Love Spy in the Wild

The world is full

of extraordinary animals.

But how well

do we really understand them?

How do they really think and feel?

To find out, a team of

spy creatures is going undercover.

They not only look like

part of the family,

they behave like them, too.

Armed with the latest

camera technology...

..they are going

to travel the globe...

..to understand the true nature

of the animals they meet

and reveal how intelligent

they really are...

..how badly behaved they can be...

..how important

friendship is to them...

..and if it's possible

that they can truly love each other.

What they discover will change

our perception of animals forever.

Perhaps they are more like us

than we ever believed possible.

Animals live complex lives,

but how sophisticated

are their emotions?

On the African savanna lives

one of the world's most intelligent

and family-focused animals -

the wild dog.

In this pack, all the puppies

belong to just one mother,

but are showered with affection

by every member

of the extended family.

When the adults go hunting,

a new pup makes an appearance.

This is spy pup.

The only giveaway

is the camera in his eye.

He is here to film

the emotional dynamics of pack life,

but first, he must

be accepted by the pups.

They could easily

rip him to pieces...

..so he mimics their body language,

to make them feel at ease.

He uses the play bow.

It's a universal invitation

to have fun.

He's won them over,

despite his slightly-strange smell.

The adults, however,

may be harder to convince.

So, he makes a submissive gesture

and wags his tail.

Now accepted, he soon gains

the most intimate view

of wild dogs ever seen.

The pups beg for food

by licking the adults' mouths.

Fresh meat caught just for them.

With survival depending on teamwork,

affection strengthens family ties.

Unfortunately, it's not just

spy pup that's watching them.

The strength of their love

is about to be tested.

Lions regard wild dogs as rivals.

She'll kill the pups, if she can.

Spy pup can only

lay low and observe.

The lioness picks up

the smell of the den.

The dogs try

to divert her attention.

But with pups in her sight,

she won't be easily distracted.

The pack keeps up the diversion.

But it's the desperate mother

who decides to risk all...

..goading the lioness to attack her.

..goading the lioness to attack her.

Over and over, she teases the lion,

while the pack provides backup.

After 40 minutes

of relentless pressure,

the exhausted lioness

accepts defeat.

Spy pup had a ringside view

of this extraordinary encounter.

And in the aftermath, the pups

are reunited with their mother.

Although family affection runs deep,

nothing competes

with the love of a mother.

After the lion's visit,

it's her that cleans the den.

After the lion's visit,

it's her that cleans the den.

For her pups, it's a chance

to enjoy the dust bath.

Even spy pup joins the fun.

A mother's love is so fundamental,

could it be found in a relic

from a prehistoric age?

In Uganda, this Nile crocodile

is coming ashore

for a very important event.

Her babies are about to hatch.

Sharing her nest

are some very special hatchlings.

Ones with cameras in their eyes.

They are here to record

the relationship between

a mother crocodile and her young.

The spy hatchlings

have been filming her for days,

as she waits for

her real young to arrive.

The calls of her babies

synchronise their hatching,

encouraging the whole brood

to emerge at once.

They are also cries

for her attention.

For three long months,

she protected her eggs

day and night,

as she waited for this moment.

Now, she meets her babies

for the first time.

They are delicate and vulnerable.

But they are not safe here.

She must get them to water.

Her solution is extraordinary.

Despite having

the most powerful bite in nature,

she carefully

gathers them in a throat pouch,

beneath a stockade of deadly teeth.

She is as gentle

as a croc could ever be.

Safe in her care,

tails dangling between her teeth,

she takes them to water.

She won't enjoy

her babies' company for long.

Crocodiles can have 80 hatchlings...

..and another batch is crying

for her attention.

She won't leave any behind.

Even spy hatchling.

Safe in her cavernous mouth,

all survive unscathed.

And spy hatchling is still filming.

They still need her protection.

Even in the water,

just one in ten survive...

..for danger is everywhere.

A grey heron.

He has the pick of the bunch.

Crocodiles have changed little

since the age of the dinosaurs,

but their maternal care

is anything but primitive.

She'll protect her babies

for the next two months.

Such care becomes stronger

when whole families are involved.

African elephants show a much

more developed sense of love.

Their extended family

is made up of related females,

led by a wise old matriarch.

She holds the wisdom

of the generations

and this needs

to be passed on to all.

To infiltrate the herd,

a new spy creature is needed.

One based on a bird

that lives among them.

This is spy egret,

complete with a filming eye.

The first challenge will be

surviving the initial encounter.

It could be a brief assignment.

He is facing 40 tonnes

of unstoppable herd.

His first test over,

it's now down to business.

As well as spy egret, there are

other cameras covering the action.

Spy tortoise can, quite literally,

get under the elephants' feet.

The cameras soon capture

something remarkable.

A vulnerable new arrival,

less than an hour old.

His mother must help

her new-born to his feet.

It's the start of the most

important relationship of his life.

His first steps are a challenge.

The bond between them will be

complete when he finally suckles.

Easier said than done.

His mother

gently guides him to the spot.

It's time to meet the relatives.

It's a big occasion.

Each member of the family

wants to introduce themselves.

They will all play a role

helping him grow up.

For now,

the attention is overwhelming.

But in the coming years,

he'll learn all he needs to know

for his survival

from these loving females.

The babies of some animals

have to find their place

in even larger animal families.

This temple in Rajasthan

is home to a troop

of 120 Indian languors,

made up of related females

and their offspring.

They are the most gentle and

affectionate monkeys in the world.

It's a sisterhood with

an unusual system of childcare.

To see how this works in practice,

a spy baby monkey

is joining the family -

complete with camera eye

and a range of life-like movements.

The plan is to blend

subtly into the crowd.

But the monkeys have other ideas.

They are more

than a little suspicious

of the stranger in their midst.

She's creating such a stir,

every monkey in the neighbourhood

pays her a visit.

Her camera reveals

the extraordinary athletic prowess

of these lively monkeys.

To escape the pandemonium,

the mother has set up

a baby and toddler group

in a quiet part of the temple.

But looking after baby

is a full-time occupation.

So, once they are three weeks old,

if Mum wants a break,

she has a solution -

employ a teenage baby-sitter.

As these young females

develop feelings of love and care,

they just want to hold a baby.

It's an arrangement

that gives the mums a break.

A chance to be pampered and groomed.

She may have a designated

baby-sitter, but here,

every young female

wants to play mum.

When everyone's had a go,

there's always one

left holding the baby.

It's a serious responsibility,

but the novelty soon wears thin,

especially when everyone else

is having all the fun.

The baby-sitter decides

to join the game...

..while the baby

clings on for dear life.

But some challenges test

the baby's grip to the limit.

An almost sheer drop of 20 metres.

The baby-sitter

is oblivious to the danger.

For the baby, a final indignity.

Time for the mother

to reclaim her infant.

The baby-sitter wants a break, too.

There are plenty more volunteers,

but for both baby and mother,

enough is enough.

It seems traumatic,

but this is how teenagers

learn the parenting skills

they'll need in the future.

There's no shortage of love here,

even if, at times, it's tough love.

The prairies of North America,

home to an animal

with a surprisingly-loving nature.

This inquisitive soul

is the prairie dog.

He has a new neighbour.

Spy prairie dog.

Everyone's curious

to see the new arrival.

They live in towns,

made up of around 20 family groups.

In these wide open spaces,

everyone relies on each other

to watch for danger.

So, to strengthen

their family connections,

they have an endearing way

to express their affection.

Kissing.

Like a human kiss,

it's thought to encourage the bond

of love and release oxytocin -

a pleasure hormone

that floods the brain.

It also helps

identify family members

and strangers from out of town.

But when a rival male

blatantly steals a kiss,

it doesn't go down well

with the head of the family.

The cheating female

wisely hides, as fur flies.

Love rival gone,

the prairie dogs regroup,

with an enthusiastic display

called a jump-yip.

The jump-yip shows the colony

is alert and on guard.

It also reinforces its unity,

ensuring everyone

is on the same wavelength.

Even spy prairie dog gives it a go.

Back on the African savanna,

the new-born elephant

is on the move

and he now needs the protection

of his family more than ever.

The spy creatures are on duty, too.

As they travel, the mother uses

her tail to make sure her baby

is always in touching distance...

..for danger can come from

the most unexpected places.

And wild dogs can be a threat,

especially when they have

their own pups to protect.

For now, they are blissfully unaware

that the elephants are close.

The pups are constantly playing,

building the social skills they need

to be fully part of the pack.

But the elephants

are getting closer.

They could easily destroy

the den and crush the pups.

The dogs advance,

to meet the threat.

Wild dogs are effective killers,

able to take down

a new-born elephant.

But their only concern now

is the safety of their own young.

Stragglers are rounded up.

The elephants are equally concerned

for their own baby.

They shepherd him

behind a protective wall of legs.

The dogs create their own barrier

between the elephants and the den.

It's a showdown.

The matriarch leads the charge.

She's the most experienced

member of the family.

As the conflict escalates,

the elephants put on

a united show of strength...

..with the baby hidden behind

a moving barrier of legs.

Eventually, the two sides

accept an uneasy truce.

Both loyal and loving families

know there's too much to lose

from further confrontation.

With spy tortoise

now fully accepted by the herd...

..the elephants bring him

along for the ride.

Albeit, a brief one.

The affection that binds

families together may be strong,

but the bond between courting

couples is in different realm.

In southern Kenya,

love is blossoming.

This male red-billed hornbill

has found the perfect spot

to bring up a family.

His mate is never far away.

He performs a little dance,

to entice her to take a closer look.

She shows her approval

by starting to spruce the place up.

They now face a challenge that will

test their commitment to the limit.

They set to work, gathering mud -

a central element to their plan.

Their aim is

to make the entrance smaller.

Their aim is

to make the entrance smaller.

They also add

poisonous millipedes to the mix,

creating an insect repellent that

keeps nest-raiding pests at bay.

The hole is shrinking fast,

so before it gets too small,

the female must move in.

This tiny chamber will become

her home for the next 12 weeks.

She's a willing captive,

even using her own droppings

to help narrow the hole.

She now relies on her mate

to deliver more building materials.

Working as a team, the female

narrows the entrance from within.

Their plan is to make a prison cell,

but one purely for her protection,

as it keeps predators, like snakes,

from entering.

Soon, the hole

is reduced to a mere slit,

just big enough

to squeeze in supplies.

Eventually, the eggs are laid.

Among her clutch

is a special spy egg,

one that will record the next

stage in this incredible story.

As the weeks go by,

her mate's only concern

is to keep his partner well fed.

She is completely dependent on him.

He brings her up to 20 large insects

each day, while she incubates.

But what goes in, must come out.

Nest hygiene is essential.

25 days after laying,

the moment has arrived.

She has a brood of three,

plus one adopted chick(!)

Spy egg has become spy hatchling.

One chick takes him under her wing.

With more mouths to feed,

the male is in overdrive,

finding at least

70 insects each day.

They have voracious appetites...

..but at least

one beak doesn't need feeding.

The mother divvies up the food

between her growing brood

as best she can.

But after being cooped up

for over two months,

the lack of space

and constant quarrelling

is getting too much for her.

She starts to chisel her way out...

..testing the hole for size.

To keep her babies safe,

it must stay predator-proof.

It seems an impossible squeeze,

so easy to get stuck.

Freedom.

The chicks instinctively

use spittle and droppings

to close up the entrance again.

Now, the hard work can be shared.

Each chick needs

one insect every ten minutes.

One bird alone

couldn't keep up with demand.

Spy chick even gets a mouthful.

But, of course, he shares it around.

The parents will feed their

chicks for another three weeks,

until they are ready to fledge.

Few birds show such dedication. It's

the ultimate expression of trust.

They'll remain faithful

for their entire lives.

Not all partners

show the same devotion.

The cold wastes of Antarctica.

For Adelie penguins,

the challenges start the moment they

arrive from the ocean, to breed.

The males race

to their nesting grounds,

desperate for a head start

on their rivals.

As soon as they arrive,

the quarrels begin

over who gets the best nest sites.

Spy Adelie enters the fray.

But to film

their complicated love life,

it's vital he fits in.

His courtship display

makes him one of the gang,

as they wait

for their mates to arrive.

The females are fussy partners

and the males fight over pebbles,

to make sure they build them

the biggest and finest nests.

And they don't mind

who gets in their way.

A late arrival

hurries into the colony.

With the best nest sites taken,

he is forced to the outskirts,

where no-one wants to be.

It's a cold and soggy place

to build a love nest,

especially when the point

of the pebbles is to keep their eggs

raised and dry.

Spy Adelie helps as best he can...

..with a well-placed pebble cam.

But the latecomer isn't discouraged

and gathers more pebbles,

as fast as he can.

But round here, you can't

turn your back for a second.

As soon as he puts it down,

his pebble is stolen.

The thief embellishes

his impressive nest.

Oblivious, the latecomer

is travelling ever further

to find stones...

..while the crook

takes advantage of the moment.

He may have no moral code, but he

certainly has a magnificent nest.

In contrast, the latecomer's

nest remains in a sorry state

and the criminal penguin is getting

ever more brazen...

..taking another trophy back

to his ever-growing pile,

..while the latecomer

is becoming despondent.

To make matters worse,

the females have started to arrive.

Females often remain

faithful to their partners,

but only if the nests

meet their high expectations.

So, for the latecomer,

the pressure is on.

She makes a considered inspection.

Perhaps one last stone

will swing it?

He awaits her verdict.

Her reaction

is somewhat disappointing.

Nearby, the bachelor thief proudly

shows off his ill-gotten gains.

There is only so much

a female penguin can resist.

She wants a male

with a dry, raised nest,

where her eggs will survive.

And she's found one.

But her jilted partner

won't give up without a fight.

It was a brave effort,

but it wasn't enough.

She chooses the thieving male

with the finest nest.

Her mate makes one last plea...

..but it's all in vain...

..and he's subjected

to the final indignity.

But Adelies are plucky

and irrepressible birds

and, if you

can't beat them, join them.

You can always build another nest,

especially with

a little help from a friend.

Back in the warmth of Africa,

spy tortoise is going undercover

in more familiar territory.

He's spending time

with real tortoises,

to record what insights

into love they might offer.

This leopard tortoise is desperately

seeking a romantic liaison.

As he sets off

on this amorous quest,

spy tortoise plays gooseberry.

The hopeful suitor's technique

lacks a certain subtlety.

First, he gives chase.

And then, a bit of a barge.

If you're covered by a hard shell,

it's difficult to be sensitive.

And there's nothing subtle

about what happens next.

Spy tortoise is here to observe,

but things don't always go to plan.

Probably best

to forget that ever happened.

For our spy creatures,

being immersed in the world of

animals is not without its hazards.

In Rajasthan,

the temple languors have taken spy

monkey into the heart of the family.

But some are keen to take

the budding relationship

to the next level

and are getting

a little too familiar.

One seems to want to babysit her.

But disaster strikes.

An injured baby

is a cause for concern.

And this languor

seems to believe she's died.

Then,

something extraordinary happens.

The monkeys gather round

the motionless spy creature,

as if it is a real baby.

They react just as they do

when their own babies die.

A calm and contemplative mood

descends on the colony.

There's a sense of grief,

as well as empathy for one another.

Quite accidentally, our spy creature

is at the centre of something

extraordinary, capturing emotions

that have rarely been observed.

Such apparent expressions of grief

may not be unique to primates.

On the African savanna,

spy tortoise is party

to another unique event.

Giraffes are appearing

from every direction.

This is what they've come to see.

An old giraffe has passed away

and it seems

to have profoundly affected those

who share these vast grasslands.

And more keep arriving,

creating an unprecedented assembly,

never witnessed before.

The giraffes kept arriving

throughout the day,

seemingly paying respects

to the old male.

An awareness of death

was previously believed

to have involved just a few

highly intelligent species,

but this seems to suggest otherwise.

Such deep feelings are to be

more expected among chimpanzees,

but these intelligent animals

still have the capacity to surprise.

In the forests of Senegal,

spy bushbaby is part

of a team of spy cameras

capturing intimate views

of our closest living relatives.

Here, the family lives

a charmed existence.

Parental love and friendships form

the foundation of their society.

Spy tortoise is also being deployed.

But these are

highly-perceptive animals...

..and something's not quite right.

This five-year-old checks

what the others are thinking.

They seem equally baffled.

But with his curiosity piqued,

he simply can't stay away.

As his interest grows, so does

the strength of his feelings.

He just has to have

spy tortoise all to himself.

He hides with it

in his leafy daybed,

where he'd normally take a nap.

But he's too excited to sleep.

He's torn between using it

as a pillow and giving it cuddle.

It's somewhere between

a toy and a pet.

It's definitely not for sharing.

Chimps don't normally

have possessions,

but spy tortoise

has stirred new emotions.

Elsewhere in the forest,

spy bushbaby is helping document

an equally-unique event.

One of the older chimps

is playing with a tiny kitten.

It's the offspring of a genet cat

found abandoned in the forest.

He treats it with kid gloves,

mindful not to hurt it.

Even a nip is tolerated.

The way he responds to the genet

shows a very rare emotion

in animals - empathy.

Other chimps are intrigued.

And one shows an unwelcome interest.

This older chimp

is used to having his own way,

but without any feelings for

the kitten, he's a bit too rough.

The owner shows

real concern and intervenes,

to protect his vulnerable pet.

And takes it from harm's way.

They hide behind a termite mound.

It's not just a private spot,

it's also a chance for a snack.

By using a stick,

he can fish for termites.

It's an intimate moment

enjoyed with a special companion.

Perhaps this is how

human pet-keeping began.

This is a glimpse

of something quite remarkable -

the first stirrings

of empathy for another species.

In the animal world,

there are more ways

of showing love and affection

than we ever thought possible.

From maternal devotion,

to family affection.

Through jealousy...

..grief...

..and romantic liaisons.

These many incarnations of love

in the animal world may offer

a mirror

to our own complex feelings.

Next time,

a team of new spy creatures

film how intelligent

animals really are,

with some

extraordinary revelations.