Badland's Prairie Dogs vs Coyote | America's National Parks | National Geographic

NARRATOR: Badlands National Park, South Dakota, 244,000 acres split into two dramatic worlds, the Rocky Badlands themselves, carved out of the ground by wind and rain, and beyond them, an ancient sea of grass, home to the icons of the Old West. This land has a long and deep connection to the indigenous peoples of America. It's the current and traditional land of the Oglala Lakota tribe. For 12,000 years, people have used these lands, but prairie dogs have been here even longer.

A female black-tailed prairie dog lives on the grasslands in a family group known as a coterie. In spring it's time for her to start a family. After mating, she maintains her burrow and collects nesting material. In doing so, she becomes an ecoengineer. Her constant gardening benefits over 100 species. In the sprawling sea of grass, the prairie dog town is an island of life, drawing in species from far and wide, including predators.

Prairie dogs are the perfect snack for the coyote. The female's quest to start a family could be over before it started. She's completely oblivious to the threat. However, the prairie dog has allies. [CHIRPING] Her neighbors are on high alert. [CHIRPING] Each prairie dog town comes with its own built-in alarm system. [CHIRPING] It's one of the most complex animal languages ever decoded, with specific calls for different threats. The coyote is spotted. And short chirps call him out. [CHIRPING] He literally has nowhere to hide.

With the threat gone, they give the all clear signal-- [YIPPING] --a jump yip. The key to thriving in the badlands is looking out for each other.