Original subtitles

Narrator: North of the himalayas stretches of land

Rarely glimpsed by the outside world,

The tibetan plateau.

The highest and largest plateau on earth.

No other habitat offers such a cruel mix of thin air,

Impossible terrain, and punishing weather.

(wind howling)

The brutal conditions push animals to the brink.

(hail pattering)

(wind howls)

This is the story of the creatures

That strive to raise their families here.

To give birth to new life, against the odds.

(chiru squeaks)

Only the toughest can survive, in this land of extremes,

Here on the roof of the world.

(wolf howling)

A call as piercing as the cold.

An alpha male, staking his claim

To one of the most testing habitats on the planet.

Tibetan wolves are incredibly rare

But this landscape doesn't lend itself to abundance.

Now, in the grip of winter, it's more hostile than ever.

(dramatic orchestral music)

The tibetan plateau is a land at once spectacular

And unforgiving, a desolate wilderness bigger

Than alaska and texas combined.

The average elevation is close to three miles high.

There's only half as much oxygen as at sea level.

Specially adapted to the thin air,

The wolf carries an extra strong heart.

And he'll need plenty of heart, because food is scarce.

Despite his thick fur, the bitter cold saps his energy.

(suspenseful music)

He must find meat.

This is what he's looking for, blue sheep.

Not easy to pin down in this vastness.

He can't do it alone.

(wolf pants)

But he's got help.

(wind howls)

The pack must work together.

They pick up the sheep's trail.

Now, their targets are in sight.

The hunt is on.

The herd makes a dash for steeper terrain,

Where the wolves can't follow.

But one of the pack outflanks them,

Driving them away from the rocks.

(wolf whines)

Their team work has paid off. (wolves growling)

(hooves stomping)

A kill this size will buy them a few days.

(wolves growl)

But they must find more prey soon.

From the top of the food chain to the bottom.

(light gentle music)

(pika squeaks)

Pika, close cousins to rabbits.

(pika sniffing)

They too are focused on food. (pika squeaking)

Even in winter, under the blanket of snow,

There's still grass to be found,

If you're willing to dig for it.

(pika pattering)

They outnumber all the other mammals here.

And they're on every predator's menu.

The whole ecosystem rests on these little, furry shoulders.

Luckily they have a safe room.

Each family has its own burrow, with a suite

Of separate chambers, and multiple entrances,

A refuge from danger, and the cold.

(hooves pounding)

Suddenly, a disturbance. (dramatic rhythmic music)

(yaks grunting)

Yak, a hardy himalayan descendant of the wild ox.

They're on the move, driven by their herders.

They can live well above 16,000 feet,

Higher than almost any other domestic animal.

(yaks grunting) right now, they're thirsty.

(wistful music)

But in winter, this is one of the driest places on earth.

(yaks grunting)

Water remains locked in snow and ice.

Rivers freeze over.

But the yak have a key to break the lock.

(yaks grunting)

First, they need to brave the frozen crust.

Daunting, when you weigh half as much as a small car.

(light perky music)

(ice cracking)

They're not exactly figure skaters.

Now that they've found their feet,

They're ready for a drink.

(ice cracking)

(yaks huffing)

Their warm breath melts the surface just enough.

They won't need to drink again for a couple of days.

(water burbling) (yaks grunting)

For thousands of years, yak have given tibetan people

Everything from meat and milk to clothing and transport.

Without them, human life on the plateau might

Not have been possible.

(dramatic music)

It's April. (light joyful music)

Winter finally begins to loosen its grip on the land.

(water burbling)

But up in the peaks, snow still lingers.

For the wolves, life isn't about to get any easier.

The alpha female is pregnant.

With new mouths to feed, the pack will have to up its game.

(light joyful music)

Spring on the tibetan plateau ushers in warmer days,

(wolf pups yipping) and new arrivals.

(light happy music)

Four excited pups, eager to explore.

They've been hidden in the den

For the first three weeks of their lives.

For the next couple of months,

She and the alpha male will share duties,

Taking it in turns to protect the pups,

And to hunt for food.

Snow is a curious contrast to the warm confines of the den.

(light gentle music)

They tentatively embrace the freedom to play.

(wolf pups yipping)

But they won't stray too far from home.

This rough and tumble helps the pups develop strength

And coordination, skills that are vital for hunting.

It won't be long before they're big enough

To target the resident pika.

While the alpha female stays with the pups,

The rest of the pack has work to do.

(bird squawking )

Resources out here are few.

Holding on to good territory is the only way to survive.

Scent marking establishes boundaries,

Sending a clear signal to rivals that this turf is taken.

(enchanting orchestral music)

In may, food becomes a little more plentiful.

It's lambing season for the blue sheep.

(hooves stomping)

Stocky front legs help them scale the peaks,

(hooves stomping)

A much needed refuge from the wolves.

The new lambs must quickly learn

To navigate the perilous terrain.

The sheep are beautifully adapted to this vertical world.

Despite their name, they have more in common with goats.

Their hooves are split, so they can grip the rock face.

(slow triumphant music)

Soft rubbery soles act like climbing shoes.

They almost seem to defy gravity.

The wolves could never pursue them up here.

(ominous orchestral music)

But there's another enemy, one more at home among the crags.

A snow leopard.

She relies on stealth and camouflage,

Waiting for her prey to move close enough to ambush.

(hooves stomping)

Yet the sheep stay out of reach.

Today, she'll go hungry.

(water burbling)

Just like the wolves, she must defend her territory.

Unlike the wolves, she works alone.

Scent glands around her whiskers

And chin spread her signature smell,

And leave a potent message for other leopards, keep out.

(light happy music)

As may progresses on the plateau,

Pika families are rapidly expanding.

(pikas pattering)

From now until the end of summer, this male

And his partner will produce a litter every three weeks.

So he could sire as many as 18 babies this season,

All relying on this patch of grass for food.

(pikas sniffing) (pikas pattering)

(suspenseful music)

His territory is tiny,

But he'll defend it against all comers.

Another male wants the food this patch provides.

Dad spots the intruder.

(pikas sniffing)

Trespassers won't be tolerated.

(pika squeaking)

But his warning is ignored.

(pikas sniffing)

It's a showdown.

(pika squeaks) (dramatic music)

He may be small, but he fights like a heavyweight.

(pikas squealing)

Territory defended, he can return to feeding.

(pika chomping)

But he must keep his wits about him.

Others are hungry too. (ominous music)

A golden eagle soars (ominous music)

Over the tibetan plateau

With pika in its sights.

The alarm goes out, (pika squeaking)

(fast dramatic music)

Sending everyone to ground.

But one has strayed

Just a little too far from his bolthole.

(pika sniffing)

(wondrous music) with the hunter satisfied,

The coast is now clear.

The rocky peaks stand like islands in a sea of green.

Thousands of square miles of grasslands cover an area

Even larger than the great plains of north america.

This is the stage

For the tibetan plateau's most epic event.

(water burbling) (dramatic music)

The chiru antelope migration.

The chiru spend the winter dispersed

Across the whole plateau.

But in late spring a change

In the weather sets the females in motion.

(bird squawking)

They abandon the males, and turn,

As one, toward a shared goal.

Day after day they March, up to 200 miles,

Across a barren world.

At last, they arrive at their destination,

The shores of zhuonai lake, in the far west of the plateau.

Each year, in July, around 30,000 chiru congregate here.

Why they choose this particular place is a mystery.

But a common purpose draws them together

(birds chirping)

To continue the cycle of life.

(light wondrous music)

In the span of just three weeks, the whole herd gives birth.

No time for sitting around.

(calf bleats)

(birds chirping)

(calf bleats)

Incredibly, the calves can walk

Within 15 minutes of being born.

And they must quickly learn to run.

(light upbeat music)

(hooves stomping)

Being fast on their feet is crucial.

Such a wealth of potential prey inevitably draws predators.

Another pack of tibetan wolves, seeking opportunity.

(suspenseful music)

They'll have to act soon.

The chiru will leave when summer ends.

Each evening the wolves follow the daily rhythm of the herd.

(birds chirping)

The mothers and their calves leave the lake

And head for the nearby hills.

(water burbling)

It's not wise to spend nights exposed in the open.

(dramatic music)

To reach shelter they must ford the streams

Which pose little obstacle now.

But things are about to change.

The wolves watch, and wait.

As the chiru prepare to bed down,

Darkness sweeps across the plateau.

At over 15,000 feet, even in summer,

Temperatures plunge at night.

At these heights, the heavens themselves feel

Like they're almost within reach.

(wolf pups yipping)

(bright enchanting music)

Up at the den, the tibetan summer is testing the wolves.

The pups are hungry, but their mother's milk is drying up.

Their father is off with the rest of the pack, on the hunt.

There's no telling when he'll be back.

And mom can only hunt within reach of the den.

She needs to secure a meal.

(bird squawking)

Pika are small, but up here, every calorie counts.

(pika pattering)

(pika squeaks)

She's too slow, and returns empty handed.

(suspenseful music)

But another's approach catches their eye.

Now she sees it too.

(wolf pups yipping) it's dad.

(light joyful music)

With a take-out meal for his hungry family.

Carried home in his stomach,

Their whining stimulates him to serve it up.

(wolf pups chomping) (wolf pups yapping)

The pups tussle over the feast

And the pushiest gets the most to eat.

(wolves panting) (wolves whining)

Hunger dealt with, it's time to play,

And practice their hunting skills.

These sessions will eventually sort the pecking order

Between the pups.

(triumphant music)

All the youngsters that inhabit the plateau relish the

Relatively warm days of summer.

(hooves stomping)

(pika squeaks)

There's fresh grass to fatten up on.

And plenty of time to play,

(chiru bleats)

Building strength for the challenges ahead.

(chiru bleats)

(soft wondrous music)

But the good times aren't set to last.

(thunder rumbling)

Ominous clouds build on the horizon.

A weather event on a truly global scale is bearing down.

Much of the year,

The arid tibetan plateau sees little rain.

But late July brings the mighty monsoon.

(dramatic music)

It sweeps north from india with such force that

Even the towering wall of the himalayas can't stop it.

It closes in on the shores of zhuonai lake.

Up here, the monsoon has a sting in its tail.

(hail pattering)

At almost three miles above sea level,

The rain falls as ice.

(dramatic music)

Exposed on the open plains, the chiru rely

On thick outer hairs on their coats to repel the hail.

(wind howls)

Beneath lies an insulating layer of soft,

Light underfur known as shahtoosh.

(somber music)

Prized for this fine wool

Which was woven into luxurious shawls,

Chiru herds were once decimated by poaching.

Now, they're protected and the biggest challenge

They face is the extreme weather.

(water burbling)

(water spattering)

Finally, the storm clears, but it's left its mark.

(water burbling)

The monsoon has turned the river into a raging torrent.

Yet the herd still needs to cross each evening

To reach the shelter of the hills.

Not easy on little legs.

(dramatic music)

Many of the calves are just two weeks old.

Experienced mothers act as a barrier,

Blocking their calves from being swept downstream.

Falling behind can have dire consequences.

The force of the water is too much for some.

Others struggle on.

The effort is exhausting.

But worth it.

The youngsters have overcome their first big challenge.

Driven by the need for shelter,

The females push their young to the limit,

Leading them up into the hills, away from hungry eyes.

(thunder rumbles) (wind roars)

Tibet's summer monsoon hasn't yet run its course.

The clouds, still heavy with moisture,

Head for the surrounding peaks.

(suspenseful music)

In an instant, it's winter. (wind howls)

Up here, summer temperatures can plummet

By 40 degrees in a day.

(wolf pup howling)

Bad news for one of the pups.

Caught out by the storm, he's disoriented in the white out.

If he doesn't find his way back

To the safety of his family, he'll die.

His distress calls pierce through the blizzard.

(wolf pup howling) (suspenseful music)

The alpha male heads out into the storm.

The pup is weakening fast. (wolf pup howls)

But his scent trail lingers.

(triumphant music) he's got him.

Father leads the way home, to the warmth of the den.

There'll be time enough for adventures when he's older.

(gently chiming bells)

(light gentle music)

The monsoon blows over.

And the familiar shades of summer return.

(birds chirping)

(birds squawking)

As morning breaks, the chiru head down to feed

On the shores of zhuonai lake.

This time, wolves shadow the herd.

Soon this abundance of prey will be gone,

As the chiru head back to their wintering grounds.

(suspenseful music)

The wolves' window of opportunity is closing.

(dramatic music)

They make their move.

The adults are too fast.

They must aim younger.

(dramatic music)

Under attack, the chiru seek safety in numbers.

But not everyone can keep up with the herd.

(fast climactic music)

A wolf closes in.

It's a strategic move, separating mother and calf.

(water burbling) (somber music)

The pack's pursuit is relentless.

Two more youngsters are separated.

One's trapped.

And it's fate is sealed.

(triumphant music)

The other calf makes it back to the safety of the herd.

The wolves have claimed their prize,

But the chiru herd remains strong.

High above, in the peaks, lean times are coming.

Soon, deep snow and ice will transform

These hunting grounds.

(light happy music)

The snow leopard enjoys her last feast of the season.

The blue sheep will keep her going for a while.

The alpha pair have served their family well.

(wolves whining)

The pack is loyal.

(bird cawing)

And the pups are thriving.

(wolf pups yipping)

(dramatic orchestral music)

Summer is tough enough

But when winter descends,

They'll have to brave the full force of the elements.

And learn what it really takes

To survive on the tibetan plateau.

Here, winter comes early, and hard.

In August, it's time to leave.

Barely a month old, the chiru youngsters face

An arduous journey back to their wintering grounds.

With a turn of the head, the exodus begins.

And the herd falls into step.

(hooves stomping)

In a matter of days, they'll all be gone.

They arrived as a sisterhood,

But they're leaving as families.

The pika families stay put, toughing out the winter.

They, at least, can escape underground.

But the wolves must endure

Whatever the tibetan plateau throws their way.

These are the hardy few.

The ones who March boldly into winter.

And those who stand firm.

(wolf pups yipping)

They all fight for survival.

Here on the roof of the world. (wind howls)