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(dramatic music)

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Downloaded from
YTS.MX

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- [Woman] In the ancient
rainforest of northeast Australia,

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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

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a living dinosaur is making a last stand.

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This magnificently weird creature is known

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as the world's most dangerous bird,

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the mysterious cassowary.

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Meet Bertha, she is massive and powerful.

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But she's up against tough odds.

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Everywhere in the forest
rivals and predators

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threaten her eggs and young.

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For her species to survive,
she must run a constant race

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to keep breeding.

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This is the story of Bertha,

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a prehistoric and endangered dino bird.

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Australia is a land of deserts.

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But the far north reaches
up into the wet tropics

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and this region is home to a mature stand

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of ancient rainforest,

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almost unchanged for millions of years.

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(birds chirping)

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In this patch of rainforest,

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Bertha is the mistress of all she surveys.

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She looks like a cross between an ostrich

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and a velociraptor.

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(dramatic music)

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A great grandmother of the forest,

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she is now more than 40 years old.

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A flightless giant, she stands
nearly 180 centimeters tall

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and weighs 70 kilograms.

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(water splashing)

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No bird in the world is
quite like the cassowary

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and no single cassowary
is quite like Bertha.

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The large boney cask crowning her head

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attests to her great age.

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Perhaps the larger the cask,
the more dominant the bird.

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And Bertha's cask is one of the largest.

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It slants slightly to the right,

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making her easy to recognize.

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In the world of cassowary, females rule.

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(dramatic music)

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Bertha's territory is one of the best.

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Three kilometers squared
of ancient rainforest.

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(dramatic music)

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Towering peaks feed the
creeks that course through

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her territory.

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(water babbling)

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With such a lush forest in her possession,

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(birds chirping)

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she has command over the best males.

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So it's no surprise
that Bertha is pregnant.

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Now her massive body needs
even more fuel than usual.

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For the cassowary, this
means fruit and lots of it.

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(insects chirping)

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(plucky orchestral music)

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Hunger drives her to
visit an abandoned orchard

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in the center of her territory.

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A reliable source of fruit
when it's scarce in the forest.

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While some morsels can be
had with a simple pluck,

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(plucky orchestral music)

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others require more effort.

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She has only vestigial wings,

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so her legs have become her way to fly.

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They can launch her 1.5 meters in the air.

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It's the start of the dry season

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and Bertha's territory still
gets occasional downpours.

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This is when Bertha
prefers to lay her eggs.

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But it appears that she is being watched.

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It's a male name Crinkle Cut,

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the father of her developing eggs.

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Crinkle Cut keeps a respectful distance

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from his formidable mistress.

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Crinkle Cut is Bertha's favorite partner

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and every breeding season
for the last five years,

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she has mated with him first.

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While it's not a close relationship,

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Crinkle Cut has the
qualities Bertha desires.

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He is a great dad.

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In cassowary, it's the
males that raise the young.

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Extremely rare in nature,
male only parenting occurs

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in just 1% of all bird species.

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(dark instrumental music)

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Bertha lays each of her
600 gram eggs directly

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on to the forest floor.

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This is the moment that Crinkle
Cut has been waiting for.

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From the moment her eggs are laid,

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Bertha's parental duties
are done and she melts

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into the forest without a backward glance.

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(bird grunting)

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Crinkle Cut's parental
instincts take over.

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He shades and guards the
eggs, turning them regularly

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to ensure they develop evenly.

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Crinkle Cut is an experienced father

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and Bertha has chosen a nest site

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in the heart of her territory.

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Crinkle Cut will brood Bertha's
eggs for the next 52 days.

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It will be a long and lonely vigil.

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Despite the dedication of the males,

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many chicks won't survive.

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So Bertha can't afford to
breed just once a year.

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(sweeping instrumental music)

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Shortly after laying a clutch of eggs,

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she's ready to mate
again and off in search

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of other devoted dads.

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The destruction of tropical
forests has meant that

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not all cassowaries have
the luxury of living

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in the pristine part of the forest.

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Some are forced to become fringe dwellers.

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This male lives on the
edge of Bertha's territory.

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His name is Buster.

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He has learnt to survive
in this disturbed part

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of the forest

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and he is advertising his availability.

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Using specialized long distance calls,

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the low frequency travels further,

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rumbling along the forest floor

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and through the vegetation.

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(bird call rumbling)

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It's an effective way to be
heard in such a dense forest.

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(bird call rumbling)

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And Bertha is highly tuned to
the lure of this love song.

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(insects and animal chattering)

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(bird call rumbling)

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Her cask may be an
ancient receiver of sorts.

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Inside, it has a honeycomb-like structure

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and an extensive vascular network

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thought to enhance the
cassowary's sensitivity

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to these low frequency sounds.

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(bird call rumbling)

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This method of communication
is believe to have first

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occurred in dinosaurs.

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Bertha picks her way through
the primeval rainforest

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to the very fringe of her territory.

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A mile from where Crinkle Cut
is now sitting on her eggs.

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It's a blind date but she has
another chance to reproduce.

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(dramatic music)

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She emerges from her emerald green forest

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(water splashing)

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and there's the object
of her present desire.

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It's Buster.

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Female cassowaries are
usually 25% larger than males.

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And Bertha is among is among
the biggest and bossiest.

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Their approach is tentative.

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Her regal presence is
intimidating the young Casanova.

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Buster is only 13 years old.

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(dramatic music)

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One wrong move and he
can ruin the courting

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and possibly be punished for it.

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He sticks close to her but not too close.

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And begins his courting display.

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(dramatic music)

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He displays his bright colors
and preens his feathers.

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It seems her majesty is not displeased.

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Giving up the single life
for the next few weeks,

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they'll form an uneasy partnership.

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This will be one of several
matins over the coming weeks.

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It's one of the few
times that Bertha appears

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to be submissive.

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Within a few weeks our
matriarch has seduced two

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dedicated dads into protecting her progeny

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on two different nests.

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(dramatic music)
(birds calling)

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While Bertha has been
off chasing younger men,

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dutiful Crinkle Cut has
remained on the nest,

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enduring the worst of the dry season.

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(insects chirping)

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He's doing his best to
shade the precious eggs.

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But he still has two more
weeks before they'll hatch.

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The dry season shows on sign of abating.

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Eels must cross dry land
in search of the last

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remaining water holes.

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Trees shed their leaves in an
attempt to prevent water loss.

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A thick layer of leaf litter
builds on the forest floor,

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perfect conditions for a
leaf litter specialist.

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The orange footed scrub fowl
rake through the leaf litter

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in search of moisture
laden worms and insects.

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(dramatic music)

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The pair have to visit the creek daily

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and this water hole is the last one left.

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Bertha is a regular here.

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With no sweat glands and covered
in black hair-like feathers

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Bertha has to avoid the sun,
where she can quickly overheat.

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In this weather, she
prefers to stay hidden

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in the darkest parts of the forest.

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Buster, who is currently
minding Bertha's second batch

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of eggs, is in a bind.

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Here at the thin edge of
the forest near the beach,

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his home is more exposed
to the relentless sun.

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Overheating and panting
to try to cool down,

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he's gone in search of water.

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Left in the open and with
their minder no where in sight,

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the four eggs quickly attract attention.

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(ominous instrumental music)

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But while young Buster
is still at the creek,

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a more serious threat appears
and approaches the nest.

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It's a female but it's not Bertha.

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In this forest, competition
between females is intense.

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Buster returns but it's too late.

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He doesn't interfere.

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Female cassowaries rule the roost,

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even if they're destroying it.

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And she could inflict a serious injury

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with her spiked claws.

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He can only cower and watch

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the complete devastation of his family.

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(soft somber instrumental music)

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Buster surveys the damage.

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All that hard work now wasted.

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He abandons what's left of the nest,

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knowing he cannot stop
the intruding female.

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As dusk falls, a feral pig arrives on

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the scene of the crime.

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These aggressive omnivores
usually pose an even greater

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threat to cassowary
nests than rival females.

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But this pig finds the hard work

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has already been done for him.

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A whole brood, destroyed.

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Bertha's laid eight eggs
and now only four remain.

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As night falls and the cassowaries sleep,

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a strange cast takes the stage.

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(dark instrumental music)

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Bioluminescent fungi provide the lighting.

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Mammals appear, hungry
from a long day in hiding

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and with them villains.

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This is the amethystine python.

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Heat sensing pits in his
lower jaw allow him to see

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his mammalian prey in the dark.

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Being cold blooded, this
white lipped green tree frog

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should be safe.

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Crinkle Cut is in the last
week of guarding his eggs.

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Defending your nest in the
rainforest is one of the most

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important things a bird can do.

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Especially with lace
monitors on the prowl.

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These monitors are nest raiders.

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Crinkle Cut is on guard so the
monitor has his work cut out.

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Perhaps an easier meal is on offer.

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Nearby bird calls have
caught the attention

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of the lace monitor.

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These white streamers belong
to one of the rainforest's

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more colorful visitors.

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The buff breasted paradise
king fisher has made

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its annual migration here
from New Guinea to breed.

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Good news for the hungry lace monitor.

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This king fisher pair has
commandeered a termite mound

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for its nest.

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Having laid their eggs in
the center of the mound,

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they are now caring
for three young chicks,

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the source of all the noise.

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The parents collect insects all day long.

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(baby birds chirping)

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But the shrill demands
from within the mound

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never stop begging for more.

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With the parents busy, the
lace monitor makes his move.

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(dramatic music)

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(baby birds chirping)

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It would seem that the chicks are doomed

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but the pair return to defend
their territory and the nest.

259
00:24:11,137 --> 00:24:13,804
(ominous music)

260
00:24:20,582 --> 00:24:23,370
(baby birds chirping)

261
00:24:23,370 --> 00:24:26,670
The lace monitor decides to
head off in search of food

262
00:24:26,670 --> 00:24:28,090
that won't fight back

263
00:24:35,210 --> 00:24:36,843
and the parents can relax.

264
00:24:38,494 --> 00:24:40,453
But only for a moment.

265
00:24:50,087 --> 00:24:55,087
(thunder rumbling)
(whimsical orchestral music)

266
00:25:00,100 --> 00:25:03,383
The oppressive dry season finally relents.

267
00:25:08,670 --> 00:25:11,598
The start of the wet season
brings with it a new menu

268
00:25:11,598 --> 00:25:16,598
of rainforest fruit and just
in time for Crinkle Cut.

269
00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:22,373
His patience has finally paid off.

270
00:25:29,010 --> 00:25:31,243
He's now a proud father.

271
00:25:38,180 --> 00:25:41,883
Three of Bertha's four eggs
have hatched successfully.

272
00:25:45,750 --> 00:25:48,630
Bertha may not be the
most faithful partner,

273
00:25:48,630 --> 00:25:51,833
so there's no guarantee that
all three chicks are his.

274
00:25:52,961 --> 00:25:56,970
(plucky instrumental music)

275
00:25:56,970 --> 00:25:59,433
But he cares for them all equally.

276
00:26:01,830 --> 00:26:04,833
The chicks are striped for
camouflage in the leaf litter.

277
00:26:06,830 --> 00:26:09,270
They won't get their
elaborate adult colors

278
00:26:09,270 --> 00:26:11,013
until four years of age.

279
00:26:13,890 --> 00:26:16,343
The little ones mimic his every move.

280
00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,803
He breaks the fruit apart for the chicks.

281
00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,283
They're capable of
swallowing some fruit whole.

282
00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,823
Occasionally they get
a little too ambitious.

283
00:26:34,830 --> 00:26:38,010
Crinkle Cut's chicks
are only three weeks old

284
00:26:38,010 --> 00:26:40,003
and dad keeps them close.

285
00:26:41,812 --> 00:26:44,645
(thunder rumbles)

286
00:26:53,700 --> 00:26:56,103
Finally, the wet season has begun.

287
00:26:58,340 --> 00:27:00,493
It's a welcome relief for Bertha.

288
00:27:06,660 --> 00:27:09,060
In search of the new season's figs,

289
00:27:09,060 --> 00:27:11,503
she's moved down to the swollen creek.

290
00:27:12,900 --> 00:27:14,603
The water is now deep.

291
00:27:19,350 --> 00:27:23,333
And hides the infamous
salt water crocodile,

292
00:27:26,170 --> 00:27:28,613
the largest predator in Australia.

293
00:27:34,383 --> 00:27:37,050
(ominous music)

294
00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:44,067
It's an ambush predator and will silently

295
00:27:44,067 --> 00:27:46,603
and patiently stalk its prey.

296
00:27:48,370 --> 00:27:51,940
He needs Bertha to
venture into deeper water

297
00:27:51,940 --> 00:27:53,223
where he lies waiting.

298
00:27:54,430 --> 00:27:56,483
Not the wisest place to stop.

299
00:27:58,770 --> 00:28:01,520
(dramatic music)

300
00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:13,583
Perhaps an easier meal
is on offer. (pig snorts)

301
00:28:19,892 --> 00:28:22,860
A feral pig forages the river bank.

302
00:28:22,860 --> 00:28:26,863
It hasn't seen the crock. (dramatic music)

303
00:28:29,541 --> 00:28:32,374
(water splashing)

304
00:28:34,190 --> 00:28:37,216
Thankfully for Bertha and the forest,

305
00:28:37,216 --> 00:28:39,933
this crock has a taste for pork.

306
00:28:41,030 --> 00:28:44,930
With an estimated 60,000
feral pigs infested

307
00:28:44,930 --> 00:28:47,213
into the remaining cassowary habitat,

308
00:28:48,416 --> 00:28:51,823
they are a serious threat
to Bertha's chicks.

309
00:28:55,420 --> 00:28:57,583
Now that Crinkle Cut's chicks are older,

310
00:29:00,340 --> 00:29:03,263
their ranging further
afield in search of food.

311
00:29:05,561 --> 00:29:09,061
(dark instrumental music)

312
00:29:10,034 --> 00:29:13,633
The leaf litter harbors much
more than fruits and berries.

313
00:29:16,540 --> 00:29:19,750
The amethystine python
rarely hunts during the day

314
00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:23,180
but is attracted by the sounds

315
00:29:23,180 --> 00:29:25,523
of our cassowary family foraging.

316
00:29:26,502 --> 00:29:30,252
(ominous instrumental music)

317
00:29:34,103 --> 00:29:37,936
A cassowary chick would
be a significant meal.

318
00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:44,102
Crinkle Cut spots the snake.

319
00:29:44,102 --> 00:29:44,950
(cassowary rumbling)

320
00:29:44,950 --> 00:29:47,453
He stands tall and clucks aggressively.

321
00:29:48,940 --> 00:29:51,810
His feet speak to his dinosaur ancestry

322
00:29:53,510 --> 00:29:56,180
with three massive toes.

323
00:29:56,180 --> 00:29:58,693
The inner one, a deadly spike.

324
00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:02,440
The cassowary is one of only two birds

325
00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:05,093
to have every killed a human.

326
00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:11,603
The python will lie in wait,
camouflaged in the leaf litter.

327
00:30:30,750 --> 00:30:32,310
But with Crinkle Cut on guard,

328
00:30:32,310 --> 00:30:34,473
the python retreats to the canopy.

329
00:30:47,150 --> 00:30:49,900
(dramatic music)

330
00:31:00,653 --> 00:31:04,170
Crinkle Cut defended his
brood from the snake,

331
00:31:04,170 --> 00:31:07,787
but in the confusion, two of
the chicks have wandered off.

332
00:31:09,151 --> 00:31:12,651
(slow instrumental music)

333
00:31:25,132 --> 00:31:28,510
If the missing chicks are
left alone for too long

334
00:31:28,510 --> 00:31:31,113
they'll begin to attract
unwanted attention.

335
00:31:42,930 --> 00:31:46,042
The remaining chick,
Wondu, is the smallest

336
00:31:46,042 --> 00:31:47,993
and least confident.

337
00:31:53,350 --> 00:31:56,140
Crinkle Cut's search
brings him to the creek,

338
00:31:56,140 --> 00:31:57,883
which is now flowing strongly.

339
00:32:00,514 --> 00:32:03,933
Crinkle Cut's missing chicks
could be on the other side.

340
00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,893
But in crossing, Wondu
could be swept away.

341
00:32:26,670 --> 00:32:31,203
Sure at first, Wondu
quickly thinks better of it.

342
00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:40,343
Crinkle will have to search
for another place to cross.

343
00:32:46,701 --> 00:32:49,368
(ominous music)

344
00:33:02,589 --> 00:33:03,800
This looks better

345
00:33:07,530 --> 00:33:10,300
and there is a surprise
waiting for Crinkle Cut

346
00:33:10,300 --> 00:33:12,219
on the other side.

347
00:33:12,219 --> 00:33:15,886
(plucky instrumental music)

348
00:33:24,860 --> 00:33:27,660
The family has been reunited.

349
00:33:27,660 --> 00:33:32,023
(sweet instrumental music)

350
00:33:32,023 --> 00:33:34,913
Wondu and his siblings
still have a lot to learn.

351
00:33:48,970 --> 00:33:51,940
Usually cassowary chicks
aren't ready to strike out

352
00:33:51,940 --> 00:33:54,283
on their own until
they're nine months old.

353
00:34:00,710 --> 00:34:02,193
If they make it that far.

354
00:34:07,870 --> 00:34:10,910
Bertha's territory is
home to a wide spectrum

355
00:34:10,910 --> 00:34:12,083
of colorful critters.

356
00:34:16,370 --> 00:34:18,640
Some need to stand out from the crowd

357
00:34:27,340 --> 00:34:29,663
but others prefer camouflage.

358
00:34:39,650 --> 00:34:41,770
If the disguise isn't perfect,

359
00:34:41,770 --> 00:34:43,883
there's many hungry mandibles waiting.

360
00:34:44,975 --> 00:34:47,725
(dramatic music)

361
00:34:49,761 --> 00:34:52,094
Cassowary choose to be seen.

362
00:34:54,300 --> 00:34:56,680
They have bright red waddles on their neck

363
00:34:59,370 --> 00:35:02,929
and the ability to see ultra violet light,

364
00:35:02,929 --> 00:35:06,840
making these colors especially the blue,

365
00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:08,773
even brighter to their eyes.

366
00:35:12,981 --> 00:35:15,731
(thunder cracks)

367
00:35:21,010 --> 00:35:24,383
The wet season is now at its most intense.

368
00:35:27,236 --> 00:35:32,143
20 centimeters of rain fall
in a single 24 hour period.

369
00:35:34,810 --> 00:35:39,810
During these massive
storms, Bertha hunkers down

370
00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:41,513
to wait out the worst.

371
00:35:44,171 --> 00:35:49,171
(water crashing)
(dramatic music)

372
00:36:13,140 --> 00:36:17,010
This heavy wet season
rain has loosened the soil

373
00:36:19,060 --> 00:36:21,743
and brought down an old rotten tree.

374
00:36:28,650 --> 00:36:31,943
Here, where sunlight now
floods the forest floor,

375
00:36:34,180 --> 00:36:39,180
cassowary and plant forge
a fascinating relationship.

376
00:36:44,230 --> 00:36:47,770
A viscously self-protective
plant takes root

377
00:36:47,770 --> 00:36:49,583
in the newly disturbed soil.

378
00:36:52,310 --> 00:36:56,270
Fast growing and a pioneer
in the disturbed landscape,

379
00:36:56,270 --> 00:36:59,860
the stinging tree is
armed with silicon shards,

380
00:36:59,860 --> 00:37:01,403
like powdered glass.

381
00:37:02,770 --> 00:37:07,263
Most animals that touch them
are in for a world of pain.

382
00:37:08,240 --> 00:37:11,273
Browsers would be wise to
give them a wide berth.

383
00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:17,253
The storm has brought a new
bounty of fruit for Bertha.

384
00:37:20,780 --> 00:37:23,750
The hundreds of fruits she eats a day

385
00:37:23,750 --> 00:37:26,823
take a rapid, but gentle
trip through her gut,

386
00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:32,073
which strips away only the flesh.

387
00:37:36,740 --> 00:37:38,470
Soon, Bertha makes her way

388
00:37:38,470 --> 00:37:40,733
to this sunny patch in the forest.

389
00:37:43,200 --> 00:37:46,710
In passing, she leaves
her seed-rich droppings

390
00:37:46,710 --> 00:37:48,493
in this new forest opening.

391
00:37:50,460 --> 00:37:52,763
Complete with her own compost.

392
00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:57,565
The perfectly cleaned
seeds, primed by her unique

393
00:37:57,565 --> 00:38:01,816
digestive juices, are
now under the protection

394
00:38:01,816 --> 00:38:04,193
of the pain inducting plant.

395
00:38:05,990 --> 00:38:08,620
The seeds, which may have
come from a tree more than

396
00:38:08,620 --> 00:38:13,620
a mile away can germinate and
grow unmolested by herbivores.

397
00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:22,413
This tree, the ripa rosa, was
certainly planted this way.

398
00:38:26,010 --> 00:38:28,633
It needs the cassowary for survival.

399
00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:33,670
This endangered ripa
rosa tree will germinate

400
00:38:33,670 --> 00:38:36,470
92% of the time after the seed

401
00:38:36,470 --> 00:38:38,033
is passed through a cassowary.

402
00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:43,720
The seeds that don't make
this journey germinate

403
00:38:43,720 --> 00:38:45,783
only 4% of the time.

404
00:38:48,100 --> 00:38:51,640
Eventually, the trees will
reach the canopy and block

405
00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:53,123
the sun once again,

406
00:38:56,090 --> 00:38:58,913
providing habitat for all
other forest dwellers.

407
00:39:00,450 --> 00:39:04,283
(sweeping instrumental music)

408
00:39:06,530 --> 00:39:10,605
Over thousands of generations,
cassowary like Bertha

409
00:39:10,605 --> 00:39:12,963
have shaped their territory.

410
00:39:20,399 --> 00:39:23,732
The forest is now world heritage listed.

411
00:39:27,070 --> 00:39:29,840
But it can never be totally safe,

412
00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:33,223
for dangerous and
destructive invaders abound.

413
00:39:35,930 --> 00:39:39,623
Feral pigs, they're
ravenous fruit eaters too.

414
00:39:41,320 --> 00:39:45,253
Robbing Bertha and her offspring
of much needed sustenance.

415
00:39:46,290 --> 00:39:49,507
They destroy potential cassowary habitat,

416
00:39:49,507 --> 00:39:52,453
threatening the survival of the species.

417
00:39:55,320 --> 00:39:58,090
And the pigs also bring
another terrible threat

418
00:39:58,090 --> 00:39:59,213
to the cassowary,

419
00:40:02,060 --> 00:40:04,200
pig hunting dogs,

420
00:40:04,200 --> 00:40:07,190
bred to track and chase down feral pigs

421
00:40:07,190 --> 00:40:08,840
until their owners can kill them.

422
00:40:09,734 --> 00:40:12,484
(dramatic music)

423
00:40:14,020 --> 00:40:16,870
They wear protective gear
around their necks and chest

424
00:40:16,870 --> 00:40:18,993
to ward off the pig's sharp tusks.

425
00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:23,963
A cornered pig is a very dangerous one.

426
00:40:24,921 --> 00:40:29,400
(dramatic music)
(dogs barking)

427
00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:32,423
The dogs are swift but
Crinkle Cut's alert.

428
00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:38,340
He is capable of killing dogs

429
00:40:38,340 --> 00:40:41,543
but he can't protect his
vulnerable chicks at the same time.

430
00:40:45,330 --> 00:40:49,073
His family stands little chance
against this marauding mob.

431
00:41:00,260 --> 00:41:02,280
The day after the pig hunt

432
00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:05,183
two of Crinkle Cut's chicks are gone.

433
00:41:07,790 --> 00:41:09,493
It's a devastating blow.

434
00:41:12,930 --> 00:41:17,497
Bertha and Crinkle Cut now have
only one chick left, Wondu.

435
00:41:20,820 --> 00:41:25,093
All Crinkle Cut's effort's now
focused on Wondu's survival.

436
00:41:27,110 --> 00:41:31,950
The promise within Bertha's
eight eggs has been reduced

437
00:41:31,950 --> 00:41:33,923
to one surviving chick.

438
00:41:43,059 --> 00:41:45,860
(whimsical instrumental music)

439
00:41:45,860 --> 00:41:48,770
Deep in the darkest part of the forest,

440
00:41:48,770 --> 00:41:52,863
a lovely, if strange bit of
architecture is taking shape.

441
00:41:55,790 --> 00:42:00,553
Rising between two saplings is
a delicately decorated bower.

442
00:42:03,650 --> 00:42:04,973
It's not a nest.

443
00:42:06,470 --> 00:42:10,340
This maypole of sticks
is a form of seduction

444
00:42:12,360 --> 00:42:16,683
and this is the architect,
a male golden bow bird.

445
00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:24,973
He has been spending
weeks on his masterpiece,

446
00:42:32,443 --> 00:42:34,943
ornamenting it with lichen and flowers.

447
00:42:47,630 --> 00:42:52,000
He selects and places each
decorative touch with care.

448
00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:54,453
His mating success depends upon it.

449
00:43:01,334 --> 00:43:04,150
If the bower is impressive enough,

450
00:43:04,150 --> 00:43:06,683
a female may consent to mate with him.

451
00:43:08,180 --> 00:43:10,223
The bower is purely for show.

452
00:43:11,070 --> 00:43:14,253
The female will build a
separate nest elsewhere.

453
00:43:21,437 --> 00:43:24,540
(sweet instrumental music)

454
00:43:24,540 --> 00:43:28,203
There is now only one surviving
chick from the year's brood.

455
00:43:32,020 --> 00:43:36,253
With all the devotion and
protection afforded an only child,

456
00:43:38,240 --> 00:43:40,653
Wondu has made it to seven months old.

457
00:43:43,730 --> 00:43:46,250
Living on Bertha's territory has ensured

458
00:43:46,250 --> 00:43:48,103
he's always been well fed.

459
00:43:50,570 --> 00:43:54,910
He has lost his boyhood
stripes in favor of teenage

460
00:43:54,910 --> 00:43:56,713
muted brown feathers.

461
00:43:59,570 --> 00:44:04,140
He's more and more independent,
venturing further from

462
00:44:04,140 --> 00:44:08,603
Crinkle Cut as he
searches for fallen figs.

463
00:44:13,140 --> 00:44:16,530
Unknown to him, he's going
to need this self reliance

464
00:44:16,530 --> 00:44:18,253
sooner than most chicks.

465
00:44:20,870 --> 00:44:24,390
He's about to be driven
fro his rainforest home.

466
00:44:27,661 --> 00:44:31,243
Crinkle Cut and Wondu forage
near the edge of their range.

467
00:44:35,580 --> 00:44:37,363
An extremely dangerous edge.

468
00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:46,273
Several cassowary are
killed on roads every year.

469
00:44:49,550 --> 00:44:52,153
But today the threat is not traffic,

470
00:44:55,880 --> 00:44:56,937
it's Bertha.

471
00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:17,123
Bertha has the desire to mate again.

472
00:45:24,450 --> 00:45:27,620
Cassowaries usually
mate in the dry season,

473
00:45:27,620 --> 00:45:31,090
but the sudden glut of wet
season fruit may have fired up

474
00:45:31,090 --> 00:45:33,203
Bertha's reproductive urges.

475
00:45:38,590 --> 00:45:41,623
This is desperately bad news for Wondu.

476
00:45:46,560 --> 00:45:48,300
To mate with Crinkle Cut,

477
00:45:48,300 --> 00:45:50,823
she'll need Wondu out of the picture.

478
00:45:55,800 --> 00:45:57,230
While it seems brutal,

479
00:45:57,230 --> 00:46:00,083
there's cold evolutionary logic behind it.

480
00:46:01,438 --> 00:46:04,521
(bird call rumbling)

481
00:46:07,070 --> 00:46:10,090
If she mates now, she could
have a successful clutch

482
00:46:10,090 --> 00:46:12,853
while the forest is still
wet and full of fruit.

483
00:46:18,340 --> 00:46:21,010
With Buster's clutch
destroyed and two chicks

484
00:46:21,010 --> 00:46:24,793
killed by dogs, she has
to try and keep breeding.

485
00:46:26,826 --> 00:46:28,000
(dramatic music)

486
00:46:28,000 --> 00:46:29,063
She can never rest.

487
00:46:31,417 --> 00:46:32,250
(bird call rumbling)

488
00:46:32,250 --> 00:46:34,110
Crinkle Cut hasn't raised Wondu

489
00:46:34,110 --> 00:46:35,823
for the full nine months yet.

490
00:46:37,510 --> 00:46:39,653
And he isn't ready to relinquish him,

491
00:46:43,320 --> 00:46:45,803
so he lets Bertha know his disapproval.

492
00:46:57,214 --> 00:47:00,714
(slow instrumental music)

493
00:47:11,690 --> 00:47:14,853
But as usual, Bertha prevails.

494
00:47:23,630 --> 00:47:25,363
If Wondu is going to survive,

495
00:47:29,830 --> 00:47:32,513
he'll need to find a territory of his own.

496
00:47:34,420 --> 00:47:37,763
He won't be tolerated in Bertha's
patch of forest for long.

497
00:47:41,150 --> 00:47:42,823
As he begins his journey,

498
00:47:44,950 --> 00:47:47,123
he passes through Bertha's orchard.

499
00:47:49,870 --> 00:47:53,393
It's no longer the safe
haven for him it once was.

500
00:47:58,660 --> 00:48:01,500
It may be several years
before he finds a good

501
00:48:01,500 --> 00:48:03,563
rainforest territory of his own.

502
00:48:06,930 --> 00:48:11,060
With Wondu gone, Bertha
and Crinkle Cut were able

503
00:48:11,060 --> 00:48:12,983
to breed successfully again.

504
00:48:18,110 --> 00:48:21,193
Crinkle is now sitting
on Bertha's next clutch.

505
00:48:25,180 --> 00:48:29,360
Since she began breeding
over 35 years ago,

506
00:48:29,360 --> 00:48:33,870
Bertha has laid countless
eggs, giving rise to dozens

507
00:48:33,870 --> 00:48:37,033
of cassowaries, who have
survived to adulthood.

508
00:48:41,261 --> 00:48:43,943
She has forged a dynasty.

509
00:48:45,540 --> 00:48:49,526
Her offspring, just like
Wondu, now garden and protect

510
00:48:49,526 --> 00:48:52,180
their own parts of the rainforest

511
00:48:57,860 --> 00:49:01,233
and engage in the endless quest to breed.

512
00:49:02,185 --> 00:49:06,018
(sweeping instrumental music)

513
00:49:07,630 --> 00:49:10,480
But for now, Bertha is still strong

514
00:49:13,910 --> 00:49:18,910
and the queen of her forest
and she's searching once again

515
00:49:24,740 --> 00:49:25,640
for her next mate.

516
00:49:27,690 --> 00:49:32,690
(bird call rumbling)
(dramatic music)