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[narrator] Come rain,
snow, hell or highwater,
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00:00:13,317 --> 00:00:15,624
these alphas are ready
to throw down.
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00:00:15,624 --> 00:00:18,018
This is hard core brutal
mother nature.
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00:00:18,018 --> 00:00:21,978
They've got protection
from the elements...
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00:00:21,978 --> 00:00:23,762
It can cope with the worst
Scottish weather,
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00:00:23,762 --> 00:00:28,854
endless rain.
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00:00:28,854 --> 00:00:30,291
The polar bear is essentially
wearing nature's own wetsuit.
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[narrator] And a nasty bag
of battle tricks...
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00:00:34,251 --> 00:00:35,209
They're incredibly cunning,
they're incredibly aggressive
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00:00:35,209 --> 00:00:38,821
and they're incredibly smart.
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00:00:38,821 --> 00:00:39,952
[narrator]
When angry neighbours meet
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00:00:39,952 --> 00:00:41,824
or an apex alpha gets hungry--
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Fur will fly.
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00:00:43,739 --> 00:00:47,612
[growling]
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00:00:47,612 --> 00:00:47,743
[narrator]
Every day, everywhere,
our planet is a battleground.
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00:00:49,614 --> 00:00:53,705
Turf wars,
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00:00:53,705 --> 00:00:55,620
food fights
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00:00:55,620 --> 00:00:58,058
and mating mayhem rage on
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as animals outwit and
outmanoeuvre their own kind
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in Battle of the alphas.
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This is wolverine territory.
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Harsh and remote.
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In a climate where few can
survive, the wolverine thrives.
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Part of what makes wolverine
so successful is that fur.
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There's an under layer
that keeps them warm,
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00:01:25,302 --> 00:01:26,825
and then there's this outer
layer that's oily and waterproof
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that keeps the snow
off of them,
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keeps the frost off of them
and makes sure
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that they're able to function
in those cold climates.
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It is one of the toughest
animals on the planet.
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It can climb trees.
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It's a really adept swimmer.
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It can climb mountains.
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The wolverine is an animal that
spends its life
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constantly on the move.
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[narrator] Most people
will never see one.
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They're solitary creatures
with an almost mythical status.
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Wolverines are so aggressive,
they're so legendary
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that you could probably
even make up a superhero
based on them.
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I'm just saying.
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00:02:01,904 --> 00:02:02,426
[narrator] They're not
hospitable neighbours.
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00:02:03,819 --> 00:02:06,952
If one wolverine crosses
another's path,
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violence is almost guaranteed.
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Males have a huge home range,
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up to 1500 square kilometres.
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To put that in perspective,
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that's about the size of three
million professional basketball
courts or the size of the entire
island of Maui.
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That's like the size of
a bear's home range
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or a cougars home range.
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It's just a little golden
retriever size thing,
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00:02:31,629 --> 00:02:34,589
but it thinks it's big.
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It's definitely punching
above its weight.
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[narrator] A male will share
his vast territory
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with three or more females.
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Wolverines are polygamous,
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which means they can mate with
a number of females,
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so females will have smaller
home ranges
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within the vast territory
of the male.
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[narrator] Defending their
turf is a never-ending job.
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One they take very seriously.
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It's an animal that rarely
encounters its own kin.
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But if it does, there will be fireworks.
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[narrator] Wolverines fight
to protect their domain
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and everything that comes
with it.
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These animals have
everything they need to eat
meat in cold places,
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they can scavenge on things
that have died by other means.
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00:03:15,020 --> 00:03:19,764
And when that doesn't work,
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they'll kill the food
- themselves.
- If they have a
territory that they live on
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with a certain amount
of prey in it,
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they don't want other wolverines
coming in
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and getting some of the action.
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[growling]
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[narrator]
This male is prepping for one
of his busiest battle seasons.
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Winter.
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A lot of animals survive the
winter by hibernating, but not
wolverines, they don't hibernate
at all.
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They're active year-round
looking for prey,
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trying to find food
in the middle of winter
that's very hard to do.
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That's when the animals
get desperate.
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They'll start to move into
neighbours' territory
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if their noses pick up
a recent kill,
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00:03:59,369 --> 00:04:02,720
that's when
they'll come to blows.
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00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:03,591
[narrator] He's got to beef up
his security,
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00:04:05,549 --> 00:04:08,857
and nasty weather
won't stop him.
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The wolverine is able to cope
with these sub-zero
temperatures,
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so it's ready for action
at a moment's notice.
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[narrator]
He's laying a scent trail.
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It's like building a fence or
a moat but stinkier.
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There are a few other
nicknames for wolverines
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like skunk bear or stink bear,
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because they can produce these
smells that are pretty pungent,
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so they have anal glands.
They have glands
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next to their belly button.
They have glands on their legs,
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all these different glands
producing smells
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so they can tell other members
of the species not to come in.
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[narrator] This rival wolverine
doesn't heed the warning.
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These two may be neighbours,
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but there is nothing friendly
about this meet-up.
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Wolverines are built to kill
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and so when that weaponry
shows up,
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when those big, tough arms,
those big, sharp teeth,
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all of that comes together
into a battle,
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you can really see
what these animals are made of.
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[narrator] They're fighting
on treacherous turf,
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deep snow and ice,
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their feet are perfectly adept
to handle the terrain.
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If they put their foot down
on the snow,
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they can spread it out
to twice the area
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that it would normally have in
order to really distribute the
weightacross a larger surface,
just like a snowshoe.
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They've got some formidable
weapons, first and foremost,
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they'll be slashing with
those huge claws
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on the end of
very powerful limbs.
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[narrator]
They throw their full
body weight into each swipe.
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Males can weigh up to
18 kilograms,
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and they work hard to stay
in battle-ready form.
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I like the Latin names
of animals you always learn something,
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and the Latin name for
the wolverine is a perfect
example of that.
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It's called gulo and
gulo means glutton.
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And it's totally a glutton
because they eat a ton of meat.
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The wolverine's teeth,
all 38 of them
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are perfectly evolved
for catching and killing prey.
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The molars at the back
are turned inward
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and rotated 90 degrees,
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00:06:04,973 --> 00:06:07,018
and they have an amazing
bite force for crushing bone
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00:06:07,018 --> 00:06:11,588
and biting through frozen meat
from a carcass.
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00:06:11,588 --> 00:06:13,982
[narrator]
Molars are for crushing,
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00:06:16,071 --> 00:06:17,899
canines for puncturing,
tearing and strategic attacks.
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In this battle, the defender
tries for a tactical advantage:
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jumping on his opponents back.
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00:06:27,865 --> 00:06:32,217
There are two reasons to get
on the back of your opponent if
you're a wolverine. One,
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you have access to all
the tendons in their back
and their neck.
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That's a great place
to be attacking, but I think,
more importantly,
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you're getting away
from all their sharp parts.
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[narrator] On rare occasions
wolverines will fight to the
death. But usually one admits defeat.
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In this battle, it's
the intruder that scampers off.
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Wolverines aren't dumb,
so they'll fight,
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00:06:51,585 --> 00:06:54,979
and when they reach the point
where they realize
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00:06:54,979 --> 00:06:56,894
that they're probably not going
to win, they're smart enough to
cut and run.
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00:06:56,894 --> 00:06:59,201
[narrator]
It's a sweet win.
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00:06:59,201 --> 00:07:00,115
But the triumphant wolverine
doesn't have time to celebrate.
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00:07:00,115 --> 00:07:02,987
As the snow picks up...
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00:07:04,946 --> 00:07:07,383
he's off to scent mark
his territory yet again,
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00:07:07,383 --> 00:07:08,993
at least this time
it'll be a victory lap.
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[♪]
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[narrator]
From fur to feathers ...
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mallards are the most abundant
duck on the planet.
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Some might say they're ordinary
maybe even boring,
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00:07:23,704 --> 00:07:28,056
but these little ducks are
surprisingly gritty.
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Mallards have a variety
of very special adaptations
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to help keep them warm
in the winter.
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They have really dense feathers.
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This layer of fat under
their feathers,
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00:07:39,763 --> 00:07:41,983
and also this amazing
circulatory system
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to help keep their feet
from freezing.
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[narrator] They're built to
battle the weather
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and each other.
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[intense music]
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For most people, when
they're thinking of an alpha,
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you're probably not thinking
about the mallard.
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00:08:00,610 --> 00:08:01,481
But what people don't see is
that they're not just the calm
and docile duck,
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00:08:03,308 --> 00:08:07,748
they can actually be
downright violent.
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[narrator]
These fights are dangerous
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00:08:12,056 --> 00:08:13,188
and so are the events
that lead to them.
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In the spring and summer
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mother ducks sit dutifully
on their eggs.
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Once a pair forms and
the female starts laying eggs,
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the male doesn't linger.
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[narrator] It's not because
he's a deadbeat,
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in fact, it's quite
the opposite.
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That nest is very susceptible
to predation.
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If that male is around,
he's just going to give away
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the nest location like,
he has to get lost.
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[narrator]
She's got to stay if she want
her offspring to survive.
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Putting her life on the line
for theirs.
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They can spend up to 23 hours
a day sitting on those nests.
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There is no time in a female
mallard's life
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when she is more vulnerable than
when she is incubating her eggs
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and she's under constant
threat from predators
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like raccoons, foxes, weasels.
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00:09:00,583 --> 00:09:04,195
She is quite literally
a sitting duck.
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00:09:04,195 --> 00:09:06,720
[narrator]
The mortality rate of
female mallards
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more than doubles when
they're incubating their eggs.
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A lot of adult females
don't survive.
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And what you get
in the end is that
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there are generally more
male mallards in the population
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00:09:17,687 --> 00:09:22,910
than female mallards.
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[narrator]
That imbalance becomes
a problem during mating season.
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Not every guy will get a girl
and so,
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the males battle
for the right to pair up.
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They are like little speedboats.
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They go so fast on that water
after one another.
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[narrator]
But the competition starts
more like a pageant.
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00:09:38,969 --> 00:09:41,711
When a male mallard wants to
court a female mallard,
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00:09:41,711 --> 00:09:44,235
he puts on a whole show with
a number of different parts.
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00:09:44,235 --> 00:09:48,152
The females are the ones
that pick out the males
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00:09:48,152 --> 00:09:51,155
which they deem as being
good enough, strong enough,
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having the best genes to pass on
to the next generation.
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00:09:54,506 --> 00:09:57,466
[narrator]
First, they try to impress her
with their looks.
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00:09:57,466 --> 00:10:00,948
The males have this wonderful
green, iridescent head.
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00:10:00,948 --> 00:10:05,213
They do lots of flapping
to show off their wings.
200
00:10:05,213 --> 00:10:09,696
But the best thing to see,
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00:10:09,696 --> 00:10:11,349
they like to stick their
head up and their butt up
at the same time,
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00:10:11,349 --> 00:10:15,745
much like cat cow in yoga.
203
00:10:15,745 --> 00:10:16,964
And that's not the only talent
they put on display.
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00:10:16,964 --> 00:10:20,184
[narrator]
They serenade her too.
205
00:10:20,184 --> 00:10:22,534
They do lots of grunt
whistle noises.
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00:10:22,534 --> 00:10:25,625
They make really
interesting sounds
207
00:10:25,625 --> 00:10:27,322
as they're swimming around
in circles.
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00:10:27,322 --> 00:10:29,977
All of those different things
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00:10:29,977 --> 00:10:32,196
are designed to try to show
the female
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00:10:32,196 --> 00:10:34,721
that they are going to be
the perfect father
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00:10:34,721 --> 00:10:38,855
of her offspring.
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00:10:38,855 --> 00:10:39,595
The whole reason for any
animal's existence
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00:10:39,595 --> 00:10:43,207
is to be the best it can be.
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00:10:43,207 --> 00:10:45,427
So, it is all about passing
on the strongest genes
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00:10:45,427 --> 00:10:50,127
in order to survive a life,
and then to perpetuate.
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00:10:50,127 --> 00:10:53,261
[narrator] This female likes
what she sees.
217
00:10:53,261 --> 00:10:57,178
She lowers her head flat
in the water,
218
00:10:57,178 --> 00:10:58,919
it's her way of saying
she's picked someone
219
00:10:58,919 --> 00:11:02,226
and is ready to pair up.
220
00:11:02,226 --> 00:11:03,619
But this male wasn't picked.
221
00:11:03,619 --> 00:11:06,274
And he's not happy about it.
222
00:11:06,274 --> 00:11:08,319
His testosterone is surging.
223
00:11:08,319 --> 00:11:10,974
The only way he'll get access
to a female now
224
00:11:10,974 --> 00:11:14,064
is to steal her from
another male
225
00:11:14,064 --> 00:11:16,763
and that means
he's got to fight.
226
00:11:16,763 --> 00:11:19,504
He approaches his target
and opens his mouth.
227
00:11:19,504 --> 00:11:22,638
Tt's all about saying,
"Listen, look how big I am,
228
00:11:22,638 --> 00:11:26,163
look at me. Check me out!
229
00:11:26,163 --> 00:11:27,687
If you want some of this,
come on, let's have it!"
230
00:11:27,687 --> 00:11:30,385
This bill is made of a really
extraordinary substance,
231
00:11:30,385 --> 00:11:34,215
keratin which is both hard and
can be quite sharp
232
00:11:34,215 --> 00:11:38,741
and is also a little bit
flexible as well.
233
00:11:38,741 --> 00:11:41,657
This is something that they use,
you know, for finding food
234
00:11:41,657 --> 00:11:43,354
and for gripping things, and
also for fighting one another.
235
00:11:45,313 --> 00:11:47,881
They'll try to actually pluck
the feathers
236
00:11:50,274 --> 00:11:53,321
out of another male,
especially in their chest.
237
00:11:53,321 --> 00:11:56,541
So if you pluck away
all that beautiful plumage,
238
00:11:56,541 --> 00:12:00,067
you are all of a sudden
not going to be very appealing
to a female.
239
00:12:00,067 --> 00:12:04,941
You might not be able to find
a mate the rest of that season.
240
00:12:04,941 --> 00:12:08,423
[narrator]
Losing feathers isn't just
about losing mates,
241
00:12:08,423 --> 00:12:12,209
that plumage keeps the ducks
warm and waterproof.
242
00:12:12,209 --> 00:12:15,169
If you've ever seen
a mallard or any other kind
of duck preening,
243
00:12:15,169 --> 00:12:18,476
it looks like they're kind
of dipping their head under
their wing
244
00:12:18,476 --> 00:12:21,523
and kind of moving things
around. What they're really
doing is
245
00:12:21,523 --> 00:12:24,178
taking this particular oil from
a special gland near their tail
246
00:12:24,178 --> 00:12:29,139
and running it through their
feathers to weatherproof them.
247
00:12:29,139 --> 00:12:31,054
[narrator]
The battle continues until
one male swims or flies away.
248
00:12:31,054 --> 00:12:34,710
And the other male mallard
will continue to go after it
249
00:12:34,710 --> 00:12:37,713
and vocalize at it to make sure
it knows,
250
00:12:37,713 --> 00:12:39,628
hey, this is my territory.
This is my space.
251
00:12:39,628 --> 00:12:44,154
You can't come back.
252
00:12:44,154 --> 00:12:47,592
[narrator] In rare cases,
neither male will retreat, and
the fight can become deadly.
253
00:12:47,592 --> 00:12:50,204
Mallards can occasionally
kill each other,
254
00:12:50,204 --> 00:12:51,683
and most often the way that
they do this is by drowning,
255
00:12:51,683 --> 00:12:54,643
just by flapping their wings
256
00:12:54,643 --> 00:12:57,907
and putting their body weight
on that of another duck
257
00:12:57,907 --> 00:12:59,822
to the point that that duck
can't breathe and they die.
258
00:12:59,822 --> 00:13:03,086
They may even end up killing
female ducks
259
00:13:03,086 --> 00:13:06,046
that kind of get caught
in the crossfire
260
00:13:06,046 --> 00:13:08,265
of these sorts of arguments
as well.
261
00:13:08,265 --> 00:13:11,181
So the stakes can be
incredibly high.
262
00:13:11,181 --> 00:13:11,747
[narrator]
From severe weather to
fiercely competitive pageants
263
00:13:12,922 --> 00:13:17,274
and mating brawls.
264
00:13:17,274 --> 00:13:19,102
Mallard life isn't easy.
265
00:13:19,102 --> 00:13:20,669
And it's definitely not boring.
266
00:13:27,067 --> 00:13:31,549
Mallards may be mighty ducks,
267
00:13:31,549 --> 00:13:33,682
but when it comes to cattle,
268
00:13:33,682 --> 00:13:37,033
one rugged breed stands alone.
269
00:13:37,033 --> 00:13:39,209
Highland cows are pretty
different from your average cow.
270
00:13:39,209 --> 00:13:42,604
They can cope with
the worst Scottish weather,
271
00:13:42,604 --> 00:13:45,694
gales, endless rain,
really cold freezing conditions.
272
00:13:47,609 --> 00:13:52,788
They have these two layers
of fur.
273
00:13:52,788 --> 00:13:54,311
There's a short layer underneath
that you don't really see.
274
00:13:54,311 --> 00:13:59,577
That's what keeps it warm.
275
00:13:59,577 --> 00:14:02,319
But then there's this baggy
outer coat that's waterproof.
It's oily. And because they're
built for those tough
276
00:14:02,319 --> 00:14:06,541
they're tough animals,
and that means
277
00:14:06,541 --> 00:14:07,934
that when a conflict happens
they're built for a tough fight.
278
00:14:07,934 --> 00:14:10,023
[narrator]
This is a leader.
279
00:14:11,372 --> 00:14:14,636
An alpha male.
280
00:14:14,636 --> 00:14:15,158
He rules over a kingdom
in the Scottish highlands.
281
00:14:16,290 --> 00:14:19,032
Right now, it's calm.
282
00:14:20,816 --> 00:14:23,166
No one is testing his rank.
283
00:14:23,166 --> 00:14:24,559
Most cows are in groups
called herds,
284
00:14:26,648 --> 00:14:29,433
but a highland's cow
is in a group called a fold.
285
00:14:29,433 --> 00:14:30,957
There is a strict hierarchy
within this fold.
286
00:14:33,176 --> 00:14:36,745
The older you are, the higher
up you are in the hierarchy,
287
00:14:36,745 --> 00:14:39,879
and males tend
to outrank females.
288
00:14:39,879 --> 00:14:41,315
Right at the top of that is
the dominant male, the big bull.
289
00:14:41,315 --> 00:14:44,709
Now he's the daddy,
he's the head honcho,
290
00:14:44,709 --> 00:14:46,363
he's the man in charge.
291
00:14:46,363 --> 00:14:50,498
[mooing]
292
00:14:50,498 --> 00:14:54,371
[narrator] The alpha gets dibs
on food and mating. And his
subordinates show him respect.
293
00:14:54,371 --> 00:14:55,807
If you are a highland cow
and a dominant animal
294
00:14:55,807 --> 00:14:59,463
is coming towards you,
you get out of their way.
295
00:14:59,463 --> 00:15:01,639
And if you have the opportunity,
you groom them,
296
00:15:01,639 --> 00:15:03,772
you lick their head,
you lick their neck
297
00:15:03,772 --> 00:15:05,556
just to show that you respect
their position in space.
298
00:15:05,556 --> 00:15:07,080
Everybody knows where
they are in line,
299
00:15:11,084 --> 00:15:13,738
so you don't get a lot of
conflict over territories and
stuff like that because everyone
knows what they're supposed to
300
00:15:13,738 --> 00:15:16,567
And it's only really when
a bull male
301
00:15:16,567 --> 00:15:20,397
that's not the dominant male
wants to become the top dog...
302
00:15:20,397 --> 00:15:26,012
Or you might have a farmer
that buys a bunch of new cows
303
00:15:26,012 --> 00:15:27,578
and they have to figure out
how they fit into societies
that already exist.
304
00:15:27,578 --> 00:15:30,277
That's when you'll say horns
come together
305
00:15:30,277 --> 00:15:33,280
and massive animals really
getting down to
306
00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:37,762
the business of fighting.
307
00:15:37,762 --> 00:15:38,241
[narrator]
This young male is near
the bottom of the social heap.
308
00:15:38,241 --> 00:15:44,944
And he's fed up.
309
00:15:44,944 --> 00:15:48,730
He approaches the alpha, ready
to fight for dominance. - You
can tell there's a fight
brewing, because what happens is
310
00:15:48,730 --> 00:15:50,950
one of the animals will
lower their horns it's saying,
311
00:15:50,950 --> 00:15:53,561
"I'm going to get under you,
312
00:15:53,561 --> 00:15:54,692
I'm going to push your centre
of mass off centre,
313
00:15:54,692 --> 00:15:57,869
I'm ready to go with you."
314
00:15:57,869 --> 00:15:59,436
That initial phase where they're
pushing against each other
315
00:15:59,436 --> 00:16:02,526
and they're just getting a
sense of how big one another are
316
00:16:02,526 --> 00:16:05,138
is really important because
that's when they decide
317
00:16:05,138 --> 00:16:07,444
if they're going to really
go for it.
318
00:16:07,444 --> 00:16:08,619
[narrator]
The alpha isn't backing down.
319
00:16:08,619 --> 00:16:11,013
It's bristling with aggression.
320
00:16:11,013 --> 00:16:13,407
It's full of testosterone.
321
00:16:13,407 --> 00:16:16,236
It's ready for action.
322
00:16:16,236 --> 00:16:17,672
You've got two 800 kilogram animals
323
00:16:17,672 --> 00:16:19,674
that are angrily trying to knock
one another off
324
00:16:19,674 --> 00:16:23,417
of that hierarchy ladder.
325
00:16:23,417 --> 00:16:25,506
So you see them pushing.
You see them twisting,
326
00:16:25,506 --> 00:16:28,683
really communicating
to each other
327
00:16:28,683 --> 00:16:32,382
just how much muscle there is
on the other side.[grunts]
328
00:16:32,382 --> 00:16:34,689
[narrator] Keeping bulked up
for battle takes work.
329
00:16:34,689 --> 00:16:35,037
Highland cattle eat up to
18 kilograms of vegetation
every day.
330
00:16:36,778 --> 00:16:41,957
They're feeding
in an alpine environment
331
00:16:41,957 --> 00:16:43,741
where food is hard to come by.
They're using their horns
332
00:16:43,741 --> 00:16:45,830
to pull down branches
so they can get food that way.
333
00:16:45,830 --> 00:16:47,919
They eat some of the most
indigestible plant material
334
00:16:47,919 --> 00:16:52,054
you could possibly imagine.
335
00:16:52,054 --> 00:16:54,491
Rough, rush hard grasses.
336
00:16:54,491 --> 00:16:56,580
I mean, life can be tough up
in the north of Scotland,
337
00:16:56,580 --> 00:17:01,020
and the food it's eating
338
00:17:01,020 --> 00:17:03,109
requires a huge amount
of digestion.
339
00:17:03,109 --> 00:17:05,154
[narrator]
It can take up to 100 hours
for a highland cow
340
00:17:06,808 --> 00:17:10,899
to fully digest its meal.
341
00:17:10,899 --> 00:17:12,509
It's so important for their
digestive system to be effective
342
00:17:12,509 --> 00:17:15,469
because they're able to have
that muscle
343
00:17:15,469 --> 00:17:18,733
and they're ready for
those conflicts.
344
00:17:18,733 --> 00:17:19,777
[narrator]
During battle, the bulls
throw around their weight
345
00:17:19,777 --> 00:17:24,391
and use their horns
like weapons.
346
00:17:24,391 --> 00:17:25,957
When you look at
these wrestling matches
between the cows,
347
00:17:25,957 --> 00:17:28,873
it's more like hand-to-hand
combat.
348
00:17:28,873 --> 00:17:31,963
Those horns are extensions
of bones
349
00:17:31,963 --> 00:17:34,879
with blood vessels in them.
That's part of their body.
350
00:17:34,879 --> 00:17:36,142
It's not a weapon on top
of their body.
351
00:17:36,142 --> 00:17:38,579
It's part of their body.
352
00:17:38,579 --> 00:17:39,536
If they can get those big
horns into the flank
353
00:17:39,536 --> 00:17:43,323
and gore the other animal.
354
00:17:43,323 --> 00:17:45,760
Then there they're at distinct advantage,
355
00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:47,370
and they could well be on their
way to winning the battle.
356
00:17:47,370 --> 00:17:50,939
The stakes are so high.
If you lose this fight,
357
00:17:50,939 --> 00:17:54,247
you lose your position in
the hierarchy,
358
00:17:54,247 --> 00:17:57,163
it really pays to be the alpha.
359
00:17:57,163 --> 00:17:57,859
[narrator]
The fight ends when one male
can't take any more
360
00:17:57,859 --> 00:18:01,689
and backs down.
361
00:18:01,689 --> 00:18:03,299
This time, the defending alpha
is triumphant.
362
00:18:03,299 --> 00:18:06,128
The best part is that once
the battle is over
363
00:18:06,128 --> 00:18:08,565
everybody looks at the results
and everybody says,
364
00:18:08,565 --> 00:18:10,393
"Okay, we're good.
We got this figured out."
365
00:18:10,393 --> 00:18:12,308
And as soon as you have
a winner,
366
00:18:12,308 --> 00:18:15,224
a victor and a vanquished,
367
00:18:15,224 --> 00:18:16,095
peace and tranquility will
be restored.
368
00:18:18,619 --> 00:18:20,099
[♪]
369
00:18:23,624 --> 00:18:24,146
[narrator] All species
fight their own kind,
370
00:18:26,017 --> 00:18:27,106
but for the top of every
food chain there is no contest
371
00:18:28,498 --> 00:18:31,588
this is an apex alpha.
372
00:18:36,506 --> 00:18:40,031
This bloody face
means it's been a good day.
373
00:18:41,555 --> 00:18:43,992
Proof of a successful hunt.
374
00:18:46,429 --> 00:18:47,169
A well-fed polar bear
is covered in red.
375
00:18:49,519 --> 00:18:52,261
It lives in the harshest environments.
376
00:18:53,915 --> 00:18:55,917
It really is up there
377
00:18:59,007 --> 00:18:59,399
with the top apex predators
ever on planet earth.
378
00:19:01,444 --> 00:19:04,230
It hunts prey that spends
90 % of its time in the ocean.
379
00:19:06,145 --> 00:19:10,975
[narrator]
To find that elusive meal,
380
00:19:10,975 --> 00:19:13,239
it searches far and wide,
crossing land and sea.
381
00:19:13,239 --> 00:19:16,111
And it's equipped for
the journey.
382
00:19:18,418 --> 00:19:20,985
The polar bear is essentially
wearing nature's own wetsuit.
383
00:19:20,985 --> 00:19:23,814
When it gets wet, it can whisk
that water away very quickly.
384
00:19:23,814 --> 00:19:28,123
[narrator]
But it's no secret that
climate change
385
00:19:28,123 --> 00:19:31,344
is melting the polar bear's
hunting grounds,
386
00:19:31,344 --> 00:19:32,736
making it harder for them
to catch their favourite food:
387
00:19:32,736 --> 00:19:39,178
seals.
388
00:19:39,178 --> 00:19:42,572
Forcing them to embark on far
more dangerous hunting missions
- You don't need to go to the
Arctic to know
389
00:19:42,572 --> 00:19:45,575
that it isn't exactly
stock full of food.
390
00:19:45,575 --> 00:19:48,361
[narrator]
Finding prey in this barren landscape
391
00:19:48,361 --> 00:19:51,451
takes patience and stamina.
392
00:19:51,451 --> 00:19:53,714
While it's making these
huge trudges across the ice,
393
00:19:53,714 --> 00:19:57,674
it's burning around
about 12,000 calories a day.
394
00:19:57,674 --> 00:20:01,025
So give or take, it can go about
10 days without feeding .
395
00:20:01,025 --> 00:20:05,508
But as it gets closer and closer
and closer to that deadline,
396
00:20:05,508 --> 00:20:09,120
it will get more and more desperate.
397
00:20:09,120 --> 00:20:10,818
[narrator] But it can't eat
just anything.
398
00:20:10,818 --> 00:20:11,775
To survive the bitter cold
of the arctic,
399
00:20:13,473 --> 00:20:16,258
polar bears need
a thick layer of blubber
400
00:20:16,258 --> 00:20:19,522
and they don't get that
by eating light.
401
00:20:19,522 --> 00:20:21,611
You might think that
a polar bear could take down
402
00:20:21,611 --> 00:20:23,613
maybe a reindeer
and yes, it certainly can.
403
00:20:23,613 --> 00:20:26,834
But that lean meat is no good.
404
00:20:26,834 --> 00:20:29,837
Polar bear can't get enough
energy for it.
405
00:20:29,837 --> 00:20:32,056
The perfect meal is blubber.
406
00:20:32,056 --> 00:20:35,495
This guy loves fat.
407
00:20:35,495 --> 00:20:35,843
[narrator]
He uses his nose to
sniff it out.
408
00:20:38,019 --> 00:20:39,803
They have an amazing
sense of smell.
409
00:20:43,198 --> 00:20:45,244
And by having that little bit of
moisture on the tip of the nose,
410
00:20:45,244 --> 00:20:48,247
it actually helps
magnify whatever odours
that it's smelling.
411
00:20:48,247 --> 00:20:52,686
[narrator]
Polar bears use crosswinds
to hunt.
412
00:20:52,686 --> 00:20:54,470
When a bear moves perpendicular
to the wind,
413
00:20:56,777 --> 00:20:59,040
new streams of air are
constantly hitting its nose,
414
00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:02,304
giving it information about
what's upwind.
415
00:21:02,304 --> 00:21:06,177
An animal can hide under snow
416
00:21:06,177 --> 00:21:08,528
but its scent
will still be carried
417
00:21:08,528 --> 00:21:10,791
right to the nose of
a hungry bear.
418
00:21:10,791 --> 00:21:13,359
When the wind is blowing by,
419
00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:15,056
they can do a type of calculus
to help them calculate
420
00:21:15,056 --> 00:21:19,495
where that prey item
is potentially coming from.
421
00:21:19,495 --> 00:21:21,802
This just further demonstrates
how this apex predator
422
00:21:21,802 --> 00:21:26,720
earned this title.
423
00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,592
It uses all the tools available
to it in its environment to its advantage.
424
00:21:34,423 --> 00:21:37,818
[narrator] His super sniffer
leads him to this herd of
walruses. He scopes the scene,
looking for an ideal target.
425
00:21:37,818 --> 00:21:41,952
They're looking for weak
and injured animals.
426
00:21:41,952 --> 00:21:43,911
They're looking for young ones.
They're looking for calves.
427
00:21:43,911 --> 00:21:46,043
Anything that indicates
to the polar bear
428
00:21:46,043 --> 00:21:48,394
that this prey will be
relatively easier to take out.
429
00:21:48,394 --> 00:21:52,267
[narrator]
Hunting a walrus is
a gutsy move.
430
00:21:52,267 --> 00:21:54,922
Walruses are like tanks
of the ocean.
431
00:21:54,922 --> 00:21:57,403
They are ton, ton and a half,
two-ton animals.
432
00:21:57,403 --> 00:22:01,668
It has those characteristic teeth,
433
00:22:01,668 --> 00:22:03,844
those long incisors
that are like ice picks.
434
00:22:03,844 --> 00:22:06,107
They could be up to
a meter long.
435
00:22:06,107 --> 00:22:09,371
Just ice picks.
436
00:22:09,371 --> 00:22:11,242
They're not to be messed with
and they're not the usual prey
437
00:22:11,242 --> 00:22:13,680
of the polar bear. But drastic
times call for drastic measures.
438
00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:18,119
And that's where the polar bear
ends up.
439
00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:19,642
[narrator] The walrus is
a formidable opponent,
440
00:22:19,642 --> 00:22:22,819
but the polar bear doesn't
retreat.
441
00:22:22,819 --> 00:22:25,692
It's bold and fearless,
442
00:22:25,692 --> 00:22:27,694
with its own set of
battle weaponry.
443
00:22:27,694 --> 00:22:30,436
When it comes to apex predators,
444
00:22:30,436 --> 00:22:32,742
the polar bear really does
take the cake.
445
00:22:32,742 --> 00:22:34,918
[narrator]
Polar bears are the largest
land carnivore.
446
00:22:34,918 --> 00:22:39,793
Males can weigh up
to 650 kilograms.
447
00:22:39,793 --> 00:22:43,057
Their giant paws are equipped
with thick, curved claws.
448
00:22:43,057 --> 00:22:46,974
And their canine teeth
are five centimetres long,
449
00:22:46,974 --> 00:22:48,845
designed for grasping prey and
tearing through hides.
450
00:22:51,152 --> 00:22:54,111
This bear will rely
on all his weaponry for
what comes next.
451
00:22:56,026 --> 00:22:58,681
The polar bear rises up
on those hind feet
452
00:23:00,379 --> 00:23:03,947
and comes crashing down.
453
00:23:03,947 --> 00:23:04,644
It usually tries
to attack it from its back.
454
00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:09,692
It tries to stay away
from what I call
455
00:23:09,692 --> 00:23:12,391
the business end of
the walrus.
456
00:23:12,391 --> 00:23:13,914
[narrator] A good plan,
but it doesn't work.
457
00:23:13,914 --> 00:23:17,483
He backs off.
458
00:23:17,483 --> 00:23:19,398
He may be down,
but he's not out.
459
00:23:19,398 --> 00:23:21,617
He goes for a smaller target.
460
00:23:23,271 --> 00:23:25,752
This one's tusks aren't nearly
as brutal,
461
00:23:25,752 --> 00:23:28,624
but its thick hide is hard
to penetrate.
462
00:23:28,624 --> 00:23:30,670
It's four centimetres thick
and then underneath that,
463
00:23:30,670 --> 00:23:33,977
is thicker layers of blubber.
464
00:23:33,977 --> 00:23:37,546
This is an armour-plated
machine.
465
00:23:37,546 --> 00:23:39,548
[narrator]
That calorie-rich blubber is
exactly what the bear is after.
466
00:23:39,548 --> 00:23:42,421
But his target gets help
from a friend.
467
00:23:44,248 --> 00:23:45,902
Thwarted again.
468
00:23:49,340 --> 00:23:51,995
If a walrus is cornered,
it's going to fight.
469
00:23:51,995 --> 00:23:53,693
And if a walrus doesn't like
the fact that a bear is eating
its friend,
470
00:23:53,693 --> 00:23:56,347
it's going to have something
to say about it as well.
471
00:23:56,347 --> 00:23:57,784
[narrator]
The bear is exhausted
472
00:24:00,003 --> 00:24:02,353
but hunger drives him back
to the battle ground.
473
00:24:02,353 --> 00:24:05,008
And there's some serious,
serious risk involved with this.
474
00:24:05,008 --> 00:24:09,012
You know, they're wasting
a lot of energy in these fights.
475
00:24:09,012 --> 00:24:11,319
[narrator]
Against all odds,
third time's the charm.
476
00:24:11,319 --> 00:24:14,583
If a polar bear is in fact
successful enough
477
00:24:14,583 --> 00:24:17,717
to collar a walrus,
478
00:24:17,717 --> 00:24:19,936
they can't kill it on land,
479
00:24:19,936 --> 00:24:20,546
they will drag it into the water
and drown it.
480
00:24:25,202 --> 00:24:27,857
And this is hard-core, brutal
Mother Nature.
481
00:24:30,643 --> 00:24:31,992
[narrator]
It may be brutal, but
it's also powerful and clever,
482
00:24:35,169 --> 00:24:37,954
true traits of
the mighty apex alpha.
483
00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:42,524
No matter the conditions...
484
00:24:46,572 --> 00:24:47,616
these weatherproof alphas
fight to stay on top.
485
00:24:47,616 --> 00:24:51,315
Defending territory,
486
00:24:51,315 --> 00:24:53,143
attacking for survival,
487
00:24:53,143 --> 00:24:55,885
competing for love
488
00:24:55,885 --> 00:24:57,365
and claiming respect.
41110
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