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Episode 3 of 6

Animals must find a home that provides the necessities of life, shelter from the elements and a refuge from enemies.

Animals must find somewhere to live - a place that provides the necessities of life, shelter from the elements and a refuge from enemies. Good homes are rare and competition can be intense - finding a home is one thing, but defending it is quite another.

Home for a pack of African hunting dogs is a vast plain in Zambia. But it's far from safe. They must protect their young from predators and battle their age-old enemy, the hyena.

Hermit crabs on an isolated tropical island make their homes in empty snail shells. But there is a severe housing shortage. When a new property washes ashore the crabs form an orderly queue, in order of size. It's a housing chain. When the chain is complete each crab moves into the newly vacated shell ahead of it in the line.

Chimps have made a home on the edge of the Sahara Desert. They only survive by knowing how to find water even in the most extreme droughts. The elders lead their troop on a brutal trek to a dried-out riverbed. Once there they know exactly where to dig to create wells.

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59 minutes

Audio described

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter David Attenborough
Producer Ian Gray
Series Producer Michael Gunton

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