Nature’s Social Network | Wildest Survival | Free Documentary Nature

For wild animals, life is all about survival. And in this battle for their own place in the natural world, each has adapted in amazing ways. Evolving unique abilities, anatomical mutations, allowing them to thrive in even the toughest environments. But for some animals, the key to survival comes from working together. Living in large groups, these creatures find safety in numbers. And many hands make light work. And when it comes to hunting and foraging, two heads are sometimes better than one. In the battle for survival, these are nature's most sociable animals. Searching for prey he hasn't eaten for days. So hunting on his own in these frozen forests, this wolf must take any opportunity. But while wolves may have a lethal reputation for killing, chasing after fast, agile prey, a single wolf usually fails to make large kills. Instead, lone wolves must settle for rodents, birds, or more commonly, scavenging leftovers. From kills made by the more deadly power of wolves that hunt in packs. Right now, he could be risking his life by encroaching into the hunting ground of a wolf pack. Highly territorial, the packs use their combined strength to kill any intruder that stumbles into their domain. But it's their highly complex social behaviors that galvanize individual wolves into successful pack hunters. And has helped them spread right across the Northern Hemisphere. Romania's Carpathian Mountains are still home to around 4,000 Eurasian wolves that roam the forests in packs of five or six. Each pack is led by an alpha male and female. These wolves are amongst nature's most dedicated parents, living their entire lives alongside their offspring. Each wolf pack is arranged in a strict hierarchy, and this structure is maintained via complex facial expressions, licking, and body language. Wolves also eat in order of dominance. But it's been a harsh winter, and this pack haven't had a meal for weeks. So today, the wolf pack has been forced to seek out something that isn't usually on the menu. The wolves' powerful noses detected this potential target from almost three and a half kilometers away. But it's not the bear they're after. They want to steal its dinner. The bear is more than five times the size of each wolf. One swipe of its claw could kill. A single wolf wouldn't stand a chance. But this pack know how to work as a team. Surrounding the bear, one wolf distracts it as the others close in. The wolves are hungry, but they are also patient. Years of coordinated hunting means each wolf in the group knows its role. The whole pack working intuitively. This lethal efficiency is a direct result of the wolves' rigid social structure. With their trap set, the wolves make their move, drawing out the bear. The bear charges, hoping his sheer size is enough to scare them off. But inevitably, the wolves' team tactics triumph over the bear's brute strength. And finally, they claim this reindeer carcass as their own. This bear realizes he's fighting a losing battle. And against the might of the pack, wisely, he decides to retreat. But each wolf must wait their turn before being allowed to eat in order of rank. This system may appear unfair, but it's their acceptance of this chain of command that makes wolves so successful. If they spend time fighting amongst themselves, little would be achieved. Though the power of the wolf pack's team hunting proves many heads are always better than one. With so many mouths to feed, this large pack needs another kill soon in order to keep them alive. In the predators' fight for survival, it isn't only wolves that have realized that cooperation increases the chance of making a kill. While most spiders are solitary hunters, one species here in Panama has developed a collaborative approach that is key to its survival. And like most creepy crawlies, they do their hunting to the cover of darkness. This giant single web is home to over 15,000 Anilocimius eximius spiders. They've learned that working as a colony is more efficient, creating webs almost eight meters across. And by hunting as a pack, they can kill much larger. This highly synchronized army react to the faintest vibration. Swarming over their prey, a bite from a single spider isn't toxic enough to kill. But the combined venom of a thousand spiders is a lethal weapon. But it isn't only predators that reap the benefits of working together. In fact, in their fight for survival, many prey species also live together in large groups, seeking safety in numbers. But some have gone on to develop complex social hierarchies, which leave the unfortunate few at the very bottom of the social ladder. In their dog-eat-dog world, olive baboons have developed a strong class system. And all young baboons must accept their place in the troop hierarchy. If you have a high-ranking mother, you have little to fear. Like royalty, baby baboons inherit their mother's status and immediately rise to the top of the pecking order. But as the daughter of a more lowly female, this baby faces a lifetime of bullying from the other baboons. And the privileged juveniles never waste an opportunity to pick on someone at the bottom of the heap. Even when the baby is under attack, her mother is unable to offer any protection against these bullies from a higher social rank. But sometimes, high-ranking baboons will decide this abuse has gone too far. Stepping in on behalf of the young underdog, standing up against the precocious bullies may seem like a noble gesture. But this protection always comes at a price. And in this economy, the only currency is grooming. It seems the good Samaritan was actually only interested in raising his own status. Nitpicking is the cornerstone of baboon society. And this grooming publicly demonstrates allegiances for all to see. This class structure means an easy life for some young baboons, while others are doomed to a lifetime of subservience. But here in Patagonia, a species that lives in large groups can bind their resources to protect all the young in the community. Patagonian mara are closely related to guinea pigs. Armed with short front legs and four sharp claws, they are perfectly adapted for digging. All the females in the group have worked together to dig out a communal burrow in the soft sandstone, allowing all the babies to be raised together in a large single nursery. The underground burrow provides a constant temperature to rear young mara. But the nursery's main function is to defend them from predators. Unusually for rodents, the mara are active during the day, attracting the attention of foxes and hawks. But with only one entrance to their communal burrow, the whole community is able to share the job of surveillance, allowing more time for grazing and sunbathing. But with so many predators in the area, the mara can never truly relax. Any sound can send the mara into a panic. The young mara race towards the safety of the underground burrow, but the adults scatter to cause a diversion. This strange hopping action allows the mara to outrun almost any predator and leads them away from the group's nursery. Thankfully, this time it's a false alarm. Gradually, the young mara re-emerge from the group nursery and the sentry returns to his lookout post. For now, calm is restored to the whole community. In their quest for survival, the mara can clearly see the advantages of living together. But when animals live in such close proximity, problems also occur, though they can be a little harder to spot. Parrots are usually found in the jungle, but here in Patagonia, a colony of conures have moved to the coast. These soft sandstone cliffs are home to over 35,000 breeding pairs that have taken up residence in a stretch of cliff only 12 kilometers long. It's the largest colony of parrots anywhere in the world. Using their beaks like pickaxes, the conures dig nest holes up to four meters into the soft sandstone in which to lay their eggs. These burrows provide such good security for the eggs that more and more birds go on to build their own homes here. Living on top of each other can cause tempers to fray as they fight for the best nest sites. But living in such a high density can lead to much more serious problems. Parasites are passed quickly from one bird to the other, and any outbreak of disease can spread through the colony like wildfire. Luckily, the benefits of social living help to outweigh the problems. Like finding love, but nuzzling is more than a public display of affection. It helps keep each other clean. Like penguins, these parrots mate for life. And for conures, beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. They may all look identical to a human eye, but parrots see a broader color spectrum, including ultraviolet. So even in the middle of such a huge colony, they can find one another easily. The safety provided to the eggs by their cliff face homes is the main reason the conures have chosen to live here in such large numbers. But when the young birds leave the nest, some will inevitably be lost to predators. But always lurk near such key breeding sites in order to increase their offspring's chance of survival. One species here in the Okavango Delta has learned to always travel in large groups, 5,000 strong. This is the biggest buffalo herd in the delta, has reduced other prey numbers, meaning these buffalo have become more of a target for the prides of hungry lions. They're now shadowing the herd as they migrate. But even for a pride of lions, a fully grown buffalo is a formidable foe. Weighing in at up to 900, each is equipped with a huge set of horns that could easily inflict a fatal wound to a lion. But a calf is a different story. So as part of their survival strategy, buffalo always try to keep their calves in the center of the herd. These lions would struggle to penetrate the buffalo's formidable defensive formation. But sometimes, even the buffalo let down their guard. One of the lionesses spots an opportunity. This is what they've been waiting for. Working together, the lions are closing in. Due to their heavy muscular bodies, lions can only sprint a short distance, only attacking if they get within 30 meters of their target. Defensive instinct, and will defend any calf in danger. Potentially deadly for both sides. Sensing a second chance, the lions attack again. Although buffalo rely on their large groups to increase their own chances of survival, it's far from a guarantee that all will survive. Fiddling around their young protects enough calves against predators to maintain the buffalo population. But here, in the mountains of southern China, a species of monkey has developed an entire social system based around huddling. In order to protect the colony against extreme cold, snub-nosed monkeys can be found at altitudes higher than any other primate apart from humans. One group in northern Yunnan have been recorded at 4,700 meters above sea level. If they were alone, they would freeze to death. But the snub-nosed monkeys are able to withstand these extreme conditions thanks to their close-knit social groups that huddle together for warmth. So while other mammals must retreat to the warmer valleys, the snub-nosed monkey's survival strategy means they can remain here all year round with little competition for food. As the sun sets, the whole troop gather in the center of their territory into position. Temperatures now drop well below freezing. Their fur alone wouldn't keep out this cold. They need each other's body heat to try and fight off these potentially deadly nighttime temperatures. The monkeys have all been taught the importance of being team players. Any monkey ousted from the group would quickly perish in them. It's thanks to these group hugs that snub-nosed monkeys can survive at this extreme altitude. But lower down the slopes, southwest China is also home to another species of primate with unique social behavior. These limestone caverns are home to one of the rarest monkeys on earth. Francois' langurs live in tightly-knit groups of around 12 monkeys, and they have developed a communal method of raising their young. Males play no part in child care. But all the adult females share the responsibility of looking after the babies in the troop, sometimes even feeding each other's offspring. To avoid predators, the troop have chosen this precarious home on the gorgeous sheer cliffs. So to raise enough young monkeys, all the colony's females must work together, carrying each other's babies around in the near vertical terrain. At six months old, the baby's orange fur turns black, by which time they've already learned how to scale these vertical walls, helping them to access mineral-rich spring water, a valuable source of nutrients. But as the sun sets, these protective, socially conscious mothers and their young perform another, even more unique behavior, heading deep into the limestone caverns for the night. Sleeping in caves is extremely rare, seen regularly in just two other primates. But it's thought that here it provides the troop with protection, not only from predators, but from the cold. The underground caverns providing relative warmth during winter. The langurs have learned to survive in this isolated habitat, thanks to the communal raising of each other's young. But in a strange species of lemur, here on Madagascar, it's only the alpha female that uses her status to employ all the other females to help with child care. The shifak is a type of lemur, but its strange walk is totally unique. Known as the dance of the shifak, this unusual skipping motion gets them around quickly on the ground. But the way they move around amongst the spiny branches is even more unusual. Primates shifak remain upright when jumping, launching themselves with their powerful hind legs. Small flaps of skin under their arms help them glide through the air, leaping up to 10 meters onto these spiny branches. Thick pads of leathery skin protect its hands and feet. And their social structures aren't just as unusual. Shifaks live in groups of around 13. But it is the females that lead the troop, with the males moving from group to group. When the alpha female gives birth, the entire troop will help to protect their precious new addition. Working together, this team effort ensures the baby has everything it needs. Though sometimes all the fussing can prove a bit much. With her baby still less than a week old, the alpha makes sure the clucky females don't get too close to her prize possession. While the alpha female enjoys a privileged position at the top of lemur society, there's an insect that pushes the idea of being born into royalty to the very limit. In the foothills of the Alps, these honeybees are up to make enough honey to survive next winter. The colony needs to gather around 120 kilos of nectar each year. They also need pollen to feed the next generation of bees, produced by the single queen at the heart of the hive. Bee society is built solely around the protection of this queen bee. She chooses whether or not to fertilize each egg, controlling which young bees develop into female workers and which into male drones. Only female bees can sting, but they always die soon after. They're barbed stingers and they can't pull it out, tearing out its digestive tract as it separates. Only the queen has a smooth stinger capable of multiple stings, but she rarely leaves the hive. The stingless male bee's sole purpose is to mate with a queen. In autumn, they are forced from the hive and will perish when the snow arrives. Even in the depths of winter, the remaining bees do not hibernate. Instead, the 15,000-strong colony work all winter long to keep the queen alive, clustering around her and shivering to keep her warm. But right now, in the mountain heat, the hive needs to be kept cool. With military coordination, the bees head off in search of water. Sucked in through their mouth, it is transported back to the hive in a storage organ in the bee's abdomen. It will then be used to cool the developing larvae and eggs. Ensuring the queen has enough bees in her colony to help her see out the winter. Bees have one of nature's most highly developed class systems. Each insect born into a specific role in their hive. But northern Australia is home to equally well-organized insect colonies. This unique species of ant has developed one of nature's most ingenious jobs. Reserved solely for the youngest members of its society. Weaver ants are named after their unique nest building technique that employs these young ants in a remarkable way. One group of ants pull leaves together. Meanwhile, another team begins joining the leaf edges using their own larvae like a glue gun. Only the larvae produce this sticky silk. And it's perfect for sticking leaves together. Holding the larvae gently in its jaws, the adults squeeze out a line of sticky silk along the edge of the leaf, gluing it together. Each ball-like structure takes 24 hours to complete. This colony of half a million worker ants has built more than 100 nests in these trees. The weaver ants are highly territorial and also have large soldier ants that will aggressively defend their territories against any intruders. Ants and termites are the perfect example of large organized societies with defined roles for every individual. But an animal that feasts on these tiny insects has also developed very clear ranks within its own small social groups. Here in the jungles of the Congo, lowland gorillas live in the smallest groups of any gorilla. And when it comes to eating, the gorilla's motto is also little and often raiding termite mounds at any opportunity. But extracting the tiny insects and their larvae isn't as easy as it looks. And the impatient youngsters in the group often end up empty-handed. But the older, more experienced females in the family have the technique down to a fine art, tearing off a chunk of the termite mound and shaking them out into their palms. The young gorillas in the group must learn by watching, but it may take years for them to acquire the dexterity to do it properly. The insects are packed full of fat and protein, and these lowland gorillas spend much of their time feasting on them. When they're not seeking out insects, the family roam the jungle in search of fruit. The group is led by a huge male. He weighs more than two adult men, and it's his job to seek out the next meal. Today, he's found a fruiting fig tree, and the group's older females climb up to feed first. This lower-ranking male, however, weights below. But he's in luck. The more dominant gorillas foraging in the canopy shower him with free food. Figs are checked for ripeness before the flesh is carefully consumed. For this family of lowland gorillas, this is bliss. In this isolated forest habitat, around 100,000 of these gentle giants continue to live peacefully in their small family groups. After feeding, the group's elders sleep off their lunch, while the youngsters burn some energy, play fighting, helping to establish who might one day take over as the group's alpha male. Like humans, however, these young gorillas grow up slowly. But thanks to the safety provided by their protective family groups, they have time to develop the skills needed to survive here. Like how to shelter from the extremes of weather here in the jungle. In the battle for survival, some of nature's most amazing animals have learned that living in large groups is the key to success. Social living provides safety in numbers. Hands make light work, and a problem shared is a problem halved. Hunting as a team can turn a good predator into a lethal killing machine. Sometimes in nature, the key to survival comes from working together.