Original subtitles

Ou see this Television that's educational Symboland informational.Watching

The more you know on nbc.

Dylan: hi there, I'm dylan Dreyer.

Come along as we trek into the Wilds of india.

This is earth odyssey.

Coming up, it's a critical Battle for survival for these

Cubs.

Can their mother keep them Alive?

And a village opens its arms to A stunning high flyer.

Plus, find out why this leaping Lizard is named for a leopard.

But first, how can you tell if An elephant is happy?

We'll find out at an emotional Family reunion.

These stories and much more Today on earth odyssey.

[music]

Dylan: when it's time to travel, We humans can pull out a phone,

Map, or gps and simply follow The signs.

But how do animals find their Way in the wild?

In our first story, we discover How a herd of elephants

Navigates for miles in search of Life-saving water.

It turns out they can only reach Their destination by depending

On each other.

Spanning more than 2,000 square Miles, one of the largest

Protected woodlands in india is The nilgiri biosphere reserve.

[music]

Dylan: as you climb in Elevation, the tropical

Rainforests give way to Deciduous monsoon forests.

And here, you will find more Than 1,000 animal species.

It's a place of sanctuary and Extremes.

[thunder storms]

[heavy rain pouring]

Dylan: from the monsoon deluge To the dry season droughts.

And it's this seasonal lack of Water that forces india's

Biggest animal to make their Yearly migration.

[low grumbling]

Dylan: this indian elephant is The matriarch of her herd.

Made up mostly of her daughters And their offspring.

This late in the dry season, Their home range can't support

Their huge appetite for food and Water.

Their destination now is the Kabini river.

Still more than 30 miles away, It's one of the region's last

Refuges with fresh flowing Water.

[low grumble]

Dylan: this female leader Carries a lifetime of experience

And inherited wisdom.

Where to find water, food and How to avoid danger.

She intentionally leads the herd Along forest migration routes

Passed down by her ancestors That she now shares with the new

Generation.

[music]

Dylan: for her youngest Daughter, it's her first

Journey.

She's still weaning and learning From her mother what's edible.

[baby elephant trumpeting]

Dylan: when fully grown, she'll Eat more than 300 pounds of

Vegetation a day.

Weighing up to five and a half Tons, walking in this searing

Heat makes thirsty work.

Each adult indian elephant needs Up to 50 gallons of water a day.

And they are still days away From the river.

Fortunately, this isn't the Matriarch's first migration.

Her route is carefully planned.

[elephant trumpets]

Dylan: it's a welcome head Start.

[trumpeting continues and splashing]

Dylan: but it appears the long Journey is taking its toll on

The smallest member of the Family.

She has injured one of her legs.

Her mother tries to help.

But the migration must continue, So this young one will need to

Heal along the way.

The herd continues their forest March towards the kabini river.

The arduous journey has taken More than a month.

Finally, the family emerges from The trees.

And they're not the only ones.

Other herds arrive from all over The region.

One of india's largest elephant Congregations has begun.

[elephant trumpeting]

Dylan: little ones meet distant Relatives for the first time.

And adults reunite with old Friends.

Elephants can't shake hands, so Trunk-touching will have to do.

Scientists don't fully Understand yet all the ways that

Elephants communicate.

But it's easy to see some of the Ways that we share emotions.

By safely guiding her whole herd To the water, this matriarch has

Given her family the best chance Of survival for one more season.

Coming up, this mama and her Cubs head down for a cool drink

Of water.

And in this town, an ancient Tradition of kindness to animals

Has outsized results.

And will the locust be spotted By this leopard gecko?

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: india's gir national park Surrounds a dry teak forest.

These trees and the animals that Depend on them have adapted to

Endure six months of the year Without rain.

Less than eight inches of rain Falls here each year, even

During the wet monsoon season.

The lack of water and Nutrient-depleted soils keep the

Forest sparse.

But it's just enough open space For the region's largest

Predator.

This asiatic lion has her cubs Safely in tow.

These lions were once found Across the middle east, even

Ranging as far as greece.

Now, fewer than 700 survive, All living in or near

This national park.

The asiatic lion is around 200 Pounds lighter than an african

Lion and lives in a smaller Pride.

Her group is just three sisters And a few cubs.

But they haven't had water in Days.

[music]

Dylan: the pride's 25-square-mile territory has at

Least two water holes.

She'll have to cross the home Ranges of two male lions to get

There.

Unlike african lions, male Asiatic lions don't live with

Females unless they're mating or Have a large kill to share.

More than 25 percent larger than Females, male lions are a

Constant danger to unrelated Young cubs.

The lioness has to tread a fine Line to protect hers.

The first water hole is already Taken.

This older male was the king, But he's been dethroned,

Now badly injured.

He's best avoided.

But the new lion king is also Nearby.

The two males have both staked Their territory at the watering

Holes.

The mother lion is wary.

To bring a female back into Estrus to breed again, a male

Will attack her cubs if he Thinks they aren't his.

But the cub's mother has mated With both males, so they each

Think they are the father to the Cubs.

With so many lions in the Confined territory of the park,

Females often pair up with more Than one dominant male in their

Territory.

It's a necessary strategy to Ensure her endangered cubs have

The best chance of surviving.

To someday be kings and queens Of the forest themselves.

Coming up, queen marie Antoinette named this bird for

Its elegant moves.

And when the sun goes down, we Go out on the prowl with a

Predator who's naturally Cold-blooded.

Find out more when earth odyssey Returns.

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: some birds and turtles Navigate by following the

Earth's magnetic field.

That super sense helps them Migrate across continents,

Mountain chains, and oceans.

And in india, one bird species Has added an unexpected layover

To its long-distance flight Path, thanks to some very

Attentive humans.

One species of unexpectedly Elegant birds undertake an

Intense migration loop every Year.

They'll cross the himalayas from Mongolia to the edge of an

Indian desert and return by Another arduous route.

More than 45 years ago, a dozen Demoiselle cranes stopped on

Their way in the small Indian town of khichan.

[music]

Dylan: the locals gave the birds Grain and water.

Now, more than 25,000 cranes Come back every year.

So many that you could say the Town has been overrun by its

Kindness to animals.

The area has become a key Migratory destination, as water

Fills local ponds after the Monsoon rains.

And with locals and visitors Continuing to pay for the grain

To feed them, some flocks stay For up to five months.

They are honored avian guests in A man-made refuge that's likely

To increase in popularity.

Coming up, this cleverly Camouflaged creature is ready

For a moonlit adventure when Earth odyssey returns.

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 the badlands of india, The daytime sun can be brutal.

But one species here uses it to Its advantage.

The leopard gecko.

His rocky burrow is like a Sauna.

The baking rocks charge up this Cold-blooded creature, warming

His blood so he can move freely.

But he won't leave the burrow Until the sun dips.

Here, he has shade from intense Uv rays, and he can stay

Pleasantly warm while avoiding Predators like snakes, foxes,

Birds, and larger reptiles.

At dusk, it's safe to come out.

He must hike over rocky terrain.

Instead of the standard gecko Toe pad, he has claws.

He's a good hunter, and just Like his namesake, the leopard

Gecko's spots let him blend in To his surroundings.

Along with excellent eyesight, One of his most highly-tuned

Senses is hearing.

The locust's tiny legs are like Megaphones.

The insect's only chance is to Stay perfectly still.

[music]

Dylan: with every twitch, the Gecko zeroes in.

Once within a few inches, There's no escape.

[music continues]

It's a tasty treat, and one that Can last.

The gecko can store fat in his Chunky tail for when food is

Scarce.

A perfect long-term strategy for This resilient reptile.

We've just seen how animals on The indian subcontinent have

Evolved to survive some of Nature's most challenging

Conditions.

From elephants on a dangerous Trek for water, to a mother lion

Defending her cubs in the Forest.

Thanks for sharing these Inspiring animal stories with

Us.

I'm dylan dreyer.

See you next time on earth Odyssey.

[music]