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At the southern tip of South America,
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00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,526
the Andes mountains rise
almost vertically.
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00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,889
Their very height affects
life throughout the continent.
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00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,528
The barren slopes look inhospitable.
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00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:11,646
But like all parts of South America,
they're actually rich with wildlife.
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00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:24,648
A family of puma.
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00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:36,207
They live further south
than any other kind of cat on Earth.
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00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,366
These cubs are only six months old...
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00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,768
entirely dependent on their mother
for food.
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00:01:54,960 --> 00:02:00,444
She knows how to exploit
this rugged landscape to her advantage.
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00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:10,164
And she has to do so,
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00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,649
if she is to catch the continent's
most challenging prey.
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00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,204
Guanaco... a relative of the camel.
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00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,446
Two metres tall and over three times
the weight of a puma.
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00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:56,841
The mother's only hope is to go for
the throat and try to suffocate her prey.
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00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:08,840
(BLEATS)
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00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,328
Her cubs try to help...
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00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,330
...but they themselves
don't yet have the skills or the weight
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00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,091
to bring down such large prey.
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00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:38,082
And the mother is now badly injured.
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00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:54,962
Her wounds are severe
and will take weeks to heal properly.
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00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:09,322
But without food,
her cubs won't survive for long.
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00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:30,570
The weather in the Andes
is harsh and unpredictable.
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00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:46,769
Snow makes the camouflage
on which she relies much less effective.
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00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,327
But she must have food.
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00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:17,081
The guanaco-have left
her normal hunting ground...
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00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:25,564
...and are now in the territory
of a much larger male puma.
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00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:34,042
He's just made a kill,
but he isn't about to share it with her.
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00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,845
To hunt here,
she'll need to leave her cubs behind
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00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,167
in the safety of their home territory.
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Almost invisible in the shadows,
she's nearly within pouncing distance.
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00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:18,929
(G Guanaco BLEATS)
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00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:34,211
Another failure.
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00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:12,561
She's got her speed back.
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00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,410
Now she must hold on.
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00:08:39,680 --> 00:08:44,402
But she is in the male's territory,
so her prize isn't safe...
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...and her hungry cubs
are almost a mile away.
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00:08:57,560 --> 00:09:00,928
In her weakened state,
she will need all her reserves of energy
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00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:04,362
to drag it back onto her territory.
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00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:20,650
Only her determination
to feed her young keeps her going.
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00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:46,363
Nearly there.
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(GROWLS)
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This one meal will barely last the whole
family for more than a few days.
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00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:16,609
Then their mother... somehow... will have
to summon the strength to hunt again.
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00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:29,082
Life for a hunter in this land
is as hard as it gets.
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00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:45,487
The Andes themselves were built by forces
deep in the Earth's crust.
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00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:49,925
In this part of the Pacific,
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00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:54,523
the ocean floor has been moving eastwards
for millions of years.
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00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:00,971
Where the sediments meet
the edge of the continent,
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00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,084
they're pushed together
and forced upwards.
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00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:12,248
This pressure creates fractures
up which molten rock rises
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00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:17,605
and is then spewed out as ash
and lava from great volcanoes.
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00:11:26,680 --> 00:11:32,210
Nearly 200 of them stretch in a line
along the length of the continent.
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00:11:42,560 --> 00:11:47,487
Some erupt with the force
of an atomic bomb every ten seconds.
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00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:01,324
As the collision continues,
the sea floor is dragged downwards,
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00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:04,284
creating a deep trench just offshore.
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00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:10,601
Rich, cold waters rise up from it.
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00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,891
And this upwelling creates
an abundance of life.
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00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:30,726
Here, on the coast of Peru,
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00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:34,561
there are so many seabirds fishing
in the offshore waters
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00:12:34,680 --> 00:12:38,287
that the cliffs are covered
in droppings over a metre-thick.
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00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:44,083
Humboldt penguins regard the soft guano
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as a good material in which to dig
their nest holes.
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00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:53,490
But it's a messy business.
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00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:05,325
It's the breeding season,
and more hopeful nesters-arrive,
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00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:07,841
spotless from swimming in the sea.
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00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:14,161
Time for the residents to get cleaned up
and catch some fish
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00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:16,681
for themselves and their chicks.
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00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:33,971
To get to the sea, they cross
the remains of an old nesting ground.
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00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:51,530
Only 100 metres to go.
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00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:07,291
But the beach is already crowded
with sea lions.
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00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:16,323
They too have come ashore
to raise their young.
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00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:27,126
And they don't like being disturbed.
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(SEA LION BARKS)
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(SEA LION GROWLS)
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00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:40,922
To get through such a minefield
needs a bold and courageous leader.
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(SEA LIONS BARK)
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00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:50,529
A brave start.
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00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:57,171
A dead end.
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00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:00,005
Now he's in trouble.
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00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:11,003
This is going to need
a bit of crowd surfing.
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00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:14,884
(SEA LIONS BARK)
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00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:35,681
But now all the sea lions are roused.
84
00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:38,524
Getting through them will be tricky.
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(SEA LION ROARS)
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00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:11,646
A cleansing bathe in the ocean...
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00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:15,041
...well worth the effort.
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00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,202
The animals living along the Pacific coast
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are cut off from the rest of South America
by the Andes.
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00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:36,204
They form a gigantic barrier,
stretching over 4,000 miles
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from Patagonia in the south
to Venezuela in the north.
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00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:50,442
This is the world's
longest mountain range.
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00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:57,730
Many peaks are over four miles high.
94
00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,604
They are so tall they catch clouds...
95
00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:09,846
...and so create an environment
unlike any other on the continent.
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00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:24,769
The cloud forest.
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00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:33,686
Every high valley here
has its own unique plants and animals.
98
00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:46,088
One of them is the aptly named
Pinocchio lizard.
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00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:52,282
It was first recorded here 50 years ago
and then lost.
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00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:55,722
It's only recently been rediscovered.
101
00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:11,170
Up here lives a creature
so rare that it's seldom seen,
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00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:14,727
even by those scientists
who have come here to study it.
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00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:19,167
The Andean bear.
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00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:23,962
Only a few thousand remain.
105
00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,641
They eat mostly leaves and fruit,
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00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:42,721
often clambering up
to the very top of the canopy to do so.
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00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:03,723
He's looking for a type
of miniature avocado...
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".30 metres up.
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00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:34,769
The only fruit remaining here
is out on the thinnest branches...
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00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:37,360
too thin to support the weight of a bear.
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00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:48,205
A more experienced bear
has turned up and wants a go.
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(GROWLS)
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00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:59,247
Time for young ones to watch
and learn how to do it.
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00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:06,360
The trick is to bite the branch
just enough...
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00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:13,248
...to make it swing down
and bring the fruit within reach.
116
00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:29,491
Whoops!
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00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:43,611
Now there's a race to be
first on the ground to claim it.
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00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:09,083
The moisture needed
to create a cloud forest
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00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:11,680
only occurs above a certain altitude...
120
00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:17,367
...so each peak may now have
its own species.
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00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:25,169
In Venezuela,
there are similar small worlds,
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00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,887
created not by rain, but by rock.
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00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:35,968
A great layer of sandstone
once covered this entire area,
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00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:38,003
but rivers cut through it.
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00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:46,609
As the valleys widened,
the tablelands became first huge plateaus,
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00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:50,406
then isolated flat-topped mountains...
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00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:02,204
...and, eventually, towers and spires.
128
00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:17,561
On the tops of the bigger ones, animals
and plants have now become so different
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00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:20,650
that they can be counted as new species.
130
00:22:46,360 --> 00:22:49,921
There is no higher waterfall
in the world...
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00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:52,646
...than this one.
132
00:22:55,200 --> 00:23:00,764
Angel Falls... almost a kilometre-
from top to bottom.
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00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:08,641
The vertical cliffs surrounding
many of these mountains
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00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:12,606
have kept them largely free
from human exploitation.
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00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:19,282
No such barriers have protected
the lowlands...
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00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:24,084
...but a few patches of forest
still remain.
137
00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:33,850
One in Colombia is the home
of one of the world's rarest monkeys.
138
00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:38,565
Cotton-topped tamarins.
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00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:41,047
They're critically endangered.
140
00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:51,407
Only a few hundred families remain.
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00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:07,410
They live largely on fruit
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00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:11,320
and are particularly fond of tree sap.
143
00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:17,566
This is packed with sugars,
so it also attracts insects.
144
00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:25,487
But tamarins-like them too...
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00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:29,207
a little bit of protein
to add to their diet.
146
00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:38,361
There used to be over 50,000 species
of insect to choose from...
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00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:46,808
...but as the forest
has shrunk around them,
148
00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,527
it's becoming more difficult
to find the right ones.
149
00:24:57,600 --> 00:24:58,601
(CATTLE MOO)
150
00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:05,325
South America is changing.
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00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:15,529
Over 95% of Colombia's lowland forest
has now been cleared.
152
00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:19,090
(SHOUTING)
153
00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:22,602
Farming has taken the biggest share.
154
00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,608
This patch of forest is now isolated.
155
00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:42,010
The few tamarin-families here
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00:25:42,120 --> 00:25:46,091
are now cut off
from the rest of their species...
157
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:51,286
...and beyond their boundary
lies an alien world.
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00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,763
(CATTLE MOO)
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00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:04,882
Today, more than 2,000 species of animal
in South America are under threat.
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00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:11,324
All across the continent,
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00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:16,571
forest is being steadily cut down
and replaced by farms.
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00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:29,004
Images from space
reveal the scale of the destruction.
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00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:44,482
Throughout South America as a whole,
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00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:50,528
an area of forest the size of a football
pitch is being lost every five seconds.
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00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:08,241
Of all the forests at risk,
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00:27:08,360 --> 00:27:13,127
perhaps the most precious
lies in the very heart of the continent.
167
00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:17,406
The Amazon rainforest...
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00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:19,170
the largest on Earth.
169
00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:24,208
(ANIMALS AND BIRDS CHIRP AND CALL)
170
00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:36,202
Over two million species of plants
and animals now live here...
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00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:40,962
more than is found on any other
of the Earth's seven continents.
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00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:13,405
Food is so abundant that some male birds,
instead of helping with nest duties,
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00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:16,888
try to mate with as many females
as possible.
174
00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:23,569
This is a male manakin-
showing off to a female.
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00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:26,763
He does so by dancing...
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00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:33,201
...and he has a team
of subordinate males to help him.
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00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:41,845
By supporting him now, they may
themselves eventually become leaders
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00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:44,281
and get a chance to mate.
179
00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:55,728
The team is assembled
and the performance begins.
180
00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:02,848
She takes a closer look.
181
00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:47,687
The top male signals the end
with a final flourish.
182
00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:49,370
(MANAKIN-CHIRPS)
183
00:29:58,040 --> 00:29:59,644
What's the verdict?
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00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:08,846
Not good enough.
185
00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:11,965
Unbelievable!
186
00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:19,124
So it's back to practising-.
187
00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:37,167
Each animal species in this crowded
environment has to have its own way
188
00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,248
of creating a niche for itself.
189
00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:48,929
This is a poison dart frog.
190
00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:53,931
Males raise their young
in a very special way.
191
00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:02,809
A father will place each one of his
tadpoles in its own tiny pool of water.
192
00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:05,685
This is one.
193
00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:07,962
Nice and safe.
194
00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:14,126
He might have up to five other tadpoles.
195
00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:20,251
But he needs to remember
where he put each one of them.
196
00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:25,448
This one isn't doing so well.
197
00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:30,247
His tiny puddle has all but dried out.
198
00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:36,361
The tadpole will die unless its father
can find a better place for it.
199
00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:44,449
If dads are good for one thing,
it's piggyback rides.
200
00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:57,050
Fathers are no bigger
than a human thumbnail,
201
00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:00,687
but this enables them
to get to places that others can't.
202
00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:05,166
This could be perfect.
203
00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:14,847
The only problem
is that there's no food here.
204
00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:18,801
Fathers need help.
205
00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:24,444
(CROAKS)
206
00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:28,042
Somewhere in this forest...
207
00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:31,567
...is...
208
00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:34,041
...mum.
209
00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:50,563
A female could do something
a male cannot.
210
00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:58,927
But first, dad must lead his partner
to their hungry tadpole...
211
00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:15,965
...and mother deals with the problem.
212
00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:22,925
She lays a single unfertilised-egg.
213
00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:34,410
And her tadpole gets a much-needed meal.
214
00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:41,765
For the next six weeks,
parents continue their rounds...
215
00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:45,646
an extraordinary test of teamwork
and memory.
216
00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:57,091
Warmed by the tropical sun, the Amazon's
trees release so much moisture
217
00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:02,047
from the surface of their leaves
that they create their own clouds.
218
00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:08,971
And these, over the course of a year,
release up to six metres of rain.
219
00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:10,684
(THUNDER RUMBLES)
220
00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:18,566
The water flows through the saturated
forest along a thousand streams.
221
00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:26,128
They eventually unite to form
the largest river of them all.
222
00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:31,849
The Amazon carries more water
223
00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:35,681
than the world's next seven biggest rivers
combined.
224
00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:43,003
Some sections of its banks
are particularly sought-after.
225
00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:57,085
Scarlet macaws travel over 50 miles
to visit them.
226
00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:10,689
Macaw couples bond for life
and may stick together for over 40 years.
227
00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:23,966
Pairs return to favourite trees,
ones they've known for decades.
228
00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:32,210
Parents provide their chicks
with fruits and seeds,
229
00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:36,211
but they're far from the ocean
and their diet lacks salt.
230
00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:42,486
Without it, the chicks' brains
and bones will not develop properly.
231
00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:46,810
So someone has to go and fetch it.
232
00:35:59,240 --> 00:36:02,244
Many other creatures are looking
for the same thing...
233
00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:09,771
...a clay lick.
234
00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:15,285
The earth here may be 40 times
richer in valuable minerals
235
00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:19,405
than anywhere else
in the surrounding forest.
236
00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:27,008
Over a dozen species of parrot
jostle for space.
237
00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:30,001
There's a strict order...
238
00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:31,167
(PARROTS SQUAWK)
239
00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:32,691
...in who feeds first.
240
00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:41,642
Everyone is in a rush
to fill up and get airborne.
241
00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:11,969
Parents have to carry over 5 kg of clay
to the nest
242
00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:14,560
before their chicks are ready to leave.
243
00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:23,288
Once fledged, these young will follow
their parents for up to a year,
244
00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:26,131
learning where to find the salts.
245
00:37:38,720 --> 00:37:44,204
Many of the great riches of South America
lie far beyond the Amazon basin.
246
00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:51,483
Over 1,000 miles
to the south of the Amazon,
247
00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:55,286
there's one creek
unlike any other on the continent.
248
00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:15,404
Here at Bonito, freshwater springs
bubble up from deep underground.
249
00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:24,608
Filtered through limestone,
they create crystal-clear pools...
250
00:38:27,240 --> 00:38:30,449
...and in them live some remarkable fish.
251
00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:34,485
Piraputanga-.
252
00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:42,850
The water is so clear that they're able to
see what is going on above its surface.
253
00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:52,924
Brown capuchins-are up there,
looking for a meal.
254
00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:04,043
The piraputanga-watch them
attentively.
255
00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:09,885
Wherever the monkeys go
along the banks, the fish follow.
256
00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:23,008
The monkeys are on
their daily search for ripe fruit,
257
00:39:23,120 --> 00:39:28,206
and the fish cannot by themselves know
where that might be.
258
00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:32,807
But here it is.
259
00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:46,447
And fortunately, the monkeys
aren't the neatest of feeders.
260
00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:07,444
Every scrap is fought over.
261
00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:19,009
One monkey has the job
of keeping an eye out for danger.
262
00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:35,289
Anacondas are the largest of all snakes.
263
00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:42,529
They grow to over 200 kg.
264
00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:49,041
And they usually
stalk their prey from the water...
265
00:40:53,640 --> 00:40:56,849
...but it's not fish that they're after.
266
00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:14,002
If the monkeys stray too close
to the water, they will be in danger.
267
00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:26,807
(MONKEY SQUEAKS)
268
00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:29,241
The scout gives a warning call.
269
00:41:41,280 --> 00:41:45,365
That might have to be the end
of the monkey's meal for today.
270
00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:52,367
But now the piraputanga...
know where the fruit is.
271
00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:57,289
And there's still plenty left on the tree.
272
00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:04,967
In the monkeys' absence,
they go for it themselves.
273
00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:19,211
Success or failure
is just a matter of millimetres-.
274
00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:38,925
With a split-second adjustment,
the fish bends in midair
275
00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:40,804
and collects the prize.
276
00:43:04,200 --> 00:43:07,124
The piraputanga's-extraordinary
feeding technique
277
00:43:07,240 --> 00:43:10,084
relies on these waters remaining clear.
278
00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:22,006
But today, the future of South America's
rivers has become uncertain.
279
00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:30,926
As the human population has grown,
people have become more and more reliant
280
00:43:31,040 --> 00:43:34,567
on its rivers for one of the essentials
of modern life.
281
00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:38,686
Power.
282
00:43:41,680 --> 00:43:46,891
Two-thirds of South America's energy
now comes from hydroelectricity.
283
00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:52,566
No other region on Earth
is so dependent upon it.
284
00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:59,366
But the way these dams are managed
can cause problems farther downriver.
285
00:44:06,640 --> 00:44:08,847
These are the Iguazu-Falls.
286
00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:21,770
If the dams upriver suddenly release
their excess, Iguazu... can double in size.
287
00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:31,130
And that can cause major problems
for animals that live here.
288
00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:41,281
These are great dusky swifts.
289
00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:44,961
They fly alarmingly close
to the thundering torrent...
290
00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:49,365
...and then vanish.
291
00:44:55,160 --> 00:45:00,200
Miraculously, they're able to fly
right through the curtain of water.
292
00:45:02,240 --> 00:45:03,241
(CHICK CH CHEEPS)
293
00:45:04,360 --> 00:45:09,685
And they do so because they've built
their nests behind the thundering curtain.
294
00:45:13,240 --> 00:45:17,484
Their enemies... falcons,
like this caracara can't follow them.
295
00:45:19,240 --> 00:45:22,210
So the swift chicks are safe.
296
00:45:38,440 --> 00:45:43,844
But now humans have created
new problems for the swifts.
297
00:45:43,960 --> 00:45:47,248
Just as some of the chicks
are starting to fly,
298
00:45:47,360 --> 00:45:51,968
the spill over the dams
is released in full force.
299
00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:08,881
As the torrent grows,
parents give up on the last perches.
300
00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:11,128
(CHICKS CHEEP)
301
00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:24,447
Now the chicks are alone.
302
00:46:29,960 --> 00:46:34,363
But they don't yet have
their parents' waterproof feathers.
303
00:46:37,800 --> 00:46:43,728
Every year, the sudden surges of water
sweep some to their death.
304
00:46:52,240 --> 00:46:56,165
The chicks have never seen the world
beyond the falling waters.
305
00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:12,804
Unless they can find a way through,
they will not survive.
306
00:47:35,440 --> 00:47:38,683
Amazingly, driven by blind instinct,
307
00:47:38,800 --> 00:47:41,565
chicks do manage
to power their way through.
308
00:47:56,520 --> 00:48:02,368
These remarkable birds have colonised-
a niche in which few can survive.
309
00:48:05,400 --> 00:48:10,566
Yet their future,
and that of all wildlife in South America,
310
00:48:10,680 --> 00:48:17,040
will depend on us striking a balance
between the needs of humans and animals,
311
00:48:17,160 --> 00:48:21,529
on the richest and most diverse continent
on Earth.
312
00:48:40,240 --> 00:48:43,801
DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: To film one
of South America 3 most elusive predators,
313
00:48:43,920 --> 00:48:48,164
the Seven Worlds team would travel
to the far south of the continent.
314
00:48:54,880 --> 00:48:59,886
Their aim was to capture
footage of wild pumas hunting.
315
00:49:00,000 --> 00:49:04,608
But what the team encountered
was the struggle of a mother
316
00:49:04,720 --> 00:49:07,246
desperate to feed her family.
317
00:49:09,800 --> 00:49:14,567
Chile's Torres del Paine covers
nearly 1,000 square miles.
318
00:49:17,280 --> 00:49:20,921
Cameraman John Shier has been coming
here for eight years,
319
00:49:21,040 --> 00:49:25,329
but even he has never witnessed
a successful puma hunt.
320
00:49:26,520 --> 00:49:28,522
With so much ground to cover,
321
00:49:28,640 --> 00:49:32,804
the crew use the latest
technology to scout from the air.
322
00:49:32,920 --> 00:49:38,051
Bertie is setting up the drone
cos it helps find the cats
323
00:49:38,160 --> 00:49:39,889
and get a unique perspective
324
00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:42,162
on exactly where they are in this habitat.
325
00:49:47,400 --> 00:49:53,089
But expert tracker Roberto Donoso-
has 15 years' experience here
326
00:49:53,200 --> 00:49:56,727
and he relies on help
from a surprising local.
327
00:50:00,720 --> 00:50:05,089
No-one can spot a puma
as well as a guanaco.
328
00:50:05,200 --> 00:50:06,850
(BLEATS)
329
00:50:08,560 --> 00:50:10,881
John is first to pick up the clues.
330
00:50:11,000 --> 00:50:12,604
- Hey, cat...
- Cat, yeah.
331
00:50:12,720 --> 00:50:14,051
Cat. We've got a cat, OK.
332
00:50:17,880 --> 00:50:22,442
You can see guanaco
on the other side, alarm calling.
333
00:50:22,560 --> 00:50:24,210
(BLEATS)
334
00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:31,321
That cat is just sat on the ridge,
335
00:50:31,440 --> 00:50:34,364
and the full moon has just risen
right behind it.
336
00:50:35,640 --> 00:50:38,086
It's almost cheesy.
337
00:50:39,720 --> 00:50:41,324
Our very first puma.
338
00:50:44,720 --> 00:50:47,371
Once John starts to get his eye in,
339
00:50:47,480 --> 00:50:52,042
he realises-he's being watched
by more than one cat.
340
00:50:58,360 --> 00:51:01,250
It's crazy. So we're sitting here,
we've got this young male
341
00:51:01,360 --> 00:51:03,886
just over the ridge,
so we've got that cat.
342
00:51:04,000 --> 00:51:05,445
While you're sitting here,
343
00:51:05,560 --> 00:51:08,404
you hear other guanaco
alarming other spots
344
00:51:08,520 --> 00:51:12,206
and you realise that there's just cats
roaming all round the landscape.
345
00:51:12,320 --> 00:51:18,202
Over the coming days,
John sees more puma than ever before.
346
00:51:19,240 --> 00:51:22,084
The situation is
like nothing the crew expected.
347
00:51:22,200 --> 00:51:24,931
For a long time, we used to say
348
00:51:25,040 --> 00:51:28,010
that trying to spot puma was so unusual
and so rare,
349
00:51:28,120 --> 00:51:33,763
but the real, remarkable thing
is actually we're seeing cats every day.
350
00:51:35,000 --> 00:51:39,642
And to think that there's this many
puma around is just... It's incredible.
351
00:51:39,760 --> 00:51:43,128
After decades of persecution by humans,
352
00:51:43,240 --> 00:51:47,404
puma are now protected in southern Chile
and making a comeback.
353
00:51:51,560 --> 00:51:54,689
But to stand any chance
of seeing them hunt,
354
00:51:54,800 --> 00:51:58,043
the crew would need to find
just the right cat.
355
00:52:02,080 --> 00:52:06,210
Three weeks in,
john has spotted something promising.
356
00:52:06,320 --> 00:52:08,209
He alerts the crew.
357
00:52:10,920 --> 00:52:16,529
JOHN OVER RADIO: It was just up here
to my right', about 100 yards from me.
358
00:52:16,640 --> 00:52:20,167
- So he's to the right.
- But closer to john.
359
00:52:20,280 --> 00:52:22,044
Ah, got him. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
360
00:52:23,400 --> 00:52:25,528
Wow, that's four, all right.
361
00:52:27,000 --> 00:52:28,604
Looks like a pride of lions.
362
00:52:30,880 --> 00:52:34,965
DAVID: A mother with three cubs,
and Roberto knows exactly who she ls.
363
00:52:37,480 --> 00:52:39,801
Her name is Sarmiento-.
364
00:52:42,760 --> 00:52:46,845
Her struggle to feed her family
is now the crew's main focus.
365
00:52:49,320 --> 00:52:52,051
The challenge is to keep up.
366
00:52:53,680 --> 00:52:58,720
A mother on the search for food
will roam vast distances.
367
00:52:58,840 --> 00:53:02,128
Seven miles they've walked.
Haven't stopped walking.
368
00:53:03,320 --> 00:53:07,848
For the crew, this means dragging
heavy equipment over difficult terrain.
369
00:53:11,760 --> 00:53:13,364
So we've been following the cat so much
370
00:53:13,480 --> 00:53:15,400
that there's now a hole
in the bottom of my shoe.
371
00:53:19,680 --> 00:53:22,968
Unpredictable weather makes it
even harder.
372
00:53:40,800 --> 00:53:47,001
Five weeks in and john finally thinks
Sarmiento might have some luck.
373
00:53:47,120 --> 00:53:48,280
JOHN: So it's more of a hope,
374
00:53:48,320 --> 00:53:50,846
but I think that she's going to get
one of these guanaco today.
375
00:53:50,960 --> 00:53:53,281
There's been a big herd
that's streaming into this valley,
376
00:53:53,400 --> 00:53:56,768
and for the last two hours, she's just
been watching them, like laser focus.
377
00:53:56,880 --> 00:53:58,962
Fingers crossed, today's the day.
378
00:54:25,880 --> 00:54:26,881
(EXHALES)
379
00:54:30,200 --> 00:54:32,806
She fought so hard,
the guanaco fought really hard.
380
00:54:32,920 --> 00:54:34,760
In the end, she didn't get it,
but it's amazing
381
00:54:34,840 --> 00:54:37,320
how she has to fight to get a meal
to survive.
382
00:54:37,440 --> 00:54:40,762
DAVID: Trying to take down an animal
as large as a guanaco
383
00:54:40,880 --> 00:54:43,645
has left Sarmiento badly injured.
384
00:54:45,280 --> 00:54:48,921
OVER RADIO". There's a lone guanaco,
just up to the right.
385
00:55:06,320 --> 00:55:09,642
DAVID: Every failed attempt,
she gets weaker...
386
00:55:09,760 --> 00:55:13,162
Yeah, there you go. It was close,
but, yeah, she got thrown off pretty good.
387
00:55:14,280 --> 00:55:17,045
...but a hungry mother
doesn't give up easily.
388
00:55:22,080 --> 00:55:25,050
There's a group of guanacos-down here,
389
00:55:25,160 --> 00:55:27,925
so we're trying to get
in a good position to launch the drone.
390
00:55:28,040 --> 00:55:30,247
- Can you see it?
- Yeah, got it.
391
00:55:30,360 --> 00:55:31,441
She's coming back.
392
00:55:33,480 --> 00:55:37,121
The crew will only have seconds
to get into position.
393
00:55:42,040 --> 00:55:44,566
50, 50 metres. 50.
394
00:55:48,440 --> 00:55:50,807
OVER RADIO: OK. 20, 20 metres. It's going.
395
00:55:50,920 --> 00:55:52,046
20 metres.
396
00:55:57,160 --> 00:55:59,640
OVER RADIO: It's going, it's going!
It's running, it's running!
397
00:56:13,400 --> 00:56:17,041
DAVID: Witnessing this life-and-death
battle is difficult.
398
00:56:20,400 --> 00:56:25,042
But at last,
John sees Sarmiento provide for her cubs.
399
00:56:26,320 --> 00:56:31,770
I feel greatly relieved. It's been
30 days, 100 miles of walking with her,
400
00:56:31,880 --> 00:56:33,280
and we've finally got her doing it.
401
00:56:35,280 --> 00:56:38,329
During the chase, I was thinking,
"This time, please, please get it down."
402
00:56:38,440 --> 00:56:40,681
There's been three chases
where it got away.
403
00:56:42,680 --> 00:56:44,921
Her cubs have got food now.
She had to fight for it.
404
00:56:46,040 --> 00:56:51,206
Conservation efforts here have given
these secretive cats a rare safe haven,
405
00:56:51,320 --> 00:56:54,961
enabling the team to capture
a filming first...
406
00:56:56,240 --> 00:57:00,404
...and tell the remarkable story
of a fearless mother
407
00:57:00,520 --> 00:57:03,171
at the far edge of South America.
408
00:57:08,400 --> 00:57:09,401
Next time...
409
00:57:10,520 --> 00:57:12,443
...a continent marooned
410
00:57:12,560 --> 00:57:15,404
during the time of the dinosaurs,
411
00:57:15,520 --> 00:57:17,409
where the castaways...
412
00:57:19,080 --> 00:57:21,686
...are like nothing else on Earth.
413
00:57:27,800 --> 00:57:29,404
Australia.
35003
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