All language subtitles for The Americas s01e07 Andes.eng

.

- This is "The Americas,"
an extraordinary journey

across Earth's
great supercontinent,

the widest variety
of life on the planet,

the untold story of our home.

[majestic music]

Tonight on "The Americas"-

* *

-the Andes-

* *

-a spectacular sky world
and the longest mountain

range in the Americas.

[volcano rumbling]

Forged by fire

and ice-

* *

-it's a world
of unrivaled beauty.

* *

But here,
life must battle to survive

in the most perilous places
imaginable-

[thunder booming]

-the planet's driest
deserts, frozen peaks,

and strange,
magical forests in the clouds.

* *

Every animal must triumph

in life lived
truly on the edge.

* *

The Andes is the spine
of South America.

Running from the southern
tip of this supercontinent,

it stretches 5,500 miles
forming the high peaks

of Bolivia and Peru
before pushing north

toward the equator
into the heart of the tropics,

where the mountains
of Ecuador can seem

like looking back in time.

Sheer cliffs and deep gorges
are cloaked in forests.

[animals chittering]

Here, giant higuer�n trees,
draped in bromeliads,

are fruiting.

[gentle music]

And that's exactly what one
family has been waiting for.

* *

Hiding over a thousand
feet above the forest,

a spectacled bear mom.

[cub bleating]

These bears are the rarest
in the Americas

and the inspiration
for "Paddington."

Mom, known by scientists
as Silvestre,

is nursing her three-month-old
twins, Yoyo and Irene,

secluded in their tiny nest.

The towering cliffs have kept
them safe from predators.

But now the family must leave.

Mom's milk is running out.

They need the fruit
nearly half a mile below.

The sky-high
rock face that protected them

is about to become
their biggest challenge.

The most dangerous journey
of their lives begins.

[tense music]

* *

[cub bleating]

Tracked using her collar,
scientists know Silvestre

has made this descent before.

* *

[rocks rumbling]

But it's the first time
for the cubs.

* *

Yoyo and Irene will need to
follow their mother closely.

* *

One misplaced step
could be a disaster.

* *

Cubs have fallen
to their death here.

[cubs bleating]

* *

[rocks rumbling]

* *

A moment of
reassurance from Mom.

She knows the hardest
part is yet to come.

* *

Irene takes a wrong turn.

She has lost sight of Mom,

and at the worst possible
moment.

* *

[rocks rumbling]

* *

Yoyo has made it down OK.

[cub bleating]

And so has Irene.

The worst seems behind them.

But there's no time to rest.

[gentle music]

* *

Silvestre is bringing them
to the very same fruit tree

that she returns to
every year.

* *

* *

Plants and fruit
like this can make up

over 90% of a
spectacled bear's diet,

and the cubs
are not holding back.

* *

[cubs bleating]

* *

Spectacled bears
navigate these mountains

by having a detailed
mental map of their world.

The cubs can stay
with Mom for over two years

to build a map of their own.

One day, with luck, Irene will
be able to lead her own cubs

down the same cliffs.

* *

It all seems so easy now, but
the cubs have just undertaken

a death-defying start to life.

[cubs bleating]

In the mountains
of the Andes,

all life
is pushed to the limit.

[music crescendos]

* *

These remarkable
high-rise forests hide

other extraordinary secrets-

[birds whooshing]

-spectacular animals
so small and fast

.

- Our journey in the
tropical Andes continues,

rising to 10,000 feet,
where the peaks trap

moist air from the Amazon,

creating a mysterious
cloud forest.

[majestic music]

Here, nature is at
its most magical.

Curiously shaped flowers
shine out like beacons,

signaling they have
energy-rich nectar inside.

* *

And if they can entice
a visitor,

they will be pollinated.

Usually bugs do that job,
but these forests

are too cold for many of them.

So instead, it's done by-

[harp glissando]

-hummingbirds, most not
much bigger than your thumb.

In fact, the Andes is home to
more species of hummingbirds

than anywhere else on Earth.

[upbeat orchestra music]

Feisty and agile, they'll
fight to be the first in line

for a drink of nectar
on shimmering wings

that can beat
over 80 times a second.

[wings flapping]

* *

The Andes has thousands
of remote valleys like these,

but just one
in Peru is the home

to an almost
mythical hummingbird

hardly ever seen in the open.

[gentle flute music]

He is a marvelous spatuletail,

one of just 500 or so
left on Earth.

Deforestation has meant
their habitat is disappearing.

[light music]

Only males have these
extravagant tail feathers,

which have just one purpose-

to attract a female.

* *

He's keeping them
in top condition-

* *

-for the performance
of his life.

An audience has arrived,

but this is not who he wants.

[dramatic music]

* *

Rivals.

Every male around, even
stumpy-tailed youngsters,

have turned up
to fight to control

this exclusive courtship area.

* *

He's not the only one
who wants the limelight.

* *

[gentle flute music]

Fighting off
so many is exhausting.

* *

He really should refuel.

But that's going
to have to wait.

* *

A female marvelous
spatuletail is here.

* *

Now the show can begin.

* *

He'll be judged on the
length of his tail feathers

and the quality
of his performance.

* *

- [chirping]

* *

She's interested.

* *

Time to take his display
to the next level.

And now,
it's all about stamina.

* *

In this thin mountain air,
he's got to dig deep.

* *

It's a critical moment-

both for him and the
future of the species.

If he wins her over,
together,

they will produce
the next generation.

* *

And at last,
she accepts his invitation-

* *

a sign of hope for this
remarkable hummingbird.

[birds chirping]

Throughout the Andes-

[volcano booming]

-the land itself
can feel alive.

[rocks crackling]

And in a way, it is,

with an eruption
occurring every few years.

[volcano booming]

Immense Earth forces
forged these mountains-

[volcano booms]

-leaving a legacy of over
200 active volcanoes-

[volcano booms]

-more than anywhere
else in the Americas.

[dramatic music]

For 40 million years,

they've pushed higher
and higher.

* *

And in a few places,
an eerie ice world

has formed at the peaks,

.

- The Andes is so high
that 99% of the world's

tropical glaciers
are found here.

[dramatic music]

The largest
is in southern Peru.

* *

It's certainly cold, but at
an altitude of 18,000 feet,

ultraviolet radiation
is very intense.

* *

So when the sun shines,
the ground

heats to a jaw-dropping
111 degrees Fahrenheit,

transforming ice world
to sauna

in the blink of an eye.

* *

It's the last place
to expect to find a frog.

[playful music]

Marbled four-eyed frogs
live at the highest

altitude of any frog on Earth.

* *

Every year,
females must breed in pools

formed by glacial meltwater.

* *

But their world is changing.

The glacier is retreating
further up the mountains.

* *

Each year,
she climbs higher,

enduring hotter days,

but also the colder nights.

* *

And that's become
a real problem.

* *

The temperature
is dropping fast.

She needs to find shelter.

* *

But as her muscles chill,
they are starting to seize up.

* *

The deeper underground,
the safer she'll be.

But a clear sky means
extreme cold is on its way.

[heartbeat thumping]

* *

On these nights...
the ice...is relentless.

* *

Its reach stretches
far beneath the surface.

* *

[ice crackling]

* *

Her journey looks to be over.

* *

She is frozen solid.

* *

[birds chirping]

[gentle flute music]

As the world warms up,

something strange happens
beneath the surface.

[ice crackling]

These marbled four-eyed frogs,
living in the highest reaches

of the Andes, have evolved
a remarkable talent

almost beyond belief,
and never filmed before.

They can freeze solid
and come back from the dead

every single day-

* *

-the only frog
in the world that can do this.

* *

She drives forward once more.

* *

The frog that cheats
death every night

is ready to continue
her journey-

and, with luck,
meet a new mate.

[frog chittering]

* *

This frog may be
a miracle worker,

but its future is not certain.

* *

The glaciers on which it and
so many other animals depend

are in trouble.

* *

They're shrinking due to
a global rise in temperature.

Over the last 50 years,
the neighboring Qori Kalis

Glacier has halved in size.

At the current rate
it will disappear entirely

in just 30 more years,

which could be a disaster
not just for

the four-eyed frogs
but for all life

in these mountains.

* *

As water from the sky-high
glaciers of the Andes cascades

down the steep slopes,
it creates a unique

network of 100,000 rivers-

[water rushing]

-water that is crucial
both for wildlife

and for millions of people.

Most of these
rivers are ice-cold,

but this one in Argentina
is near-boiling,

superheated by geothermal
activity deep underground.

What in their right mind
would live

.

- In the mountain rivers
of the Andes

only one animal
can master turbulent waters

that range from boiling
point to near-freezing-

[dramatic music]

-a torrent duck.

Not just any duck,
but a super duck.

He comes fully equipped
with heat-resistant feathers,

armor-plated leg skin, and
built-in protective goggles,

a third eyelid.

This specialist gear
means he can survive

a daily temperature range

of minus 13 degrees
above water

to plus 122 degrees
underwater,

all to reach
a sumptuous buffet.

These superheated waters
are a hothouse for growing

fly larva in the thousands-

* *

-delicious and nutritious
for a duck-

-especially one
with a family.

These baby
super ducks must find

their own food from day one.

[ducklings chirping]

Luckily, they are equipped
for extreme swimming too.

Tail feathers develop
early to act as a rudder,

and huge feet
provide propulsion.

[ducklings chirping]

Downy feathers trap air

to keep them insulated
and afloat.

They already have
superhero swagger.

[playful music]

* *

But their buoyant down has,
well, a downside.

Where the water is deep,
those delicious bugs

are out of reach.

* *

They need to find
shallower feeding grounds.

But as the family
heads downstream,

things get dangerous.

[water rushing]

The parents lead the way.

[duck quacking]

The ducklings can't yet fly.

They will have to swim
for it in these deadly,

scalding waters.

[duck quacking]

[duckling chirps]

Only 1/3 survive to adulthood.

[tense music]

Where they make their jump-

[duck quacking]

-decides their fate-

* *

[duckling chirping]

* *

-as this chick's
about to find out.

* *

The parents try to keep
tabs on each of the chicks-

* *

-but in these raging waters-

* *

-that's not always possible.

* *

[duckling chirping]

* *

As the chick scrambles out,
he must quickly look

for another route
to get back to his family.

* *

[duckling chirping]

* *

Now, it's all or nothing.

* *

[inspirational music]

His air-filled feathers
pull him to the surface.

* *

Saved by their superpowers,
the whole family has reached

the shallow feeding ground-

a bug buffet
now within reach for all.

* *

If you've got what
it takes, this wild river,

born of fire and ice,
can be a kind of paradise

for a duck.

[mystical music]

* *

Traveling south,

the Andes spread
to their widest point.

Here, the highest peaks block
moisture from both the Amazon

and the Pacific,

which helps create a desert
like no other-

the Atacama,

the driest place on Earth,

so arid that NASA
uses it to test

equipment destined for Mars.

But in exceptional years,
a miracle of nature

.

- The Atacama Desert
in northern Chile

is the driest on Earth.

But maybe once a decade,
a stormfront from the west

can have enough power to reach
around the mountains-

[thunder booming]

-and bring salvation,
torrential rain-

[rain pattering]

[wonderous music]

-summoning one of the
rarest wonders in nature-

what is known as a superbloom.

* *

Billions of seeds
that have been sleeping

in the sand,
some for more than ten years,

can finally burst into life.

* *

This new world draws
strange creatures

from beyond the desert.

[cururo chittering]

The cururo, a mountain rodent

seldom seen on the surface.

A giant
caterpillar-hunting wasp

brings food to her young.

* *

And like the rest,
a family of burrowing owls

packs a whole lifetime into
these few weeks of plenty.

Because as fast
as the superbloom emerges-

* *

-it's reclaimed
by the desert,

and life begins the long wait
for water once more.

* *

Just to the north
is Salar de Uyuni,

the largest
salt flat on Earth.

[upbeat music]

When the rains reach here-

[thunder booming]

-another brief wonder
of nature is created-

* *

-a giant mirror
larger than Yellowstone-

* *

set beneath
the clearest skies on Earth.

* *

Here, we look into deep space
for answers light-years away-

* *

-while an exquisite
vision of the universe

comes to our feet.

* *

But it, too,
doesn't last long.

[salt crackling]

And soon, all that
remains is a salt crust-

a world utterly
hostile to life.

And yet, for some, it's home.

[salt crackling]

A salt flat lizard-

a young male on the
lookout for a territory.

There's no time to waste.

[playful music]

* *

An oasis?

No, this water
is full of salt.

He can't drink it,

but these brine flies can,

converting it into freshwater

inside their bodies.

* *

It's a perfect combo meal-

a drink with a side of flies.

* *

But for a rookie, this is
going to take some practice.

[fly buzzing]

200 flies contain
just a thimble of water.

He's sure got
his work cut out.

* *

Almost there.

* *

Nailed it!

* *

[flies buzzing]

Could life get any better?

[tense music]

* *

Maybe it can...

* *

It's a female
salt flat lizard

wafting a powerful, seductive
scent into the air.

* *

What young flycatcher
could resist?

* *

But all is not as it seems.

* *

Another male.

* *

She will only mate
with the strongest males,

dominant enough
to hold the precious

waterfront territories.

And she wants to see what the
young flycatcher is made of.

[dramatic music]

* *

She's set him up.

It's trial by combat.

* *

Overpowered, and now in
deeper trouble than he knows.

Every inch of the
water's edge is controlled

by paired-up power couples-

* *

-who won't share.

[dramatic music]

* *

Retreat is his only option.

* *

[playful music]

He's not ready to take on
the big males right now.

* *

But he is alive

and has learned
valuable lessons.

[tense music]

* *

Well, maybe.

* *

Reaching the highest point in
our whole Americas journey,

we ascend to over 19,000 feet,

where the salt flats
become salt lakes,

each one a unique,
toxic cocktail of metals,

minerals, and microorganisms.

[spacey music]

* *

The most extraordinary of all
is Laguna Colorada,

a hellscape where morning ice

has a daily battle
with the strongest

UV radiation on Earth,
more than double that

of Death Valley.

* *

And yet, every year, it's home
to the most spectacular event

.

- The Toxic Red Lake
of the High Andes.

[tense music]

* *

It takes a special kind of
toughness to survive here.

* *

But once a year,
this lake becomes

the setting for the greatest
party in the Andes-

* *

-although not
everyone is invited.

[delicate music]

* *

Right now,
this world of extremes

plays host
to James' flamingos.

[flamingos trilling]

* *

They gather here from across
the Andes

in the thousands

hoping to find a mate.

* *

Males and females might
appear almost identical,

but they know the difference.

* *

They all want to look
their best,

and the pinker the better.

The secrets to their success?

Tough-skinned long legs

letting them wade through
the caustic lake-

* *

-and a unique bill that
filters out microscopic life

from the toxic water.

Eating this food turns
their feathers pinker

making them more desirable.

[flamingos chirping]

But life is about to get
more complicated

as the Laguna
becomes flamingo central.

Chilean and Andean flamingos
are flying in too-

[upbeat music]

-both much bigger
but a lot less graceful.

* *

Crowds begin to build
to 40,000 strong.

And then, on an unseen cue,
a dance-off begins.

[upbeat jazzy music]

* *

The smaller James'
are in danger of being pushed

out before it even begins.

* *

Over 4 feet tall, the Chileans
can strut in the deep water-

* *

-while the enigmatic Andeans

rumba by the smoke machine.

* *

But at last, the James'
get their groove on, too-

* *

-a tango at the top
of the world.

* *

These courtship dances
last for weeks.

* *

One by one lovers unite

as eventually
they find a mate.

* *

But until then,
the dance continues,

the greatest show
in the greatest mountain range

in the Americas.

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