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00:03All over the world, species clash in nature's savage battle of survival.
00:10On the rolling savanna, the heights of the Andes, and the rivers of Australia,
00:19all are locked in deadly conflict.
00:24Animals bite tooth and claw to win food, territory,
00:28and rights to the bloodline.
00:32From the jungles of Africa to the Canadian outback,
00:39there are no rules.
00:44This is Animal Fight Club.
00:53Some animals don't share their space.
00:57They avoid a mutually assured destruction.
01:03In the seas off northern Australia, one such predator prowls.
01:09It's not a great white shark or a killer whale.
01:18It's the largest reptile on the planet.
01:25Covered in tough scales, the armor-suited saltwater crocodile fears nothing.
01:36The hyper-carnivorous killer has the strongest bite in the animal kingdom.
01:43Escaping from the clutches of his three-inch teeth would be the equivalent of bench pressing a pickup truck.
01:53He's the most aggressive of all the crocodiles.
02:00In the ocean, keeping to himself is easier.
02:05Specialized salt glands in the tongue excrete excess salt without dehydrating the croc,
02:10so he can spend weeks in the open regions.
02:15But when he comes inshore to breed, competition brings out his killer instincts.
02:26On Australia's East Alligator River, one huge croc guards his favorite spot like an armored knight at his castle gates.
02:36It's the perfect perch for attracting a female's roving eye.
02:46A cruising croc thinks he's king of the castle, and wants the plot for himself.
02:54Which means getting medieval on the occupier.
03:02The king goes low, but the resident knight goes high.
03:07Lifting his head means gravity gives his downward strike more force.
03:24Matching bites apply intense pressure around the neck.
03:33Rows of raised scales cover the length of the king's back.
03:37They're his heavy armor.
03:40Inside, plates of hard bone, called osteoderms, help prevent penetration.
03:46Even from the most powerful bite in nature.
03:50But saltwater crocs have no bony reinforcements on the underside of their neck and limbs.
03:55And protruding legs are an easy target for a well-placed bite.
04:07The king snaps. He's locked in stalemate.
04:14The knight changes tactics and takes the battle below water.
04:27A sudden jerk threatens amputation.
04:33It's too much for the king croc.
04:37And he flees.
04:41The knight of the east alligator river.
04:51Not all animals seek solitude.
04:53Some prefer to team up and create an army.
05:00But when two tribes go to war, keeping together can be the key to survival.
05:07Despite their slender frame, African wild dogs are some of the deadliest predators on the continent.
05:24In packs of up to 40 strong, they target prey twice their size and kill four out of five.
05:35They run down their victims and eat them alive.
05:44But get separated from the pack and you risk being left behind.
05:56Fights between related packs are rare.
06:00But if strangers arrive and threaten the local food supply, it can spark a turf war.
06:11These intruders know they're in hostile territory.
06:22A three-dog vanguard keeps tight formation.
06:33One breaks ranks.
06:36And heads straight into an ambush.
06:42The home pack charges in at up to 44 miles per hour.
06:47The tactic? Scatter the intruders.
06:51Then pick them off one by one.
06:55An isolated intruder makes a break for it.
07:06But runs into an unexpected water hazard.
07:18Five sets of jaws pin him down like prey.
07:25Three dogs target the head.
07:30Pound for pound, an African wild dog's bite is stronger than any other canine on the plains.
07:40But even upside down, he can snap back until a local disarms him with a lunge to the neck.
07:53Well-developed temporalis and masseter muscles apply nearly twice the pressure of a human bite.
08:01The move prevents the straggler bending his neck to deliver a bite.
08:0742 teeth wrap around his throat.
08:10One-inch canines threaten his jugular.
08:15The dog is in the grip of death.
08:19But the hound on head duty loses focus.
08:23And lets go.
08:27The intruder's jaws are back in play.
08:36But once again, the terrain slows him down.
08:41And the mob moves in for the kill.
08:47With the intruder dealt with, the pack seeks other targets.
08:56This dog has had his day.
09:00And the local scavengers...
09:04Won't have long to wait.
09:11Being the biggest puts you at the top.
09:15But staying at the top...
09:17Can be your undoing.
09:27It's high summer in Yellowstone.
09:31Breeding season for America's largest land animal.
09:36The bison.
09:41This standout hunk of beef is a bull in his prime.
09:46Right now, his testosterone levels are doubling.
09:50The sex hormone is a natural steroid that keeps him sexually charged and at peak performance.
09:57A power-packed one-ton Titan.
10:00It takes a beast of a heart to keep beefy pumped up.
10:06The average bison heart is nearly eight times the size of an adult human's.
10:12And can move an incredible amount of blood around the body.
10:16And it's not just any blood.
10:18The bison's testicles are in overdrive.
10:21Creating huge quantities of testosterone.
10:24Which increases muscle mass and aggression.
10:27When he fights, the release of adrenaline from the adrenal gland sends more oxygen to those pumped up muscles.
10:35And it's this hormone cocktail that gives the bison the boost he needs to fight off his rivals.
10:43It makes him the ultimate fight night heavyweight contender.
10:50The females are ready to mate.
10:56And beefy wants the ladies to himself.
11:03But a gathering of rival suitors presents a clear and present danger.
11:10His growl is a warning.
11:29All through the season, big hearted beefy takes down his love rivals.
11:37Each victory prolongs his time at the top.
11:40But the physical cost is brutal.
11:43After weeks of heart-pounding action.
11:47One last love rival is defiantly seductive.
11:52It's a red rag to the angry bull.
12:00A male bison will stop at nothing to maintain its dominant position.
12:10A downhill charge makes the most of his weight advantage.
12:15His massive 75 pound head smashes into his opponent like being hit by a family car.
12:23The love rival braces.
12:26And pushes back.
12:29Brute force won't cut it.
12:32Beefy brings out the heavy artillery.
12:36The horns.
12:44Beefy uppercuts.
12:46It rips through fur.
12:49But not flesh.
12:56Head to head.
12:58They're evenly matched.
13:01So beefy needs a new tactic.
13:08A broadside lifts the Lothario off his feet.
13:12And out.
13:13And out of contention.
13:16But a season's victories catch up with him.
13:20Battered and bruised, he'll be no match for the next contender.
13:24And he retires from the fight game.
13:27Even so, he has ensured his legacy.
13:31His work is done.
13:37Hunger is a powerful drive.
13:40But it can lead to a predator taking on prey out of its league.
13:46This is wolf country.
13:52But the wooded shoreline of Canada's Lake Atchigan is also home to a North American giant.
14:00The moose.
14:03Armed with broad 40-pound antlers, a bull moose is a hard target.
14:10Even for a wolf pack.
14:13But a smaller moose cow could be a very tasty dish.
14:20A pack works together on large prey, tearing at flesh on the rear and flanks.
14:27The result, worn out, wounded, wolf chow.
14:36A moose cow feeds in the lake to build up reserves for winter.
14:43Moose are the only member of the deer family that regularly feed on aquatic vegetation.
14:49They can even dive, remaining submerged for over a minute.
14:56A few yards offshore, the lake also offers safety from any passing pack.
15:04Her massive six-inch hooves make excellent paddles.
15:08She can swim at six miles per hour.
15:13At around six times the weight and almost three times the height of a wolf,
15:17she doesn't fear a solo attack.
15:22A lone hunter disagrees.
15:25This solo wolf has left his birth path to find a partner
15:30and start his own bloodline.
15:34He's not the type to look a gift moose in the mouth.
15:45But this maverick moose is as cool as ice.
15:49She stands her ground to protect her rear and flanks.
15:53Then attacks with huge pointed hooves.
15:57A clean shot could kill.
16:03But she overshoots.
16:06The wily wolf cuts inside.
16:13A snap to the sinews.
16:17Makes her spin.
16:21And leaves her body open.
16:31His teeth sink into the triceps at the top of the forelimb.
16:35The muscle is vital for walking and swimming.
16:39A severe wound would make her lame, unable to escape.
16:44Backward-pointing canines lock in place,
16:47bringing 410 pounds per square inch of jaw pressure into play.
16:52Tearing through the muscle.
17:01Her attacker hangs on.
17:13And shears through the tough muscle.
17:22But the maverick has a trick up her sleeve.
17:31She finds deeper water.
17:35And sinks to her knees to submerge her opponent.
17:40If the wolf gets trapped beneath her, he'll drown.
17:55She's a moose on the loose once again.
18:00This ambitious go-getter was ultimately out of his depth.
18:12You become the head honcho for a reason.
18:17Finding out why can be deadly.
18:22Some animals command respect.
18:28This adult male tiger is in his prime.
18:32And he knows it.
18:39His stats say it all.
18:43His bite generates up to 520 pounds of pressure.
18:48He's armed with long, razor-sharp, retractable claws.
18:52And a swipe so powerful, it can smash a skull.
18:58He'll defend his territory against all intruders.
19:01And this one is believed to have killed other males that he's discovered on his turf.
19:08550 pounds of claw and muscle.
19:13But every generation brings a kid with attitude.
19:22The youngster makes himself at home on the big guy's turf.
19:28When he hears the dominant male, it's too late to run.
19:36Local rangers suspect that this 200-pound heavier male killed two of the younger tiger's siblings.
19:45Now, he faces the same fate.
19:52Tigers are solitary creatures.
19:55Finding another male on their territory will not be tolerated.
20:00With no chance of escape, there's only one option left for the smaller tiger.
20:07Total capitulation.
20:09The larger cat circles to intimidate and assert dominance.
20:17The crouching posture is submissive.
20:23For the dominant male, it's not enough.
20:28The younger male tries to push off the angry killer.
20:34Big mistake.
20:37On his back, the odds are stacked against him.
20:41The big guy brings his key weapon into play.
20:45His deadly 520-pound fight.
20:49Outgunned and out of position, there's no chance of escape.
20:59In any fight between two killing machines, there's a risk of a costly injury.
21:06Even in victory.
21:10And you don't stay at the top by taking dangerous risks.
21:22He's demonstrated his dominance.
21:26And neutralized the young male.
21:30For now.
21:35Among male zebra, the right to breed has to be won.
21:41Adolescent males fight among themselves to establish status.
21:45Unaware they're being watched by a seasoned pro.
21:51On the African plain, a new generation of zebra emerges.
21:56They can normally walk 15 minutes after birth.
22:00Run within an hour.
22:03And they need to, as the savannah is filled with dangers.
22:17By the age of four, the feisty male survivors face a new challenge.
22:23Breeding.
22:25But first, they need to prove themselves among their peers.
22:31They battle other bachelors for the right to challenge a stallion for his harem.
22:48They don't have horns or claws, or a battering ram head.
22:53But four years of running from predators has given them hind legs so powerful, their kick can kill.
23:05During the breeding season, the grasslands become a battleground for would-be champions.
23:14Bites and gouges are standard.
23:17Anything goes.
23:21Even below the belt is up for grabs.
23:28A hard bite to the lower leg tendons could cripple.
23:36This challenger specializes in hair pulling.
23:42A mouthful of mane sees off his competitor.
23:50In fight after fight, would-be contenders leave it all on the plane.
23:58But when a dominant stallion decides on a pre-emptive strike, it suddenly gets a lot more dangerous.
24:06He has a harem to protect and wants to assert his dominance over any would-be challenger.
24:13And with everything to lose, he won't hold back.
24:23He goes airborne.
24:26To coil.
24:27And fire.
24:31With twice the impact of a heavyweight boxer's punch, it stuns his opponent into defeat.
24:43He follows up with a final sneak attack to see off the young bachelor.
24:50Point proven.
24:51Then, he'll return to his harem, safe in the knowledge that he's still the top stallion.
25:01The easier a kill, the less energy predators need to waste.
25:08But get the strike wrong, and wasting energy will be the least of their worries.
25:20It's a hard life being a warthog.
25:23To survive, they need to grow up fast.
25:29An abandoned burrow gives this mother a refuge for her young family.
25:36Piglets start out defenseless.
25:39But as they grow, their tusks develop, making them a much harder meal ticket.
25:48These tuskers can turn on predators and charge at 34 miles per hour.
25:59Warthogs aren't worried about not being beautiful.
26:02Their problem is, they're delicious.
26:09Leopards find them lip-smacking.
26:13These big cats are skilled ambush predators.
26:17They kill with a bite to the neck.
26:21But in challenging conditions, their kill rate can be as little as one in 20.
26:27They'll often target small game.
26:31Or even scavenge.
26:34Anything to survive.
26:44This hungry young male needs to eat every three days.
26:51A baby hog would be ideal.
26:54He sees their burrow.
26:58Adopts pounce position.
27:02And waits.
27:11When the dust settles, it's not a defenseless piglet.
27:15It's an older, angrier, and heavily armed tusker.
27:20She could kill this cat.
27:32The confused big cat fluffs the kill shot.
27:38The young hog was in his reach.
27:41But at the last second, an older hog dashes out from behind.
27:46And blocks the path of the hunter.
27:56Instead of a piglet, his teeth find a determined tusker.
28:01He's bitten on more than he can chew.
28:05His 1.3-inch canines can't contain her.
28:10He clamps down with his paw.
28:13But this hog won't go quietly.
28:19The porky powder keg hauls her attacker in a bid for freedom.
28:31The leopard counters with a head throw.
28:37But it brings her tusks into play.
28:41A gash to the throat could kill.
28:48He needs to get this hog on her back.
29:05He gambles.
29:09Shifts his jaw hole.
29:15And piggybacks his prey.
29:17He's now open to an upward tusk thrust.
29:21But he uses his 100-pound body weight to flip her over.
29:25Belly up.
29:28It's the killer move.
29:38The leopard hoped for an easy meal.
29:43But ended up with the fight of his life.
29:53Even predators need to watch their backs.
29:56because catching and keeping are two different things.
30:04130 feet above the water, an osprey scans for prey.
30:24He spots movement.
30:35He hits the water at 44 miles an hour, armed with perfect feet for fishing,
30:41two digits facing forwards, one backwards,
30:44and one that can change orientation.
30:51His talons snap shut in two hundredths of a second,
30:55roughly 12 times faster than a human blink.
31:14An impressive catch, which hasn't gone unnoticed.
31:22A great black-backed gull, the largest of all gulls, watches from the shore.
31:29An opportunistic predator and scavenger, there's little it won't eat.
31:40It's main weapon is its curved bill, which it uses to stab, smash, and tear.
31:52And it's not above a little piracy.
31:59The gull lines up an interception course and attacks.
32:07At the last second, the bird of prey takes evasive action.
32:22The gull's persistency is more than a match for the osprey's maneuverability.
32:33And the gull knows it.
32:39Gulls are excellent fishers.
32:45And ruthless pirates.
32:51The osprey's faster than the gull, but weighed down by his fishy cargo, he can't escape.
32:59The pirate changes tactics.
33:02It goes high to dive bomb its target.
33:12The pirate.
33:16The osprey tires.
33:20The gull moves in for the kill.
33:24The gull moves in for the kill.
33:25The bird of prey tries to shake him.
33:26But the pirate is ready for it.
33:30And grabs his wing.
33:36Outgunned and exhausted, he drops his catch.
33:41And to the victor go the spoils.
33:49South America.
33:52The Andes.
33:58The cunyas live at a high altitude.
34:01But when they fight, they sink to the lowest depths.
34:10This dominant male the cunya never lets his harem of females stray far.
34:19He has three jobs.
34:22Keep his family safe.
34:23Well fed.
34:25And father as many offspring as he can.
34:29But this is bandit country.
34:33Full of rivals.
34:39This young upstart is ready to steal himself a family.
34:44But only if he can get past the current head of the family.
34:48Who has a nasty trick up his sleeve.
34:52He strikes low and fast.
34:54To cripple an opponent where it counts most.
34:57The family jewels.
34:59Saving his clan.
35:02And seeing off a rival.
35:08The frustrated bachelors hang out in large herds.
35:14They hone their combat skills.
35:16Getting ready to challenge for a family.
35:19It's the vicuña equivalent of boot camp.
35:26Training is continuous and compulsory.
35:39These two males are evenly matched.
35:43They both weigh around 110 pounds.
35:49Their tactic of choice.
35:51Head butting.
35:53And fighting.
35:57Always looking for an opportunity.
35:59To get at the soft underbelly.
36:01Or genitals.
36:17To get at the soft underbelly.
36:19One of the vicuñas changes tactics.
36:21And pile drives his opponent.
36:24It's a risky move.
36:26That leaves him open.
36:28His opponent seizes the chance with a canine crunch.
36:35Back on the ground.
36:36He exposes his principal assets.
36:44Lose them.
36:45And no lady vicuña will give him a second look.
36:55He's lost.
36:56But he's learned.
36:58And can still be a contender.
37:04On the African savannah.
37:06Titanic life and death dramas play out in plain view.
37:11But hidden in the continent's rainforests.
37:14The conflict takes a more sinister turn.
37:19There are 10,000 millipede species in the world.
37:23But the biggest of them all.
37:25Is the giant African millipede.
37:28Who comes armed with a secret chemical weapon.
37:32He's the articulated juggernaut.
37:35Of the forest floor.
37:37He reaches up to 12 inches long.
37:40Upwards of 60 pairs of legs.
37:42Slip his slinky frame through the undergrowth.
37:45To dine on rotting vegetation.
37:49He's flexible.
37:50But tough.
37:53Calcified layers of chitin.
37:55Form a hard protective exoskeleton.
37:58It's the same chemical that creates lobster shells.
38:03Heavily segmented.
38:04He can curl tight.
38:06To create a shield against attack.
38:11But he's also got a secret deterrent.
38:13He can use in an emergency.
38:16Each segment of the millipede.
38:18Has hidden repugnatorial glands.
38:21When provoked.
38:22These secrete his own personal chemical weapon.
38:26A foul smelling noxious liquid.
38:29That can repel predators.
38:33This dark shell giant is mostly nocturnal.
38:37Foraging in daylight.
38:38Makes him easy to spot.
38:44And he's caught the compound eye.
38:48Of a hopeful assassin bug.
38:51He too is equipped.
38:54For chemical warfare.
39:01Giant African millipedes.
39:04Are the largest of their kind.
39:06But for the assassin bug.
39:08Size isn't the problem.
39:11It's the giant's armor.
39:16The millipede tries evasive maneuvers.
39:20His shiny shell helps him slip free.
39:23But the bug is relentless.
39:27He seems immune to the millipedes chemical defense.
39:31And hunts for a weak spot.
39:34On the millipedes underbelly.
39:39His curved clawed tarsus.
39:42Is sharp enough to grip onto the smooth round surface.
39:46While a specially adapted proboscis.
39:48Searches for an entry point.
39:50In the region of the millipedes legs.
39:52He then injects his own chemical weapons.
39:56Paralyzing toxins.
39:58And digestive enzymes.
40:00That begin to dissolve the millipedes innards.
40:05The millipede curls tight.
40:08The millipede curls tight.
40:13But it's too late.
40:19The process is irreversible.
40:24This millipede assassin bug.
40:26Lives up to his name.
40:28And turns his adversary into one long liquid lunch.
40:37Males can fight tough.
40:39But when females go to war.
40:42The killer claws come out.
40:47Dinosaurs still walk among us.
40:49Or at least.
40:51Cassowaries make it easy to believe.
40:55These flightless forest birds.
40:58Are the second heaviest.
41:00And third largest on the planet.
41:03They sport a bony keratin covered ridge.
41:07Up to seven inches high.
41:09Called a cask.
41:11Much like crested dinosaurs.
41:15Even their key weapon.
41:17Seems prehistoric.
41:20Each foot.
41:21Has a killer claw.
41:23On the inner toe.
41:24Which can grow over four inches.
41:27Like a dagger.
41:29An accurate strike.
41:31Can kill a human.
41:33We don't know who ruled the roost.
41:35Among the dinosaurs.
41:37But with cassowaries.
41:39It's the females.
41:47Females can be twice as large as the male.
41:52And fiercely independent.
41:56It's the male who builds the nest.
41:59Incubates the eggs.
42:00And raises the chicks.
42:04While the female finds other males.
42:07For mating.
42:08And dominating.
42:10This boneheaded bruiser.
42:12Keeps a beady eye out for rivals.
42:15If these angry birds cross paths.
42:17It's fireworks.
42:21In a park in northern Australia.
42:24A sassy cassowary emerges.
42:27And mounts a charge.
42:32It's an epic fail.
42:35Compared to the forest floor.
42:37A smooth tarmac path.
42:39Is like ice beneath her clawed feet.
42:42Her rival.
42:43Sees her chance.
42:47But the incomer extends her dagger claw.
42:51And stabs at her opponent's breast.
42:56Two of the cassowary's toes.
42:58Have a keratin tip sitting at the top.
43:01But it's the third digit.
43:02That is the key weapon.
43:04It has a unique killer claw.
43:06Made of bone.
43:07That is sheathed completely in keratin.
43:09Making it extremely strong.
43:12Incredibly sharp.
43:13A well placed hit will penetrate the skin.
43:16And dig deep into the flesh.
43:18Potentially hitting vital organs.
43:20But even a miss can be deadly.
43:22The downward stabbing motion of the leg.
43:25Can rip huge gashes in any adversary.
43:32The home bird retreats.
43:39Another slash by the invader.
43:42Brings her down.
43:46But she stumbles at the last second.
43:48Before she can push home her advantage.
43:51Giving the home bird the chance to flee.
43:54But if they meet again.
43:56She'll be a much more wary cassowary.
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