All language subtitles for x12

[narrator] In battle,
communication can be the key to
success... From a warning cry

You hear the wails
and squeaks.

These alpha males can be
really big bullies.

[narrator] To loud mothers...

If she loses this fight,
her cubs could die.

[narrator] Some bat
the breeze...

Shrieking, screaming, cackling.

[narrator] And an apex alpha
to beat all others.

A king of kings.

The scariest animals
on the planet. Hands down.

[narrator] Because these
animals don't just talk tough.

They're that damn good.

[narrator] Everyday,
everywhere,

our planet is a battleground.

Turf wars...

Food fights...

And mating mayhem rage on.

as animals outwit and
outmanoeuvre their own kind

in Battle of the Alphas.

The shady canopy of South
America's tropical forests.

This is the realm of
the brown capuchin monkey.

Named because they resembled
16th-century monks.

But as habits go, these monkeys
have some dangerous ones.

When capuchins are casualties
of something,

it's usually
at each other's hands.

[intense music]

[narrator] Living in large
groups of up to 30,

the troop is led
by the dominant male.

Capuchins or capuchins
are intensely sociable animals,

particularly
the brown capuchin.

But there is a really clear,
distinct hierarchy.

The alpha male is the main man.

[narrator] Finding food
is crucial monkey business

and takes up two thirds
of their day.

They eat primarily fruits and
fruits have patchy abundance.

Everyone's always hoping
to find enough to eat.

[narrator] So, when a good
source is discovered,

a special call goes out.

But if another troop invades
the alpha male's home turf...

You hear the wails
and squeaks

and you can hear the rustling
through the trees.

[narrator] Feeding grounds can
quickly become battlegrounds.

They use lots of different
types of vocalizations or calls

depending on whether
it might be

a neighbouring troop
of monkeys

or whether it's a different type
of predator.

When two troops come
in contact with one another,

how they communicate. It starts
with this whistle vocalization,

whistling at one another.

[narrator] Then this rumble
gets real.

No one likes uninvited
dinner guests.

[screeching]

But surprisingly,

the alpha reserves the harshest
punishment for his own.

He absolutely rules the roost
with an iron fist.

[narrator] Aggressive
competition within the same troop

can be 10 times more intense
than fights with intruders.

And sometimes you'll actually
see subordinate animals,

literally fighting trying
to scrounge enough food to eat

and they have to fight the
dominant just for access to it.

[narrator] This dinner party
has a strict seating plan.

Not only does the dominant
male get to eat first,

he gets to eat his fill.

[narrator] It's dinner time
at this fruit tree,

and the alpha is hungry.

That's when he throws
his weight around.

Makes sure
that he eats first,

he eats as much
as he can possibly eat.

The subordinates
will have to wait.

And he almost weaponizes food.

These alpha males
can be really big bullies,

and pick on
these subordinate males

to keep them in their place.

So that even when
there's plenty of food around,

the dominant alpha male will eat
up to 20-25 % more

than all the other
animals below.

And because they're eating more,
they're healthier,

they're stronger. Ensuring that
he stays top dog

or top monkey.

But there's a curious thing.

Being at the very bottom
of the dominance queue,

you're a little bit better off

than being higher,
but not the top.

That's who he takes
his aggression out on the most.

[narrator] But sometimes the
alpha can find a monkey

on his back or his front...

Despite being quite small,
they're really powerful.

They've got a very high
strength-to-weight ratio

and they're really incredibly muscular.

When fights break out,
first of all,

they can be very, very loud.

They're beginning to wrestle,

they're standing
on their hind legs.

Which means they can use
their front legs for fighting

and wrestling and throwing their
opponent down to the ground.

And almost using that
prehensile tail as a prop.

They use that long tail
for counterbalance

to help keep them safe
up in the trees.

There's some scuffling.
There's pushing.

You'll see them open up
their mouths

and kinda nash at one another.

[narrator] But these fights
can end up being deadly.

They're tussling,
and they can injure each other.

These injuries can lead
to fatalities.

Whether falling through
a tree branch or falling

and crashing
to the forest floor.

Those are the things
that really harm them.

[narrator] Even if they
do survive,

it's best not to hold
a grudge.

The rest of the group
may demonstrate

affiliative seeking behaviour.

In other words, they want
things to get back to being
smooth and nice.

[narrator] But what if
the alpha isn't around?

They find that this is
more egalitarian.

So, they all eat about the same.

Which is a really interesting
take on this social interaction.

[narrator] With this chatty
food fight done

and all friends again,

finally there's time to eat.

[♪]

From loud family food fights
to scolding mothers.

Unique sounds
can sometimes be heard

in the waterways of Europe,
Asia and North Africa.

The chatter of
the Eurasian River Otter.

The most widely distributed
otter on the planet.

The Eurasian river otters
are really vocal animals.

They make a whole range
of different

squeaks and chirps
and clicks.

They use them in mating
and signalling,

in parental care,
when they're in pain,

when they're excited.

[narrator] They're also
really playful.

Most of the time.

But if a mother feels
her pups are in danger,

vicious is more like it.

She will fight
like an alley cat.

Otters make fabulous mums.

They will do absolutely what
they need to protect their kids.

[snarling]

[narrator] River otters
are semi-aquatic.

Spending time on land
and in the water.

River otters are incredible swimmers,

as they will spend most of their
time foraging in the rivers.

[narrator] You could say
this free-flowing seafood buffet

is their happy place.

And their safe zone.

If any danger comes

and it could be a land-based
predator like a fox,

for example, or a badger,

they will head straight
for the water.

[narrator] But they can't stay
in their safe zone forever.

Especially if they're pregnant.

They have to come to dry land
to actually give birth.

And that represents a really
vulnerable time

for both the otter and
the baby cubs.

[narrator] Brits call them
cubs, others call them pups,

either way, if a male finds
some that aren't his own,

he may kill them.

Now, this killing of
the baby otters is brutal.

But for the male that wants
to sire the next generation,

it makes perfect sense.

Because if those otters
are dead and out of the way,

that female will come
into season more quickly.

[narrator] She has to protect
her young,

but she can't be with them 24/7

she's got to catch food.

Before she heads out,
she marks her territory.

One of the classic signs that
you're in an otter's territory

is something we call spraint.

And this is essentially
the faeces of the otter,

and it is left behind
to say,

"This is my territory.
Don't enter."

[narrator] This male ignores
the "no trespassing" sign.

He creeps closer and closer
to her den.

Once she spots him,
she snaps into attack mode.

The only reason why a male
is in her territory

is to kill her cubs.

So she will immediately
go on the offensive.

It's attack, attack, attack.

[narrator] Eurasian river
otters have 36 razor-sharp
teeth.

And strong, pointed claws
on their webbed feet.

Usually, they use them to catch
and slice prey,

but in a fight,
they're weapons.

It's gloves off.
She may only be

potentially half the weight
of the big male otter,

but that doesn't stop her.

She kind of makes up for
her lack of size by feistiness.

They will bite and roll
and twist and writhe.

And this may well go
back and forth

because the female is much
more lithe.

So she may well be able
to slightly outmanoeuvre him

and use her speed
as opposed to his bulk.

[narrator] Both sexes learn
to fight from a young age.

Play-fighting is a great way
for the cubs

to learn behaviours and
to build muscles

and to just enjoy themselves.

[narrator] Siblings will chomp
at each other's heads

and cheeks and
try to rough up Mom too.

Sometimes the kids think
they can rough and tumble with
the big dogs

and it's actually encouraged
by the mother

because it teaches those young
cubs important skills

and it gives them confidence
as well.

[narrator] Confidence
for moments like this.

As the brawl between Mom
and intruder rages on,

she uses every shred of energy
she's got.

It's everything,
no holds barred.

She will bite,
she will scratch,

she will look to body slam him,
whip him with the tail.

Anything goes because
if she loses this fight,

her cubs could die.

[narrator] Suddenly,
the male backs off.

Did she deliver a bite that
sent him packing?

Outlast him?

His quick retreat is a mystery,

one of many in the world
of otter aggression.

The Eurasian otter is a really
well-known animal in Britain.

But there's still plenty more
that we don't know.

What we certainly do know
is a female with cubs

will be wary and, if necessary, aggressive

towards a neighbouring male.

However,
in the Mediterranean,

otters seem to be a bit
more peaceful.

They quite often roost together
or lay up together.

So why this might be is
for the researchers to uncover.

[narrator] With
all the shouting done,

the triumphant Mom heads back
to her babies.

She's a good Mum.
She's a good Mum.

[narrator] Leaving
the battleground behind for now

[♪]

While angry mothers
cause an uproar,

others flap like
a bat out of hell.

In Australia, one animal loves
nothing more

than to just hang around...

The fruit bat.

These sociable animals
live in colonies or "camps".

Home to a few hundred,
or a sometimes,

a few hundred thousand.

Most bats are really small,
but flying foxes,

the fruit bats
are big and conspicuous.

Great big things hanging
from the branches,

and it looks like total chaos.

It's not haphazard at all.

Each bat will have
its own specific branch

that it's very particular about.

Males are looking for places
that increase

their chances
of finding the right girl.

And if anybody else tries
to take its branch,

then there's trouble.

[narrator] In breeding season,

he's even more protective
of his patch.

So there he is hanging over,

checking out the females
and that is Position A-one.

This is a very important territory

where the mating is going
to happen

and so the stakes are very,
very high.

But if someone's stolen
their spot,

that's when it really
starts to kick off.

[intense music]

[narrator] He reinforces it
with a scent fence.

The bats can't exactly put up
a little sign that says,

"Save this spot for me."
So they do the next best thing.

A lot of these bats have
scent glands that are around
their shoulders,

and they'll rub those
on the branch

to make it smell just like him.

[narrator] Familiar smell
of neighbours and relatives

reduces aggression
in the colony.

However, unwanted guests have
the opposite effect.

[♪]

And when they get mad, that's
when the vocalizations happen.

And these are loud bats.

[screeching]

We're talking shrieking,
screaming, cackling.

He will make it really apparent

he's very unhappy
in a noisy way.

[narrator] Before attacking,

he has another warning shot
up his sleeve.

Spreading his wings wide.

These are big bats,
the biggest flying mammals
in the world.

The wingspan can be
a meter to even two meters.

[narrator] But some bats just
don't take the hint.

That's when it's time to take
the trespassing joker in hand.

[screeching]

The bat wing is astonishing.
In many ways,

it's identical in anatomy
to a human arm.

But the main part of the bat's
wing is from the wrist.

So, you've got
all four elongated fingers,

and you've got the thumb
that sticks out

quite literally
like a sore thumb.

Now that is the main weapon.

They'll drop and shiver
their wings

and project those thumbs
directly forward.

And they can use them almost
like a dagger

to stab and attack.

It's not easy to fight when
you're a bat. I mean, you're
hanging upside down, dangling
like a pendulum,

and you've got to swing your
arms and hit with your thumbs.

[narrator] They may attack
with their thumbs,

but the claws on their feet
play a crucial role.

There's this really neat thing
inside the toes of bats

that's called
a "tendon-locking mechanism"

where they actually have
a ratchet around the tendons

so that once they hook onto
the branch,

it just is attached as long as
they don't release it.

So they can save
their energy for the punching
at the front end.

[narrator] It's not just their
claws that are sharp.

These bats also have a nice
set of teeth

that work very well on fruit

and will also work perfectly
well on an opponent.

[narrator] They may be ready
to tussle at any time,

but not with everyone.

Sometimes you'll find
different species of flying
foxes hanging out together, literally.

And they're fine with that.

Because another species isn't
going to compete with you for
females or for the same foods.

They have their
own thing going on.

It's members of the same species

that inevitably end up
having a big clash. [screeching]

[narrator] It may be
species-specific,

but even when the fight is won,

there can be a bigger battle
to overcome.

She might not fancy him
that much.

She might be more interested
in his next-door neighbour.

So he has to woo her.

Because if he doesn't
manage that,

then all that fighting
will have gone to waste.

They're not all about
the fighting. They're lovers.

And there aren't many animals
that do it quite as nicely

as the fruit bats.
Because a big part of mating

for fruit bats is licking each
other's genitals.

It isn't a guarantee that
the mating is going to happen,

but give him an "A"
for effort.

[narrator] For their size,

bats are the slowest
reproducing mammals on Earth.

Most only bear
one offspring a year.

So, if the female isn't
interested,

it's not a subtle let-down.

She's got weapons too
and she can fend him away.
No problem.

Don't forget she might have
four or five males

all-around their particular branches

attempting to woo her as well.

So she might just push him
away and say,

"No thanks,
I fancy him more."

[narrator] Once the male takes
the hint,

he moves on until
he finds a willing mate.

The mating season isn't just
one day, it goes on for a while.

So if all this wooing
in this courtship works,

then he gets to mate.
Which actually is quite
a brief affair,

to be honest, before he goes
back to his own branch,

decidedly satisfied
with himself.

[narrator] After all
the kicking and screaming

he just has to hang in there,
until he's up to bat again!

All species fight
their own kind.

But for the top of every
food chain, there is no contest

this is an apex alpha.

Found in every ocean
around the world.

These marine megastars
are truly number one.

Killer whales, hands down,

are the scariest animals
on the planet. Hands down.

If there really was
a king of kings,

it's the orca.

Killer whales are the things
that great white sharks have
nightmares about.

[narrator] Though its name
can be deceptive.

It's not a whale,
it's a dolphin.

[narrator] Camouflaged from
all angles,

these giants approach unseen.

They're black on top.

If you're looking down
on them,

they will blend in
with the deep water below.

And if you're underneath
looking up at them

with that white belly,

they're going to blend in with
the sky above. It's called
counter-shading.

[narrator] But they don't just
look smart...

The thing that makes orca
the ultimate apex predator

is that they've got weapons

and they've got
this incredible brain.

[narrator] The key to their
hunting prowess is their bond,

their family.

It's ruled by
a big all-knowing Mum.

She'll teach them behaviours
and communications

that that pod specifically
has learned during its travels.

The thing that opens up the
entire ocean to them as a menu

is their ability to communicate.

[narrator] This is a family
that likes to chat.

They will even have
regional dialects.

Because they learn noises from
their environment.

You could consider
an orca to have as much grasp

of its language
as we do of ours.

[narrator] Like other dolphins,
they use echolocation to hunt.

That ability to fire out these
ultrasonic bursts of sound,

which, when they hit something,
reflect back.

It knows how far away
that object is.

It can even tell that
it's a rock,

that it's another orca,
that it's prey.

[narrator] A lone orca
is dangerous,

a whole pod is treacherous.

Once one of the orcas locked
onto a really high-value target,

they will communicate that back
through the pod,

giving different orcas
different roles.

It's really intricate.

It isn't just shouts of
"Let's get a feed on".

It is military precision.

[narrator] All pods work
together to hunt,

but what's on the menu depends
on where they live.

Killer whales are successful
apex predators

because they have different strategies

for different situations.

[narrator] In Norway,
it's herring.

But a bountiful meal
takes teamwork.

A few members of the pod
will go beneath the shoal.

And they will start blowing bubbles,

to bring the herring shoal up
towards the surface

where they can't escape.

The other orca
will then start circling.

They herd the fish together
into a tight bait ball.

And then it's just a matter
of smacking that ball

with your tail.
- Right in the chops.

Killing them dead as
they will eat every last herring

if they can.

[narrator] With more
than 40 teeth,

shaped for ripping and
tearing prey, nowhere is safe.

Nowhere.

Orcas which frequent
the seal-pupping beaches

of South America have developed
an incredible behaviour.

Sometimes a seal or a sea lion
gets up out of the water,

thinks that it's safe.

But a patrolling orca, close
to the shallows, will notice that
this one seal pup's

just kind of playing
on the line.

They will then turn
and face the shore directly

and swim as fast as they can

to beach themselves onto
the seal pup

because it's not expecting
a giant six-ton-orca

to land on its face.
But it happens.

These whales beach themselves
on purpose, take an animal,

and then pull it back into
the water to eat it.

It does this kind of,
you know,

fat-man-wiggle-stuck-in-a-bath
routine

as it gets itself back
into the water.

The scariest part of this, though,

is that they teach each other
how to do this.

It's really incredible stuff
watching a mother

physically force its baby out
of the water

so it learns how to jiggle back.

And that's a tradition
that's been passed on

through the generations
in that one place.

[narrator] Always
on the lookout for food,

they sleep with one eye open.

Orcas haven't got gills.

They have to decide
when to breathe.

Therefore, what stops
an orca just drowning

when it takes 40 winks?
Well,

they have developed a method
of sleep that allows them

to shut down
half of their brain

while the other hemisphere
stays awake and alert

and allows them to keep
breathing at the surface.

[narrator] When orcas
are around,

other animals might do well
to sleep with one eye open too.

What makes the orca
the ocean's top apex predator

is the fact that it preys
on other apex predators.

Orcas kill great white sharks.

They slice them open,
they eat their livers,

and they leave their corpses.

So that's impressive.

Taking on one of the greatest
predators ever.

But orcas, they go
that little bit further.

[narrator] Originally called
"Whale Killer" by sailors,

for orcas,
no whale is off limits.

Orcas can actually take down
a blue whale,

the largest animal
that has ever lived.

Bigger than any dinosaur.

We're talking
a super-pod of orcas.

These are all different orcas
from different pods

that come together to chase
the whale.

Between 60 and 75 of these
killer whales

take out a full-grown
blue whale

by just going savage on it.

Biting its fins, pulling it underwater,

scraping their teeth against
its flesh,

even biting its tongue to hold
it underwater.

The orcas will work
in different teams

in different shifts

and as those orca get tired,

they fall back and
they're replaced by new orca.

So, the pressure never stops
on the blue whale.

[narrator] As the exhausted
whale comes up for air,

the orcas make
their killer move,

jumping on its blowhole.

They're essentially
drowning it.

And when this super-pod
actually does manage

to run down this kill,

which is just incredible

in terms of behaviour,
and communication,

they will only feed
on the most delicious parts:

the tongue and the blubber.

So, they leave this huge carcass
that they just don't need

because they're that damn good.

They killed a blue whale.

What else do you want
from an apex predator?

[narrator] This monochrome matriarch

is the pinnacle
of the food chain.

Killer whales are that funny
place between

a thing that's terrifying
and you want to vilify

and a thing that's amazing
and you want to cheer for it.

[narrator] With exceptional
communication skills,

for them, success is always
black and white.

Truly the mother
of all apex alphas.

An alpha that masters
the chat,

can get a belly full,

[screeching]
or an ear full.

They can succeed
in the battle of the sexes.

And win in the battle
of the giants.