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A Real Bug's Life Episode 104 - "Land of Giants"

The African savanna is famous for its large animals — but their presence makes it a challenging place for tiny bugs to survive. A newly emerged dung beetle and an aging acacia ant face huge obstacles as they battle to feed themselves and look after their families. Both have adopted remarkable skills to survive in this land of giants.

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  • Director of Photography Chris Openshaw films a mini "Pride Rock" at dusk at the Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Laikipia, Kenya for the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Amy Gilchrist)

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    Director of Photography Chris Openshaw films a mini "Pride Rock" at dusk at the Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Laikipia, Kenya for the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Amy Gilchrist)

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  • Director of Photography Chris Openshaw, Assistant Camera Niall Newport, Series Director Nat Sharman and lights tech Todd Mentz work together to film a termite mound at sunset with a few bat-eared foxes seen nearby at the Felidae Centre near Kimberley, South Africa for the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Amy Gilchrist)

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    Director of Photography Chris Openshaw, Assistant Camera Niall Newport, Series Director Nat Sharman and lights tech Todd Mentz work together to film a termite mound at sunset with a few bat-eared foxes seen nearby at the Felidae Centre near Kimberley, South Africa for the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Amy Gilchrist)

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  • Ants (Crematogaster mimosae) are pictured on whistling thorn acacia (Vachellia drepanolobium) Domatia at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Estate, Ol Pejeta, Nanyuki, Laikipia, Kenya during the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Rob Harvey)

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    Ants (Crematogaster mimosae) are pictured on whistling thorn acacia (Vachellia drepanolobium) Domatia at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Estate, Ol Pejeta, Nanyuki, Laikipia, Kenya during the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Rob Harvey)

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  • A kopje, a small hill in a generally flat area, is pictured at Mpala Research Station, Nanyuki, Laikipia, Kenya in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic /Rob Harvey)

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    A kopje, a small hill in a generally flat area, is pictured at Mpala Research Station, Nanyuki, Laikipia, Kenya in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic /Rob Harvey)

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  • Mount Kenya rises in the distance above the vegetation at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Estate, Ol Pejeta, Nanyuki, Laikipia, Kenya in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Rob Harvey)

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    Mount Kenya rises in the distance above the vegetation at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Estate, Ol Pejeta, Nanyuki, Laikipia, Kenya in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Rob Harvey)

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  • A tiny red headed acacia ant (Crematogaster mimosae) is pictured at her home entrance in the domatia (swollen acacia thorn base) at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Estate, Ol Pejeta, Nanyuki, Laikipia, Kenya in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Rob Harvey)

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    A tiny red headed acacia ant (Crematogaster mimosae) is pictured at her home entrance in the domatia (swollen acacia thorn base) at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Estate, Ol Pejeta, Nanyuki, Laikipia, Kenya in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Rob Harvey)

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  • Series Director Nat Sharman holds an artificial elephant trunk with the habituated elephant (Loxodonta africana) above him, as the crew tries to get the elephant close enough to the camera to see ants crawling onto the trunk tip at the Mpala Research station, Laikipia, Kenya for the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Rob Harvey)

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    Series Director Nat Sharman holds an artificial elephant trunk with the habituated elephant (Loxodonta africana) above him, as the crew tries to get the elephant close enough to the camera to see ants crawling onto the trunk tip at the Mpala Research station, Laikipia, Kenya for the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Rob Harvey)

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  • A spiny flower mantis is featured in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life," in South Africa. (National Geographic/Jamie Thorpe)

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    A spiny flower mantis is featured in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life," in South Africa. (National Geographic/Jamie Thorpe)

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  • A spiny flower mantis is featured in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life," in South Africa. (National Geographic/Jamie Thorpe)

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    A spiny flower mantis is featured in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life," in South Africa. (National Geographic/Jamie Thorpe)

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  • An acacia ant emerging from a domatia, a hollow bulb on an acacia tree is pictured in South Africa in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Rob Harvey

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    An acacia ant emerging from a domatia, a hollow bulb on an acacia tree is pictured in South Africa in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Rob Harvey

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  • A dung beetle standing on a ball of dung is pictured in South Africa in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Chris Collingridge)

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    A dung beetle standing on a ball of dung is pictured in South Africa in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Chris Collingridge)

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  • A dung beetle standing on a ball of dung is pictured in South Africa in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Chris Collingridge)

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    A dung beetle standing on a ball of dung is pictured in South Africa in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic/Chris Collingridge)

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  • An antlion at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Estate in Kenya is featured in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic)

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    An antlion at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Estate in Kenya is featured in the "Land of Giants" episode of "A Real Bug's Life." (National Geographic)

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