然后他们吃这种真菌
And then they eat the fungus.
蚁冢是一个巨大的地下农场
The anthill is a massive underground farm.
它设计的非常完美
It’s a perfect arrangement,
除了真菌产生太多的二氧化碳
except that the fungus produces so much carbon dioxide
以至于地下的空气中毒之外
it poisons the air down here.
蚂蚁们也已经解决了这个问题
The ants have sorted that problem, too.
他们修建了特殊的通风竖井来保持他们空气的清新
They’ve built specially designed ventilation shafts to keep their air clean.
他们是农民 建筑师 工程师
They’re farmers, architects and engineers.
每一个蚂蚁虽然只有一个像针尖大小的脑袋
Each individual ant has a brain the size of a pinhead.
但是然而 所有蚂蚁一起
but somehow, together,
他们就会找到方法养活自己
they have invented a solution to feeding themselves
值得骄傲的是这一方面我们人类可与其匹敌
that we would be proud to match.
在生活中有时候 最好的方式是遵守自己的方式
Sometimes in life, the best way is to follow your own path.
选择一种没有人喜欢的食物
Choose food that no one else has a taste for.
这是一只髭兀鹰
Here’s a lammergeier,
一种有大胡子的兀鹰
a huge bearded vulture,
俯瞰着陆地寻找下一顿美餐
scanning the ground for his next meal.
很多腐食动物对手为了争抢尸体而打架
A lot of rival scavengers have beaten him to this carcass.
但是腐食动物很乐意错过尸体上的肉
but a lammergeier is happy to miss out on the meat.
他们追寻的是骨头
It’s the bones he’s after.
为什么呢? 因为里面充满了丰富的骨髓
Why? because inside, they are full of rich marrowfat.
问题是:怎样才能得到它
The problem: how to get at it.
这就是方法
Here’s how.
现在他的胃酸 像电池里的酸一样具有腐蚀性
Now the juices in his stomach – as corrosive as battery acid –
可以溶解骨头
can get to work dissolving the bone.
每一个年轻的腐食动物都想学会这个技巧
Every young lammergeier wants to learn the trick.
它并不像看起来那么简单
It’s not as easy as it looks.
而且一个新手需要被密切的被监督着
And a beginner needs to be closely watched.
如果一开始你没有成功
lf at first you don’t succeed…
再来一次
try…
再试一次
try…
然后再试一次
try again.
一种独一无二而且具有创造性的得到食物的方法
A unique and inventive way to get food.
一种腐食动物单独自己所拥有的
One that lammergeiers have made their own.
几个世纪来 这些岩石被一些非常聪明的动物
For centuries, these rocks have been a special place for preparing food
当做储备食物的地方
by a really clever animal.
事实上 它们太聪明以至于
ln fact it’s so clever
改变了我们对动物的认识
it’s changed the way we think about animals
甚至对我们自己的认识
and even about ourselves.
这些洞是一个猴子的家
These caves are home to a monkey:
棕色僧帽猴
the brown tufted capuchin.
僧帽猴喜欢棕榈树干果
Capuchins love palm nuts.
问题是这些干果难以置信的坚硬 甚至比骨头还难打开
The problem is they’re incredibly tough to crack, even harder than bone.
一个老手知道了首先干果要被削皮
An old hand knows that first a nut should be peeled.
然后用一周在太阳底下晒干
Then given a week or so drying in the sun.
这就是他早期准备的一些货物
Here’s some he prepared earlier.
很早以前 这些聪明的僧帽猴想出来了
Long ago, these clever capuchins worked out
这就是他们完成工作所需要的
that this is what they needed to finish the job.
现在是最后一步
Now the final step.
我们过去认为只有人类足够聪明像这样使用工具
We used to think only humans were clever enough to use tools like this.
年轻的看着并模仿年长者
Youngsters watch and imitate their elders,
就像人类初学走路的孩子
just as human toddlers do.
他们很早就学会要做好一件工作
They learn very early that to do a job properly,
你必须有一个正确的工具
you’ve gotta have the right tool.
它用了8年时间成为一个碎干果大♥师♥
It takes 8 years to become a master nutcracker.
在世界上很多地方 你需要的不仅仅是技巧
ln many parts of the world, you need more than just skill.
你需要勇气去寻找食物
You need courage to find food.
两周前 这只北山羊在这个断崖的顶部
A couple of weeks ago, this ibex gave birth to her kids
生下了她的孩子
at the top of this cliff,
肉食动物无法到达这里
out of the reach of predators.
现在他们需要食物和水
Now they need food and water.
这些在山谷下面
And that is down in the valley.
达到那里非常艰难
Getting there is going to be tough.
这只小羊跟在后边差点摔倒
Trailing behind, this little one is almost down,
她碰到了麻烦
when she runs right into trouble.
这个小羊以前从来没有看到过狐狸 但是她知道为了活命她必须逃跑
The kid has never seen a fox before but she knows she must run for her life.
一个错误的转弯 一个犹豫
One wrong turn, one hesitation
这个北山羊短暂的生命就可能结束
and the ibex’s short life will be over.
这只小羊有很好的意识
The kid has the good sense
到了一个只有北山羊能够站立的地方
to make for a place where only an ibex could stand.
今天这个小家伙所有的选择都做对了
Today the little kid made all the right choices…
狐狸只能饿着肚子回家了
and the fox goes home hungry.
所以作为一个猎手不是那么容易的
So being a hunter isn’t always easy.
你必须位于你的游戏的最顶端才能存活
You have to be at the top of your game to survive.
一只螳螂
A praying mantis.
目光敏锐而且闪电般迅速
Sharp-eyed and lightning quick.
一个完美的猎手
A perfect hunter.
一个蟋蟀 一顿美餐
And a cricket, a perfect meal.
但是由于某些东西他的攻击力太弱了 甚至弱的致命
but he’s outgunned by something even more deadly:
一只变色龙
a chameleon.
她可以伪装自己的皮肤使她与背景环境融为一体
She can camouflage her skin to melt into the background.
她可以独♥立♥地移♥动♥双眼锁定子她的目标上
She can move her eyes independently to lock on to her target.
她的舌头是一个导弹
Her tongue is a guided missile,
以每秒50英尺的速度袭击她的受害者
striking her victims at 50 feet a second.
而且这次袭击完全出乎意料
And it comes totally out of the blue.
真是美味
Delicious.
你不用独自工作 你可以成为团队的一员
You don’t have to work alone. You can be part of a team.
做出正确的选择可以改变你的一生
Get it right and it can totally change your life.
在非洲的这个角落 事情正在改变
ln this corner of Africa, things are changing.
快速改变
Fast.
猎豹独自狩猎
Cheetahs hunt alone.
他们的跑得非常快
They’re very fast,
但是不够强壮去放倒一头大的动物
but not strong enough to take down a big animal.
而且斑马也知道
And the zebra know it.
但是这只猎豹不一样
but this cheetah is different.
他没有独自狩猎
He doesn’t hunt alone.
他加入了一个团队 不止和一个
He’s joined forces with not just 1,
而是和他的两个兄弟一起
but his 2 brothers.
还是像以前那么迅速
As fast as ever,
现在是以前3倍的强壮
and now 3 times as strong.
他们正把自己的目光放在更大的受害者身上
They’re turning their sights on much bigger prey.
鸵鸟知道单独一只猎豹的攻击力很弱不需要去担心
An ostrich knows a lone cheetah is too small and weak to worry about.
但是这些猎豹兄弟团结在一起改变了这种情况
but these brothers have changed the rules.
母豹的反应有些迟缓 猎豹们换了一个目标
The female is slow to react and the cheetahs switch target.
这些猎豹兄弟知道它们的团队很成功
These brothers have figured out how successful a team can be.
海底奇怪的环形轨迹
Strange circular scars on the sea floor
是一个特别成功的团队的标志
are the mark of a spectacularly successful team.
狡猾 协调 富于创造性
Cunning, coordinated and creative.
这些海豚知道
These dolphins have worked out
用力的咬住离开水的鱼的尾巴
that fish out of water are much easier to catch.
很容易捕获这些鱼
by beating her tail down hard,
这些宽吻海豚搅拌着海底
this bottlenose dolphin stirs up the seabed.
通过呈环形游泳
And by swimming in a circle,
她创造了一个迅速变大的泥环 它围绕着一大群鱼
she creates a ring of mushrooming mud around a shoal of fish.
一个用泥制♥作♥的渔网
A fishing net… made of mud.
当泥环越收越紧 当之有一条出路时
As the net pulls tighter and tighter, the fish are trapped,
这些鱼就落入了陷阱
till there’s only one way out…
直接游进等待的海豚的嘴中
straight into the mouths of the waiting dolphins.
如果你是一个不能运动的捕猎者你应该怎么办?
What can you do if you’re a hunter that doesn’t move, can’t move?
只有一个选择 引诱你的牺牲品
There’s only one option: lure your victim in.
捕蝇草就是这么做的
The Venus flytrap does just that:
通过在每一片叶子的边缘渗出含糖的花蜜
making itself irresistible,
使它不可抗拒
oozing sugary nectar around the brim of each leaf.
引诱饥饿的来访者
bait for hungry visitors.
触动器 精细的细毛
The triggers, fine hairs,
20秒内有两根被触动它就会运作
which only work when 2 of them are touched within 20 seconds.
一个
One…
两个
…two.
一旦植物消化了这只飞虫
Once the plant has digested the fly,
陷阱就会重新打开恢复到初始状态
the trap reopens and resets itself,