Original subtitles

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NARRATOR: WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL, YOU KNOW YOU'RE

WATCHING TELEVISION THAT IS EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL.

THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: HI EVERYONE, I'M DYLAN DREYER.

IT'S TIME TO MEET SOME OF NATURE'S

MOST ADAPTABLE ARCHITECTS.

AMAZING ANIMAL HOMES AND HABITATS JUST AHEAD

ON "EARTH ODYSSEY".

COMING UP, A COMPLEX BABY BIRD CONDO THAT MAY BEAT THEM ALL.

AND WE GO PROWLING THE BANKS OF THE NILE WITH ONE COOL CAT.

PLUS, THESE MOUNTAIN KIDS HAVE A STELLAR ROOM WITH A VIEW.

AND THE ONLY WILD MONKEYS IN EUROPE ARE KICKING BACK IN A

TOURIST TOWN.

LIVING WILD RIGHT NOW ON EARTH ODYSSEY.

WHETHER IT'S A DEN, A BURROW, A HIVE, OR A NEST, ANIMALS

RELIABLY FIND AND BUILD PLACES TO CALL THEIR OWN.

SOMETIMES A HOME IS A SIMPLE BED OF LEAVES, BUT ONE SMALL,

STRIKING BIRD BUILDS A HOUSE THAT'S SO COMPLEX IT HAS A

SECRET ENTRANCE AND A HIDDEN COMPARTMENT.

IT'S EARLY APRIL, AND THE LONG RUSSIAN WINTER HAS RUN ITS

COURSE.

MORE SUNLIGHT IS WARMING THE MOUNTAINS.

AS THE ICE THAWS, WATER CARVES CHANNELS THROUGH THE SNOW.

IT'S A TRICKLE AT FIRST, BUT IT SOON BECOMES A STREAM, FLOWING

INTO SOME OF 130 TRIBUTARIES WHICH FEED THIS HUGE INLAND SEA.

AMONG THESE IS THE VOLGA, THE LONGEST RIVER IN EUROPE, FLOWING

1,800 MILES.

THE RIVER DIVIDES INTO HUNDREDS OF CHANNELS AS IT ENTERS THE

NORTHERN EDGE OF THE HUGE CASPIAN SEA.

THE ANNUAL FLOODING OF THE WETLANDS CREATES A SECLUDED

HAVEN FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF WILDLIFE.

THESE UNIQUE CONDITIONS ALLOW SALTWATER SPECIES TO EXIST AS

WELL AS FRESHWATER ANIMALS AND PLANTS.

AND THE REEDS GROWING ON ITS BANKS PROVIDE PERFECT NESTING

GROUNDS FOR SPRING VISITORS, LIKE PENDULINE TITS.

THESE TINY, UNASSUMING-LOOKING BIRDS ARE MASTERS OF DECEPTION.

ONE SKILLFUL ARCHITECT IS BUILDING A HANGING SANCTUARY AT

THE WATER'S EDGE.

WOVEN FROM SPIDERWEBS, ANIMAL HAIR, AND SOFT PLANT MATTER, HIS

NURSERY WILL TAKE AROUND THREE WEEKS TO COMPLETE.

A RING OF TWISTED FIBERS FORMS THE FOUNDATION AND BEARS THE

WEIGHT OF THE HANGING NEST.

HALFWAY THROUGH, IT LOOKS LIKE A HANGING BASKET.

10 DAYS LATER, HIS NEST IS COMPLETE AND SURPRISINGLY

SECURE, SUSPENDED OVER THE WATER FROM A SINGLE TWIG.

A FEMALE DECIDES HE'S A GOOD BET BASED ON HIS BUILDING SKILLS.

SOON SHE'S INSIDE AND BEGINS AN ELABORATE DECEPTION.

SHE CREATES A HIDDEN CRADLE IN THE LINING OF THE NEST AND

CONCEALS HER EGGS ONE BY ONE.

THE MOTHER BIRD LEADS THE MALE TO BELIEVE SHE HAS YET TO LAY,

SO HE WON'T ABANDON THE NEST TOO SOON.

LATER, SHE'LL UNCOVER THE EGGS AND FLEE THE NEST, LEAVING HIM

TO FULFILL HIS PARENTAL DUTIES ALONE.

THAT FREES HER TO LAY A SECOND CLUTCH OF EGGS IN ANOTHER NEST.

THESE UNUSUAL NESTS HANG 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND TO HELP DETER

PREDATORS BELOW.

BUT THIS NEST HAS CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF A PROWLER, THE

JUNGLE CAT.

WITH TUFTED EARS AND A SHORT TAIL, THIS WILD CAT IS SLIGHTLY

SMALLER THAN THE LYNX.

IT'S MOST CLOSELY RELATED TO THE HOUSE CAT.

TANTALIZINGLY CLOSE, THE HANGING BUFFET IS JUST OUT OF REACH.

DESPITE THEIR NAME, JUNGLE CATS DON'T USUALLY LIVE IN JUNGLES.

THEY'RE FOUND THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND PREFER

GRASSLANDS AND THE DENSE COVER OF REEDS NEAR THE WATER'S EDGE.

RODENTS ARE THEIR USUAL PREY, BUT THIS HUNTER HAS HIS EYES ON

A DIFFERENT QUARRY, A GROUND-NESTING BIRD.

THE CAT WAITS.

BUT TODAY, LUCK AND A QUICK RESPONSE KEEP THE QUAIL OUT OF

HARM'S WAY.

COMING UP, THIS CLEVER CLOWNFISH LIVES IN A POISONOUS PALACE.

WHAT MAKES IT WORK?

AND MOUNTAIN MAMAS BOLDLY LEAD THEIR KIDS TO THE HIGHEST PEAKS.

PLUS, JUMPING FOR JOY IN GIBRALTAR, THEN COMING IN FOR A

CUDDLE.

MORE WILD ANIMAL HOMES 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.

DYLAN: BEING SMALL IS A RISKY BUSINESS.

SIZE MATTERS IN THE OCEAN FOOD CHAIN.

LEARNING HOW TO EVADE PREDATORS IS ESSENTIAL IF YOU WANT TO LIVE

A LONG LIFE.

BUT SOME FISH HAVE DEVELOPED VERY CLEVER SURVIVAL STRATEGIES.

LIKE THE HARDY CLOWNFISH.

THEY OWE IT ALL TO THEIR VIP RELATIONSHIP WITH ANEMONES.

ANEMONES ARE PREDATORY MARINE ANIMALS LIKE CORAL AND THEIR

TENTACLES ARE ALWAYS OUT.

THESE SOFT-BONED ANIMALS LIKE TO EAT SMALL FISH.

BUT CLOWNFISH HAVE FOUND A WAY TO LIVE IN HARMONY WITH THE

DEADLY STINGER, THANKS TO A COMPLEX CHEMICAL RELATIONSHIP

THAT IS FORGED EVEN BEFORE BIRTH.

A PAIR OF CLOWNFISH ARE LAYING THEIR EGGS RIGHT BESIDE THEIR

HOST ANEMONE.

THIS ALLOWS ITS SMELL TO BE IMPRINTED ON THEIR NEW BROOD.

THEY GUARD THE EGGS CLOSELY AS THEY MATURE.

A WEEK LATER, THE LARVAE ARE READY TO BREAK FREE AND FIND A

HOME OF THEIR OWN.

MOST WILL BECOME FISH FOOD AS THEY DRIFT ON THE CURRENTS.

BUT IF THEY CAN SURVIVE FOR TWO WEEKS, THEY'LL BE READY TO

SETTLE ON THE REEF.

AND IF THEY CAN FIND THE RIGHT ANEMONE, THEY'LL HAVE AN

EXCELLENT CHANCE OF LIVING A LONG AND PEACEFUL LIFE.

TO LIVE INSIDE THE TENTACLES, THE YOUNG CLOWNFISH HAVE TO

ACCLIMATIZE THEIR BODIES TO STINGING TENTACLES.

A PROTECTIVE MUCUS LAYER AROUND THEIR BODIES ALLOWS THEM TO

SURVIVE WHEN THEY ARE STUNG.

EVENTUALLY, THE ANEMONE WILL STOP FIRING ITS TINY DARTS OF

POISON, RECOGNIZING THE FISH AS PART OF ITSELF.

BUT EVEN GOOD TENANTS HAVE TO PAY RENT.

BUTTERFLY FISH LIKE TO EAT ANEMONES AND THE CLOWNFISH ACT

LIKE SECURITY GUARDS.

CLOWNFISH CLEAN THEIR HOST, AND AS THE FISH HIDE IN THE

TENTACLES, THEY INCREASE WATER WATER FLOW, IMPROVING

OXYGEN SUPPLY.

AT NIGHT, SOME CLOWNFISH ACTIVELY FAN THEIR HOSTS TO HELP

THEM BREATHE.

THE PARTNERSHIP IS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT ALL 30 SPECIES OF CLOWNFISH

IN THE WILD CALL ANEMONES HOME.

IT'S A LONG-LASTING ALLIANCE ON THE REEF BATTLEGROUND.

COMING UP, THESE INCREDIBLE CLIMBERS SEEM TO DEFY GRAVITY IN

THEIR MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY.

AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MONKEYS SPEND THE DAY

SIGHTSEEING WITH PEOPLE?

MORE UNUSUAL ANIMAL HOMES 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.

DYLAN: AN ANIMAL HAS TO BE UNUSUALLY TOUGH

TO LIVE YEAR-ROUND IN THE TREACHEROUS PEAKS

OF THE EUROPEAN ALPS.

BUT ONE REMARKABLY SURE-FOOTED GOAT DOES JUST THAT.

AT ANY ALTITUDE, THE IBEX'S SECRET TO SURVIVAL IN ITS RUGGED

HOME BEGINS AT GROUND LEVEL.

A LABYRINTH OF ICE AND ROCKY PEAKS WITH MOUNTAINS SOARING

MORE THAN 15,000 FEET SCRAPES THE SKY AT ONE OF THE MOST

POPULATED AREAS ON THE PLANET.

THE ALPS ARE THE WILD HEART OF EUROPE.

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, HUMANS HAVE TRIED TO INHABIT ITS MORE

ACCESSIBLE PEAKS AND VALLEYS.

FIRST BY CREATING FOOTPATHS, THEN ROADS, VILLAGES AND CITIES,

PEOPLE HAVE SUBJECTED THE MOUNTAINS TO A

MULTITUDE OF CHANGES.

TODAY, THOSE WHO LIVE HERE SHARE A COMMON MOUNTAIN CULTURE.

ONE BUILT ON RESISTANCE TO ADVERSE CONDITIONS AND OF

ADMIRATION, AWE AND RESPECT FOR THESE GIANTS OF ROCK.

BUT WITH SO MUCH HUMAN INTERVENTION, CAN LIFE HERE

STILL BE WILD?

WHEN SNOW COVERS EVERYTHING ELSE, THE STURDY IBEX FLOURISHES

IN THIS DIZZYING HIGH ALTITUDE WORLD.

ON THE ROCK SLABS AND CLIFF LEDGES, THESE WILD GOATS RELY ON

A SOPHISTICATED ADAPTATION THAT MAKES THEM SUPERB MOUNTAINEERS.

TO MOVE IN SUCH DEMANDING TERRAIN, THEIR HOOVES HAVE

EVOLVED INTO INCREDIBLY EFFICIENT INSTRUMENTS.

AT THE FRONT, THERE IS A HARD, SHARP EDGE BACKED BY A CENTRAL

AREA OF RUBBER-LIKE CONSISTENCY.

ITS DESIGN IS SIMILAR TO THE SHOES FREE CLIMBERS USE.

IN ADDITION, THE TWO HALVES CAN BE SPREAD APART ELASTICALLY SO

THAT A SINGLE HALF ALONE CAN STOP THE ANIMAL FROM SLIPPING.

WHEN FACED WITH A ROUTE IT DOESN'T KNOW, THE IBEX

IS CAUTIOUS.

RETRACING YOUR STEPS IS NOT ALWAYS EASY.

EVERY MOVEMENT IS CAREFULLY MEASURED, EACH SEQUENCE

TRIED SEVERAL TIMES.

THERE IS NO ROOM FOR A MISTAKE.

BUT ON THEIR MOST FAMILIAR ROUTES, IBEX MOVE RAPIDLY WITH

GREAT CONFIDENCE.

THEY ALWAYS USE THE SAME SMALL PROTRUSIONS AND END UP PLACING

THEIR HOOVES AT EXACTLY THE SAME POINTS.

FOR THE GREATER PART OF WINTER, THE CLIFFS ARE ONE OF THE FEW

PLACES WHERE IT IS STILL POSSIBLE TO FIND FOOD.

BETTER YET, FEW PREDATORS WILL FOLLOW THE IBEX UP THESE

TREACHEROUS CLIFFS.

THAT MAKES THESE PEAKS A SAFE PLACE TO CONGREGATE UNTIL THE

RICHER DAYS OF SPRING.

COMING UP, THEY'RE RAISING RAMBUNCTIOUS TODDLERS

IN A BUSY CITY.

HOW THESE PRIMATES NAVIGATE PARENTHOOD 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.

DYLAN: THE TERRITORY OF GIBRALTAR, KNOWN FOR THE

ROCK OF GIBRALTAR, MARKS THE PASSAGE FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN

TO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA.

IT'S ALSO THE HOME OF THE GIBRALTAR MONKEYS, THE ONLY

PRIMATE POPULATION ON THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT.

SOME OF THESE UNIQUE WILD MONKEYS ARE PERFECTLY ADAPTED TO

LIVING IN TOWN WITH HUMANS.

IN FACT, THEY ARE A MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTION.

THEY WANDER FREELY THROUGH THE TOURIST SPACES AS IF

THEY WERE PEOPLE.

THEIR ORIGIN IN EUROPE WAS CONSIDERED A BIT OF A MYSTERY.

BUT THEY ARE ACTUALLY BARBARY MACAQUES, MOST LIKELY INTRODUCED

DURING THE MUSLIM OCCUPATION OF SPAIN.

THESE MONKEYS LIVE IN GROUPS WITH AN IMPORTANT SOCIAL ORDER.

EACH MEMBER HAS ITS OWN POSITION AND STATUS.

IT'S A DEEPLY STRUCTURED SOCIETY AND GOOD MANNERS MUST BE LEARNED

FROM A TENDER AGE.

ALL THIS PLAYING IS CRUCIAL FOR THE YOUNG MACAQUES' DEVELOPMENT.

GROOMING ACTIVITIES HELP THE MACAQUES NOT ONLY TO STAY

HEALTHY BUT ALSO TO CREATE AND STRENGTHEN THE

BONDS BETWEEN THEM.

SURPRISINGLY, THIS ADAPTABLE GIBRALTAR MONKEY POPULATION HAS

BEEN INCREASING IN RECENT DECADES, EVEN IN THE MOST

UNLIKELY OF PLACES.

WE'VE SEEN HOW HOME SWEET HOME MEANS MANY DIFFERENT THINGS

FOR MANY DIFFERENT CREATURES, BUT NO MATTER YOUR SPECIES, ALL

HOMES ARE BUILT WITH SKILL AND FILLED WITH FAMILY.

I'M DYLAN DREYER, WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME

HERE ON "EARTH ODYSSEY".