• 2 months ago
This fire ant has reached the edge of her known world.
Transcript
00:00This fire ant has reached the edge of her known world.
00:07Her way forward has now become blocked by the rising waters.
00:15She's one of many, and in a few minutes their underground home will be submerged.
00:24Forced to evacuate, workers and soldiers try to save the larval young.
00:31As their nest floods, the colony seems to be doomed.
00:38But from chaos comes order.
00:43The fire ants band together, each locking legs with its neighbours.
00:49They're building a living raft.
00:52Each ant is covered in fine hairs that trap air against its body.
00:59As the raft forms, this air creates a cushion for them all to float on.
01:06This is the power of the colony.
01:10By working together, they've become unsinkable.
01:15No one gets left behind.
01:24Pulled from the shallows, the colony is now at the mercy of the flood.