00:00A yellow mongoose.
00:03He's been out feeding through the night and needs some rest,
00:07and heads straight for the ground squirrel's burrow.
00:14The squirrel seems unfazed by this.
00:17In fact, knowing the mongoose is there
00:19gives him the confidence to forage a little further from the burrow.
00:23That's because they have a secret pact,
00:26which the squirrel can call on at any time.
00:34And this morning, there's trouble approaching.
00:37A highly venomous cape cobra who's detected the pups.
00:53But they can't see him.
00:55He's too low to the ground and the same colour as the sand.
01:04This young pup is totally unaware as the snake prepares to strike.
01:13The father can see the danger,
01:15but he's too small to tackle the snake.
01:18It would kill him too.
01:22But he knows someone who might be able to help.
01:30The squirrel's desperate cries are a call to arms for his housemate,
01:34the yellow mongoose.
01:52He's not scared of the snake's deadly venom.
02:23The mongoose is incredibly quick on his feet,
02:26able to dodge the strikes and hit back.
02:38Eventually, the cobra gives in.
02:41He's got away lightly.
02:45That's not always the case.
02:49The ground squirrel's family is safe and sound.
02:55The mongoose saved their lives,
02:57and because of this, the squirrel is more than happy
03:00to accommodate him in the elaborate burrow network,
03:03without any house duties.
03:09Two small mammals, both needing a roof over their heads,
03:13but with very different skills to complement one another.
03:19The mongoose and the squirrel are best friends.
03:30Teamwork is everything in meerkat society,
03:34and you can never let your guard down.
03:41Especially if you're the babysitter.
03:45This deadly cobra is looking for shade
03:49and heading straight for the pup's stem.
03:54Its venom is highly toxic.
04:05The young female sounds the alarm to mobilize the clan.
04:10There's no way she could tackle the snake on her own.
04:18Fortunately, it stops in one of the burrow entrances,
04:22and there's no time to lose.
04:28The team has a plan.
04:30While one group diverts the snake's attention,
04:33another goes to a different entrance to move the pups.
04:40It's a delicate operation.
04:43They're so young and defenseless.
04:52Two or three well-coordinated adults perform a high-risk mission.
05:10It's a life-defining moment,
05:13saving these four vulnerable individuals.
05:18Half of all meerkat pups die before the age of one.
05:31Thanks to the babysitter's alarm and the team's teamwork,
05:35the pups are safely in a new section of the burrow.
05:43But the young female still has her work cut out,
05:46as in a month's time, the pups will leave the burrow.
05:55She'll need to teach them to hunt for themselves and who to trust.
06:00It's going to be a big challenge and a new chapter in all their lives.
06:31The cobra is getting dangerously close.
06:46But thankfully, the weavers are not alone.
06:52Picking up the pups is a challenge,
06:55but thankfully, the weavers are not alone.
07:00Pygmy falcons may be the smallest raptors in Africa,
07:04but they're also one of the most aggressive.
07:14Their first offensive involves screaming to intimidate the snake.
07:22But he's not deterred.
07:26So they try a threatening posture.
07:39Finally, an all-out assault.
07:56That's quite enough for the cobra.
08:11The reason why the pygmy falcons are so defensive of the weaver nest
08:16is because they, too, are afraid of the cobra.
08:19The reason why the pygmy falcons are so defensive of the weaver nest
08:24is because they, too, are raising their family here,
08:27right in the middle of the colony.
08:32They're just as vulnerable as the weaver chicks.
08:38It's not easy for the sociable weavers to accept this forced cohabitation,
08:43as the falcons will occasionally eat a chick.
08:47But the benefits far outweigh the costs.
08:51Not all alliances are perfect,
08:54but when you're small, unity certainly gives you strength.
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