All language subtitles for Wild Assassins 06

From Africa's sprawling grassland,

through the temperate forests
and frozen Arctic,

to the depths
of the world's oceans,

nature's deadliest assassins roam.

Finding strength in numbers,

they work as a team
to take down prey,

fight off predators
and raise their young,

increasing their chances
at survival.

Wielding their perfectly evolved...

pack tactics.

Welcome to the world
of wild assassins.

Social predators across the globe
have evolved to hunt in groups,

successfully taking
down large species

and protecting their kill
from scavengers.

For bees, their mere survival
relies on the support of the colony.

Their efficient use of pack tactics
has made them unrivalled.

While ants work in unison
to feed, protect, and hunt.

Meanwhile on the savannas of Africa,

lions hunt in prides.

In the forests,

primates' group structures
are central to their survival

and reproductive success.

While in the depths of the oceans,

dolphins are carefree and protected
in their pods of 30.

Orcas hunt with precision
and ferocity

in every ocean on the globe.

And for the wolves of the Arctic
tundras and boreal forests,

they have mastered
their pack tactics.

These groups of animals

have mastered the art of working
as a team,

taking down predators
and hunting prey.

Pack tactics
are the versatile tools...

of nature's...

deadliest wild assassins.

Found in temperate forests
and on icy plains,

masters of pack tactics.

These mighty creatures
battle for survival,

and compete
for food and territory.

(WOLF HOWLS)

Wolves.

On Earth for over one million years,

wolves are found on nearly
every continent on Earth,

thriving in the harshest
of climates.

Wolves are perfectly
adapted predators.

In habitats filled
with large game and foe,

wolves have evolved
to hunt in packs.

Armed with sharp eyesight,

a killer sense of smell,

and fangs that can crush
through bone,

they are highly skilled,

apex predators.

Able to spot prey
from over 20 metres away,

they tail and chase their victims.

Reaching speeds of up to 60 kph,

they use their piercing fangs
to take down prey.

Hunting in groups of up to four,

they spread out
across their territory,

cornering their prey
from all angles.

Wolves will wait until a herd
is on the move before attacking,

each scanning for the weakest prey.

Choosing the perfect
moment to strike...

as a pack.

Most wolf packs have between
four and 10 members...

(WOLF HOWLS)

...socially structured
under a strict hierarchy.

These packs are controlled
by an alpha male and female pair.

The other pack members
are aligned in a pecking order,

from beta...

to omega.

This social structure encourages
intense competition within the pack,

in battles to prove themselves
and attain a higher rank.

Leaders of the pack.

Wolves play a key role
in keeping ecosystems healthy.

They help keep deer and elk
populations in check,

benefiting countless other plant
and animal species.

Yet wolves are threatened
by diseases such as rabies,

that can wipe out entire packs
and populations of wolves.

Devastatingly, many wolves
are also hunted for sport,

for their skins,
and to protect livestock.

They have been actively hunted
for over 10,000 years,

having a crippling effect on
wolf populations across the globe.

Thankfully,
organisations are fighting

to protect the habitats
and ecosystems

on which wolves depend.

By safeguarding
these majestic creatures,

wolves can continue to hunt,
roam, and rear their pups freely.

Thriving in cold water

across Antarctica,
Alaska, and Norway,

these giant creatures
dominate the world's oceans.

Found in groups known as pods,

they have earned the nickname
of killer whale.

Orcas.

Orcas have swum the oceans
for aver 50 million years.

Highly social creatures,
they live in close knit family pods.

Their bonds are so deep

that as many as four generations
of family members

have been seen in a single pod...

rarely ever separating,
except to hunt for food or mate.

As a pod,
the orcas protect each other,

play with one another,

and help their kind survive.

Apex predators of the sea,
they have no natural enemies.

They monopolise
every ocean on Earth.

The largest members
of the dolphin family.

Social giants of the sea.

Orcas are master hunters.

Highly intelligent,

they are able to coordinate
hunting tactics...

preying on anything from sea lions,
to sharks, to large whales.

Orcas use echo location
to find their prey.

Able to swallow a sea lion whole...

they often enjoy playing
with their prey,

before consuming it.

With larger prey,

orcas have
a more coordinated attack,

targeting its fins, tail, and jaw.

Expert tacticians.

Capable of taking down
the largest whales,

orcas have earned
the title of "killer whale."

These majestic giants of the oceans

have a history
of unprecedented hardship.

Since 1961, over 150 orcas
have been forced into captivity.

Their wild population
have been hunted mercilessly

throughout the decades.

Even to this day,

they are preyed upon
in some countries' oceans.

Orcas have never heard
a human being in the wild.

Only in captivity.

They are highly intelligent
and social beings,

yet some orcas
have now become endangered.

Their access to prey is decreasing,

while population
and trawling pose a big threat.

But there is hope.

Acts across the globe
are being put in place

to protect the most
vulnerable members of this species.

Fun-loving
and family-oriented creatures,

they are central to planet Earth.

Found on every continent
populated by man,

buzzing through woodlands,
meadows, and gardens,

these insects are integral
to human survival.

Found in colonies of thousands.

Bees.

Bees have been on Earth
for 120 million years,

pollinating plants
all over the planet.

A single colony of bees

can pollinate
up to 20 million flowers a day.

With over 20,000 species
of bee across the globe...

they are a central part
of every ecosystem.

Found in colonies of up to 40,000,

they work together
in perfect harmony,

living in busy hives
ruled by their queen.

All bees are incredibly
hard workers.

Bee colonies are made up
of male drones

and female worker bees.

Males perform the function
of mating with their queen,

while females feed their young,

protect their hive and forage
for nectar and pollen.

Every single bee has a function
in the colony.

Even the queen bee,
whose sole job is to lay eggs.

Bees work great as a team,

with excellent communication skills
and a strong work ethic.

They ensure the hive is a healthy
and happy place to be.

Bees are not only workers,
but soldiers...

protecting their home
from any threat.

They are armed with a sting
that can be lethal.

Bees only use this weapon
in defence.

When they sting,
pheromones are released,

that can signal an alert,

summoning more bees to come
and defend their territory.

Soldiers of the sky,

each bee has only one chance
to sting their opponent.

Bee stings can cause irritation,
swelling and itching...

causing pain for even
the largest mammals on the planet.

Bees will work together to defend
their hive with their life.

No matter the size of the adversary.

These bumbling insects are integral
to human survival.

One out of every three mouthfuls
of our food depends on bees...

who help pollinate 90 percent
of wild plants,

and 75 percent of crops
across the globe.

Yet bee populations are plummeting.

Modern farming practises
have reduced the amount of flowers

on farmed land,

along with a loss
of suitable habitat.

All of which is affecting
bees' foraging,

nesting, and breeding sites.

If we do not protect
these essential insects,

the world as we know it...

will cease to exist.

Across the African grasslands,

the only cats to live
in large social groups

work together to hunt, protect,
and defend their territory.

These mighty creatures
thrive in packs called prides.

Lions.

(LION ROAR)

Africa is home to nearly the entire
world's population of wild lions.

Both females and males
are apex predators

on the open plains.

Weighing up to 190 kilogrammes,

they are the second largest
cat species on the planet,

but are the only cats
to live in social groups.

A pride can have up to 30 lions,

made up of one or two
unrelated males...

who defend their territory...

fighting off any rival males
who go up against them.

The rest of the pride
is made up of lionesses and cubs.

Lionesses play an essential role.

They work together to rear
their young and hunt for food.

Together they are healthier...

and safer.

Lionesses will hunt in groups
of up to two to six.

The smaller females chase their prey

towards the centre
of the hunting group.

The larger and heavier lionesses
ambush and capture their prey...

using their size,

strength, claws, and jaws
to take down their opponent.

(ELEPHANT TRUMPET)

They have the perfect pack tactics.

Highly skilled wild assassins.

Lionesses will even try to take down
animals up to five times their size.

Working together as a team,
they corner their prey.

They attack in attempt
to weaken their opponent,

each taking turns
to take their prey down.

If necessary, even a lion
will join in on their efforts.

For with great risk
comes great reward.

Kings and queens,

lions once dominated
many plains of Africa.

Now, they inhabit only eight percent
of the land they once occupied,

reducing the numbers
of animals they prey on,

and resulting in lion populations
becoming small and isolated,

affecting their ability
to mix and breed.

Thankfully, conservation efforts
across Africa

are protecting these prides
of beautiful creatures.

More and more protected areas are
being created across the savannas,

safeguarding lions from poaching
and human-wildlife conflict.

These efforts are central

in supporting Africa's
population of lions.

Symbols of strength and courage,

lions are stronger together.

Found in oceans and rivers
across the globe,

lives a highly intelligent
aquatic mammal.

At home in ever-changing pods...

these creatures
are master communicators,

who love to have fun.

(DOLPHIN CLICKS)

Dolphins.

Dolphins have swum
the Earth's oceans for millennia,

with some species found
in rivers across the globe.

Highly intelligent creatures,

over the years they have formed
complex social groups...

containing anywhere
from two to 30 dolphins.

They may come
and go as they please,

but when food is plentiful
they team up in large pods.

Hunting, playing, and searching
for mates together.

Dolphins are known
for their fun-loving personalities.

They crave social interaction,
so are seldom found alone.

Pods play a very important role
in the lives of dolphins.

Not only for companionship,

but to protect themselves
from predators.

They all use echo location
to locate food,

and to avoid predators.

The clicks and sounds
they make reflect off objects,

aiding them in echo location,
but also in communicating.

They use body language
as a form of communication as well,

from flipping their tails
to jumping out of water.

These serve as a warning
to other dolphins of nearby danger.

Within dolphin pods
there is a hierarchy.

Some dolphin communities
have been found

to be centred around the mother.

But for the majority,
males are always dominant.

Many young males team up
in bachelor groups.

Working collectively as one...

dolphin pods ensure
more successful hunts,

better protection,

and higher chances of survival.

Dolphins have evolved...

to understand
they are stronger together.

With 42 species across the globe...

river dolphins are among
the most seriously endangered

of all dolphins.

Dredging, dams, and pollution
are killing dolphins...

and destroying their habitats.

Thankfully, organisations
across the globe

have vowed to tackle the threats
facing river dolphins...

taking down unsustainable fisheries,

hydropower, infrastructure,
and pollution by 2030.

Paving a brighter future
for the fun, playful,

and clever dolphins of the world.

Native to almost everywhere
on Earth,

found beneath soil, leaves,
and decaying plants,

lives colonies of insects
in their millions.

Tiny, but incredibly strong.

Ants.

On Earth for over 140 million years,

ants live in colonies
that work like factories.

Every single individual plays a role
in their colonies of millions.

Working together to collect food,

to ensure the expansion
of their ant colony.

Worker ants gather food and defend
their nest against enemies.

Younger ants live and work
inside the nest,

taking care of the queen
and her newborn babies.

The queen has the very specific role
of laying eggs,

ensuring the continued expansion
and survival of her colony.

Ants live in highly
structured societies

that are efficiently organised.

From the minute they are born,

every ant plays an integral role
in the colony.

All 12,000 species of ant
live in social groups.

Their hierarchal societies have
made them incredibly successful...

with an estimated 20 quadrillion
ants on planet Earth today.

They have mastered
their pack tactics.

Ants communicate
not through sounds,

but chemicals,

releasing pheromones
that signal specific messages,

from follow me for food,
to attack the intruder.

While each individual ant
has a tiny brain,

together they are very smart.

From collectively deciding
the best place to build a nest,

to solving problems together,

ants work in perfect harmony...

their large groups making them
a force to be reckoned with.

Ants are very loyal creatures,

who will defend their colony
with their life.

Competition among colonies

for food and other resources
ends in aggression...

stinging, spraying and biting
to the death.

The worst enemy of ants
is other ants.

Ants have many predators.

Horned lizards love to feast
on harvester ants in the desert...

prowling the nests
of their colonies.

But they are not always successful.

Ants will work together as a team
to face any adversaries.

Harvester ants can bite
and sting their prey repeatedly.

Allowing them to take down predators
much larger than themselves.

But they are also capable
of taking down all insect predators.

Working together
to weaken their opponent...

they will not stop

until their enemy is defeated.

Small wild assassins.

Ants play an integral role on Earth.

They are essential to the habitats
they call home.

Yet as temperatures rise
across the globe...

ants are not adjusting
their behaviour in response.

As our ecosystems warm,
ants are becoming more threatened.

While not yet endangered...

without ants the food chain
would collapse,

affecting every organism
on planet Earth.

These tiny creatures...

are masters of pack tactics.

Across Africa and the Middle East,

deep in tropical forests
and across arid deserts...

lives groups of intensely
social creatures.

Protective, jealous, and aggressive.

Mankind's closest living relatives.

Primates.

For over 50 million years,

primates have inhabited
planet Earth.

Found on five
of the world's continents...

they live in forests,
grasslands, and deserts.

Most primates are omnivores,

but some have evolved
to herbivores or carnivorous diet.

Many primates live in social groups,

communicating with one another,

and interacting in both aggressive
and friendly ways.

Chimpanzees and bonobos are the most
closely related primates to humans,

our DNA sequences
being closely linked.

Family relationships are vital
to some primate groups.

Social grooming is common,

in forms of scratching,
stroking and massaging.

In Equatorial Africa
gorillas can be found,

raising and looking
after their young as a unit.

In the first few months,

a young gorilla is constantly
in physical contact with its mother.

Meanwhile,
males play an important role

in their child's socialisation.

As a group, they protect
and safeguard their offspring.

Male gorillas defend
the entire group

from outside intruders.

These groups average five to 10,
but some reach 50.

Gorillas are intensely social
and protective creatures.

Found across Africa,
baboons live in groups of 20 to 150.

Like many primates,
they are highly social.

Their packs are known as troops...

made up of several adult females,
adult males and many offspring.

A baboon troop is a complex
and fascinating hierarchy.

Females inherit their social status
from their mothers,

while males are dominant,
but their rank is ever-changing.

Just like human families,

baboons comfort
and support each other,

and squabble and fight.

Females stay in the same group
their entire life...

while young males leave
their birth group early on.

Incredible creatures,
they are a tight social unit...

defending their own from any threat.

Humanity's closest
living biological relatives,

primates offer critical insight
into human evolution,

biology, and behaviour.

Yet unsustainable human activities
are driving primate species

to the brink of extinction.

Expanding human civilisation
has led to an increase

in roads and railways.

As these wind through the tropics,
thousands of primates are killed.

Deforestation, hunting,
illegal trade, and wood extraction.

Ebola virus is also a deadly threat
to many primate populations.

All of these are leading
to a worldwide decline in primates.

As humanity's closest
wild relatives,

primates across the globe
must be safeguarded.

As human civilisation expands,

the biggest threat primates face...

is man.

In all four corners of the world...

groups of animals hunt, live,
and work together.

In perfect harmony they improve
their chances of survival.

Stronger together...

they are wild assassins,

successful hunters and protectors
of the ecosystems they call home.

Yet these mighty creatures
are all affected by hunting...

climate change...

and human expansion.

As human civilisation grows,

these creatures who live
in the depths of the forests,

tropics, grasslands, and oceans

are endlessly threatened
by the plundering

of natural resources.

A threat even the strongest pack
cannot survive.

There is so much for us to learn
from these animals

who live in social groups.

From the ways they communicate,

they way they hunt,

the way they live together.

These creatures, who live in
close-knit societies just like us,

deserve protection...

dignity...

and respect.

Subtitle Caption by ZestCorp