Method in the misbehaviour
Many species will go to great lengths to survive – but is it all as bad as it seems?
Animals Behaving Badly TV BBC One
Due to air in spring/summer. See RT for details.
The natural world is full of animals that we could be forgiven for describing as ‘naughty’. And we’re not talking about scuffles at bird tables or pinching the odd bit of food. We’re talking about creatures that cheat, vandalise and deceive; that double-cross their allies, incite wars and – gasp – snatch babies from their mothers’ arms. Indeed, the animal kingdom is a hotbed of scoundrels who will stop at nothing to overcome life’s great challenges: mating, feeding and surviving.
Presented by biologist Liz Bonnin, this new series criss-crosses the globe to bring us the naughtiest creatures of them all, delving into the science behind their scandalous ways. “Natural history TV often showcases animals in all their glory – we wanted to show another side, in which they break all the rules and do whatever it takes to survive,” says producerdirector Joanne Ashman. “When researching our stories, we were asking experts to share the very ‘worst’ things that animals do.”
When it comes to breeding (part one), the stakes are particularly high, with both males and females deploying all sorts of roguish tactics to ensure their genes are passed on. The female Gunnison’s prairie dog, for instance, is something of a philanderer, seeking as many partners as possible in her annual, six-hour mating window; male barbary macaques have a habit of kidnapping youngsters to use as peace offerings to disgruntled dominants; and long-tailed manakins are shameless back-stabbers, pairing up with subordinates to perform extravagant courtship displays, only to claim the females for themselves.
Notorious it all sounds, but there is method in the mischief. Polyandry on the prairie ensures not only a higher chance of conception, but greater genetic diversity in the ensuing offspring; baby-snatching is a social rather than aggressive response to conflict, resulting in a safer arena for raising young (and panic not – infants are returned to their mothers); and the double-crossing dancers contribute, in the long run, to building reputable display-grounds that their deputies will one day inherit. “Many species have quirky, characteristic survival strategies,” says Joanne. “I hope this series helps people to see animals in a new light – nature can still surprise us.”
WE WERE ASKING EXPERTS FOR THE VERY ‘WORST’ THINGS THAT ANIMALS DO.”
Sarah McPherson