Ep4- Dangerous Encounters
From the huge to the tiny, fearsome to the furry, witness the world's most savage smack downs.
From the huge to the tiny, fearsome to the furry, witness the world's most savage smack downs.
Category
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00all over the world species clash in nature's savage battle of survival on land in the sea
00:12and in the air all are locked in deadly conflict animals fight tooth and claw to win food
00:24territory and rights to the bloodline from the plains of Africa to the beaches of Australia
00:35there are no rules this is Animal Fight Club
00:41in the snowbound wilds of North America the fight for survival is fierce
00:56on this blood-stained battleground two apex predators stand head and shoulders above the rest
01:05grizzly bears are North American tough guys they can tower eight feet on their hind legs and weigh 1,500
01:18pounds size strength and one of the deadliest bites on the planet makes them formidable fighters
01:29wolves are hardcore hunters roaming far and wide to find enough prey to survive
01:41speed teeth and clever pack tactics mean they punch well above their weight they can bring down animals
01:5210 times their size so when these two apex predators compete for the same meal things get nasty
02:01this male grizzly is emerging from hibernation he's been in his den for months and has lost up to 30% of
02:18his body weight it would be a brave animal that got between this bear and his lunch
02:25a pack of wolves smell a meal 280 million smell receptors over 50 times more than a human draw them from more
02:38than a mile away this grizzly could kill them with a single bite so the price of this meal is
02:48could be death the grizzly lashes out
02:57the bears back is a massive 300 pound concentration of muscle which delivers enormous power to his forelimbs
03:06at the end of his front paws he has deadly four inch claws
03:11but the wolf is fast reacting within a fraction of a second and the pack has a strategy
03:23wolf packs deploy mobbing behavior like this when hunting prey
03:32taking turns baiting and pursuing an animal until it's exhausted and weak
03:37their main weapon teeth
03:42this wolf has 42 sharp teeth up to two inches long when he closes his jaw the knife-like edges of his back
03:56teeth slice past one another like a pair of scissors tearing through the flesh of his prey
04:03the bear responds by trying to get in close enough to use his bite
04:09the bear responds by trying to get in close enough to use his bite
04:13his 16 inch long head houses large jaw muscles and 42 teeth that power a bite of 1200 pounds per square inch
04:28easily enough to crush a wolf skull
04:32but again the wolves are too fast and this far into the fight the grizzly shows no sign of tiring
04:40the wolves realize their mobbing tactics are no match for a bear built for endurance
04:47with each swipe carrying the risk of death they concede defeat
04:53leaving the grizzly to enjoy the winners spoils
04:59you only have to look at some animals to know their natural born fighters
05:10weighing in at over 3,000 pounds
05:14a rhinoceros charging at his top speed of 30 miles per hour
05:18is lethal
05:20to generate a force of a charging rhino
05:24an NFL player would have to run at almost 300 miles per hour
05:31the rhinos got no natural predators so the only animals he needs to worry about
05:37are other rhinos
05:43dominant males can be fiercely territorial
05:49they can mate with any female within their borders
05:56so fights over territory can end in death
05:59with the loser ending up a meal for scavengers
06:04Zimbabwe, Africa
06:11two male rhinos size each other up
06:16the big boss is 12 years old
06:21and this is his territory
06:23at just 8 years old
06:26the challenger is smaller
06:28but filled with the confidence of youth
06:31to take what the big boss has got
06:34he has to beat him fair and square
06:38he starts aggressively
06:40putting the big boss on the defense
06:44he shakes his head in threat
06:48the message?
06:50be afraid
06:51be very afraid
06:53his horns are made of keratin
06:56just like human hair
06:58dense deposits of calcium at their core
07:01make them hard and strong
07:03like our hair
07:05they continue to grow throughout their lives
07:07and can reach 50 inches long at their sharp tip
07:11which makes them a deadly tool
07:13for clubbing and goring opponents
07:16but the big boss has horns too
07:19and his are longer
07:22he decides the challenger is all bluff
07:26and takes charge
07:29he uses his body weight to drive forward like a bulldozer
07:33the challenger can't get traction to resist
07:39the big boss maneuvers his sharp horn under his opponent's vulnerable neck
07:45the challenger's hide
07:52the challenger's hide
07:53is up to an inch thick
07:55and can withstand pressures of over 4,000 pounds per square inch
08:00making it twice as tough as rubber
08:02but under his neck and chest
08:05the skin is more than three times thinner
08:07a well aimed thrust here
08:09could penetrate his rib cage and puncture a lung
08:12under relentless attack
08:17the challenger becomes bloodied and battered
08:19the boss signals its game over
08:29by defecating and spreading his dung to mark his territory
08:33it's a clear message
08:35it's a clear message
08:36get off my land
08:38all the wounded challenger can do
08:40is cut his losses
08:42and retreat
08:44northern australia
08:51paradise
08:52with predators
08:53the two that top the pile
08:59rarely go at it
09:00until now
09:05growing up to 22 feet
09:07and weighing up to 2,500 pounds
09:10the saltwater crocodile lives in rivers and estuaries
09:14along the australian coast
09:17he hides
09:18with just his eyes and nostrils exposed
09:22until
09:23in a flash
09:25he lunges onto land
09:26and attacks with the strongest bite on earth
09:29killing his prey
09:31and dragging it back into the water to feed
09:35sharks
09:37sharks
09:38are the ultimate sea predator
09:40with some species growing up to 20 feet long
09:48and weighing 5,000 pounds
09:50the first you'll see of a shark
09:54is an ominous dorsal fin slicing through the water
09:58that might be the last you see of him too
10:02he uses speed
10:06agility
10:07and a jaw lined with razor sharp teeth
10:09to kill his prey
10:15these feared killers
10:17almost never meet
10:19but when they do
10:22there will be blood
10:27the north australian coast
10:29a ten-year-old saltwater crocodile
10:32feasts on a dead turtle
10:34and the smell of blood
10:37draws a fifteen-year-old sharp-toothed lemon shark
10:40he can detect ten drops of bodily fluid
10:44in a whole swimming pool of water
10:46fights between sharks and crocodiles
10:50are very rarely filled
10:52so it's quite a sight to see the shark attacking
10:55using the element of surprise
10:58to try to scare the crocodile off
11:01and claim the turtle for himself
11:04it's a brave
11:05or desperate shark
11:07that takes on a saltwater croc in the shallows
11:12the shoreline is the croc's turf
11:15the biggest danger here
11:17is the croc's killer jaws
11:19the croc's bite is powered by seven jaw muscles
11:27that give a crushing force of three thousand seven hundred pounds
11:32being stuck between his jaws
11:34is like being trapped beneath a pickup truck
11:37he has the highest bite force of any animal on earth
11:41enough to tear a lemon shark to pieces
11:44and the saltwater croc doesn't intimidate easily
11:51when the waves drag the turtle into deeper water
11:55the croc follows
11:57right into the shark's sweet spot
11:59now the croc must work fast
12:02against the ticking of the tidal clock
12:05the shark circles the croc
12:08trying to get at the turtle
12:09his key offensive weapon is a jaw full of teeth
12:16he has up to two hundred teeth in each jaw
12:21he grows new teeth throughout his life
12:24with newer ones moving forward as older ones fall out
12:28meaning the teeth at the front are always sharp
12:32the croc meets the shark's teeth with armor
12:37and trying to protect his precious dinner
12:42he goes into a roll
12:44making a decisive claim on the disputed turtle
12:52he drags it back to shore
12:56and the shark decides
12:59he can't beat a determined croc on his home turf
13:02he retreats
13:06leaving the croc
13:08as king of the shallows
13:11teeth are deadly
13:17but add hooves
13:19and the results can be explosive
13:22the Camargue horse is ancient
13:27and runs wild
13:29in the tough salt marshes of France's Camargue
13:32it takes muscle
13:35bite
13:37and a whole lot of fight to survive
13:41this is a Camargue horse family
13:47the dad
13:49the family's dominant male
13:51and his harem of wives and children
13:53this family life may look idyllic
13:57but around here the peace never lasts for long
14:03bands of testosterone fueled young stallions roam the neighborhood
14:09they have no harem of their own
14:12the only way they'll get a chance to mate
14:15is to fight the dad for his
14:17at the head of his band
14:20the bachelor is pumped up and raring to go
14:23the dad risks not just his family
14:26but his life
14:27because his opponent could break his leg
14:30a death sentence in the wild
14:33the dark bachelor goes on the attack
14:38his weapons inch long teeth
14:45his bite is powerful enough to amputate a human finger
14:50so he aims for his opponent's exposed neck
14:53where he could cut through flesh
14:55to hit a major vein or artery
14:57the dad bites back
15:01the dad bites back
15:03teeth continue to grow throughout a horse's life
15:06so as the older horse
15:08he may have an advantage
15:10the dad's ears are pinned back
15:13a sign of aggression
15:15and sure enough
15:17he brings out his killer move
15:19his double hind leg kick
15:22around fifty percent of his body is made up of muscle
15:35throwing his full body weight behind a double hind leg kick
15:39creates a force of up to three thousand six hundred pounds
15:43a direct blow to his opponent's legs
15:46could break them
15:52his first kick fails to connect
15:57but others find their mark
15:59each blow takes its toll
16:03until the bachelor can take no more
16:07the dad goes home to his harem
16:10the bloodlines secure
16:13the bachelor
16:16leaves with nothing
16:20when it comes to one-on-one combat
16:27it's the little guys you have to watch out for
16:30give them half a chance
16:33and they'll rip your head off
16:35it came from outer space
16:42at least it looks like it did
16:46coming in a range of colors
16:48they're the insect world's ultimate assassins
16:52the praying mantis
17:02with five eyes
17:08that can see movement from sixty feet away
17:11and a head that can turn one hundred and eighty degrees in either direction
17:18you could never sneak up on one
17:22its reflexes are faster than a house fly
17:25with a strike that takes just fifty thousandths of a second
17:28they eat their victims alive
17:35and they'll even eat each other
17:39you need a slow motion replay
17:41to see all the gory details
17:43this is a giant dead leaf mantis
17:53these are her hunting grounds
17:55and she's fiercely territorial
17:58when another mantis contests her claim
18:02the three inch resident on the left
18:04dispatches the intruder with ruthless precision
18:11one blow
18:13two blows
18:14and her opponents down
18:16and out
18:20but the next invader
18:22is tougher
18:24the smaller grey mantis on the right
18:27wants to hunt here too
18:29but there's only room for one of them
18:33they face off
18:35front legs spread
18:36their wings fanned out to make them seem larger and more threatening
18:40but neither side is intimidated
18:44and the resident attacks
18:47in less time than it takes a human to blink
18:52her arms are like spears
18:58strong and sharp enough to pierce prey
19:01when deployed at full speed
19:03but a chiton exoskeleton
19:05covers the invader's body
19:07and stops her from piercing through
19:09the claw-like spikes of the resident's arms
19:14hook over the intruder's shoulders
19:16she follows up with another attack
19:22but this time
19:24their arms get tangled
19:29sharp spines line her forelimbs
19:32like a row of teeth on an upper and lower jaw
19:35they point in opposite directions
19:38so once prey is trapped between them
19:41any movement pushes them deeper into her spines
19:44this is great for grasping her dinner tightly
19:50but right now the resident is trapping her opponent way too close for comfort
19:55she leans back to escape the invaders reach
19:58before counterattacking
20:00her arms knocking the invaders head down
20:04trying to snap it off
20:06she doesn't succeed
20:10this time
20:12but her relentless attacks drive the intruder to her knees
20:16and the resident
20:18finally has her hunting grounds
20:20all to herself
20:22puffins
20:25puffins
20:26they may look like innocent cuties
20:28but those colorful beaks conceal a mouthful of pointed spines
20:33that mean when the gloves come off
20:35it's not pretty
20:42in northwest scotland
20:44the atlantic puffin breeding season is in full swing
20:47fiercely territorial
20:51every year puffins return to the same colony to nest
20:55along with over 100,000 other birds
20:59even though they compete with each other
21:02there's safety in numbers
21:04because flying here is dangerous
21:09this six year old twelve inch tall puffin
21:23has a hungry mouth to feed
21:26it takes six weeks for pufflings to be able to fend for themselves
21:31around a third of them don't make it
21:34several times a day this father must hunt for fish
21:38he can dive to 200 feet
21:41and he needs to deliver his catch safely back home
21:48if the chick is to have any chance of survival
21:51but that means running the gauntlet of terror from the skies
21:58an arctic skewer bird spots him
22:02and launches into attack mode
22:04he wants the puffins fish
22:09to protect his precious catch
22:14the father lands in a foreign part of the colony
22:17he's hoping to blend in with the crowd
22:20but this is hostile ground
22:23puffin fights can end in death
22:26so this fishing trip is about to get a lot more dangerous
22:37this puffin father is on a dangerous mission
22:40find fish to feed his newborn chick
22:44but he's been forced to make an emergency landing in hostile territory
22:49this local guy won't stand for a total stranger this close to his family's burrow
22:54it calls for a fight that could end with either of them dead
22:59the local guy lunges
23:01their bright one inch beaks lock
23:06pointed spines line the inside of their mouths
23:10great for gripping onto fish
23:13and other puffins
23:15locked together, claws take over
23:20curved nails can tear holes in the webbing of an opponent's feet
23:27or blind them
23:29making it difficult for them to hunt
23:31and survive
23:33the puffins use their wings as both offensive and defensive weapons
23:39a crowd gathers to watch the brawl
23:45puffin fights are a spectator sport
23:50with beaks locked
23:52the wrestlers tumbled dangerously down the slope
23:55a fall from the cliff onto the rocks below
23:58could be the end of them
24:00so when the father manages to twist free from the local guy's grip
24:05he decides it's time for another timely escape
24:08but he's coming home with nothing for his baby
24:15so it won't be long before he has to go on another diving mission
24:21that could end in death
24:23if you think it's tough work protecting one baby
24:29imagine how hard you have to fight to protect a thousand of them
24:33in one corner
24:37the giant cichlid
24:39weighing in at six and a half pounds
24:41he's got a powerful bite
24:43and a fighting spirit
24:45but with close to a thousand eggs to protect from hungry predators
24:49he's the underdog
24:52and in the other corner
24:54the serrated hinged terrapin
24:56weighing in at fifteen pounds
24:58she brandishes an armored shell
25:01a bulldozer personality
25:03and a taste for cichlid caviar
25:06this may be the only time these cichlids reproduce in their life
25:11so mom joins the fight too
25:13the best defense is offense
25:19their weapons
25:22a powerful jaw filled with hundreds of teeth
25:26their bite can easily draw blood in humans
25:31they aim for the terrapin's soft head and neck
25:35around fifty percent of the terrapin's body
25:38is always covered in armor
25:40a hard shell made of keratin
25:43but the cichlids attack relentlessly
25:47and finally get hold of the soft skin around the terrapin's neck
25:59realizing she's vulnerable
26:04the terrapin becomes defensive
26:06on land she's got a nasty swipe
26:09but in the water
26:11higher resistance means she can't punch as hard
26:14and her bite is too small to get purchase on the large slippery cichlid
26:19and now the fish have a new tactic
26:34they try to push her over
26:36pushing with all their force
26:40they smash their opponent onto a rock
26:49the terrapin can't afford for her shell to be cracked
26:53she retreats
26:55the cichlids have seen off the threat
26:59and the terrapin will need to look for lunch elsewhere
27:03with claws twice as big as a lion's
27:10it's no wonder this guy doesn't need any teeth
27:13he uses claws up to four inches long
27:18to slash open ant nests
27:20and has weapons
27:23he's known as the stinker of the forest
27:27thanks to his offensive odor
27:29that's said to be four times stronger than a skunk's
27:34it wafts around his territory
27:37here in Costa Rica
27:40he's a lesser anteater
27:50his territory means a secure food supply
27:53females to mate with
27:55and protection from predators
27:58so he'll keep it at all costs
28:01but another hungry anteater has come looking for a piece of the action
28:05he's staking a claim on the master's territory
28:08the master is ready to fight for it
28:14this anteater finds another anteater on his territory
28:19time for an anteater royal rumble
28:26the master slams the trespasser to the ground
28:32their tails are key
28:34they're strong and maneuverable
28:36perfect for wrapping around your opponent
28:38to help pin him down
28:39their tails are key
28:42they're strong and maneuverable
28:44perfect for wrapping around your opponent
28:46to help pin him down
28:53the trespasser tries to escape the bundle of claws
28:56but the master's tail is wrapped around him
28:59so he goes on anteater attack
29:05lunging his sharp claws at the master's body
29:08the master aims right for the trespasser's tail
29:13it's a game changer
29:20they both adopt a defensive posture
29:25using their tails to prop themselves up
29:28they try to engage their flesh tearing claws
29:31the trespasser takes a strategic dive to avoid a hit
29:36before he can recover
29:39the master swipes
29:41but he misses
29:44and takes an uppercut to the jaw
29:47the master knows he's beat
29:50so he retreats
29:53he heads off to find a new place to call home
29:57and the trespasser
30:00explores his new territory
30:02in the countryside
30:06things may look tranquil
30:08but look closer
30:10and you'll see aerial combat so epic
30:12it can end with either fighter being ripped to shreds
30:16the lush river banks of southern France
30:23are home to the emperor dragonfly
30:27with thin delicate wings
30:29this acrobat is an ace in the skies
30:33just over three inches long
30:36it can fly at thirty miles an hour
30:39and maneuver in every direction
30:42forwards
30:43backwards
30:44and even sideways
30:46ruthlessly targeting its enemies
30:49with dexterity and speed
30:51the emperor of the air
30:55spends up to 95% of his life
30:58underwater
31:00this one year old dragonfly
31:02has grown big terrorizing the riverbed
31:05now he's ready to rise up
31:09and claim his kingdom above water
31:12he emerges with a gleaming set of wings
31:16he wants to claim this stretch of river as his territory
31:20but he'll have to take it by force
31:23from his brother
31:25his brother is the resident kingpin
31:30dragonfly eggs are laid in water
31:33so he needs a territory like this
31:35to have a chance of breeding
31:37and as fighting dragonflies
31:39can shred each other's wings
31:41today
31:42he stands to lose it all
31:45the usurper launches his challenge
31:50and the dogfight is on
31:54their wings are powered by muscles in their thorax
31:59which account for a huge two-thirds of their entire weight
32:02this is a show of strength
32:09they swoop and skirmish around every corner of this theater of war
32:18but they're evenly matched
32:21so they change tactics
32:23now they want to rip each other's flight muscles to shreds
32:30soaring high and then spiraling downwards
32:40they burn massive amounts of precious fuel
32:43and then the usurper's teeth tear into his brother's wings
32:51and the kingpin's flying days are over
33:04the newly crowned emperor lets down his guard
33:08but the beautiful riverbed conceals a terrible danger
33:11but the beautiful riverbed conceals a terrible danger
33:15leaving the territory wide open for the next challenger
33:25it's not just the countryside where animals have to fight for survival
33:32the brown rat is at home in the big bad city
33:37fifteen inches from nose to tail
33:40weighing up to fourteen ounces
33:43it's the most abundant and widespread mammal on the planet after humans
33:49living on every continent except Antarctica
33:53it thrives because it's a brawler
33:55holding onto life by the skin of its yellow teeth
33:59the crow's got urban street smarts too
34:05up to twenty inches long
34:07weighing eighteen ounces
34:09the crow is an intelligent opportunist
34:12preying on small or weak animals for food
34:15using its beak and wings to catch and kill
34:19given the chance
34:21it will happily eat a brown rat
34:23this male rat is sick and vulnerable
34:30a passing hooded crow spots an opportunity
34:34for the rat this fight is do or die
34:38so he goes straight on the attack
34:42he launches himself teeth first at the end
34:48he launches himself teeth first at his opponent
34:52rats have sixteen teeth that are so sharp and powerful
34:56they can gnaw through concrete
34:59and a rat bite can cause a lethal infection
35:03but the crow has the advantage of wings
35:06and can use them to move quickly in any direction
35:09his strategy is to wear the rat down
35:13until it's so weak that a blow to the head would finish it off
35:17he tries to get behind his opponent avoiding his teeth
35:24grabbing at his tail with his two inch beak
35:28but his beak's designed for impact not grip
35:34the rat twists free
35:38and strikes back
35:40rats can jump three feet high
35:44that's like an Olympic high jumper
35:47reaching more than sixteen feet from a standing start
35:51but the bird is determined
35:55things look bad for the rat
36:01until he maneuvers free again
36:04and takes his chance to escape back to the safety of the sewers
36:10the crow retreats
36:15with nothing to show for his efforts
36:18in the animal kingdom
36:24some guys fight tough
36:26and some
36:29fight with balloons
36:33this is a male hooded seal
36:43eight feet long
36:45weighing in at six hundred and sixty pounds
36:48at first glance hooded seals look a lot like any other seal
36:53until they do this
36:56male seals can inflate their nose
36:59into a balloon
37:00to threaten other males
37:03and amazingly enough
37:05to impress the ladies
37:07female seals only have one pup a year
37:11so in the Atlantic breeding season
37:13competition to be its daddy
37:15is fierce
37:17lover boy
37:19lover boy is fifteen years old
37:21and has his eye on a lovely female
37:24but he's not the only one
37:27fights for mates
37:29can end in death
37:31but it's a risk
37:32both will take
37:33for the chance to breathe
37:34the challenger begins
37:37with a display of prowess
37:39he inflates the black hood
37:41on the top of his head
37:42and blows from one nostril
37:45to inflate his nasal septum
37:47into a balloon
37:48up to twice the size of a football
37:52lover boy responds with a nose balloon of his own
38:00when that doesn't win the ladies hand
38:02they start to tuck in their nose balloons
38:05and get serious
38:09the challenger makes the first strike
38:14lover boy bites back
38:17with thirty strong short teeth
38:20either could inflict a bloody wound
38:23but with thirteen inch flippers
38:25giving very little leverage
38:27they can only bite where they can reach
38:29and a layer of insulating fat
38:32over one inch thick
38:34is a good defense
38:35they inflate their hoods again
38:39but they keep their nose balloons hidden
38:42as they can easily be torn in combat
38:46lover boy launches a volley of attacks
38:50and the challenger beats a hasty retreat
38:57to the safety of the water
38:59lover boy sees him off
39:02one more come hither flash of the nose balloon
39:07and the girl is his
39:09throughout the animal kingdom
39:17moms are something to be respected
39:20and feared
39:21their babies might make a great lunch
39:26but moms always stand in the way
39:31the African water dickham may not look very intimidating
39:36at sixteen inches tall and weighing just over nine ounces
39:39she's the featherweight of animal fight club
39:42but just wait until she has a nest to protect
39:46then she shows she's no chicken
39:52this fearless little mother
39:58lays her eggs inches from a crocodile's nest
40:02while the killing machine is in residence
40:09the dickup's eggs are safe from other predators
40:12in return
40:14the dickup provides the first
40:16surprising line of defense
40:18for the croc's eggs
40:20when she's away
40:21the Nile monitor
40:32can grow up to six feet long
40:34and weigh up to twenty pounds
40:36thirty-five times the weight
40:38of a dickup
40:39a high metabolism means it needs to eat
40:42half its body weight every single day
40:44and its favorite food is eggs
40:47croc or bird will do
40:50the monitor is the pit bull of the lizard world
40:55attacking its opponent ruthlessly
41:00and relentlessly
41:04with the croc mom gone
41:06it doesn't take long for a hungry monitor to move in
41:11if the dickup wants to secure her bloodline
41:17she'll need to go head to head with this reptilian bully boy
41:22lose and she'll lose her eggs
41:25and possibly her life
41:30she goes to battle
41:35with her baby's daddy at her side
41:38they puff up their feathers
41:42and spread their wings
41:44tripling their body size
41:50then they deploy their killer weapon
41:52razor-sharp two-inch beaks
41:55they aim for the monitor's weak spot
42:07its eyes
42:08peck one out
42:10and it could be enough to drive the monster off
42:13under fire from both sides
42:15the monitor counterattacks
42:17its muscular body and strong legs means it can lunge a full body length forward
42:23in just one second
42:26his main offensive weapon is his vice-like jaw
42:30four-inch jaw bones clamped together with so much force
42:34they can easily crush a dickup skull or snap its body in two
42:38the birds stand their ground
42:45neither side can land a decisive strike
42:51until something changes
42:55mom is back
42:59the dickups create a blockade between the monitor and the eggs
43:04when the big mama returns
43:10the monitor realizes it's now or never
43:15the lateral tail whip is a defensive move
43:22making up more than half the lizard's length
43:26his muscular tail could kill a dickup in a single swipe
43:33but when the tail whip fails to find its mark
43:35the monitor decides that taking on a pair of plucky dickups
43:39and a crock
43:41isn't a good idea