Seven Worlds, One Planet

Guanaco are South American camelids and are an important prey species for cougars. Fully grown guanacos, standing over two metres tall and weighing over three times the weight of a cougar, are well able to hold their own in a chase, defending themselves by kicking its aggressor with its sharp hooves. After multiple attempts, we finally see a younger individual fall prey to a mother cougar.

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Humboldt penguin use the soft guano found on the cliffs of Peru to dig its nest holes. During the breeding season, these penguins must make regular trips to the ocean, both to clean off and to catch food for their chicks. To get there however, they must bravely navigate the minefield of sea lions that crowd the beach, often surfing the backs of the pinnipeds much to their chagrin.

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The spectacled bear is a rare creature, found in the cloud forests of the Andes. Its omnivorous diet means that it often climbs up to the forst canopy 30 metres high to find avocado-like fruit. These bears have learned how to bite branches to bring them falling down to the forest floor, where they can more easily feed.

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The cotton-topped tamarin is a critically endangered species of monkey endemic to Colombia. They feed mainly on fruit and tree sap, and supplement their diet with insects.

The blue manakin is known for its elaborate group courtship displays known as lekking. The lead male performs a dance with a team of subordinate males to woo a potential mate; if the female is not impressed, the males go back to practice their routine.

The mimic poison frog exhibits a remarkable parenting behaviour, showing great coordination between the parents and an incredibly memory to ensure the survival of their young. The males will carry their tadpoles on their back to the safety of small pools of water formed within plants throughout their jungle environment, while the females will lay unfertilised eggs in these pools to provide food for the tadpoles.

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Scarlet macaws are monogamous species, with pairs bonding for life and returning to the same trees they've known for decades. They travel up to 50 miles to visit the banks of the Amazon River, where they feed their chicks fruits and seeds. To ensure their chicks' brains and bones develop properly, they must also make the long journey to clay licks to collect salt.

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Southern mealy parrots are a common sight at clay licks in the Peruvian Amazon, where it competes with other birds for a spot at the feeding grounds.

Shoals of piraputanga that live in the crystal-clear waters of Bonito, in Brazil, are able to use their superior visibility above the surface to find unique feeding opportunities. The fish will often follow troops of brown capuchins along the river as they search for ripe fruit. As the monkeys feed, some fruit invariably falls into the water where the piraputanga are ready waiting. Even after the monkeys have dispersed, the fish, now with the knowledge of where the fruit is, are able to launch themselves out of the water with surprising accuracy to grab it.

Troops of Azaras's capuchin search for ripe fruit along the banks of the streams in Bonito, Brazil. They are often followed by piraputanga fish who rely on the monkeys' sloppy eating habits to feed on fruit that falls into the water. While doing this, the troop typically has a sentry on watch to keeps an eye out for danger, such as anacondas that lie in wait below the surface and pose a danger to any monkey that strays too close to the water.

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