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[narrator] Power. Dominance.

It's more than muscle.

Aggressive geese.

Furious buffalo.

They back off,
catch their breath

and they go at it again.

[narrator] Whether the lion
prowls the sea... - And they
hold nothing back.

[narrator] ...or is the apex
of the savannah.

It's the lioness that's really
running the show.

They'll just grab
a hold of the neck

and start to pull it down
or use their body weight.

[narrator] When these alphas
make a plan...

The death blow
comes from those teeth.

[narrator] ...it's just
a matter of force.

Every day, everywhere,

our planet is a battleground.
[elephant trumpeting]

[horse neighing]
[growling]

Turf wars...

food fights...

and mating mayhem rage on

as animals outwit and
outmanoeuvre their own kind...

in Battle of the Alphas.

[roaring]

[seagulls squawking]

January, on the Pacific
coast of Peru.

Mating season for the
South American sea lion.

[roaring]

It's about seventeen
to one females to males,

so there's plenty to go
for if you're a bloke

in these sea lion colonies.

[narrator] Hot sun.

Cool water.

It might look like paradise,

but to the South American
sea lion bull,

it's a frying pan.

If you are an animal
that is covered in blubber

to keep you warm in the sea
and covered in hair

to keep you streamlined
and also warm,

that's not going to do very good

sitting on a beach
in Peru in equatorial sun.

There's nothing they can do
about their blubber.

There's nothing they can do
about all that fur.

So the best thing they can do
is take a dip in a cool,

cool ocean regularly.

[growling]

[narrator] The equatorial heat
has forced these powerful

sea lion alphas to adapt
their mating game.

Normally, you would see
a large male

get up high up onto the beach
into what is considered

really good territory
and protect an area

for females to come into
and form a harem.

That's what we would
normally see.

This isn't an option here
because the sea lions

cannot afford to be out and that
high up the beach for that long.

They're just not going
to survive.

[growling]

[narrator] The alpha solution:
grab the spots

closest to the water
where it's cooler.

And then defend them.

When it comes to fighting
for your spot on the beach,
it's all about power.

The males can be up
to three meters in length
and weigh 350 kilos.

That is a serious,
serious animal.

They're fighting over just
this particular spot

that gives them access
to where the females
are going to walk past.

[narrator] While
the sea lion bulls are
positioning themselves,

the females are watching.

And all the while, females
are assessing these males,

they're like, "Okay,
I'm walking down the beach,

I'm checking out
the beach bodies,

and I'm seeing
which males are more fit."

[narrator] The bull
with the pull on the beach front

is going to get the girls.

That's how they demonstrate
their strength.

That's how they demonstrate
their dominance.

The females can pick
whoever they want,

and once the males
have established

who's who and what's what,
the fighting decreases.

That means they've got
more time to mate.

They can look
in better conditions.

They're not pulling scabs
out of their face.

In other words, everyone knows
who all the players are.

And they kinda respect
the status quo.

But all this harmony
gets thrown into disarray

when a new male bull appears.

[growling]

And they will force their way
into this line up looking to try
and grab a bit of territory.

He comes fresh
out of the water,

and literally,
everyone's looking at him like,

"Where's this guy going to go?

What does he think? He's moving
in next to me?

Next to me, this guy is?!

[growling]

No, he's not."

And so, they'll give him
a shove.

Actually, his neighbours,

they don't want
the extra drama, either.

They know this guy.

So they will help
the embattled sea lion

fight off the newcomer
because that retains his space,

but it also means
less hassle for them.

[narrator] But this newcomer
isn't taking "No Vacancy"

for an answer.

- They've only got one tool when
- it comes to a brawl.
- And that is
their mouth, and they hold
nothing back.

All the machinery is
in those knife-like canines.

They will look to attack
and bite the face,

the head, the neck.

They're trying to get hold
of the other sea lion

thrashing around.

So they throw their head back
and lash down,

throw their head back
and lash down.

And they're trying
to get a stab in anywhere

in that fleshy part
around the head and neck
and upper chest.

So if your opponent
is aiming for your eyes,

that's going to make you flinch.

That's going to make you
back down.

[narrator] The newcomer breaks
through the wall of resident
blubber, but he is effectively beached.

And in this case,
this leaves the new bull,

the one that was trying
to push his way in

and get a front row seat.
It leaves him high and dry,

literally stuck
on the wrong side of the beach

and away from the females.

And so, even if he manages
to push through,

he finds that he's too far away
from the water.

[narrator] He must
stay out of the sun

and wait for an opportunity

to push back toward
the cooling ocean.

If you don't get
a spot at all,

your likelihood of mating
is really, really low.

You're not going to come
in contact with the females

and you've got to wait next year

before you have a shot
at it again.

You have to put it all
on the line today

because tomorrow isn't promised.

[narrator] The pool-side seats
are reserved for the powerful.

This method of breeding
is so different

to what we'd normally see
in South American sea lions,

I mean, these bulls,
they set up shop,

they stick and stay,
make it pay.

And they're guaranteed
to get a mating

with at least one or two
or maybe even more females

without even trying.

Now, for them,
that is a real big win.

And so, only a few
sire the many.

[narrator] For this
beach bully, it's all about

staking a claim, and then,
playing the waiting game.

From beach behemoths
to bossy bovines...

The Cape buffalo is the most
powerful alpha on hooves.

It thrives across Africa.

From savannah... to swamp.

From highlands... to lowlands.

Vast herds testify
to its adaptability...

...and its bull-headed nature.

[growling]

The Cape buffalo is a pretty
intimidating creature.

They look at you like,
one: they're not afraid.

And two: they dare you.

[snorting]

[narrator] When it's
not bashing heads,

the Cape buffalo is grazing.

Three quarters of its time
is devoted to grazing.

And you never know what might be
hiding in that tall grass.

This is an animal that is not
all that worried about lions,

and that tells you something
about just how tough it is.

It's almost, he's screaming,
like, "I see you guys."

[narrator] This ungulate
isn't tall.

[growling]

Between a metre
and a metre and a half.

But it is long and solid.

Two metres from snout to tail.

And it can weigh almost a tonne.

Its horns can span
over one metre.

It's this thick,
solid piece of bone

that's growing
just outside their cranium.

Think of handlebars on a bike.

[narrator] One nod
of this bull's handlebars
sends a lion running.

[growling]

Mother buffalo
are even more assertive.

The bond between cow and calf
is long and intense.

Gestation is almost a year.
But they nurse these babies

for almost a year as well.

[narrator] Small wonder
a Cape buffalo gal is picky

in her choice of mate.

She's looking
for the best "boss".

Where the horns come together
in the front on the forehead.

It's called a boss.
It's like a big medieval plate

that they could use
to smash into things.

That ornament is just
an amazing signature

that tells so much information,

not just about fighting ability,

but about health,
about condition.

[narrator] The bull
with the best boss

isn't always the best bull.
But it's a start.

If you're a male,
you're really interested

in which females
are ready to mate,

and you can tell
by the way they smell,

but your normal smell pathways

aren't going to tell you
the whole story.

[narrator] The Cape buffalo
has a specialized organ

in its face to detect
the presence of estrous females.

Its curled lip is called
the Flehman Response.

It's almost like
they're sniffing

and chewing on the odour
to get a really good sense

of who is out there.

And so, by doing that,
they can smell specifically

for females to find out
which ones are ready to mate.

[narrator] When two bulls share
an interest in the same female,

the ritual bossing match begins.

They'll do these little
head-on-head on tussles

and they'll push back and forth,
and they last...

Each bout or round
is about ten seconds each.

And it is almost like
an imaginary bell ring.

They back off,
catch their breath,

and then they go at it again.

[narrator] But if the ritual
tête-à-tête doesn't end

in a technical knockout,
it's time for the horns to lock.

They get into close contact
with another bull

and they just transmit forces

from one back-and-forth
to the other.

They're clashing their boss,

clack, clack, clack,

pushing, and they're also
moving their head

and they're raking their horns.

They potentially can either
grab one another's horns

and kind of take one another
off-balance.

[growling]

So they can push each other,
twist each other

and try to outmaneuver
each other,

so that they can get
the upper hand

and show the other bull that
they're the one who should win.

[growling]

[narrator] The two bulls
lock horns.

The twisting is even
more aggressive.

Finally, one has had enough.

And what happens at the very
end is really important

because it's not just over
when one of them taps out
and walks away.

There's a... Part of the ritual
is for the male that won

to chase the other one
out of the area

as an advertisement
to everybody around.

"Look, I won.
This other one is leaving.

I just want to make that
very clear

so that when I turn around
and come back,

if anybody wants to have sex,
I'm available."

There's hundreds,
sometimes even thousands
of animals around,

so it's not worth fighting
and dying over.

These super violent,
bloody fights are very rare.

Because even though
that male may have lost,

he can move on
a few hundred yards

and potentially find another
clan of females...

[narrator] Potentially.

This powerful boss still has
to face a choosy row of judges.

[squawking]
[growling]

From the African plains
to the skies of North America.

[honking]

Early spring in southern Canada.

And Canada's namesake geese are
back home for breeding season.

Time to establish
the pecking order.

Canada geese are incredibly
powerful animals

and they need that power
in almost everything they do.

[narrator] This is a big bird.

Up to 11 kg and over
a meter tall.

Their wingspan
stretches almost two metres.

Those giant wings require
giant muscles.

Muscles they can also use
in a fight.

It could happen in the water.

It can happen on land,
in the marsh.

These birds are very much
primed to be aggressive

to get what they want.

[narrator] The female
builds the nest.

But she does much more
than roost.

So it's not just the male
that's really aggressive.

Pairs of geese
are really good teams

when it comes to defending
their territory

and their nesting sites
against other geese,

including their offspring
from the year before.

[narrator] The nest is ready,
the eggs are laid.

Time for these Canada geese
to stand on guard.

The first line of defence
is making a lot of noise

to try to tell that other
Canada goose that this
is our territory.

You better back off.

[narrator] Honking gives way
to hissing.

That's when you know
that you're really in trouble

when you hear that hiss.

[hissing]

Geese have these long necks
that are incredibly expressive.

[narrator] This is called
"the aggressive approach".

[honking]

And they will roll their neck
in quick movements

to try to again intimidate
these other birds.

And they'll run after
the object of their aggression

and they'll kind of
scare them away.

[narrator] But the Canada
goose's best weapon

is its powerful wings.

Once the wings come out,
that's the final straw.

There's a lot of flapping
involved, a lot of pecking.

If they're on the water,
you can see a lot of splashing.

The whole purpose
is for one goose to get
the other to retreat.

[narrator] Those long wings
conceal the goose version

of a clenched fist.

It's called the alula.

It's really a sort of bony
protrusion at the wrist,

but it does stick out and they
can actually use it as a weapon.

This is a way
of punching your opponent

and you can really hurt them
that way.

[narrator] Punching, kicking...

There's nothing
it won't do to subdue.

If they cannot defend
their territory,

they will get pushed out
and another pair or other birds

will come in and take over

and they won't be able
to nest in that location.

If they're already nesting,
that could be a real threat

to the eggs that are there
at that moment.

So it's really life or death
for their family

if they can't defend
their territory.

[narrator] When a defender
gets a gander of an invader,

he gives chase...

They will use their beak
to try to bite the other birds,

pluck feathers out.

[narrator] The final thrust
leaves his opponent

with no doubt of his status.

Talk about a water foul.

Once they've vanquished
their rivals,

the mating pair takes a moment
to congratulate themselves.

They will do something called
a triumph ceremony,

and this really
is like a greeting between
the male and female.

And this is something that can
happen multiple times a day.

[honking]

They will stick
their necks out

at about a 45-degree angle
with their beaks open,

and they will raise their necks
up and down,

alternating and honking
very, very loud.

But it also is presenting a
signal to any other birds nearby

that we've got
a tight family unit.

And you better back off.

[narrator] For this goose
and her gander,

sometimes, it's good
to honk your own horn.

[growling]
[roaring]

All species fight
their own kind...

But for the top
of every food chain,

there is no contest.
[fly buzzing]

This is an apex alpha.

People call lions
the king of the jungle,

that's wrong for two
different reasons.

One, they're not in jungles,
they're in the savannah,

but two, it's not the king
that's doing most of the work.

It's the queen.

[narrator] The real power
is behind the throne.

The lionesses are really much
more capable hunters

because of their
physical structure.

[roaring]
[narrator] The male is huge.

Over three-metres long
from nose to tail.

Up to 250 kilograms.

The lioness is much
more compact.

Females can be up to
three-meters long

and weigh up to 180 kg.

The "main" difference
is on his head.

The mane is useful for
intimidating other males.

But for hunting,
it's a big drag.

That gigantic mane,

that, not only will create
problems with thermoregulation,

they won't be able
to keep themselves as cool

as a female would
because she doesn't have
as much hair to deal with.

But it's also the weight
of the hair,

and it's also...
Think about camouflage.

You know, it's going to be
a lot harder for a male

to keep himself out of sight
with all that hair.

[narrator] And keeping
out of sight

is the first rule
of the lioness hunt club.

They get low.
The ears go down.

They're totally focused
on their target.

They wait till the thing
is looking away

to make any moves
and then freeze again

when the thing's looking back
in their direction.

They have to get
as close as possible
before they're revealed.

It's a sneaking-up strategy
that is the only way

they're going to be able
to get food.

[narrator] Her lean profile
pays dividends at speed.

She can maneuver better.
She's more agile.

Females are built to hunt.

They're 30% faster. They can go
up to 60 kilometres an hour.

[narrator] But with
bigger game, sometimes,
fast is not fast enough.

They're not built for speed.
They're built for acceleration.

Their top speed is nowhere near

what the top speeds
of their prey are,

but they can get to those
high speeds much faster.

[roaring]

So as long as they
catch up early,

they're going to be able
to get their food.

[narrator] Her pounce
is powerful.

She can jump on her prey
much more easily.

[roaring]

So they just hold on.
Zebra kicks as much as it wants.

[narrator] Catching up
and even catching the prey

may still not be enough.

That's when the beauty
of the pride comes in.

[narrator] Another set
of helping claws makes
the difference.

They're very observant
of one another,

and they're really
communicative to ensure

that they all work
towards the same goal.

There are many different
kinds of cats in the world.

But there's only one
that has figured out

how to hunt socially,
and that's the lion.

And it's made a huge difference

to the number of animals
they can take down.

[narrator] Regardless
of the menu, this apex alpha

brings powerful tools
to the table.

They have these
retractable claws

that they can use
to hold onto an animal.

They have extremely
powerful muscles they can use

to pull that animal down to the
ground and get it on its back.

They'll just grab
a hold of the neck

and start to pull it down.
They'll use their body weight.

But ultimately, the death blow
comes from those teeth.

Those canines are perfectly
suited to biting into the neck

and either severing
the spinal cord

or just choking the animal
until it suffocates.

They will hold it so that
that animal can't breathe

for up to ten minutes
until it's dead.

[narrator] Just as dinner is
served, a party crasher arrives.

[roaring]

Here's the disgusting part
about lion culture.

The females have done
all this work,

they've taken down the prey,
then the male struts over

and he gets to eat first.

This is really just
a bonus that he gets

from having been built
to fight with other males.

He's really built to fight lions

more than he is
to take down prey.

So he's really there
as kind of the bodyguard

of the pride.

And the lionesses really
take care of the logistics

behind the scenes and
keep everybody fed and safe.

[narrator] This apex alpha
takes everything in stride.

We think of lions,
we think of the big,

dominant male
with the giant mane.

And although they're formidable,

it's the lioness
that's really running the show.

The real apex predator
is the lioness.

She's calling the shots
because the lionesses

are the ones that not only
take care of the young,

but they go out
and they are the ones

who bring home
the warthog bacon.

[narrator] But for this
apex hunter, tonight,

she has wildebeest
back on the menu.

[roaring]

Temperamental parents...

Brawny showdowns...

[roaring]
Unrelenting focus...

When winning is a matter
of life or death,

the force better be with you.