0:00:02 > 0:00:04So far on Life Story,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07we have seen animals face the dangers of childhood.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Watched them enter the adult world.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Now, young animals need to find a home.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30Somewhere they can find the necessities of life.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38It can be a refuge from enemies.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42And a shelter from the elements.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Without a place of its own,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48an animal will struggle to survive.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12On the vast plains of Zambia,
0:01:12 > 0:01:17this isolated thicket is a rare patch of cover.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22It's home to a pack of hunting dogs.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29The arrival of a dozen tiny pups
0:01:29 > 0:01:33means the pack have, for now, given up their nomadic lifestyle.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Here, they can hide the youngsters out of sight of their many enemies.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46It's the dry season and food is scarce.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Whenever the pack leaves on a hunting trip,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56one dog stays behind as baby-sitter.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06If danger threatens, the pack's future will depend on this dog.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27An eight-foot-long rock python is hunting.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39It can easily grab a pup, if it can launch a surprise attack.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42DOG BARKS
0:02:46 > 0:02:48The adult has spotted it.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02His attempts to drive it away have the worst possible outcome.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08It retreats down the pup's burrow.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Now, the adult faces a critical choice.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Stay put and risk living with a predator,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23or try to find a new shelter in the few hours before nightfall.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31That would mean leading the pups into the open.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52The baby-sitter makes his choice.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15Unfortunately, these plains are home to hyena.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27They are the hunting dogs' greatest enemy.
0:04:44 > 0:04:50A hyena will take a straggling pup if it gets the chance.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08It might win a battle over a pup with a lone baby-sitter.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16But the rest of the dog pack, returning from the hunt,
0:05:16 > 0:05:17is a different matter.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25The hyena will avoid this confrontation.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Back at full strength, the dog pack can now lead the pups
0:05:40 > 0:05:43to the safety of a new refuge.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Secure again,
0:05:51 > 0:05:55the pups squabble over the meat carried back by the hunting party.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Its duties over, the baby-sitter can take a well-earned rest.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19And, in a few weeks, the pups will be old enough to leave the den
0:06:19 > 0:06:22and join the pack on the open plains.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41In nature, good homes are all too rare.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Here, on a tiny Caribbean island
0:06:47 > 0:06:49off the coast of Belize,
0:06:49 > 0:06:51there is a severe housing shortage.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01Hermit crabs use abandoned seashells as mobile homes.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09As a crab grows, its shell becomes an ever tighter fit,
0:07:09 > 0:07:13so eventually a crab needs to move in to a bigger one.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Suitable empty shells are few and far between,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22and this one is far too spacious for this crab.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30But, instead of continuing its search,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33this small crab settles down to wait.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Other crabs, also looking to upgrade to a bigger home,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51soon gather whenever a shell washes ashore.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00Unfortunately, the new shell is too big for them, too.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Despite that, the gathering crabs
0:08:06 > 0:08:07begin to measure each other up,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11and then they do something really rather extraordinary.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18They arrange themselves into an orderly queue.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21The biggest at the front, smallest at the back.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26They're lining up with one aim -
0:08:26 > 0:08:28to exchange properties.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32But none of the crabs
0:08:32 > 0:08:34can make a move,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36because the chain is not yet complete.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42They're all waiting for the right sized crab to come along.
0:08:44 > 0:08:45And this is it.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56The latest arrival pushes to the head of the queue.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02At first, the chain falls apart.
0:09:06 > 0:09:12As it reforms, the small crab finally makes its move
0:09:12 > 0:09:15and takes its place at the end of the line.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28After a close inspection,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30the big crab moves in.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36This triggers a chain-reaction.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Each crab hurriedly moves into the shell
0:09:41 > 0:09:44vacated by the crab ahead of it in the line.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Just as the small crab attempts to move into its new home,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55a fresh arrival muscles in.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12To be left without a shell is a death sentence.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18A naked crab will quickly cook under the intense tropical sun.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28But, after all the swapping,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31there is still one shell left.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Sadly, it's no bigger than this
0:10:38 > 0:10:40small crab's original shell,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44and worse, it's got a hole in it!
0:10:50 > 0:10:54But even a bad shell is better than being homeless.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00The small crab's need to upgrade
0:11:00 > 0:11:01will be even more urgent
0:11:01 > 0:11:04by the time the next shell rolls ashore.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16This old wreck off the coast of Fiji
0:11:16 > 0:11:20is a gathering place for some very unusual fish.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27They're called remoras, but this isn't their home,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29it's more of a waiting room.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Like hermit crabs,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36each remora is waiting for the perfect residence to appear.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44The unique suckers on the back of their heads
0:11:44 > 0:11:47hint at a very different and unusual lifestyle.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Up above is a coral reef.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01The remoras watch and wait for a particular visitor.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04Sharks.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Most fish make themselves scarce when they appear.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15But not remoras.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23For a remora, home is a bigger fish.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25And this is an opportunity not to be missed.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32A passing school of eight-foot bull sharks,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35one of the most aggressive marine predators.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Remoras stick very close, or even clamp onto their host
0:12:46 > 0:12:48with their suckers.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55And what fish could offer better protection than a shark?
0:13:00 > 0:13:03What's more, when the shark makes a kill,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05the remora can scavenge the leftovers.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12In return, it helps the shark by eating parasites from its body.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17But too many remora could slow a shark down,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21so they try to avoid becoming over-loaded.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28That means intense competition among remora for the available spaces.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42This one has missed out.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03Fortunately, sharks aren't the only suitable visitors to this reef.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12A giant Manta Ray offers a remora another chance.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31It's already sheltering several large remoras.
0:14:38 > 0:14:43But there's room for one more on this huge fish.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59At last, the remora has a safe home.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07But, having made its choice, the remora must now go
0:15:07 > 0:15:10wherever the Manta takes it,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12for better or worse.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Some animals build their own homes,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and if their lives are filled with danger,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30then that home needs to be a fortress.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39An Australian weaver ant carries part of her colony's future,
0:15:39 > 0:15:40a grub, in her jaws.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48She's on her way to help in the construction of her new home.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Hundreds of her fellow workers are labouring together
0:15:54 > 0:15:57to build a stronghold out of leaves.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Chains of workers pull leaves together.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19They hold them tight, but they need a more permanent fix than this.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27The grub-carrier will play a crucial role.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33But first, she needs to get across the construction site.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Workers use their own bodies to make living bridges between branches,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44allowing others to move quickly around the site.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03This worker, with her grub, crosses over.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21When this worker reaches a leaf that needs securing,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23she taps the grub on its head.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27This stimulates it to produce silk.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34The worker uses the grub like a glue gun,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37passing it backwards and forwards across the join.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Silk is one of the strongest fibres in nature,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46yet, it's also flexible, making it the perfect glue
0:17:46 > 0:17:50for a construction that must bend and flex in the wind.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03After just a few hours of intense effort, the ants' home is complete.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Totally weather-proof, this new nest makes the ideal nursery
0:18:09 > 0:18:12in which to start rearing a precious brood.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19RAIN PATTERS
0:18:19 > 0:18:21But it also needs to be a fortress
0:18:21 > 0:18:24because neighbouring ant colonies,
0:18:24 > 0:18:29looking to expand their own empires, are always on the attack.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36WIND HOWLS
0:18:42 > 0:18:44It's rare that a home provides an animal
0:18:44 > 0:18:46with everything it needs to survive.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Some are a dangerous compromise.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01A sheer rock face in the American Rockies
0:19:01 > 0:19:05provides a sure-footed mountain goat with security from attack.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13The goats spend the entire winter up here.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16But although safe from predators, there's little food.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24By the time the spring moult arrives,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26their poor diet has left them suffering
0:19:26 > 0:19:29from a serious deficiency of vital minerals.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40So, every spring, the goats must leave the safety of the cliffs
0:19:40 > 0:19:43and make a dangerous, three-day-long descent
0:19:43 > 0:19:46on a quest for these precious salts.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57While mothers guide the new-born
0:19:57 > 0:19:59kids down to the valley,
0:19:59 > 0:20:00this newly independent young goat
0:20:00 > 0:20:04is making the perilous journey alone for the first time.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21The sun's warmth has brought predators out of hibernation.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34A grizzly bear.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47It's a deadly threat to a young goat.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Luckily, the remains of an earlier casualty catch its attention.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17The yearling has to make his way without guidance.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36High up, avalanches and rock falls are a hazard.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Lower down, rivers swollen with meltwater
0:21:46 > 0:21:48pose the greatest danger.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57From experience, mother goats know the safer places to cross.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25For her new kid, it is a daunting prospect.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37It could easily be swept to its death.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59After several days, the lone yearling approaches the crossing.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04On the other bank is the only place for miles around
0:23:04 > 0:23:08where rocks rich in salt are exposed.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19All that stands between the young goat and the outcrop
0:23:19 > 0:23:22is a last cascade of bitterly cold water.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30It's hard to know where to cross without help.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10He's made it.
0:24:22 > 0:24:23He'll stay a few days,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27stocking up on the salts in this rich dust,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30before facing the dangerous return journey
0:24:30 > 0:24:32back to the safety of the peaks.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47In Zambia, the hunting dog pups
0:24:47 > 0:24:49are now four months old
0:24:49 > 0:24:53and have left the security of their den far behind.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Once the pups are big enough to keep up,
0:25:02 > 0:25:07the dog pack resumes roaming the plains that make up their territory.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19In the dry season, being mobile is the only way to find enough food
0:25:19 > 0:25:21for 12 hungry youngsters.
0:25:24 > 0:25:30Day and night, the dogs rely on each other for protection from enemies.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Hyenas.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39The dogs' ancient enemy.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Hyenas are scavengers.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48They want to steal the dogs' kill.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57One dog cannot take on a hyena.
0:25:57 > 0:25:58FURIOUS YAPPING
0:26:00 > 0:26:05But what the dogs lack in strength, they make up for with teamwork.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08SNARLING AND GROWLING
0:26:29 > 0:26:30This isn't just a fight...
0:26:30 > 0:26:33HYENA YELPS
0:26:33 > 0:26:36..it's part of an age-old battle for control of these plains.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55The youngsters join the adults.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26With their new strength in numbers,
0:27:26 > 0:27:30the battle between dog and hyena is firmly in the dogs' favour.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41By sticking together,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44the pack can see off the challenge of their archenemy.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53For the pups, this fight has demonstrated
0:27:53 > 0:27:56the most important rule of hunting-dog life.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Taking control of their home territory,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03and, indeed, their very survival,
0:28:03 > 0:28:05depends on teamwork.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12THUNDER RUMBLES
0:28:14 > 0:28:19Now, their home and their lives, are about to change.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23The rainy season is arriving,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26bringing with it an abundance of prey.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30THUNDER RUMBLES
0:28:30 > 0:28:35The coming of seasonal riches might seem to promise an easy life.
0:28:39 > 0:28:44But not necessarily if you're a pika.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50They make their homes at high altitude
0:28:50 > 0:28:52on these steep boulder fields.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58These slopes in the North American Rockies
0:28:58 > 0:29:01are only free from snow for a few months a year.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Pika don't hibernate.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14Instead, they cash in on the sudden burst of summer flowers
0:29:14 > 0:29:18to stockpile enough food to get them through the winter.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27That means cramming thousands of return journeys
0:29:27 > 0:29:32between flower, meadow and burrow into just a few hectic weeks.
0:29:35 > 0:29:40So, for a pika, a good home is all about location.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Having a burrow near the meadow is a huge advantage.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49But not everyone can have a prime spot.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55This young female lives high up on the boulder slope.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59Every day is a relentless commute.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05She could cover hundreds of miles over a single summer.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18It's not just exhausting, it's dangerous, too.
0:30:21 > 0:30:22A weasel.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Its long, thin body makes it the perfect hunter
0:30:29 > 0:30:31in this jumble of boulders.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33SQUEAKING
0:30:33 > 0:30:37But the pikas have some countermeasures.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39IT SQUEAKS
0:30:40 > 0:30:41IT SQUEAKS
0:30:44 > 0:30:46They call to prevent a surprise attack.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48IT SQUEAKS
0:30:52 > 0:30:56Faced with such dangers, pikas are always on the lookout
0:30:56 > 0:30:59for safer ways to fill their larders.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04And they're not above a little petty theft.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08The hay piles of the pikas living closer
0:31:08 > 0:31:11to the meadow are already bulging with food.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15Too tempting to ignore.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21She waits until the owner is well away.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27And then...
0:31:27 > 0:31:29helps herself.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46This life of crime will save her time,
0:31:46 > 0:31:49energy and reduce the risk from predators.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57She stashes the stolen goods, then heads back for more.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05Of course, the key to being a successful thief is not to be seen.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17But, unfortunately, the owner in the meadow
0:32:17 > 0:32:19spots the intruder red-handed.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32She carries on while the owner rushes back to confront her.
0:32:35 > 0:32:36IT SQUEAKS
0:32:50 > 0:32:53She may have made a clean get-away...
0:32:55 > 0:32:58..but pikas are not the only thieves operating here.
0:33:01 > 0:33:02Bighorn sheep.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05Now SHE is the victim.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07FRANTIC SQUEAKS
0:33:08 > 0:33:13She can call all she likes, but the sheep just keep on eating.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16SHE SQUEAKS
0:33:18 > 0:33:20For the pika, it's a disaster...
0:33:22 > 0:33:26..unless she can quickly replenish her stockpile
0:33:26 > 0:33:28in what's left of the short summer.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Back in the Australian rainforest,
0:33:38 > 0:33:43this weaver ant fortress sits at the heart of a rich territory.
0:33:48 > 0:33:53Hunting parties go out to gather food to fuel their growing numbers.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Some canopy caterpillars are not killed,
0:34:07 > 0:34:09but farmed by the ants.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13They exude a sugary secretion that the ants collect.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16In return, the ants mount a guard
0:34:16 > 0:34:19to protect the caterpillar wherever it goes.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29But a successful colony inevitably attracts enemies.
0:34:35 > 0:34:41This jumping spider's body shape resembles that of an ant.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48A disguise good enough to fool these nursery guards.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58It's after one of the colony's most valuable assets -
0:34:58 > 0:34:59the grubs.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05In a colony numbering tens of thousands,
0:35:05 > 0:35:08a single grub is an insignificant loss.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14But the rich territory of a successful colony
0:35:14 > 0:35:17draws more destructive enemies.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29Raiders from a neighbouring weaver ant colony
0:35:29 > 0:35:31looking to expand their own empire.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45Invaders are quickly spotted.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53The guard releases pheromones to alert the rest of the colony.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59They stream out of the nest to defend their home.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18If the home defences fail,
0:36:18 > 0:36:21the colony will be wiped out.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29Some of the defenders deploy their most potent weapon
0:36:29 > 0:36:32they squirt formic acid.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34SPLASHING
0:36:38 > 0:36:41The stinging liquid halts the invaders in their tracks.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49And now, the home guard can go on the offensive.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Home and territory are secure once again.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27A colony may lose many workers in defence of its home.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32But their sacrifice helps safeguard the next generation.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40A colony that can defend a rich territory
0:37:40 > 0:37:44has the potential to dominate their part of the rainforest
0:37:44 > 0:37:45for years to come.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Such long-term occupation allows residents
0:37:57 > 0:38:00to become intimately familiar with their home,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04knowledge that is critical when times are tough.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13These chimps live on the edge of the Sahara in Senegal.
0:38:17 > 0:38:22The dry season has been at its most brutal for four months.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26There is almost nothing left to eat.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36This young male spends hours teasing apart seed pods.
0:38:38 > 0:38:43The fibres surrounding each tiny black seed are inedible.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46So, he must delicately separate the one from the other.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Others take the edge off their hunger by chewing tough bean pods.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58It's not much to keep the troop going.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05And there are many hungry mouths to feed.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Even scarcer than food is water.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30If they can't find a supply, these chimps will die.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45The troop depends on the older chimps
0:39:45 > 0:39:48and their detailed knowledge of their home territory.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51They've lived through droughts like this before.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59They lead the others on a trek towards a distant river.
0:40:06 > 0:40:11It's a hellish ten-mile journey in suffocating 50 degrees heat.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Their march ends on a river bank.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50But the channel is bone dry.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57Undeterred, this big male picks his spot...
0:41:02 > 0:41:04..and starts to dig.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20The youngster watching him at work
0:41:20 > 0:41:22is absorbing knowledge that could be critical
0:41:22 > 0:41:25to the troop's survival in years to come.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Water slowly collects in the hole,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36filtered as it seeps through the gravel.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46CHIMPS CHATTER QUIETLY
0:41:50 > 0:41:52WATER SPLASHES
0:41:58 > 0:42:01It's a moment to savour.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10All along the riverbed,
0:42:10 > 0:42:13others are following the leader's example
0:42:13 > 0:42:16and digging their own drinking wells.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19ALL CHATTER QUIETLY
0:42:29 > 0:42:32By pooling their knowledge and experience,
0:42:32 > 0:42:36the chimps have made this hostile place into a home.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50HOOFBEATS AND LOWING
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Zambia.
0:42:52 > 0:42:57The hunting dog pack has survived the hard times of the dry season.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00They've exploited different parts of their home territory,
0:43:00 > 0:43:04to successfully raise and protect their pups
0:43:04 > 0:43:08and they've fought off their greatest rivals.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Now, their home is about to be transformed.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23Great herds of wildebeest are arriving,
0:43:23 > 0:43:25having followed the rains here
0:43:25 > 0:43:27to graze on the new grass, and to calve.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32And the pack is ready for them.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42Still too young to join a hunt,
0:43:42 > 0:43:45the pups have been left at a waterhole...
0:43:54 > 0:43:58..while the adults head off over the plains.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07The youngsters are already practising their hunting skills.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17But they have some way to go.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26Not so the adults.
0:44:26 > 0:44:31They form a tight pack, stalking to get close to the wildebeest.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42THEY WHINE
0:44:52 > 0:44:56With the herd on the run, the pack manages to isolate a small group.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03They're looking for any weakness.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18But the wildebeest are no push-over.
0:45:29 > 0:45:31The dogs work in relay.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35As one tires, another moves through to take up the running.
0:45:41 > 0:45:45Fleeing for its life, the wildebeest has a few tricks of its own.
0:45:47 > 0:45:52First, it tries to create confusion by running into a group of zebra.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56ZEBRA BRAY
0:46:05 > 0:46:08Then it joins forces with other wildebeest
0:46:08 > 0:46:10to make a break for the main herd.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19Most of the dogs break off to find an easier victim.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26But one dog appears to have forgotten the basic pack rule,
0:46:26 > 0:46:28stick together.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35Suddenly, he hears the pack and switches direction to rejoin them.
0:46:35 > 0:46:42THUNDERING HOOTBEATS
0:46:47 > 0:46:51And now there is no escape from the power of the pack.
0:47:38 > 0:47:43It's time to retrieve the pups
0:47:43 > 0:47:47and escort them back to the kill.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53The growing pack has less to fear from hyenas than before.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58But they will always be a threat.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04Some of the older members form a protective cordon
0:48:04 > 0:48:05while the rest of the pack feed.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17By working together, the pack have overcome
0:48:17 > 0:48:19the challenges of this land
0:48:19 > 0:48:22and succeeded in making it their home.
0:48:28 > 0:48:33Their hard-won territory will be a legacy to their pups
0:48:33 > 0:48:37and with luck, for the generations to come.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05Finding the perfect location to film hunting dogs
0:49:05 > 0:49:09took the Life Story team years of patient research
0:49:09 > 0:49:12and finally led them to a remote corner of Zambia.
0:49:17 > 0:49:21For director Emma Napper and cameraman Jamie McPherson,
0:49:21 > 0:49:25it's a chance to film something few people have ever witnessed -
0:49:25 > 0:49:27a complete wild dog hunt.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31The dogs usually live in thick bush,
0:49:31 > 0:49:34so this open country should help the crew.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38And scientists have radio-collared one of the pack
0:49:38 > 0:49:40which makes finding them relatively easy.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45By that tree, straight there.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54- Where are the dogs? - I have absolutely no idea.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57Can you see the dogs, Dennis? Where are the dogs?
0:49:57 > 0:50:00It's not quite the start the crew was hoping for.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04(God, that was quick.)
0:50:05 > 0:50:08The dogs disappear into the grass.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11Once they've started running, they go as fast as we could go.
0:50:11 > 0:50:13And when we go at that speed,
0:50:13 > 0:50:16we risk damaging the car and ourselves quite badly, so...
0:50:17 > 0:50:20We just need more of a head start than we had this morning,
0:50:20 > 0:50:22or jet packs!
0:50:24 > 0:50:26Over the following days, it becomes clear
0:50:26 > 0:50:30that chasing after the dogs isn't the way forward.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34Perhaps trying to get ahead of them during a hunt is a better option.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37But that brings its own problems.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41It's quite tricky, in that trying to be there when they catch it
0:50:41 > 0:50:45is incredibly difficult even when it's completely flat and open,
0:50:45 > 0:50:48you still don't know which way they're going to go.
0:50:49 > 0:50:53Whenever a chase takes the dogs out of transmitter range,
0:50:53 > 0:50:55the crew must spend hours tracking them down again.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04Today, they finally catch up with them at a waterhole
0:51:04 > 0:51:08and Jamie gets to see a softer side to the pack.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18With full stomachs, it's unlikely they will hunt again today.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26But there are other animals here that haven't fed...yet.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37And hyenas are always on the lookout for an easy meal.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50Hopefully, it's just inquisitive.
0:51:50 > 0:51:54It could make short work of Jamie if it really wanted to.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57(Just let me know if it comes out behind me.)
0:51:57 > 0:52:00- Do you think he will eat Jamie? - Yeah.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03- He'll eat Jamie?- Yeah, he will.
0:52:03 > 0:52:04SHE GIGGLES
0:52:11 > 0:52:16Then, as evening approaches, the mood changes.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18GROWLING AND SNARLING
0:52:18 > 0:52:20YAPPING
0:52:20 > 0:52:23Bitter rivals, the dogs don't like the hyenas hanging around
0:52:23 > 0:52:26and this one has outstayed its welcome.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30Jamie has a ringside seat.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32IT GROWLS
0:52:34 > 0:52:36DOGS YELP
0:52:40 > 0:52:43The crew leaves the dogs to settle down for the night.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50And hope for a change of luck in the morning.
0:52:58 > 0:53:02But when they return, the pack is nowhere to be found.
0:53:04 > 0:53:08Perhaps the hyena came back during the night and they have moved off.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11You can only pick them up if you're within 2km of them
0:53:11 > 0:53:13and they tend to move.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16They can, they have moved 10km in a night
0:53:16 > 0:53:20so, hopefully, they're moving the same way we're searching.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22If they've gone the opposite direction,
0:53:22 > 0:53:24then, yeah...we could be miles from them!
0:53:28 > 0:53:31- Do you think that maybe they went south?- Maybe.
0:53:33 > 0:53:37And in the park's 1,300 square miles,
0:53:37 > 0:53:39it's like looking for a needle in a haystack.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42We've been looking for them since about 4 o'clock this morning.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45It's now half past five in the afternoon.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48Sun sets in about an hour.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50So, we've got about an hour to find them, really,
0:53:50 > 0:53:54because they're likely to get up again at sunset and move again.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57We don't know where they are now, so it's just going to get harder.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59So, the sooner we find them, the better.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02You say you have located the dogs? Confirm. Over.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04INDISTINCT TRANSMISSION
0:54:06 > 0:54:07Where is that?
0:54:09 > 0:54:12West, on this side.
0:54:17 > 0:54:18Doggies!
0:54:23 > 0:54:27The crew can't afford to lose them again.
0:54:27 > 0:54:33The only option is to stay as close as possible all through the night.
0:54:33 > 0:54:34BEEPING
0:54:34 > 0:54:36How close are they, Dennis?
0:54:36 > 0:54:39Less than a kilometre.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42In the dark,
0:54:42 > 0:54:46the radio transmitter helps the team keep tabs on the dogs.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52It's carrying food in its mouth, but I can't see a carcass.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56Let's stop here.
0:54:56 > 0:54:57Put the lights off.
0:55:02 > 0:55:04And their luck holds.
0:55:09 > 0:55:13Dawn breaks and the crew is close by as the dogs begin the hunt.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40The crew is finally on the spot as the dogs move in for the kill.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46But to complete the story, the crew needs to cover an actual chase
0:55:46 > 0:55:50and to do that, they will have to take to the air.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07This aerial view reveals the strategy the dogs use
0:56:07 > 0:56:11during the pursuit and their incredible endurance and skill.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15From the ground you never see that point
0:56:15 > 0:56:18when the dogs swap over and another one takes over
0:56:18 > 0:56:21and 4 or 5km of different elements of it.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23Just to be able to see it and keep up with it,
0:56:23 > 0:56:26there's no way you could keep up with that on the ground.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28It was over termite mounds and really rough stuff, so...
0:56:28 > 0:56:30Yeah, it was a good morning.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34These remote plains and this remarkable pack
0:56:34 > 0:56:38of hunting dogs have more than lived up to their promise.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42A pack of 20 wild dogs hunting, flat-out - there's nothing like it.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45It's incredibly exciting, it's an amazing thing to see.
0:56:51 > 0:56:56Following this very special pack of dogs has become addictive.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59I don't want to go.
0:57:00 > 0:57:04Do you think can we wait another hour? Do you think the plane would wait for us?