Hunt or Prey | Thailand's Wild Side - Part 1 | Free Documentary Nature

[Music] across thailand's diverse landscapes animals face a constant challenge finding food from misty rainforests to rich wetlands salty mangroves to busy cities the creatures are locked in a daily battle to search out their prey and avoid becoming somebody else's dinner their survival depends on their wits guile and ingenuity and losers pay the ultimate price it's all to play for in the hunting game [Music] water is the driving force for all life in thailand the rivers that crisscross the landscape are its lifeblood drawing in animals from far and wide a place to drink to feed to bathe [Music] but all those who come here run a huge risk the constant stream of visitors draws in predators [Music] asia's wild dog the doll one of thailand's most effective hunters they're able to hunt prey ten times their weight by working together but they will scavenge given half the chance a deer carcass has been abandoned by the river a free meal is an opportunity not to be missed [Music] like the members of any big family they're eager to make sure they get their fair share so they eat as fast as they can an adult doll can wolf down over four kilos of meat in just one hour which is just as well there under surveillance a powerful resident of the rivers and banks of thailand asian water monitors have an excellent sense of smell and the scent of dead deer is too much to resist it makes a beeline for the carcass [Music] the lizards outnumbered but at nearly two meters long it's not intimidated [Applause] [Music] but the dogs aren't prepared to share [Music] under attack from all sides the water monitor cuts its losses and retreats but the team leader hasn't finished with it yet [Music] taking on a lizard this size is a risky move with sharp claws and serrated teeth it's a fearsome opponent meanwhile the others get on with finishing their meal and when they've had their fill they take a break now that the carcass is unattended the water monitor can finally feast in peace [Music] when it comes to finding food patience is a virtue and deep within the rainforest one giant plays the waiting game to perfection [Music] reticulated pythons are the longest snakes in the world growing to lengths of nine meters and weighing in at over 250 kilos they're not the fastest of hunters but they don't need to be masters of the ambush all they have to do is pick their spot carefully and then wait for unsuspecting prey to wander within striking range nowhere is out of reach of these leviathans they're excellent swimmers and accomplished climbers they can even operate in the dark temperature sensitive pits along the pythons jaws detect the heat of the bats allowing it to pinpoint them with formidable accuracy [Music] it will sit here for as long as it takes to make a kill as night falls the bats become active [Music] this is the python's chance any bat that flies too close is trapped in its deadly embrace unfolding its jaw the reticulated reptile swallows its prey down whole good things come to those who wait rain forests cover almost 30 of thailand and are some of the richest most diverse places on earth fueled by a powerful combination of water [Music] and heat a jungle of trees 30 meters tall forms a towering canopy [Music] of the hundreds of tree species here most produce fruits a feast for creatures like this black giant squirrel being a fruit eater might seem like the easy option fruit doesn't move doesn't hide and doesn't run away but finding fruit is not as simple as it first appears [Music] different trees fruit at different times of year so it helps to know your neighborhood well and the king of the swingers has got it covered [Music] oversized arms and hook-like hands make gibbons true arboreal acrobats even with a baby in tow as they ping around their territory at top speeds of over 50 kilometers an hour they perform a taste test on each piece of fruit they find accept or reject plump ripe fruit is swallowed straight away anything green is left behind for now but in a few days they'll be ready to eat and then the gibbons will be back to get them ripe or not they don't like to share their ladies with anyone else these assamese macaques have strayed too close for comfort and started helping themselves the gibbons make their presence known [Music] and the trespassers get the message loud and clear [Music] these trees are already taken when it comes to navigating the wilds of thailand in search of food there's one animal that beats all the others asian elephants are slightly smaller than their african relatives but they can still weigh in at around 5 000 kilos and it takes a lot to power this bulk they must eat up to 10 percent of their body mass every day spending as much as 18 hours on the move in their search for food and water the oldest female calls the shots over the years she's built up a memory map of trails and tracks to guide her and her family to favored feeding and drinking spots [Music] but there's one other vital pit stop on her grand tour [Music] she knows this patch of soil is a good place to get sodium and other minerals to supplement their diet they loosened the earth before using their super versatile trunks to get the good stuff into their mouths these salt licks draw in herds from many kilometers away it's a chance to catch up with old friends and make some new ones not everyone gets what all the fuss is about the smallest members of the herd haven't yet understood the importance of this boring looking mound of dirt but luckily there's no shortage of playmates to keep them busy [Music] for animals living right across thailand's wild places there's food to be found if you know where to look and that's just as true in the concrete jungle of lopburi a city around 150 kilometers north of thailand's capital bangkok it's home to over 700 000 people and its residents have some unusual neighbours these city-dwelling macaques are thought to have lived here for over a hundred years [Music] and they've certainly made themselves at home they've divided the place up into territories just like they do in the forest [Music] and the biggest troop has set up base at the prang sam yacht temple in the center of the city it's the most valuable piece of real estate oodles of space entertainment for the kids [Music] and plenty of shade for a siesta most importantly food is delivered to the door every day [Music] now that's service these monkeys get vip treatment because people here believe that they are descendants of the revered hindu monkey god hanuman so locals make sure they don't go hungry cabbage leaves not to your taste try oranges [Music] or bananas [Music] and there's even a large area of grass if you fancy a bit of diy grazing [Music] it's not plain sailing for all these city slickers [Music] just across the way the tenants of a row of old shops don't enjoy such a salubrious residence no delivery man stops here instead every morning they must complete a high risk obstacle course before they can get their fill [Music] surviving electrocution on the high wires is a cinch compared to what comes next they must also run the gauntlet of la pourre's overcrowded streets it's a life-threatening pursuit but everyone must make the journey no matter how young finally they reached their destination the back streets of lopburi where a pile of food has been left out for them they stuff themselves filling their cheek pouches as full as possible [Music] the food's top-notch but the drinking options aren't too sanitary so some have found a juicy alternative although figuring out how to use the straw is a bit beyond them [Music] [Music] the forests of thailand are home to a bewildering cast of creatures [Music] small and large amongst their wariest inhabitants are ban tang a species of endangered wild cattle [Music] ban tang are on the menu for many of thailand's predators so they live in herds up to 40 strong for safety and numbers and try to stay concealed in dense vegetation but today the herd is tempted out of hiding by the irresistible lyra of a salt lick as evening approaches they need to be on high alert in the open they're vulnerable while some drink basalts others remain on duty scanning the undergrowth for any sign of approaching danger and with good reason at dusk one of thailand's most fearsome predators begins to liven up stealth is its secret weapon a male asian leopard could take down an adult bantang five times its weight and the calves are easy pickings but the lookouts have spotted danger the leopard's cover is blown they're all safe for now to avoid the jaws of predators many of thailand's wild animals like to have numbers on their side winged termites all leave their nest at the same time in search of a mate [Music] butterflies also play the numbers game [Music] their eggs and caterpillars are easy pickings for birds and reptiles so they produce hundreds guaranteeing at least some of them make it to adulthood [Music] those that do flock to a salt lick to suck up minerals [Music] and they need to arrive on mass somebody's already waiting a collared falconette and another double trouble [Music] these tiny birds of prey specialize in catching insects and today they're spoiled for choice with so many butterflies even three hunters can barely make a dent in their [Music] numbers and this one has gone for a different lunch option a juicy dragonfly [Music] it pays to work together to avoid becoming someone else's dinner but joining forces can also be an important part of finding food [Music] and the masters of working as a team are the ants thousands of them live in a subterranean colony where the queen spends her whole life laying eggs worker ants leave to hunt for food accompanied by larger soldier ants for protection against predators and today they don't have to go far a nearby tree trunk has become an insect superhighway as hungry caterpillars travel to and from the juicy leaves up top they're fattening up ready to form their cocoons and eventually emerge as butterflies so time is of the essence but one loses its grip and falls into the lion's den it doesn't take long for the workers to find it together they drag it back to their colony one caterpillar isn't enough to keep everybody going the search for food is never ending another hunting party has hit the jackpot two worms each worm is more than 10 times longer than its six-legged attackers but nothing deters the ant army hundreds gather to overwhelm their victims these should keep them going a bit longer [Music] [Music] in the rainforest canopy one of the strangest animals you're likely to spot is out of its comfort zone a malayan flying lemur also known as a malayan kalugo dressed in what looks like an oversized furry cloak it's a creature of the night it usually spends its days sleeping in tree hollows but this one has been disturbed using needle sharp claws it makes for the treetops watching for danger [Music] it's not the only one on the lookout the rainforest canopy is a busy place with many eyes constantly scanning for signs of trouble someone else spots a snake and sends out the alarm the kalugo isn't hanging around [Music] a membrane that stretches right around its body allows it to glide over 100 meters far away from danger the ultimate escape artist [Music] every creature has its own way of escaping from danger beetles wear armor tough outer shells to deter predators [Music] others leap to safety but for many of thailand's smallest forest inhabitants becoming invisible is the best option [Music] blending in in an attempt to avoid being discovered it's a deadly game of hide and seek hunters with an appetite for insects are everywhere a sunny day entices a butterfly lizard out of its subterranean home it uses the sun's rays to warm up enough to get moving and seek out its tiny prey but it doesn't take much for the hunter to become the hunted time to retreat and for the insects to get back to work the mixed forests of western thailand are an oasis for wildlife all playing the hunting game everything is food for somebody even wood many wood-eating insects live beneath the bark of trees where they're safe from predators [Music] except for one woodpeckers are expert bark removers and there are over 30 species here they hammer at the bark with their strong beaks up to 20 times a second and use their long sticky tongues to get to the goodies underneath [Music] you might think that smacking your head against a tree all day would be enough to give anyone a splitting headache but not these guys their skulls are made of robust sponge-like bone to absorb the shock and their brains are tightly packed within so they're not damaged on impact the insects don't stand a chance [Music] it's the end of the dry season and even the wetlands of thailand are starting to disappear it hasn't rained here for five months but good news is on the horizon relief arrives at last [Music] everywhere explodes with new life [Music] above [Music] and below the water [Music] vast flocks of egrets and other water birds move in to make the most of this abundance but it's not going to be easy pickings the tangled network of plant roots offers a wealth of hiding places for fish and in the murky water the birds are operating practically blind but painted stalks are expert fishermen [Music] as they wade through the shallows they keep their super sensitive bills half open ready to snap shut the moment they feel something move beneath the surface [Music] one spreads its wings this sudden movement might startle a fish out of hiding and it seems to have worked [Music] skulking on the fringes of the wetland a young black ground night heron is also poised and ready to strike its forward-facing eyes give it excellent binocular vision allowing it to judge distance perfectly and catch even the smallest of prey [Music] taking the fight into the shadowy depths another experienced fisherman enters the fray [Music] the oriental data slips beneath the surface [Music] it spears its prey underwater before bringing it airside tossing it high to make sure it swallows the fish head first so that the fins don't scratch its throat on the way down [Music] thailand's wild places are home to an abundance of animals all trying to find food and for some cooperation is the key to their success [Music] many rainforest plants couldn't survive without the creatures that come to feed on their sugary nectar like this spider hunter [Music] its long curved beak is the perfect tool for reaching the sweet liquid hidden deep within the flowers [Music] and as it feeds it inadvertently picks up pollen on its beak and feathers this is exactly what the plant needs when the bird flies off to visit another flower it will take the pollen with it without having to move a millimeter the plant has increased its chances of cross-pollination and of securing the future of its own [Music] offspring the spider hunter is an unwitting helper but the true experts of collaboration know exactly what they're doing these ants are the farmers of the forest [Music] their precious livestock are aphids tiny insects that feed off plant sap and secrete honeydew [Music] the sweet sticky honeydew makes a delicious meal for hungry ants so they drum the aphids with their antennae encouraging them to produce tiny droplets on demand the ants get their fill and in exchange they offer the aphids protection from predators and parasites [Music] a mutually beneficial relationship nothing goes to waste in these rainforests of thailand very little sunlight makes it through to the forest floor [Music] and yet even here in the gloom strange things are on the move [Music] this is where the decomposers live animals and fungi that break down leaf litter releasing nutrients back into the soil to start the cycle of life once more the decomposers are the foundations underpinning the whole rainforest it doesn't pay to be fussy when it comes to hunting for food it limits your options narrows your opportunities growing to over five meters the king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake with a reputation for being a little picky their food of choice is usually other snakes but this cobra has caught a whiff of something different [Music] a monitor lizard the king cobra picks up scent particles on its tongue and transfers them to a special sensory organ in the roof of its mouth a forked tongue helps to pinpoint the prey's exact location one bite can deliver a powerful punch of venom enough to kill an elephant aware it's in the firing line the lizard attempts to escape up a tree but it'll have to do better than that king cobras are excellent climbers the monitor lizard is not out of the woods just yet [Music] thailand's extensive network of rivers is the dynamic force at the heart of all its wildlife [Music] twisting and turning across every landscape they eventually make their way to the open sea and when fresh and salt water meet the saline environment creates unique feeding opportunities mangroves are the only trees on earth that can tolerate this world with a dense network of arching stems to withstand the coming and going of the tide vertical roots spring from the ground acting like snorkels so the trees can breathe true survivors in harsh conditions but to make it here take some pretty special creatures too mud skippers lead a double life this fish out of water breathes through its skin and also takes in large gulps of air to hold in its skill chambers for use on land powerful pectoral fins act like legs propelling it between land and sea [Applause] mud might not be to everybody's taste but it's home to the small animals that this part-time land lover likes to eat while the mud skipper takes it slow [Music] on a nearby beach a more industrious feeder is at work this sand bubbler crab is like an armor-plated conveyor belt endlessly feeding in sand removing tiny plankton to eat and discarding the rest in tiny neat balls while the tide is out thousands appear [Music] but there's no time to lose as the water rushes back in this sand-colored workaholic retreats to its burrow sealing the roof with the leftover sand pellets trapping an air bubble inside the crab can wait until the sea retreats once more [Music] back in the salty forest [Music] a rare flash of color in the mud reveals the presence of a mangrove crab there are plenty of leaves to keep it busy although with bright red claws it's an easy target [Music] it dodges the dog-faced water snake but runs straight into the hands of another predator dextrous fingers help this long-tailed macaque crack open the hard shell to reach the juicy flesh inside they're one of the most adaptable primates in thailand with a wide and varied diet and in the mangroves they've added crab to their list of favorites from the tropical rainforest to city streets [Music] grasslands to the coast every corner of thailand's wild places teems with life the creatures that call it home are engaged in an endless search for food to succeed they need all the ingenuity stealth strength and tenacity they can muster their prize is survival and that's all that matters for those living on thailand's wild side you

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

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Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Wildlife, Wildlife Documentary, Animals, Wild Animals, Animal Documentary, Thailand, Wildlife Thailand, hunt or be hunted, Hunt or Prey, prey, predator, national geographic, nat geo, Thailand's Wild Side, Bangkok, Predators, Thailand Wild Animals, predatory instincts, Hunt, Hunting

Id: riW6xL_vLvc

Length: 44min 40sec (2680 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 12 2021