Nature (1982–…): Season 31, Episode 3 - Animal Odd Couples - full transcript

Narrator: WHY WOULD A GOAT
NEVER LEAVE A HORSE'S SIDE...

FOR 16 YEARS?

WHAT WOULD POSSESS A BIG LION

TO BOND WITH A LITTLE COYOTE?

Man: MOTHER NATURE IS
TEACHING ME SOMETHING

EVERY TIME I SEE A
RELATIONSHIP LIKE THIS.

Narrator: SCENES LIKE THESE

ARE OVERTURNING THE
CONVENTIONAL WISDOM...

THAT ONLY HUMANS
FORGE FRIENDSHIPS.

THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE
THAT DON'T WANT TO ADMIT

THAT ANIMALS HAVE EMOTIONS.



Narrator: IS IT COMPASSION
OR COMPANIONSHIP

THAT BONDS TWO ANIMALS OF
DIFFERENT SPECIES TOGETHER?

Woman: WHEN THEY
GREET EACH OTHER,

I'VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE IT.

IT'S NOT A DEER GREETING A DEER,

IT'S NOT A DOG GREETING A DOG.

IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING

THAT THEY HAVE
BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM.

Narrator: WHATEVER THE
CASE, SOMETHING DEEP

IS BEING EXPRESSED WHEN
ANIMALS MAKE UNEXPECTED FRIENDS.

Narrator: AT BUSCH
GARDENS IN FLORIDA,

AN UNLIKELY COUPLE

IS ABOUT TO
ENTERTAIN THE VISITORS.

IN ZOOS AND SANCTUARIES
AROUND THE WORLD,



RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN
DIFFERENT SPECIES

ARE SHEDDING NEW LIGHT
ON THE INNER LIVES OF ANIMALS

AND THE POWERFUL
BONDS THAT LINK US ALL.

MTANI, THE RETRIEVER,
MAY WEIGH LESS

AND NOT BE AS FAST
AS THE CHEETAH,

BUT SHE'S THE ONE WHO
RULES THIS RELATIONSHIP.

AND KASI, THE
NATURAL BORN HUNTER,

IS JUST FINE WITH THAT.

IT'S AN INTERESTING RELATIONSHIP

AND IT'S ONE THAT WE DEVELOP

AND WE HELP THEM
DEVELOP AND CULTIVATE.

BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT
THEY HAVE GROWN

TO DEPEND ON ONE ANOTHER.

DOGS AND CHEETAHS
ARE SO CLOSE, OVERALL,

IN THEIR DISPOSITION,

THE WAY THAT THEY ARE
SOCIALLY STRUCTURED,

LENGTH OF LIFE...

THAT THEY CAN COEXIST

IN A SPACE, EVEN
THOUGH THEY'RE AT

DIFFERENT PLACES ON
THE LINE OF CARNIVORE.

Narrator: THESE SIMILARITIES LED
THE KEEPERS AT BUSCH GARDENS

TO EMBARK ON A PILOT
PROJECT ONE YEAR AGO,

PAIRING A YOUNG CHEETAH

AND A PUPPY, TO SEE
IF THEY COULD FORM

A SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIP.

Smith: IN THE BEGINNING,

WE MADE THE CHOICE
TO PUT THEM TOGETHER.

THEY MADE THE CHOICE AS TO

WHETHER OR NOT THAT
WAS GOING TO WORK.

THEY WERE ACTUALLY
BOTH ORPHANS, IF YOU WILL.

KASI, THE CHEETAH,

WAS BORN AT THE
JACKSONVILLE ZOO.

THE OTHER THREE CUBS
ACTUALLY PASSED AWAY

AND THE MOTHER CHEETAH
WAS NOT ABLE TO RAISE HIM.

AND SO, AT THAT POINT,
KASI NEEDED A HOME.

MTANI HERE IS
ACTUALLY A RESCUE DOG.

WE COLLECTED HER FROM ONE
OF OUR LOCAL RESCUE CENTERS.

RELATIONSHIPS ARE ABOUT
PERSONALITIES, AND THEM GELLING,

YOU KNOW, AND IT DOESN'T MATTER

SO MUCH

WHAT THE SPECIES IS.

Narrator: CHEETAHS
CHIRP AND DOGS BARK...

AND THEY BOTH GROWL.

KASI AND MTANI'S COMFORT

WITH EACH OTHER
HAS BEEN SHAPED BY

THEIR SHARED WAYS
OF COMMUNICATING,

WHICH GAVE THEM A RUNNING START
AT UNDERSTANDING ONE ANOTHER.

Smith: THESE TWO
HAVE FIGURED OUT

HOW TO COMMUNICATE
WITH ONE ANOTHER.

AND I THINK THAT'S
THROUGH THE FACT THAT

THEY'RE NOT SO DIFFERENT.

THERE'S A LOT OF SIGNALS
THAT ARE GIVEN BY ANY ANIMAL.

AND YOU START TO
LOOK AT THOSE THINGS,

WHETHER IT BE THE EARS
BACK OR THE TAIL IS TAUT,

OR, YOU KNOW, THE BODY
POSITIONING HIGH OR LOW.

BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO
LOOK AT THE EYES, YOU KNOW...

ARE THE EYES KIND OF LAID
BACK AND COMFORTABLE,

OR ARE THEY REALLY INTENSE?

YOU CAN TELL A LOT
FROM THE LIPS OF A DOG

AND WHETHER THERE'S
A LITTLE SNEER GOING ON,

OR IF THEY'RE NICE AND RELAXED.

YOU SEE THOSE KINDS OF
THINGS NOT ONLY IN THE DOG,

BUT YOU CAN SEE THEM
IN THE CHEETAH, AS WELL.

I THINK THEIR
COMMUNICATION IS A FACTOR,

BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THEY'RE
LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE.

THEY'RE NOT LEARNING
THE CHEETAH LANGUAGE

OR THE DOG LANGUAGE,

THEY'RE LEARNING
KASI-MTANI'S LANGUAGE.

AND THEY'VE HAD TO LEARN THAT

THROUGH BUILDING
RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUST.

THE THING THAT SURPRISES ME MOST

IS HOW THEY SEEM
TO NEED ONE ANOTHER.

KASI, THE CHEETAH,
IN PARTICULAR,

HE SEEMS TO NEED HER.

YOU KNOW, IF SHE'S NOT
AROUND, HE'S LOOKING FOR HER.

I THINK THAT HE'D HAVE A
MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TIME

IF SHE WAS NOT A PART
OF THIS ENVIRONMENT.

IT'S TIME TO CHASE.

IT'S MORE THAN JUST

COMING OUT HERE AND RUNNING

THE CHEETAHS AND DOGS
FOR THE, YES, ENJOYMENT

AND UNDERSTANDING...

IT'S REALLY AN EXERCISE PROGRAM.

EACH TIME THEY COME OUT,
THEY GET A LITTLE BETTER

AT EITHER RUNNING OR
DODGING OR CHANGING DIRECTION.

THEY ARE BOTH REACHING

20 TO 30 MILES PER
HOUR RIGHT NOW,

WHICH IS PRETTY DARN
GOOD WHEN YOU FIGURE

AN ADULT CHEETAH IN THE WILD

REACHES SPEEDS OF
60 TO 70 MILES PER HOUR.

IT'S KIND OF STRANGE,

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY,

THE LABRADOR
RETRIEVER ACTUALLY HAS

A LOT MORE STAMINA.

SHE CAN GO FOR A LOT
LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.

AND, SO, WE RUN HER A
LOT MORE THAN WE DO HIM.

YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT
SIMPLE... IT DOESN'T MATTER

WHETHER IT'S TWO HUMANS,
TWO DOGS, A DOG AND A CHEETAH.

YOU KNOW, RELATIONSHIPS
ARE REALLY TOUGH.

THERE'S PEOPLE
THAT GO THROUGH LIFE

THAT DON'T FIND THAT COMPANION.

THERE'S ANIMALS
THAT GO THROUGH LIFE

THAT LIVE COMPLETELY
BY THEMSELVES.

THESE TWO HAVE A SHOT AT BEING
COMPANIONS WITH ONE ANOTHER

FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES,

AND THEY SEEM TO BE
MAKING THAT KIND OF A CHOICE.

Man: I THINK THE
CHOICES ANIMALS MAKE

IN CROSS-SPECIES RELATIONSHIPS

ARE SIMILAR TO THE
CHOICES THEY MAKE

IN SAME-SPECIES RELATIONSHIPS.

LIKE, SOME DOGS DON'T
LIKE EVERY OTHER DOG.

THEY MAY NOT ATTACK THE DOG,

BUT THEY DON'T FORM
THAT CLOSE RELATIONSHIP.

ANIMALS ARE VERY SELECTIVE

ABOUT THE OTHER INDIVIDUALS

WHO THEY LET INTO THEIR LIVES.

Woman: WELL, AS
AN AUTISTIC PERSON,

I AM AN EXTREME VISUAL THINKER.

EVERYTHING I THINK
ABOUT IS IN A PICTURE.

AND THAT'S THE WAY ANIMALS ARE.

AN ANIMAL'S WORLD
IS SENSORY BASED,

IT'S NOT WORD BASED.

WHAT CROSS-SPECIES
RELATIONSHIPS SHOW YOU IS THAT

THERE'S BEHAVIORS AND EMOTIONS
THAT JUST GO ACROSS SPECIES.

I MEAN, MAMMALS HAVE
CERTAIN BEHAVIORS

THAT GO ACROSS ALL THE SPECIES,

BECAUSE THEY'RE MAMMALS.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK SNAKES
ARE GOING TO BE DOING THIS.

Narrator: WE NEED
LOOK NO FURTHER

THAN OUR RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OUR PETS

FOR EXAMPLES OF THE DEEP BONDS

THAT CAN FORM BETWEEN
DIFFERENT SPECIES.

BUT WE STILL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN

ABOUT CROSS-SPECIES
RELATIONSHIPS.

DO THE SAME ELEMENTS
OF SOCIAL BONDING

SPAN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM?

A QUESTION ALL THE
MORE PERPLEXING

WHEN ANIMALS BREAK BOUNDARIES

WE'D THINK WOULD BE
TOO STRONG TO OVERCOME.

Bekoff: THERE'S
DEFINITELY A RISK INVOLVED

IN RELATIONSHIPS THAT
FORM BETWEEN ANIMALS,

SAY, OF DIFFERENT SIZES,

AND PREDATORS AND
PREY, FOR EXAMPLE.

SO THERE IS A RISK, ESPECIALLY
FOR THE PREY ANIMAL.

AND THAT'S WHAT I
THINK IS SO INTRIGUING

ABOUT THE CROSS-SPECIES
RELATIONSHIPS.

THERE'S INCREDIBLE TRUST,

AND IT HAS TO FORM IMMEDIATELY.

Man: I WAS IN SHOW BUSINESS,

BOUGHT A COUPLE OF BABY TIGERS
FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS,

AND DID A SHOW AT
THE ALADDIN HOTEL

CALLED "PREDATOR'S PARADISE,"

AND I JUST DIDN'T LIKE

THE EXPLOITATION
OF EXOTIC ANIMALS.

SO, I DECIDED TO START
RESCUING ANIMALS.

ALL THE ANIMALS THAT WE
HAVE HAVE EITHER BEEN RESCUED

OR RETIRED FROM SHOW BUSINESS,

OR THEY HAVE BEEN CONFISCATED
BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES,

EITHER THE USDA OR THE
DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE.

Narrator: ANTHONY, THE LION,

CAME TO KEEPERS OF
THE WILD AS A SICKLY CUB

WHO WAS DISCARDED AFTER
BEING AUCTIONED OFF IN VIRGINIA.

RILEY, THE COYOTE, WAS RESCUED
BY ARIZONA GAME AND FISH.

THEY CAME TOGETHER WHEN BOTH
WERE JUST OVER A MONTH OLD...

TOO YOUNG, PERHAPS,
TO UNDERSTAND THAT

NATURE WOULD NEVER CAST THEM

AS FRIENDS.

Kraft: SINCE THEY WERE
BOTH THE SAME AGE,

AND WE HAD THEM IN OUR HOUSE,

WE FIGURED, "WELL, YOU KNOW,
LET'S RAISE THEM TOGETHER."

AND SO THEY GREW UP
TOGETHER FROM LITTLE BABIES ON.

WHEN THEY WERE VERY,
VERY SMALL, IT WAS REAL EASY

BECAUSE THEY WERE
BOTH ABOUT THE SAME SIZE.

AND, OF COURSE,
THE LITTLE COYOTE,

SHE'S STAYED RELATIVELY SMALL,

AND SHE JUST WATCHES HIM GROW UP

TO BE A GIANT.

THE GENTLENESS BETWEEN
THEM AND THE BOND

AND THE CLOSENESS
HAS NEVER CHANGED.

COYOTES ARE SOCIAL ANIMALS,

AND SO ARE LIONS.

I THINK COMPANY IS VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT TO SOCIAL ANIMALS.

Narrator: SOCIAL ANIMALS

BUILD BONDS BY PLAYING TOGETHER,

TESTING THEIR
STRENGTHS AND LIMITS.

AND IN DOING SO, THEY
LEARN ABOUT TRUST.

Kraft: I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL
EXERCISE FOR THEM

TO ACT OUT THEIR
HUNTING TECHNIQUES

AND THEIR STALKING TECHNIQUES.

I ALSO SEE HER TEASING
HIM... SHE RUNS AWAY AND THEN

SHE LETS HIM CATCH HER.

AND HE WILL JUMP HER... HE
WILL STALK HER AND JUMP HER,

AND THEN SHE DOES A LITTLE YELP
AND HE LETS HER GO RIGHT AWAY.

I HAVE NOT YET SEEN THEM

INTENTIONALLY HURT
EACH OTHER AT ALL.

I WOULD INTERVENE

IF I FELT THAT THE
COYOTE WAS IN DANGER...

I WOULD PULL HER IN A HEARTBEAT.

I DON'T WANT TO PUT HER
IN ANY KIND OF JEOPARDY.

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT SHE
THINKS THAT SHE'S A COYOTE.

I DON'T THINK SHE'S EVER
SEEN OTHER COYOTES.

ANTHONY AND RILEY'S RELATIONSHIP

MAKES THEM HEALTHIER.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE
HUMANS, IF YOU'VE GOT

A GOOD RELATIONSHIP,
MORE THAN LIKELY

YOU'LL BE HAPPIER,

EVERYTHING IN YOUR
BODY FUNCTIONS BETTER.

I THINK MENTALLY
YOU'RE MORE STABLE,

AND I THINK IT'S THE SAME THING
WITH THE LION AND THE COYOTE.

I'VE BEEN AROUND BIG CATS
FOR 20 SOME ODD YEARS NOW,

AND I THOUGHT I'D SEEN IT ALL.

I MUST ADMIT THAT
THIS IS EXTREMELY RARE.

BUT MOTHER NATURE IS TEACHING
ME SOMETHING EVERY TIME,

PARTICULARLY WHEN I SEE
A RELATIONSHIP LIKE THIS.

Narrator: BUT ARE STRONG
SOCIAL BONDS ENOUGH

TO KEEP PREY ANIMALS SAFE

IN THESE MISMATCHED
RELATIONSHIPS?

Grandin: THERE'S A
VERY STRONG INSTINCT

IN THE PREDATOR ANIMALS,
WITH A LION OR A TIGER,

TO RUN AFTER SOMETHING
THAT MOVES RAPIDLY.

NOW, THEY LEARN,

YOU KNOW, WHAT ANIMALS ARE
LUNCH AND WHAT ANIMALS ARE NOT.

YOU KNOW, TO SAY THAT AN
ANIMAL IS JUST SORT OF A ROBOT

THAT BLINDLY DOES INSTINCTUAL
HARD-WIRED BEHAVIOR,

THAT'S JUST RIDICULOUS.

WHEN IT COMES TO SOME
OF THE EMOTIONAL THINGS

AND COGNITION IN ANIMALS,

I THINK SCIENTISTS
ARE GOING TO PROVE

THAT LITTLE OLD
LADIES IN TENNIS SHOES

WHO SAY THAT LITTLE FIFI
REALLY CAN THINK, ARE RIGHT,

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT

AN ANIMAL CAN
THINK AT OUR LEVEL.

THERE'S STILL A LOT
THAT'S NOT KNOWN.

BUT IT'S BEEN VERY CLEARLY
SHOWN THAT IN ALL MAMMALS,

YOU'VE GOT THE SAME
EMOTIONAL DRIVERS

DOWN IN THE BASE OF THE
BRAIN THAT DRIVE BEHAVIOR...

FEAR, SEPARATION
DISTRESS OR PANIC,

SEEKING THE URGE TO
EXPLORE NEW THINGS,

RAGE, SEX BEHAVIOR, AND PLAY.

Narrator: BEFORE SCIENTISTS
CAN BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND

CROSS-SPECIES RELATIONSHIPS,

THEY NEED TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT THE COMPLEXITY

OF THE BONDS ANIMALS FORM
WITHIN THEIR OWN SPECIES.

Woman: I THINK SCIENTISTS ARE
STARTING TO BUY INTO THIS IDEA

THAT OTHER ANIMALS HAVE
COMPLEX EMOTIONAL LIVES.

UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, AND
WE'RE TALKING THIS YEAR,

WE DIDN'T LIKE TO USE
THE WORD "FRIENDSHIP"

WHEN WE WERE TALKING, YOU
KNOW, ABOUT SERIOUS SCIENCE.

IN SORT OF PASSING,

SPEAKING WITH OUR
FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES,

WE WOULD TALK ABOUT
FRIENDSHIP IN OTHER ANIMALS,

BUT WE WOULD NEVER
WRITE IT IN A SCIENTIFIC PAPER.

THE USE OF THE TERM FRIENDSHIP
AND THE STUDY OF FRIENDSHIP,

NOW IT'S REALLY KIND OF
COME INTO ITS OWN AS A TOPIC.

IN FACT, BY STUDYING MONKEYS,
I'M HOPING TO GET CLUES

AS TO WHY FRIENDSHIP
EVOLVED IN PEOPLE.

MONKEYS DO HAVE FRIENDS.

THEY INTERACT WITH INDIVIDUALS

WHO THEY ARE NOT
RELATED TO IN FRIENDLY WAYS.

EVEN THOUGH NO ONE
IS GOING TO SAY THAT

THE DEFINITION OF
"FRIENDSHIP" IN MONKEYS

IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS

HOW WE MIGHT DEFINE
FRIENDSHIP IN HUMANS,

IT'S KIND OF UNDENIABLE
THAT THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS

WHO AREN'T RELATED TO EACH OTHER

WHO SPEND TIME TOGETHER
IN A FRIENDLY FASHION.

SOMETIMES WE CALL IT SOCIAL
BONDS, THAT THEY'RE BONDED.

BUT, I MEAN, WHAT IS THAT,

OTHER THAN JUST SORT OF A MORE
DESCRIPTIVE WORD FOR FRIENDSHIP?

BUT WHAT, EXACTLY,

FRIENDSHIPS GET YOU,

THAT IS VERY MUCH STILL OPEN,

WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT.

Narrator: CAYO
SANTIAGO IS ONE OF

THE FEW PRIMATE FIELD
RESEARCH SITES IN THE WORLD

DEVOTED TO THE LONG-TERM
STUDY OF RHESUS MACAQUES.

PROFESSOR LAUREN BRENT HAS
SPENT OVER SIX YEARS ON THE ISLAND

STUDYING HOW NON-RELATED
MONKEYS INTERACT AND FORM BONDS.

HER RESEARCH HAS LED TO

SOME GROUND-BREAKING
DISCOVERIES.

Brent: SO, WE CAN'T
ASK A MONKEY,

"WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND?"

SO WE HAVE TO STUDY IT BY
OBSERVING THEIR BEHAVIORS.

AND SO, WE DEFINE
FRIENDSHIP IN MONKEYS

AS WHO THEY SPEND
A LOT OF TIME WITH,

AND WHO THEY INTERACT
WITH IN A FRIENDLY MANNER.

IN PARTICULAR, WE LOOK
AT THINGS LIKE GROOMING,

FEEDING NEXT TO EACH OTHER,

WHO SPENDS TIME TOGETHER,
WHO IS AGGRESSIVE TO WHO.

SO, WHATEVER THE
MONKEYS ARE DOING,

WE'RE FOLLOWING
THEM AND RECORDING IT.

DO YOU KNOW THAT ONE?

SO, WE WOULD PICK AN INDIVIDUAL,

AND WE DO TEN-MINUTE
FOCAL FOLLOWS.

SO, FOR TEN MINUTES,
RECORD EVERYTHING

THAT THE FOCAL ANIMAL IS DOING,

WHO THEY ARE INTERACTING WITH,

AND SO, THE MONKEYS
DICTATE WHAT HAPPENS.

SO, THAT'S 25-R.

I WAS TELLING JOEL THIS MORNING
THAT 25-R USED TO BE A MEMBER

OF THIS LITTLE BAND OF MALES
THAT WERE ALL MIDDLE RANKING.

THEY WERE TOGETHER QUITE A LOT

AND WOULD SUPPORT
EACH OTHER IN FIGHTS.

BUT HIS BUDDIES HAVE
DISPERSED TO ANOTHER GROUP.

SO, HE'S KIND OF
LEFT ON HIS OWN,

ALTHOUGH ONE OF THEM SEEMS
TO HAVE MAYBE COME BACK,

BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN
THEM INTERACTING.

HE'S A GOOD GUY.

Narrator: THE MONKEYS HAVE
TATTOOS TO IDENTIFY THEM,

BUT IT'S STILL TRICKY.

THERE ARE OVER
1,000 ON THE ISLAND,

SPREAD ACROSS AT
LEAST EIGHT TROOPS

WHOSE MEMBERSHIP
CONSTANTLY CHANGES,

MAKING LAUREN'S TEST
TROOP A MOVING TARGET.

20-F REALLY...

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL NOTICE
IT WHEN YOU COLLECT DATA,

BUT IN PREVIOUS YEARS 20-F
HAS BEEN REALLY ASOCIAL.

SO, SHE IS ALWAYS KIND OF
THE PERIPHERY OF THE GROUP.

I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE EVER
SEEN HER GROOMING ANYBODY.

IN TERMS OF MY RESEARCH,
I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SHOW THAT

FEMALES THAT HAVE
TIGHTER SOCIAL BONDS

HAD LOWER STRESS HORMONE LEVELS.

SO, WE MEASURE, IN THEIR
FECES THEIR LEVEL OF CORTISOL,

WHICH IS THIS HORMONE THAT YOU
RELEASE WHEN YOU FEEL STRESSED.

AND FEMALES THAT HAVE

TIGHTER KNIT SOCIAL CONNECTIONS
HAD LOWER STRESS HORMONE LEVELS.

WE KNOW GROOMING FEELS
GOOD, IT'S SORT OF LIKE A MASSAGE.

SO WHEN YOU'RE
RECEIVING GROOMING,

YOUR STRESS HORMONE
LEVELS GO DOWN,

YOU RELEASE SOMETHING
THAT'S CALLED OXYTOCIN,

WHICH IS THE, SORT
OF, HORMONE OF LOVE,

BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE
IN PHYSICAL CONTACT

WITH ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL,
YOU RELEASE OXYTOCIN...

IT HAS THIS CASCADING
EFFECT ON YOUR PHYSIOLOGY.

SO, INTERACTING WITH ANOTHER
INDIVIDUAL IN A POSITIVE WAY,

IN BOTH PEOPLE AND MONKEYS,

FEELS GOOD.

UM, SO, SCAN...
HE'S BEEN SOCIAL.

THE BENEFIT OF
FRIENDSHIP IS MULTI-LEVELED.

FEMALES WHO HAVE
STRONGER SOCIAL BONDS

LIVE LONGER, HAVE MORE INFANTS,

THEIR INFANTS ARE
MORE LIKELY TO SURVIVE.

SO, MAYBE ALL OF THESE THINGS,
THESE FAVORS THAT WE HAVE,

THIS PHYSIOLOGICAL
CORRELATION WITH FRIENDSHIP,

THEN BUILDS TO THIS OUTPUT OF
BETTER EVOLUTIONARY FITNESS.

WE KNOW NOW THAT

HAVING SOCIAL BONDS
WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS

HELPS YOU SURVIVE,

HELPS YOU COPE
WITH THE CHALLENGES

THAT YOU FACE IN
YOUR ENVIRONMENT.

Narrator: MAINTAINING
TIGHT SOCIAL BONDS

REQUIRES RECOGNIZING
NOT ONLY YOUR FRIENDS,

BUT ALSO THE FRIENDS
OF YOUR FRIENDS,

AND THE ENEMIES OF YOUR FRIENDS.

BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS IS A
COMPLEX SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

THAT SCIENTISTS
SUCH AS LAUREN BRENT

NOW BELIEVE EVOLUTION
ENCODED INTO THE DNA

OF HUMANS AND OTHER SPECIES.

Grandin: I'VE STUDIED A LOT OF

THE NEUROSCIENCE OF EMOTIONS.

AND THERE'S BASIC EMOTIONS

THAT ANIMALS DEFINITELY HAVE.

IT HAS BEEN IN THE
NEUROSCIENCE LITERATURE

FOR YEARS.

IT WAS IN THE NEUROSCIENCE
LITERATURE WHEN I STUDIED

PSYCHOLOGY BACK IN THE '60s.

PROBLEM IS, THERE'S
THIS RESEARCH

THAT'S ALL OVER IN NEUROSCIENCE,

AND THERE'S A LOT OF
PEOPLE, EVEN VETERINARIANS,

THAT DON'T WANT TO ADMIT
THAT ANIMALS HAVE EMOTIONS.

I JUST GOT AN E-MAIL FROM A
VETERINARIAN THE OTHER DAY

THAT SAYS, "WELL, WE JUST CAN'T
SAY THAT ANIMALS HAVE EMOTIONS.

IT'S JUST STRESS."

I DON'T... I DON'T BUY THAT.

WE GOT A BANDIT IN THE TREE.

Woman: 16 YEARS AGO,

I WAS TAKING IN DOGS AND
CATS AND FARM ANIMALS,

AND SOMEBODY BROUGHT
ME A PAIR OF RACCOON KITS.

IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA,

THE STATE OWNS THE WILDLIFE

AND IN ORDER TO CARE FOR THEM,

YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIAL
LICENSE FOR REHABILITATION.

AND I WENT LOOKING FOR A
FACILITY THAT WOULD TAKE THEM

AND TURN THEM LOOSE
WHEN THEY WERE RAISED;

THERE WASN'T ONE.

SO, WHAT I DECIDED TO DO WAS
TO GET A LICENSE AND RUIN MY LIFE.

AT THE TIME, I DIDN'T
KNOW I WAS RUINING MY LIFE.

I THOUGHT, A COUPLE
OF RACCOON KITS,

LOTS OF FUN, GET THEM WILD.

MY FIRST YEAR, I TOOK IN

860 ORPHANED AND
INJURED WILD ANIMALS.

AND SO, I REALIZED THAT
THERE WAS A HUGE NEED.

IN 16 YEARS,

I'VE RELEASED WAY OVER
16,000 ANIMALS INTO THE WILD.

WE AVERAGE 1,000 A YEAR.

Narrator: THERE IS ONE
ANIMAL AT WILD HEART RANCH

WHO CAN NEVER BE
RELEASED... A 16 YEAR OLD

LONE SITKA DEER NAMED AMY,
WHO IS NOT NATIVE TO THE AREA.

Tucker: HER MOTHERING INSTINCTS

ARE VERY DOMINANT.

SO, BECAUSE I HAVE
MANY, MANY BABY DEER,

IT WORKED OUT PERFECT,
BECAUSE SHE'S WILLING TO

ACCEPT THESE ORPHANS AS HER OWN

AND TEACH THEM TO
BEHAVE LIKE A DEER.

THE DOG IS A GOLDEN RETRIEVER
PUPPY NAMED "RANSOM."

HE WAS BORN BLIND.

AT SIX WEEKS OLD,
WE TOOK THE PUPPY IN,

OTHERWISE THE PUPPY
WOULD HAVE BEEN EUTHANIZED.

WHAT HAPPENED WAS,
HERE'S THIS LITTLE BLIND PUPPY,

AND WHEN I'M NOT AROUND,
HE'S LOOKING FOR COMFORT,

HE'S TRYING TO FIND
SOMETHING TO NURTURE HIM.

AMY, BEING A NATURAL MOTHER,
ADOPTED THIS BLIND PUPPY.

SO, WE SHARE CUSTODY.

AMY AND I HAVE JOINT
CUSTODY OF THE DOG.

AND, WHETHER I'M
HERE OR SHE'S HERE,

IT ENRICHES HIS LIFE.

AND IT GIVES HIM A
SENSE OF SECURITY.

SHE HAS A NATURAL COMPASSION.

SHE KNOWS IT'S NOT A DEER.

SHE'S HAD PLENTY OF DEER...
SHE KNOWS HE'S NOT A DEER.

THEY SLEEP TOGETHER AT NIGHT,

AND THEN IN THE
MORNING, HE WAKES UP,

AND BEFORE HE STARTS HIS
DAY, SHE SPIKES HIS COAT.

AND, I KNOW THAT HE'S GOTTEN

HIS LITTLE HAIRDO FOR THE
DAY FROM AMY, HIS DEER MOM.

RANSOM REGAINED HIS
EYESIGHT SEVERAL WEEKS AGO.

IT WAS SUDDEN.

IT TURNED OUT HIS
PROBLEM WAS NUTRITIONAL.

SO, NOW HE SEES AMY,
HE KNOWS WHAT SHE IS,

BUT TO HIM, THAT'S STILL MOM.

THAT'S THE RELATIONSHIP THAT'S
BEEN FORGED AND NURTURED.

IT WORKS FOR RANSOM,
AND AMY LOVES HIM.

Man: I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE

FIND THESE CROSS-SPECIES
RELATIONSHIPS SURPRISING,

BECAUSE THEY DON'T
APPRECIATE THE RICHNESS

OF THE EMOTIONAL LIVES
OF NON-HUMAN ANIMALS.

THAT NON-HUMAN ANIMALS

EXPERIENCE THE
SAME EMOTIONS WE DO.

I LOVE STORIES ABOUT
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR,

AND I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY

THE PLURAL OF ANECDOTE IS DATA.

AND WHEN I HEAR 100 STORIES

ABOUT AN IMPROBABLE
RELATIONSHIP,

AS A SCIENTIST,

IT BEHOOVES ME OR
SOMEONE TO GO STUDY THEM.

Narrator: ENDURING RELATIONSHIPS
ACROSS SPECIES MAY BE RARE,

BUT CARETAKERS OF ANIMALS
HAVE OBSERVED SO MANY

THAT SCIENTISTS NOW
REGARD THEIR ACCOUNTS

AS VALUABLE FIELD REPORTS,
WARRANTING FURTHER STUDY.

THIS COULD HERALD A
WHOLE NEW AREA OF SCIENCE.

Tucker: COME ON, BABIES.

COME HERE, CHARLIE
HORSE. COME ON, HORSE.

THIS IS CHARLIE AND JACK.

CHARLIE IS A HORSE
THAT I RESCUED.

HE'S EXTREMELY OLD...

HE IS 40 YEARS OLD.

HE'S LOST THE SIGHT
IN BOTH OF HIS EYES.

WHEN HE LOST HIS EYESIGHT,

WE DECIDED THAT WE
NEEDED TO PUT HIM DOWN,

BUT WE DIDN'T GIVE ENOUGH CREDIT

TO RELATIONSHIPS
AMONG OUR ANIMALS.

BECAUSE AS SOON AS
CHARLIE LOST HIS EYESIGHT,

JACK, MY OLD GOAT
HERE, WHO'S 16,

TOOK UP THE JOB OF
BEING CHARLIE'S EYES.

ONE TIME WE HAD

SOME TORNADO WEATHER,
AND THERE WAS A MICROBLAST.

JACK CAME HOME SCREAMING.

AND IT WAS LIKE,
"TIMMY'S IN THE WELL!"

KIND OF THING... HE'S RUNNING
TO THE GATE, HE'S YELLING.

AND SO WE COME THROUGH THE
GATE, AND JACK JUST TOOK OFF.

AND WHAT WE FOUND
WAS THE MICROBLAST

HAD TWISTED A GROVE
OF TREES IN A CIRCLE,

AND MY BLIND HORSE
IS IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.

AND THERE WAS NO
WAY FOR HIM TO GET OUT.

SO, JACK ACTUALLY

CAME AND GOT US
TO GO HELP HIS BUDDY

BECAUSE HE COULDN'T
LEAD CHARLIE OUT OF THAT.

AFTER THAT DAY, I'VE NO LONGER
WORRIED ABOUT MY BLIND HORSE.

THE REASON I KNOW THAT JACK
KNOWS THAT CHARLIE IS BLIND

IS BECAUSE WHEN CHARLIE
LOST HIS EYESIGHT IN THE ONE EYE,

JACK WOULD LEAD HIM ON THE SIDE.

WHEN CHARLIE LOST THE
EYESIGHT IN HIS REMAINING EYE,

JACK STARTED
LEADING IN THE FRONT.

THERE IS A PATCH OF GRASS

THAT GROWS IN THE
BACK OF THE PROPERTY,

AND IT'S HARD TO GET TO.

AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON,
JACK WILL TAKE CHARLIE BACK,

LETS HIS FRIEND GRAZE.

WHEN CHARLIE'S DONE,
JACK LEADS HIM BACK.

WHEN THEY ARE LEADING BACK,

TYPICALLY THE GOAT WOULD BE
FORAGING ALONG THE WAY HOME...

HE DOESN'T DO THAT;
HE STAYS ON THE TRAIL.

HE LINES HIMSELF UP
IN FRONT OF HIS BUDDY,

KEEPS CHARLIE WITHIN
10 OR 15 FEET OF HIM,

AND BRINGS HIM HOME SLOWLY.

CHARLIE CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN JACK'S FOOTSTEPS

AND THE OTHER HORSE OR PEOPLE.

CHARLIE KNOWS THOSE FOOTSTEPS

LIKE HIS OWN HEARTBEAT.

ONCE CHARLIE KNOWS
JACK HAS HIM ON THE TRAIL,

YOU'LL NOTICE HE
STOPS SWEEPING...

BECAUSE HE KNOWS JACK IS
GOING TO LEAD HIM TO THIS AREA

THAT CHARLIE IS
MOST FAMILIAR WITH,

AND THEN HE'S GOOD.

WE SAY THAT HUMANS
ARE THE ONLY ONES

WITH THE INSTINCT OF COMPASSION.

I SAY THAT'S WRONG.

I SAY THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE
MORE COMPASSIONATE THAN OTHERS,

SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE
COMPASSIONATE THAN OTHER ANIMALS

BUT WE'RE ALL CAPABLE.

WE ALL HAVE THE SAME
INSTINCT TO BE COMPASSIONATE.

JACK GETS NOTHING OUT
OF THIS RELATIONSHIP.

CHARLIE CAN NEITHER PROTECT
HIM OR PROVIDE FOR HIM.

SO, WHAT JACK HAS DONE IS,
HE IS PROTECTING HIS FRIEND,

PERIOD, END OF STORY.

THERE IS NO CHARLIE
WITHOUT JACK.

ALL OF THE THINGS THAT A NORMAL,

SIGHTED HORSE
WOULD HAVE, HE HAS,

BASED ON A RELATIONSHIP
WITH AN OLD GOAT.

Narrator: AFTER 16
YEARS WITH JACK,

CHARLIE RECENTLY HAD HIS
LAST MOMENT IN THE SUN AND DIED.

JACK WALKED OUT TO HIS
FRIEND AND PUT HIS HEAD DOWN.

AND, UH, HE TURNED
AROUND AND WENT HOME.

UM, AND THE WAY HE
WENT HOME SURPRISED ME.

I KIND OF EXPECTED JACK TO
HAVE AN EMOTIONAL REACTION,

BUT HE REALLY DIDN'T.

HE TURNED AROUND, AND HE
HEADED BACK HOME DOWN THE TRAIL.

AND WENT TO HIS FAVORITE
PLACE TO BED DOWN AT NIGHT,

AND HE WAS DONE.

AT FIRST, I THOUGHT,

WELL, MAYBE HE DOESN'T
UNDERSTAND CHARLIE HAS GONE.

BUT THEN I THOUGHT,

WELL, HE'S NEVER LEFT HIS SIDE,

AND SEEING CHARLIE LAYING
DOWN LIKE THAT SHOULD ALARM JACK.

BUT, IT DIDN'T ALARM HIM.

HE JUST KIND OF WENT,
"OKAY, OLD FRIEND,

YOU KNOW, WE'RE DONE."

AND VERY QUICKLY,
HE'S GONE DOWNHILL.

I DON'T WANT THIS LITTLE GOAT
AND THIS LITTLE HORSE'S STORY

TO PASS UNKNOWN.

THE STIGMA WITH ANIMALS THAT
THEY'RE JUST MUSCLE AND BONE

AND ALL THEY CARE
ABOUT IS FOOD...

I MEAN, WHO WOULD THINK THAT

A GOAT WOULD TAKE
UP WITH A BLIND HORSE

AND SPEND YEARS DOING NOTHING
EXCEPT BABYSITTING THIS ANIMAL

JUST BECAUSE HE NEEDED HELP?

THESE GUYS HAVE SO
MUCH MORE TO THEM

THAN WE GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR.

WE BURIED CHARLIE
IN A SPOT IN THE WOODS

UNDER THE TREES WHERE
THEY USED TO HANG OUT.

AND YOU COULD GO
THERE IN THE AFTERNOON,

AND CHARLIE WOULD BE GRAZING,

AND JACK WOULD BE
LYING IN THE SUN, AND...

THAT'S WHERE WE PUT CHARLIE,

AND SOON JACK WILL JOIN
HIS FRIEND RIGHT THERE.

Grandin: I THINK
GRIEVING, YOU KNOW,

WHEN YOU LOSE A FRIEND,

IT'S A FORM OF
SEPARATION DISTRESS.

THERE'S SOME BRAND NEW
RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THAT

PHYSIOLOGICALLY,
THE PAIN CIRCUITS

ACTUALLY GET INVOLVED
IN EMOTIONAL PAIN.

THERE'S BEEN BRAIN SCAN STUDIES

WHERE THEY'VE PUT
PEOPLE IN SCANNERS

AND SHOW THEM PICTURES
OF DEPARTED LOVED ONES,

AND THE PAIN CIRCUITS
ARE TURNING ON.

Brent: WE ARE INTERESTED
IN WHAT THEY PERCEIVE,

AT LEAST WHEN IT COMES TO DEATH.

SO, WE'VE DESIGNED
AN EXPERIMENT WHERE

I SHOW MONKEYS PICTURES OF
THE FACES OF OTHER MONKEYS.

MONKEY, LOOK LEFT.

LOOK RIGHT.

ON ONE SIDE OF THE APPARATUS,

I'LL SHOW THEM THE PICTURE OF
AN ANIMAL WHO'S IN THEIR GROUP,

CURRENTLY ALIVE.

AND THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE APPARATUS,

I'LL SHOW THEM A
PICTURE OF AN ANIMAL

RECENTLY IN THEIR
GROUP, BUT WHO HAS DIED.

AND I RECORD THEIR REACTION.

AND IF THEY SPEND MORE TIME
LOOKING AT THE DEAD INDIVIDUAL,

POTENTIALLY THIS IS AN INDICATOR

THAT AT LEAST IT'S SOMETHING
THAT THEY FIND INTERESTING.

WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SAY,
"OH, IT'S A SIGN OF GRIEF,"

BUT AT LEAST IT'LL
BE A FIRST STEP

IN HAVING GOOD
QUANTITATIVE EVIDENCE

THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
THEY POTENTIALLY UNDERSTAND.

Narrator: PROFESSOR
BRENT'S FIELD RESEARCH

ON GRIEF AMONG
MACAQUES CONTINUES;

THE RESULTS OF HER EXPERIMENTS

HAVE YET TO BE TABULATED.

Brent: CURRENTLY, WE DON'T
ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND VERY MUCH

IF ANYTHING ABOUT
WHAT NON-HUMAN ANIMALS

THINK ABOUT DEATH.

WE CAN'T SAY WITH ANY CERTAINTY
THAT NON-HUMAN ANIMALS GRIEVE.

Bekoff: SOME PEOPLE
LIKE TO THINK THAT

WE ARE THE TEMPLATE
AGAINST WHICH

ALL OTHER ANIMALS
SHOULD BE COMPARED.

BUT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE
EXCLUSIVITY ON EMOTIONS.

WE HAVE JOY, OTHER
ANIMALS HAVE JOY.

WE HAVE DEEP GRIEF, OTHER
ANIMALS HAVE DEEP GRIEF.

OUR JOY MAY BE DIFFERENT
FROM THE JOY OF A DOG,

OR OUR GRIEF MAY
BE DIFFERENT FROM

THE GRIEF OF A
DEEPLY GRIEVING GOAT

WHO LOST THEIR HORSE FRIEND,

OR AN ELEPHANT WHO LOST
THEIR ELEPHANT FRIEND,

BUT FROM THE FACT
THAT IT'S DIFFERENT,

IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S LESS
DEEP, IT'S JUST DIFFERENT.

Narrator: AT THE MONKEYLAND

PRIMATE SANCTUARY
IN SOUTH AFRICA,

SURPLUS ZOO ANIMALS
AND ABANDONED PETS

ARE OFFERED A NEW BEGINNING.

KEEPERS HELP THEM GAIN
THEIR NATURAL IDENTITIES

IN A LARGE, PROTECTED HABITAT.

Schauerte: OUR MAIN CONCERN
WITH PRIMATES IS THAT

THEY ARE STILL BOUGHT AS A PET.

AND WE'VE SEEN IT WITH
EXPERIENCE THAT MONKEYS

DON'T MAKE GOOD PETS.

THE BACKGROUND

TO MOST OF OUR
INDIVIDUAL MONKEYS

AREN'T REALLY WELL KNOWN TO US,

BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO
BRING THE MONKEYS TO US

ARE NOT REALLY KEEN TO
ACTUALLY EXPLAIN THE SCENARIO

PRIOR TO THEM BEING
DROPPED OFF HERE.

Narrator: ATLAS THE GIBBON WAS
BORN IN A SOUTH AFRICAN ZOO.

HE WAS ONLY TWO WHEN HIS FATHER
BECAME VERY AGGRESSIVE WITH HIM

AND THE ZOO WAS FORCED TO
TAKE ATLAS AWAY FROM HIS FAMILY.

AFTER 13 YEARS AT MONKEYLAND,

HE IS STILL
STRUGGLING TO FIT IN.

ATLAS SPENT HIS FIRST FEW
MONTHS HERE IN A PRE-RELEASE CAGE

WITH TWO OTHER GIBBONS.

THE KEEPERS HOPED HE WOULD
BOND WITH MONKEYS THAT,

ALTHOUGH DARKER IN
COLOR, WERE OF HIS OWN KIND.

INSTEAD, ATLAS SPENT MORE TIME

FOCUSING HIS ATTENTION
ON THE MONKEYS

OUTSIDE THE ENCLOSURE.

Schauerte: ALL THE MONKEYS THAT
ACTUALLY LIVE IN MONKEYLAND

ARE CURIOUS OF NEWCOMERS.

SO, ANY NEW INDIVIDUAL

THAT IS ACTUALLY RELEASED
INTO THE PRE-RELEASE CAGE

WILL BE VISITED BY, TYPICALLY,

NEARLY EVERY SINGLE
MONKEY IN THE FOREST,

JUST TO SEE WHO THEY ARE.

Narrator: ONE GROUP OF MONKEYS

REALLY CAUGHT THE
EYE OF YOUNG ATLAS.

Schauerte: NORMALLY WE
DON'T SEE MUCH INTERACTION

BETWEEN SPECIES,
BUT CAPUCHIN MONKEYS,

WE NOTICED THAT,
ESPECIALLY THE JUVENILES,

WERE ENGAGING ON THE FENCING
OR ON THE ROOF OF THE CAGE,

WERE ENGAGING IN PLAYFUL
ACTIVITIES WITH ATLAS.

Narrator: WHEN IT CAME TIME TO
BE RELEASED FROM THE CAGE,

THE TWO OTHER GIBBONS
BOUNDED OFF INTO THE FOREST,

LEAVING ATLAS BEHIND.

THAT'S WHEN ATLAS MADE
AN UNEXPECTED DECISION.

HE JOINED THE CAPUCHINS,

MAKING THEM HIS
SURROGATE FAMILY.

IN THE WILD, MALE GIBBONS

ARE SUBSERVIENT TO FEMALES,

AND EVEN THEIR OWN OFFSPRING.

BUT FAMILY BONDS ARE
TIGHT AND ENDURING.

THE BONDS ATLAS HAS FORMED

WITH THE CAPUCHINS, HOWEVER,
ARE GENERAL AND FLEETING.

HE ENGAGES THE PLAYFUL CURIOSITY

OF THE JUVENILES UNTIL THEY GROW

AND MOVE UP IN THE TROOP.

THEN HE CONNECTS WITH
THE NEXT GENERATION.

Narrator: ATLAS WAITS
WITH THE JUVENILES

FOR HIS TURN TO EAT.

THE CAPUCHINS TOLERATE ATLAS;

HE'S A MISFIT.

BUT EVEN AS A MARGINAL
MEMBER OF THE TROOP,

HE GAINS SOME FEELING
OF COMPANIONSHIP.

THE CONFINES OF THE SANCTUARY
BRING TOGETHER MONKEYS

THAT WOULD RARELY COME
INTO CONTACT IN THE WILD.

AND THEY ALL HAVE TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET ALONG.

LARGER AND MORE AGGRESSIVE,

VERVETS ARE THE CAPUCHINS'
MAIN RIVALS FOR FOOD.

THE YOUNG CAPUCHINS VALUE ATLAS

AS A PROTECTIVE ALLY.

HE GUARDS THEM AS
THEY FEED, DRIVING OFF

THE COMPETITION.

Narrator: DESPITE HIS EFFORTS,

ATLAS SEEMS DESTINED
TO LEAD A SOLITARY LIFE.

MOST GIBBONS DO NOWADAYS,

BECAUSE THEIR
SPECIES IS ENDANGERED.

Schauerte: ANIMALS DON'T
ALWAYS FIND THE RIGHT PARTNER

AT THE RIGHT TIME,

ESPECIALLY NOWADAYS
WITH DEFORESTATION

BEING A BIG ISSUE IN THE WILD.

SO, THEY MAY BE SPENDING
MONTHS OR EVEN YEARS ALONE

WITHOUT THE BECK CALL OF FEMALE

THAT WOULD ACTUALLY
PARTNER UP WITH THEM.

Bekoff: MANY ANIMALS HAVE A
VERY STRONG SOCIAL DRIVE.

IT'S ALMOST AN INSTINCT
TO BE WITH OTHER ANIMALS.

AND YOU'LL FIND
VARIATION WITHIN SPECIES,

BUT REALLY MOST
INDIVIDUALS OF SOCIAL SPECIES

HAVE THIS INNATE
DRIVE TO HAVE FRIENDS

AND TO BE PART OF A GROUP.

SOME OF THE
CROSS-SPECIES RELATIONSHIPS

ARE REALLY AMONG ODD
COUPLES, IF YOU WILL.

Narrator: SOMETIMES, ANIMAL
ATTRACTION IS A MYSTERY.

THIS 45-YEAR-OLD
FEMALE ALDABRA TORTOISE

WAS CHOSEN BY AN UNLIKELY
SUITOR, A MALE BRANT GOOSE.

THE GOOSE FOLLOWS THE
TORTOISE EVERYWHERE,

AND WARY BE THE ONE WHO
GETS TOO CLOSE TO HER.

BRANT GEESE MATE FOR LIFE,

AND IN THE TORTOISE, OUR GOOSE
HAS FOUND A ROCK STEADY PARTNER,

BUT WHAT DOES THE
TORTOISE GET OUT OF IT?

WELL, SHE GETS A
PROTECTOR, A COMPANION,

AND A COVETED SPACE

AT THE ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT
SALAD BAR.

THE TORTOISE IS ENTIRELY CAPABLE
OF REBUFFING HIS ATTENTIONS,

BUT SHE ACCEPTS THEM.

THEY'VE BEEN TOGETHER
FOR OVER FOUR YEARS,

AND THEIR KEEPERS HAVE
NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT.

Brent: WHEN IT COMES TO FORMING

THESE COMPLICATED
RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS,

I THINK WE HAVE TO ADMIT THAT

WE'RE NOT THE ONLY
ONES THAT DO THAT,

AND THAT OTHER ANIMALS
HAVE FRIENDS, TOO,

AND POTENTIALLY
EVOLVED THAT TRAIT

FOR THE SAME REASON THAT WE DID.

THIS INCREDIBLY COMPLICATED,

TIME CONSUMING, SOMETIMES
PAINFUL, THING THAT WE DO...

GETTING A RELATIONSHIP
WITH ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL...

IS NECESSARY FOR OUR SURVIVAL.

Bekoff: GOOD SCIENTISTS ARE
REALLY TAPPING INTO STORIES

AND THEN DOING MORE
SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH.

IT'S GOING TO BE SLOW,

BECAUSE SCIENTISTS WE'RE
VERY SLOW TO ACCEPT THAT

DOGS HAD EMOTIONS.

SO, THEY'RE GOING
TO BE MORE RELUCTANT

TO THINK ABOUT
HIPPOS AND TORTOISES,

OR, SAY, CHEETAHS AND DOGS.

BUT I THINK WITH THIS
HEIGHTENED INTEREST

IN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS,

YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A
LOT MORE REPORTS OF IT

FROM CREDIBLE FIELD BIOLOGISTS.

Narrator: THE
RELATIONSHIPS WE'VE SEEN

BETWEEN ANIMALS DRAWN
TOGETHER ACROSS THE SPECIES DIVIDE

SHOW ELEMENTS OF
WHAT WE CALL FRIENDSHIP...

COMMUNICATION, TRUST,

COMPASSION, EVEN ALTRUISM.

BUT THESE PARTNERSHIPS ARE
BETWEEN DOMESTICATED ANIMALS,

OR HAVE BEEN FOSTERED
IN SOME WAY BY HUMANS.

WOULD AN ANIMAL IN THE WILD

FEEL COMPELLED TO
BUILD A FRIENDSHIP

WITH ANOTHER FROM
A DIFFERENT SPECIES?

Woman: IT WAS EITHER THE
NEXT DAY OR THE DAY AFTER,

I CAN'T QUITE REMEMBER,
WE STARTED HEARING

THE CALLING.

THE BABY SCREAMING, AND
THEY SOUND LIKE A BABY.

THEY SOUND LIKE A CHILD.

AND WE COULD HEAR IT, WE
DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.

SO WE WENT OUT TO INVESTIGATE,

AND WE COULDN'T SEE
ANYTHING, BUT WE COULD HEAR IT.

AND THIS WENT ON

FOR THREE DAYS.

IT WAS WANDERING
AROUND, CRYING AND CRYING.

AND WE REALIZED THAT
THE MOM HAD DESERTED IT.

EVENTUALLY IT GOT TO THE POINT
WHERE WE THOUGHT, YOU KNOW,

IT'S REALLY HOT OUT,

SHE'S IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE PADDOCK

CRYING HER LITTLE EYES OUT.

SO WE WENT OUT AND
BROUGHT HER IN THE HOUSE,

AND THAT WAS THAT.

KATE INSTANTLY TOOK TO THE FAWN.

SHE ACTED AS IF THIS WAS WHAT
SHE HAD ALWAYS BEEN WAITING FOR.

IT WAS AS IF A NEW
MOM HAD STEPPED IN,

AND THE FAWN
INSTANTLY BRIGHTENED UP.

AND IT JUST WENT UP FROM THERE.

KATE WAS AMAZING.

SHE WAS SO PATIENT.

I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED
BECAUSE THE FAWN WAS SO ROUGH

SUCKLING ON HER,
AND THERE'S NO MILK,

SO SHE KEPT BOOTING
HER, YOU KNOW,

HOW THEY DO THAT
WITH THEIR HEAD.

SHE NEVER RAISED A LIP.

SHE NEVER GROWLED,
SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING.

GOOD DOG!

KATE JUST SEEMED TO KNOW

THAT THIS LITTLE ANIMAL
NEEDED LOOKING AFTER.

SHE USED TO TAKE HER
AROUND THE EDGE OF THE LAWN

QUITE A BIT, AND INTO
THE FOREST A LITTLE BIT,

BUT NOT TOO FAR.

SO I'M NOT SURE IF SHE WAS
TEACHING HER BOUNDARIES OR NOT,

BUT IT LOOKED LIKE IT.

SHE WOULD WALK AROUND
SNIFFING AS IF SHE WAS GRAZING.

AND PIP WOULD BE RIGHT
BESIDE HER GRAZING.

BUT I DON'T KNOW WHETHER
KATE KNEW THAT SHE WAS

TEACHING HER
SOMETHING, BUT SHE DID.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T BELIEVE
IN MAKING THEM INTO PETS.

WE WERE JUST TRYING
TO SAVE HER LIFE.

I DIDN'T WANT TO BE PICKING
HER UP AND CUDDLING HER,

OR ANYTHING LIKE
THAT... SHE'S A DEER.

AND I WANTED HER
TO LIVE A DEER'S LIFE.

AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS,
SHE WANTED TO BE OUTSIDE

AND SLEEPING IN THE WOODS,

AND THAT'S THE WAY IT WENT.

AND IT WAS MORTIFYING,

YOU KNOW, THINKING THAT SHE
WAS SLEEPING OUT IN THE WOODS,

ALL ON HER OWN... BUT
THAT'S WHAT DEER DO.

THEY HIDE THEIR BABIES
FOR 12 HOURS AND GO OFF,

AND DO WHATEVER.

AND THE BABY HAS A SUCKLE,
AND THEN THE MOM'S GONE AGAIN.

SHE'D SLEEP IN THE
WOODS FOR HOURS,

AND THEN KATE WOULD
GO AND FIND HER.

SHE'D COME IN AND HAVE HER MEAL,

AND THEY'D PLAY
FOR A FEW MINUTES,

AND THEN SHE'D GO TO SLEEP
AGAIN, JUST LIKE ALL BABIES...

YOU KNOW, PLAY, EAT, SLEEP.

Narrator: AS THE MONTHS PASSED,
PIP GREW BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS.

AND SHE BEGAN TO STAY
AWAY FOR DAYS AT A TIME.

KATE KEPT A CONSTANT
VIGIL FOR HER FRIEND.

Springett: WHEN THEY
GREET EACH OTHER,

I'VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE IT.

IT'S NOT A DEER GREETING A DEER,
IT'S NOT A DOG GREETING A DOG.

IT'S DEFINITELY

SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE
BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM.

I THINK THE THING THAT
SURPRISED ME MOST

WAS WHEN THEY STARTED TO PLAY.

I'VE SEEN THEM BE VERY
LOVING TO EACH OTHER,

LIKE LAYING ON THE GRASS

AND CURLING THEIR
NECKS AROUND EACH OTHER,

AND JUST RESTING ON EACH OTHER.

AND TO ME, IT LOOKS
LIKE A LOVING FRIENDSHIP.

PIP HAS DONE A REALLY GOOD
JOB OF FOLLOWING HER INSTINCTS

AND NOT BECOMING
TOO, UH, HUMANIZED.

OTHER DOGS SOMETIMES COME AROUND

AND SHE DOESN'T
REACT TO THEM AT ALL.

SHE DOESN'T COME NEAR THEM.

IT'S ONLY KATE THAT
SHE IS ATTACHED TO.

Narrator: WHEN
SHE'S NOT WITH KATE,

PIP MERGES INTO THE HERD OF DEER
THAT GRAZE ON ISOBEL'S PROPERTY.

Springett: IT'S AMAZING THAT
SHE HAS A HUGE COMMUNITY

THAT SHE'S WITH, OF DEER,

AND SHE LEAVES THAT COMMUNITY
AND COMES TO SEE KATE,

I THINK IS REALLY COOL.

I THINK THAT'S AMAZING,

AND I THINK THAT SPEAKS
A LOT FOR ANIMALS...

NOT NECESSARILY INTELLIGENCE,

BUT THAT WE DON'T GIVE
THEM ENOUGH CREDIT

FOR HOW MUCH THEY
ABSORB IN THEIR LIVES,

HOW MUCH INFORMATION THEY
TAKE IN AND STORE AND THEY USE.

I THINK WE COULD BE GONE
FOR YEARS AND COME BACK

AND PIP WOULD STILL
KNOW WHO KATE WAS.

WHEN WE'RE IN THE WOODS,
SHE'LL OFTEN BE LOOKING FOR HER.

AND THEN WHEN SHE SEES
HER, SHE'S HAPPY TO SEE HER,

YOU KNOW... THE WHOLE
TAIL STARTS GOING, YOU KNOW.

THREE TIMES NOW,
SHE HAS HAD HER FAWNS

WITHIN A HUNDRED
FEET OF THE HOUSE,

AND I THINK THAT SHE FEELS THAT

SHE'S GETTING SOME
PROTECTION FROM KATE.

WHEN IT FIRST STARTED OUT,

THERE WAS A LOT OF
KATE LOOKING FOR PIPPEN.

SHE WOULD GO OFF INTO THE WOODS

AND LOOK FOR WHERE
SHE WAS SLEEPING,

AND WAS SO THRILLED
WHEN SHE WOULD FIND HER

AND WOULD BRING HER
BACK FOR HER FEEDING.

AND THAT WAS WHEN THERE
REALLY WAS A LOT OF INVESTMENT

BY KATE IN PIPPEN.

NOW, PIP COMES
BACK TO FIND KATE.

SO, I THINK THAT SPEAKS A HUGE
AMOUNT TO ANIMAL RELATIONSHIPS.

AND I THINK THAT'S THE BEAUTIFUL
THING THEY CAN TEACH US,

IS THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER
WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE,

IT DOESN'T MATTER
WHAT SPECIES YOU ARE.

WE'RE ALL FROM THE SAME PLANET.

WE ALL NEED BASICALLY
THE SAME THINGS.

WHY NOT A DOG AND A DEER?

WHY NOT?

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE
SEEN ON THIS "NATURE" PROGRAM,