NARRATOR: Squirrel colonies
usually work together
to fend off predators
but this female
has decided to go it alone.
She fluffs her tail to appear
bigger, distracts the cobra,
and shields her body
from the snake's strikes.
Sharp teeth deliver a
quick bite to its tail.
The cobra strike could kill her.
Drop for drop, the
cape cobra's venom
is thought to be more deadly
than that of the black mamba.
She's batting out of her league.
Her cocky confidence
takes a hit as she struck
but it's just a blade of grass.
It's a reality check.
She needs to back down.
The action has
caught the attention
of a far meaner neighbor.
In seconds, the squirrel's
gone from snake killer
to scaredy cat.
She's bitten off more
than she can chew.
But lucky for her,
this yellow mongoose
is the resident cobra hitman.
It's game on.
Snakes to the mongoose are
like peanuts to the squirrel.
Guts of steel make him
the perfect housemate
but he's not a freeloader.
He's the colony security
system, specializing
in deadly intruders.
The cobra's speedy
defense strike
is its trump card, the only
thing that'll keep him alive.
They are each
other's prey but they
are also each other's
deadliest opponents.
The mongoose circles,
looking for a weakness
in the cobra's defense.
A quick strike needs a
"Matrix" style getaway.
It's a battle of speed.
The cobra tries intimidation
but it's not enough.
They know that if either turns
their back, they're a goner.
They size up their
weapons and punches fly.
The cobra delivers
its winning blow.
He's been spared from
becoming mongoose dinner.
The mongoose is immune to a
certain quantity of the cobra's
venom but right now,
he's not hungry enough
to push those limits.
