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Life Story

Series 1

Episode 4: Power

Duration: 59 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC One HDLatest broadcast: on BBC Scotland

Available for years

Animals must try to gain a position of power in their worlds. The most powerful have best access to food and water, and they are also the most attractive to the opposite sex.

An orphaned, friendless, young chimp leaves his playful youth behind as he attempts to climb the social ladder. His troop is ruled by big, aggressive males. His first attempt to join them ends in a beating, but making his first friend changes his life. Together, they hunt for small mammals using spears, and share the spoils. It's an act that changes them from friends to allies.

In meerkat society, knowledge is power, and knowing how to deal with a venomous snake is essential for any youngster who wants to be a player in its world.

Few young male kangaroos will ever get to occupy the top spot in their world. The only way is to fight and beat the eight-foot tall ruling male in a brutal boxing match. Show less

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