WEBVTT - Will Ants Rescue Wounded Comrades?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff from How Stuff Works, Hey, brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>Lauren Vogebong. Here, you've probably seen stories about exemplary bravery

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<v Speaker 1>and battles soldiers and volunteers who risk everything to pull

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<v Speaker 1>injured compatriots out of harm's way so they can receive

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<v Speaker 1>much needed medical attention. But some of these heroes will

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<v Speaker 1>never receive any medals, parades, or commendations for their work,

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<v Speaker 1>not because of injustice, but because their ants, a species

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<v Speaker 1>called megapona analysis are termite hunting ants that scientists say

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<v Speaker 1>not only rescue injured comrades but also treat their wounds.

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<v Speaker 1>The survival rate among those injured in this combat is remarkable.

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<v Speaker 1>Up to These ants live in colonies in sub Saharan

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<v Speaker 1>Africa that average nearly one thousand members. The ants wage

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<v Speaker 1>war on termites, raiding their nests and dragging the dead

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<v Speaker 1>back behind the lines as a source of food. These raids, however,

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<v Speaker 1>often come at a heavy price. The termites bite and

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<v Speaker 1>crush the ants, ripping off limbs and snapping off heads.

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<v Speaker 1>Eric Frank, a scientists at the University of Lausan in Switzerland,

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<v Speaker 1>has studied these ants and seen them do battle with

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<v Speaker 1>termites at a research station in the Comaway National Park,

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<v Speaker 1>one of the largest protected areas in West Africa in

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<v Speaker 1>northern code Duvois. He would watch the ants drag the

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<v Speaker 1>injured back to their nest. But because the ants make

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<v Speaker 1>their homes underground, it was difficult to divine exactly what

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<v Speaker 1>happened next. So Frank and his team set out to

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<v Speaker 1>discover what was happening inside the nest. First, they captured

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<v Speaker 1>entire ant colonies and set them up in artificial nests.

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<v Speaker 1>They then hooked up infrared cameras to keep tabs on

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<v Speaker 1>the insects. The scientists also captured termites and then allowed

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<v Speaker 1>the ants to stage a raid. Many ants were gravely

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<v Speaker 1>injured during the melee, many lost limbs. They're able bodied.

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<v Speaker 1>Comrades responded by staging a battlefield triage, separating the gravely

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<v Speaker 1>wounded from the only slightly wounded. The seriously injured. Those

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<v Speaker 1>who lost at least five limbs often died on the

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<v Speaker 1>battlefield because, as the researchers noted, they didn't seem to

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<v Speaker 1>want to be helped. That bend and distort their bodies,

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<v Speaker 1>making it difficult halt for their sisters in arms to

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<v Speaker 1>carry them to safety. Those whose wounds were less serious, however,

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<v Speaker 1>allowed themselves to be cared for. Once back at the nest,

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<v Speaker 1>the healthy ants set up an aid station where they

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<v Speaker 1>tended to the wounded, licking their injuries. Ants who did

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<v Speaker 1>not receive this treatment had a chance of dying within

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<v Speaker 1>twenty four hours after the battle. Those who were treated

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<v Speaker 1>had a survival rate of up to and lived to

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<v Speaker 1>fight another day, to the benefit of the whole community.

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<v Speaker 1>Frank and his team theorized that the licking saves lives

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<v Speaker 1>by preventing the onset of infection. Today's episode was written

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<v Speaker 1>by John Partano and produced by Tyler Clay. For more

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<v Speaker 1>on this and lots of other Valiant topics, visit our

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<v Speaker 1>home planet, toustaff works dot com.