Original subtitles

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

-(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) -BENEDICT: Enter a world...

just beyond your perception.

A world of extraordinary animals...

with hidden powers and super senses.

If you think you know nature...

think again.

-(BIRDS CHIRPING) -(MID-TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Deep in the Canadian wilderness...

(BELLOWS)

...an animal so secretive...

she's known as the Phantom of the Forest.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: The goshawk.

(GOSHAWK CHIRPS)

-(SCREECHES) -BENEDICT: Zero to 40 miles an hour...

in under a second.

The fastest acceleration of any bird of prey.

Short, rounded wings and a foot-long tail, steer through dense forests,

with unparalleled agility.

-Yet even she can be outmaneuvered. -(SCREECHES)

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

BENEDICT: Other, much smaller creatures here...

(GOSHAWK SQUAWKS)

...possess astonishing abilities that can defeat the Phantom of the Forest.

With specialized eyesight adapted to low light,

the chickadee is first to spot the airborne threat...

(SQUAWKS)

-...and first to raise the alarm. -(CHIRPS)

BENEDICT: A coded message...

broadcasting the hawk's position and speed.

(CHIRPS)

BENEDICT: Squirrels not only recognize the chickadees' call...

(CHIRPS)

...they've learned to mimic it...

almost perfectly.

(CHITTERS)

BENEDICT: In seconds, the warning is retweeted from one animal to another.

(BIRDS CHITTERING)

BENEDICT: It relays through the forest at over a 100 miles per hour.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: More than twice as fast as the hawk.

Message received, loud and clear.

"Enemy approaching, low and fast."

When the little guys look out for each other...

it keeps them one step ahead.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(SCREECHES)

BENEDICT: You don't have to be big and tough to survive.

What you really need are friends.

Welcome to the world of animal alliances...

where creatures communicate and collaborate in wonderful ways...

and form the most unexpected partnerships.

BENEDICT: Even in this punishing world...

-by joining forces... -(WIND WHISTLING)

...animals can triumph against extreme odds.

When the weather turns in this North American forest...

sticking together can make the difference between life and death.

At just five ounces, this little squirrel can't store enough bodyfat to hibernate.

So, he has to find food all winter.

But once he leaves his friends...

he could freeze.

When the temperature falls to minus 30...

only the most superpowered squirrel will make it home alive.

He needs food...

and fast.

Large eyes drink in the faint light.

He sees in the dark...

as well as we see in the day.

And his acute sense of smell helps him to locate food on the forest floor.

But a mushroom is only four calories.

He needs 20 to survive the night.

Not easy to come by in deep winter.

If racing up and down in search of food burns more energy than he can find,

this night will be his last.

(CHITTERS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: But this little lightweight has a secret.

He can fly.

Northern flying squirrels have a furry wingsuit,

stretching from wrist to ankle, called a patagium.

They can glide nearly the length of a football field.

And to land, he turns his tail into an air brake.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Sailing between the trees, he finds enough food with minimal effort.

But now, this ninja of the night is far from his friends.

-If he doesn't find them soon... -(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

...he will die.

He sends out an emergency ultrasonic message.

(SCREECHES)

BENEDICT: Most predators can't hear it...

-(SCREECHES) -...but his friends can.

-And when they reply... -(SQUIRRELS SCREECHING)

...he knows exactly where to go.

(SQUIRRELS SCREECHING)

BENEDICT: Now, they must head home together...

to warm up before it's too late.

With more than 20 different dens scattered through the forest...

it could be hard to keep track of where everyone's going...

especially at this speed.

But a recent discovery has exposed an even more spectacular hidden talent.

Flying squirrels...

-glow. -(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Filming in ultraviolet reveals how they fluoresce...

absorbing moonlight in one color...

and emitting it in another.

It's believed that their glow-in-the-dark bellies

act like beacons...

so they can see their friends at night...

and follow them all the way back...

to where they're safe and warm.

Staying close together to make it through the coldest nights.

Some animals take cooperation to another level...

(OWL SQUEALING)

...creating a powerful sense of community...

in which the next generation can safely grow.

(WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Burrowing owls raise their babies in a perilous world.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

BENEDICT: Just ten inches tall, they live beneath the feet.

-of giants. -(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)

(BISON BELLOWS)

BENEDICT: And in constant fear of predators.

(CHITTERING)

BENEDICT: On the wide-open plains of Montana...

-(CHITTERING) -(BISON BELLOWS)

-...danger comes from every angle. -(CHITTERS)

BENEDICT: Thankfully, burrowing owls are all eyes and ears.

-Binocular vision and acute hearing... -(SCREECHES)

BENEDICT: ...allow them to pinpoint danger.

Even more impressive, they look out for each other.

The only owls to live in large groups, up to 100 strong.

They form the ultimate neighborhood watch.

A safe environment for their growing owlets...

(MID-TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: ...to perfect their skills.

(CHITTERING)

(OWLETS CHITTER)

BENEDICT: At one month old, an owlet's eyesight

is already fully developed.

-(SCREECHES) -(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: But now, only weeks before they leave home...

they still need to master their listening skills...

by learning how to rotate their concave faces...

to direct sound towards their ears.

Get it right and it amplifies noises up to ten times...

but it takes practice and coordination.

All the while, the parents have their backs,

keeping a lookout...

and keeping them fed.

Owls are carnivorous, but have no teeth to chew.

So, even the babies swallow meals whole.

Claws, fur, bones, and all.

And what goes in...

must come out...

as a pellet.

(SQUAWKS)

BENEDICT: Anyway, back to class.

How to avoid danger...

by listening to their parents and following their example.

When the rattlesnake alarm is raised...

-(CHITTERING) -(RATTLES)

...the owlets know to keep their distance.

(RATTLES)

BENEDICT: Its venom is potent enough to kill even the largest animals,

to roam America.

But being inquisitive can be a lifesaver.

As long as they keep a watchful eye and keep their distance...

they should be safe.

(RUMBLING)

BENEDICT: Some dangers are harder to avoid.

(BISONS BELLOW)

-(RUMBLING) -(CHITTERS)

-BENEDICT: Bison. -(BISON GROANS)

BENEDICT: They target the openings around owl burrows to dust bathe.

(FLIES BUZZING)

BENEDICT: This two-and-a-half-thousand pound giant...

could easily crush the den, and then trap those inside.

So, the owlets do something truly amazing.

(IMITATES RATTLE)

BENEDICT: They've mastered the art of imitation...

copying that telltale snake-rattle to near perfection.

They scare off a beast 11,000 times their size.

-(IMITATES RATTLE) -(MID-TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: These marvelous little mimics are well on their way to becoming

fully-fledged members of the burrowing owl security force.

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Look up, look around, look closer...

and you'll see

strange relationships hidden everywhere in this wonderful world.

On a few special nights each year

this small patch of forest in the mountains of Mexico...

stages one of the most mesmerizing displays of cooperation on Earth.

(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

-(CRICKETS CHIRPING) -(SCREECHING)

BENEDICT: This male firefly has been waiting

for two years underground.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Now is his chance to shine.

And he has just the right chemistry for the job.

He drives oxygen into his abdomen.

It reacts with potent chemical compounds...

luciferin and luciferase...

in an explosion of bioluminescence.

But even this enchanting ability is not enough on its own.

Females like to be dazzled.

The brighter, the better.

So, his only choice...

is to team up with his rivals.

When thousands of male fireflies come together...

it's certainly brighter...

but far more chaotic.

Females will only make their move when the males flash in sync.

So, slowly, they adjust their timing...

until finally, something magical happens.

They reach supernatural synchronicity...

a glowing Mexican wave, rarely filmed before.

Of 2000 firefly species...

only around 12 display in unison...

and this ripple effect is so phenomenal...

even the pickiest female can't help being turned on.

She shows her interests...

but her light is so faint...

she must make her signal in the gap between the male's flashes.

There are ten rivals vying for each female.

So now, it's every male for himself.

It's this determined fellow who reaches her first...

and finally gets to mate.

But ultimately,

his luck in love is all thanks to this spell-binding display

of cooperation.

The deeper we delve into nature's strange relations...

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: ...the more surprising they become.

On the African savanna...

unlikely allies collaborate to overcome a big problem.

(ELEPHANTS TOOT)

BENEDICT: To satisfy its enormous appetite...

an elephant eats 300 pounds of vegetation in a day.

-(ELEPHANTS HUFF, TRUMPET) -BENEDICT: Trees can't escape.

(ELEPHANT TRUMPETING)

BENEDICT: But the whistling acacia has an extraordinary elephant deterrent.

A low-frequency sonic shield...

(BEES BUZZING)

BENEDICT: ...that sounds like a swarm of angry, stinging bees.

It's a noise that even elephants fear.

(ELEPHANT HUFFS, TRUMPETS)

(SCREECHES)

BENEDICT: The acacia doesn't come with a built-in alarm system...

it's installed by little helpers.

Cocktail ants gnaw holes in the swollen thorns.

It's believed they use their antennae to judge the perfect angle.

So, when the prevailing wind blows...

the acacia starts to sing.

(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: The ant holes not only make the tree whistle...

they are also portals to a hidden world.

Secret safe houses...

where the ants raise their young.

The tree also supplies highly-addictive, sugary nectar to make sure the ants

stick around.

(MID-TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: And just one acacia can house a colony 50,000 strong.

It's a city in the sky...

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: ...but it's under attack.

(LEAVES RUSTLE)

BENEDICT: A six-foot neck can reach the highest leaves.

A dexterous 21-inch tongue can pick between the thorns.

And unlike elephants...

giraffes are immune to an acacia's whistle.

Time for the ants to earn their keep...

(RHYTHMIC DRUM MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: ...and to mobilize an army to take on an enemy,

158 million times their size.

Cocktail ants can't see far, so they detect attackers

using hypersensitive vibration sensors.

As the giraffe feeds...

it sends shockwaves through the branches.

The ants can measure minute differences in these tremors with their legs.

If the front right detects motion, a fraction of a second before back left,

it means enemy ahead, to the right.

The army attacks...

inflicting painful bites to the tongue and face.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: It's one for all...

and all for the tree.

Raising their abdomens, they blast out noxious acid.

It's how they earned their name.

Cocktail ants.

And it works.

(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Losses are inevitable...

but eventually, the giraffe is forced to move on.

Despite damage and casualties...

both acacia and colony live on.

Thanks to their remarkable partnership.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

BENEDICT: It's not only conflict that brings species together.

(WARTHOG OINKS)

BENEDICT: Warthogs love a good mud bath.

(WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: It feels great...

and exfoliates the skin...

but there are some things mud just can't remove.

A hog's body plays host to all sorts of parasites,

blood-sucking ticks and lice...

hiding in places they simply cannot reach.

At least, not without a little help.

This band of mongooses lives close by.

They're a chatty bunch

with one of the most sophisticated animal languages.

(MONGOOSES CHATTER)

BENEDICT: Using a wide vocabulary of vowels and syllables...

they discuss where to find food...

and everyone's agreed.

-It's time to hit the town. -(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Weighing in at 330 pounds...

-(WARTHOG GRUNTS) -BENEDICT: ...and armed to the teeth...

warthogs are usually on the defensive.

But in this Ugandan village...

they've learned to be a little more approachable.

Warthogs and mongooses don't speak the same language...

but they share something exceedingly rare between mammals...

a cross-species collaboration...

initiated...

by body language.

When the hog rolls over, the mongooses understand.

It's an invitation to dine.

With a sense of smell 1000 times more sensitive than our own...

they detect the faint smell of blood...

and pick off protein-packed parasites.

A nutritious meal for the mongooses...

and a much-needed deep clean for the warthog.

This special relationship is only seen in two places on Earth.

Both, around human settlements where there are fewer predators...

so prey can relax a little...

in the company of newfound friends.

As animals adapt to the modern world...

it's giving rise to some of the most efficient

and effective partnerships of all.

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Bottlenose dolphins

use highly sophisticated techniques to catch their prey.

But some have taken hunting to a whole new level...

by teaming up...

with another intelligent animal.

(SEAGULLS SQUAWKING)

BENEDICT: Local fishermen in Laguna, Brazil know that between May and June,

these estuarine waters are swimming with mullet...

but it's too murky to see them...

unless you see in sound.

Echolocation is a precision sonar system, that can detect the size,

speed, and distance of prey.

The dolphins use it to find the mullet...

and then they shepherd them together.

But schooling fish are very hard to target.

So, with a flick of their flukes...

they make a distinctive dive...

providing a signature slap that signals to their fishermen friends...

"It's time to cast."

It helps the humans land catch after catch.

Where otherwise, they would be fishing blind.

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: It helps the dolphins too.

When the nets are cast...

the mullet panic...

break formation...

and scatter...

straight toward the waiting dolphins.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Everyone gets a belly full of fish.

It's the perfect partnership.

Strategic...

ingenious...

with two intelligent species combining to succeed.

There's still much to explore in our world.

And even stranger relationships to discover.

(CROAKING)

BENEDICT: It turns out, one of the most surprising alliances on Earth...

has been hiding right under our feet.

Trees lead a secret social life.

-Deep underground... -(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

...there's a lively conversation taking place.

The trees are talking...

through a newly-discovered social network...

known as the wood wide web.

Fungi, form a matrix of hair-like threads...

detach sugars from tree roots...

and in return...

they provide the tree with minerals, they siphon from the soil.

And this secret subterranean relationship allows something even more unexpected

-to take place. -(CREAKING)

BENEDICT: Once the trees are connected...

they can exchange information...

vital warnings of drought and disease.

This Douglas fir has stood for decades.

But now, it's in peril.

(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: A Douglas fir beetle has a deadly plan...

to raise an army...

and kill the tree.

Broadcasting chemical and electrical signals,

the fir warns its neighbors to produce defensive poisons.

But it may be too late to save itself.

The pea-sized pest emits a pheromone...

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: ...that could seal the fir's fate.

It's calling reinforcements...

and summoning a mass invasion.

Beetles...

arrive...

mate...

and burrow in.

Then their young eat the tree alive.

This mighty fir will be dead within weeks.

But in a selfless final act...

the dying giant diverts sugars to its roots...

(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: ...so these life-giving supplies can be shared through the "woodwide web."

And in doing so, it helps neighbors and offspring

to grow stronger.

As one life ebbs away...

the rest of the forest

becomes better prepared to fight for its future.

We're still discovering the power of the connection

between trees and fungi.

But it's already clear...

this deep-rooted relationship is fundamental to all life on Earth.

-(BIRDS CHIRPING) -(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: They say in nature that only the strongest survive.

BENEDICT: But when cooperation...

and communication...

bring animals and plants together...

and superpowers combine...

even the most vulnerable can become unstoppable.

(RHYTHMIC DRUM MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: If you think you know nature...

(IMITATES RATTLE)

BENEDICT: ...think again.