All language subtitles for Natural Born Rebels 03

Life in the wild is tough.

Animals sometimes have to pull out

all the stops to survive.

And while some play by the rules,
others, it seems,

are more than happy to break them.

The natural world is full
of animals who are up to no good.

They're stealing.

Vandalizing.

Fighting.

And even kidnapping.

But is this really as appalling
as it looks?

I'm travelling the planet
to witness some

of these animal antics firsthand.

They are very cheeky, very cheeky.

Meeting the experts making
groundbreaking new discoveries.

That's mad.

And finding out
for myself if what appears

to be bad behaviour may just
be the secret to their success.

I'm really beginning to love
these guys.

That's just clever and funny,
but we need our camera back.

I want to show you a fascinating,
lesser known side to nature,

where animals have found
extraordinary ways to gain

an advantage in the fight
for survival.

Every day, animals across the world
face immense challenges.

Including when our world
collides with theirs.

In the land down under.

Local residents are reporting some
anti-social antics from a member

of the parrot family.

Sulphur crested cockatoos.

I want to see the trouble
they're causing for myself.

Sometime when I came back home,
I found the window open a little bit.

Breaking and entering,
into your home when you're out.

- They open the window.
- No!

That is very clever.

Using the legs for leverage.

Yeah, just lets himself in
when you're out.

These criminal exploits
aren't the only problem.

Cockatoos across Sydney
have been on the rampage.

Destroying property.

Bothering their neighbours.

Loitering.

And even turning to wanton
vandalism.

There are also countless
reports of cockatoos littering

the streets with rubbish.

The birds here turn up on
a particular day each week. Bin day.

So I can find out exactly
what's going on.

I've set up a little experiment.

The red bins in this area are used
for food and general waste,

and the yellow bins are
for recycling.

What do the cockatoos make
of the two bins

I've just put out?

They're certainly inquisitive.

That was pretty incredible to watch,
I mean, the first cockatoo

was on the yellow bin for all
of five seconds, hopped onto the red

one, flipped open the lid.

He had definitely done that before.

These guys know what they're doing,
and they seem to know that the red

bin is the one that has all
the food.

These birds are not just intent
on causing a mess.

There is a very good reason
behind this littering.

They're deliberately rifling
through the bin that gets them

a free meal.

But how have they worked this out?

Scientist John Martin
has been observing cockatoos for six

years, fitting them with wing tags
to monitor their movements.

John, you've done
this experiment before.

What do the cockatoos do?

How do they work this out?

So we've seen that an individual
has opened one of the bin lids.

It's found there's a food reward
and then other birds have mimicked

that behaviour and come in and opened
the bin and got some food as well.

And so we see in that group
that knowledge

or that information is
being shared.

So it really demonstrates
that they're intelligent.

In fact, parrots are amongst
the cleverest birds on the planet.

Some species have even displayed
a level of intelligence comparable

to that of a 4-year-old child.

This brainpower, combined
with an in-built inquisitive nature,

is what scientists think
is behind all this bad behaviour.

To survive in a new environment,
animals need to work out

what will benefit them.

And that includes novel
food sources.

This explains the littering.

But what about the cockatoos'
reputation for vandalism?

No! Oi!

Stop it.

Some birds have developed a habit
of attacking wooden balconies.

Oh, he's peeling away huge
strips of it at a time.

Mm-hm.

Yeah, no, that's naughty.

They are very cheeky.

Very cheeky.

So what's all this destructive
behaviour in aid of?

Why would cockatoos rip up verandas
when there doesn't seem

to be anything obvious to gain
from it?

In their forest, home, cockatoos
regularly chew on trees

and branches.

It helps
to keep their beaks sharp,

and it's where they find
bugs to eat.

Cockatoos are using these same
techniques in our urban world,

investigating man-made objects
to find out if they might be useful.

And with a bite four times stronger
than ours,

this exploratory behaviour

is causing extensive damage.

While the people of Sydney may view
cockatoos as reckless criminals,

the birds are simply combining
all of their natural skills

and abilities to make the most
of life in a new home.

In the urban environment

they have to find novel food
sources, they have to find habitat,

they have to adapt to different
situations.

So being able to solve problems.

Being able to share that information
within their groups and maybe

in between groups is really
fundamental to them surviving

and being successful in this
in a different habitat.

For these cockatoos, city life seems
to be working out very well,

and even some of the residents
are learning to appreciate

their mischievous nature.

Despite the mess that they make,
they are so adorable.

I can't resist them.
I love them.

Cockatoos are clever, resourceful
little birds that have adapted

stunningly well to new environments.

And ultimately, it's this curious,
exploratory nature that's led

to their success in urban
environments.

Even if at times it results
in behaviours we may not

be entirely enamoured with.

Many animals across the world
are known to cause mayhem.

But there is always a perfectly
good reason for their bad behaviour

in urban environments.

African penguins taking a fancy
to beachwear seem to use

it to line their nests.

North American black bears
break into backyards.

Standing in the hammock,
not a good idea.

Learning new climbing
techniques and how to swim

are important life skills,
after all.

From an elephant seal dealing
with an uninvited visitor

to his territory, to polar bears
getting a little too close

while searching for their next meal,
there's a survival strategy

behind these mischievous
and sometimes

alarming animal behaviours.

But in some places, they can cause
more serious, even dangerous

problems for their human neighbours.

Dawn in Howald.

Where residents often wake up
to find something strange

has happened to their cars.

One morning I got into my car
and drove and then suddenly

the brakes didn't work.

When I opened
the hood of the car and I saw

that even the caps were chewed
on and I was like,

Are we having mice around here
going into my car?

I don't know.

So what's attacking cars
in the dead of night?

Slipping silently through
the streets.

Is a stone marten.

Stone martens are relatives
of otters and weasels.

They normally live in the hills
and forests of Central Europe.

But they've discovered that city
living can also offer all the food,

shelter and warmth they need.

So the margins are moving in
in ever increasing numbers,

and they've developed a new,
alarming obsession.

We have stone marten damaged
cars two or three a day.

You see scratches everywhere,
little scratches.

You see here the tubes.

It has been completely cut off.

And they are afraid of nothing.

These daring vandals

have made headlines across Europe.

They've become prime suspects
for electrical fires.

And they've been caught
red handed by mechanics.

In fact, stone martens are causing
a staggering 63 million euros worth

of damage every year in Germany
alone.

Severed electrical cables, sliced
tubing, gnawed insulation.

Not only is this a nuisance
for drivers all over Europe,

it can be a serious, potentially
dangerous problem.

But why are stone martens
targeting cars in this way?

Scientists think
it may have something to do

with the time of year.

Recent studies show that stone
margins are most destructive

in spring and early summer.

Their breeding season.

To secure a mate, a male stone
marten needs to establish a territory

with several females
within its boundaries.

And to do this, he scent marks
objects around his patch.

Including our cars.

For a male stone marten
patrolling territory

is a full time job.

If he's going
to be the only one to mate

with his females,

he's got to ward off all
of his competition, but inevitably

there will be intruders, and that's
when the trouble really begins.

A potential rival will move in
on another marten by scent marking

in his territory.

This can provoke a furious response
from the original resident.

Who will retaliate by scent marking
over the offending smell.

And even try to obliterate
everything a rival has touched.

This vandalism might all
be down to a scent fuelled

battle over territory.

But there's still one big question,
why do stone martens

attack our cars in particular?

It turns out the modern world
has thrown these animals a real

curveball.

In their forest home,

stone martens scent mark prominent
objects like trees and rocks

to define the boundaries
of their territory.

Things that don't tend to move.

But of course, cars move,
they're driven all over town.

And this is what scientists
think may be fuelling the

stone martens' destructive
behaviour.

Imagine each coloured patch
here represents

a different stone marten's territory.

This car is parked in one and
has been scent marked by a marten.

The following evening, it moves to
this different territory.

The marten here smells the scent
and now thinks as an intruder,

which sends them into a scent
marking frenzy as it attempts

to regain rightful ownership
of its patch.

City residents may be inadvertently
causing the problem themselves.

Driving their cars
between neighbourhoods results

in the illusion of intruders,
sparking stone marten territory wars

all over town.

But it's not bad news for everyone.

Well, I find them very lovely,
but they bring us a lot of work.

And as for the stone martens.

They'll instinctively continue
to fiercely protect their home.

Defending territory is so very
important that our beloved cars

have inadvertently become
the objects of wanton destruction,

but when you think about what's
at stake here for the stone marten,

perhaps it can be forgiven,
a chewed up lead or two.

As they get to grips with a modern
world, animals are finding

astonishing ways to adapt.

But in the fight for survival,
many of them also must contend

with another huge threat.

Predators.

Almost every species
on the planet has another that wants

to eat it or kill it.

Finding ways to defend yourself
has got to be one of the biggest

challenges to overcome
if you're going to survive.

And one tiny crustacean
in the Red Sea has devised one

of the most unbelievable
strategies I've ever come across.

Beneath the waves.

Amongst the coral lives
an extraordinary creature.

The boxer crab.

In a world where almost
everything is bigger than you,

you need a foolproof plan
to stay alive.

This pufferfish fancies
his chances of an easy meal.

But our crab has a secret weapon.

The perfect pair of boxing gloves.

A swift left hook is enough
to make this fish think twice.

That's because the crab's gloves
are, in fact, sea anemones.

These relatives of jellyfish
are just a few millimetres in size,

but they contain a powerful cocktail
of toxins in their tiny tendrils.

Every time the crab lands
a punch, the anemone delivers

a painful sting.

It won't try that again in a hurry.

But to protect itself from all
threats, this boxer crab needs

to keep its gloves in perfect
working order.

Which is where our tale
takes a sinister twist.

Scientists have discovered
that these anemones could grow

up to five times their current size
if left to their own devices.

So to keep them small enough
to hold, the crab starves them

and takes their food for itself.

Gripped tightly in its claws,
the anemones are kept hostage.

Resulting in a somewhat
shocking but cleverly

inventive defence mechanism.

But the crab isn't completely
out of harm's way.

These anemones have only ever
been found living

in boxer crab claws.

Which means that another boxer crab
without gloves will inevitably

try to steal its precious
possessions.

The thief makes off with one
of the anemones.

But our crab isn't out
for the count just yet.

It still has one anemone
and one is all it needs.

It rips the remaining anemone
in half.

But it doesn't kill it because
incredibly, anemones can survive

being split in two and regrow
naturally from this state.

In time, the boxer crab will once
again have the perfect pair

of gloves.

In this treacherous
underwater world,

the boxer crab has devised
an astounding set of strategies

to help it to survive
against the odds.

The tiny crab has evolved such
an impressive lifestyle,

using another animal as a tool
not only to fight off predators

but to trap its food

as well is, I think, just
spectacular.

I bet you'll never look at another
crab in the same way again.

The boxer crab has found
an effective way to ward

off its enemies, but other animals
aren't best suited to confrontation.

I've come to the rainforests
of Central America to get up close

to a creature I find irresistible.

The three-toed sloth.

Sloth by name, sloth by nature.

With a top speed of around one mile
per hour, they're one of the slowest

mammals on the planet.

This lethargic lifestyle
has a rather unsavoury side effect.

Rainforests are sticky, humid
places, perfect conditions for mould

and fungi to thrive.

Because sloths don't move
very quickly,

even algae will grow on a sloth's
fur, turning them a delightful shade

of rainforest green.

And what's fascinating is that each
hair follicle has deep grooves

and cracks, which actively
encourage algae to establish.

But why would they want
a grubby coat?

It could be down to a very
clever ploy.

These rainforests are full
of impressive hunters.

From huge harpy eagles to stealthy
jaguars.

The sloth's fetid fur may
act as camouflage, helping

it to hide from predators.

But this living green coat
of algae needs extra nutrients

to really flourish, and it gets
those from a surprising source.

Sloth fur is also renowned
for being full of insects.

Ants like this one up here, and dung
beetles usually at their rear end,

but most importantly, hundreds
of moths.

This species of moth here
can only be found in sloth fur,

and they're everywhere
on this young lady.

This writhing mass of moths is vital
to the sloth's green camouflage.

Because the dead moths
and their droppings provide

the nutrients for the algae to grow.

It might seem a little bit
off putting to us, but she's adapted

her entire lifestyle
to keeping her fur

teeming with the species of moth.

But there's more.

Once a week, three-toed sloths make
a slow and perilous journey

down to the forest floor
to defecate.

No other tree dwelling animal
does this, and it puts them

at great risk of predators.

So why do they do it?

It's all to do with the moths.

When the sloth is on the ground,
female moths hop off her fur

and lay their eggs in its faeces.

The larvae then feed here
before the emerging moths find

another sloth to live on.

The sloth risks everything
to complete the moth's life cycle,

and in turn, the moths provide
the fertiliser for the algae

in their fur, which is vital
for the sloth's

camouflage and survival.

But that's not all.

Research suggests that this filthy
coat could provide her with

the nutrition she so desperately
needs.

Sloths are folivores,
specialist leaf eaters.

It's a diet that's very low
in nutrition, but the sloths

have an ingenious solution.

They feed on the algae that's
growing on their fur.

With five times more fat than tree
leaves and an array of important

nutrients, it gives the sloths
a much needed boost to their diet.

She may be slow and have what seems
to be highly questionable hygiene

standards, but the three-toed sloth
has evolved an exceptionally clever

and novel camouflage, as well
as a source of nutrition.

So for this species, at least,
lethargy and unkempt fur

are a recipe for success.

They might seem distasteful to us,
but for some animals,

repulsive habits can be very useful
for survival.

Elephants actively recycle
their own dung.

This behaviour called coprophagia
provides them with vital bacteria

that helps them to digest
their food.

Fulmar chicks ward off predators
with oily projectile vomit,

it sticks to the feathers
of their attackers and stops them

from flying.

And life underwater
is no less repellent.

Pygmy sperm whales perform what's
known as defensive defecation.

A cloud of faeces conceals them
from predators, allowing them to make

a swift exit.

As unsavoury as all of this appears,
it might just encourage you to steer

well clear and avoid any unwanted
attention.

The need to fend off predators
has driven the evolution of a whole

host of extraordinary and sometimes
stomach turning tactics.

But even some of the world's most
fearsome hunters must find ways

to avoid becoming prey themselves.

This is the home of a predator
with an astonishing skill set.

The puff adder.

With an attack speed of just
a quarter of a second,

lethal tissue destroying venom,

superb camouflage for concealment,

and an outstanding sense of smell
to track prey.

This is the ultimate hunter.

But perhaps surprisingly,
it's not invincible.

This formidable reptile has over 40
different predators of its own.

Including the feisty mongoose
and the vicious honey badger.

To succeed as a predator, the puff
adder must avoid being eaten.

And to do that,
it has a very devious trick.

A team from Wits University recently
made an extraordinary discovery

with their camera traps.

This genet walks straight
past a puff adder.

And this porcupine treads
right on it.

These animals use their sense
of smell to find food

and locate danger.

So even in the dark, they should be
able to sniff out the snake.

So does the puff adder have another
weapon in its arsenal, which allows

it to deceive prey and go
undetected?

To find out, the research team
have set up an innovative experiment.

They've enlisted the help
of the meerkat.

With their exceptional sense
of smell, meerkats detect and chase

off intruding snakes
from their territory.

But venomous snakes will also
make up part of their diet.

Scent samples are carefully
collected from different snakes.

And placed in tubes.

One tube contains
a control scent, the smell

of a sterilized, empty tank.

The meerkats will be given a food
reward if they manage to recognise

a specific scent.

Right now, I'm showing the meerkats
what she's looking for.

In this tube

is the scent sample of a brown
house snake.

To the meerkat, it will have
a very distinctive smell.

Now, to find the matching odour
in the row of tubes.

There, she's got it.
Brown house snake.

It now needs to find the matching
tube for the puff adder scent.

But this time it doesn't seem
so easy.

So now she's indicating the control,
which means you can smell the tank,

the empty tank, which essentially
smells of nothing,

and she carries on searching.

She can still smell
something on that.

She's also indicating puff adder,
which means

she can't tell them apart.

Since it chooses both scent tubes,
the meerkat simply can't distinguish

between the smell of the snake
and the empty tank.

It's as if the puff adder
has no scent at all.

So this is a form of chemical
cryptic.

Camouflaging themselves.

This is a fascinating discovery.

The puff adder has evolved a means
of masking its own scent.

So it can hunt while still evading
predators.

It's the first land vertebrate
known to use this disguise

for its own defence.

But exactly how it does it
remains a mystery.

The puff adder has mastered the art
of survival.

From fatal venom
to ingenious deception.

This is a truly remarkable reptile.

The ability to hide in plain sight
is an incredibly skilful way

to avoid predators.

But other animals can take
a more ruthless approach.

They'll even turn on their own kind
to stay alive.

On British beaches,

hidden in rock pools

live tiny animals facing
huge challenges.

Hermit crabs.

Hermit crabs don't have a complete
outer skeleton like most other

crustaceans do, they have a soft
exposed abdomen that leaves them

vulnerable to predators,
so they've got to find a suitable

shell to protect themselves.

As hermit crabs grow,
they need to upsize their home.

But sometimes a suitable new shell
isn't that easy to come by.

When you're only as big as a 10p
piece, a vast beach like this one

is a challenging environment
in which to find the perfect shell

and one that isn't already occupied.

So the hermit crab has devised
a dishonourable tactic to make sure

it gets what it needs.

Another hermit crab with exactly
the right shell for our growing crab.

There's only one thing for it.

Brute force.

An all out fight isn't enough.

It needs a new tactic.

Using its own shell as a weapon,

it attacks the current owner.

The faster it wraps, the more it's
proving its strength and stamina.

It's deliberate intimidation.

Cowering inside, the victim tries
to hold on.

It won't give up its home
that easily.

But our attacker has a final,
devastating move.

It's a forceful eviction.

Leaving the loser homeless.

And the victor with the ideal
new shell.

This may be blatant theft,
but the hermit crab's

aggressive strategy pays off.

It's found an ingenious way
to ensure its survival.

Animals will use every imaginable
tactic to outwit enemies and stay

alive, from theft and hostage taking
to sophisticated deception.

But what if the threat came
from closer to home,

from your own relatives?

Just off the coast of South America,
one bird of prey reigns supreme.

The striated caracara.

It's one of the rarest raptors
in the world.

In spring, it feasts on the eggs and
chicks of the island's

vast seabird colonies.

For caracaras, these are prime
feeding grounds.

Each adult has carved out its own
territory in which to hunt.

And there's no space left
for anyone else.

This juvenile needs food.

Still too young
to have its own territory,

there's little access
to the hunting grounds.

Another youngster decides
to chance its luck.

But the adults are all too willing
to take down any trespassers.

The risk of injury in these brutal
confrontations is too high.

Getting to the food requires
a new plan.

Up on the moorlands, the young
caracara isn't the only

one in exile.

New research has found that juvenile
caracaras use distinctive calls

to rally together.

This gang of youngsters
are planning a rebellion.

Working together as a group,
they invade

an adult's feeding territory.

The balance of power shifts.

The adults can't see off
the entire flock.

Their mobbing technique
has paid off.

Gorged with food, the young birds
return to the moorlands.

Being forced to live on
the periphery is tough

and rising up against the adults
is the only way to survive.

For young caracaras, turning
on the adults of your species

is a necessity.

But other species can benefit
from working together

throughout their lives.

Ethiopian wolves share in the caring
of their young.

African elephants pass vital
knowledge about food

and water sources down the
generations.

Penguins huddle together
for warmth to survive.

And killer whales are incredibly
successful hunters as a group.

But it's not always happy
families.

To maintain order,

there's often a strict hierarchy,
with one animal leading the group

and the rest falling into line
behind it.

When it comes to survival,
there are real benefits to living

in a group, and if you're
the dominant animal at the top

of the pecking order, you're going
to get the vast majority

of the perks.

But to get there and to hold on
to that power once in charge takes

clever, cunning and sometimes even
pretty shocking tactics.

Deep in the African jungle.

Chimpanzees live together
in large social groups.

Their day to day lives
are relatively harmonious.

Until the peace is broken.

By the alpha male.

He will scream, display and charge
to maintain his status.

Tanzania's Gombe National Park.

I'm meeting chimpanzee expert
Michael Wilson.

I want to find out why using
aggression can be so important

for these apes.

It's early in the morning.

We've been tracking
for about an hour or so.

And just off the track,
this magnificent scene.

I've never seen chimpanzees in the
wild,

so it's all a little bit mind
blowing.

And this really is quite
a peaceful, serene scene.

This is the Kasekela community.

The chimpanzees here have been
studied for nearly 60 years,

resulting in a unique opportunity
to better understand the dynamics

between these animals.

Down below in the valley

we can hear all sorts of calls
where all the males are.

I presume that's where it's all
kicking off.

Michael and I trek further
into the forest to find the rest

of the group.

That's the alpha male right there.

And who's with him?

His mother is right
next to him.

It's all going off in this family
group this morning.

Classically, we tend to think
of the alpha males as the strongest

elder powerful males who take
care of the whole group.

Is that the case in chimpanzee
society?

It doesn't really seem to be.

The alpha male really seems
to be in it for himself.

It's about benefiting the genes
that he has inside of him

and about making as many copies
of those genes as he can.

The latest research is revealing
that dominant males are employing

self-serving strategies
rather than those that might benefit

the entire group.

Essentially, male chimps
are focused on having as many

offspring as possible.

And intimidation ensures
everyone knows who's boss.

But it's not always easy
at the top of the pecking order.

How precarious is his position?

How often does he have to fight
off potential usurpers

to the throne?

Pretty much every day there's
the other males are always

jockeying for position.

They're always looking for a chance
to rise in ranks.

They're always looking for weakness.

Most alphas use a combination
of political manoeuvring

and aggression to gain
and maintain power.

But over the years, researchers
have reported some males with a level

of brutality that seems
unusually high, even for chimps.

So can individuals have distinct
and even sinister personalities?

One alpha, well known
to the scientists,

reigned here back in 1997.

His name was Frodo.

Footage captured during that time
shows how he maintained his position

through a terrifying combination
of intimidation and violence.

We were all afraid of him
because he would go after people

as well as chimps.

Frodo was a ferocious fighter
during attacks on other chimpanzee

groups, but that aggression spilled
over to anyone in his way.

And did you ever have any firsthand
experience with Frodo?

When I first got here, he followed
me and knocked me into the bushes

and hit me with his fists
for a little while.

Every time I saw him, I would feel
a little bit of fear.

That's what life is like for all
of the other chimps

because you're always
on the lookout.

Frodo's behaviour was certainly
extreme.

His attacks often appeared
malicious and unprovoked.

At times, he seemed to behave badly
simply because he could.

People really talked about him
as if he were a bully.

Normally with chimpanzees,
there's a lot of reciprocity.

You scratch my back.
I'll scratch yours.

With Frodo it's
you scratch my back.

- That's it.
- That's it.

Frodo held the alpha position
for five years before becoming ill.

With eight offspring,

he was the second most successful
male in Gombe history,

and he was by far the most brutal.

If humans acted similarly, some
scientists might consider them

to be psychopaths.

Roughly 1% of people show
psychopathic traits characterized

by lack of morals and empathy,
fearlessness, ruthlessness

and volatile aggression.

New research is revealing
that like us, individual chimpanzees

have distinct personalities.

So could some be more inherently
violent than others?

And what kind of conclusions
have you made about their individual

characters and why they behave
so badly?

You know, part of being a male
chimpanzee involves a certain amount

of being able to dominate
others and chase them around.

It really does seem to be part
of their inherent strategy.

The bullies are the ones
who make it to the top.

For an alpha male chimpanzee,
being a bully can lead to success.

But there will always be some
individuals like Frodo

that are exceptionally aggressive.

They're doing whatever they need
to do to get the greatest reward.

Fathering as much of the next
generation as possible.

This is such a fascinating example
of how individual animals

within the same species can
have very different personalities.

Now it's probably fortunate
for the group that the more extreme

alpha males are seen to occur
relatively rarely.

But for those dominant males,
being so badly behaved seems

to be a very successful
strategy for survival.

On my journey throughout
this beautifully

complex animal kingdom,

I've seen animals fight...

..deceive, cheat

and steal their way to success.

Look at this.

Whether it be to breed.

Think he's getting a bit frisky.

Shaking his tail feathers.

To find food.

Or just to survive.

The latest science
is revealing exactly

what animals will do to overcome
life's greatest challenges.

What we might perceive as bad
behaviours are, in fact, evidence

that all sorts of species,
from the smallest crustaceans

to our closest ape relatives
have evolved sophisticated

and ingenious strategies
that are not so different to our own.

For me, that brings about a huge
sense of respect and admiration

for the animals we live alongside.