Pets: Wild at Heart (2015): Season 1, Episode 1 - Playful Creatures - full transcript

Our favourite pets are among the
most amazing animals on Earth.

They've taken to a domestic life
and become our perfect companions.

But their natural
instincts remain intact.

They may have been tamed
for thousands of years...

..but they were wild
animals for millions more.

Some were smart and supreme predators.

Others were alert
and fleet-footed prey.

Whatever their origins, they
now live happily among us.

But behaviour that feels
familiar was born in the wild.

Take a closer look, and discover
the true animal sharing your home.

A creature just a
wing-beat from the wild.



- David Tennant Espa?a -
- www.davidtennant.es -

Sincronizado por:
EMDM

We think we understand our pets.

Cute and adored,

they seem far removed from
their wild living relatives.

We love to watch them play.

But there's more to their
games than meets the eye.

These puppies are still
training for life as a predator.

As they play, they
rehearse the same rules

that enable wolves to
hunt as an organised pack.

They must take care
- even at seven weeks,

these cockerpoos are armed
with 28 needle-sharp teeth.

Dominant puppies choose to fight
weaker ones, but no-one gets hurt.

Puppies that ignore the rules
are soon ostracised by the others.



They must learn to restrain their bite.

If a puppy shows its vulnerable belly,

then it's a signal to take time out.

All else is fair game a chance to
let rip and practice killer holds.

And death shakes too.

They need teamwork to
bring down large prey,

even if, for now, it's just a cushion.

They may have been
domesticated for 30,000 years,

but play still prepares
them for life in the wild.

But their games have
modern relevance too.

HOWLING

Dogs, more than any of our pets,
must learn to rub along together.

They're often forced into situations
no wild animal would tolerate.

In New York, dog walkers exercise
many different breeds at a time.

It's the closest the
dogs get to pack life.

But, unlike hunting wolves, these
dogs are completely unrelated.

Recent research in a New York dog park

revealed the full complexity
of their social interactions.

They first become reacquainted using
their celebrated sense of smell -

up to 100,000 times more
sensitive than our own.

By sniffing scent glands
on another dog's bottom,

they check its identity,

as well as its diet,
health and emotional state.

Once everyone's formally
introduced, the play begins.

It may be boisterous,

but the wild rules
they practised as pups

stop things getting out of hand.

Opting out is perfectly acceptable,

and for small dogs, not unreasonable!

Toy breeds must feel at
a distinct disadvantage.

But this Boston terrier's
up for the challenge,

no matter how great!

He knows the rules.

Exchange doggy bows,
and he won't get hurt.

The "play bow" lets him have fun

with a Great Dane three times his size.

It's an invitation
every dog understands.

It's quite OK to refuse, and anyway,

there are always others up for a game.

Leaping together
establishes who's biggest.

It's another way to test each other.

But, size isn't everything -

it's about confidence and posturing too,

as this belligerent bulldog knows.

The young Labrador uses a
trick she learnt in play -

rolling over and exposing
her vulnerable belly.

The bulldog may be
pumped up with aggression,

but the Lab's submissive posture
takes the fight right out of him.

Playing together as puppies

allows dogs to understand
the rules of the park.

Pets that are prey play different games.

For Russian hamsters,
it's all about running.

In nature, they cover six miles a night,

and they often have to outrun predators.

In captivity,

they can cover the same
distance by running on the spot.

And it seems they do it for fun!

When scientists placed
a wheel in the wild,

mice took to it just as keenly
as this enthusiastic hamster.

Like human athletes, exercise
creates a rush of endorphins.

He experiences a runner's high.

At full pelt he reaches
600 strides a minute -

four times more than
the fastest racehorse.

Moving X-ray shows that, unlike horses,

even when flat out he always
keeps one foot on the ground.

He may be fast,

but nothing improves performance
like a bit of competition.

Hamsters aren't the most
sociable of creatures.

It seems they're bad losers too.

The loser settles for
the consolation prize

while the winner goes for gold.

Like wild hamsters, he
mostly runs at dawn and dusk.

But, when the time is right,

enthusiasm can get the better of him.

His racing instinct is so
engrained, little puts him off.

The quest for speed, once vital
for survival, has become a game.

One that also tests
his acrobatic skills.

But, perfection is so hard to achieve!

Time flies when you're having fun!

And, while he's been enjoying
himself, so has the other hamster!

Kittens also use play to
practise their wild skills.

In nature, they are solitary hunters,

and their games prepare
them for a life alone.

They have some impressive
abilities to perfect.

Their eyes are already reacting
to the slightest movement,

but their reflexes
still need sharpening.

Leg muscles must be exercised too.

He'll soon jump seven times his height.

Claws and paws expand as
he practices grasping prey.

His other qualities include a
spine that can twist 180 degrees,

and a tail that acts as a counterbalance

so he famously lands on his feet.

He even has built-in shock absorbers!

It was these skills that made wild
African cats useful pest controllers

when they moved in with the
first farmers 10,000 years ago.

After all these years,
little has changed.

These two-month old Bengal
kittens are still practising

for a life as independent hunters.

In the wild, in another three months,

they would be killing their own food.

These kittens will soon be separated
and begin life in their new homes.

But, whoever's pet they become,

they'll already be fully
trained as a predator.

Prey animals, like these
five-week-old lop-eared rabbits,

also practice their
survival skills through play.

For a rabbit, it's all about hopping!

These leaps may be defensive,
but learning is clearly great fun.

Their mother's natural instincts

compel her to dig a bolt
hole in case of predators.

Some pet rabbits get the chance to
test out these games in the wild.

To find them, we must go "down the
rabbit hole" into another world.

This rabbit wonderland
is on an island in Japan.

It even has a white rabbit,

a descendant of pet rabbits
released here 40 years ago.

They still come in many colours,

though most have reverted
to the brown wild form.

Because they breed like, well, like
rabbits, there are hundreds of them.

They are free to express
their wild instincts,

but they have stayed tame,

and are treated like
pets by adoring visitors.

By adapting a pose they
use to spot predators,

they've even learnt to beg.

But no self-respecting wild rabbit
would contemplate standing so close.

While most rush to greet the visitors,

the white rabbit is always late.

White rabbits are legendary across Asia,

and its image is thought to be
found on the face of the moon.

So he always gets special treatment.

The rabbits may act like pets,

but their natural
instincts have resurfaced.

As well as living in a
warren like wild rabbits,

some take up sentry duty.

Her ears turn independently
to pinpoint any sounds.

And she has eyes that can
scan nearly 360 degrees.

Grazing rabbits rely on
sentries to warn them of danger.

The alarm, when it comes,
is understood by all...

..or nearly all!

Here, bolt holes are used in earnest.

But this older and wiser rabbit
knows to ignore false alarms.

Foxes or eagles aren't found here,

and a crow is hardly in their league.

As life returns to normal, the
rabbits do what they do best.

But this is serious leaping.

Their back legs are
their greatest asset,

and a target for aggressive rivals.

As they jump away, their
kick packs a defensive punch.

Females leap to ward
off over-amorous males.

And bucks compete in the
high jump to prove who's best.

On Rabbit Island, the lessons
learnt as playful youngsters

show their true value.

For all our pets, the time
spent with their mother

is the most important of their lives.

It's an opportunity to nurture their
wilder side before humans intervene.

Kittens learn to use a designated nipple

that they mark with
their own distinct scent.

In this way, they keep
squabbling to a minimum

and themselves to themselves.

They may be showing the
first signs of independence,

but at this age, they depend
on their mother for everything.

Thermal imagery shows
that even her body warmth

is vital for their survival.

10-day old kittens can't
regulate their temperature,

so she keeps them nestled in her fur.

Unseen, a kitten starts to stray.

Although his eyes have only just
opened, he still can't see clearly.

And away from his mother,
he's already losing heat.

His instinct is to cry.

And it's a call no mother can ignore.

Being carried by the scruff

triggers an instinct
that stops him struggling,

or making a sound that
could attract predators.

A mother with young kittens

instinctively uses this technique
whenever she changes dens.

Moving home is one thing, getting
enough to eat is quite another.

She lives on Cat Island in Japan, a
moggie paradise full of feral cats.

They were imported to catch vermin

when the island was a centre
for the silkworm industry.

They now survive by
scavenging from fishermen.

Their kittens are brought
up in the perfect playground.

But their busy mums
have to juggle childcare

with the important
job of getting a meal,

and their chance comes just once a day.

The boats are returning,
laden with fish.

Kittens more than a few weeks
old can happily be left alone.

They are old enough to stay
warm and keep out of trouble

as their mother searches for a meal.

But the mother with the
new kitten faces a problem.

At 10 days old, he's too
young to be left on his own.

So, mum's left holding the baby

while the other cats
enjoy their fish supper.

Squabbles over food are inevitable.

But soon, everyone gets
a slice of the action,

except for the new, and
now very hungry, mother.

She looks for a possible solution.

She squeezes her eyes a greeting
that most cat owners will recognise.

The new arrival grooms the baby...

..then turns her
attention to the mother.

It's her way of offering to babysit.

The mother doesn't wait to
see if she'll change her mind!

Baby-sitting is natural among cats,
especially between related females.

She's probably her sister.

Meanwhile, mum searches for
scraps left by the other cats.

It's a chance for her childminder
to enjoy time with the baby,

but she's clearly not sure what to do.

The young kitten has
reawakened her urge to play,

even though he's far
too young for games.

Then every baby-sitter's nightmare!

She checks she hasn't been seen,

but the mother's focused
on gaining a meal.

Desperate times call
for desperate measures.

The mother senses something's wrong.

But then, in the nick of time, success!

Mum might try a less playful
baby-sitter next time!

It's the cat's playful nature,

as well as their independence
of mind, that helps make them

the world's most popular pet,

beating dogs, paws down.

Our third most cherished
pet is equally playful.

The common parakeet, better
known as the budgerigar,

is found naturally in
the outback of Australia.

They are social birds,

occurring in huge flocks as they
search for both food and water.

They are highly intelligent and,
even in the heart of the flock,

families stick together.

It's this friendly nature
that, for the last 150 years,

has made them such
perfect human companions.

In homes, these intensely social birds

are hard-wired to seek out company.

Who's a pretty bird? Disco,
who's a pretty bird? Baby.

A mirror provides a
temporary companion -

he doesn't see it as a
reflection of himself,

more a buddy who comes and goes.

But, when he wants
some real quality time,

he's learnt some playful
tricks to get noticed.

I see you over there!
Baby bird, baby bird.

Come on, baby bird!

What are you doing,
Disco? What did mama say?

Are you dancing? What is it, Disco?

Yah? Come on over.

Come on out.

Having captured his owner's attention,

he can practice another skill.

It's not easy being green.

It's not easy being green.
It's not easy being green.

Mimicry isn't as unnatural as it seems.

Wild parakeets mimic each other,

and each family learns
their own distinct calls.

Never shake a baby bird.

That would surely be absurd.

Never shake a baby bird.

That would surely be absurd.

This budgie is just doing
what he would do in the flock.

Is that a parakeet. What is it?

A green and yellow bird that talks?

That's not important right now.

Even having a name may not
be as unnatural as it seems.

I'm Disco and I know it.

I'm Disco and I know it.

I am not a crook. My name is Disco.

Wild parrots have been
shown to assign special calls

to name their offspring, just
as we name our own pet budgies.

Baby bird. Disco baby bird.

Keep it bird.

In turn, young parrots learn these names

and use them to introduce themselves.

I am not a crook. My name is Disco.

This extraordinary
ability may mean that Disco

has a sense of his own identity.

It certainly seems so at times.

Disco baby.

Talking is now a game,

a way to express wild behaviour
in the confines of his home.

A cat. Meow, meow.

Give me a kiss.

I can has cheeseburger.

Aren't you a little
short for a stormtrooper?

Disco.

I used to be a spy, then a parakeet.

Phew, I'm a doctor, not a parakeet!

I'm a doctor.

Disco, has memorised
over 130 phrases in all.

My cage is bigger on the inside.

My cage is bigger on the inside.

Like learning any new language,
practice makes perfect,

even if it means talking in your sleep.

Give me free ride. Keep up.

Give me for free.

Nobody expects...

Good night Disco.

The intimacy between Disco
and his owner may be unusual,

but the desire to play can bring
the oddest of couples together.

The puppy uses play
bows to start a game,

something a cat wouldn't
normally understand.

But, the cat has known the
puppy since she was born,

and he's learnt her playful signals.

Having agreed to a game, he
keeps his claws firmly sheathed.

Cats and dogs are our most popular pets,

but we treat them both very differently.

Cats are the only pets with the freedom

to come and go as they please.

With plenty of time to play with,

this ginger tom has
created his own game.

He free climbs for fun.

He could have used the cat flap!

Impressive, but great feats
require careful preparation.

He scratches to make
sure his claws are sharp.

This removes old claw coverings,
which break off and fall.

These sheaths protect the new
sharp claw growing underneath.

They are lost naturally every few weeks.

But it's better to be safe.

Climbing demands equipment
that can be relied on.

A loose sheath now could spell disaster.

When the climb gets challenging,
he has a hidden tool.

It flicks out like a knife.

This is the dewclaw -

a claw wild cats use to climb
trees while chasing prey.

This tom needs all the help he can get.

This is what's commonly
called a cliff-hanger.

Another sheath falls
- a close shave.

With all his proverbial lives
intact, he survives another day.

The black cat was simply expressing
his irrepressible urge to play.

In contrast, playtime for dogs

is usually at the hands of their owners.

But in her doggy world, being taken
for a walk is seen very differently.

For her, it's an imaginary hunt.

She searches for scent trails,

zigzagging her nose to stay on track.

She's aware of who passed and when,

even getting information from
trails left several weeks ago.

She's hypersensitive to
every sound and movement,

hoping for something to chase.

Throw a ball and she's
mentally back pursuing prey.

And she catches it with
instinctive precision.

With the determination of a wild animal,

she's always ready to run again.

In play, fit dogs will run and run.

Their wild relatives are
champion marathon runners,

exhausting their prey
by chasing them down.

Like a wolf, this German
shepherd can reach 35mph,

and can happily cover 50 miles in a day.

Blanketed with fur from head to paws,

he's perfectly insulated
against the cold,

but, when things really hot up,

he can only sweat through his foot pads.

Instead, he uses his tongue
to lose heat by evaporation -

as its blood vessels dilate,

the tongue extends and swells.

Panting cools the hot blood even faster.

Thermal imagery shows
where all the heat escapes,

and how no heat is lost
through his thick coat of fur.

With a pet so geared
for a life chasing prey,

it's hardly surprising they're
sometimes so difficult to control.

Let a dog off the leash

and her natural instincts kick in.

She's always on the edge of doing
something wild and unexpected.

This playful dog takes
the plunge again and again.

She may enjoy her mischievous game,

but once it had real survival value.

Wolves still often use doggy paddle
to cross rivers in pursuit of prey.

When a dog swims, he simply
trots as he would on land,

but makes longer and faster strides.

This bearded collie

shows how surprisingly
effective this stroke is.

For maximum efficiency, she
spreads her paws on the downstroke.

Dogs see surprisingly
well under water, too.

As they doggy paddle,
they practise skills

that helped their ancestors
become the most widespread

of all predators.

Dogs are unusual in having such freedom.

Most pets have to fulfil
their natural urges

within the confines of their cage.

All pet golden hamsters

are descended from just one family

found in the deserts of Syria

in the middle of the last century.

Give them a tunnel system,

and they are transported

back to the wild.

In the desert, they would shelter
from the heat and predators

by hiding in burrows during the day.

Moving X-rays reveal just
how manoeuvrable he is.

His flexible spine allows him
to take sharp turns easily.

In fact, his spine is so bendy, he
can completely turn back on himself.

Few other animals can
perform this complete U-turn.

Presented with food,

he acts as if it's his last meal,

stuffing the surplus into
cheek pouches to be eaten later.

To keep his food fresh and dry,

he secretes no saliva.

X-ray shows just how
he packs it all in.

His pouches extend all
the way to his hips.

And when he can't fit in another morsel,

he carries his favourite treat with him.

Easier said than done!

Disgorging his stash
is his next challenge.

The nuts stick to his dry cheek pouches.

But he has a way to
tackle the problem -

his surprisingly dexterous paws.

Hamsters make these stores,
because in the desert

they never know where their
next meal may come from.

Here it's a form of play
- a way to enjoy wild behaviour

that in captivity has no real purpose.

Even a pet that has all
the freedom in the world,

like this Birman cat,

still spends most of
her waking hours hunting

for no useful reason at all.

The urge to hunt may be irresistible

but as she's never hungry

there's no point killing the vole.

It's far more fun to release it

in the confines of her home.

Hunting is no longer a necessity -

it too has become a game.

The point isn't to kill her prey -

it's all about the chase.

Even at the risk of
losing it completely.

VOLE SQUEAKS

VOLE SQUEAKS

Such cat and mouse games

are the whole focus of her free time.

She spent over 20 hours hunting

just to get this vole.

Having invested so
much time catching it,

she's not about to let it go easily.

But then again,

it's so easy to lose concentration.

VOLE SQUEAKS

It may be frustrating,

but at least she's fulfilled her

natural urge to hunt.

Domestic cats rarely eat their kills,

they have everything they
need presented on a plate.

Cats are unusual among our pets

as they are free to come and go
from our homes as they please.

But in Cusco in Peru,

pet dogs traditionally do the same.

Each day they're let out from their
house to do whatever they wish.

To reveal their secret lives,
some are carrying mini-cameras.

Each dog seems to be on
its own individual mission.

But as they travel, numbers build.

Fortunately, they're
streetwise and traffic savvy.

CARS TOOTING

Although some of these dogs
are strays, most have owners,

and all know the streets of Cusco
as well as any local cab driver.

They not only have a
surprising grasp of road safety,

but they understand
human etiquette, too.

They're never aggressive to people

and just step into line as they pass.

They seem to be converging
on the same spot.

This is their city, and they
know every secret gathering place.

The camera-dog soon finds
the gang - a huge pack of 20.

This is far bigger than
the average wolf pack,

and, unlike wolves,
these dogs are unrelated -

they are just mutts from all over town.

The camera-dog takes a closer look.

The centre of attention
is this female on heat.

The scent enticed the males
from three miles away, or more.

But the camera-dog
is pushing his luck -

she already has a partner.

She's chosen a dog with
proven tough credentials.

This canine bruiser holds
everyone else at bay.

It's only the people who
are playing games, now -

for the dogs, things
have just got serious.

In frustration, fights break out.

And this is no dog park,

this is real street-fighting.

But, despite the ferocity,

the rules they learned as playful
puppies govern the encounter -

the bites rarely make contact,

and no-one gets seriously hurt.

Through these fights, everyone
gets to know who is top dog.

He might not be the
best-looking mutt in town,

but he is the one who
finally gets the girl.

Despite the aggression that got
these new romantics together,

there is surprising
affection between them.

And there's something else
very special about these dogs -

at the end of the day, it's their choice

whether to go home.

As soon as it's dinner time,
they start to peel away.

Some travel in groups...

..and others travel alone.

But they've just one place in mind.

In a choice between the
wild and home comforts -

they know where their loyalties lie.

It's their close companionship with us,

that keeps the wild wolf at bay.

Cusco dogs may openly
lead a double life,

but all our pets find ways to
get in touch with their wild side

even if it's just through play.

They may live among us

and be cared for and adored,

but their true wild nature

is just a whisker away.

Hola!

Next time, we'll see
how the hidden senses

and secret communications of our pets

also keeps them wild at heart.