Original subtitles

♪♪

Narrator: ANIMALS...

DO THE MOST INCREDIBLE THINGS.

[ GOAT BLEATS ]

LIKE THIS...

AND THIS.

I BET YOU'RE WONDERING, "HOW DO THEY DO THAT?"

WE'RE REVEALING ANIMALS' BIGGEST SECRETS, LIKE...

HOW DOES A CHEETAH OUTGUN A LAMBORGHINI?

HOW DO OWLS SEE IN TOTAL DARKNESS?

CHECK OUT THESE GUYS, STAT.

ANTS THAT TREAT TRAUMA CASES.

THESE WONDERS AND MORE ON...

--Captions by VITAC-- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

JUNE 18, 2018.

SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS KEEP A WATCHFUL EYE

ON THE FOUR-LEGGED STAFF OF A CAT CAFé IN OSAKA, JAPAN.

BUT, THEN, FOR NO APPARENT REASON,

[ MEOW! ] THE CATS SUDDENLY SPRING TO LIFE.

♪♪

A FEW SECONDS LATER...

[ RUMBLING, RATTLING ]

...A 6.1 EARTHQUAKE

[ GLASS SHATTERS ] WRECKS THE ENTIRE CITY.

[ RUMBLING, CRACKLING ]

♪♪

AMAZINGLY, THE COFFEE-BAR CATS

[ MEWLS ] KNEW SOMETHING WAS COMING.

THEY SENSED THE GEOLOGICAL CARNAGE BEFORE IT HAPPENED.

[ YOWLING ]

SO, HOW DO CATS DETECT EARTHQUAKES?

[ MEOW ]

SORRY, DOGS, BUT YOU'RE LOOKING

AT THE MOST POPULAR PET IN THE WORLD --

THE DOMESTIC CAT.

[ MEWLING ] THERE ARE OVER 500 MILLION OF THEM,

[ PURRING ] AND THEY'VE BEEN LIVING WITH,

AND MOSTLY IGNORING, US

FOR NEARLY 10,000 YEARS.

[ PURRING ]

BUT HIDDEN SOMEWHERE UNDER ALL THAT FUR

IS THEIR SECRET TO PREDICTING EARTHQUAKES.

♪♪

[ CRASH ] EARTHQUAKES ARE NATURE'S JACKHAMMER,

CAPABLE OF SHAKING SOLID ROCK LIKE JELL-O.

HUMANS HAVE INVESTED BILLIONS

ON NETWORKS OF SEISMIC DETECTORS,

HOPING FOR EARLY WARNINGS OF IMPENDING QUAKES.

[ WHINING ] MOMENTS BEFORE THE GROUND SHAKES,

AN EARTHQUAKE EMITS A FIRST WAVE OF ENERGY,

CALLED A P WAVE.

HUMANS CAN'T HEAR THIS,

BUT CATS CAN.

AND, FROM ANY SLIGHT NOISE,

LIKE THE DISTANT RUMBLE OF AN EARTHQUAKE,

THEY CAN ALSO SENSE THE DIRECTION IT CAME FROM,

THANKS TO SENSITIVE DIRECTIONAL HEARING.

THE OUTER PART OF A CAT'S EAR IS CALLED THE PINNA.

[ PURRING ] WITH 32 MUSCLES IN THIS OUTER EAR,

COMPARED TO OUR 6,

CATS CAN ROTATE THEIR EARS 180°

LIKE A FELINE SATELLITE DISH,

LOCKING ON TO THE SLIGHTEST SOUND.

THEIR BRILLIANT BIOLOGY ALSO MEANS THAT THEY CAN HEAR

A MUCH WIDER RANGE OF FREQUENCIES THAN HUMANS.

AT THE BASE OF THEIR EAR, CATS HAVE A POUCH,

CALLED THE HENRY'S POCKET.

[ SONAR PINGING ] IT'S THOUGHT THIS FOCUSES HIGH-FREQUENCY SOUNDS

INTO AN ELONGATED EAR CANAL

AND HIGHLY TUNED EARDRUM.

INCREDIBLY, CATS CAN PERCEIVE SOUNDS

UP TO THREE TIMES HIGHER PITCH THAN HUMANS,

FROM UP TO FIVE TIMES FARTHER AWAY,

SO YOU DON'T NEED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS' WORTH OF TECHNOLOGY

TO DETECT EARTHQUAKES.

YOU JUST NEED A SUPERSENSITIVE KITTY.

[ GROWLING ]

♪♪

[ SUSPENSEFUL CHORD STRIKES ] DARKNESS FALLS IN THE FOREST.

A GHOSTLY SILENCE DESCENDS.

BUT LOOK CLOSER

AND THE FOREST FLOOR IS ALIVE WITH CRITTERS.

HIDDEN AWAY FROM PREDATORS DURING DANGEROUS DAYLIGHT HOURS,

NOW, IN DARKNESS,

[ CROAKING ] THEY'RE SAFE,

[ EERIE MUSIC CLIMBS ] PROTECTED BY THE BLANKET OF NIGHT.

[ OMINOUS CHORD STRIKES ]

BUT THEN...

[ CALLING ]

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

[ OMINOUS CHORD STRIKES ]

OWLS ARE THE ULTIMATE NIGHTTIME PREDATOR,

COMPLETELY UNFAZED BY THE LACK OF LIGHT.

BUT HOW DO OWLS HUNT IN TOTAL DARKNESS?

[ WHIMSICAL TUNE PLAYS ]

THIS IS FOUR-MONTH-OLD HECTOR [ CHEEP ]

AND HIS SIDEKICK, LLOYD BUCK, [ CHEEPING ]

THE UK'S NUMBER-ONE OWL WRANGLER.

SO, THIS IS HECTOR.

HE'S A TAWNY OWL.

Narrator: HECTOR'S AGREED TO SHOW US THE SECRET

OF HIS AWESOME HUNTING SKILLS.

[ CHEEPING ]

TAWNY OWLS PREY ON THEIR VICTIMS

IN WOODLAND AREAS THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND ASIA.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

THEY'RE NOT FUSSY EATERS.

SMALL RODENTS, BIRDS, EVEN FISH, ARE ON THE MENU,

[ OMINOUS CHORD STRIKES ] AND DINNER IS OVER IN SECONDS --

KILL, SWALLOW WHOLE,

AND BARF BACK UP THE BITS YOU CAN'T DIGEST.

♪♪

TO TEST HOW HECTOR HUNTS AT NIGHT,

WE'RE BUILDING AN INDOOR FOREST.

WELL, SORT OF.

IT'S ACTUALLY A BUNCH OF PLASTIC PIPES.

WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS WE'RE USING THESE PIPES

TO CREATE AN ARTIFICIAL WOODLAND, OR FOREST,

SO, JUST LIKE A WILD TAWNY OWL WOULD HAVE TO NAVIGATE THROUGH.

SO THESE ARE OUR TREE TRUNKS

AND IT SHOULD BE A GREAT TEST FOR HECTOR.

FIRST OFF, HECTOR'S GOING TO NEGOTIATE

THIS OBSTACLE COURSE IN THE LIGHT.

[ CAWS ]

♪♪

HIGH-SPEED CAMERAS CAPTURE HIS FLIGHT.

♪♪

Buck: SO YOU SAW WHAT HE DID THERE.

HE NAVIGATED HIS WAY THROUGH BEAUTIFULLY.

♪♪

Narrator: IT MAY LOOK LIKE HE'S FLYING IN A STRAIGHT LINE,

BUT HECTOR'S GAUGING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN TREES,

TIMING HIS WING FLAPS AND NARROWING HIS WINGSPAN,

SHIFTING HIS BODY ANGLE TO FIT THROUGH THE TIGHT GAPS.

RUN IT AT NORMAL SPEED,

AND YOU GET TO SEE HOW FAST HIS REACTIONS ARE.

LIKE A GUIDED MISSILE, HE ZEROES IN ON LLOYD'S ARM.

♪♪

SO FAR, HECTOR'S BEEN WORKING UNDER THE STUDIO LIGHTS,

BUT OWLS HUNT AT NIGHT.

♪♪

HOW WILL HE DO WHEN WE PLUNGE

[ CHEEPS ] THIS FAKE FOREST INTO DARKNESS?

[ CLANG, CLICK, CLICK ]

WITH THE LIGHTS OFF,

[ CHEEP ] IT'S A COMPLETELY BLACK ROOM.

WE SWITCH TO INFRARED CAMERAS TO FILM WHAT'S GOING ON.

♪♪

EVEN IN TOTAL DARKNESS,

HECTOR FLIES THROUGH THE TIGHTLY PACKED POLES

AS IF IN BROAD DAYLIGHT.

♪♪

-GOOD BOY! -[CHEEP]

OKAY, LIGHTS ON, PLEASE.

[ CHEEP ]

THERE YOU ARE. AMAZING.

I COULD NOTSEE ANYTHING.

I DON'T KNOW -- HE ACTUALLY LANDS ON MY ARM.

SO, I'M EFFECTIVELY BLIND, BUT HECTOR, HERE,

HIS SUPERIOR NIGHT VISION REALLY COMES INTO ITS OWN.

Narrator: HECTOR'S SECRET ARE THOSE BIG, BEAUTIFUL EYES.

THEY'RE SO LARGE THAT, IF YOU SCALE THEM UP,

RELATIVE TO A HUMAN SIZE,

WE'D BE WALKING AROUND WITH EYES AS BIG AS BASEBALLS.

BUT, IT'S NOT JUST SIZE THAT COUNTS.

HECTOR'S RETINAS ARE CRAMMED

WITH TIGHTLY PACKED, LIGHT-SENSITIVE RECEPTORS,

CALLED ROD CELLS.

OWLS HAVE OVER 645 MILLION ROD CELLS PER SQUARE INCH.

HUMANS HAVE UNDER 130 MILLION.

[ WHIMSICAL TUNE PLAYS ]

IN FACT, TAWNY OWL EYES

ARE SO GOOD AT SOAKING UP EVERY SCRAP OF LIGHT

THAT SOME THINK THEIR NIGHT VISION

IS UP TO 100 TIMES MORE EFFECTIVE THAN A HUMAN'S.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

SO, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE BARFED BACK UP

BY A TAWNY OWL, BEWARE.

EVEN TOTAL DARKNESS CAN'T KEEP YOU SAFE.

♪♪

[ CHIRPING ] [ INSECTS BUZZING ]

COMING UP...

THE CAT THAT'S QUICKER THAN A SUPERCAR;

THE FURRIEST, AND POSSIBLY CUTEST,

ANIMALS ON THE PLANET;

AND ANTS THAT ARE SURGEONS.

REALLY.

♪♪

♪♪

[ HEAVY METAL PLAYS ]

Narrator: CHEETAHS.

NATURE'S ULTIMATE SPEEDSTERS.

THEY CAN GO FROM ZERO TO 60 IN 3 SECONDS,

FASTER THAN A LAMBORGHINI.

[ ZOOMING ]

FLAT-OUT, THEY CAN HIT 71 MILES AN HOUR.

SO, HOW DOESTHE WORLD'S FASTEST LAND ANIMAL RUN SO FAST?

♪♪

[ JAUNTY TUNE PLAYS ]

THERE ARE JUST 7,100 CHEETAHS LEFT IN THE WILD

AND NAMIBIA, IN SOUTHERN AFRICA,

HAS MORE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY ON EARTH.

♪♪

THE N/A'AN KU Sê WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

IS HOME TO SEVERAL ORPHANED CHEETAHS.

AMONG THEM ARE ATHENA,

BOLT, AND BULLET.

THESE AWESOME ANIMAL ATHLETES

ARE ALL UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF THEIR HUMAN MOM,

-[SPEAKING IN BABY VOICE] -COLLETTE MASSIER.

Massier: THESE GUYS ARE VERY SWEET.

I MEAN, THEY'RE HANDRAISED CHEETAHS,

SO THEY CANNOT BE RELEASED,

AND THEY'RE JUST FAR TOO USED TO HUMANS

AND, BECAUSE OF THEIR LOVING UPBRINGING,

THEY'RE JUST OUT, REALLY, TO HAVE FUN.

HEY. YES, YOU ARE.

Narrator: TO DEMONSTRATE HOW THESE FUN-LOVING FELINES

ARE THE FASTEST ANIMALS ON LAND,

COLLETTE HAS COME UP WITH THE ULTIMATE HIGH-SPEED CHALLENGE.

[ ROCK MUSIC PLAYS ]

A LURE WILL SIMULATE A RUNAWAY PREY,

ZIPPING ACROSS A 500-FOOT-LONG COURSE

AT OVER 50 MILES PER HOUR.

IT HAS SHARP, 90° TURNS

THAT MIMIC THE PREY'S EVASIVE MANEUVERS.

NOW, WE'RE GETTING TO THAT LOVELY,

DUSKY HOUR. IT'S COOLING DOWN.

THERE'S A BIT OF A NICE, COOL BREEZE IN THE SUMMER HEAT,

SO NOW'S AN IDEAL TIME TO GET THEM CHASING

AND TO SEE HOW THEY DO IT.

[ OUTRO PLAYS ]

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ] TIME TO FIND OUT

IF THESE CHEETAHS ARE THE REAL DEAL.

A HIGH-SPEED HUNT IN THE WILD

IS USUALLY OVER IN LESS THAN 30 SECONDS.

♪♪

IT'S THE SAME HERE.

ACCELERATING AT AN INCREDIBLE 29 FEET PER SECOND,

THESE FELINES ARE FRIGHTENINGLY FAST.

Massier: I LIKE TO CALL THEM THE LAMBORGHINIS OF THE BUSHVELD

BECAUSE THEY ARE SUPERFAST, SUPERFAST HUNTERS.

I THINK IT'S AMAZING.

♪♪

Narrator: EVERYTHING ABOUT A CHEETAH IS DESIGNED FOR SPEED.

THIS IS ANIMAL ENGINEERING AT ITS FINEST.

SUPPORTING THEIR MUSCULAR, STREAMLINED BODY

IS ONE OF THE MOST FLEXIBLE SPINES OF ANY CAT.

ITS VERTEBRAE CONNECTIONS ARE INCREDIBLY LOOSE,

ENABLING IT TO FLEX INWARDS, BUNCHING THEIR LEGS TOGETHER

BEFORE EXPLODING OUT INTO A HUGE HYPEREXTENSION.

THIS SPECTACULAR SPINE MEANS THAT, WITH EVERY STRIDE,

A CHEETAH CAN COVER UP TO 22 FEET,

REACHING 40 MILES AN HOUR IN JUST THREE STRIDES,

♪♪

AND EVEN SUPERTIGHT CORNERS ARE NO MATCH FOR THIS SPEEDSTER.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CLIMBS ]

[ SUSPENSEFUL CHORD STRIKES ]

Massier: IN THE REAL WORLD, THOSE ANTELOPE AREN'T STUPID.

THEY ARE GOING TO ZIGZAG AND CUT CORNERS

AND DO ALL SORTS OF THINGS TO TRY TO GET AWAY FROM THE CAT.

♪♪

AND SO THE CHEETAH, AT THIS HIGH, MASSIVE SPEED,

HAS TO ALSO ZIGZAG AND KEEP GOING, YOU KNOW,

'CAUSE THEY'RE FOCUSED ON THAT ANIMAL COMPLETELY.

IT'S ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.

IT REALLY IS.

MAGIC. [ SUSPENSEFUL CHORD STRIKES ]

Narrator: SHARP, SEMI-RETRACTABLE CLAWS

GRIP THE GROUND LIKE RUNNING SPIKES

AND A 2.5-FOOT-LONG TAIL MAKES CRUCIAL BALANCE ADJUSTMENTS

AS THE CAT TEARS AFTER THE ZIGZAGGING PREY.

IT REALLY IS THE RUDDER THAT KEEPS THEM GOING

'CAUSE, IF THEY'RE GOING FLAT-OUT

AND REALLY FAST AFTER PREY IN THE WILD, WITHOUT THE TAIL,

THEY WOULD MOST LIKELY FALL OVER AT THAT SPEED.

THEY WOULDN'T STAND A CHANCE.

[ ROCK MUSIC PLAYS ]

Narrator: AND THERE'S ONE MORE TRICK

UP THIS SPEEDSTER'S SPOTTY SLEEVE.

WHEN A CHEETAH RUNS, ITS HEAD BARELY MOVES.

THE HEAD IS STRAIGHT, FIXATED, FOCUSED,

AS THEY WOULD BE IN A HUNT.

IT'S LIKE A MISSILE ON A TARGET.

THEY'RE JUST COMPLETELY ON IT THE WHOLE TIME.

Narrator: SCIENTISTS HAVE RECENTLY DISCOVERED

HOW A CHEETAH'S HEAD IS ABLE

TO REMAIN VIRTUALLY IN THE SAME POSITION

WHILE THE REST OF ITS BODY IS IN OVERDRIVE.

ITS BECAUSE OF THEIR EARS.

THEY HAVE THE LONGEST INNER-EAR CANALS OF ANY CAT.

THE LIQUID-FILLED CANALS ARE LINED WITH TINY, SENSORY HAIRS.

AS THE CHEETAH RUNS, THE HAIRS MEASURE ITS BODY MOVEMENT

THROUGH THE MOVEMENT OF A LIQUID.

THIS INFORMATION IS SENT TO THE BRAIN,

WHICH USES IT TO KEEP THE CHEETAH'S HEAD

UNDER PERFECT CONTROL, LIKE A GYROSCOPE.

THESE EXTRA-LONG EAR CANALS ARE SUPERSENSITIVE

AND ENABLE THE CHEETAH TO KEEP ITS HEAD

TOTALLY FOCUSED ON THE PREY.

[ SUSPENSEFUL OUTRO PLAYS ]

[ JAUNTY TUNE PLAYS ]

YOU DON'T GET TO BE THE FASTEST ANIMAL ON LAND

WITHOUT THE PERFECT PHYSIQUE.

♪♪

AND, WHEN IT COMES TO SPEED AND AGILITY,

CHEETAHS TRULY ARE

A CAT ABOVE.

[ HISSING ]

COMING UP...

[ HONKING ] NO BLUBBER, NO FAT.

HOW ARE SEA OTTERS SO COMFORTABLE IN THESE ICY WATERS?

PLUS, LIFE-SAVING SURGERY,

ANT-STYLE.

♪♪

♪♪

[ WHIMSICAL TUNE PLAYS ]

EVEN DOGS THAT LOVE THE WATER HAVE TO GET OUT AT SOME POINT.

IN CHILLY CONDITIONS,

THEIR WET FUR COAT JUST CAN'T KEEP THEM WARM.

♪♪

YET, SOMEHOW, FURRY SEA OTTERS MANAGE

TO SPEND NEARLY EVERY SECOND IN THE COLD PACIFIC OCEAN.

I MEAN, LOOK AT THIS FURRY CHAP.

HE LOOKS SOGGY TO HIS SKIN.

♪♪

HOW DO SEA OTTERS STAY SO COMFORTABLE IN THE WATER?

♪♪

MEET THE SUPERFURRY ANIMALS

ENJOYING THE ACCOMMODATIONS OF MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM.

THESE ANIMALS WON THE [laughing] LOTTERY.

THEY REALLYHAVE THE BEST OF CARE.

Narrator: IT'S DR. MIKE'S JOB

TO ENSURE THAT THESE SEA OTTERS STAY HEALTHY.

WELL, THE FIVE SEA OTTERS THAT ARE BEHIND ME HERE

CAME TO THE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM AS STRANDED PUPS.

WE TRIED TO REHABILITATE THEM,

TEACH THEM HOW TO BECOME A SEA OTTER

AND SURVIVE IN THE WILD,

BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, THEY JUST NEVER GOT IT.

Narrator: SEA OTTERS LIVE IN SOME TOUGH CONDITIONS.

THEY SPEND ALMOST ALL THEIR LIFE AT SEA,

IN THE COLD, HARSH,

COASTAL WATERS OF THE NORTH PACIFIC.

THE SEA OTTER TRULY LIVES ON A RAZOR'S EDGE IN THE WILD.

IT'S A HARD LIFE OUT THERE FOR THEM.

Narrator: AS WARM-BLOODED ANIMALS, TO SURVIVE,

THEY NEED TO MAINTAIN A BODY TEMPERATURE OF 100°.

THAT'S TWICE AS WARM AS THE OCEAN THAT SURROUNDS THEM.

UNLIKE SEALS AND SEA LIONS, THEY DON'T HAVE A LAYER

OF FATTY BLUBBER TO KEEP THEM WARM.

SO, HOW DO SEA OTTERS KEEP IT COZY?

SEA OTTERS LIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENT

THAT IS TOO COLD FOR THEM

AND THE FUR IS THE ONLY REASON THEY CAN DO IT.

Narrator: ON OUR HEADS, WE HUMANS HAVE

AROUND 2,000 HAIRS PER SQUARE INCH.

SHAGGY DOGS TAKE IT UP A LEVEL, TO 15,000,

BUT THIS WATERBORNE FURBALL IS THE UNDISPUTED CHAMP.

SEA OTTERS HAVE A MIND-BLOWING

ONE MILLION HAIRS PER SQUARE INCH,

[ HONKING ] 66 TIMES THICKER THAN A DOG.

IT'S THE THICKEST FUR ON THE PLANET.

ON THE OUTSIDE, THE SEA OTTER IS A BIT OF A WET BLANKET.

ITS DRENCHED COAT SEEMS NO KIND OF BARRIER

TO THE COLD NORTH PACIFIC,

BUT THIS FUR HAS A HIDDEN SECRET --

IT'S NOT SO MUCH A COAT AS A LIVING LIFE JACKET.

IF YOU PART THE FURS, THERE'S AN UNDERCOAT

AND THIS UNDERCOAT IS REALLY

WHAT DOES THE WORK OF INSULATION.

IT IS BONE-DRY.

NO WATER GETS THROUGH THERE.

[ HONKING ] Narrator: AMAZINGLY,

THERE ARE SPECIAL PROPERTIES IN THE FUR THAT,

INSTEAD OF KEEPING THE OTTER COLD AND WET,

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ] LEAVE IT WARM AND DRY.

THE DENSELY PACKED HAIRS IN THE UNDERCOAT

ARE COVERED IN MICROSCOPIC, ROUGH SCALES.

WHEN THEY GROOM, SEA OTTERS KNIT THESE SCALES TOGETHER

AND THE KNITTED HAIRS ENCLOSE A LAYER OF AIR.

THAT TRAPPED AIR ACTS LIKE A DOWN JACKET IN YOU AND I.

IT PROTECTS THEM, INSULATES THEM FROM THE COLD WATER

AND ALLOWS THE SEA OTTER TO KEEP WARM.

[ HONKING ] Narrator: THE TRAPPED AIR

KEEPS THEM TOASTY AND KEEPS THEM AFLOAT, TOO.

THAT'S GREAT FOR HANGING WITH YOUR FRIENDS,

BUT A BIT OF A PROBLEM WHEN YOU'RE FEELING HUNGRY

BECAUSE, WHEN ALL YOUR FOOD IS DEEP UNDERWATER,

BUOYANCY IS THE LAST THING YOU NEED.

THEY'RE JUST THIS BIG BAG OF HAIRY AIR

THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN TO A DEPTH OF 30, 40, 50 METERS,

SO THEY HAVE TO OVERWHELM ALL THAT AIR

THAT THEY'VE SO METICULOUSLY PUT INTO THEIR HAIR.

Narrator: POWERFUL KICKS WITH WEBBED FEET START THEM OFF,

BUT, ONCE THEY GET GOING, WATER PRESSURE DOES THE REST,

ALLOWING THEM TO DIVE DOWN TO 150 FEET.

[ WHIMSICAL TUNE PLAYS ] AND THAT TRAIL OF BUBBLES

IS ACTUALLY AIR BEING SQUEEZED OUT OF THEIR HAIR.

Narrator: BACK ON THE SURFACE, THEY SET ABOUT GROOMING AGAIN,

REINFLATING AND REINSULATING THEIR COATS.

IT'S NOT JUST METICULOUSLY ADORABLE.

ALL THAT FUR-FLUFFING ACTUALLY KEEPS THEM ALIVE.

AS THEY RUB THEIR CHEEKS

AND THEY PULL THEIR FUR UP ON THE BACK OF THEIR HEAD,

IT'S ACTUALLY SOIMPORTANT TO THE SEA OTTERS' SURVIVAL.

Narrator: AND THE UNDERCOAT OF SOFT FUR HAS ANOTHER, MAJOR BENEFIT,

IF YOU'RE A SEA OTTER PUP --

IT MAKES YOUR MOM'S TUM

JUST ABOUT THE COZIEST PLACE ON THE PLANET.

[ WHIMSICAL BUZZING ]

COMING UP...

ANTS THAT GO BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY

ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

♪♪

♪♪

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

THIS ARMY OF MATABELE ANTS

IS ABOUT TO ENTER ENEMY TERRITORY.

IT'S A PERILOUS MISSION.

THE ANTS ARE RISKING LIFE AND LIMB.

BUT, THEY HAVE A SECRET WEAPON BRINGING UP THE REAR --

SPECIAL ANT SURGEONS.

INCREDIBLY, THESE SUPERMEDICS HAVE THE ABILITY TO REPAIR

WAR-TORN SOLDIERS.

SO, HOW DO ANTS HEAL THEIR WOUNDED?

MATABELE ANTS ARE FOUND SOUTH OF THE SAHARA.

THEY'RE NAMED AFTER A FEROCIOUS AFRICAN TRIBE

WHO, DURING BATTLE, DESTROYED EVERYTHING IN THEIR PATH.

THESE ANTS LIKE TO ATTACK AND EAT ONE THING, IN PARTICULAR --

TERMITES.

THE MATABELES RUN AROUND FOUR RAIDS A DAY

ON TERMITE MOUNDS, TO FEED THEIR OWN COLONY.

PROTECTING THE TERMITES ARE HUGE SOLDIERS,

ARMED WITH POWERFUL, SCISSORLIKE JAWS,

WHICH COULD SLICE AN ANT IN TWO,

AND THE BATTLE LEAVES COUNTLESS CASUALTIES.

MANY ANTS ARE SEVERELY INJURED IN THE FIGHT FOR FOOD.

♪♪

BUT THE WOUNDED ANTS DO SOMETHING AMAZING.

THEY CALL FOR MEDICS,

BY RELEASING SPECIAL PHEROMONES WHICH SIGNAL FOR HELP.

INCREDIBLY, MATABELE ANTS HAVE DEDICATED SURGEONS

WHOSE SOLE JOB IS TO FIND AND TEND TO THE WOUNDED.

WHEN HELP ARRIVES, THE INJURED ANT,

MARKED WITH GREEN PAINT, HERE, TUCKS ITS LEGS IN,

SO IT'S MORE EASILY CARRIED BACK TO THE NEST,

WHERE MEDIC ANTS TEND TO THE WOUNDED

BY LICKING THEIR OPEN WOUNDS.

THEIR SALIVA CLOTS THE BLOOD,

GREATLY REDUCING THE RISK OF INFECTION.

SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED THAT,

IF THE ANTS DON'T RECEIVE TREATMENT,

80% WILL DIE WITHIN 24 HOURS.

BUT, WITH TREATMENT, AFTER AN HOUR,

THEY'RE BATTLE-READY AGAIN.

♪♪

[ WHIMSICAL TUNE PLAYS ] ANTOLOGISTS --

IS THAT A THING? --

HAVE ALSO DISCOVERED

THAT INJURED ANTS THAT ARE BEYOND SAVING

REFUSE TO BE RESCUED,

FLAILING THEIR REMAINING LEGS AROUND,

FORCING THEIR BROTHERS IN ARMS,

OR, RATHER, WITH ARMS, TO LEAVE THEM BEHIND.

[ HIP HOP PLAYS ]

MATABELE ANTS CAN LIVE IN COLONIES 20 MILLION STRONG,

BUT THEIR TASTE FOR TERMITES MEANS

THEY PUT LIVES AT RISK DURING EVERY SINGLE RAID.

HELPING ONLY THE LITTLE SOLDIERS WITH THE BEST ODDS OF RECOVERY

GIVES THE COLONY THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR SURVIVAL.

[ TRUMPET PLAYS "TAPS" ] LIKE TINY TERMINATOR ANTS,

THESE TOUGH CREATURES KEEP COMING BACK TO THE FIGHT.

MATABELE ANTS, WE SALUTE YOU.