- [Narrator] Our world is home to a host of fearsome animals who
have no trouble taking down just about any human they come across. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my. But as scary as they seem, even these beasts have a few
creatures that scare them from the weirdly adorable
animal that somehow preys upon great white sharks to the phenomenal furry
feline that strikes fear into the hearts of bears. Here are some of the animals that top predators fear the most. (lively music) Dol-finishing move. What would you say is
the ocean's top predator? If you've ever seen the movie
"Jaws," you'll probably go with great white sharks,
and with good reason. They can reach up to 20 feet
long and weigh 5,000 pounds. That's roughly the same
weight as 30 average humans. From tuna to seals, dolphins to whales, there's virtually nothing that this aquatic assassin
won't sink its teeth into. And speaking of teeth,
great white sharks are armed with more than 300 razor-sharp gnashers, made for tearing through
the flesh of their prey. But as strange as it
sounds, there's an animal that even great white sharks
swim away from in fear. Any guesses? Maybe a giant squid, some
sort of deep sea monstrosity? Well, not quite. In fact, not even a little bit. Bottlenoses dolphins are seen as nature's adorably
squeaky ocean playmates and at their largest, they come in at just under 10 feet long
and less than 600 pounds. So hardly a threat to
gargantuan great whites, right? However, they'll fiercely
defend themselves and their pod if attacked. While lacking in razor sharp teeth, these dolphins are fast and agile, allowing them to quickly
out-maneuver and attack predators, but attack with what? Their fins, their tails? Incredibly, it's all in their snouts. Swimming at a top speed
of 25 miles an hour, they slam into would-be predators with the power of a low-level car crash. A well-placed shot on a great white's belly can
damage their internal organs while a powerful hit to their gills can disrupt their oxygen intake from the water, which can be fatal. Considering that bottlenose
dolphin pods contain around 15 individuals, it's no surprise that great
white sharks are so fearful when they swim into
these menacing mammals. Imagine 15 fleshy battering
rams smashing into your body. But bottlenose dolphins
don't just protect themselves from sharks. In 2004, four humans were
saved from a great white shark by a pod of do-good
dolphins in New Zealand. The group of dolphins swam in tight circles around the
swimmers, pushing them together. They tried to swim away, but the dolphins herded them back in. All of a sudden, the swimmers spotted a 10-foot great white shark
just a few feet away from them. Amazingly, the dolphins
kept swimming around them like personal bodyguards
until the shark lost interest. Forget dogs, bottlenose dolphins
are men's real best friend. Although surprisingly, dolphins aren't the only marine animals to give great white sharks a fright. Orcas or killer whales, which
confusingly aren't whales but are technically dolphins, also attack great white sharks. Stretching over 26 feet in length and weighing around 12,000 pounds, it's no surprise that these massive mammals
can happily square up to the supersize sharks. But even with their size advantage, the way that orcas attack
the sharks is shocking. In the 1990s, an orca was observed ramming into a great white off
the coast of San Francisco in the United States. The impact of the blow stunned the shark, at which point the mammal
flipped the shark upside down. When upturned, some sharks enter a state of paralysis known as tonic immobility. This can last up to 15 minutes giving the killer whale enough
time to suffocate the shark by dragging it to the
surface and out of the water. They may not be whales but they're definitely called
killers with good reason. After slaying the great white, the orca ate the shark's liver,
a nutritious snack thanks to its high levels of fats and oils. Unlike their bottlenose brethren, who generally leaves shark carcasses alone in favor of a smaller mouthful, this dissection wasn't a one-off. Many liverless great white shark carcasses are found washed ashore. In 2017 alone, four liverless great
white carcasses washed up in South Africa's Western
Cape in as many days. No prizes for guessing
who was responsible. Well, if great whites are
the Jaws of the ocean, I guess that makes orcas the
Hannibal Lecters of the sea, minus the fava beans and nice chianti. (screen whooshing) Always a bigger fish. With their hardcore diet of great white shark liver, orcas are at the top of
the ocean food chain. Aside from their massive
size and fierce reputation, they can swim as fast as 34 miles per hour in hunting pods of up to 30 members. This helps them take down even larger prey than great white sharks. Yep, crazy as it sounds, in 2019, orcas were recorded killing
a 72-foot-long blue whale. For context, the White
House is 70 feet tall. Basically, they're up for snacking on any animal below the water line. Well, almost any animal. Pilot whales are the second
largest oceanic dolphins, exceeded in size only by killer whales, but don't
let their big build fool you. They're not very dangerous. So why are killer whales animals
that literally make a meal out of great white sharks afraid of them? Well, pilot whales off the southern coast of Australia have been
observed mimicking the calls of killer whales, and scientists believe that
this copycat approach serves as a defense from the oceanic assassins. You see, male killer whales from different pods can be
aggressive towards one another and fight to the death
to protect their herd. So these hunters often flee at the sound of their own kind from across the ocean. But even without this mimicking sound, orcas still flee from pilot whales. Researchers in the Westman
Islands off the coast of Iceland discovered
that whenever a group of pilot and killer whales
were seen near each other, the pilot whales chased
off their larger relatives. One theory for this strange behavior is that the two species
are competing for prey but this is unlikely because Icelandic killer
whales mainly eat herring while pilot whales snack on squid. The other theory is that it's anti-predator
mobbing behavior. Some prey animals mob
their predators to rob them of an easy meal but killer whales don't
tend to dine on pilot whales so it's not clear why they
display this behavior. It's possible that pilot
whales aren't aware that killer whales aren't a threat so they just mob them anyway. I guess it's always better
to be safe than sorry. You know what else it's better
to be safe than sorry about? Subscribing so you won't
miss a single video. Don't worry, I won't mob you. Oh, and while you're there,
if you're enjoying this video, how about dropping it a like as well? Anyway, let's get back to it. Elephants beeware. Although they don't dine on meat, elephants are one of the most dangerous
animals on the planet. When defending their young, they'll charge at anything they deem a threat at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. That's around the same pace as Usain Bolt. Oh, and don't forget that they can weigh up to seven tons and come
armed with sharp tusks. Basically, you really
don't wanna mess with them, unless you're an African honeybee. Here, watch what happens when these researchers played an innocuous honeybee buzzing sound near a group of resting elephants. (birds tweeting)
(bees buzzing) They look like they're
running for their lives. Despite having skin
some half an inch thick, elephants are sensitive to stings around their mouth, eyes, ears, and trunk. In 2002, a Kenyan elephant
was stung so badly around the eyes by these buzzing terrors that it was blinded. It was only after
injections that the swelling finally subsided, allowing
the elephant to see again. These brainy bees release
chemical substances called pheromones when
they sense a threat. The pheromones act like an alarm signal, alerting more African honeybees to help. But it's not just fellow
bees that can detect this. Elephants too can detect
when bees aren't in the mood for making friends. Then what does that lead to? A stampede. But it's not just bees that fright the largest land dwelling
mammals on Earth. Distant tales report that
these humongous herbivores are also scared of pigs. War pigs, as they were known,
were used by ancient Romans to frighten the enemy's war elephants. Man, battles back in the day
sound more like a circus. The Romans learned that
the squeal of pigs sent the elephants into a frenzy. So when the pigs were near the elephants, they coated them with tar. As the hogs were set alight, they let out an almighty squeal to send the elephants stomping in the opposite direction. Well, to be fair to the
elephants, if a lit pig started squealing in my direction, I don't think I'd wanna
stick around either. (screen whooshing) Sweet revenge. Elsewhere on the African plains, there's a more ominous
animal that strikes fear into the hearts of elephants: lions, and who can blame them? From gazelles to giraffes,
rhinos to hippos, there's not much that these carnivorous cats
won't sink their canines into. Whether it's those flesh-tearing teeth or their thundering roar, if you see this beast in the wild, run as far as your
little legs will take you but running might not save
you as lions can reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, and forget about climbing to safety because these big cats can
leap a terrifying 12 feet into the air. It's not surprising that most animals stay as far
away as possible from lions. Well, all but one. From its name alone, the honey badger may
not sound like a threat. It also only weighs about 35 pounds and looks pretty cute at first glance. But be warned, it ain't no badger and it don't take prisoners. The only living species
of the genus Mellivora, these feisty little devils
are more closely related to weasels than they are badgers. But unlike a weasel, they're so gutsy that they've earned a
place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the
world's most fearless animal. Even so, you might think that anything taking on
a lion had a death wish. Luckily, a honey badger has
a plan up its furry sleeves. For starters, these creatures
aren't afraid to rush at lions with hackles raised
and a rasping growl to match. (badger growling) If the shock factor isn't enough
to frighten these big cats up a tree, the incoming
stench definitely is. Honey badger squirt out a potent liquid from their anal glands, which basically acts like a stink bomb to keep large predators away. Even if these guys end up in
the jaws of a ferocious feline, they have another party
trick ready to blow. Honey badgers are armed with
an exceptionally tough hide, capable of withstanding big cat bites. But that's not all, their skin's rubbery and extremely loose. So if they end up in the jaws of a lion, they can sometimes wriggle their way free. They're basically a furry
rage-filled bar of soap, although they don't smell like one. Even when these stinky souls
aren't under threat from lions, they still wanna fight. Stoffel, a honey badger at a
South African wildlife center, escaped out of his enclosure to, get this, fight the lions in a pen next door. He was so determined
to break out and fight that he built a tower out of rocks and mud to climb over the wall. Looks like their place in the "Guinness Book of World
Records" is well deserved. (screen whooshing) Eagle enemy. Bald eagles are the rulers
of the North American skies, whether it's their giant seven
feet, five inch wink span, their hooked talons that are the same size as a human hand or their ability to soar through the skies at speeds
of 100 miles per hour. Plus with their meat-heavy
diet of small mammals, fish and occasionally larger
animals, like young deer, no animal wants to get on their bad side but despite their fearsome reputation, bald eagles have sleepless nights over the thought of one creature. Now, raccoons are more known
for rummaging through garbage than striking fear into
the hearts of bald eagles. Yet occasionally, these mammals will climb into a bald eagle's nest and eat either an unhatched
eagle egg or even a baby eaglet. Sounds like a dangerous
game of raccoon roulette. So how are these
scavengers able to get away with such risky behavior
without being torn to shreds? When food access is low, bald
eagle parents spend less time in the nest as they're busy
foraging meals for their young and when the parents are
away, the raccoons well play. Well, eat to be more precise. With no one to protect them, the eaglets or bald eagle eggs
are practically defenseless from ravenous raccoons, but bald eagles aren't the only big birds
with these problems. Tristan albatrosses found on Gough Island in the South Atlantic Ocean
have a huge 10 foot wing span and feast on squid and fish. At that size, you'd think that these super-size
seabirds would be able to cope with almost any animal threats. However, there's one cute
critter that's become the scourge of these birds. Gangs of house mice have
been caught attacking and killing these seabird
chicks in their nests. But unlike raccoons, the
menacing mice don't stop there. In 2017, scientists discovered that the rodents were also
killing adult albatross. That's despite the birds
being 300 times the size of the mice. How? That'd be like a human biting into something that
weighed around 30 tons. Why don't the birds fight back? It's believed that the
dedicated albatross parents let the mice nibble on their flesh while
they incubate their egg. If a wound's small enough,
the seabird may recover but larger lacerations can be fatal. Because the mice were only introduced to Gough Island in the 19th century, scientists believe that the albatross haven't yet evolved a
response to these attacks. So for the time being,
these hungry house mice will continue to dine on
Tristan albatrosses for dinner. (screen whooshing) Jaguars versus otters. Jaguars are the largest cat
species found in the Americas, weighing in at over 200
pounds when fully grown and with a bite powerful enough to pierce through tortoise
and turtle shells, these felines don't play nice, but it's not just shelled species that they have their eyes on. Don't be surprised to
see one carrying a caiman or even an anaconda in its jaws. What's even more metal is
their unusual killing method. They bite directly through the skull of their prey to deliver
a fatal blow to the brain. Now, that is a migraine. However, along the Amazon
River of South America, there's one animal that won't
succumb to the Jaguar's jaws. Adorable as they may look, giant river otters are
actually formidable predators. They're more than happy to snack on birds, small mammals, snakes, fish,
even caimans and piranha. So what happens when they
face off with a jaguar? One curious cat found
that out the hard way. (dramatic music) Yeah, turns out there's power
in numbers, but for otters, there's also power in the water. With their webbed feet, long streamlined bodies
and sharp canine teeth, giant otters rule the Amazonian waterways. To make matters even
scarier for the Jaguars, giant otter groups can be as many as 20. Considering that these cute
creatures are happy to chew through caimans and piranhas, it's not surprising
jaguars need to think twice before taking a dip in the water. (screen whooshing) Gorilla thriller. Thanks to their bodybuilder-like brawn and up to 500-pound weight, gorillas don't have any natural predators. If they do sense a threat, the males become very
aggressive, pounding their chest and roaring to scare the
threat into submission. (gorillas grunting) Yeah, not much of a mystery why no one's taking gorillas on. If you've seen the movie
"Godzilla versus Kong," you might think that the only animals that gorillas fear are monsters empowered by nuclear radiation. Yet these enormous apes actually tremble over something much meager. Though they may look like
the kings of the jungle, these guys have a crippling
fear of bugs and reptiles. Yeah, that's right. And I'm not talking about giant pythons or monster millipedes. No, they're scared of critters like chameleons
and caterpillars. Young gorillas in particular
have been observed to avoid these animals as
if their life upended on it. However, it's not understood
why these great apes fear these almost entirely
harmless creatures. Maybe the horror of Godzilla
has traumatized generations of gorillas to run in terror whenever they see anything closely resembling a radioactive lizard. If insects and reptiles
weren't bad enough, one gorilla at a zoo in Kansas was even
seen running away from a goose. (dramatic music) Granted, geese are scary,
but I think we need to revoke that gorilla's reputation for
being kings of the jungle. Wouldn't you agree? (screen whooshing) Scare bear. Imagine trekking through
the forests of Canada and suddenly seeing a
seven-foot-high beast leering over you. Understandably, your first
instinct would be to run, but if the beast that
you met was a black bear, ya needn't worry. Although they may look
big and scary, attacks on humans aren't common as
they're rarely aggressive. That being said, females
defending their young and dominant males can become aggressive with 67 people killed by black bear attacks in
North America since 1900. Okay, I take it back. If you see a seven-foot black
bear, run, but as it happens, there's an animal capable of making black bears flee in fear too. It's got sharp claws, cutting
canines and rapid reflexes but it's not some sort
of bear hunting wolf. It's cats. That's right. Your feline friend can give these burly
beasts a right fright. They're small, fast, and agile making them tricky for lumbering
seven-foot bears to hit. Plus, if they feel threatened, these ferocious felines will attack with their sharp claws and teeth. Their ability to jump high means that they can even target
the bear's neck and face. Although they can't reach
a bear's vital organs, they're still able to rip through
their skin and draw blood. This will cost time and resources for the stricken bear to heal. And even worse, the wounds
could become infected. With not much to gain, but
plenty to lose from a scuffle, it's often the case that these massive mammals
would rather flee than fight. Job well done there, Chonker. If bears weren't enough
of a challenge for cats, there have also been numerous cases of tabbies taking on alligators. Like bears, alligators are taken aback by the unpredictability of feisty felines. It also helps the kitties
that these encounters happen on land where a gator is
much less comfortable. But truth be told, if these two ever got into a
fight, there's only one winner. A cat's claws aren't strong enough to penetrate an alligator's hide and battling a mouth
that can deliver a bite with a force of more than 2,100 PSI, compared to a cat's meager 70 PSI, I wouldn't give any tabby, no
matter how chonky, much chance of winning a battle with a gator. (screen whooshing) Crocodon't. Crocodiles are one of
nature's top predators. In fact, they're so
lethal that croc attacks on humans are 100 times deadlier than shark attacks and far more frequent. The Nile crocodile from central and southern Africa is responsible for most of these human fatalities. It's no wonder considering that a 20-foot-long male can be as wide as five feet and weigh in
at a bulky 1,500 pounds. Just look at the size of this beasty. (keeper grunting)
(mat banging) - [Onlooker] Oh wow.
Oh my God (indistinct). (camera beeping) (onlooker chuckling) - [Narrator] Unsurprisingly,
these carnivores will eat just about anything they can
get their teeth into, whether it's fish, birds or large animals like
zebra and wildebeest. However, like alligators, these reptiles are also
vulnerable to a surprise attack. Now, cute as this little hippo looks, when they're all grown up, these semi-aquatic mammals
can be extremely dangerous. In fact, 500 humans are killed by hippos every year. While they appear calm in the water, hippos flip into a defensive
rage mode when threatened. And with a skull like this, bearing a foot and a half
long tusk-like teeth, they can deliver a bite
with some 1,800 PSI. In theory, that's enough to
snap a crocodile in half. Equipped with these chunky choppers, hippos can make light work of ripping through the
tough hide of a crocodile. And while a croc could
certainly bite a hippo's leg, it would be impossible to perform its infamous death roll move. Normally, crocs grip their prey in their jaws before rapidly rotating in the water to disable,
dismember and kill their meal. However, it's not quite
so easy when that meal weighs an enormous four tons. It also doesn't land in the
croc's favor when they're faced with an angry herd of more
than 30 hippos, all hell bent on defending their calves
and destroying the croc. (hippos grunting) Turns out that crocodiles have learned to not mess with these guys, even if that means
letting their tail be used as a hippo chew toy. (screen whooshing) Coyote killer. As a close relative of wolves, it's no surprise that coyotes
are formidable hunters. They use their excellent sight and smell to track their
catch, hounding their prey at speeds of up to 42 miles per hour, so fast there's a little chance of escape. These carnivorous canines
look to kill as quickly as possible, typically
attacking by biting the prey in the throat and maintaining a grip until the animal suffocates
or dies of internal bleeding. Ouch. With such an effective method of hunting, they have plenty on the menu,
whether it's rodents, birds, larger mammals like deer and elk or even livestock like goats and sheep. But there's one lovable
animal that coyotes wouldn't dare to try to take down. Harmless as they may look, it turns out donkeys have a nasty side. These hoofed herbivores have
evolved a natural aggression towards wild dogs. So whenever they see an
animal of this family, they'll become irritated
and charge at the canine. So farmers had the ingenious idea of using donkeys to
protect their livestock. In Colorado, United States, over 99% of sheep ranchers use donkeys to safeguard their animals from coyotes. But why exactly should
coyotes fear donkeys? For starters, donkeys
will warn off any predator by braying very, very loudly. (donkey braying) If the coyotes still
doesn't get the message, then the donkeys get physical. These herbivores come with a blunt but strong bite measuring
in at some 500 PSI, more than double that of a human's. But the donkey's most lethal
weapon is in its legs. If they land an accurate kick
around the coyote's head, it can be powerful enough
to critically injure and even kill the animal. And back in 2014, one donkey called Buck from South Carolina took
things even further. His owner, Steve, had brought
him in to live in a pasture by himself when one day he spotted a coyote making a beeline for Buck. And even though Buck wasn't
defending another herd of animals, he didn't like that at all. Before the coyote had a
chance, Buck grabbed it by the neck before stomping
it into the ground. Shocked, Steve managed
to snap a few photos of Buck slinging the coyote
around like a ragdoll. Geez. Looks like donkeys
really put the ass in kickass. Well, that's about all the donkey stomping I have time for today. Which predator pairing
suppressed you the most? Let me know when the comments beloved. And thanks for watching. (lively music)
