Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:43,410 --> 00:00:47,540
This is a journey down
the longest mountain chain on earth.
2
00:00:54,187 --> 00:00:58,817
These are the Andes
the spine of South America.
3
00:00:59,092 --> 00:01:03,426
They span the length of the continent
over five thousand miles
4
00:01:03,496 --> 00:01:06,522
from the tropics
almost to the Antarctic.
5
00:01:14,941 --> 00:01:19,640
Surviving in the Andes is one of the
greatest challenges in the natural world.
6
00:01:22,982 --> 00:01:29,546
It's a truly hostile place to live
bitter cold, thin air, relentless wind
7
00:01:30,156 --> 00:01:33,614
...even the volcanic forces of
the earth itself.
8
00:01:39,799 --> 00:01:41,664
Faced with trials like these
9
00:01:41,801 --> 00:01:45,737
how can anything survive here
let alone flourish?
10
00:02:02,622 --> 00:02:07,650
Our journey begins in the tropics
at the northern end of the range.
11
00:02:08,194 --> 00:02:12,893
The highest peaks in the Andes rise to
nearly seven thousand metres.
12
00:02:13,133 --> 00:02:15,465
And some are still growing.
13
00:02:17,170 --> 00:02:19,331
Measured on the scale
of geological time
14
00:02:19,472 --> 00:02:21,633
the Andes are still young.
15
00:02:38,057 --> 00:02:39,456
The mountains mark a line
16
00:02:39,559 --> 00:02:42,790
where two great
plates of the earth's crust collide.
17
00:02:43,563 --> 00:02:48,227
The impact crumples the continent
and huge volcanoes break through.
18
00:02:50,236 --> 00:02:52,466
As the mountains rise into the clouds
19
00:02:52,539 --> 00:02:55,804
their slopes are colonised
by forest
20
00:02:57,177 --> 00:02:58,576
cloud forest.
21
00:03:06,319 --> 00:03:09,755
In the warmth of the tropics
trees can grow high on the mountains
22
00:03:09,889 --> 00:03:12,585
to well over three
and a half thousand metres.
23
00:03:19,165 --> 00:03:23,966
Animals were quick to exploit the new
opportunities these forests provide.
24
00:03:24,737 --> 00:03:30,141
Isolated in a maze of ridges and valleys
all sorts of new species developed.
25
00:03:35,982 --> 00:03:41,113
These Andean cloud forests rival
the Amazon rainforest for diversity.
26
00:03:42,622 --> 00:03:46,114
There are more kinds of hummingbird here
than anywhere else in the world.
27
00:03:49,929 --> 00:03:53,831
Almost every hillside has its own
unique plants and animals.
28
00:04:03,142 --> 00:04:06,407
The cloud forest also
has its very own bear
29
00:04:06,546 --> 00:04:10,607
the spectacled bear
named after the markings on its face
30
00:04:16,222 --> 00:04:19,419
This is the only bear in South America.
31
00:04:19,559 --> 00:04:21,550
There are just a few thousand left.
32
00:04:25,999 --> 00:04:28,433
Most kinds of bear are good tree climbers
33
00:04:28,568 --> 00:04:31,264
but here that skill is essential.
34
00:04:31,571 --> 00:04:34,438
Spectacled bears get much of their food
from the treetops
35
00:04:34,574 --> 00:04:38,874
so climbing trees is one of the first
lessons this baby has to learn.
36
00:04:42,782 --> 00:04:44,249
The cub is well grown
37
00:04:44,384 --> 00:04:47,717
but it still has a long way to go to
match its mother's skills.
38
00:04:52,859 --> 00:04:54,952
The trees here can be twenty metres high
39
00:04:55,094 --> 00:04:57,324
so it can't afford to make a mistake.
40
00:05:01,501 --> 00:05:03,594
These high forests have few monkeys
41
00:05:03,736 --> 00:05:06,967
so there's plenty of food for bears
that are willing to climb.
42
00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:10,734
But for an animal that can weigh well
over a hundred kilos
43
00:05:10,877 --> 00:05:12,401
that's quite a challenge.
44
00:05:18,451 --> 00:05:20,419
Even when it's mastered
the art of climbing
45
00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:22,920
the cub still has to learn
what to eat.
46
00:05:25,458 --> 00:05:28,427
The bears' favourite food
are bromeliads
47
00:05:28,561 --> 00:05:31,860
plants that perch on branches high
in the canopy.
48
00:05:43,109 --> 00:05:46,772
They're especially fond of
the fleshy base of the leaves.
49
00:05:50,516 --> 00:05:54,850
Bears are adaptable animals
and there's only one kind here.
50
00:05:55,088 --> 00:05:56,646
Other animals are more specialised
51
00:05:56,789 --> 00:06:01,453
so several species can coexist
like the hummingbirds.
52
00:06:02,095 --> 00:06:05,155
These damp cool forests
have few flying insects
53
00:06:05,298 --> 00:06:08,665
so many of the flowers rely on birds
for pollination.
54
00:06:11,938 --> 00:06:15,465
Plant and pollinator
have a unique relationship.
55
00:06:15,875 --> 00:06:18,241
Each hummingbird's beak is perfectly
56
00:06:18,444 --> 00:06:21,413
adapted to reach the nectar
in its chosen flower.
57
00:06:25,151 --> 00:06:27,415
As the hummingbird moves
from flower to flower
58
00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:31,149
it transfers pollen
and so fertilises them.
59
00:06:31,290 --> 00:06:32,086
In exchange
60
00:06:32,225 --> 00:06:35,558
it gets sugar-rich nectar
to fuel its hovering flight.
61
00:06:37,463 --> 00:06:41,024
At high altitude, the air is thinner
and has less oxygen.
62
00:06:41,167 --> 00:06:42,429
It's hard to hover.
63
00:06:55,848 --> 00:07:00,615
Most bromeliads win their place in the sun
by growing high in the trees.
64
00:07:04,457 --> 00:07:07,085
But some kinds have gone a step further.
65
00:07:07,326 --> 00:07:10,818
They've left the forest behind
and climbed the mountain.
66
00:07:13,499 --> 00:07:15,729
The puyas grow in the paramo
67
00:07:15,868 --> 00:07:18,996
a zone of alpine grassland
above the forest.
68
00:07:19,238 --> 00:07:20,262
After several years
69
00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:25,742
they throw up a stupendous five metre
flower spike... and then die.
70
00:07:26,712 --> 00:07:29,146
With just a once
in a lifetime opportunity
71
00:07:29,282 --> 00:07:32,012
it's vital
that the flowers are pollinated.
72
00:07:32,452 --> 00:07:35,512
Puyas have their very own hummingbirds
73
00:07:36,355 --> 00:07:38,482
like the Andean Hillstar.
74
00:07:39,292 --> 00:07:42,022
It lives higher
than any other hummingbird.
75
00:07:42,161 --> 00:07:45,961
Up here the air is even thinner
and hovering is even harder.
76
00:07:46,098 --> 00:07:50,125
So whenever it can
it perches rather than flies.
77
00:07:54,774 --> 00:07:59,211
As it moves from flower to flower
it transfers more than pollen.
78
00:08:04,150 --> 00:08:06,880
Tiny pollen-eating mites
live in the flowers.
79
00:08:07,019 --> 00:08:10,716
They crawl onto the hummingbird to
hitch a lift to another plant.
80
00:08:18,898 --> 00:08:22,959
At the next stop, some passengers get off
and others get on.
81
00:08:28,140 --> 00:08:31,871
Not every animal works
in such harmony with the puyas.
82
00:08:34,981 --> 00:08:38,007
The growing flower spikes are
an irresistible honeypot
83
00:08:38,150 --> 00:08:40,015
for spectacled bears.
84
00:08:40,486 --> 00:08:44,547
They can destroy a
lifetime's work in seconds.
85
00:08:54,133 --> 00:08:58,729
For bear cubs, learning how to tackle
puyas brings a sweet reward.
86
00:09:00,473 --> 00:09:01,735
The spikes are rich in sugar
87
00:09:01,874 --> 00:09:04,638
to make nectar
for the hundreds of flowers.
88
00:09:09,916 --> 00:09:13,477
They're packed with energy
but how do you get at it?
89
00:09:19,592 --> 00:09:22,527
A little parental guidance
is called for.
90
00:09:43,082 --> 00:09:45,642
Spectacled bears are versatile animals
91
00:09:45,785 --> 00:09:49,585
but each new generation has to
learn the tricks of the trade.
92
00:09:53,759 --> 00:09:57,991
The mountains are an
unpredictable place to call home.
93
00:10:01,467 --> 00:10:04,903
Massive volcanoes rise
above the cloud forest.
94
00:10:05,404 --> 00:10:09,067
At any moment
they can burst into violent life.
95
00:10:22,655 --> 00:10:25,556
As you travel south down
the chain of the Andes
96
00:10:25,691 --> 00:10:28,489
you pass a line of brooding giants.
97
00:10:29,195 --> 00:10:32,562
Among them are the highest
active volcanoes in the world
98
00:10:32,698 --> 00:10:35,997
rising to more
than six thousand metres.
99
00:10:41,874 --> 00:10:44,172
They're so high that even
in the tropics
100
00:10:44,310 --> 00:10:47,302
their summits are crowned
with ice and snow.
101
00:10:54,954 --> 00:10:56,387
In the heart of the Andes
102
00:10:56,522 --> 00:11:00,253
volcanic activity has built more
than mountain peaks.
103
00:11:01,127 --> 00:11:03,527
It's thrust a high desert plateau
104
00:11:03,663 --> 00:11:07,963
three miles up into the sky
the Altiplano.
105
00:11:10,002 --> 00:11:14,769
Sulphurous steam from the world's highest
geyser field rises into cold
106
00:11:14,907 --> 00:11:20,243
thin air... a vision of earth
before life began.
107
00:11:44,970 --> 00:11:49,304
Much of the water here evaporates
in huge caustic lakes.
108
00:11:49,508 --> 00:11:53,376
This must be one of the most
extreme environments on earth.
109
00:11:53,512 --> 00:11:56,276
How could anything
possibly live here?
110
00:12:32,918 --> 00:12:33,885
Incredibly
111
00:12:34,019 --> 00:12:37,819
the Altiplano salt lakes
actually attract animals.
112
00:12:38,524 --> 00:12:41,015
Flamingos come here to breed.
113
00:12:41,293 --> 00:12:44,854
Their season starts
with a massed courtship dance.
114
00:13:21,100 --> 00:13:24,763
Three kinds of flamingo nest
on these caustic lakes.
115
00:13:25,037 --> 00:13:27,904
These ones are Andean flamingos.
116
00:13:48,594 --> 00:13:51,586
These lakes are prime flamingo habitat.
117
00:13:51,730 --> 00:13:54,460
With no outlet
dissolved salts washed down
118
00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:58,832
from the surrounding mountains are
concentrated by evaporation
119
00:13:59,605 --> 00:14:04,099
ideal conditions for the flamingos
favourite food - brine shrimps.
120
00:14:04,810 --> 00:14:09,110
They thrive in water ten times
as salty as the sea.
121
00:14:09,248 --> 00:14:13,844
The birds catch them by filtering water
through bony combs in their beaks.
122
00:14:16,555 --> 00:14:19,422
The three kinds of flamingo
have different sized 'filters'
123
00:14:19,491 --> 00:14:24,519
so they can live together by exploiting
different parts of this briny soup.
124
00:14:26,365 --> 00:14:29,698
Only a handful of other waterbirds
can live here.
125
00:14:31,937 --> 00:14:35,429
Andean avocets subsist on fly larvae.
126
00:14:42,381 --> 00:14:45,873
The key to success up here
is being a specialist.
127
00:14:47,052 --> 00:14:49,850
Brine flies live in a world
that's wafer-thin
128
00:14:49,989 --> 00:14:52,822
sandwiched between the salt
and the piercing wind.
129
00:14:55,194 --> 00:14:57,890
But their swarms are large
enough to support a lizard.
130
00:14:58,898 --> 00:15:01,492
Brine flies are its staple diet.
131
00:15:01,634 --> 00:15:02,566
Being cold blooded
132
00:15:02,701 --> 00:15:06,228
it hunts only when the temperature
has risen enough for it to move.
133
00:15:11,443 --> 00:15:13,809
For a lizard living on the edge
of what's possible
134
00:15:13,946 --> 00:15:17,473
even a patch of fly-blown salt pan
is worth fighting for.
135
00:15:56,922 --> 00:16:00,915
Even the steaming outflow
from a geyser attracts life.
136
00:16:01,060 --> 00:16:03,688
This frog also survives on flies
137
00:16:03,829 --> 00:16:06,059
but this really is living on the edge.
138
00:16:06,332 --> 00:16:09,233
A few hops one way
and it would be boiled alive
139
00:16:09,435 --> 00:16:12,199
a few the other
and it would freeze to death.
140
00:16:22,247 --> 00:16:26,308
This desert on the roof of the world
even has mammals
141
00:16:27,286 --> 00:16:31,188
Vicuna
South American relatives of the camel.
142
00:16:31,490 --> 00:16:33,754
But what can they eat up here?
143
00:16:34,994 --> 00:16:37,485
There's more to the Altiplano
than caustic lakes
144
00:16:37,629 --> 00:16:40,894
and not all the springs
are hot and salty.
145
00:16:42,167 --> 00:16:47,195
Fed by meltwater from the snow-clad peaks
some run cold and fresh.
146
00:16:47,339 --> 00:16:51,139
They water small patches of marsh
called bofedales.
147
00:16:53,345 --> 00:16:55,438
In the drier parts of the Altiplano
148
00:16:55,514 --> 00:16:59,575
these green oases are the key
to the vicunas' survival.
149
00:17:03,856 --> 00:17:07,383
They provide grazing
and fresh water to drink.
150
00:17:08,260 --> 00:17:10,854
All sorts of animals depend on them.
151
00:17:10,996 --> 00:17:14,557
Like viscachas
rabbit-sized rodents.
152
00:17:21,073 --> 00:17:23,837
Early in the morning
the marsh is frozen hard
153
00:17:23,976 --> 00:17:27,844
so the viscachas bask in the sun
until the ground warms up
154
00:17:27,980 --> 00:17:31,973
along with the leaf-eared mice
that share their jumble of boulders.
155
00:17:32,217 --> 00:17:35,778
Only when the grass has thawed
can they start to graze.
156
00:17:43,996 --> 00:17:48,592
In the drier parts of the Altiplano
little grows away from the bofedales.
157
00:17:48,734 --> 00:17:52,830
The few flowers give a sip of nectar
for the Andean Hillstar.
158
00:17:53,205 --> 00:17:57,574
Up here perching is vital to
save energy in the thin air.
159
00:18:03,949 --> 00:18:05,280
There may be no woods here
160
00:18:05,417 --> 00:18:08,750
but there is a woodpecker
the Andean flicker.
161
00:18:09,021 --> 00:18:13,583
It nests underground
and hunts for insect grubs in the marsh.
162
00:18:15,427 --> 00:18:16,860
At this extreme altitude
163
00:18:16,995 --> 00:18:21,898
the main problems any animal has to
face are cold and lack of oxygen.
164
00:18:25,037 --> 00:18:29,201
Viscachas overcome the cold
by having incredibly thick fur
165
00:18:29,341 --> 00:18:33,778
but they have to keep it in good shape
if it's to save them from freezing.
166
00:18:35,547 --> 00:18:37,071
To make better use of the thin air
167
00:18:37,216 --> 00:18:40,276
some animals have a high concentration
of red blood cells
168
00:18:40,452 --> 00:18:42,181
and specialised lungs.
169
00:18:42,688 --> 00:18:45,452
It also helps
if you don't exert yourself.
170
00:18:45,691 --> 00:18:47,181
Viscachas hardly ever move more
171
00:18:47,326 --> 00:18:50,557
than a stone's throw
from their protective rocks.
172
00:18:54,366 --> 00:18:57,426
Nothing moves fast
without a good reason
173
00:18:57,703 --> 00:19:02,265
but up here, even a small patch
of grass is worth fighting for.
174
00:19:52,090 --> 00:19:54,718
Deciding whether to use
hard-won energy reserves
175
00:19:54,860 --> 00:19:57,021
can be a matter of life and death.
176
00:19:57,930 --> 00:20:01,764
The arrival of a red fox
means it's decision time.
177
00:20:03,402 --> 00:20:08,305
Up here the air is so starved of oxygen
that a sustained chase is impossible.
178
00:20:08,707 --> 00:20:12,006
The fox has to try and take its prey
by surprise
179
00:20:12,144 --> 00:20:14,908
Not easy in this open country.
180
00:20:19,851 --> 00:20:24,220
The viscachas are rarely more
than a short dash from safety.
181
00:20:34,066 --> 00:20:36,864
Viscachas have thin muscle walls
to their lungs
182
00:20:37,002 --> 00:20:40,335
so they can breathe more freely
at high altitude.
183
00:20:40,639 --> 00:20:44,234
But a rapid escape is exhausting
even for them.
184
00:20:55,954 --> 00:20:57,649
The panic's over for now.
185
00:20:57,789 --> 00:21:00,781
It's time for everyone to
catch their breath.
186
00:21:04,363 --> 00:21:07,264
On the Altiplano
the air is in such short supply
187
00:21:07,466 --> 00:21:10,958
that neither hunter nor hunted
can afford to waste it.
188
00:21:20,812 --> 00:21:25,112
It's at night that the effects of
the high altitude bite hardest.
189
00:21:29,388 --> 00:21:30,548
When the sun goes down
190
00:21:30,689 --> 00:21:33,249
the air's too thin to retain its heat
191
00:21:33,592 --> 00:21:35,617
and the temperature plummets.
192
00:21:44,870 --> 00:21:48,670
For the Andean Hillstar
every night is like a winter.
193
00:21:49,341 --> 00:21:50,706
Even at lower altitudes
194
00:21:50,842 --> 00:21:54,835
hummingbirds save energy at night
by slowing down their metabolism
195
00:21:54,980 --> 00:21:57,642
almost as if they were hibernating.
196
00:22:00,552 --> 00:22:06,081
Up here, that ability can make the
difference between life and death.
197
00:22:07,726 --> 00:22:12,527
Just three hours after sunset
it's already twenty below.
198
00:22:14,533 --> 00:22:17,468
Even running water freezes hard.
199
00:22:31,149 --> 00:22:34,778
This is the moment of truth
for the Hillstar.
200
00:22:35,153 --> 00:22:38,122
Now all it can do is wait.
201
00:23:07,219 --> 00:23:11,280
With the rising sun
the Hillstar comes alive again.
202
00:23:11,690 --> 00:23:14,523
It picked its roosting place
so the very first rays
203
00:23:14,659 --> 00:23:17,423
reach in to warm its chilled body.
204
00:23:20,031 --> 00:23:22,431
This time, it's won through
205
00:23:22,634 --> 00:23:26,866
Every night is a battle to
survive a twelve hour winter.
206
00:23:28,907 --> 00:23:32,172
But the Altiplano also
has a true winter.
207
00:23:32,778 --> 00:23:34,302
For a few weeks each year
208
00:23:34,479 --> 00:23:38,040
its savage climate
becomes even more severe.
209
00:23:39,651 --> 00:23:42,711
For those who can
this is time to leave.
210
00:23:44,523 --> 00:23:47,981
They must search for food in lakes
lower down the mountains.
211
00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:10,004
When the flamingos have gone
212
00:24:10,148 --> 00:24:13,083
the high Altiplano is left
to the elements
213
00:24:13,218 --> 00:24:16,710
and those animals
that have no choice but to sit it out.
214
00:24:23,628 --> 00:24:28,429
The cold can be so severe
that even the salt lakes freeze over.
215
00:24:35,173 --> 00:24:39,234
Any birds that breed late in the season
can be trapped here.
216
00:24:39,845 --> 00:24:41,278
Their young can't yet fly
217
00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:45,610
and their food is now out of reach
locked beneath the ice.
218
00:24:55,126 --> 00:24:59,085
Many of these stragglers will die
frozen into the ice.
219
00:24:59,931 --> 00:25:02,559
Their fate is already sealed.
220
00:25:11,309 --> 00:25:13,869
But some places never freeze.
221
00:25:20,785 --> 00:25:25,552
The Andes' inner fires keep the geysers
and hot springs free of ice.
222
00:25:25,690 --> 00:25:28,488
Here at least, winter will never come.
223
00:25:28,927 --> 00:25:31,862
In this tiny island of warmth
in the most marginal
224
00:25:31,997 --> 00:25:35,558
and extreme of worlds, life hangs on.
225
00:25:50,715 --> 00:25:52,842
The Altiplano may be extreme
226
00:25:52,984 --> 00:25:56,750
but there's somewhere
even more severe.
227
00:25:57,022 --> 00:25:59,456
As you travel south down
the chain of the Andes
228
00:25:59,524 --> 00:26:02,357
winter becomes even harder.
229
00:26:04,563 --> 00:26:08,158
The mountains here may not be
as high as the giants further north
230
00:26:08,300 --> 00:26:10,928
but they're much closer
to the Antarctic.
231
00:26:13,071 --> 00:26:15,539
The snowline creeps lower
and lower
232
00:26:15,674 --> 00:26:19,405
and in the deep south
the ice never melts.
233
00:26:19,711 --> 00:26:22,271
This is Patagonia.
234
00:26:31,856 --> 00:26:36,293
Three huge ice-sheets dominate
the Patagonian Andes.
235
00:26:36,628 --> 00:26:39,290
Covering over seven thousand
square miles
236
00:26:39,464 --> 00:26:42,763
they're the largest expanse of
ice outside the poles
237
00:26:42,901 --> 00:26:46,428
so vast that they generate
their own weather.
238
00:27:10,095 --> 00:27:13,531
Towers of rock rise
from the edge of the ice
239
00:27:13,665 --> 00:27:18,659
the remnants of ancient volcanoes
stripped bare by the glaciers.
240
00:27:38,757 --> 00:27:42,659
Only the condor soars among
these icy peaks.
241
00:27:48,967 --> 00:27:52,130
This is one of the windiest places
on earth.
242
00:27:53,772 --> 00:27:56,832
Chilled air spills
from the edge of the ice-sheet.
243
00:27:56,975 --> 00:27:59,671
Funnelled down the glaciers
and between the peaks
244
00:27:59,811 --> 00:28:03,770
these freezing blasts can reach
a hundred miles an hour.
245
00:28:06,718 --> 00:28:10,518
Almost nothing lives
on the ice-sheet itself.
246
00:28:10,655 --> 00:28:15,524
Surviving even on its edge requires
unimaginable stamina.
247
00:28:22,634 --> 00:28:26,434
The guanaco
a southern cousin of the vicuna.
248
00:28:26,738 --> 00:28:29,434
It's larger
and has a thick woolly coat
249
00:28:29,574 --> 00:28:33,271
and it needs it
to survive the Patagonian winter.
250
00:28:45,924 --> 00:28:49,655
Snow is not the only peril
the guanacos face.
251
00:28:53,565 --> 00:28:56,932
The puma, the lion of the Andes.
252
00:28:58,369 --> 00:29:02,169
This most adaptable of big cats lives
throughout the mountain chain
253
00:29:02,307 --> 00:29:04,172
from the cloud forest to
the high desert
254
00:29:04,309 --> 00:29:10,441
and the snows of Patagonia
but it's secretive and hardly ever seen.
255
00:29:15,086 --> 00:29:18,817
For all the hunters here
winter is a lean season.
256
00:29:18,957 --> 00:29:21,949
They're poorly camouflaged
against the snow.
257
00:29:22,293 --> 00:29:27,196
The grey fox follows the puma to
scavenge any scraps from its kills.
258
00:29:27,699 --> 00:29:30,725
She has hidden stores of food
during the summer.
259
00:29:30,869 --> 00:29:34,305
If she can sniff them out
she'll survive the winter.
260
00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:52,317
The really hard times
last four months.
261
00:29:52,457 --> 00:29:57,417
But slowly the days get longer
and the land comes back to life.
262
00:30:06,971 --> 00:30:09,906
The snowline creeps back up
the mountains.
263
00:30:10,041 --> 00:30:13,033
This is what the condors
have been waiting for.
264
00:30:17,081 --> 00:30:21,211
As the snow retreats
the casualties of winter are revealed
265
00:30:21,352 --> 00:30:27,154
animals killed by cold or starvation
and the remnants of puma kills.
266
00:30:29,627 --> 00:30:32,255
Condors are the vultures of the Andes.
267
00:30:32,397 --> 00:30:33,887
They have superb eyesight.
268
00:30:34,032 --> 00:30:36,227
They can spot food from miles away
269
00:30:36,367 --> 00:30:38,665
and can locate even more
distant carcasses
270
00:30:38,803 --> 00:30:41,704
by watching
for other condors gathering.
271
00:30:52,350 --> 00:30:55,251
The grey fox is a scavenger too.
272
00:30:55,887 --> 00:30:58,355
The winter's survivors
are lean and hungry
273
00:30:58,489 --> 00:31:02,084
and there's stiff competition
for any chance of a meal.
274
00:31:11,135 --> 00:31:14,502
There's a well defined pecking order
at carcasses.
275
00:31:18,209 --> 00:31:20,336
One fox may defer to another
276
00:31:20,478 --> 00:31:22,878
but neither of them can argue
with a condor.
277
00:31:33,124 --> 00:31:36,855
With a three metre wingspan
and weighing up to fifteen kilos
278
00:31:36,995 --> 00:31:39,759
it's the world's largest
flying bird.
279
00:31:45,036 --> 00:31:47,368
The fox simply can't compete.
280
00:31:50,675 --> 00:31:53,940
At this feast the condor is king.
281
00:31:59,050 --> 00:32:01,610
Caracaras have to wait
their turn too
282
00:32:01,753 --> 00:32:05,314
or make do with scraps that fall
from the condors' table.
283
00:32:16,734 --> 00:32:19,703
Spring brings a flood of migrants
to take advantage
284
00:32:19,837 --> 00:32:24,331
of the brief Patagonian summer
like buff-necked ibis.
285
00:32:26,177 --> 00:32:29,044
They waste no time
in starting to breed.
286
00:32:44,195 --> 00:32:46,561
Great grebes over-winter on the coast
287
00:32:46,698 --> 00:32:48,461
but as soon as the lakes
are free of ice
288
00:32:48,566 --> 00:32:51,535
they move inland and start fighting
for territory.
289
00:33:17,628 --> 00:33:20,961
Only the winners will have a good chance
of raising a family
290
00:33:21,099 --> 00:33:23,897
The losers are forced onto lakes higher
in the mountains
291
00:33:24,035 --> 00:33:26,503
where the summer is that much shorter.
292
00:33:32,744 --> 00:33:36,874
Territory is also the key to breeding
for male guanacos.
293
00:33:37,482 --> 00:33:40,178
They gather a group of females
on their patch of ground
294
00:33:40,318 --> 00:33:43,583
and guard them closely
against rival males.
295
00:33:45,056 --> 00:33:47,456
He must always be on watch.
296
00:33:47,625 --> 00:33:51,959
Younger males will seize any opportunity
to raid the harem.
297
00:33:57,201 --> 00:34:01,228
Soon the reedbeds are alive
with nesting birds.
298
00:34:06,811 --> 00:34:10,474
And where there are nests
there are nest thieves.
299
00:34:15,319 --> 00:34:19,312
As soon as eggs are laid
the fox is quick to take advantage.
300
00:34:30,334 --> 00:34:33,098
She's found the nest of
an upland goose.
301
00:34:33,337 --> 00:34:36,101
Now the birds will have to
start all over again.
302
00:34:40,011 --> 00:34:43,845
There's little a bird can do to drive
a fox away from its nest.
303
00:34:46,551 --> 00:34:50,112
But a male guanaco packs
more of a punch.
304
00:34:52,256 --> 00:34:56,090
Soon there will be baby
guanacos to defend
305
00:34:56,527 --> 00:34:59,257
and he's not taking any chances.
306
00:35:15,980 --> 00:35:19,438
Male guanacos are exceedingly territorial
at this time of year
307
00:35:19,584 --> 00:35:22,519
and they won't tolerate intruders
of any kind.
308
00:35:28,059 --> 00:35:30,425
The fox already has a family to feed.
309
00:35:30,528 --> 00:35:34,464
Her cubs will be safer away
from the aggressive guanacos' territory
310
00:35:34,599 --> 00:35:36,863
so she moves them to another den.
311
00:35:50,314 --> 00:35:53,841
There can be as many
as five cubs in a litter.
312
00:35:54,051 --> 00:35:57,179
Their mother has to carry each
individually to the new den
313
00:35:57,321 --> 00:36:00,154
so moving house takes a lot of energy.
314
00:36:00,625 --> 00:36:04,823
Even so, foxes often move
their cubs several times.
315
00:36:05,096 --> 00:36:06,927
The longer a den is occupied
316
00:36:07,064 --> 00:36:10,158
the greater the chance a puma
will find it.
317
00:36:13,571 --> 00:36:16,131
The cubs are still dependent
on their mother's milk
318
00:36:16,274 --> 00:36:19,675
but soon she'll be weaning them
onto solid food.
319
00:36:19,944 --> 00:36:24,142
By the time winter returns
they'll have to look after themselves.
320
00:36:36,494 --> 00:36:39,292
Few of these cubs will live
as long as a year.
321
00:36:39,463 --> 00:36:42,023
If they're to survive
they have a lot to learn
322
00:36:42,166 --> 00:36:44,532
and only a brief summer to learn it.
323
00:36:59,350 --> 00:37:01,750
High summer in Patagonia.
324
00:37:18,436 --> 00:37:20,631
At the edge of
the great ice-sheet
325
00:37:20,771 --> 00:37:23,638
the mountains are almost
clear of snow.
326
00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:32,545
This far south
midsummer days are long
327
00:37:32,783 --> 00:37:35,980
and occasionally it can even be warm.
328
00:37:39,790 --> 00:37:43,021
Patagonia seems almost benign.
329
00:37:44,295 --> 00:37:49,426
The puma hunts mostly at night
but summer nights are short.
330
00:37:50,468 --> 00:37:52,527
There may be more food
at this time of year
331
00:37:52,670 --> 00:37:55,571
but there's less time
for the puma to catch it.
332
00:38:01,512 --> 00:38:05,812
At dusk, a deadly game of cat
and mouse begins.
333
00:38:17,428 --> 00:38:20,124
The guanacos move to the ridge tops.
334
00:38:20,331 --> 00:38:24,427
From there they have a better chance
of spotting a prowling puma.
335
00:38:27,738 --> 00:38:29,205
But under cover of darkness
336
00:38:29,340 --> 00:38:32,434
the odds are stacked
in the big cat's favour.
337
00:38:56,100 --> 00:38:59,433
This time the puma killed
a full grown guanaco
338
00:38:59,570 --> 00:39:02,130
but the most vulnerable are the young.
339
00:39:02,273 --> 00:39:06,403
The cat won't have long to wait
for the new season's baby guanacos.
340
00:39:20,424 --> 00:39:23,951
All the births are concentrated
over just a few days.
341
00:39:24,095 --> 00:39:26,427
That way the puma is spoilt
for choice
342
00:39:26,564 --> 00:39:28,896
and it can't take all the young.
343
00:39:35,106 --> 00:39:36,835
The sooner a new-born
infant can stand
344
00:39:36,974 --> 00:39:41,035
and run, the better its chances
of surviving the summer.
345
00:39:56,127 --> 00:40:00,120
Within days of giving birth
the female guanacos come on heat.
346
00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:05,569
For the males, this will be the payoff
for all the hard work
347
00:40:05,703 --> 00:40:08,001
they've put into defending their harem.
348
00:40:09,006 --> 00:40:11,566
But they can't afford to
relax their guard.
349
00:40:12,977 --> 00:40:16,708
This is when other males are
most tempted to intrude.
350
00:40:19,417 --> 00:40:21,942
First, there's a stand off.
351
00:40:28,392 --> 00:40:30,519
Fighting's dangerous so males
352
00:40:30,661 --> 00:40:34,222
try to intimidate their opponents
by posturing.
353
00:40:39,837 --> 00:40:44,103
But this time
threat has to be backed by physical force.
354
00:40:56,787 --> 00:40:59,017
Guanacos are heavy, powerful animals
355
00:40:59,156 --> 00:41:01,647
and they can inflict a vicious bite.
356
00:41:17,374 --> 00:41:21,435
This 'neck wrestling' is a way
of avoiding being bitten.
357
00:41:59,416 --> 00:42:02,681
The battle over
the winner takes his reward.
358
00:42:05,656 --> 00:42:07,419
So long as he can fend off intruders
359
00:42:07,525 --> 00:42:11,325
the resident male will mate
with all the females in his group
360
00:42:11,462 --> 00:42:14,226
and sire a whole new generation.
361
00:42:23,774 --> 00:42:26,334
This may be midsummer
but at any time
362
00:42:26,477 --> 00:42:29,571
the mountain can spring
a cruel surprise.
363
00:42:37,955 --> 00:42:39,513
On a sunny summer's day
364
00:42:39,657 --> 00:42:42,717
ferocious storms can strike
out of the blue.
365
00:42:56,607 --> 00:42:58,507
From behind its fringing peaks
366
00:42:58,642 --> 00:43:02,874
the ice-cap hurls a frozen blast
down the mountains.
367
00:43:14,358 --> 00:43:17,725
These sudden winds can reach
a hundred miles an hour.
368
00:43:57,368 --> 00:43:58,699
For everything that lives here
369
00:43:58,836 --> 00:44:02,397
these sudden storms are part
of the Patagonian summer.
370
00:44:02,673 --> 00:44:04,971
They can strike almost daily.
371
00:44:09,880 --> 00:44:13,543
Even in the strongest winds
the grebes keep fishing.
372
00:44:16,720 --> 00:44:19,416
All kinds of grebe carry their
young on their back
373
00:44:19,556 --> 00:44:22,616
but here in Patagonia
it's a life saver.
374
00:44:26,130 --> 00:44:27,256
From their earliest days
375
00:44:27,464 --> 00:44:30,729
the chicks feel the brutal
force of the Andes.
376
00:44:31,735 --> 00:44:33,566
But these birds
are great survivors
377
00:44:33,704 --> 00:44:35,729
and if they can make it
through the storms
378
00:44:35,873 --> 00:44:37,773
this is an ideal home.
379
00:44:50,487 --> 00:44:53,547
Sometimes grebes feed feathers
to their chicks.
380
00:44:53,691 --> 00:44:55,989
This may help bind
the fish bones together
381
00:44:56,126 --> 00:44:59,562
so they can be regurgitated safely
as a pellet.
382
00:45:08,105 --> 00:45:10,403
Young of all kinds have to grow fast
383
00:45:10,474 --> 00:45:12,772
if they're to survive
the coming winter.
384
00:45:15,946 --> 00:45:18,005
The young guanacos build up
their stamina
385
00:45:18,148 --> 00:45:20,742
by playing in the last of
the summer sun.
386
00:45:32,096 --> 00:45:34,428
The mother fox has
only a few more weeks
387
00:45:34,498 --> 00:45:37,661
to teach her cubs how to fend
for themselves.
388
00:45:38,335 --> 00:45:43,238
Carrion from a puma kill gives them
their first taste of red meat.
389
00:45:43,373 --> 00:45:45,102
But meat is a luxury.
390
00:45:45,242 --> 00:45:51,442
To survive they will have to eat insects
fruit, leaves, even grass.
391
00:45:56,153 --> 00:45:57,484
They may be playing now
392
00:45:57,621 --> 00:46:01,057
but in a few weeks they'll
be hunting for real
393
00:46:01,191 --> 00:46:02,419
on their own.
394
00:46:04,928 --> 00:46:08,625
Only the most resourceful can
live through an Andean winter.
395
00:46:12,436 --> 00:46:14,597
All along the chain of the Andes
396
00:46:14,738 --> 00:46:20,040
survival depends on adapting to some of
the harshest conditions on the planet
397
00:46:20,177 --> 00:46:24,045
thin air, bitter cold, relentless wind.
398
00:46:35,592 --> 00:46:37,287
But for those that can live here
399
00:46:37,461 --> 00:46:40,430
the mountains provide all their needs.
400
00:46:55,212 --> 00:46:59,114
Our journey of over five thousand
miles ends here
401
00:46:59,249 --> 00:47:01,012
almost in the Antarctic
402
00:47:01,151 --> 00:47:05,383
where the glaciers of Patagonia plunge
towards the Southern Ocean.
403
00:47:45,262 --> 00:47:48,129
The mighty force of the mountains
can give life
404
00:47:48,265 --> 00:47:49,425
but at any moment
405
00:47:49,533 --> 00:47:51,228
it can take it away.
406
00:47:52,102 --> 00:47:53,933
Living in the Andes
407
00:47:54,071 --> 00:47:57,438
is one of the greatest
challenges in the natural world.
35035
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.