Original subtitles

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Narrator: when you see this Symbol, you know you're watching

Television that's educational And informational.

The more you know on nbc.

Dylan: hi everyone, I'm dylan Dreyer.

Get ready for an animal Adventure, italian style.

This is earth odyssey.

On today's show, these horses Are a european cowboy's closest

Companions.

And these bucks go to battle to Prove they've got the right

Stuff.

Plus when the tide comes in, the Predators are on the prowl.

And we get down to eye level With some small but mighty

Creatures.

Join us for these extraordinary Animal adventures here on earth

Odyssey.

[music]

Dylan: on italy's mediterranean Coast, animals and people have

Coexisted for many thousands of Years.

And while most wildlife prefer To avoid humans, some species,

Like foxes, have learned to take Advantage of their proximity to

People.

We begin in tuscany, home to Magnificent semi-wild horses

And their cowboy caretakers.

The italian landscape is one of The most evocative in europe.

For thousands of years, humans Have shaped the landscape and

Left their mark on the natural World.

Stretching from the alps to the Mediterranean, italy is a

Biodiversity hotspot in europe.

Luckily, a vast network of Protected areas helps preserve

The country's natural resources And wildlife.

[music]

Dylan: one such place is the Maremma park in tuscany.

At times a harsh and Impenetrable environment,

The maremma straddles sandy and Rocky coasts with hills covered

With mediterranean scrub And vast pine forests.

Here at the foot of a mountain Range, the sun rises over the

Mists of the ambroni river.

Grazing in the fields is one of The region's most iconic

Animals, the maremmano horse.

Over the centurithe Butteri tuscany's cowhands

Have been stewards of this Ancient breed.

These horses are better able to Withstand the changing

Conditions of the mediterranean Environment, where drought and

Winds can limit food resources.

These sturdy horses now mostly Live semi-wild in the maremma

Plains.

[horse whinnying]

Dylan: but some horses are still Trained for specific tasks,

Helping the cowboy herders carry Out their daily work.

Their day here starts at the Crack of dawn, every day of the

Year, in any weather.

These working horses are a part Of a traditional way of life in

Maremma.

To the locals, these animals are As much of a part of nature and

As essen as the wilder Creatures who make their homes

Here.

[trotting noise]

Dylan: of all the animals in the Region, one in particular

Embodies the idea of a Versatile, clever, and adaptable

Hunter, the fox.

Foxes know perfectly well how to Make the most of human work and

Activities.

For example, they enjoy Sunbathing on top of round hay

Bales.

These rolls of hay are collected In late summer to supplement the

Cattle's diet in winter.

These food reserves attract Mice, which eat and build their

Nests in the hay.

[mouse squeaking]

Dylan: a bit of fox stretching, And one of them sets to work.

[music]

Dylan: mice tend to hide in Tight, confined spaces, which

Oftentimes can work in their Favor.

A familiar noise draws the fox's Attention away from the mouse.

Another chance for a good meal Is approaching.

In autumn, tractors collect the Hay around the same time every

Day.

The rodents are confused by the Destruction of their castle.

They're forced to move out on Open ground.

This expert huntress has Skillfully exploited the

Situation to grab another meal.

The cattle egrets have also Learned to take advantage of

Human activities.

They use their long bill to Catch insects crawling in the

Soil turned over by the big Tractor wheels.

And they can do even better.

Undaunted by machines, with a Few quick wing strokes, they

Rapidly fly to the perfect spot To secure a meal.

There aren't just grasshoppers And horseflies on their menu.

The cattle egrets have also Learned to exploit mice as a

Source of food.

Their speed and resourcefulness Compete with the fox's.

Not exactly cat and mouse, but Close enough.

For the mice, their hay bale Home makes for a life on alert

Facing two very different Predators.

When we come back, a hidden Camera moment for a shy young

Wolf.

And the buck stops here with This strange call of the wild.

[low-pitched groaning]

Plus, who's a better angler, Fish or fowl?

Stay tuned, earth odyssey will Be right back.

Narrator: we'll be right back To the more you know on nbc.

.

Narrator: we now return to The more you know on nbc.

[music]

Dylan: spotting wildlin Italy's maremma park isn't

Always easy.

But in the rocks underneath a Falcon's perch, a lone wanderer

Is cautiously exploring.

This is the kind of place where A hidden camera can work wonders

When it comes to filming shy Animals, like this young wolf.

It loves to drift away from the Pack on short solo explorations,

Training its keen sense of smell To detect the trail of potential

Prey.

But its reputation as a fearsome Predator doesn't always apply.

[bird squawking]

Dylan: it's shy, always ready To run away.

The young wolf is alarmed by Something it smells in the air.

[thunder]

The sound of thunder heralding The coming storm sends it

Darting away.

The storm is intensifying.

[thunder]

Dylan: like columns of water, The rain pours over the sea,

Then reaches the mainland.

The abundance of water and the Still warm climate make

Earthworms, insects, and other Invertebrates emerge from their

Burrows in the ground.

[music]

Dylan: after the rains of the Last few days, the sturdy fallow

Deer are eager to resume their Activities.

They plan to cross the river and Get to the woods on the other

Side.

[music continues]

[distant low-pitched groaning]

Dylan: a dark, cavernous call Fills the park's forests.

[low-pitched groaning continues

Dylan: it's the mating call of Fallow bucks.

Every autumn, the herd convenes In the dark woods, far from

Prying eyes, to select the best Match.

The does assess each suitor Carefully.

As darwin clearly understood, in Much of the animal world, it's

The females that choose the best Father for their young.

And they mainly do so based on Physical strength and good

Health.

The opponents confront each Other, assessing body size.

All this activity is exhausting For the bucks, as they need to

First fight rivals, and then Work to keep the females close

By and away from the other Males.

If the bellowing, the parades, And the intimidation don't work,

There's no option left but to Fight.

[music]

Dylan: mighty antlers collide Violently and intertwine.

Whichever pushes the opponent Back, wins.

[music continues]

Dylan: in the end, the one Claims victory.

The rival has to walk away, but At least with its head held

High.

Coming up, sea bass race to the River with some high-flying

Competition.

And these ants know a thing or Two about teamwork, when earth

Odyssey comes right back.

Narrator: we'll be right back To the more you know on nbc.

.

Narrator: we now return to The more you know on nbc.

[music]

Dylan: the place where a river Empties into the sea is called

Stuary.

And these special places where Salt and fresh water mix are

Rich with life.

But the animal species here are At the mercy of the tides.

Every day when the sea rushes In, a battle begins, both to

Find food and to avoid being Eaten.

Take a look.

A major feature in italy's Maremma landscape is the ombroni

River.

Its meandering banks, covered With vegetation, carve the plain

Like the coils of a giant snake.

Towards the mouth, the river's Waters slow down their race to

The sea.

The rising tide pushes schools Of young fish, mullets, and

Smelts towards the river, where They're at home in the brackish

Waters.

The herons are among the firstt

Moves in the murky waters of the Ombroni.

However, the birds are not the Only ones lying in wait.

Large sea bass are hungry, too.

These highly adaptable sea Predators patrol the final

Stretch of the river.

[music]

Dylan: the little egrets, Flocking to the shore in large

Numbers, also feel the Anticipation.

But the sea bass are the first To start the attack.

[music continues]

[water splashing]

Dylan: the little egrets join The hunt.

Mullets seek safety by jumping Out of the water.

It looks like a hopeless Carnage.

But the small fish are fast and Very, very abundant.

And the vast majority of them Manage to escape.

Within a few hours, the tide Pulls back to the sea, and the

Sea bass hunters retreat back to The mediterranean.

Coming up, a tiny species Constructs its own road through

The forest.

More amazing wildlife stories Right after this on earth

Odyssey.

Narrator: we'll be right back To the more you know on nbc.

.

Narrator: we now return to The more you know on nbc.

[music]

Dylan: in an italian pine Forest, bizarre tracks run

Across the grass.

Amazingly, these paths were made By insects, specifically

Thousands of harvester ants.

With painstaking care, they Build tracks to travel more

Efficiently.

These hordes of worker ants are Always busy foraging for food.

The purpose of this intense Activity is collecting plants

And their seeds.

No fallen seed is wasted.

Ants can lift impressive Weights, many times their own.

Their strength derives from Their small body size, which

Results in a favorable ratio of Surface area to volume and

Muscle mass.

Basically, it requires very Little effort for ants to lift

Their own body, which leaves Them with a lot of muscle power

To lift other things.

However, these insects can rely On their determination and

Mutual help.

Unity is strength for harvester Ants.

When the seeds found on the Ground are not enough, harvester

Ants collect them directly from The plants.

And sometimes, even these plant Eaters will consider a

Mediterranean snail a good meal.

All the ants need to do is take It down from the plant and break

Through its semi-rigid mucus Seal.

That's teamwork.

We've seen how biodiversity Contributes to the beauty and

Energy of italy's maremma Region.

In any ecosystem, different Species count on their shared

Habitat to provide food and Shelter.

Thanks for joining us today on Earth odyssey as we explore the

Captivating world of wildlife.

I'm dylan dreyer.

See you next time.

[music]