Life Story

So far on Life Story,

we've seen animals learn

the lessons of childhood...

...enter the adult world...

...and find a safe home.

Now they must battle for dominance.

CHIMPS SCREAM

Because those with power get privileges.

The best food, the best territory...

...and the chance to beat rivals for a mate.

But only a lucky few will ever reach the top.

BIRDS CHIRP

Senegal, West Africa.

A forest water hole offers this group of chimpanzees

a rare respite from the heat of the day.

They are the lowliest members of their 30-strong troop.

Advanced age has robbed this old male of the standing

he once enjoyed.

CHIMP HOWLS

And the youngsters are not old enough to really

worry about status while still protected by their mothers.

But this teenage male is too old to play with the babies any more.

CHIMP GRUNTS

The time has come for him to leave them behind

and try to break into the ranks of the powerful adult males.

This is particularly hard for a young male,

because competition for top spots is so intense.

And worse, he's an orphan, without friends, protection or guidance.

These males are the troop leaders.

They hold all the power here.

Joining them is every young male's ambition.

To be accepted into this elite is the path to privilege,

but it's a dangerous journey.

CHIMPS GRUNT

The youngster decides to follow.

At first, he has enough sense to keep his distance.

These males are twice his size.

CHIMPS HOWL AND SCREAM WILDLY

The low-ranking chimps retreat

before the troop leaders arrive at the water hole.

Dominant males have a highly stressful life,

as they constantly squabble to protect their position.

CHIMPS HOWL AND SCREAM

The youngster can't take his eyes off them.

CHIMPS HOWL AND SCREAM

This is his chance to get himself noticed.

If he can impress even one of the big males with

a show of strength, he might just be accepted into their ranks.

His best attempt at a macho display has certainly

caught their attention.

CHIMP HOWLS

CHIMPS HOWL AND SCREAM

But they are not impressed.

CHIMPS BEAT ON WOOD

In fact, this drumming means they're getting rather angry.

And they attack.

CHIMPS HOWL AND SCREAM

The youngster is not quick enough.

CHIMPS HOWL AND SCREAM WILDLY

He gets a short, sharp lesson about how hard it can be

to break into this close-knit gang.

CHIMPS BARK

He's lucky to escape with just an injured hand.

CHIMP WHINES

For the moment, he's neither big enough nor strong enough

to be taken seriously by the troop leaders.

Without status, he will never enjoy the privileges of the best

food or the attention of females.

But aggression may not be the only route for a youngster to gain power.

Being at the bottom of the pile doesn't just mean a lack of status.

For some, it can mean the difference between life and death.

By midwinter, several hundred Alaskan bald eagles

have gathered on the Chilkat River.

They're here because it is the only source of food for miles around.

This river holds the last of the year's spawning salmon.

Battles amongst adult eagles establish who holds the power,

and here, power means who gets food and who doesn't.

EAGLES SQUAWK

EAGLES SQUAWK

EAGLES SQUAWK AND CHIRP

So, what can a low ranking, powerless juvenile do

if she isn't going to starve?

She must grab any opportunity that presents itself

before adults stake their claim.

EAGLE CALLS

She tries to sneak in, unnoticed by the adults.

But she's been spotted.

EAGLE SQUAWKS

The juvenile has done all the hard work.

But her success is short-lived.

CHIRPING AND SQUAWKING

EAGLE SQUAWKS

She can't afford to give up just yet.

EAGLE CHIRPS

The youngster may not be strong enough to fight for her fish.

But other adults will.

The adult's power games might just help her.

Now is her chance.

EAGLE CAWS

The squabble rapidly escalates into a full-blown fight.

FRANTIC CHIRPING

This isn't about the fish any more.

This is about one adult enforcing dominance over another.

The reclaimed fish is enough to keep the juvenile alive

for at least a few more days.

But there's a long, hard winter ahead.

Dawn in Africa's Kalahari Desert.

In meerkat society,

the success of the troop depends on decisions made by the leader.

Where to feed, where to sleep

and how to deal with danger.

MEERKAT CHATTERS

No individual can hope to climb the hierarchy

unless it accumulates knowledge.

MEERKAT CHATTERS

MEERKAT CHATTERS

As the others wake up and emerge,

this young meerkat is already up and on his way to his lookout post.

Being on watch is an excellent time

to learn about the complexity of the troop's world.

Where they forage...

...and who is friends with who.

MEERKATS CHATTER

But it's important not to lose concentration.

A quick scramble back into position before anybody notices.

Scanning the skies is a lookout's most important task,

because the troop is vulnerable to aerial attack by birds of prey.

BIRDS CHATTER

Youngsters quickly learn that weaverbirds are no danger.

The more he watches, the more he learns,

and the easier it becomes to distinguish friend from foe.

Or plain nuisance.

But there's only so much even a keen student can take in

at one sitting, especially on an empty stomach.

So, this watcher abandons his post and heads off to feed.

MEERKAT SCREECH ES

A cobra.

There is no greater test for a young meerkat

than how it deals with danger like this face to face.

In the next few minutes, he's going to get the most important

lesson of his young life.

BIRDS CRY

For kangaroos,

the greatest challenges come from within their own society.

For a male, there's only really one key lesson to learn in his life.

To get to the top, he must become a fighter.

The battles are so brutal that males need years of training to prepare.

The effort is worth it,

because a champion fighter wins privileged access to the females.

This meadow is a boot camp for aspiring boxers.

Training starts as soon as a youngster is out of the pouch.

Its mother is a handy opponent for a young joey learning the basics.

But he's soon off in search of more sparring partners.

The other grown-ups are not so tolerant of this lightweight.

This male alone rules the meadow.

He stands eight feet tall,

his muscles hardened by years of sparring.

Today, a challenger for his title has come forward.

Full-blown fights are so dangerous, they're not entered into lightly.

But when two males square up, it's time to clear the arena.

Anything goes in these power struggles.

Eye gouging is entirely within the rules.

So is kicking below the belt.

The dominant male's skill is already telling.

The stakes are high.

They risk broken bones and internal injuries.

Suddenly...

...it's all over.

The champion has beaten off the challenger, at least for now.

Only a few of the youngsters looking on will ever reach the top.

And they've just seen exactly what it takes to get there.

This young meerkat is facing a much more immediate and pressing test.

Nothing can really prepare a youngster for such a moment.

Should he attack or run?

COBRA HISSES AND MEERKAT GROWLS

For the good of the troop, there is only one right choice.

He sounds the alarm to summon help.

MEERKAT SCREECH ES FRANTICALLY

The rest of the clan, some 20 strong, rush to the scene.

MEERKATS BARK AND SCREECH

COBRA HISSES

MEERKAT GROWLS

Once these reinforcements arrive,

the confrontation becomes completely one-sided.

MEERKATS GROWL

MEERKATS GROWL AND BARK

COBRA HISSES

The cobra is fast,

but meerkats are faster.

MEERKATS GROWL AND BARK

COBRA HISSES

A clash like this is not as dangerous as it might appear.

COBRA HISSES

MEERKATS BARK

The cobra is on the defensive,

and is now simply trying to get away from the baying hordes.

The situation quickly turns into an open-air lesson, as the adults

show the youngsters how to deal with a snake.

Danger averted,

the older meerkats drift away to resume feeding.