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The equator.
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00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:45,000
It runs across these scorched plains
of East Africa.
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00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:52,400
This is as far from the poles
as you can get.
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00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:02,200
But ice and snow are here too...
5
00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:04,080
...up in the mountains.
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00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:22,160
Every continent on Earth
has such high snowfields.
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00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:40,480
And each has its own community
of animals that have adapted
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00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:46,280
in their own way to the crushing
conditions that come with the cold.
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00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:15,920
Dawn in East Africa,
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00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:19,480
on the high slopes of Mount Kenya...
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00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:21,440
...4,000 metres up.
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00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,800
The temperature is just beginning
to creep above freezing.
13
00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,200
It's hardly the place where
you would expect to find
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00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,320
a cold-blooded reptile.
15
00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,040
But there is one that
lives up here -
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00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,560
the high-casqued chameleon.
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00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:50,520
This female has survived the
night's freezing temperatures
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00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,240
by allowing both her metabolism
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00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:57,040
and her heart rate
to drop significantly.
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00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:03,680
Now, in the morning,
she needs to eat.
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00:03:08,920 --> 00:03:13,120
But it's so cold,
she can't move her legs.
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00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:23,760
Her spring-loaded tongue,
however, still works.
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00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:47,400
As the sun rises higher in the sky,
frozen land begins to thaw...
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00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,520
...and the giant lobelias
spread their leaves
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00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:54,880
to soak up the sunshine.
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00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:08,680
With her body temperature still
only five degrees Celsius,
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00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:12,400
the chameleon becomes more mobile...
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00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:16,040
...and climbs up to bask in the sun.
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00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,440
Her skin darkens...
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00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,440
...enabling her to absorb
the sun's heat more quickly.
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00:04:32,280 --> 00:04:34,800
She is pregnant,
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00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:38,840
and soon her temperature
reaches 20 degrees Celsius,
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00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:44,000
which gives her the energy
she needs to give birth.
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00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,640
Most chameleon species lay eggs,
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00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:00,760
but here it's too cold for an egg
to develop in the open...
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00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,320
...so she produces live young.
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00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:21,600
It takes just an hour for her
to give birth
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00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:25,160
to six baby chameleons.
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00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:32,760
One of the advantages of life
on the frozen peaks
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00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:35,320
is that there are fewer
predators here...
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00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:40,760
...and less competition for food.
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00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:46,520
But there's a reason why
comparatively few reptiles
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live in the high mountains.
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00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:54,960
As the sun sets, the temperature
falls to below zero
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00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,360
in a matter of minutes.
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00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:06,080
The babies must act fast.
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00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:23,360
To escape the nightly freeze,
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they need the cover of
thick vegetation.
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00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:37,400
A young chameleon caught out
in the cold
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00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:40,920
will quickly lose
its ability to move
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00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,760
and may well die.
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00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,240
Most, however, react instinctively
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00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:03,480
and find shelter as quickly
as they can.
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00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:30,160
Peaks on the equator,
such as Mount Kenya,
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00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:34,240
are frost bound for only
a few hours each night.
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00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:39,960
But north of the equator,
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00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,320
in the 750-mile long
European Alps,
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00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,200
the cold endures for months.
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00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:04,840
The high mountains are continuously
frozen for half the year.
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00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:17,720
A testing time for the Alps'
greatest aerial predator.
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The golden eagle.
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00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:39,920
In winter, there is just enough
prey up here, dead or alive,
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00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:41,760
to sustain them.
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00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:49,760
But when spring arrives,
the mountains are transformed.
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00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:11,520
For a male and
his lifelong partner...
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...the need to find food is urgent.
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00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,240
They have a three-week-old chick.
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00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:29,360
It needs to be fed
several times a day.
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00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:37,320
To do that,
both parents have to hunt.
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00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:45,920
Yet, even in spring,
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00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:49,760
few animals live up here
in the high mountains,
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00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:53,480
and finding prey is not easy.
73
00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:01,880
But chamois,
a kind of mountain goat,
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00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,920
are here, and they are giving birth.
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00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:11,360
One of their kids can weigh
as much as an eagle.
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00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:16,320
When eagles hunt as a pair,
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they co-ordinate their approach.
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00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:28,720
One stoops...
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...reaching a speed of over 150mph.
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00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:49,360
Its attack scatters the herd...
81
00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:56,400
...and that makes it easier for
the other to select a target.
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00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,080
A successful catch.
83
00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:31,960
It could still be alive...
84
00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:40,640
...so the eagle carries it away,
high over the gorge...
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00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:45,840
...and then...
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00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:49,800
...deliberately drops it.
87
00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,680
The impact will kill it instantly.
88
00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:47,840
A chick can eat up to a third of
its own body weight in a day.
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00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:56,480
Parents can't afford to rest
for long.
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00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:02,040
Taking advantage of the
long summer days,
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00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:05,360
eagles hunt ceaselessly.
92
00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:21,040
Day in...
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00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:23,720
...day out.
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00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:32,560
After eight weeks,
a chick is almost fully grown.
95
00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:47,440
And then,
as summer comes to an end,
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00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:52,200
the pressure on parents to feed
their chicks disappears.
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Their young have flown the nest.
98
00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:09,440
And just in time.
99
00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:14,800
The worsening weather signals
that the leaner times of winter
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00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:16,720
are on their way.
101
00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:23,440
Finding prey has now
got much harder.
102
00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,840
The young chamois have
also grown up.
103
00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:45,080
A juvenile now weighs almost
five times as much as an eagle.
104
00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:56,120
Animals of this size are no longer
easy prey for the birds.
105
00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:02,680
They barely flinch under attack.
106
00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:25,280
But it's dangerous for a chamois
to stray close to a cliff edge.
107
00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:29,920
The eagles seize their chance.
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00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:49,040
Got it.
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00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:54,960
The eagle drags the chamois
towards the edge.
110
00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,440
It's an extremely risky move.
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00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:07,040
If the eagle breaks a wing,
it will be fatal.
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00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:59,720
A kill this size will feed
a pair for days.
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00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:05,280
This is when they must build up
the fat reserves
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00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,640
that they will need
to sustain themselves
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00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:11,880
through the lean months
that lie ahead.
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00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:23,520
Winters in the Alps are daunting.
117
00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:27,880
But in other mountain ranges,
the challenges are even harder.
118
00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:39,960
In the Far East, warm, wet winds
blow in across the Sea of Japan.
119
00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:47,360
As they meet the 3,000-metre
high Japanese Alps,
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00:17:47,360 --> 00:17:49,840
they're forced upwards.
121
00:17:56,440 --> 00:18:00,360
As the moist air rises,
it freezes...
122
00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:11,800
...and the water droplets they carry
turn into snow.
123
00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:22,480
No two snow crystals are
exactly the same.
124
00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:32,240
In the mountains of Japan,
13 metres of snow
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00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:34,840
can fall in just a few months.
126
00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:39,440
It's the snowiest place on Earth.
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00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:50,120
To survive here, an animal needs
all the help it can get.
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00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:00,600
In winter, Japanese macaques
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00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:05,720
can live at altitudes of
up to 1,500 metres...
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00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:09,320
...higher than almost
any other primate.
131
00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:14,480
But here, the warm volcanic pools
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are always ready and waiting.
133
00:19:19,360 --> 00:19:23,520
A nice hot bath lowers
stress hormones for them,
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00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:25,760
just as it does for us.
135
00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:39,480
Admission to this spa, however,
is tightly controlled.
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The high-ranking females dictate
who is allowed in...
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...and who will be left out
in the cold.
138
00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:14,360
This three-year-old male
has recently been
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expelled from his troop.
140
00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,400
He's hungry.
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00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,400
Macaques are largely vegetarian.
142
00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:33,880
In the winter, when food
of any kind is scarce,
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they will tackle anything
remotely edible.
144
00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:42,640
However, a lone young male is
unlikely to survive much longer
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00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:46,000
unless he can find a way
of keeping warm.
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00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:06,480
And to do so,
he may have to travel through
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00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:09,160
up to 50 miles of empty forest.
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00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:18,840
Bare hands and feet
can become painfully cold.
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00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:26,760
Rubbing them helps restore
the circulation.
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00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:32,160
Frostbite could be fatal.
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00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:54,720
Young male macaques
are most likely to die
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in their first winter
than at any other time.
153
00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:12,240
But just like him, here is another
young male outcast.
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00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:41,760
Offering to groom is
a standard way of establishing
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00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:45,320
a friendly relationship
among macaques.
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00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:54,280
And the stranger's warm embrace
is very welcome.
157
00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:03,240
By huddling together, they shield
each other from the snow,
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00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:06,560
and both their temperatures rise...
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00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:07,960
...just a little.
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00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:16,520
This could be enough to save
the lives of both of them.
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00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:34,080
Snow on lower mountain slopes
can be a major challenge
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for any of the animals
that live there.
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00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:46,720
On the high peaks, however, really
heavy snowfalls can be lethal.
164
00:23:50,360 --> 00:23:53,080
The Rockies in North America.
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They rise to heights of
over 4,400 metres.
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00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:11,440
In the winter, the winds blowing
across the high summits
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can create snowy overhangs -
cornices - up to ten metres thick
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and weighing many tonnes.
169
00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,160
In the spring,
as the temperatures rise,
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00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:26,720
the cornices may become unstable...
171
00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:33,160
...and that can be catastrophic.
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00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:45,520
Avalanche.
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00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:54,280
As it tumbles downwards,
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00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:58,520
it accelerates to speeds
of 100mph or more.
175
00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:11,440
Only a racer drone camera
can follow its course.
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00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:40,760
In just two minutes,
up to a million tonnes of snow
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hurtle down the mountainside.
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00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:03,400
Avalanches can be
hugely destructive,
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00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:07,400
and climate change is making them
more and more unpredictable.
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00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:31,360
In the South Pacific,
on the islands of New Zealand,
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00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:35,600
one highly intelligent creature
has learned how to take advantage
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of the volatile nature of mountains.
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00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:56,160
The kea.
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00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:01,480
A species of parrot.
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00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:12,080
It's the only one of its family
that can live above the snowline,
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00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:17,840
and the only one that
actively looks for meat.
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00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:23,720
The carcass of a mountain goat.
188
00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:30,960
This adult male kea
has a razor-sharp beak...
189
00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:36,680
...which is well suited for butchery.
190
00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:45,960
Flesh rich in calories will
help him through the winter.
191
00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:53,560
But he doesn't have it
for himself for long.
192
00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,560
A gang of juvenile keas.
193
00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:24,240
These younger keas shadow the older,
more experienced adults...
194
00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:29,720
...to learn the tricks
of mountain survival...
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00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:36,400
...and where to find food.
196
00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,600
But while waiting their turn...
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00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:44,720
...there's time to play.
198
00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:12,280
There's a benefit to this
apparently carefree behaviour.
199
00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:15,080
It helps establish
long-lasting relationships
200
00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:17,480
between the youngsters...
201
00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:22,480
...and even defuses tension...
202
00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:34,320
...so that when one kea finds
a rare but substantial meal...
203
00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:37,080
...it often willingly shares it.
204
00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:49,320
And that is very important
behaviour, particularly in winter,
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00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:51,680
when food is so scarce.
206
00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:05,960
In larger mountain chains,
the quest for food
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00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:08,840
can become even more demanding.
208
00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:13,560
The Andes in South America.
209
00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:16,160
The longest range on Earth.
210
00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:23,320
It stretches for over 4,500 miles
down towards the Antarctic.
211
00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:35,840
At its southernmost end,
the sun remains so low in the sky
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00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:38,160
that it brings little warmth
213
00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,920
and temperatures regularly
drop below freezing.
214
00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:59,400
In winter, the land
is shrouded in darkness
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00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:01,640
for almost 15 hours a day.
216
00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:11,640
Here, a predator has to hunt
when it's so dark
217
00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:17,400
that only a thermal camera can make
its activities visible to our eyes.
218
00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:21,600
The puma.
219
00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:35,280
This one-year-old female
faces a daunting prospect.
220
00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,400
She has just left her mother
and become independent
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00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:44,360
at the most demanding time
of the year...
222
00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:49,200
...when prey is at its most scarce.
223
00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:58,680
The only substantial targets
are a kind of llama.
224
00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:01,760
Guanaco.
225
00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:12,520
An adult stands 1.5 metres tall
and is twice the puma's weight.
226
00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:21,600
This female, however,
has one advantage -
227
00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:24,320
excellent night-vision.
228
00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:32,160
If the youngster can get within
five metres of a guanaco,
229
00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:35,120
she has a chance of success.
230
00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:49,280
But the guanaco do have
a very acute sense of smell...
231
00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:59,280
...and excellent hearing.
232
00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:10,000
After six hours of patient
stalking from downwind...
233
00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:17,440
...the puma is finally
within striking distance.
234
00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:50,560
A wasted opportunity.
235
00:34:11,720 --> 00:34:15,320
Three failed attempts in one night
236
00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:17,880
have drained her reserves.
237
00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:30,960
Her inexperience is leaving
her close to starvation.
238
00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:38,240
Another faint scent.
239
00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:48,240
But it's leading this youngster
into the territory of another puma.
240
00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:56,640
Her neighbour, a female, is older
and more experienced than she is...
241
00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:00,960
...and has already made
a successful kill.
242
00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:06,720
The younger female must approach
with caution.
243
00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:11,720
Adult pumas are solitary
by nature...
244
00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:17,880
...and don't normally welcome rivals.
245
00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:33,440
She falls back in a gesture
of submission.
246
00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:47,840
But if she doesn't eat
within the next few days,
247
00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:50,320
she's unlikely to survive.
248
00:35:55,720 --> 00:35:59,760
The larger female is now
no longer actively feeding...
249
00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:04,160
...so she makes another approach.
250
00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:43,320
At last, the owner ignores her.
251
00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:53,280
Pumas are the only solitary big cat
252
00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:56,280
known to share a meal
with a neighbour.
253
00:37:04,280 --> 00:37:07,280
Maybe the young puma,
with the help of its neighbour,
254
00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:10,600
will, after all,
survive her first winter.
255
00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:15,640
And maybe the older cat one day
256
00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:19,320
will be in need
of a favour returned.
257
00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:33,680
The lower slopes of the Andes
are harsh.
258
00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:41,840
But climb higher, and the mountains
become otherworldly.
259
00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:52,160
Their altitude prevents rain clouds
from blowing in from the east...
260
00:37:54,240 --> 00:37:57,880
...whilst another lower range,
nearer the west coast,
261
00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:01,280
prevents rain coming in from
the Pacific Ocean.
262
00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:05,720
This creates, between them,
one of the driest
263
00:38:05,720 --> 00:38:09,080
high-altitude deserts on Earth...
264
00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:11,320
...the Atacama.
265
00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:17,320
There is, nonetheless,
a lake here -
266
00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:20,680
a volcanic one that is filled
with extremely salty water
267
00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:22,440
from underground.
268
00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:28,120
And this attracts flamingos.
269
00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:38,000
They come here each summer.
270
00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:42,800
And here they nest
and raise their young,
271
00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:46,200
taking advantage of the lake's
plentiful algae.
272
00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:53,720
But with the arrival of winter,
273
00:38:53,720 --> 00:38:57,160
temperatures at night drop
to below freezing...
274
00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:06,560
...conditions that even these
hardy birds cannot endure for long.
275
00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:12,800
The adults start to leave and
head for warmer temperatures
276
00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:15,240
lower down the mountain.
277
00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:43,040
But they leave behind
their four-month-old chicks,
278
00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:45,400
which are old enough
to feed themselves
279
00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:48,080
but not yet strong enough to fly.
280
00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:57,880
With each passing night,
temperatures continue to fall.
281
00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:12,240
And then, one morning,
after a particularly cold night,
282
00:40:12,240 --> 00:40:16,680
the chicks find themselves
surrounded by ice.
283
00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:27,520
Huddling together allows some
to preserve precious body heat.
284
00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:33,280
But those on the outside
285
00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:35,800
are left even more exposed.
286
00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:44,200
And some have already succumbed
to the freezing conditions.
287
00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:50,440
The salty ice is now so cold
288
00:40:50,440 --> 00:40:53,120
that it congeals on
the chicks' feathers.
289
00:40:55,640 --> 00:41:00,600
Weighed down, their chances
of flying are even more remote.
290
00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:11,480
Now 40mph winds whip
across the lake,
291
00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:14,440
driving down temperatures
even further.
292
00:41:35,120 --> 00:41:38,280
Yet this very wind
that could kill them
293
00:41:38,280 --> 00:41:40,760
might just be their saviour.
294
00:41:44,600 --> 00:41:47,760
The youngsters turn to face it.
295
00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:56,320
If they can catch it just right,
it could give them
296
00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:59,800
the lift they need to take
their very first flight.
297
00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:31,400
For those encumbered with
heavy loads of ice...
298
00:42:31,400 --> 00:42:34,200
...the struggle is almost too much.
299
00:42:49,800 --> 00:42:52,480
Freedom at last.
300
00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:09,600
Many animals that live
amongst the frozen peaks
301
00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:13,400
have over thousands of years
become adapted
302
00:43:13,400 --> 00:43:17,880
to meet the challenges of
a high-altitude existence.
303
00:43:22,320 --> 00:43:26,000
But now their world is changing
304
00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:28,760
because of global warming.
305
00:43:37,240 --> 00:43:41,240
Ice that has remained frozen deep
within mountain glaciers
306
00:43:41,240 --> 00:43:43,800
is starting to melt...
307
00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:54,640
...accelerating their movement.
308
00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:25,080
Over the three years that
it took to film this series,
309
00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:30,680
the Quelccaya Ice Cap,
5,500m up in the Peruvian Andes,
310
00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:34,640
has receded by a staggering
60 metres.
311
00:44:39,160 --> 00:44:43,040
In Europe, some alpine glaciers
are now shrinking
312
00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:45,880
by 100 metres a year.
313
00:44:56,080 --> 00:45:00,280
One of them - the Sankt Annafirn
Glacier, in Switzerland -
314
00:45:00,280 --> 00:45:02,680
has almost completely disappeared.
315
00:45:05,480 --> 00:45:08,640
Most of the others are expected
to have followed it
316
00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:11,000
by the turn of the century.
317
00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:29,040
The warming of the frozen slopes
could threaten the life of perhaps
318
00:45:29,040 --> 00:45:32,080
the most famous
mountain resident of all.
319
00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:42,320
Hidden within the bamboo forests
of western China...
320
00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:49,440
...is a hot and bothered
male giant panda.
321
00:45:58,720 --> 00:46:03,320
He has spent the winter
sheltering lower down the valley.
322
00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:07,840
Now it's early summer,
323
00:46:07,840 --> 00:46:11,360
and his thick coat that protected
him throughout the winter
324
00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:14,480
has become very uncomfortable.
325
00:46:17,600 --> 00:46:22,280
He needs to reach the cold
of the higher slopes.
326
00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:27,040
But before he can start the ascent,
327
00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:30,800
he needs a good meal to give him
the necessary energy.
328
00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:50,640
Giant pandas eat almost nothing
except bamboo.
329
00:46:54,280 --> 00:46:57,720
But bamboo is so low in calories
330
00:46:57,720 --> 00:47:01,560
that he needs to spend ten hours
a day eating.
331
00:47:06,240 --> 00:47:08,200
With breakfast over...
332
00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:13,400
...he begins his climb
to higher ground.
333
00:47:26,880 --> 00:47:30,360
But in no time at all...
334
00:47:31,920 --> 00:47:34,200
...he's hungry again.
335
00:47:43,400 --> 00:47:47,040
This is going to be a long journey.
336
00:47:54,680 --> 00:47:59,640
And it may be an even longer one
in the near future.
337
00:48:02,480 --> 00:48:07,200
As climate change raises the
temperature in these mountains,
338
00:48:07,200 --> 00:48:11,280
giant pandas may well need to
climb higher and higher
339
00:48:11,280 --> 00:48:14,240
to find cooler conditions.
340
00:48:21,760 --> 00:48:25,440
But the cold-loving bamboo
they most favour
341
00:48:25,440 --> 00:48:28,440
cannot move so easily...
342
00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:35,120
...and may disappear from the
warmer lower slopes altogether.
343
00:48:43,320 --> 00:48:48,240
So far, these snow-covered peaks
continue to provide
344
00:48:48,240 --> 00:48:52,240
this male with enough space
to feed and find a mate.
345
00:48:54,880 --> 00:49:00,720
So, he scent-marks his territory
panda-style -
346
00:49:00,720 --> 00:49:03,280
with a handstand.
347
00:49:07,440 --> 00:49:10,280
It may well be that in
the next few decades
348
00:49:10,280 --> 00:49:13,160
the mountains of the world
will warm.
349
00:49:17,160 --> 00:49:21,480
Should that happen, many species
will inevitably disappear.
350
00:49:27,480 --> 00:49:31,840
But we should never forget
the versatility and endurance
351
00:49:31,840 --> 00:49:35,640
of the animals that have succeeded
in colonising...
352
00:49:37,440 --> 00:49:41,240
...these icy islands in the sky.
353
00:50:00,080 --> 00:50:04,120
In the frozen peaks,
the team's greatest challenge
354
00:50:04,120 --> 00:50:09,160
was to film a successful puma hunt
at night for the first time.
355
00:50:13,960 --> 00:50:18,200
The crew travelled to Patagonia
in the depths of winter
356
00:50:18,200 --> 00:50:22,880
to Torres del Paine,
home to over 200 pumas,
357
00:50:22,880 --> 00:50:25,720
the highest density on Earth.
358
00:50:29,880 --> 00:50:32,800
Still, to find them in this
remote wilderness
359
00:50:32,800 --> 00:50:35,120
greater than the size of London,
360
00:50:35,120 --> 00:50:38,920
they joined the local puma expert,
Diego Araya,
361
00:50:38,920 --> 00:50:43,560
who has over 20 years' experience
of tracking these big cats.
362
00:50:43,560 --> 00:50:46,400
This is something
completely new for us,
363
00:50:46,400 --> 00:50:50,080
because we've never been actually
in pitch-black following cats.
364
00:50:50,080 --> 00:50:53,560
And being able to keep up
with it on foot
365
00:50:53,560 --> 00:50:57,080
I think is going to be
an incredible task.
366
00:50:58,240 --> 00:51:01,120
This far south,
at the tip of South America,
367
00:51:01,120 --> 00:51:04,040
winter only gives them
nine hours of daylight
368
00:51:04,040 --> 00:51:07,200
to find the pumas
before night descends.
369
00:51:11,360 --> 00:51:16,120
But it's not long until they are
treated to a surprise encounter.
370
00:51:17,800 --> 00:51:20,640
Definitely, we are not part
of the menu, huh?
371
00:51:21,840 --> 00:51:25,240
Getting this close to a wild puma
is a rare privilege
372
00:51:25,240 --> 00:51:27,760
for camerawoman Helen Hobin.
373
00:51:29,280 --> 00:51:33,360
It's very surreal, actually,
being in real life and seeing one.
374
00:51:35,440 --> 00:51:39,760
By day, these well-studied
pumas are approachable.
375
00:51:43,440 --> 00:51:47,280
But as dusk descends,
they pick up the pace
376
00:51:47,280 --> 00:51:49,880
as they switch to hunting mode.
377
00:51:52,320 --> 00:51:55,280
We're just going into
the pitch-black pretty soon,
378
00:51:55,280 --> 00:51:58,800
and we have to rely on thermal
the rest of the night.
379
00:51:58,800 --> 00:52:02,400
Armed with a state-of-the-art
thermal-imaging camera
380
00:52:02,400 --> 00:52:05,760
and spotting scopes,
they attempt to follow
381
00:52:05,760 --> 00:52:08,360
the puma in the pitch-black.
382
00:52:08,360 --> 00:52:11,040
The cats are moving so fast
at the moment,
383
00:52:11,040 --> 00:52:13,480
and they can cover miles.
384
00:52:13,480 --> 00:52:16,640
It's quite hard to keep up,
with all of our equipment,
385
00:52:16,640 --> 00:52:19,320
and not really being able to
see where you're going.
386
00:52:24,640 --> 00:52:29,720
A few hours later, and the pumas
have given them the runaround.
387
00:52:29,720 --> 00:52:32,040
You see a heat signal on the hill?
388
00:52:33,480 --> 00:52:35,200
Do you see her?
389
00:52:35,200 --> 00:52:37,520
Yeah, I think we've got
eyes on them.
390
00:52:37,520 --> 00:52:40,280
Where is she? Among the guanaco.
391
00:52:43,840 --> 00:52:48,040
I feel like we had a puma that
we all lost, somehow.
392
00:52:49,480 --> 00:52:51,640
But I'm pretty sure
we've been standing here
393
00:52:51,640 --> 00:52:54,160
staring at a bush with a hare in it.
394
00:52:58,840 --> 00:53:03,480
As weeks pass, the crew
experience the full force
395
00:53:03,480 --> 00:53:05,320
of the Patagonian winter -
396
00:53:05,320 --> 00:53:10,080
100mph gusts of wind
and blizzard conditions.
397
00:53:10,080 --> 00:53:12,920
It's just one thing after another
at the moment.
398
00:53:17,840 --> 00:53:20,360
Finally, with a break
in the weather,
399
00:53:20,360 --> 00:53:22,800
their persistence pays off.
400
00:53:22,800 --> 00:53:25,120
The situation is that
we found a puma
401
00:53:25,120 --> 00:53:27,360
and there's a group of guanacos.
402
00:53:27,360 --> 00:53:30,640
This could be the break
the team need and offer them
403
00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:33,840
the opportunity to film
a night hunt.
404
00:53:35,120 --> 00:53:40,640
To optimise their chances,
Helen launches her secret weapon.
405
00:53:43,480 --> 00:53:47,960
A thermal camera drone that will
act as their eyes in the sky...
406
00:53:49,560 --> 00:53:53,040
...guiding the ground crew
to within 20 metres
407
00:53:53,040 --> 00:53:54,960
of the hunting big cat.
408
00:53:56,800 --> 00:53:59,360
It's pitch black, there's a puma.
409
00:54:01,200 --> 00:54:03,800
It's a little bit unnerving.
410
00:54:10,640 --> 00:54:12,960
She's off, she's moving.
411
00:54:17,120 --> 00:54:19,600
She was so close to that one
just there.
412
00:54:19,600 --> 00:54:22,760
She just didn't quite reach it.
It was like that close.
413
00:54:24,240 --> 00:54:26,000
Super frustrating,
414
00:54:26,000 --> 00:54:29,240
because now we get to walk
many more miles.
415
00:54:30,760 --> 00:54:34,760
Over the coming nights, the team
continues to follow the young puma
416
00:54:34,760 --> 00:54:37,600
as she attempts hunt after hunt.
417
00:54:38,760 --> 00:54:40,720
It's just a roller-coaster
all the time.
418
00:54:40,720 --> 00:54:43,360
Something looks like it's going
to happen, your adrenaline gets
419
00:54:43,360 --> 00:54:45,920
pumping, trying to get the shot,
and then just...
420
00:54:49,080 --> 00:54:51,880
Lost count of how many
failed attempts.
421
00:54:53,400 --> 00:54:55,080
Too many.
422
00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:04,000
With only a week left to film
a successful night hunt,
423
00:55:04,000 --> 00:55:07,120
the pressure is mounting
on the crew.
424
00:55:07,120 --> 00:55:11,680
We're still struggling to get the
key behaviour we're looking for.
425
00:55:15,120 --> 00:55:19,120
But then the young female does
something truly remarkable.
426
00:55:21,360 --> 00:55:24,040
She didn't manage to
make a kill, but she came across
427
00:55:24,040 --> 00:55:26,920
another cat that has, and she's been
slowly over the course of the last -
428
00:55:26,920 --> 00:55:29,360
I don't know how long,
I think it's been hours -
429
00:55:29,360 --> 00:55:31,440
creeping towards her,
really submissively,
430
00:55:31,440 --> 00:55:33,920
trying to ask for a bit of food.
431
00:55:37,680 --> 00:55:40,720
It's quite the experience
when you're standing
432
00:55:40,720 --> 00:55:42,880
in their proximity
and you can't see them
433
00:55:42,880 --> 00:55:45,680
but you can just hear
the crunching of the bones.
434
00:55:48,280 --> 00:55:50,360
It's just so amazing to see.
435
00:55:50,360 --> 00:55:53,520
You can hear it echoing all around
as well when they growl.
436
00:55:53,520 --> 00:55:55,880
Ooh!
437
00:55:59,920 --> 00:56:04,880
Until recently, pumas were
considered solitary animals,
438
00:56:04,880 --> 00:56:08,000
but the crew's success
with the thermal camera
439
00:56:08,000 --> 00:56:12,680
reveals two unrelated cats
sharing the same kill at night.
440
00:56:16,320 --> 00:56:21,480
You realise how far they are
from solitary individuals.
441
00:56:21,480 --> 00:56:24,240
This is like a fellowship
of creatures
442
00:56:24,240 --> 00:56:26,800
living in the same territory.
443
00:56:29,160 --> 00:56:33,200
New technology has shed light
on the surprising survival
444
00:56:33,200 --> 00:56:36,000
strategy of the Andean puma.
445
00:56:40,240 --> 00:56:43,080
Just one of the many
mysterious animals
446
00:56:43,080 --> 00:56:47,200
that inhabit our planet's
remote frozen peaks.
447
00:56:54,800 --> 00:56:59,160
Next time, Antarctica...
448
00:56:59,160 --> 00:57:02,200
...the most hostile frozen
world of all.
449
00:57:04,560 --> 00:57:08,480
Its life finds a way not just
to survive...
450
00:57:11,440 --> 00:57:13,040
...but thrive...
451
00:57:14,880 --> 00:57:18,960
...in some of the greatest
concentrations of life on Earth.
452
00:57:21,760 --> 00:57:25,360
The Open University has produced
a poster exploring how animals
453
00:57:25,360 --> 00:57:28,160
adapt to life in the world's
coldest environments.
454
00:57:28,160 --> 00:57:34,400
To order your free copy,
please call 0300 303 0553,
455
00:57:34,400 --> 00:57:39,320
or go to bbc.co.uk/frozenplanet2
456
00:57:39,320 --> 00:57:41,560
and follow the links to
the Open University.
37039
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