Wildlife Instincts: A Family Bond - Dingoes | Free Documentary Nature

an island off the coast of australia has become a hunting ground for one of the nation's most resilient predators [Music] the dingo for these impressive hunters family is what matters the most to successfully rear the next generation dingoes must work relentlessly around the clock danger lurks both above and below but the most severe of threats [Music] comes from mother nature [Music] survival for the robust predators hinges on the pack's profound bond however in the world of the dingo there are no guarantees [Music] [Music] [Music] just off the east coast of australia rest the tranquil fraser island the pristine landmass stretches for around 1 800 square kilometers surrounded by the ocean its waters are taming with life [Music] tuna heard schooling fish into the shallows while turns dive bomb the fleeing prey from above [Music] on land the shoreline is adorned with over 100 kilometers of pristine white beaches in fact sand is prevalent throughout the wild island like a waterfall it cascades from higher ground giving shape to its surroundings the entire landmass is formed from the granular material making fraser the largest sand island on earth over two million years the fine granules have been carried by the current and wind congregating here to form the giant landmass we see today mountains now stand where there was once water the jagged formations are formed from sand and sculpted by the elements [Music] despite the sandy foundations trees take root and thrive giving birth to vast forests [Music] the lush vegetation is fed by many streams lakes and springs that flow throughout much of the island a bountiful fresh water supply has given plant life the perfect conditions to grow [Music] and it's not just plants thriving in the forest the iconic calls of the laughing kookaburra also resonate throughout the lush [Music] habitat [Music] with plenty of trees to set up home in more than 350 species of bird have found sanctuary in the unique environment [Music] over the years fraser island has become a safe haven for many wild residents including one of australia's mightiest predators the dingo [Music] from head to tail the impressive mammals reach up to 120 centimeters in length social by nature they live in packs of three to ten [Music] fraser island is home to 130 of the famed predators these hardy animals are found throughout much of australia [Music] similar in appearance to the domestic dog the dingo's origin is unclear [Music] for years it has been theorized that asian seafarers first introduced the distinctive animals to australia as far back as 15 000 years ago like domesticated dogs it was believed that dingoes came from the grey wolf family however recent facts point out that dingoes could in fact be a separate species from wolves like the coyote or jackal their origin and classification may be in debate but the powerful animals have become apex predators for over 10 years one researcher has studied fraser islands dingoes his work gives an unprecedented glimpse into the trials and tribulations of a dingo pack [Music] rob appleby on the research team have tagged a family to keep track of their movements [Music] at six years of age this male is the leader of the pack [Music] his one-year-old son joshua is close by the young dingo's sister layla is also a key member of the group their four-year-old mother completes the family her bulging tummy indicates there will soon be more back members the mother's due date is just around the corner [Music] with new life on the way the pack of four has work to do as the leader the father busies himself marking the family's territory [Music] patrolling their surroundings is part of a dingo's daily routine [Music] it's thirsty work the dedicated father has already covered 40 kilometers of his pack's territory [Music] while the parents are busy patrolling the siblings can concentrate on finding food surrounded by the ocean the best feasts can often be found on fraser islands many beaches layla is picking through the remains of a washed up dolphin carcass her brother is nearby and joins his sister on the beach for now the two are at ease in each other's company but this will not always be the case male dingoes are thought to leave the pack when the next litter of pups is born joshua will either stray from his family of his own accord or face being forced out by his parents leila on the other hand can stay and help raise her new siblings life will be very different for the young dingoes but until their new brothers and sisters arrive they can afford to relax [Music] august beckons the start of new life [Music] a mother humpback has traveled from the south pole to raise her young in fraser island's warm waters [Music] back on land it is also a crucial period for our dingo family the pack's mother has recently given birth and is now breastfeeding with pups to provide for she must find plenty of food [Music] the hunt sends the dingo parent into the shallows [Music] highly tuned the predator soon snags an impressive catch once the mother has found enough food she heads back to the forest a young family is the motivation for the long trek [Music] she is not the only one raising the young dingoes their father is also on babysitting duty [Music] the pups are kept in secluded dens to keep them safe while their resourceful parents hunt [Music] outside of the young dingo safe haven the task facing the new parents becomes apparent the dingo mother and father have a large nine strong litter to provide for [Music] while the pups grow the parents will keep them in the forest and for good reason white-bellied seagulls patrol the skies above [Music] they are a natural predator of dingo [Music] pups sheltered beneath the dens canopy the tiny dingoes are difficult to pinpoint from above the forest is the safest place for the young pups [Music] their dens also give them extra protection from the threat in the skies the parent dingoes carefully select these shelters throughout the forest raising such a large family is a daunting task [Music] and it's not long until the pack received their first blow rangers have reported layla has died she was playing a crucial role in caring for the nine strong litter [Music] without the helping hand of their daughter the pack's chance of keeping their pups safe has drastically dropped however with the pups now reaching six weeks of age and growing fast [Music] there is no time to mourn life rolls on and the parent dingoes continue to provide regular food drops and one observant pup has sensed the meal before any of its siblings grabbing the bird carcass the young dingo thinks twice about taking it back to the den and its hungry brothers and sisters this feast is only going one way the cunning pup has been called white sock due to his distinguishing foot markings [Music] another tiny sibling also emerges much smaller than white sock this one has the title of little the two pups were born on the same day but dingoes can grow at different rates their forest home may provide protection from the skies but there are threats lurking within armed with sharp claws and reaching up to two meters in length the lace monitor could easily take a [Music] pump venomous threats also lurk on the forest floor the death adder has powerful enough venom to kill a fully grown dingo when one of these deadly creatures ventures too close to the litter the pack moved their pups to another den but even with their vigilant parents disaster can strike one of the litter has tragically died with no visible wounds the young dingo was likely bitten by a venomous snake the pups gather around the fallen member of the pack one of the young dingoes tries to cover the body of its lifeless sibling [Music] death seems to be confusing for the pups [Music] the large litter is now down to eight [Music] tragedy is unfortunately not uncommon in the world of the dingo [Music] for the parents there is no time to grieve they must continue to work around the clock to find food for the remainder of their litter [Music] having been relocated to another den life the pups must go on with their parents busy finding them food the litter is often left to their own devices so there's plenty of time for play while they wait for the next meal [Music] in their parents absence another adult dingo pays the pups a visit [Music] the large male is not their father it is in fact their older brother joshua he has not left the pack like older males often do instead the dedicated brother has remained to help look after the pups such behavior from a male is incredibly rare it is as if the caring brother has taken the place of his late sister joshua's presence may be unusual but he can only boost the chances of the pup's survival as a father mother and son unit the guardian dingoes hunt around the clock for their large litter utilizing its incredible sense of hearing the dingo father scans for prey once the supreme hunter locks onto a target it's time to strike [Music] but unfortunately he has mistimed his leap these hunting styles are typical of wild canadi species a fact that contributes to the theory that the dingo does not belong to the domestic dog family [Music] as a proficient predator the dingo has many different techniques [Music] the mother has sensed prey in the undergrowth using her tail like a whip and stomping her feet she is trying to scare her target out into the open [Music] patience is the key to a successful hunt [Music] the unique hunting method has stirred a rodent from its burrow this is the moment she's been waiting for [Music] but she too has missed her target with both parents having no luck it is now down to joshua however on his search for food he has strayed into a lap wing nesting site and these birds do not take kindly to [Music] trespassers [Music] the dingo wisely chooses to look elsewhere for his next meal after the repeated failures of the day joshua waits for the night to launch his next hunt [Music] raising an eight strong litter has become a 24-hour job back at the den all the pups can do is wait and hope their brother is successful [Music] under the cover of darkness joshua has locked on to another potential target with a hungry litter to feed he must find his mark finally the hard-working dingo hits his target a sizable bandicoot [Music] with no time to spare joshua swallows his catch [Music] whole [Music] there is more hunting to be done in the darkness the highly tuned dingo has sensed another bandicoot not stopping for rest he carries his second catch off into the night ever the caring brother joshua is heading back to the waiting pubs on route he stops at a creek to submerge the unfortunate bandicoot this method of dispatching prey is unique to fraser island dingoes [Music] beautifully he heads towards the den in one night the hard-working dingo makes four food drops for his hungry siblings [Music] when morning arrives the pup's mother also returns from a hunting trip as ever joshua is also on hand to help his parents [Music] for the pups their food is delivered via regurgitation it may seem unappealing but it is the best way to serve a hungry litter [Music] at only around 10 weeks old the young dingoes also need their mother's milk to survive while its brothers and sisters feed little must wait patiently on the sidelines [Applause] whenever the tiny pup tries to feed its larger siblings push the weaker dingo [Music] away [Music] with their dutiful older brother looking over them the litter take a post food nap however when conditions are hot and dry the pack cannot let their guard down [Music] wildfires can ignite at any moment within seconds huge areas of woodland are engulfed in flames [Music] tinder dry from days without rain the whole forest including the dingo den is in danger of being completely destroyed a wildfire of this ferocity will burn for days for the dingo family their only chance of survival is if they manage to outrun the intense flames after days of wildfire rain finally descends on fraser island it doesn't take long for the water to quench the flames but the damage has already been done much of the forest has been reduced to ashes the dingo den has been completely destroyed where the litter once played there are now only burnt remains [Music] the fallen tree they sheltered in still smolders [Music] but despite the carnage white sock remains by his burnt out home [Music] the young dingo may have survived the flames however its family are nowhere in sight [Music] hungry and alone the pup retreats to the burnt out den and calls for its pack [Music] the desperate cries are in vain with no family in sight the pup must provide for itself but all it can find amongst the carnage is a small patch of grass a termite nest could provide some much needed protein [Music] yet catching enough of the flying insects is proving difficult [Music] to survive white sock must reunite with the pack but their fate is still undetermined [Music] while the greenness of the forest may have faded there is life that has withstood the flames from the outside the eucalyptus trees have been badly burned but underneath the inner trunk lives [Music] other plant species like the banksia family use the deadly wildfire to their advantage heat triggers the seed pods to open and drop seeds onto the forest floor with the ash providing plenty of nutrients and the fire burning away other rival plants the banksia will soon take root it is not long until life begins to emerge from the ashes plants are not the only ones making a remarkable recovery the rest of the pups have made it to safety [Music] their mother has secured the litter a new den [Music] even the smallest of the pups little has survived the blaze seven of the litter are back together but white sock is yet to make an appearance however the resilient young pup has successfully tracked down the new den [Music] white sock is reunited with its mother the family can now get back on track [Applause] before heading out to find food the mother dingo takes a well-earned nap even when their parent is at rest the pups do not go hungry joshua has returned with yet another [Music] meal the older brothers devotion to the litter is unquestionable but even he can grow tired of his pestering siblings the dingo family have quickly settled into their new home united once more the pack constantly howls to stay in contact [Music] the tell-tale calls do not just keep the group together they also help strengthen social bonds [Music] after a turbulent time the pubs have grown strong survival rates for dingo pups is only around 20 to 30 percent but with their older brother watching over them this litter has appeared to defy the odds [Music] now they have grown strong the pups must start feeding on whole prey they can no longer rely on their parents to help them feed [Music] the new dining method takes some getting used to [Music] after hours of gnawing the pups have made a little progress but the new feeding technique is causing [Music] friction [Music] for the smallest pup little it can only watch from the sidelines while its stronger siblings get the best pick of the carcass the new feeding method means life will only get harder for the tiny dingo [Music] those that do secure themselves some meat take it away to feast in peace [Music] the brash and strong white sock takes the last of the carcass for himself just as it seems little is going hungry the big pup allows his smaller sibling to join the feast [Music] as the litter grows their older brother joshua starts to become heavier handed it seems aggressive but it is only playful the older dingo is teaching his siblings how to fight [Music] sparring amongst the pups starts immediately fighting is just one life lesson they must also start mimicking their elders hunting [Music] techniques [Music] for now fruitlessly chasing birds is all this young dingo can muster [Music] another is practicing its skills on some unfortunate ants [Music] it will be a while until the pups become established hunters [Music] for joshua his time as part of the pack is coming to an end his mother is becoming aggressive joshua may have devoted his time to his siblings but he cannot stay with his parents forever he must establish his own territory as is the way of the dingo [Music] by october fraser islands young animals have grown strong the humpback calf in the bay will soon have to set off to the antarctic sea as for the dingo pups they are now venturing from their forest home the litter has grown too big to be predated on by eagles [Music] without the threat from above the young dingoes can now frequent fraser island's many beaches [Music] uh [Music] it is not just the pups that have taken a big step joshua has found a partner and is embarking on a life away from the pack the devoted brother can now set out to secure a territory and start a litter of his own [Music] fraser island has provided the dingo family with a unique home unlike any other rich in both flora and fauna it gifted the pack with everything they needed [Music] although the sandy realm has not been without its challenges tragedy became a reality for the pack as they lost precious family members however in an unexpected turn of events the pup's brother came to the rescue mother nature had another grave threat in store for the pack but as a family the resilient dingoes soldiered on and became stronger than ever a brother's devotion to his siblings was key to bringing in the next generation of one of australia's most iconic predators the dingoes [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

Views: 296,579

Rating: 4.808753 out of 5

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Wildlife Instincts, Wildlife, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife Documentary 2020, Animals, Animal Documentary, Dingo, Dingo Documentary, Australia, Dingo Australia, Fraser Island, Queensland

Id: NQEp4bwz_qo

Length: 50min 15sec (3015 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 09 2020