Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:12,074
Advertise your product or brand here
contact www.OpenSubtitles.org today
2
00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,000
The duels between hunters and hunted
3
00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:51,000
are as dramatic as any event in the natural world.
4
00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,000
The stakes could not be higher.
5
00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:06,000
For both, it's a matter of life and death.
6
00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:14,000
Yet, surprisingly, it's the hunters that usually fail.
7
00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,000
To have any chance of survival,
8
00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:26,000
predators must be perfectly tuned to their own hunting arenas.
9
00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:37,000
Every habitat brings a different challenge.
10
00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,000
This series will reveal, as never before,
11
00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:05,000
the extraordinary range of strategies predators use to catch their prey.
12
00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,000
But even for the most skilful...
13
00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,000
..success is never guaranteed.
14
00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,000
SCREECHING
15
00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:10,000
SNIFFS
16
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,000
BARKS
17
00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:15,000
BARKS
18
00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:18,000
BARKS
19
00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,000
BARKS
20
00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,000
A female leopard on the prowl.
21
00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,000
Few predators instil more fear.
22
00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:46,000
SNIFFS
23
00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,000
Yet, out in the open,
24
00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,000
she has little chance of catching anything.
25
00:03:55,000 --> 00:04:00,000
To succeed, she must get within a few metres of her prey...
26
00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,000
undetected.
27
00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,000
Her strategy is to use cover,
28
00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,000
wearing it like a cloak of invisibility.
29
00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:27,000
She's an expert in stealth.
30
00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,000
Impala are her favourite prey.
31
00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:47,000
This one is just out of her range.
32
00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:48,000
SNIFFS
33
00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,000
She needs to get closer, within four metres.
34
00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:57,000
She only has a short burst of speed.
35
00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:11,000
She must stay hidden until she's in the strike zone.
36
00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,000
TWIG SNAPS
37
00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:30,000
But out of sight doesn't mean out of mind.
38
00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:35,000
Impala have acute hearing and a superb sense of smell.
39
00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:37,000
SNIFFS
40
00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:53,000
Now the only prey she can see is right out in the open.
41
00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:03,000
But leopards are the most versatile of all the big cats,
42
00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:08,000
adept at finding cover in the most unpromising places.
43
00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:30,000
The steep walls of the gully are now her cover for an ambush.
44
00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:39,000
The male puku is close enough, but he's too big to tackle.
45
00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,000
She needs to slip past him without being seen.
46
00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,000
If he spots her, he'll blow her cover.
47
00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:01,000
SNIFFS
48
00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:19,000
Slowly does it...
49
00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,000
To succeed here,
50
00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,000
she needs to find prey grazing close to the edge.
51
00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:35,000
Or better still,
52
00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,000
in the gully itself.
53
00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:25,000
Frustration.
54
00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,000
Success would have staved off hunger for a week.
55
00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,000
But while there's prey around, there's hope.
56
00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,000
Peeking over the top is a risk,
57
00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,000
but it's the quickest way to find a new target.
58
00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,000
SNIFFS
59
00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:26,000
A burst of speed of 40mph
60
00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:28,000
and it's all over in less than six seconds.
61
00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,000
Except...it isn't.
62
00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,000
Dazed and disorientated,
63
00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,000
the impala makes a miraculous escape.
64
00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,000
It's been the perfect stealth hunt
65
00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,000
and she's nothing to show for it.
66
00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:12,000
But then, six out of seven leopard hunts end in failure.
67
00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,000
A leopard's hunting strategy depends on finding cover.
68
00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,000
But how do you catch your prey
69
00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,000
in a place where there's literally nowhere to hide?
70
00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:33,000
That's the challenge facing Zambia's wild dogs.
71
00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:44,000
This close-knit pack is made up of one adult female
72
00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,000
and her 12 offspring from last year.
73
00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,000
Unlike the solitary leopard,
74
00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,000
wild dogs depend for their survival on teamwork.
75
00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,000
Dogs that play together...
76
00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:15,000
work together.
77
00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:27,000
Each morning, the pack heads out across the open plain,
78
00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,000
prospecting for prey.
79
00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:36,000
Mother decides which direction they go.
80
00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,000
The rest stay close.
81
00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:52,000
They'll keep going for miles until they find the right kind of prey.
82
00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:03,000
Adult zebra are too big a challenge.
83
00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:08,000
And the same goes for tsessebe.
84
00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:18,000
An oribi is an easier target.
85
00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,000
But is it worth the effort,
86
00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:26,000
especially on an oribi that's as fit and bouncy as this one?
87
00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,000
Better to save their energy for something bigger.
88
00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:38,000
A wildebeest.
89
00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,000
It's what they've been looking for.
90
00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,000
The dogs need to make the wildebeest run.
91
00:12:56,000 --> 00:13:01,000
Their success will depend on wearing him down in a long chase.
92
00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:26,000
While the prey's running, the dogs have the advantage.
93
00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:44,000
But when the wildebeest stand their ground, the tables are turned.
94
00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,000
Faced with a wall of horns,
95
00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:52,000
the pack is powerless.
96
00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:56,000
But not all the wildebeest have had the courage to stop.
97
00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,000
Now the real contest begins.
98
00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:14,000
The wildebeest are big and strong.
99
00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:19,000
But the dogs have stamina.
100
00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,000
Right now, hunters and hunted are clocking 40mph.
101
00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,000
The pack can keep this pace up for miles.
102
00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,000
The wildebeest can't.
103
00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,000
One wildebeest peels off.
104
00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,000
Then another two.
105
00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:05,000
The split confuses the inexperienced pack,
106
00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,000
sending them in different directions.
107
00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:13,000
The mother and one youngster continue on.
108
00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:26,000
The rest of the pack stop, believing they have an easier target.
109
00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:38,000
It's a mistake.
110
00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:44,000
Like a beast with two heads, each bull protects the other's rear.
111
00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,000
And the dogs can do nothing.
112
00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,000
Ahead, the chase continues.
113
00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,000
Another wildebeest peels off.
114
00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:02,000
Now the mother has just one in her sights.
115
00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:07,000
But it will mean nothing without the help of the rest of the pack.
116
00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,000
The situation here has reached stalemate.
117
00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,000
The young dogs have lost valuable time.
118
00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:22,000
They must try and catch up with their mother.
119
00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,000
Back at the front, the mother is beginning to tire.
120
00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,000
And the wildebeest knows it,
121
00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:44,000
bouncing to show he's still strong and not worth chasing.
122
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,000
But fresh, young legs are catching up fast.
123
00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,000
When one dog tires,
124
00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:08,000
there's always another member of the team to take up the lead.
125
00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:17,000
The dogs now have the numbers to bring the wildebeest down.
126
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:31,000
Each bite risks a broken jaw,
127
00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:34,000
but going for the legs is the only way to stop it.
128
00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:40,000
And they must do so before it reaches the safety of the herd,
129
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,000
a few hundred metres ahead.
130
00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:11,000
After a 20-minute chase, the bull's energy is near spent.
131
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:19,000
This time there will be no sanctuary within the herd.
132
00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,000
The dogs' stamina has been rewarded.
133
00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:29,000
All they must do now is to bring their quarry to the ground.
134
00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,000
Working as a pack
135
00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,000
allows wild dogs to take on prey ten times heavier
136
00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,000
than any one of them.
137
00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:53,000
But many mouths need a lot of food.
138
00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:58,000
The price they pay for these numbers
139
00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:02,000
is knowing they'll have to attempt the same thing again tomorrow...
140
00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:04,000
and every day.
141
00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:14,000
Teamwork and stamina on Africa's open plains
142
00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:16,000
have proved to be a winning combination.
143
00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:27,000
But in the dense and complex world of the jungle,
144
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:31,000
hunting is a never-ending game of hide and seek.
145
00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:40,000
Here, it pays to sit still...
146
00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:43,000
..and blend in...
147
00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:50,000
..because you just never know who's watching.
148
00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,000
The Parson's chameleon is an expert
149
00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,000
in the see-and-not-be-seen game.
150
00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,000
It lets its eyes do all the work...
151
00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:22,000
..while the rest of its body moves in slow motion,
152
00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,000
so as not to scare possible targets.
153
00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:30,000
The problem is that it can only see prey if it moves.
154
00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,000
So is this a stick insect...
155
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:37,000
..or a stick?
156
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:40,000
Ah-hah...
157
00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:45,000
Time to unleash its secret weapon...
158
00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:55,000
..a tongue longer than its body.
159
00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:04,000
The Parson's close cousin, the nasutum chameleon,
160
00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,000
has the same weapon, but in miniature.
161
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:17,000
As small as a matchstick, he needs to get much closer to its prey.
162
00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,000
But even with eyes as big as its stomach,
163
00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,000
this isn't the meal deal he was hoping for.
164
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:42,000
In the jungle, it's hard finding the right-sized prey
165
00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:43,000
when you're a tiny predator.
166
00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,000
Promising opportunities
167
00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:55,000
can quickly turn to disappointment.
168
00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,000
Spotting any kind of prey in this dense, green world
169
00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:05,000
is hard.
170
00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:11,000
If you do find something, you want to make sure it doesn't escape.
171
00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,000
The praying mantis has arms
172
00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,000
that can strike ten times faster than a blink of the eye.
173
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:26,000
And it's the only insect known to see in 3D.
174
00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:30,000
Perfect for judging strike distances.
175
00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,000
But like the chameleon,
176
00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,000
her problem is seeing prey when it freezes.
177
00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,000
She needs some movement to be sure it's food.
178
00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,000
Just the tiniest sign of life.
179
00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:58,000
Yep, that's done it.
180
00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:07,000
The lightning strike has given her the edge over her insect prey,
181
00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:11,000
but it doesn't pay to be complacent.
182
00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,000
In the jungle arms race,
183
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:25,000
only too often there's someone else with a more powerful weapon.
184
00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:32,000
And there's one predator that has, perhaps,
185
00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:36,000
the most ingenious answer of all to the jungle's challenge.
186
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:42,000
It lives along rivers in the rainforests of Madagascar.
187
00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:47,000
The insects it hunts fly down the same jungle corridors.
188
00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:50,000
But there's a problem.
189
00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,000
It's a web-building spider.
190
00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:57,000
So how does it get over the river to hunt?
191
00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,000
It's called Darwin's bark spider
192
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:05,000
and the female has a remarkable strategy.
193
00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:27,000
Like a real-life Spider-Woman,
194
00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:32,000
she sprays strands of silk in one long, continuous flow.
195
00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,000
The threads fan out like a sail
196
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:41,000
and drift on air currents blowing across the water.
197
00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:46,000
Every few seconds, she crimps the strands together
198
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,000
to stop them spreading too widely.
199
00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,000
The breeze will do the rest,
200
00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:58,000
blowing the threads into a single line and a 25-metre bridge.
201
00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:06,000
Now she must reinforce her bridge, because her web will hang from it.
202
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:16,000
But there's something bouncing the line at the other end.
203
00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:21,000
Another Darwin's spider is trying to take advantage of her hard work.
204
00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:31,000
She must deal with the intruder head on.
205
00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,000
The cut line is an inconvenience,
206
00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:40,000
but no more than that.
207
00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:46,000
With hooks on the tips of each leg, she gathers in the thread.
208
00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:55,000
It won't go to waste, as she'll eat it later.
209
00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,000
When it's all reeled in, she sprays again.
210
00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:13,000
Out streams another 25-metre bridging line.
211
00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:23,000
How a spider, no bigger than a thumbnail,
212
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,000
can produce so much silk so quickly
213
00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:28,000
has baffled scientists.
214
00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,000
And it's no ordinary silk.
215
00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:37,000
It's the toughest natural fibre on the planet,
216
00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:38,000
tougher than steel.
217
00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:45,000
And it needs to be tough to span the wide river.
218
00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,000
With the bridge taut
219
00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,000
and the ground anchor in place,
220
00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,000
it's time to construct her trap.
221
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:11,000
These spiders can build the world's largest orb webs,
222
00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:12,000
up to two metres wide.
223
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:19,000
A few hours from the first spray of bridging line,
224
00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,000
the job is done.
225
00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:27,000
Now her strategy is simple...
226
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:30,000
..sit and wait.
227
00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:53,000
And there's one final bout of silk production...
228
00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:58,000
..shrink-wrapping her food for later.
229
00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:07,000
Not all rivers provide their predators
230
00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,000
with a steady supply of prey.
231
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:13,000
On the Grumeti River in Tanzania
232
00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:16,000
lives the planet's most patient predator.
233
00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:21,000
A Nile crocodile.
234
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:25,000
Five metres long,
235
00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,000
700 kilos
236
00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:29,000
and very hungry.
237
00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:35,000
His last square meal was nearly a year ago.
238
00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:44,000
The river's other residents aren't food...
239
00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:47,000
..just a distraction.
240
00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,000
He is waiting for something bigger
241
00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:54,000
from over the horizon.
242
00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,000
But beyond the big croc's isolated river,
243
00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,000
there's still no sign of the migratory herds
244
00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,000
he depends on for survival.
245
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:14,000
Other, smaller crocs are waiting, too...
246
00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:19,000
..but their meal ticket depends on the hunting skills of the big guy.
247
00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:29,000
The herds could be here in a week, or a month.
248
00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:32,000
In rare years, not at all.
249
00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:38,000
Until then, the crocs must conserve their energy.
250
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:02,000
GRUNTING AND MOOING
251
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,000
Finally, the sound they've all been waiting for.
252
00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:14,000
The herds have arrived.
253
00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:26,000
It's time for the crocs to get into position.
254
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,000
All eyes will be on the big guy.
255
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:45,000
Only he has the power to tackle a full-grown wildebeest.
256
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,000
The year-long wait is almost over.
257
00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:05,000
After months on the march, the wildebeest are desperate to drink.
258
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:15,000
But experience has taught the adults to be cautious.
259
00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:26,000
The water is just too inviting for a calf,
260
00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:28,000
unaware of the dangers within.
261
00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,000
But every wildebeest must take its chances...
262
00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,000
..and hope that its reflexes are faster
263
00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:49,000
than what many know lurks in the murky waters.
264
00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:59,000
Just a harmless hippo.
265
00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:23,000
That was no hippo.
266
00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:30,000
It's put the wildebeest more on edge.
267
00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:39,000
But here, fear always gives way to thirst.
268
00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:11,000
Catching the wildebeest is all about timing.
269
00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:38,000
The big croc's technique is rusty.
270
00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:40,000
It's been a whole year since his last hunt
271
00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:42,000
and he's out of practice.
272
00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:51,000
But this isn't the end of the drama, just an intermission.
273
00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:55,000
For the next two weeks,
274
00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:58,000
waves of wildebeest will pass through the Grumeti.
275
00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:05,000
Time for the big croc to try a different tactic.
276
00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,000
The floating log.
277
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:17,000
He's hoping the wildebeest won't notice him until it's too late.
278
00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,000
Now the smaller crocs move in.
279
00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:49,000
The big croc will need their help to tear off chunks.
280
00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:54,000
Crocs can't chew, so they have to spin together
281
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,000
to tear pieces off the carcass.
282
00:34:58,000 --> 00:34:59,000
Everyone gets their share...
283
00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:04,000
..and it's all thanks to the big guy.
284
00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:11,000
He won't feed again until the wildebeest return next year.
285
00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:19,000
Across the globe, millions of animals are continuously on the move
286
00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:23,000
in search of seasonal food.
287
00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,000
But it's not just prey animals that must migrate.
288
00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:30,000
Some predators have to journey, too.
289
00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:41,000
Amur falcons are one of the world's greatest long-distance travellers.
290
00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:49,000
As their prey dries up in their breeding grounds in Siberia,
291
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:53,000
they embark on an epic migration to Southern Africa,
292
00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:58,000
crossing 14 countries, two continents and one ocean.
293
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:05,000
Only here, in this remote valley in northeast India,
294
00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:07,000
do they join forces.
295
00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:20,000
A million falcons
296
00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:23,000
and the greatest gathering of birds of prey on the planet.
297
00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:43,000
This valley is a vital pit stop on the falcons' migration.
298
00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:48,000
The tiny raptors can go no further
299
00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:50,000
until they build up their fat reserves...
300
00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:56,000
..and they've timed their arrival here perfectly.
301
00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:06,000
For just a few weeks each year, winged termites, alates,
302
00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:10,000
leave the safety of their mounds in millions.
303
00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:30,000
High in calories, these alates are exactly what the falcons need
304
00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:33,000
to fuel their oceanic crossing,
305
00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:37,000
the longest made by any bird of prey.
306
00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,000
To have any chance of surviving their journey,
307
00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:08,000
they must nearly double their weight in just two weeks.
308
00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:14,000
Those that make it to South Africa
309
00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:18,000
will have to do the whole trip back again in four months' time.
310
00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:22,000
For Amur falcons,
311
00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:27,000
survival means flying 14,000 miles every year of their lives.
312
00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:41,000
For some predators, it's not the distance they have to travel
313
00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:43,000
that's their greatest challenge,
314
00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:44,000
but the size of their prey.
315
00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:49,000
And few challenges come bigger than the one in this ocean.
316
00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:54,000
Each year, female humpback whales
317
00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:58,000
journey from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to Australia
318
00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:00,000
to have their calves.
319
00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:04,000
These calm, warm waters are a perfect nursery.
320
00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:08,000
Perfect, but for one thing.
321
00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:14,000
Orcas, killer whales.
322
00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:19,000
They appear just as the migration begins.
323
00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:22,000
And they're on the hunt for calves.
324
00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:28,000
Highly intelligent, orca are the ocean's most successful predator.
325
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:35,000
When hunting, they can travel at 30mph...
326
00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:41,000
..twice as fast as a mother and calf.
327
00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:07,000
The hunters close in silently.
328
00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:17,000
It's only now that the mother realises they've been followed.
329
00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,000
The orca have the advantage of numbers,
330
00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:21,000
but they need to be cautious.
331
00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:27,000
The mother's rear is protected by a five-metre-wide tail
332
00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:29,000
that could slice through them.
333
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:37,000
Her flanks are defended by a pair of long, barnacle-covered flippers.
334
00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:41,000
And in the middle is the calf,
335
00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:44,000
riding high on its mother's back and out of reach.
336
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:47,000
To separate mother from calf,
337
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:50,000
the orca must use all their intelligence.
338
00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:53,000
They take it in turns
339
00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:56,000
to try and wave wash the baby away from its mother.
340
00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:05,000
In a month, the calf would be strong enough to withstand the onslaught.
341
00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:09,000
Not now.
342
00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:16,000
But then the tables are turned.
343
00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:21,000
A male humpback arrives, driving the orca away with its flippers.
344
00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:34,000
And the situation worsens when a second male appears.
345
00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:40,000
Now the pod face the power of three 40-tonne whales,
346
00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:43,000
and the escorts make their weight count.
347
00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:56,000
The bubbles are like a smokescreen,
348
00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:59,000
blocking the orcas' vision and sonar.
349
00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:03,000
There's a real danger of being injured
350
00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:06,000
by an unseen fluke or flipper.
351
00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:20,000
With the escorts defending both sides of the mother,
352
00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:23,000
the killer whales have been outmanoeuvred.
353
00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:35,000
As the orca retreat, the escorts drive home their advantage,
354
00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:37,000
pushing the hunters further away.
355
00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:47,000
It's an error of judgment.
356
00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:51,000
With mother and calf unprotected,
357
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:54,000
the orca double back before the humpbacks can react.
358
00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:20,000
The killer whales separate the calf from its mother.
359
00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:25,000
They push the calf underwater
360
00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:28,000
and drown it.
361
00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:38,000
The intelligent hunters have turned defeat into victory.
362
00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:50,000
The orcas' prize is so large that sharks are quick to take advantage.
363
00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:05,000
Through intelligence, stamina and teamwork,
364
00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:09,000
the orca have mastered the ocean's greatest challenge.
365
00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:14,000
Yet even they fail as often as they succeed.
366
00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:26,000
Most predators fail most of the time.
367
00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:31,000
It's what makes them the hardest-working animals
368
00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:33,000
on the planet.
369
00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:44,000
The pressure is even greater when they have other mouths to feed.
370
00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:54,000
At eight months old,
371
00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:58,000
these cubs are still totally dependent on their mother.
372
00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:06,000
To support them she must kill something large, like a gazelle,
373
00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:08,000
nearly every day.
374
00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:13,000
But these youngsters are proof
375
00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:16,000
that she has overcome the challenge of their habitat.
376
00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:25,000
Few cheetah mothers get this far with four cubs.
377
00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:42,000
If the cubs are to survive without her,
378
00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:44,000
they must watch their mother carefully
379
00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:48,000
and learn the strategies for hunting on the open plains.
380
00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:54,000
There's a lot to take in.
381
00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:17,000
They'll need to learn
382
00:46:17,000 --> 00:46:21,000
that their top speed can only be sustained for a few seconds.
383
00:46:32,000 --> 00:46:36,000
They'll have to master how to match the twisting turns of the prey,
384
00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:38,000
so they get close enough to trip it.
385
00:46:58,000 --> 00:47:02,000
And they will soon learn the margin for error is tiny.
386
00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:10,000
The odds are against them.
387
00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:18,000
90% of cheetah cubs
388
00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:21,000
never make it to their second birthday.
389
00:47:24,000 --> 00:47:26,000
Even with this experienced mother,
390
00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:30,000
the future for this family is far from certain.
391
00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:38,000
All any predator can do is to keep on trying.
392
00:47:54,000 --> 00:47:56,000
For The Hunt team,
393
00:47:56,000 --> 00:47:59,000
filming a Nile crocodile capturing a wildebeest
394
00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:03,000
would require the same skill, patience and reactions
395
00:48:03,000 --> 00:48:06,000
as the five-metre reptile.
396
00:48:10,000 --> 00:48:13,000
The timing of the shoot would also be critical,
397
00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:15,000
since this behaviour only happens
398
00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:19,000
when the crocs' river is at its lowest point.
399
00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:26,000
But things get off to the worst possible start -
400
00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:30,000
the river in flood in the middle of the dry season.
401
00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:33,000
What we hoped for was that the Grumeti River
402
00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:35,000
would be just a series of pools
403
00:48:35,000 --> 00:48:37,000
full of crocodiles.
404
00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:40,000
They're probably scattered over 30 or 40 miles of river.
405
00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:41,000
So we've got to wait for two things -
406
00:48:41,000 --> 00:48:44,000
the crocs to bunch up and the wildebeest to come.
407
00:48:45,000 --> 00:48:49,000
As well as Mark, this small crew includes son Jacca
408
00:48:49,000 --> 00:48:52,000
and camerawoman and wife Vicky.
409
00:48:53,000 --> 00:48:55,000
Are you keeping watch?
410
00:48:55,000 --> 00:48:58,000
I am. I'm watching my son and my husband
411
00:48:58,000 --> 00:49:02,000
in a very deep, muddy river with lots of crocodiles!
412
00:49:02,000 --> 00:49:05,000
You could lose a large part of your family here if you're not careful.
413
00:49:05,000 --> 00:49:07,000
Yeah. Basically, half of us could be wiped out.
414
00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:09,000
These crocs hunt by stealth
415
00:49:09,000 --> 00:49:12,000
and they can sneak up in this dark, murky water
416
00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:13,000
right to the edge of the bank.
417
00:49:13,000 --> 00:49:17,000
So the golden rule of filming here
418
00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:20,000
is to be one metre from the water.
419
00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:28,000
Not to be outdone by the floodwater,
420
00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:31,000
the team sets up the first hide.
421
00:49:35,000 --> 00:49:38,000
But any idea of filming is soon swept away.
422
00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:42,000
Literally, within half an hour, an hour,
423
00:49:42,000 --> 00:49:43,000
I felt water around my ankles.
424
00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:46,000
If I was still in that hide, then he definitely wouldn't be on the bank.
425
00:49:46,000 --> 00:49:49,000
We're not going to go in and get it.
426
00:49:49,000 --> 00:49:50,000
The water the colour it is
427
00:49:50,000 --> 00:49:53,000
and knowing that he's got friends around,
428
00:49:53,000 --> 00:49:55,000
who could be literally just at the base there.
429
00:49:55,000 --> 00:49:58,000
With a flooded river and no wildebeest,
430
00:49:58,000 --> 00:50:01,000
the wait was going to be longer than expected.
431
00:50:01,000 --> 00:50:03,000
Crocs are used to being patient.
432
00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:06,000
But now we've got to show equal patience.
433
00:50:10,000 --> 00:50:12,000
Leaving the raging river,
434
00:50:12,000 --> 00:50:15,000
the team go in search of the migrating wildebeest,
435
00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:19,000
to see just how far they are from the Grumeti.
436
00:50:21,000 --> 00:50:23,000
I think we should go over the other side
437
00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:25,000
and then we'll get a sense of the number.
438
00:50:25,000 --> 00:50:28,000
Should be up here. Do you want to take the controls? I'll take the controls.
439
00:50:28,000 --> 00:50:31,000
It's some time before they find the wildebeest
440
00:50:31,000 --> 00:50:33,000
on the Serengeti's vast plains.
441
00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:37,000
Loads there. Loads?
442
00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:39,000
Yeah, spread all the way across... Oh, OK!
443
00:50:39,000 --> 00:50:40,000
Fantastic. How far away are we?
444
00:50:40,000 --> 00:50:43,000
70 miles away.
445
00:50:43,000 --> 00:50:45,000
Still a long way from the Grumeti,
446
00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:49,000
but at least the wildebeest were heading in the right direction.
447
00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:52,000
MARK TALKS INDISTINCTLY
448
00:50:56,000 --> 00:50:58,000
The wildebeest are still a long way away
449
00:50:58,000 --> 00:51:01,000
but, in the meantime, we can hopefully pick up
450
00:51:01,000 --> 00:51:04,000
these intimate moments with these really huge crocs.
451
00:51:07,000 --> 00:51:09,000
Finding the biggest and most dominant croc
452
00:51:09,000 --> 00:51:11,000
would be key to the team's success.
453
00:51:13,000 --> 00:51:17,000
Only the top croc would be powerful enough to grab a wildebeest.
454
00:51:19,000 --> 00:51:21,000
To find their star,
455
00:51:21,000 --> 00:51:24,000
Mark and Vicky would need to look out for territorial behaviour.
456
00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:29,000
Today it's sunny and it's early in the morning.
457
00:51:29,000 --> 00:51:31,000
I'm full of hope.
458
00:51:32,000 --> 00:51:36,000
But at the end of the day, all Mark sees is one static croc.
459
00:51:38,000 --> 00:51:41,000
He lay on the sandbank all day, I guess, seven hours.
460
00:51:43,000 --> 00:51:45,000
Urgh! Patience.
461
00:51:45,000 --> 00:51:47,000
And Vicky wasn't having much luck, either.
462
00:51:47,000 --> 00:51:51,000
When we first found it, there were crocs all over the bank over there
463
00:51:51,000 --> 00:51:54,000
and now I've been in here several hours and there's not one.
464
00:51:55,000 --> 00:51:57,000
After a week,
465
00:51:57,000 --> 00:52:00,000
Mark and Vicky are no closer to finding their dominant croc.
466
00:52:01,000 --> 00:52:05,000
But at least the news on the wildebeest was more positive.
467
00:52:05,000 --> 00:52:07,000
34 miles. Getting closer.
468
00:52:07,000 --> 00:52:10,000
Back on the river, it was like Groundhog Day.
469
00:52:11,000 --> 00:52:13,000
Crocs are all-or-nothing creatures.
470
00:52:14,000 --> 00:52:17,000
And I'm afraid it's been another day of nothing.
471
00:52:18,000 --> 00:52:22,000
With no sign of any action, the hours of watching motionless crocs
472
00:52:22,000 --> 00:52:24,000
were beginning to take their toll.
473
00:52:26,000 --> 00:52:28,000
It's like watching paint dry.
474
00:52:33,000 --> 00:52:35,000
Well, that was useless.
475
00:52:35,000 --> 00:52:36,000
Utterly useless.
476
00:52:38,000 --> 00:52:39,000
The crocs just didn't come.
477
00:52:39,000 --> 00:52:43,000
The team needed something to change
478
00:52:43,000 --> 00:52:45,000
and the falling water seemed a good omen.
479
00:52:46,000 --> 00:52:49,000
This is what the floodwaters left us - the lower jaw of a croc.
480
00:52:49,000 --> 00:52:51,000
And look at that. I mean, it's...it's heavy.
481
00:52:51,000 --> 00:52:54,000
This has come from a croc who must be at least five metres.
482
00:52:56,000 --> 00:52:58,000
And they're down there.
483
00:52:58,000 --> 00:53:01,000
Don't step too close to the water, sweetheart.
484
00:53:01,000 --> 00:53:03,000
I got too excited by the jaw!
485
00:53:06,000 --> 00:53:07,000
And with the water dropping,
486
00:53:07,000 --> 00:53:10,000
excitement was finally rising amongst the crocs.
487
00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:19,000
Well, that felt so different this morning.
488
00:53:19,000 --> 00:53:22,000
It really felt like there was an energy there...
489
00:53:23,000 --> 00:53:25,000
..that hasn't been there for weeks.
490
00:53:25,000 --> 00:53:30,000
And it isn't long before the team find their dominant croc.
491
00:53:30,000 --> 00:53:35,000
The big territorial male, who we hope will do most of the hunting,
492
00:53:35,000 --> 00:53:36,000
has been very active this morning.
493
00:53:36,000 --> 00:53:40,000
He's been displaying, really patrolling this stretch.
494
00:53:42,000 --> 00:53:44,000
With a big croc to focus on,
495
00:53:44,000 --> 00:53:47,000
all they needed now were the wildebeest.
496
00:53:48,000 --> 00:53:52,000
Mark and Vicky take to the skies to check on their progress.
497
00:53:52,000 --> 00:53:55,000
Look, right as far as you can see...
498
00:53:55,000 --> 00:53:58,000
The crocs might actually get a meal. That's great, Vick.
499
00:53:59,000 --> 00:54:03,000
The wildebeest were, at last, less than a day away from the Grumeti.
500
00:54:08,000 --> 00:54:12,000
Mark and Vicky take up positions on either side of the river.
501
00:54:12,000 --> 00:54:14,000
WHISPERS: We can see wildebeest
502
00:54:14,000 --> 00:54:16,000
just trying to come down,
503
00:54:16,000 --> 00:54:18,000
but they're just so nervous.
504
00:54:18,000 --> 00:54:22,000
After such a long wait, it's a tense time.
505
00:54:24,000 --> 00:54:27,000
Success for crew and croc
506
00:54:27,000 --> 00:54:29,000
will depend on split-second reactions.
507
00:54:41,000 --> 00:54:44,000
For the big croc, the first session ends in failure.
508
00:54:45,000 --> 00:54:49,000
It's very easy to have empathy for the animals that are being hunted,
509
00:54:49,000 --> 00:54:52,000
but I have to say that, in this instance...
510
00:54:53,000 --> 00:54:56,000
..my sympathies are all with the crocs.
511
00:54:56,000 --> 00:54:59,000
We've just seen how, over the past month,
512
00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:01,000
they've had nothing to eat at all
513
00:55:01,000 --> 00:55:03,000
and that's been what they've experienced for the last year.
514
00:55:06,000 --> 00:55:10,000
And it's a few days before the wildebeest return.
515
00:55:10,000 --> 00:55:12,000
It's 12 o'clock.
516
00:55:12,000 --> 00:55:16,000
Very hot, but I can hear the wildebeest again.
517
00:55:18,000 --> 00:55:20,000
There's a baby going in a bit further.
518
00:55:20,000 --> 00:55:22,000
Come on...
519
00:55:24,000 --> 00:55:26,000
Something's got to happen.
520
00:55:26,000 --> 00:55:27,000
Yeah, now he's right out there.
521
00:55:29,000 --> 00:55:31,000
Croc's right there next to him.
522
00:55:32,000 --> 00:55:34,000
Oh, God, you can see the croc underneath the surface.
523
00:55:34,000 --> 00:55:37,000
You can just see the swirl and just the dark shape.
524
00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:39,000
And there he goes! Oh!
525
00:55:40,000 --> 00:55:42,000
Urgh!
526
00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:46,000
And he missed him again.
527
00:55:46,000 --> 00:55:49,000
Yeah, at this time of the year, it's absolutely crucial for them.
528
00:55:49,000 --> 00:55:52,000
If they don't feed now, then they're in dire straits.
529
00:55:55,000 --> 00:55:57,000
Oh, here they come.
530
00:55:57,000 --> 00:55:59,000
Thirsty innocence.
531
00:56:01,000 --> 00:56:03,000
Come on, guys. That's better.
532
00:56:03,000 --> 00:56:05,000
Come on, you can do it.
533
00:56:05,000 --> 00:56:09,000
Got two there now, coming down on their knees next to them.
534
00:56:11,000 --> 00:56:13,000
Come on, you can do it.
535
00:56:13,000 --> 00:56:15,000
Just one footstep further out.
536
00:56:15,000 --> 00:56:17,000
That's all that croc needs.
537
00:56:18,000 --> 00:56:19,000
Oh, yeah, yeah.
538
00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:21,000
Go on...
539
00:56:21,000 --> 00:56:22,000
There he goes!
540
00:56:27,000 --> 00:56:29,000
Well, that was amazing. I mean, just...
541
00:56:29,000 --> 00:56:31,000
It suddenly happened.
542
00:56:31,000 --> 00:56:35,000
Trying to work out where the crocs were underwater was a nightmare!
543
00:56:35,000 --> 00:56:37,000
That was so intense.
544
00:56:37,000 --> 00:56:39,000
One minute, there was nothing.
545
00:56:39,000 --> 00:56:42,000
And the next minute, the bank was covered in wildebeest and then...
546
00:56:42,000 --> 00:56:43,000
one was taken.
547
00:56:47,000 --> 00:56:49,000
But I got it!
548
00:56:53,000 --> 00:56:56,000
Next time, the hunt is on in the frozen north,
549
00:56:56,000 --> 00:56:58,000
the High Arctic.
550
00:57:00,000 --> 00:57:04,000
One of the toughest places on Earth in which to make a living.
551
00:57:06,000 --> 00:57:11,000
To succeed here, a predator must exploit the few good times...
552
00:57:12,000 --> 00:57:15,000
..to endure the bad.
553
00:57:17,000 --> 00:57:25,000
For a free, interactive Open University poster, call...
554
00:57:25,000 --> 00:57:29,000
or go to...
555
00:57:29,000 --> 00:57:31,000
and follow the links to the Open University.
556
00:58:05,000 --> 00:58:07,000
# I put a spell on you
557
00:58:10,000 --> 00:58:14,000
# Cos you're mine
558
00:58:15,000 --> 00:58:17,000
# I can't stand it... #
559
00:58:18,305 --> 00:58:24,474
Support us and become VIP member
to remove all ads from OpenSubtitles.org
44058
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.