What’s on TV – 27 July 2019

M

ost of us have played

catch in our time, but

we humans aren’t the

only ones who love the game.

In the warm waters of the

Bahamas, pods of Atlantic

spotted dolphins have been

known to play it with seaweed!

They either play alone,

passing it between their mouth

and their tail, or as a group.

Scientists believe it’s one of the

most sophisticated examples

of social play in the natural

world and may be key to

maintaining unity in the pod.

‘Living in a complex social

group isn’t always easy,’ says

evolutionary

biologist Professor

Ben Garrod. ‘Play

behaviour can help

reduce some of the

tension within that group

and reinforce relationships.’

Playing into adulthood is rare

and is seen in just 10 per cent

of all mammals. Yet dolphins

continue the activity, even

once they have matured.

All ages

‘Play used to be thought of as

a functionless exercise but now

I think we’re understanding

better that social play is

extremely beneficial,’ says

marine biologist Kelly Melillo

Sweeting. ‘What I found

especially interesting is that

they all do it – from young

members of the group all the

way up to adult males.’

Other animals featured

in this two-part

documentary that

uncovers the secrets

of animal play are

hyenas, bears,

chimps and chacma

baboons living

in Namibia, whose

sophisticated

games can

depend on

their sex.

In an

experiment

where different

types of toys

were laid out

among one group

of baboons, the males were

drawn to the trucks and planes,

while the females made a

beeline for the dolls.

‘They were carrying

them almost like they’d

be carrying their own

babies,’ says baboon

expert Camilla Forsell.

‘The males’ play is

normally about

dominancy – they

play very roughly.

But very early

on, baboon

females want

to babysit

the babies

in the troop.

They’re practising

for when they get

their own!’ n

How pods of dolphins love to

play games with seaweed...

NEW FACTUAL

Animals at Play

Sunday, 8pm BBC2

i l

It’s playtime!

Words:

Hannah Davies

Photos:

Alamy, BBC, Getty, TI Productions

S

tacey Dooley is a long way from

her sequinned Strictly dresses when

she dons a bulletproof vest and

returns to her film-making roots with her

latest BBC3 investigative documentary,

Face to Face with the Bounty Hunters.

Stacey is Stateside, shadowing

modern-day bounty hunter Scott

Gribble and his team in Denver,

Colorado, and she joins them to

chase fugitives on the run!

‘All the team have a vest,

a Taser and a handgun.

There’s a shotgun in

the car,’ says Stacey.

In America, if you’re

charged with a crime,

you go to prison before

your trial, unless you can

stump up bail money. If you can’t afford it,

bondsmen will cover the bail cost for a 10-

15 per cent charge. But if you skip your trial,

that’s where the bounty hunters come in.

Stacey helps Scott track down Keri,

29, who was arrested for assaulting an

ex-boyfriend but didn’t turn up for her trial.

She’s handcuffed and taken straight to jail.

Challenging

But when they attempt to capture a

fugitive in a known drug house in one of

Denver’s most dangerous areas, there’s

a struggle and the criminal is Tasered,

sending 50,000 volts through his body.

‘It’s frightening because you don’t know

what you’re walking into,’ admits Stacey.

‘These guys’ job is far from easy.’ n

Stacey Dooley goes on the hunt for dangerous

felons with a team of US bounty hunters...

On the road... Stacey (centre) with

bounty hunters Scott Gribble and

Lydia Gribble. Inset: Fugitive Keri

27

NEW FACTUAL

Stacey Dooley: Face to Face

with the Bounty Hunters

From Wed 31 July, from 10am BBC3 Online

Fugitives and firearms!

Frisky... Dolphins use

fun to help reinforce

social relationships

Favourite toy...

A chacma baboon

picks out a doll