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Africa, home to some of the planet's
most formidable and perfectly adapted
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predators.
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Armed with an arsenal of deadly skills,
specialized weaponry, and intelligent
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strategies, prey rarely sees them
coming.
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These.
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are Africa's deadliest assassins.
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On the roof of Africa, a superbly
adapted, high -altitude assassin stalks
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Afro -Alpine meadows.
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An Ethiopian wolf.
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Up here, in the Bale Mountains, prey
options are limited.
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So these wolves have specialized in
hunting their habitat's most abundant
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burrowing rodents.
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With a network of underground tunnels,
Afroalpine rodents aren't easy to catch.
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For this predator, speed and stealth
alone won't get the job done.
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A successful hunt also requires
strategy.
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She patrols the open plains, listening
for any underground movement.
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To catch subterranean prey, this crafty
assassin utilizes a variety of
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techniques.
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On this hunt, she tries to flush her
prey from their tunnels by scratching
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pouncing at the burrow entrances.
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Patiently, he waits for the paddocked
rodent to scurry to another opening.
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Not quite quick enough.
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Another failed hunt doesn't mean she's
blown her chances.
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Up here, there may be as many as 8 ,000
rodents per square kilometre.
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Another foraging grass rat, and this one
has strayed too far from its burrow.
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With her narrow muzzle, She snatches up
her prey before it flees too deep
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underground.
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Weighing less than 120 grams, a grass
rat isn't a big meal.
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But it's not for her.
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She has two pups that need feeding.
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Despite being solitary hunters,
Ethiopian wolves live in close -knit
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groups.
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Fully weaned at 10 weeks old, the pups
rely on the adults in their pack for a
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steady supply of solid food.
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Games like tug -of -war and play
-fighting help establish the siblings'
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hierarchy within the pack.
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A grass rat may be enough for the two
assassins in training, but for their
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mother, another alpine rodent is the
real prize.
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A giant mole rat.
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00:05:09,740 --> 00:05:13,959
Weighing nearly a kilogram, it is a more
substantial meal for a fully grown
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wolf.
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Giant mole rats spend less than an hour
a day foraging above ground, only
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emerging in short bursts.
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They rarely stray more than 10
centimetres from their burrows,
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underground after every mouthful.
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Leaving her pups, the female returns to
her hunting grounds.
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Her sense of smell is up to 100 ,000
times better than a human's.
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Even from across the plain, she locks on
to a potential target.
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Without cover to conceal her, strategy
is all important.
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She times her advance carefully.
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moving only when the mole rat returns on
the ground to feed.
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The mole rat sees her too late.
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She's able to catch it before it flees
too deep underground.
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To survive in their remote mountain
habitat, Ethiopian wolves rely on
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tactics and cunning strategies.
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And while these charismatic predators
are only found in the Ethiopian
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another assassin's reign of terror spans
most of the continent.
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At the height of the dry season in
Zambia's Luangwa Valley, the struggle
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survival intensifies as food and water
grow ever scarcer.
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During these harsh months, animals rely
on what remains in the Luangwa River's
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dried -up channels to quench their
thirst.
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Every day, large numbers of water
-dependent animals like Cape buffalo and
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impala make their way across the exposed
riverbed to drink.
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Out here, there is nowhere to hide.
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Moving in groups minimizes individual
risk, but it also draws the attention of
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predators.
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For Nile crocodiles, the dry season is a
time of unprecedented opportunity.
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Each day brings fresh convoys of thirsty
prey.
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But everyone knows that danger lurks in
these murky waters.
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Even the slightest ripple in the water
sends the buffalo scatter.
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The impala stay behind, but they are now
on edge.
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The ultimate ambush assassin, a Nile
crocodile, can stay submerged for 15
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minutes.
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Able to go months without eating, the
croc can bide its time and reset its
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elsewhere.
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In the dry season, thirst overrides
fear.
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But with an armor -plated predator
watching the impala's every move, each
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could be their last.
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For thirsty impalas, every drinker that
Luangwa River could bring them face to
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face with an unseen assassin.
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Sensing danger, this ram is on high
alert.
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Still, he is compelled to drink.
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The hunt may be over, but the crocodile
now has a problem.
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A successful kill draws the attention of
other hungry crocs.
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He must now fight to keep his prize.
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Clamping down on the impala with one of
the strongest bite forces on the planet,
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he tries to cling on.
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But once in deeper water, a meal for one
quickly turns into a feeding frenzy.
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The assassin may have done all the hard
work, but today he is only rewarded with
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a small share of the spoils.
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In the Serengeti, one of the planet's
most iconic land mammal migrations is
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underway.
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1 .3 million wildebeests have embarked
on their annual pilgrimage northwards in
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pursuit of rain -ripened grass.
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Perfectly adapted for long distance
traveling, an epic journey of up to 2
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kilometers lies ahead of them.
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But as the wildebeest chase the reins,
they in turn are chased by predators.
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With so many obstacles along the way, a
quarter of a million won't live to run
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the gauntlets again.
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And many of them will meet their end in
the jaws of one of Africa's most
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ferocious feline assassins.
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For these lionesses, The approaching
herd signal the beginning of a brief
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of plenty.
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They must make the most of the
opportunity before the wildebeest move
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Scanning the herd, they look for any
signs of weakness.
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While one lioness hangs back, the other
moves ahead to cut off the wildebeest's
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escape route.
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Working as a team, the lionesses
increase their chances of success.
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Her sister now in position.
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She moves towards the herd.
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With the wind working in her favor, the
wildebeest can't smell her.
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They are blissfully unaware that they're
being stalked by not one, but two
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ambush hunters.
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Even in these open plains, a surprise
attack can come from anywhere.
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The lionesses approach the herd of
wildebeest from opposite sides.
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To better their chances, they need to
get within 30 meters of their quarry.
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Now flanked by two expert hunters the
wildebeest have few options
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If they flee from one they will run
straight into the deadly claws
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and jaws of the other
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All right.
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All right.
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All
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right.
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and with the migration in full swing,
they will have plenty more opportunities
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to get their fill before the wildebeest
move on.
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While the pilgrimage of wildebeest
across the Serengeti is one of nature's
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greatest spectacles, thousands of
kilometers away, conditions are set for
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another, even larger migration.
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At the onset of winter, a shadow moves
up South Africa's wild coast like an oil
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slick.
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This is the sardine run, the greatest
biomass migration on Earth.
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For the billions of tightly packed fish,
their best chance of survival is to
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move in unison.
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They're being tracked.
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by a squadron of aerial assassins.
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Cape Gannet.
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Like bullets, they rain down on the
shore, hitting the water at 100
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per hour.
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A reinforced skull and airfax under
their skin cushions the immense impact
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their dive.
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Their momentum gives the birds the
element of surprise,
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propelling them 10 meters below the
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surface.
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If the initial strike doesn't hit the
mark, their nearly two meter wings
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fins.
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They can swim as deep as 20 meters.
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Diving deeper to escape the aerial
onslaught, the sardines now face a
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problem.
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00:19:28,910 --> 00:19:30,530
The big guns have arrived.
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Sharks and dolphins.
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The scent of blood and fish oil catches
the attention of yet another silent
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killer.
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Cape fur seal.
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The glittering sardines are fast, but
not quick enough for these sleek, lithe
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aquanauts of the deep.
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But deep water hides deep trouble.
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The seal doesn't know it yet, but he's
being stalked by one of the planet's
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deadliest assassins.
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A great white shark.
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At nearly six meters and weighing in at
two tons, she's also known as the white
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death.
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Special sensors on her snout pick up
electrical pulses from muscle movement,
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small as one millionth of a volt.
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A group of fast -swimming seals is an
assault on her senses.
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Seals have superb underwater vision,
helping them spot prey or predators.
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But the shark has a strategy.
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She dives down deep, where her cryptic
coloration renders her invisible from
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above, and continues to track her prey
as it swims along the surface.
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until it's time to strike.
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In the end, her 300 razor -sharp teeth
seal the deal.
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Great white sharks may be solitary
submarine specialists, but back on land,
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Another assassin relies on some unlikely
allies when hunting.
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In the woodland savannas of South
Africa, the southern carmine bee -eater
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foolproof strategy for finding food.
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For these small, insectivorous birds,
it's as simple as knowing who to follow
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around.
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As large animals mow through the
grasslands, they flush out hiding
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bees, wasps, dragonflies, and
grasshoppers.
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As they flee to escape the heavyweights,
they fly straight into the path of the
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hungry bee -eaters.
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Lightweight and perfectly streamlined
for hunting on the wing, they are fast
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agile insect assassins.
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And to dispatch prey armed with weaponry
of their own, they use a specialist
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technique.
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Violently bashing the wasp against the
hard surface not only stuns it, but also
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00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:07,120
helps the bee -eater remove its venomous
stinger and flush out its toxins.
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These clever little predators have even
learned that catching prey is easier
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when they catch a ride.
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This warthog now doubles as a mobile
perch from which to hunt.
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The bee -eater's host may not derive any
benefits from piggybacking these birds
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around, but most take it in their
stride.
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00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:52,519
As the summer draws to a close, the
southern carmine bee -eaters leave South
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Africa behind, migrating north to breed
along Zambia's Luangwa River.
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In
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the
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dry season, the receding water levels
expose its cliff -like banks.
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Monogamous breeding pairs set to work
carving out tunnels up to a meter and a
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half deep in which to lay their eggs.
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00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:39,259
But for these industrious little birds,
life on the Luangwa River is anything
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but rosy.
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Out here, predators are always nearby.
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An African fish eagle.
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one of the continent's most formidable
avian assassins.
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With vision up to eight times better
than a human, it can spot a fish below
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water's surface from 200 meters away.
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00:26:15,700 --> 00:26:18,840
Unsurprisingly, fish eagles mainly feed
on fish.
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00:26:22,030 --> 00:26:26,929
But in the Luangwa, the arrival of
migrating bee -eaters transforms the
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00:26:26,930 --> 00:26:29,330
riverbanks into a brightly colored
buffet.
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00:26:46,870 --> 00:26:50,950
Keeping its distance, the fish eagle
first surveys its prey.
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00:26:58,030 --> 00:27:01,290
When hunting fast moving targets, timing
is everything.
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Missed.
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00:27:20,150 --> 00:27:22,470
But this assassin isn't giving up.
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Striking with deadly accuracy, the fish
eagle's persistence pays off.
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00:28:03,990 --> 00:28:08,830
Crushed by the eagle's five centimeter
long talons, death is quick for the
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Those lucky enough to escape quickly
return to the breeding hole and continue
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00:28:19,470 --> 00:28:20,670
their maintenance work.
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00:28:24,110 --> 00:28:27,750
Weighing only 60 grams, a bee -eater is
a small meal.
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00:28:28,930 --> 00:28:33,649
But with 10 ,000 pairs lining the banks,
the fish eagle has plenty of
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00:28:33,650 --> 00:28:35,150
opportunity to catch his fill.
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00:28:40,710 --> 00:28:46,169
And with no shortage of predators
patrolling the riverbanks, the bee
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00:28:46,170 --> 00:28:47,710
troubles are far from over.
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the breeding colonies have captured the
attention of a cunning and cold -blooded
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00:28:56,690 --> 00:28:57,740
assassin.
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00:29:11,030 --> 00:29:15,710
For the Nile monitor, there is plenty of
opportunity along the Luangwa River,
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00:29:16,030 --> 00:29:18,810
even during the dry season.
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00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:27,759
One of the continent's most voracious
predators, it will prey on anything it
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00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:28,810
overpower.
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00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:36,599
It may not have sharp teeth, but a Nile
monitor can deliver a painful, crushing
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bite.
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00:29:44,220 --> 00:29:46,260
Even the fish eagle steers clear.
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00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:56,240
Slowly swaggering along, it makes its
way down the riverbank.
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00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:07,020
If the monitor has got its timing right,
there's no need to rush.
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00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:18,579
Under the right circumstances, this
crafty assassin doesn't need speed or
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00:30:18,580 --> 00:30:19,630
stealth.
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00:30:24,949 --> 00:30:28,790
Today, finding a meal is as simple as
knowing where to look.
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00:30:33,010 --> 00:30:38,849
To a Nile monitor, thousands of breeding
Southern Carmine bee -eaters means only
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00:30:38,850 --> 00:30:39,900
one thing.
238
00:30:41,990 --> 00:30:44,410
Thousands of protein -rich eggs.
239
00:30:58,060 --> 00:31:04,299
All the monitor has to do is find a way
to reach their lofty burrows, a
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00:31:04,300 --> 00:31:06,700
challenge it is uniquely adapted to
overcome.
241
00:31:22,180 --> 00:31:26,839
As the bee -eaters continue their busy
work, the monitor surveys them from
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00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:27,890
below.
243
00:31:27,950 --> 00:31:29,770
looking for the best line of attack.
244
00:31:37,790 --> 00:31:41,570
A Nile monitor is an exceptionally agile
climber.
245
00:31:48,710 --> 00:31:53,989
Using its powerful claws like grappling
hooks, it easily scales the cliff -like
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00:31:53,990 --> 00:31:55,040
bank.
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00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:07,819
Sliding its slender body down one of the
narrow tunnels, it reaches the bee
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00:32:07,820 --> 00:32:09,080
-eater's precious eggs.
249
00:32:14,740 --> 00:32:19,859
As the dry season progresses, many pairs
will lose their eggs or their offspring
250
00:32:19,860 --> 00:32:21,480
to opportunistic predators.
251
00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:30,719
Equipped with unique skills and cunning
strategies, Africa's assassins are
252
00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:33,820
inescapable. even in the most extreme
environments.
253
00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:43,800
In the Namib Desert, the sun's scorching
rays can be as deadly as any predator.
254
00:32:46,660 --> 00:32:51,200
But for one ferocious arachnid, it is
the perfect hunting ground.
255
00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:58,999
The solar fuge's eight legs propelled
across the desert floor at 16 kilometers
256
00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:00,050
per hour.
257
00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:02,880
as it stalks a grasshopper weakened by
the heat.
258
00:33:06,700 --> 00:33:11,539
It may look like a hybrid between a
scorpion and a spider, but the Solifuge
259
00:33:11,540 --> 00:33:13,740
terrifying creature all of its own.
260
00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:22,499
Using fan -like sensory organs on its
legs, it tracks the grasshopper's
261
00:33:22,500 --> 00:33:23,550
movement.
262
00:33:32,810 --> 00:33:36,650
The solifuge may not be venomous, but it
doesn't need to be.
263
00:33:38,350 --> 00:33:42,749
Powerful jaws, up to a third of its body
length, turn the grasshopper's
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00:33:42,750 --> 00:33:47,630
exoskeleton into pulp, while digestive
enzymes liquefy its tissue,
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00:33:47,790 --> 00:33:52,890
which the solifuge then sucks up like a
smoothie.
266
00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:05,520
but it too is vulnerable in the blazing
heat.
267
00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:12,919
Digging a burrow is the best way to
escape the sweltering sun and other
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00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:13,970
predators.
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00:34:30,100 --> 00:34:35,448
Once concealed, The only proof of the
solifuge's handiwork is its victim's
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00:34:35,449 --> 00:34:36,499
scattered remains.
271
00:34:42,929 --> 00:34:48,349
In the arid landscapes of West Africa,
another desert assassin slinks silently
272
00:34:48,350 --> 00:34:49,400
through the night.
273
00:34:52,330 --> 00:34:54,389
A Saharan sand boa.
274
00:34:58,230 --> 00:35:00,750
Little is known about this mysterious
snake.
275
00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:07,890
but it is perfectly adapted for hunting
in its extreme environments.
276
00:35:14,240 --> 00:35:20,859
It swims through the dunes as though
through water, using the sand as an
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00:35:20,860 --> 00:35:21,910
invisibility cloak.
278
00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:30,760
Disappearing below ground, it moves
unseen as it stalks its prey.
279
00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:44,780
With its poor night vision, a mouse
hesitantly makes its way across the
280
00:35:49,180 --> 00:35:53,660
It has no idea it is being stalked by an
invisible ambush assassin.
281
00:36:09,670 --> 00:36:14,429
All the Saharan sand boa must do now is
wait patiently for the unsuspecting
282
00:36:14,430 --> 00:36:16,110
mouse to scurry across its path.
283
00:36:33,650 --> 00:36:37,650
The boa coils itself around its victim,
squeezing it to death.
284
00:36:54,800 --> 00:37:00,179
With extremely elastic jaw ligaments and
a remarkably mobile skull, it is
285
00:37:00,180 --> 00:37:03,500
perfectly adapted to consume prey wider
than its own body.
286
00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:14,339
While the Saharan sand boa strikes from
below the surface of the sand, another
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00:37:14,340 --> 00:37:17,020
assassin has the benefit of a bird's eye
view.
288
00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:23,860
The Mahalisburg Mountains, South Africa.
289
00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:34,580
More than 2 billion years old, they are
home to a highly evolved aerial hunter.
290
00:37:45,820 --> 00:37:50,120
The Varroa's eagle, more commonly known
as the black eagle.
291
00:37:53,940 --> 00:37:57,460
She scans the ground, searching for
potential prey.
292
00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:05,500
Thanks to a remarkable adaptation, very
little escapes her notice.
293
00:38:07,740 --> 00:38:09,860
She has infrared vision.
294
00:38:17,620 --> 00:38:22,659
Even a perfectly camouflaged scrub hair
is betrayed by the heat radiating from
295
00:38:22,660 --> 00:38:23,710
his body.
296
00:38:26,520 --> 00:38:29,470
Visible through the eagle, even through
the vegetation,
297
00:38:30,060 --> 00:38:32,170
She homes in on her prey's heat
signature.
298
00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:43,340
And once she's close enough, she
launches her attack.
299
00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:55,619
Even with her 2 .8 meter wingspan, she
can pursue the hare through tight
300
00:38:55,620 --> 00:38:56,670
corners.
301
00:39:05,900 --> 00:39:10,200
Meal secured, she returns for her nest
and her ravenous chick.
302
00:39:14,460 --> 00:39:19,959
Gaining almost half its full body weight
within just 30 days of hatching, the
303
00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:21,880
chick feeds up to eight times a day.
304
00:39:25,260 --> 00:39:30,579
Luckily, raising her demanding youngster
is a responsibility she shares with her
305
00:39:30,580 --> 00:39:31,630
lifelong mates.
306
00:39:35,050 --> 00:39:38,870
To keep their chick from going hungry,
they will need to make another kill.
307
00:39:39,430 --> 00:39:40,480
Soon.
308
00:39:48,190 --> 00:39:49,240
Daybreak.
309
00:39:49,590 --> 00:39:52,550
And the bushfell reverberates with a
familiar sound.
310
00:39:55,270 --> 00:40:00,050
A flock of helmeted guinea fowl start
their day foraging for underground
311
00:40:00,350 --> 00:40:01,810
seeds and insects.
312
00:40:07,150 --> 00:40:10,290
Out in the open, they're exposed to
predators.
313
00:40:14,350 --> 00:40:18,470
But moving as a group means there's more
eyes to look out for potential threats.
314
00:40:22,770 --> 00:40:27,049
Incredibly alert, they will raise the
alarm and bolt at the first sign of
315
00:40:27,050 --> 00:40:28,100
danger.
316
00:40:30,450 --> 00:40:33,950
Today, it is the male black eagles' turn
to hunt.
317
00:40:39,530 --> 00:40:44,489
Nearly a kilogram lighter than a female,
he is a faster, more agile flyer,
318
00:40:44,490 --> 00:40:49,130
capable of locating prey from up to 3 .2
kilometers away.
319
00:41:04,590 --> 00:41:07,070
Only able to fly very short distances.
320
00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:10,280
the guinea fowl's best option is to run
for cover.
321
00:41:14,520 --> 00:41:20,659
Gaining altitude, the eagle ascends as
high as 750 meters, before diving after
322
00:41:20,660 --> 00:41:24,180
its prey at speeds of up to 160
kilometers per hour.
323
00:41:29,420 --> 00:41:34,700
Guinea fowl may be fast, but up against
this assassin, some are not fast enough.
324
00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:47,400
The immense impact of the strike severs
its victim's spinal cord.
325
00:41:47,900 --> 00:41:50,300
It's game over for this guinea fowl.
326
00:41:58,300 --> 00:42:00,000
Tanzania's Great Ruaha River.
327
00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:07,119
Its flowing waters are a lifeline for
many animals, making it the perfect
328
00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:08,620
hunting ground for predators.
329
00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:14,640
Along its banks, An eastern tiger snake
slithers in search of thirsty prey.
330
00:42:22,660 --> 00:42:27,979
Its flickering tongue smells in stereo
as it tracks the scent trail of its next
331
00:42:27,980 --> 00:42:29,030
potential victim.
332
00:42:34,220 --> 00:42:39,140
For this mouse, stopping for a drink can
have deadly consequences.
333
00:42:43,801 --> 00:42:51,769
Colorblind the mouse cannot distinguish
the vivid snake from its surroundings
334
00:42:51,770 --> 00:42:58,389
It may as well be up against an
invisible
335
00:42:58,390 --> 00:42:59,440
enemy
336
00:43:16,360 --> 00:43:21,440
Not potently venomous, the tiger snake
uses a dual strategy to secure its meal.
337
00:43:26,820 --> 00:43:31,319
Coiling its muscular body around the
struggling rodent, the snake constricts
338
00:43:31,320 --> 00:43:33,900
victim while waiting for its venom to
take effect.
339
00:43:42,140 --> 00:43:45,100
With precision, unique adaptations,
340
00:43:45,850 --> 00:43:50,849
and specialist skill sets, Africa's
deadliest assassins are able to make the
341
00:43:50,850 --> 00:43:52,610
most of every opportunity.
342
00:43:52,660 --> 00:43:57,210
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