01x01 - Strange Relations

[bunniefuu]

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

- (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

- BENEDICT: Enter a world

just beyond your perception.

A world of extraordinary animals

with hidden powers and super senses.

If you think you know nature

think again.

- (BIRDS CHIRPING)

- (MID-TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Deep

in the Canadian wilderness

(BELLOWS)

an animal so secretive

she's known as the Phantom of the Forest.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: The goshawk.

(GOSHAWK CHIRPS)

- (SCREECHES)

- BENEDICT: Zero to 40 miles an hour

in under a second.

The fastest acceleration

of any bird of prey.

Short, rounded wings and a foot-long tail,

steer through dense forests,

with unparalleled agility.

- Yet even she can be outmaneuvered.

- (SCREECHES)

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

BENEDICT: Other,

much smaller creatures here

(GOSHAWK SQUAWKS)

possess astonishing abilities

that can defeat the Phantom of the Forest.

With specialized eyesight adapted

to low light,

the chickadee is first to spot

the airborne threat

(SQUAWKS)

- and first to raise the alarm.

- (CHIRPS)

BENEDICT: A coded message

broadcasting the hawk's position

and speed.

(CHIRPS)

BENEDICT: Squirrels not only recognize

the chickadees' call

(CHIRPS)

they've learned to mimic it

almost perfectly.

(CHITTERS)

BENEDICT: In seconds, the warning

is retweeted from one animal to another.

(BIRDS CHITTERING)

BENEDICT: It relays through the forest

at over a 100 miles per hour.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: More than twice as fast

as the hawk.

Message received, loud and clear.

"Enemy approaching, low and fast."

When the little guys look out

for each other

it keeps them one step ahead.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(SCREECHES)

BENEDICT: You don't have to be big

and tough to survive.

What you really need are friends.

Welcome to the world

of animal alliances

where creatures communicate

and collaborate in wonderful ways

and form the most unexpected partnerships.

BENEDICT: Even in this punishing world

- by joining forces

- (WIND WHISTLING)

animals can triumph

against extreme odds.

When the weather turns

in this North American forest

sticking together can make the difference

between life and death.

At just five ounces, this little squirrel

can't store enough bodyfat to hibernate.

So, he has to find food all winter.

But once he leaves his friends

he could freeze.

When the temperature falls to minus 30

only the most superpowered squirrel

will make it home alive.

He needs food

and fast.

Large eyes drink in the faint light.

He sees in the dark

as well as we see in the day.

And his acute sense of smell helps him

to locate food on the forest floor.

But a mushroom is only four calories.

He needs 20 to survive the night.

Not easy to come by in deep winter.

If racing up and down in search of food

burns more energy than he can find,

this night will be his last.

(CHITTERS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: But this little lightweight

has a secret.

He can fly.

Northern flying squirrels

have a furry wingsuit,

stretching from wrist to ankle,

called a patagium.

They can glide

nearly the length of a football field.

And to land, he turns his tail

into an air brake.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Sailing between the trees,

he finds enough food with minimal effort.

But now, this ninja of the night is far

from his friends.

- If he doesn't find them soon

- (EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

he will die.

He sends out

an emergency ultrasonic message.

(SCREECHES)

BENEDICT: Most predators can't hear it

- (SCREECHES)

- but his friends can.

- And when they reply

- (SQUIRRELS SCREECHING)

he knows exactly where to go.

(SQUIRRELS SCREECHING)

BENEDICT: Now, they must head

home together

to warm up before it's too late.

With more than 20 different dens

scattered through the forest

it could be hard to keep track

of where everyone's going

especially at this speed.

But a recent discovery has exposed

an even more spectacular hidden talent.

Flying squirrels

- glow.

- (SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Filming in ultraviolet

reveals how they fluoresce

absorbing moonlight in one color

and emitting it in another.

It's believed

that their glow-in-the-dark bellies

act like beacons

so they can see their friends at night

and follow them all the way back

to where they're safe and warm.

Staying close together to make it

through the coldest nights.

Some animals take cooperation

to another level

(OWL SQUEALING)

creating a powerful sense

of community

in which the next generation

can safely grow.

(WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Burrowing owls raise

their babies in a perilous world.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

BENEDICT: Just ten inches tall,

they live beneath the feet.

- of giants.

- (OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)

(BISON BELLOWS)

BENEDICT: And in constant fear

of predators.

(CHITTERING)

BENEDICT: On the wide-open plains

of Montana

- (CHITTERING)

- (BISON BELLOWS)

- danger comes from every angle.

- (CHITTERS)

BENEDICT: Thankfully, burrowing owls

are all eyes and ears.

- Binocular vision and acute hearing

- (SCREECHES)

BENEDICT: allow them

to pinpoint danger.

Even more impressive,

they look out for each other.

The only owls to live in large groups,

up to 100 strong.

They form the ultimate neighborhood watch.

A safe environment

for their growing owlets

(MID-TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: to perfect their skills.

(CHITTERING)

(OWLETS CHITTER)

BENEDICT: At one month old,

an owlet's eyesight

is already fully developed.

- (SCREECHES)

- (OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: But now,

only weeks before they leave home

they still need to master

their listening skills

by learning how

to rotate their concave faces

to direct sound towards their ears.

Get it right and it amplifies noises

up to ten times

but it takes practice and coordination.

All the while,

the parents have their backs,

keeping a lookout

and keeping them fed.

Owls are carnivorous,

but have no teeth to chew.

So, even the babies swallow meals whole.

Claws, fur, bones, and all.

And what goes in

must come out

as a pellet.

(SQUAWKS)

BENEDICT: Anyway, back to class.

How to avoid danger

by listening to their parents

and following their example.

When the rattlesnake alarm is raised

- (CHITTERING)

- (RATTLES)

the owlets know to keep their distance.

(RATTLES)

BENEDICT: Its venom is potent enough

to k*ll even the largest animals,

to roam America.

But being inquisitive can be a lifesaver.

As long as they keep a watchful eye

and keep their distance

they should be safe.

(RUMBLING)

BENEDICT: Some dangers are harder

to avoid.

(BISONS BELLOW)

- (RUMBLING)

- (CHITTERS)

- BENEDICT: Bison.

- (BISON GROANS)

BENEDICT: They target the openings

around owl burrows to dust bathe.

(FLIES BUZZING)

BENEDICT: This two-and-a-half-thousand

pound giant

could easily crush the den,

and then trap those inside.

So, the owlets do something truly amazing.

(IMITATES RATTLE)

BENEDICT: They've mastered the art

of imitation

copying that telltale snake-rattle

to near perfection.

They scare off a beast 11,000 times

their size.

- (IMITATES RATTLE)

- (MID-TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: These marvelous little mimics

are well on their way to becoming

fully-fledged members

of the burrowing owl security force.

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Look up, look around,

look closer

and you'll see

strange relationships hidden everywhere

in this wonderful world.

On a few special nights each year

this small patch of forest

in the mountains of Mexico

stages one of the most mesmerizing

displays of cooperation on Earth.

(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

- (CRICKETS CHIRPING)

- (SCREECHING)

BENEDICT: This male firefly

has been waiting

for two years underground.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Now is his chance to shine.

And he has just the right chemistry

for the job.

He drives oxygen into his abdomen.

It reacts

with potent chemical compounds

luciferin and luciferase

in an expl*si*n of bioluminescence.

But even this enchanting ability

is not enough on its own.

Females like to be dazzled.

The brighter, the better.

So, his only choice

is to team up with his rivals.

When thousands of male fireflies

come together

it's certainly brighter

but far more chaotic.

Females will only make their move

when the males flash in sync.

So, slowly, they adjust their timing

until finally, something magical happens.

They reach supernatural synchronicity

a glowing Mexican wave,

rarely filmed before.

Of 2000 firefly species

only around 12 display in unison

and this ripple effect is so phenomenal

even the pickiest female

can't help being turned on.

She shows her interests

but her light is so faint

she must make her signal in the gap

between the male's flashes.

There are ten rivals vying

for each female.

So now, it's every male for himself.

It's this determined fellow

who reaches her first

and finally gets to mate.

But ultimately,

his luck in love is all thanks

to this spell-binding display

of cooperation.

The deeper we delve

into nature's strange relations

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT:

the more surprising they become.

On the African savanna

unlikely allies collaborate to overcome

a big problem.

(ELEPHANTS TOOT)

BENEDICT: To satisfy

its enormous appetite

an elephant eats 300 pounds of vegetation

in a day.

- (ELEPHANTS HUFF, TRUMPET)

- BENEDICT: Trees can't escape.

(ELEPHANT TRUMPETING)

BENEDICT: But the whistling acacia

has an extraordinary elephant deterrent.

A low-frequency sonic shield

(BEES BUZZING)

BENEDICT: that sounds like

a swarm of angry, stinging bees.

It's a noise that even elephants fear.

(ELEPHANT HUFFS, TRUMPETS)

(SCREECHES)

BENEDICT: The acacia doesn't come

with a built-in alarm system

it's installed by little helpers.

c*ck ants gnaw holes

in the swollen thorns.

It's believed they use their antennae

to judge the perfect angle.

So, when the prevailing wind blows

the acacia starts to sing.

(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: The ant holes not only make

the tree whistle

they are also portals to a hidden world.

Secret safe houses

where the ants raise their young.

The tree also supplies highly-addictive,

sugary nectar to make sure the ants

stick around.

(MID-TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: And just one acacia can house

a colony 50,000 strong.

It's a city in the sky

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: but it's under attack.

(LEAVES RUSTLE)

BENEDICT: A six-foot neck

can reach the highest leaves.

A dexterous 21-inch tongue can pick

between the thorns.

And unlike elephants

giraffes are immune

to an acacia's whistle.

Time for the ants to earn their keep

(RHYTHMIC DRUM MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: and to mobilize an army

to take on an enemy,

158 million times their size.

c*ck ants can't see far,

so they detect attackers

using hypersensitive vibration sensors.

As the giraffe feeds

it sends shockwaves through the branches.

The ants can measure minute differences

in these tremors with their legs.

If the front right detects motion,

a fraction of a second before back left,

it means enemy ahead, to the right.

The army attacks

inflicting painful bites to the tongue

and face.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: It's one for all

and all for the tree.

Raising their abdomens,

they blast out noxious acid.

It's how they earned their name.

c*ck ants.

And it works.

(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Losses are inevitable

but eventually, the giraffe is forced

to move on.

Despite damage and casualties

both acacia and colony live on.

Thanks to their remarkable partnership.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

BENEDICT: It's not only conflict

that brings species together.

(WARTHOG OINKS)

BENEDICT: Warthogs love a good mud bath.

(WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: It feels great

and exfoliates the skin

but there are some things

mud just can't remove.

A hog's body plays host to all sorts

of parasites,

blood-sucking ticks and lice

hiding in places they simply cannot reach.

At least, not without a little help.

This band of mongooses lives close by.

They're a chatty bunch

with one of the most

sophisticated animal languages.

(MONGOOSES CHATTER)

BENEDICT: Using a wide vocabulary

of vowels and syllables

they discuss where to find food

and everyone's agreed.

- It's time to hit the town.

- (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Weighing in at 330 pounds

- (WARTHOG GRUNTS)

- BENEDICT: and armed to the teeth

warthogs are usually on the defensive.

But in this Ugandan village

they've learned

to be a little more approachable.

Warthogs and mongooses

don't speak the same language

but they share something

exceedingly rare between mammals

a cross-species collaboration

initiated

by body language.

When the hog rolls over,

the mongooses understand.

It's an invitation to dine.

With a sense of smell 1000 times

more sensitive than our own

they detect the faint smell of blood

and pick off protein-packed parasites.

A nutritious meal for the mongooses

and a much-needed deep clean

for the warthog.

This special relationship is only seen

in two places on Earth.

Both, around human settlements

where there are fewer predators

so prey can relax a little

in the company of newfound friends.

As animals adapt to the modern world

it's giving rise to some

of the most efficient

and effective partnerships of all.

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Bottlenose dolphins

use highly sophisticated techniques

to catch their prey.

But some have taken hunting

to a whole new level

by teaming up

with another intelligent animal.

(SEAGULLS SQUAWKING)

BENEDICT: Local fishermen in Laguna,

Brazil know that between May and June,

these estuarine waters are swimming

with mullet

but it's too murky to see them

unless you see in sound.

Echolocation is a precision sonar system,

that can detect the size,

speed, and distance of prey.

The dolphins use it to find the mullet

and then they shepherd them together.

But schooling fish are very hard

to target.

So, with a flick of their flukes

they make a distinctive dive

providing a signature slap that signals

to their fishermen friends

"It's time to cast."

It helps the humans land catch

after catch.

Where otherwise,

they would be fishing blind.

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: It helps the dolphins too.

When the nets are cast

the mullet panic

break formation

and scatter

straight toward the waiting dolphins.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: Everyone gets a belly full

of fish.

It's the perfect partnership.

Strategic

ingenious

with two intelligent species combining

to succeed.

There's still much to explore

in our world.

And even stranger relationships

to discover.

(CROAKING)

BENEDICT: It turns out, one of the most

surprising alliances on Earth

has been hiding right under our feet.

Trees lead a secret social life.

- Deep underground

- (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

there's a lively conversation

taking place.

The trees are talking

through a newly-discovered

social network

known as the wood wide web.

Fungi, form a matrix

of hair-like threads

detach sugars from tree roots

and in return

they provide the tree with minerals,

they siphon from the soil.

And this secret subterranean relationship

allows something even more unexpected

- to take place.

- (CREAKING)

BENEDICT: Once the trees are connected

they can exchange information

vital warnings of drought and disease.

This Douglas fir has stood for decades.

But now, it's in peril.

(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: A Douglas fir beetle

has a deadly plan

to raise an army

and k*ll the tree.

Broadcasting chemical

and electrical signals,

the fir warns its neighbors

to produce defensive poisons.

But it may be too late to save itself.

The pea-sized pest emits a pheromone

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: that could seal

the fir's fate.

It's calling reinforcements

and summoning a mass invasion.

Beetles

arrive

mate

and burrow in.

Then their young eat the tree alive.

This mighty fir will be dead within weeks.

But in a selfless final act

the dying giant diverts sugars

to its roots

(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: so these life-giving supplies

can be shared through the "woodwide web."

And in doing so,

it helps neighbors and offspring

to grow stronger.

As one life ebbs away

the rest of the forest

becomes better prepared to fight

for its future.

We're still discovering the power

of the connection

between trees and fungi.

But it's already clear

this deep-rooted relationship

is fundamental to all life on Earth.

- (BIRDS CHIRPING)

- (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: They say in nature

that only the strongest survive.

BENEDICT: But when cooperation

and communication

bring animals and plants together

and superpowers combine

even the most vulnerable

can become unstoppable.

(RHYTHMIC DRUM MUSIC PLAYING)

BENEDICT: If you think you know nature

(IMITATES RATTLE)

BENEDICT: think again.