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Everything you need to know about Dynasties - which s are in it, when each episode is on, and more - Discover Wildlife

Discover the new landmark natural history series from the BBC - Dynasties. Airing from November 2018, these five episodes take a closer look at the power struggles faced by families around the world.

Everything you need to know about Dynasties – which s are in it, when each episode is on, and more

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Chimpanzee (episode one, Sunday 11 November) David is the alpha male of his group. u00a9 BBC NHUIn Senegal, David has been the alpha male of his group of 32 western chimpanzees for three years, and may soon get overthrown. Males donu2019t usually rule here for much longer, and David doesnu2019t have any allies for defending his leadership. u201cThrough speaking with scientistsu00a0across Africa, we identified au00a0group of chimpanzees in Senegalu00a0that we believed were at au00a0turning point in their society,u201d says Rosie Thomas, the producer and director of the Chimpanzee episode. u201cDavidu2019su00a0brother had foughtu00a0many battles to keep David inu00a0power, but he disappeared justu00a0before we started filming, leavingu00a0David isolated and vulnerable.u00a0Not only that, but in this group,u00a0there were more males thanu00a0females. This meant there wasu00a0intense competition among theu00a0males when females came intou00a0season. We felt like this wholeu00a0situation would give us a chanceu00a0to capture a power struggle.u201d David will need to face his rivals as the dry season settles in and temperatures soar, often to over 40C. Food and water are scarce, and his rivals are prepared to kill him for his crown. Based at the Fongoli Research Project in south east Senegal, the camera team spent two years filming the group, with 309 filming days in the field lasting from 4am to 7pm and carrying approximately 80kgs of film kit. u201cWhen weu2019reu00a0out on location, we would walk outu00a0to the chimpanzees to get tou00a0them there before dawn and stick with them all day until we lost the light, then weu2019d walk back and go home,u201d continues Thomas. u201cOn a goodu00a0day, weu2019d walk at least eightu00a0kilometres, but on a bad day weu00a0could travel up to 24! Betweenu00a0the three of us in the crewu00a0each day, weu2019d carry about 80u00a0kilograms of kit, in temperaturesu00a0that were usually about 40u00b0C.u00a0As a team, we walked over 2400u00a0kilometres!u201d Facts about chimpanzees Chimps are humanu2019s closest living relative, sharing 98 per cent of our genetic DNA. It was once thought that chimps and bonobos were the same species, however they are no recognised as two distinct species. The chimpanzee species is split into four subspecies (the western chimpanzee subspecies is the focus for Dynasties), whereas the bonobo has not been split into any subspecies. Chimps are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and face a number of threats including habitat loss and fragmentation, killing for bushmeat, being captured for the illegal pet trade, and disease. Click here to discover more amazing facts about chimpanzees. 2 Emperor penguin (episode two, Sunday 18 November) Two emperor penguin parents, each with their own 5-month-old chick begging for food in Atka Bay, Antarctica. u00a9 Stefan Christmann In the southernmost part of the world, after three months of feeding at sea, emperor penguins must battle with the elements to raise their chicks through one of the harshest winters on earth. The largest of the extant (living) penguin species found on earth, emperor penguins partners form one of the strong bonds and raise a single chick together. 11,000 birds gather in Atka Bay, Antarctica, and through the winter, the males will huddle together to protect themselves and their egg in temperatures reaching -40C and windspeeds of up to 130kph. u201cAll the other Antarctic su00a0leave in the winter; but emperoru00a0penguins arrive,u201d says Miles Barton, producer of the Emperor episode. u201cThese thousands ofu00a0penguins have to find a way tou00a0keep warm. They do it through au00a0spectacular way of huddling. Itu00a0is a m ive feat of cooperationu00a0because every emperor fatheru00a0needs the same thing at thatu00a0time, to keep warm, and huddlingu00a0together is the only way tou00a0achieve that.u201d u201cThe team gotu00a0wonderful time lapses of theu00a0huddle, where you see it movingu00a0around almost like a singleu00a0organism, due to the constantu00a0movement of all the individualu00a0penguins.u201d The camera team joined the emperor penguins for the winter, based at Alfred Wegener Instituteu2019s Neumayer III Base in Antarctica, also battling the winter elements, including: storms lasting up to eight days, with windspeeds of up to 129kph temperatures as low as -44.3C (-62.3C with wind chill) u2013 there were only three days during the 337 days of shooting that the temperature rose above zero, and three of the film team experienced frostbite darkness u2013 the crew went 62 days without seeing the sun limited food u2013 they spent 6 months without fresh food u201cIt is an extremely challengingu00a0place to film,u201du00a0says Will Lawson, director of the Emperor episode. u201cI remember the first timeu00a0that we actually experienced au00a0storm after the eggs had hatched.u00a0It was brutal with winds wellu00a0over 100 kilometres an hour.u201d u201cIu00a0donu2019t think a human would haveu00a0lasted long in those conditions,u00a0whatever protective gear theyu00a0were wearing. But there wereu00a0all these chicks pottering aboutu00a0looking none the worse for theiru00a0experience.u201d Facts about penguins There are 18 extant (living) species of penguin. The largest is the emperor penguin at 1.2m tall, and the smallest is the blue penguin (also known as the little or fairy penguin), which is just over 30cm tall. Penguins are ociated with the southern hemisphere, but there is one species found north of the Equator u2013 the Galu00e1pagos penguin.u00a0 The est dive ever recorded by a penguin was 535m by a female emperor penguin!u00a0 Click here to find out more wonderful facts about penguins. 3 Lion (episode three, Sunday 25 November) The Marsh Pride u2013 led by Charm u2013 are a close-knit family of mothers and their growing cubs. u00a9 BBC NHU/Louis Rummer-DowningThe Marsh Pride of the Masai Mara is one of Africau2019s most famous prides, which have been filmed by the BBC previously, and are now facing a unique situation in their history. They have been abandoned by the males, and there are now only two females u2013 Charm and Sienna u2013 to feed and protect the eight youngsters. Charm is 14 years old, with four cubs u2013 Tatu (male) and Yaya (female) are three years old, and she has two younger cubs which are only nine months old. u201cWhat I am most excited for theu00a0audience to see is how incredibleu00a0the prideu2019s lead female is,u201d says Simon Blakeney, the producer of the Lion episode. u201cCharmu00a0is a skilled hunter, a powerfulu00a0leader and an experiencedu00a0mother. From the moment ouru00a0filming began she had the hugeu00a0responsibility of protecting heru00a0pride against overwhelmingu00a0odds. The whole crew hadu00a0incredible admiration for her.u201d Sienna is Charmu2019s cousin and she is 15 years old. She also four cubs u2013 Red (male) is about three and half years old, and she has three younger cubs which are around 15 months old. The camera team spent 420 days filming the pride, often working 98 hours a week, and have since worked out that the lions were only awake for the equivalent of about 90 days! u201cFor me, the most emotionalu00a0and memorable moments wereu00a0when the lions came really closeu00a0to us,u201d continues Blakeney. u201cWe would always parku00a0up a reasonable distance fromu00a0them u2013 so we didnu2019t disturb theiru00a0behaviour.u201d u201cBut sometimes theyu00a0would walk up and past our cars,u00a0often just because we were onu00a0the shortest route to where theyu00a0wanted to go. On one occasion,u00a0about nine months into filming,u00a0one of the adolescent malesu00a0walked around the back of theu00a0vehicle I was sitting in, and asu00a0I was on the radio at the timeu00a0I hadnu2019t seen him coming. Heu00a0made me jump when he justu00a0appeared right beside me. I couldu00a0have d his mane as heu00a0walked past!u201d Why can only big cats roar? There are only four species of cat which can roar u2013 lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar u2013 all of which belong to the Panthera genus.u00a0 In these species, the epihyal bone, part of the voice box is replaced by a ligament. This can be stretched, creating a larger sound-producing p ge and thus a wider range of pitch. Interestingly, the snow leopard u2013 also a member of Panthera u2013 cannot roar. Click here to read the full Q&A. 4 Painted wolf (episode four, Sunday 2 December) Tammy, a leader in waiting, who may one day inherit her motheru2019s throne. u00a9 Nick LyonOn the banks of the Zambezi river in Zimbabwe, Tait is the matriarch of her family and one of the most successful painted wolves known u2013 280 of the remaining 6600 painted wolves are from Taitu2019s own bloodline, and she has ruled her pack uncontested for five years. However, she is beginning to grow old and one of her daughters, Blacktip has a growing pack to feed. Blacktipu2019s territory is bordered by human lands, so to get what she needs, she will need to encroach on Tatiu2019s land. u201cThe team arrived just as theu00a0most tumultuous period in theu00a0packs 20 year known history wasu00a0beginning,u201d says Nick Lyon, producer for the Painted Wolf episode. u201cIt feels Shakespearianu00a0in its scale and in the intensity ofu00a0the rivalry.u201d The camera team spent 669 days u2013 almost 22 months u2013 filming the painted wolves, using 17 cameras and ten specialist camera operators, and driving 82,000 kilometres. During the filming, the team also observed new behaviours, never before recorded in science, including the painted wolves hunting baboons. u201cAll the booksu00a0we used for research say thatu00a0painted wolves donu2019t huntu00a0baboons because theyu2019re toou00a0dangerous,u201d continues Lyon, who is co-authoring a scientific paper on the behaviour. u201cA big male baboonu00a0can weigh twice what a paintedu00a0wolf weighs. But Blacktipu2019s packu00a0had grown strong in numbersu00a0and we saw them learning tou00a0take on taking on baboons. It isu00a0amazing behaviour.u201d How do African wild dogs (aka painted wolves) hunt?u00a0 African wild dogs are usually thought of as cooperative pack hunters that chase large prey for long distances across the open plains, tiring out their quarry before going in for the kill. But their hunting behaviour is in fact much more varied than that. Research has revealed that in woodland savannah habitats wild dogs often target considerably smaller s, such as dik-dik and hares. To catch them, pack members are more likely to pair off or even hunt alone, flushing their prey from the undergrowth before chasing it down. Hunts of this type often result in multiple kills u2013 after all, one dik-dik doesnu2019t go far among lots of hungry dogs. Click here to read the full Q&A with zoologist Daniella Rabiotti. 5 Tiger (episode five, Sunday 9 December) Male cub hiding from the midday sun in Bandhavgarh National Park, India. u00a9 BBC NHU/Theo WebbThe tiger episode follows Raj Bhera, one of around 80 tigers living in the Bandhavgarh National Park in India. She holds a territory of 18sqkm, including rich gr lands teeming with prey, dense jungle, and spring-fed ponds. One of Raj Bherau2019s daughters from her first litter, Solo, has a territory neighbouring her motheru2019s and is now challenging Raj Bhera. Raj Bhera must defend her territory from her own daughter, whilst also caring for her four tiny newborn cubs. u201cIt was extraordinary to see themu00a0at their most intimate moments,u201d says Theo Webb, director of the Tiger episode,u00a0such as when theyu2019re ling oru00a0asleep. There are moments whenu00a0we could literally hear the tigersu00a0sleeping, just their breath goingu00a0in and out.u201d u201cBut we were alwaysu00a0aware that this is one of theu00a0worldu2019s great predators. Tigersu00a0have a real presence and a senseu00a0of power that I donu2019t think anyu00a0other big cat has, and we were inu00a0their world, their territory. Theyu00a0are wonderful and majestic butu00a0when a wild tiger looks at youu00a0with the cold gaze u2013 yes, they areu00a0intimidating.u201d The camera team spent 220 days filming in the field, in high temperatures reaching 44C and battling insects (the most number of bee stings received in under 30 seconds was 12!). They spent 2000 hours in 2sqkm in a jeep looking for tigers, driving up to 100km per day (25,000km in total). The team were thrilled to be able to see and film tiger cubs from such a young age u2013 only a few weeks old. Finding Raj Bherau2019s den tooku00a0weeks so it was a wonderfulu00a0moment when Theo discoveredu00a0the tiny cubs,u201d says Miles Barton, producer for the Tiger episode. u201cInevitably it was au00a0huge challenge to film such anu00a0elusive whose signatureu00a0trick is to blend into the forest.u00a0Most of the time they would beu00a0either asleep or in a thicket andu00a0therefore unable to be filmed.u201d Facts about tigers Did you know that there are six subspecies of tiger? They are: Bengal, Indochinese, Malayan, Sumatran, Siberian and South China.u00a0 The night vision of tigers is six times better than that of humans!u00a0 Tigers are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and face a number of threats including poaching for the illegal wildlife trade (for skins, bones, meats and tonics), habitat loss, and conflicts with humans.u00a0 Click here to discover more fascinating facts about these impressive felines. u00a0 How is Sir David Attenborough involved? Sir David Attenborough will be presenting and narrating Dynasties. u00a9 BBC NHU/Nick LyonThe legendary filmmaker and presenter Sir David Attenborough will be the presenter and narrator of Dynasties. With a career spanning more than six decades, and renowned programmes including Life On Earth, Blue Planet andu00a0Planet Earthu00a0(and their sequels), Attenborough is known to billions of people across the globe. As well as presenting, Attenborough also went to meet a number of the characters in Dynasties. However, when he went to meet the painted wolves, he had just one chance to get it right. u201cIt wasu00a0approaching the end of the dayu00a0and we were many hours awayu00a0from camp,u201d says Nick Lyon, producer of the Painted Wolf episode. u201cJust as he deliveredu00a0his line to camera, the pack stoodu00a0up and went to hunt not to beu00a0seen again, but we got the take.u00a0Sir David nailed it.u201d When will the programmes be on iPlayer? Each episode will be available on BBC iPlayer after it is shown on BBC One. Dynastiesu00a0is the latest programme in the BBCu2019s trial of showing programmes in Ultra HD on BBC iPlayer. Other programmes that have been available in Ultra HD include Blue Planet II, the Wimbledon Championships and the FFA World Cup. u201cDynasties is exactly the kind of landmark BBC programme that audiences want to see in Ultra HD,u201d says Matthew Postage, BBCu2019s chief technology and product officer. u201cWeu2019ve been trialling Ultra HD over the past couple of years as we reinvent the BBC, and itu2019s clear that people enjoy the increased quality. We believe our Ultra HD coverage is some of the best around u2013 combining the higher resolution with a wider of range of colours and HDR (High Dynamic Range), which really brings our world-cl programmes alive.u201d Watch the trailer for Dynasties: ,image:{@type:ImageObject,url:https://images.immediate.co.uk/volatile/sites/23/2018/11/16581760-low_res-dynasties-f6cabfb.jpg?quality=45&resize=768,574,width:768,height:574},headline:Everything you need to know about Dynasties - which s are in it, when each episode is on, and more,author:[{@type:Person,name:Megan Shersby}],publisher:{@type:Organization,name:Discover Wildlife,url:https://www.discoverwildlife.com,logo:{@type:ImageObject,url:https://images.immediate.co.uk/volatile/sites/23/2018/09/cropped-Discover-Wildlife-Logo-Colour-31ca4cc-a49ce90.png?quality=90&resize=403,67,width:182,height:60}},datePublished:2018-11-04T00:02:45+00:00,dateModified:2018-11-29T12:03:46+00:00},{@type:VideoObject,@context:http://schema.org,headline:Everything you need to know about Dynasties - which s are in it, when each episode is on, and more,name:Dynasties: Official Trailer #2 | New David Attenborough Series | BBC Earth,url:https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-dynasties-bbc-one/,description:New exclusive footage from Dynasties, the upcoming Sir David Attenborough series that takes us on a new journey to follow the greatest s of their kind… #Dynasties #DavidAttenborough #Trailer Subscribe: http://bit.ly/BBCEarthSub WATCH MORE: New on Earth: https://bit.ly/2M3La96 Oceanscapes: https://bit.ly/2Hmd2kZ Wild Thailand: https://bit.ly/2kR7lmh Welcome to BBC EARTH! The world is an amazing place full of stories, beauty and natural wonder. Here you'll find 50 years worth of astounding, entertaining, thought-provoking and educational natural history content. Dramatic, rare, and exclusive, nature doesn't get more exciting than this. Want to share your views with the team behind BBC Earth and win prizes? Join our fan panel: http://tinyurl.com/You -BBCEarth-FanPanel This is a page from BBC Studios who help fund new BBC programmes. Service information and feedback: http://bbcworldwide.com/vod-feedback--contact-details.aspx,thumbnailUrl:[https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JmNCPK15Bc0/default.jpg,https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JmNCPK15Bc0/mqdefault.jpg,https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JmNCPK15Bc0/hqdefault.jpg,https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JmNCPK15Bc0/sddefault.jpg,https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JmNCPK15Bc0/maxresdefault.jpg],uploadDate:2018-10-26 11:00:03,duration:1m 16s,embedUrl:https://www.you .com/embed/JmNCPK15Bc0,interactionCount:200962}] Everything you need to know about Dynasties – which s are in it, when each episode is on, and more

How do African wild dogs hunt? - Discover Wildlife

Zoologist Daniella Rabaiotti explains how African wild dogs tackle their prey.

How do African wild dogs hunt?

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