Watch Primal Combat

In America's temperate north lies a tidal arena of streams, salt marshes and shorelines. The animals here are adapted to endure this wintry wilderness. But when spring arrives, they go on the offensive to capitalize on fleeting opportunity. A brown bear wakes from hibernation and goes head-to-head against the other males, looking to secure the best feeding spots. When the tides drop and expose a stretch of oyster beds and stranded fish, great blue herons seize the chance for a buffet...but a territorial bald eagle and her razor-sharp talons meet one heron's advances head-on. In the estuary above the bay, a deadly dragonfly nymph is set to gain her adult wings after four years in the stream. A venomous giant water bug is her biggest obstacle, but the nymph's impressive weaponry gives her more than a fighting chance in this underwater battle.

Across the tropical Americas, the landscape is dominated by dense and vibrant jungle. The conditions are hot, humid and unforgiving, but when the weather clears, animals make the most of the benign conditions. A poison dart frog fights to secure a tiny pool on the jungle floor to lure in a mate. A young jaguar must assert dominance over more experienced cats to claim a patch of his own land along the riverside. From the water, a caiman watches warily. He's no stranger to fighting for his territory to keep his prime fishing spot secured and will surely fight a jaguar, too. Inland, a coati matriarch must fight to protect her band of sisters as they battle unwanted male advances. It forces her right into the path of the orange-kneed tarantula, who is ready to unleash a bizarre hair-flicking technique in an attempt to defend himself.

Isolated for millions of years, Australia's animals evolved into masters of survival armed with venomous toxins, lightning-fast reactions, and clever defenses. But life here is getting tougher. The continent is getting hotter and drier, and it is reliably ravaged by bushfires. In the wake of a massive wildfire along a stretch of coast, animals rise from the ashes. A young eastern grey kangaroo seeks to assume a leadership role by engaging in head-to-head battles with other males in the group. A bull ant runs into a redback spider, whose trap is designed for just such unsuspecting prey. In the water, a mother fur seal must keep her pup fed, but she must travel further out to sea to do so. Out there, great white sharks are hunting, and the fur seal is a prime victim. It becomes an underwater contest of wits and endurance!

On the great savannah of southern Africa, the dry season is tightening its grip on a small watering hole. It hasn't rained for eight months, and the animals that live on its fringes are being drawn into contentious proximity. For the lioness, the watering hole means a steady supply of prey — although some rivals, like cape buffalo, are willing to fight with her toe-to-toe and will kill her if they get the chance. When an elephant herd arrives, her territorial supremacy is lost, and the valuable water drains even faster. Her hunting chances diminish, challenging her ability to feed her cubs. Nearby, a fearless honey badger searches for his next meal when a deadly puff adder crosses his path. Across the watering hole, an army of Matabele ants lay siege to a towering termite mound, leading to a battle among hundreds of soldiers.