Wild Assassins

Imagine coming face to face with the most venomous snake in North America. Or the deadliest spider in the world. In this episode of Wild Assassins, we will get up close and personal with some of the most venomous animals on the planet. From the Sydney Funnel Web Spider - ranked among the most venomous arachnids in the world - to North America's most feared snake - the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. We will follow how they stalk their prey, prepare to strike and ultimately deploy their paralysing and deadly weapon of choice - venom.

You would not want to find yourself face to face with any of the animals in this episode of Wild Assassins. All ambush predators, with piercing teeth and the most powerful bite forces ever recorded. These stealthy creatures' weapon of choice is their ability to chomp down hard on their prey - perfect in battle but also when on the hunt. Grizzly Bears, Great White Sharks and the animals recorded to have existed thirty million years before the Dinosaurs - Crocodiles and Alligators.

Out of sight but never out of mind, these lethal stealthy predators are the masters of hide and seek, but once you are found there's a very high chance you're dead. Leopards lurk in the trees above and amongst the grassland of the savannah, stalking their prey with unparalleled cunning. Cheetahs hide among the swaying brush, infamous for their ability to reach speeds of 75mph. The Praying Mantis - the most voracious, stealthy predator of the insect world. These silent, hidden killers are the ones you most definitely want to keep an eye out for.

These gentle giants roam some of the world's most beautiful plains, armed with tusks that have the applied force of fourteen thousand pounds per square inch. But the mighty Elephants are not the only animals in the wild that use their evolutionary weapons to their advantage. Cape Buffalos travel in herds and are fiercely protective of their young, they kill more humans in the wild than Lions or Tigers, fending off predators with their powerful horns. They can weigh up to 850kg making them four times the size of an Ox. Along with Bison, Walruses and Wildebeest, this episode of Wild Assassins will take a close look at the mighty creatures behind these lethal weapons of destruction - tusks and horns.

Masters of the sky, these airborne assassins come in all shapes and sizes. Armed with razor-sharp beaks and mighty talons, Falcons and Eagles are some of the world's most aggressive and highly adept aerial hunters. These mighty winged animals can dive at a speed of up to 186mph making them practically a bullet in the air, therefore near impossible for their prey to escape. There is also the Owl, while renowned around the world for knowledge and wisdom, these beautiful creatures are just as deadly when on the hunt. And then there are the scavengers of the sky, Vultures, known for circling their prey. These birds of prey's taste for dead flesh actually helps prevent disease and clean up the environment. You will not want to miss out on seeing these birds of prey in action in this episode of Wild Assassins.

Going one-on-one with a single predator is a riotous battle but to face a whole pack of predators? Well, that's another story. In this episode of Wild Assassins, we will go behind enemy lines to see how these predators of the wild find not only safety in numbers but strength too. Following a mighty pride of Lions, we will explore how their tactics always result in a hearty meal for all. In the colder climates, we will witness first-hand the skill, tact and ferocity of a Wolf pack. Meanwhile, in Africa and Arabia we will see just how vicious monkeys can be as we track a troop of Baboons, while for the most part omnivores, we will see how they use their intimidation tactics to ward off predators and protect their young.