From violent clashes between kangaroos to the skilled hunting strategies of wolves, the animal kingdom is full of dramatic confrontations.
Narrated by David Attenborough and other great wildlife documentary makers, this BBC Earth footage captures some of the best battles in the animal kingdom.
Best fights in the animal kingdom
Kangaroos boxing
A male kangaroo must take on rival males, with champion fighters winning privileged access to the females. Young kangaroos (joeys) are trained from an early age when they leave the pouch, their mothers acting as opponents while they test their strength. Adult males will be muscular, facing challengers who are vying for access to the females. Eye gouging, kicking and punching are all part of the boxing match.
Polar bear vs walrus
The polar bear uses the fog for cover, its white fur camouflaged against the white sky. The herd of walruses puts up a strong defensive wall, before fleeing into the water. The polar bear's chance of its first meal in months falls way.
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Ibex fight for mating ritual
The Nubian ibex requires constant access to a pool of water, but a male dominates the area so he can choose a female mate. Competitors will approach, and the ibex’s majestic curled horns lock against one another. Their skulls are specially reinforced to take a battering, and they throw their entire weight against one another during these battles.
Bison fight for mating rights
The bison mating season is ripe for fighting, with tensions rising as the herd grows. Males (bulls) become more aggressive and will rut with one another for dominance and access to females.
Did you know? The bison is Europe's largest land mammal.
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Wolves hunt a hare
A wolf pack must work together and raising the young as a collective. They then search many thousands of miles to hunt, working together to track down prey. To catch the speedy hare, the wolves must work as a team to approach from all sides and trap it.
Killer whales vs sea lions
Channels enable the killer whales to approach closer to the beach, posing a serious threat to the sea lions – but to get off the beach, the killer whale has to thrash its body. No other whale beaches itself like this, or uses this method to retreat back into the sea after it has hunted.
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Chimpanzees attack a young male
This footage shows dominant male chimpanzees attacking a youngster that follows the group. The young chimp wants to be accepted into this elite group, but to do so, he must show his strength in the most brutal way.
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Great white shark attacks a robotic seal
The great white shark makes an exploratory bite on the robotic seal, testing to see if it’s worth hunting. Thanks to its highly developed sense of taste, the great white shark quickly realises that this capture isn’t worth its time.
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Crocodile ambushes a wildebeest
A herd of wildebeest is left confused as a crocodile emerges from the water and snatches one of the unsuspecting animals mid-drink, unaware of the danger. As the wildebeest return to the water, more crocodiles join the hunt, quickly snapping up their prey.
Main image: two male bison fighting in a field. Credit: Getty
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