Trials of Life: Hunting & Escaping [Import]

"...but there is one creature that none of the other creatures can defend against..."

[Man? No.]

"...the army ant."

Killer whales that jump onto the land to snag seals, and then bring them out to sea and toss their dead bodies around for fun... army ants that make living bridges for the others to cross... Very cool stuff.

There's a disturbing part at the end where chimpanzees systematically hunt down and kill a baboon, but otherwise it's very enjoyable. And even that part, though disturbing, is definitely worth seeing because it's eye-opening.

Anyone who thought chimps were vegetarians will be aghast to see a pack of them hunting down a cute black and white colobus monkey in a very systematic manner, and tearing it to pieces as it screams; it is disturbing to watch this "mob violence and blood lust" as writer and host David Attenborough puts it, but fascinating in its truth of the natural world, which juxtaposes the most cruel violence with beauty; in no scene is this more evident than with a whale off the coast of Argentina, mercilessly playing with its catch, and doing so with such grace, flipping the seal in the air with its tail in a dance of death.

It is survival of the fittest, and we see several species of birds, a big cat that wades in water to fish, insects, frogs and reptiles that elude their captors with clever disguises, and the amazing ants, who swarm over their targets with unity and precision.

Anthropologist Sir David Attenborough has an entertaining way of presenting these examples, and really gets in the thick of the action, starting out with being attacked by the huge skewer birds of Shetland, because he was in the vicinity of their nests.

The photography is superb, with breathtaking footage on land, sea and air.

Not recommended for young children, but highly educational and riveting for anyone interested in animals and the savage side of our world. Total running time is 50 minutes.