All language subtitles for Animal.Empires.S01E03.Sanctuary. Eng

NARRATOR: Off the southern
coast of Australia,

kangaroos find sanctuary
on the Island of the Dead.

Just up
the shore,

an unlikely neighbor

populates
a picturesque beach.

And on the other side
of the world,

a future predator
seeks shelter

in an underwater
labyrinth.

At their most
delicate times,

the seeds of
an empire grow.

The safety
a sanctuary provides,

is essential
to survive.

NARRATOR: Inside the different
realms of the wild kingdom,

members of a single species
assemble in droves.

And one flock,

herd,

or troop

reigns supreme.

These are
the world's great

NARRATOR: Off the southern
coast of Australia

sits the country's
third largest island.

While the rugged shoreline
and vast ocean sprawl

make for
beautiful vistas,

two thousand years ago,
rising sea levels

cut this Island off
from mainland Australia.

The isolation inspired an
Aboriginal name for the island,

they called it
Karta,

the Island of the Dead.

The first stop on
the journey to the afterlife,

Karta was a place more suited
for dying than living.

With limited access
to freshwater

and a lack of
large game animals

few European
explorers

attempted to make
settlements.

One group
of settlers though,

did make it here
in abundance.

The western
grey kangaroo.

Their empire
was so successful

that they gave this place
its English name.

Kangaroo Island.

The same rough waters

that kept settlers off
Kangaroo Island

also kept
large predators away.

They created
a safe haven

for Australia's
iconic marsupial

with the perfect conditions
to build an empire.

According to
Aboriginal myth,

called
a Dreamtime story

the ancestral hero,
Ngurunderi

flooded the ancient
Murray River bed

to smite
his two wives

who had run away
from him.

When they drowned,

he crossed the water
to Kangaroo Island.

Overwhelmed by guilt
he left the earth

to live
in the Milky Way,

and became
the Sky Father.

It is believed that,
upon death,

a person's soul
follows his path

through Karta
to the sky.

The name Karta
refers more

to the island's proximity
to the heavens

than to a lack of
lush resources.

Here at the gateway
to the Milky Way,

western grey kangaroos
have adapted quite nicely

to the woody scrub
of the island.

The western kangaroo
can be found

in the South and Western
ranges of Australia.

With an estimated two
and a half million in the wild,

they are Australia's second most
numerous kangaroo species.

Surrounded by the sea,

this joey
basks in the embrace

of the island's
protection.

Joeys like this one
are live-born.

The first year
of his life

is an important
and fragile time.

He'll spend most of it
in his mother's pouch.

Like Kangaroo Island
itself,

the pouch provides more
than just warmth and shelter.

It is essential to
the development

and survival
of this new life.

Female kangaroos can be
perpetually pregnant.

They have three separate
vaginal canals

and two uteruses,

enabling them to rear
up to three joeys at a time

in overlapping states
of gestation and nursing.

Once conceived,

a joey will only spend
31 to 36 days in the uterus.

After that,
the joey,

still an embryo,
is born.

At birth he is only
the size of a jelly bean,

with just his front legs
and no eyes or ears,

he must make
the 6 inch trek

through his mother's fur
to her pouch.

This important
journey

usually takes
about three hours.

Once safely
inside the pouch,

the joey finds a teat
and latches on,

not letting go
for up to 34 weeks.

It's here that most of
his development takes place.

Once the newborn joey
has made his way to the pouch,

his older sibling,

who may still
be nursing,

is no longer
allowed inside.

It can be
a bumpy transition.

During these times,
when the mother kangaroo

has both
an embryo in her pouch

and a nursing joey
at her feet,

she produces two different
types of milk

to meet the needs of
both developing offspring.

Born into this world
a fragile bean-sized baby,

the delicate development
of this joey

relies
on protection.

The protection of
his mother's pouch.

And the protection
that depends

on the safety of
his mother

and the rest of
their island empire.

and the rest of
their island empire.

Southeast of
Kangaroo Island,

along the Australian coast

is one of
the southernmost points

of civilization
on earth.

Philip Island.

One of the last stops
on the way to Antarctica.

The cold ocean breezes
keep the climate cooler

than the rest of
Australia.

It's here that
an unlikely empire

of cold-loving
creatures

has developed
a time-honored tradition.

Dusk brings
the Fairy Penguins

parading onto the shores
of Summerland Beach.

They use the cover of
the darkening sky

to return to their burrows
after a day at sea.

These blue-feathered
flightless birds

are the smallest
species of penguin,

earning them the nicknames
"Little" or "Blue" penguins.

While some fairy penguins
have been spotted

on the Southern
coastlines

of Chile
and South Africa,

most are found in Australia
and New Zealand,

where up to
600,000

find refuge
along the shores.

On land, penguins have
a distinctively comical

and clumsy appearance.

But though their small wings
and heavy marrow-filled bones

may not allow them
to be flyers,

they help make them
expert swimmers.

Fairy penguins can travel
up to 47miles

in the 15 hours they spend
in the water each day.

Their feet are positioned
further back on their body

allowing for enhanced
steering and stopping

under the water.

It's the combination
of these feet and flippers

so particular
to the penguin

that has created
their signature walk.

This hop and waddle
endeared them to the public

and ultimately
helped save

the fairy penguins
of Phillip Island.

In 2000,
an oil spill threatened

the penguin
population here.

The Phillip Island
Penguin Foundation

came up with an ingenious
and adorable solution.

Sweaters.

Donated sweaters
not only provided warmth

they absorbed the oil
on the penguins' feathers.

Using them, they were able
to save more than 96%

of the penguins
affected by the spill.

While oil spills, plastic
pollution and fishing nets

claim a considerable
number of penguins,

the open waters are
also home to predators.

Penguins make a great
meal for sea lions,

sharks, bigger birds
and fur seals.

Thirty thousand
fur seals,

one quarter of the
Australian seal population,

live less than 6 miles
down the coast.

For protection
from these predators,

the penguins
make their burrows

at the top
of grassy hills.

An inland safe haven
to grow their empire.

It's a long nightly waddle
from the shore.

Many have partially digested
food in their stomachs

destined for
their babies' mouths.

The chicks wait near
their burrows impatiently.

There's no guarantee
this chick's parents

will make it home.

For the world's
smallest penguin,

this daily commute

is a matter
of life and death.

On the other side
of the world

In the warm waters
of the Bahamas

the Bimini islands
sit in a world of their own,

closer to Miami
than Nassau.

Along the shores
of Bimini

grows one of the most
important forest types

in the world.

Mangroves.

Mangrove forests have
their roots in two worlds,

they live on land,
but also in the sea.

They filter the salt
from the ocean water,

allowing them
to grow on the coast.

Rooted in the brackish
water of the ocean,

they're at the whim
of the tides.

They protect fragile
strips of land

from hurricanes
and tsunamis,

filter sediment
for nearby coral reefs,

and provide
an important sanctuary

for breeding
tropical fish.

But they also
provide sanctuary

for their predators.

Before they are
big enough to rule

the deep waters
off the coast,

an empire of juveniles
also seeks out

the protective labyrinth
of the mangrove roots.

Lemon sharks.

This nursery will remain
an important place

throughout their life.

Lemon sharks prefer
the warm enclaves

provided by the coral
reefs, mangroves

and bays of the tropical
Western Atlantic Ocean.

They can also be found
off the coast of West Africa.

Lemon sharks breed in
the spring and summer months.

After a long gestation
period of 10 to 12 months

the expecting mother
returns to the same nursery

she grew up in.

Lemon sharks
are viviparous

they give birth to
live young.

Each mother will have
between 4 and 17 live,

free-swimming pups.

Though
they will become

some of the largest
sharks in the sea

growing up to 8 feet,

Lemon sharks are
much slower to gain maturity

than most fish or
even other sharks.

A safe place to grow
is essential.

Though television
and movies

may have given sharks
a bad reputation,

many cultures of the past
regarded these creatures

as protectors
of the sea.

In Hawaii, Kamohoalii,
the Shark God,

was known for leading lost
fishing boats home in storms.

In Fiji, fishermen pay
respects to Dakuwaqa

to ensure a safe and
prosperous trip.

Off the fragile shores of
the Bimini Islands,

lemon sharks may be
their own worst enemy.

Outside the mangroves,
in the deeper waters,

mature sharks of all types
patrol the areas.

They will gladly feast
on their own young.

In these open spaces,

juvenile lemon sharks
are no match

for the speed
and ferocity

of mature sharks
in a feeding frenzy.

But in the tight
confines of the roots

of the mangrove forest,

where shallow water and
a tight labyrinth of roots

make access impossible
for larger predators.

Juvenile lemon sharks
can rule the roost.

They have surprisingly
complex lives.

Lemon sharks
love to socialize.

For the first year
of their lives,

they don't
discriminate

they will follow any shark
they happen to come across.

Eventually, they begin
to socialize

with other
lemon sharks.

These groupings
are called shivers.

Lemon sharks
have larger brains

relative to
other sharks.

They use their smarts to learn
from their interactions

within the shiver.

The younger, smaller ones
pick up survival techniques

from the larger,
more dominant sharks.

At a year old, they begin
to form smaller shivers

with sharks that are
of similar size and speed.

The uniformity
of these shivers

helps the survival
of each shark.

Drastic size variation,
or the "oddity effect",

can attract the unwanted
attention of predators.

And as
these sharks learn

their complex group
foraging methods,

this size parity means
there tends not to be

a single
dominant feeder.

So, they all get
their fair share of food.

The empire of the sharks
is a deeply intelligent one.

It depends on complicated
communication

among a tight shiver of
like-minded sharks.

It can take these young
more than half a decade

to mature enough to
travel to deeper waters.

In the meantime, it's crucial
that these juvenile sharks

have a safe place
to prepare

for the coming years,

when they will be larger
and inherit their empire

as kings
of the sea.

as kings
of the sea.

To most living
outside the country,

there's nothing
more Australian

than the kangaroo.

Even to
many Australians,

the continent's
largest mammal

embodies the spirit
of their country.

Whether it's the fact
that kangaroos

can only move
forward,

or its human-like
boxing techniques,

This magnificent
marsupial

is the source of patriotic
pride and amusement.

Though the kangaroo may
have many adoring fans,

humans threaten
the animals the most.

Outside the protected
boundaries of Kangaroo Island,

human development is by far
the largest threat

to the entire
kangaroo species.

As more of
the Australian countryside

is cleared
for agriculture,

more and more
kangaroos are found

foraging on commercial crops
and range lands.

Many farmers
consider kangaroos

to be a destructive
menace.

The western grey
has less contact

with farmers than other
kangaroo species.

They prefer
the scrub or mallee

to grasslands
or cleared areas.

Even after they have
fully foraged a wooded area,

they will often avoid
farmers' crops.

Kangaroos can live off of
very small amounts of water.

Red kangaroos can actually
survive without direct access

to fresh water,

getting their hydration
exclusively from green plants.

Grey kangaroos
do need to drink, though.

Here on
Kangaroo Island,

the abundance of
green branch leaves

has led these western
grey kangaroos

to evolve into
a different subspecies.

They also get
all of their water needs

from the plants
they eat.

With longer arms

they can reach
the top of bushes.

Western greys are also much more
selective when they browse.

They avoid plant species
high in tannins and salt,

helping to maximize
nutritional intake

and avoid
dehydration.

Since there's still
no development

on Kangaroo Island,

humans are no threat
to the western greys.

But even in this
marsupial motherland,

this joey faces
great challenges

if he wants to contribute
to his empire.

Soon he will
reach maturity

and compete for
his shot

at continuing
his parents' legacy.

For in order
to continue the empire

on Kangaroo Island,

he must mate and create
the next generation.

he must mate and create
the next generation.

As the sun sets
along the jagged coastline,

Phillip's Island
Nature Park

once again
lights up with activity.

The patterns of
the penguin empire

are so ingrained in
their behavior,

the majority of
the 6,000-strong colony

arrives within
50 minutes of sunset.

Instinct tells them that
there is strength in numbers.

By huddling together before
crossing the open beach,

they protect themselves
from predatory sea birds.

After stopping for a moment
to preen themselves,

they cautiously waddle
across the beach,

keeping close to
each other.

keeping close to
each other.

They move quickly,

hopping the rocks
at the edge of the sand.

hopping the rocks
at the edge of the sand.

As they get into the safety
of the bush and tall grass,

they follow familiar
paths to their burrows.

As they walk, they identify
familiar landmarks,

And stop to listen
for a partner or offspring

calling them home.

calling them home.

The young
call frantically.

The infant penguins
approach every adult

that passes their way.

But the mother has eyes
for her chick only.

Soon the family
is reunited.

And the chick
enjoys her supper.

And the chick
enjoys her supper.

Fairy penguin empires
tend to thrive

on offshore islands,

where they're safe
from feral predators

like foxes,
dogs and cats.

These introduced
animals

have been known
to single-handedly

wipe out
penguin colonies.

The fairy penguins
are so small

that on the mainland,

in places like
St. Kilda,

even large rats
pose a serious threat.

Here on Philip Island,

the Nature Park has taken
proactive measures

to prevent predation.

Foxes are trapped
and removed.

And dogs and cats
are strictly prohibited.

On Phillip Island,

the fairy penguins
excavate their burrows

in the shrubs
close to shore.

Beach development
once threatened these dens.

But for the past
70 years,

residential properties
have been converted

back into wildlands,

and a new type of
penguin home

has been
constructed.

These simple
man-made burrows

have helped kickstart
the reclamation of nature

on Philip Island.

on Philip Island.

Some of the most important
moments in a penguin's life

occur in these
little shelters.

In spring or fall,
the female penguins

lay their usual
clutch of two eggs.

For the next
33 to 37 days,

both parents will take
alternating shifts

of one to two days
incubating the eggs,

while the other
ventures into the sea.

At only
five weeks old,

these chicks can now venture
outside the burrow

to await
their supper.

In less than
three weeks,

they will be joining the rest
of the penguin empire

in the water.

The burrow is for more than
mating and raising chicks.

It also provides shelter
during molting season.

Since feathers cannot heal,
damaged or old feathers

are dropped
during the molt,

and brand new feathers
come in to replace them.

Having finally grown
its outside feathers,

this chick is ready
to molt for the first time.

The penguins' outside
feathers are hard and smooth

for streamlined swimming
and protection from the wind.

Underneath, they have a layer
of short, fluffy down feathers

that provide insulation
in the cold waters

of the Indian Ocean.

Since small holes
in their under-layer

can cause hypothermia,

this chick will return
every autumn to molt again,

ensuring a full, healthy
set of feathers.

Safe from the threat
of predators,

it's here
in their burrows

that the empire of
the fairy penguin can thrive.

In the shallow waters
of the Bahamas

lie endless tracts of
warm and shallow pools,

and it's in
these warm waters

that the lemon
sharks feed.

Lemon sharks take longer
to digest their food

than most sharks.

They must eat
large quantities,

but they're
picky eaters.

This is where the complicated
socialization

of the lemon sharks
becomes vital.

As the juvenile sharks
define their group

by size and speed,

they also share
a taste in prey.

Hunting takes up
a lot of time and energy,

so they hunt only prey
that provides more energy

than it takes
to catch.

The sharks often target
slower swimming fish

that are easier
to catch.

Like parrotfish
and mojarras,

which rely on camouflage
instead of escape as defense.

While on the hunt,

lemon sharks stalk
their prey in packs.

They will direct schools of
fish along the shoreline.

When they are
ready to attack,

they swim at their prey
aggressively.

Biting them and moving
from side to side,

tearing off
chunks of flesh.

This is when the infamous
feeding frenzy begins.

Shark legend says
that blood in the water

heightens the frenzy,

but studies done on
lemon sharks in Bimini

suggest that
these sharks react more

to the aggressive movements
of the first feeding shark

than the blood
itself.

Even a lone lemon shark
can be a devastating hunter.

Like many sharks,

they have a series of
jelly-filled pores

throughout their head
and around their gills.

These electroreceptors,

called ampullae
of Lorenzini,

can measure
electrical currents

as weak as
5 billionths of a volt.

Since all living creatures
produce an electrical field

when their muscles
contract,

the lemon shark
can sense their prey,

even if
they can't see it.

It will be many years until
these juvenile lemon sharks

have grown enough
to make it in the open ocean.

Until then they depend on
these sheltered shallow waters,

Where they learn to hunt
cooperatively.

So deeply ingrained is
their bond with their home,

that they will remain here
even if it is threatened.

For these sharks, the health
of their sanctuary

is the health
of their empire.

is the health
of their empire.

Back on
Kangaroo Island,

the joey is beginning
to venture further

from his mother's
protective eye,

exploring places and
other kangaroos.

He's part of an extended
family of kangaroos,

called a mob.

Western grey mobs
can get as large as 40,

though they average
around 10.

No mob would be complete
without a boss.

The largest, strongest
male is the boomer.

He won't let
any of the other males

mate with
his females.

He sniffs around for
an opportunity to mate,

hoping to find
a female in heat.

When he finds one,

he follows her movements
tenaciously.

he follows her movements
tenaciously.

he follows her movements
tenaciously.

After some pursuit,
she stops,

and shows interest.

Unfortunately, even with
a consenting female,

other interruptions
can occur.

other interruptions
can occur.

Next fall, this joey will break
off from the larger group

and join
the mob of males.

Out of the shadow
of the boomer,

he will play-fight
other bucks,

preparing to one day
take his chance

at battling for
the top position.

For now, this joey sticks
close to his mother's side.

It may take
up to six years

for him to reach
sexual maturity.

Until then he will remain
in the boomer's shadow.

Watching
and learning,

but also trying to avoid
the bigger males in the mob.

For the sake of
self-preservation,

the joey must learn
to bow his head

and quiver in order
to avoid a fight.

and quiver in order
to avoid a fight.

But life's lessons are
often taught the hard way.

He's no worse
for wear.

Though fatalities
from fighting are rare,

the back claws of the kangaroo
can be deadly.

In extreme cases,
a kick from the back feet

can disembowel
their opponent.

Still, human activity, hunting
or habitat destruction,

is still the largest
cause of kangaroo deaths

in Australia.

Sparring with
the other males

helps this joey learn
the hierarchy of the group.

If he's lucky,

one day he'll be the leader
of this mob.

Protected from
the destructive force

of the bulldozer
and rifle,

by the rugged sea and
jagged shores

surrounding
his home,

safe
in his sanctuary.

Every year between
July and December,

the fairy penguin chicks
that are sexually mature,

two years old
for females,

three years old
for males,

look to find a partner
to mate with.

Although fairy penguins
can mate twice a year,

once is
generally enough.

But before
he can mate,

the male penguin
needs to

stand out
from the crowd.

He will hold his chest up,
flippers back

and often emit
a braying sound.

This show has
an appropriate name,

the ecstatic
display.

If she's interested,
the female will give

a similarly
enthusiastic response.

Mutual ecstatic displays
often lead to preening.

This contact reinforces
the bond between the pair,

a bond
that will be crucial

if they are to
successfully raise chicks

in the future.

Once the pair
has bonded

they head for the privacy
of the nest.

A few nibbles on
the back of the neck

should seal
the deal.

If all goes well,
she lies down,

and he climbs
on her back.

For a penguin
on land,

things are
seldom graceful.

And the excited males
sometimes

can have trouble finding
the right position.

Copulation takes
mere seconds.

It has to.

These males can usually only
keep the delicate balance

for a short time.

The penguin couple
will remain monogamous

until the chick has
successfully

entered the water
with the rest of the adults

at around
7 or 8 weeks old.

Then, the parents often
go their separate ways,

until next
breeding season.

Though they may
find a new partner

next breeding season,

the majority
of fairy penguins

will return here
year after year.

And as long as the Philip
Island Nature Park remains,

the fairy penguins
strong enough to survive

the dangers of
the Indian Ocean,

will have
a safe haven waiting,

where
they will create

and nurture
the next generation

of their empire.

Back along the shores
of the Bimini Islands,

the dense
mangrove forest

contains so much
decomposing organic matter

that the water often
looks like tea.

It's a warm,
oxygen-rich habitat,

perfect for the slow
developing lemon shark.

Their eyes have special
evolutionary features

that allow them
to navigate and hunt

in the murky waters.

They're equipped
with a layer

of mirrored crystals

located behind
the retina,

called
tapetum lucidum.

This layer allows the shark
to see light a second time

as it passes and reflects
back through the retina.

Although the images
are less focused,

light sensitivity
is greatly increased.

In dark,
murky water,

a shark can see up to
ten times greater

than a human can
in clear water.

Lemon sharks
are fiercely loyal

to their natal
habitat,

and will
remain there

even if the habitat itself
is threatened.

In the case of much of
the Bimini Islands,

where silt from neighboring
construction sites

chokes the shrinking
stretch of mangrove forests,

these lemon sharks
will fall victim

to disease
or starvation

instead of
finding a new home.

These lemon sharks
cling to

their ingrained
way of life.

For better or worse,

their sanctuary is
an essential component

of the lemon shark
empire.

Against many odds,

these young
have become mature,

though their own future
is often unknown.

One thing
is certain,

threatened
by predators,

shrinking habitat,

or even
their own kind,

the fates
of their empires rely

on the warm embrace
of the cool sea,

the shallow maze
of the mangrove trees,

or the protected beach
on a summer's night.

All sanctuaries

required to grow

their

their
Animal Empires.

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