to breathe without waking up.

1:29:09 So, if a hippo's getting out of his bath,

1:29:12 it's going to be for something deadly serious.

1:29:16 (music) (bellowing) It's the dry season.

1:29:27 Hippos from different pods cram into one evaporating stretch of river.

1:29:35 Pods can live side by side, as long as no one upsets the hierarchy.

1:29:47 But one gatecrasher...

1:29:53 ...has his sights on the other pod's females.

1:29:59 And for their boss, that's grounds for a fight.

1:30:05 (music) (music) He forces the 3-ton upstart back into the crowd.

1:30:20 (music) (music) But one giant surge turns the tables.

1:30:38 The boss makes for the shore.

1:30:40 (music) (music) (grunting) But he's not retreating.

1:30:58 This fight is now at DEFCON 1.

1:31:06 The gatecrasher keeps coming.

1:31:08 (bellowing) The boss makes the most of new terrain.

1:31:17 More traction means more pushing power.

1:31:21 (bellowing) (bellowing) (bellowing) In hippo law, the biggest jaw wins.

1:31:39 (bellowing) And the boss's gape has the edge.

1:31:47 (bellowing) The gatecrasher drops his head in defeat.

1:31:53 He's learned the hard way— get the boss out of his bath,

1:31:59 and you face 3 tons of trouble.

1:32:06 Young lions learn to hunt on the job.

1:32:09 (cries) But if they don't keep up with the kill crew, they can be killed.

1:32:21 Mpumalanga, South Africa.

1:32:24 The Marthly pride tackles its toughest prey: a cape buffalo.

1:32:31 (bellowing) The experienced matriarch holds down the back end.

1:32:40 Two-year-old little bro takes the sharp end.

1:32:49 (bellowing) (bellowing) But it goes horribly wrong.

1:33:07 Lions are not natural born killers.

1:33:12 Lionesses teach youngsters to hunt by just 15 months old.

1:33:17 (braying) They become expert killers by two and a half.

1:33:28 But over three quarters of them won't even reach this age.

1:33:36 (bellowing) A quarter of the buffalo's horn skewers the rookie's armpit...

1:33:46 around a foot deep.

1:33:50 (bellowing) One big swing of the head could prove fatal.

1:34:00 The horn spears through tough lion hide and penetrates

1:34:07 the bicep— an injury that could lead to fatal infection.

1:34:13 Worse still, his own body weight, 240 pounds, pulls him down onto the horn.

1:34:21 If it severs an artery, he will bleed to death.

1:34:29 But it can take hours for a lion team to kill a buffalo.

1:34:35 (bellowing) And first,

1:34:37 they must haul down almost 2,000 pounds of adrenaline-fueled beast.

1:34:45 The horn digs closer towards the artery.

1:34:49 (bellows) But the rookie sticks to his job.

1:34:56 (bellowing) And sinks 2.5-inch canines into the buffalo's neck.

1:35:04 (bellowing) The buffalo thrashes desperately...

1:35:11 (bellowing) (bellowing) ...and lets the youngster off the hook.

1:35:26 He's in pain, but his work is done.

1:35:31 The buffalo's exhausted.

1:35:35 (bellowing) And now the matriarch can finish him off.

1:35:40 (bellowing) (bellowing) The rookie's wounded, but it's not fatal,

1:35:53 and his weight helped drag down the buffalo.

1:35:56 So, it wasn't plan A, but the team secures

1:36:00 over 1,800 pounds of beef to feed the pride.

1:36:10 Predators are designed by their environment.

1:36:14 Venture into their domain, and it's get out fast, or fast become lunch.

1:36:27 Each year tiger sharks migrate to the North Pacific.

1:36:35 They come for one reason.

1:36:37 (music) (music) Albatross fledglings.

1:36:47 (music) (music) Adult albatross are 70-mile-an-hour flying machines.

1:37:05 But they don't start out like this.

1:37:10 On a Hawaiian beach, 6-month-old fledglings prepare to fly the nest.

1:37:19 Launching into the wind gives them lift.

1:37:24 But it doesn't always work.

1:37:31 And waiting at the end of their runway

1:37:34 is one of the ocean's most capable killers.

1:37:41 She's a 13-foot killing machine.

1:37:47 Rows of serrated teeth effortlessly saw

1:37:51 through hard turtle shell— a favorite snack.

1:37:58 So tiny fledglings are easy pickings.

1:38:03 Tiger sharks have a blind spot right in front of their nose.

1:38:09 But they have an ingenious solution.

1:38:12 (screech) Tiger sharks have electroreceptors

1:38:21 on their heads called ampullae of Lorenzini.

1:38:26 Skin pores filled with a jelly-like substance

1:38:29 imbedded in the skin connect to receptor cells.

1:38:34 They can detect weak electrical signals

1:38:36 created by nearby animals as they move...

1:38:40 allowing this albatross-seeking missile to zero in on its prey.

1:38:49 Albatross lay just one egg a year, so this little guy is precious.

1:38:58 But learning to fly with a 7-foot wingspan is a big ask.

1:39:07 A tiger shark senses a splash and moves in on her target.

1:39:13 The tiny chick can't see her.

1:39:18 But never underestimate an underdog.

1:39:28 This albatross chick's stranded...

1:39:32 in tiger shark territory.

1:39:39 It needs stronger winds to get airborne.

1:39:45 It should be game over.

1:39:47 (music) (music) But the shark's own bow wave pushes her prey to safety!

1:40:10 The chick wants to fly, but can't quite make it.

1:40:22 (squawking) (music) (music) (music) But this chick's no easy target.

1:40:43 He's gonna fight back.

1:40:46 (music) (whistling) He unleashes his only weapon.

1:40:56 (whistling) A shark's eye is a rare weak spot.

1:41:04 But she has a killer defense.

1:41:09 As she opens her jaw to bite,

1:41:12 a specialized muscle slides a third eyelid across the eye.

1:41:18 Known as a nictitating membrane, it forms an effective protective shield,

1:41:25 but renders the shark temporarily blind as it attacks.

1:41:32 (whistles) And that split second is time enough to escape.

1:41:38 (chirping) This albatross is off the menu...

1:41:45 for now.

1:41:48 But for the shark, there's plenty more birds in the sea.

1:42:01 (grunt) In the wild, there's no fast track to success.

1:42:07 Climb the ladder, and it's a rumble on every rung.

1:42:15 Bighorn rams may be sheep, but they can fight for 24 hours straight.

1:42:24 They stage brutal playoffs for mating rights,

1:42:29 where only the winner secures their bloodline.

1:42:34 The losers— they just spill blood.

1:42:40 It's rutting season in Canada's Rocky Mountains.

1:42:46 In these parts, over a hundred rams compete.

1:42:50 It's tough enough if you're part of the gang, but this Casanova is a stranger.

1:42:59 He wants to take on the dominant male.

1:43:03 But first, he must beat his lieutenants...

1:43:09 all three of them.

1:43:14 (grumbles) (music) Even against three, Casanova holds his ground.

1:43:29 (music) (music) Double-layered skulls protect their brains from being crushed.

1:43:48 A lieutenant gears up for a ferocious assault.

1:43:57 And delivers a 40-mile-an-hour strike.

1:44:04 Inches from blinding Casanova's right eye.

1:44:10 Their reinforced skulls are built to withstand front impact,

1:44:15 but a hard-enough side smash can kill them.

1:44:23 Bloodied, Casanova fights back.

1:44:30 Unable to match his stamina, the lieutenants give up.

1:44:34 Casanova's exhausted.

1:44:38 But one ram still stands in his way.

1:44:41 And he is the toughest of them all.

1:44:54 Bighorn rams can endure more than five clashes an hour.

1:45:01 And after conquering three subordinates,

1:45:06 this outsider now faces the dominant male.

1:45:10 (music) His seasoned opponent takes the high ground.

1:45:20 This builds more battering momentum, and greater impact force.

1:45:28 It's like being hit by a baseball bat at 80 miles an hour.

1:45:36 Casanova faces an uphill battle, but goes full power.

1:45:43 (music) The force cracks his opponent's horn.

1:45:56 But as a weapon, it's no less deadly.

1:46:00 (music) After a brutal two-tiered tournament, one last blow from the big guy...

1:46:15 is too much for Casanova.

1:46:22 He doesn't win the right to mate, but incredibly, wins a place in the gang.

1:46:32 When the prey is deadly, even the fastest predators need a backup plan.

1:46:40 (growling) All-you-can-eat buffets don't come much

1:46:50 bigger than the annual wildebeest migration,

1:46:55 as over a million of them trek almost 2,000 miles.

1:47:02 There's more protein on the move here than anywhere else on land.

1:47:07 (music) Just one wildebeest kill is

1:47:15 a half-a-million calorie feast for this male cheetah.

1:47:21 But it's risky, because cheetahs are fragile.

1:47:27 They're lightweight for speed.

1:47:33 A cheetah's oversized heart and lungs race oxygen around its body,

1:47:40 so it can accelerate from zero to 60 miles an hour in under three seconds.

1:47:50 But cheetahs are short-distance runners.

1:47:55 So this cat targets the runt, the quickest kill.

1:47:59 (music) (music) (music) But those 30-inch horns can still pierce his gut.

1:48:20 (bellows) One cheetah has long odds against prey this size.

1:48:32 But he's not alone.

1:48:34 (bellowing) Little brother joins the attack.

1:48:40 (bellowing) The ambush trap is set.

1:48:48 But the odds change again.

1:48:54 600 pounds of wildebeest can crush a light-boned cat.

1:49:00 (bellows) It splits the gang, but they round again on the first target.

1:49:10 (bellowing) (bellowing) (bellowing) The ambush strategy works.

1:49:32 Even the runt yields around 500 pounds of protein-rich meat—

1:49:36 enough to keep two cheetahs alive until the next hunt.

1:49:42 (roaring) They call this the animal kingdom.

1:49:46 (bellowing) But the kings don't always rule the roost.

1:49:52 (roaring) (music) In the jungles of Madagascar lurks a mysterious creature...

1:50:08 that can kill with its farts alone...

1:50:12 and turn people into zombies with its poisonous lick before disemboweling them.

1:50:22 Or so says local legend.

1:50:28 The creature is the fossa.

1:50:32 And the reality is just as strange.

1:50:36 It has retractable claws like a cat, a monkey-like tail as long as its body,

1:50:45 and hind legs that can rotate 180 degrees around the ankles,

1:50:50 to climb down trees headfirst.

1:50:55 Fossas are rare, but no one told the females.

1:51:01 She's extremely hard to please, and she'll fight any males she doesn't like.

1:51:08 She only mates once a year, and often in the same carefully chosen tree.

1:51:18 A hot-blooded male is desperate to mate.

1:51:23 He's got one shot.

1:51:26 And if he doesn't cut it, she'll attack with unbelievable violence.

1:51:32 (hiss) Madagascar's fossa females only mate with the most competitive males,

1:51:44 so this suitor better have the right stuff.

1:51:55 He's bold.

1:51:57 (growl) But she's still not impressed.

1:52:01 (screeching) Females use weaker branches

1:52:06 to lure rejects into dangerous territory.

1:52:11 (screeching) But retractable claws swing him away from trouble.

1:52:20 He gets the message.

1:52:23 Quitters are not her type.

1:52:28 At least those swiveling ankles give him a fast getaway.

1:52:32 (music) But there's another suitor on the scene.

1:52:45 (growling) And it seems he's got the right moves.

1:52:56 (growling) No animal can truly be tamed.

1:53:03 But even the wildest beasts...

1:53:05 (roaring) ...have their rules.

1:53:11 (music) High noon in Mustang Alley.

1:53:21 An outlaw wants the sheriff's mare, and he'll shoot to kill.

1:53:27 (neighing) Over 70,000 mustangs maraud across America's Wild West.

1:53:41 Settlers brought them here 500 years ago.

1:53:47 But now they run feral in small bands.

1:53:54 When a mare gives birth to a foal,

1:53:57 she'll be ready to mate again almost immediately.

1:54:02 And this outsider is desperate to start his own bloodline.

1:54:06 (whinnies) But every band has a dominant male who keeps the law.

1:54:12 (whinnies) And he sees the outlaw muscle in.

1:54:20 (neighing) The outsider draws first.

1:54:28 They rear in a show of aggression.

1:54:30 (neighs) But these are mere pistols.

1:54:36 The most devastating weapon is at the back.

1:54:41 When a horse gallops, its forelegs work more like props,

1:54:46 while the more powerful muscles of the hind legs provide most of the propulsion.

1:54:53 And they can kick as hard as they can run.

1:54:59 But with a foal in the firing line, the sheriff can't draw the big guns yet.

1:55:07 (neighing) The foal is ushered to safety.

1:55:14 (neighing) The sheriff aims with both barrels.

1:55:22 (neighing) It's a misfire.

1:55:26 But 1,200 pounds of mustang sends the outlaw reeling.

1:55:31 (music) A darker horse, the sheriff's deputy, comes guns a-blazin'.

1:55:42 (whinnies) But the outlaw turns on him.

1:55:45 (neighing) (neighing) Subordinate males will defend their superiors.

1:56:00 And come hell or high water...

1:56:04 this deputy has the sheriff's back.

1:56:07 (neighing) The outlaw returns alone to his own band, outgunned and outmuscled.

1:56:21 (neighing) Good things come in small packages.

1:56:30 But so...

1:56:33 do bad things.

1:56:44 The Sonoran Desert, Arizona.

1:56:52 Where temperatures can soar to almost 120 degrees.

1:56:59 By day it's an empty wasteland, but when the sun goes down...

1:57:07 (howl) ...it has a killer nightlife.

1:57:15 A grasshopper mouse is out late, hungry for a midnight snack.

1:57:23 At less than a pound,

1:57:26 he's a lightweight in a neighborhood of deadly heavyweights.

1:57:31 (music) This is the giant desert hairy scorpion— an armed assassin.

1:57:49 His sting injects toxic venom that destroys his victim's nervous system...

1:57:58 ...and paralyzes them.

1:58:03 Once bathed in enzymes, the prey is pulverized into a scorpion smoothie.

1:58:10 (music) (owl hoots) The assassin spies a tasty treat...

1:58:23 Grasshopper mouse.

1:58:26 But this little fellow is one surprisingly tough hombre.

1:58:39 A giant desert hairy scorpion spies a mousey meal.

1:58:44 (music) But the mouse won't take it.

1:58:51 (music) (music) The scorpion unleashes a toxic jab...

1:59:05 dead between the ears.

1:59:10 It should spell lights out.

1:59:12 (music) (music) Inside the bulb of the tail are

1:59:26 two venom glands filled with a cocktail of neurotoxins.

1:59:32 By contracting muscles inside the tail,

1:59:36 the scorpion squeezes the venom through a hole in the stinger,

1:59:39 which targets the nervous system.

1:59:43 It would paralyze any normal prey.

1:59:48 But this mouse has a secret defense:

1:59:53 thick fur and skin that the stinger can't penetrate.

1:59:57 (music) (music) So mighty mouse is still in the game.

2:00:10 In this town, the grasshopper mouse is the predator.

2:00:17 Razor-sharp teeth make quick work of the scorpion's exoskeleton.

2:00:26 The grasshopper mouse is merciless.

2:00:30 (music) And if they can't find prey, they'll even eat each other.

2:00:43 (music) (whistling) (music) Even in the quietest corners of the natural world,

2:01:00 where survival depends on togetherness, carnal instincts can turn peace...

2:01:09 into war.

2:01:12 (screeching) Welcome to hell.

2:01:23 Hell Valley on the Japanese island of Honshu.

2:01:29 In winter, temperatures plummet to minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit,

2:01:36 while volcanic waters surge up through the frozen ground to form warm pools.

2:01:45 For snow monkeys, it's heaven.

2:01:51 Japanese macaques beat the cold by soaking in nature's own hot tubs.

2:01:58 Under the watchful eye of this dominant male,

2:02:01 the Zen master, peace and harmony reign.

2:02:08 But long after the snow thaws,

2:02:11 when mating season begins, heaven turns to hell again.

2:02:20 Rogue males arrive, desperate to mate.

2:02:24 (screech) This wild-eyed stranger has only one thing on his mind: a nursing mom.

2:02:37 While a mother's nursing, she won't mate.

2:02:40 (screeching) So the outsider turns on the infant.

2:02:46 (screeching) (screeching) But mom will defend it with her life.

2:03:01 (screeching) The little one escapes.

2:03:09 (screeching) Mom's older daughter tries to help, but can only watch her fall.

2:03:22 (screeching) The big male sinks in his dagger-like canines.

2:03:29 (screeching) He pins her.

2:03:33 There's no escape.

2:03:41 When a snow monkey mom is held down by a heavier male,

2:03:44 there's little she can do.

2:03:46 (screeching) But the Zen master troop leader sees all,

2:03:55 and as the intruder tries to flee, he turns kung fu monkey!

2:04:03 The master's bigger, and so are his daggers.

2:04:11 The intruder must choose between ferocious fangs and the river rapids.

2:04:19 (screeching) No contest!

2:04:25 The intruder quits the valley.

2:04:27 (music) The Zen master returns peace to the mountain.

2:04:39 And hell turns back to heaven.

2:04:48 For nature's hunters, the shift in seasons can be a deadly game-changer.

2:04:55 (music) The river otter is an expert predator in the underwater world.

2:05:08 But when lakes and rivers freeze over, otters must leave the water to hunt prey.

2:05:19 In the open, they're vulnerable to their predators.

2:05:25 Eye lenses adapted for underwater hunting make them short-sighted on land,

2:05:31 so it's harder to spot enemies...

2:05:35 like the coyote.

2:05:41 Cunning opportunists, these killers like to target rodents and beavers.

2:05:50 But when food is scarce, they form bigger packs to catch larger prey.

2:05:59 They rely on highly developed hearing and smell.

2:06:04 And this coyote has picked up a trail.

2:06:09 (howls) A mom and daughter.

2:06:17 (howls) Otters make dens underground, but this pair is out on the hunt.

2:06:27 Coyotes can run at up to 40 miles an hour.

2:06:31 (music) (growling) The front runner homes in on the youngster.

2:06:42 (growling) Mom races in to distract the hunters.

2:06:50 (growling) And it works.

2:06:53 (music) She can't match their speed, but she can outmaneuver them.

2:07:09 An otter's skeleton is designed for agility.

2:07:15 It has an elongated torso with six articulated sections...

2:07:22 ...and no clavicle bones at the shoulders.

2:07:25 The otter can undulate its body to propel itself fast through the water.

2:07:33 Those skills work on land, too.

2:07:37 When the youngster flees, Mom's on her own.

2:07:41 (growling, hissing) But she's smarter than they think.

2:07:50 (growling, hissing) They try to surround her...

2:07:58 (growling) (music) ...and sink bite after bite.

2:08:08 (growling) But she saves her best trick for last...

2:08:18 Disappearing.

2:08:20 (music) (growling) She leaves a bloody trail.

2:08:35 But that's all the coyotes get from the wily otter.

2:08:44 For some species...

2:08:46 (bellows) ...the wildest battles aren't always in the wild.

2:08:53 (music) The tranquil suburbs of Southern California offer prime real estate...

2:09:04 for a western fence lizard.

2:09:07 Meet the lord of the manor.

2:09:10 This crack in a wall is his home and shelter, so he'll protect it to the death.

2:09:20 A stranger strays onto his manor.

2:09:24 His battle-scarred tail spells trouble.

2:09:29 He's a serial offender.

2:09:32 He's lost part of his tail in a previous battle.

2:09:38 Every vertebra running through the tail has a special fracture point.

2:09:44 If an enemy grabs the tail, the lizard constricts muscles that will detach

2:09:50 the tail at any of these weak points, so it can escape further harm.

2:09:58 The tail will eventually grow back,

2:10:00 but only as an inflexible piece of cartilage.

2:10:08 Despite the intruder's inferior tail, he's still bent on a break-in.

2:10:14 (music) There are two ways this can go.

2:10:23 To deter enemies and avoid a costly fight,

2:10:26 fence lizards start with a display: a set of push-ups.

2:10:32 (music) The intruder won't back down.

2:10:43 With everything to lose, the lord of the manor goes nuclear.

2:10:51 (music) (music) A lizard's tail is vital for balance.

2:11:03 So the intruder's less flexible tail disadvantages him.

2:11:10 The intruder makes for the mansion door, and targets his opponent's tail.

2:11:16 (music) But the homeowner's healthy tail strikes back.

2:11:25 (music) (music) (music) The homeowner won't quit his manor,

2:11:43 and bites another chunk off the intruder's tail.

2:11:49 This house is not for sale,

2:11:53 and the homeless intruder pays the price for trespassing.