NARRATOR: Meet the warthog.
They love to roll around in the mud.
Known as wallowing, it keeps their skin
free from ticks and parasites.
A mud bath might look messy.
But pigs are actually meticulously clean animals.
The wallow also helps them cool off in the heat of the day.
But in the very hottest months on the savanna,
these warthogs face a dilemma.
The intense African sun dries out all the mud,
leaving them exposed to swarms of insects.
It's insufferable, even with their tough hide.
But a handful of smart warthogs have figured out a solution.
They enlist a helping hand--
banded mongooses.
They're voracious insect eaters, spending most of their day
on the hunt for food.
They patrol the savanna in gangs of over 20 strong.
And with so many mouths to feed, mongooses
need to find a lot of insects.
As an insect magnet, perhaps a warthog
could provide a decent snack.
Only, its long legs make this dining table a little too
high for a mongoose.
So some clever warthogs have learned to lie
down when the gang is around.
It sends a very clear message--
the mongoose spa is open for business.
Now in range, the mongooses clean the ticks and lice from
all those hard-to-reach places.
Pure bliss.
It's the perfect partnership.
The warthogs are kept healthy.
The mongooses get a meal, eating their fill
without nipping their patrons.
Mutually beneficial relationships
like theirs are almost unheard of between mammals.
It's a brilliant solution for a nagging problem,
one that hints pigs might well be smarter than we realize.