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The Ganges, the longest river in India
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On its epic journey from the world's highest mountains
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through cultivated farmland,
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sprawling wilderness to the Indian Ocean,
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it provides a home to some of India's rarest creatures.
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(dramatic music)
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And a lifeline to millions of people.
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Considered a goddess to Hindus,
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the Ganges harbors one of the great contradictions
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of life in India.
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The river people most cherish is the river
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they most pollute.
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But the Ganges hides life-sustaining secrets.
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(awe-inspiring music)
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(suspenseful music)
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From its origins in the Himalayas,
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the Ganges flows over two and a half thousand kilometers
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across Northern India before emptying into the ocean
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on the border of India and Bangladesh.
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This mighty river is home
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to some of the rarest and strangest animals on the planet,
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including elusive river dolphins
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and bizarre long-nosed reptiles.
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The Ganges also supports some of the last true wilderness
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in the world,
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where India's largest population of tigers still thrives.
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Nourished by sediment washed from the Himalayas,
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the Gangetic Plains are some
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of the most fertile land on earth
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and home to India's giants.
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But man has reaped rewards too.
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Vast areas of natural habitat haven been destroyed
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to make way for farming and industry.
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Half a billion people live in the Ganges Basin,
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8% of the world's population.
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The river not only provides livelihoods and drinking water.
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It carries away the sewage and waste of millions.
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For Hindus, the Ganges is far more than a river.
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She's a goddess, Ganga.
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The grime of thousands of people taking a holy bath filters
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into the water every day
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Offerings to the goddess
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and human cremations on the banks add
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to the strain on the river.
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But despite this, unique properties in Ganges water
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could explain how rare creatures
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and rich vegetation are able to survive.
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(dramatic music)
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Hindu belief in the goddess Ganga's power
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to purify could prove to be more than just blind faith.
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(dramatic music)
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(water burbling)
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The Ganges starts its life among the highest mountains
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in the world, the Himalayas.
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Many of the peaks reach over 6,000 meters
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and are constantly covered in snow and ice.
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Over 15,000 glaciers make this the world's largest store
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of fresh water outside the polar ice caps.
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The Gangotri Glacier is one of the largest.
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The glacier stretches for 30 kilometers
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and fills a valley with solid ice.
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Its leading edge is called Gaumukh, the cow's mouth,
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as the water which flows under its vast icy tongue
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is milky white.
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Hindus consider this to be the source of the Ganges.
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Only the hardiest pilgrims come and worship here.
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It said that if you drink at Gaumukh,
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you'll live for 100 years.
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But the true headwaters of the Ganges begin
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above the glacier,
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nearly four and a half thousand meters above sea level.
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Few animals can survive in this harsh environment.
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A Himalayan blue sheep's dense fur helps insulate it
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against the cold, but even here, predators are on the prowl.
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Snow leopards are perfectly adapted to mountain life.
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Wooly fur keeps out the cold wind.
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Its long, thick tail can be wrapped around its body,
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like a scarf.
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(suspenseful music)
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Even the soles of its feet are covered with fur,
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for extra warmth.
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Minerals in rocks supplement a blue sheep's meager diet,
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but they need to be eaten with care.
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Rock falls are common.
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(rocks clattering)
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Constant freeze and thaw makes mountain slopes unstable
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A blue sheep which has lost its footing is an easy meal.
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Snow melt from the Himalayas continually feeds the Ganges.
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Hindu mythology tells that Ganga, the river goddess,
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originally flowed through the heavens.
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She was brought to earth by a devout king, Bhagiratha,
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whose ancestors had been turned to ashes by an angry sage.
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The goddess Ganga agreed to come and release
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these trapped souls.
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But warned that her torrential power
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would wash the world away.
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Bhagiratha petitioned Lord Shiva for help.
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Shiva put his matted hair in the path
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of the heavenly river.
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His dreadlocks absorbed the torrent's destructive force
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and split the deluge into a thousand smaller streams.
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The fast flowing mountain brooks are full of insect larvae
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and an ideal hunting ground for a brown dipper.
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(water whooshing)
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Weighing less than 100 grams,
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these small birds seem likely
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to be washed away by the current,
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but they're well adapted to forage for food
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in the rocky stream bed.
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(birds chirping)
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The short wings are strong enough to swim under water
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and their blood stores more oxygen than terrestrial birds,
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allowing them to hold their breath for half a minute,
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ample time to grab a beak full.
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The young Ganges River that flows from the Gangotri Glacier
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is called Bhagirathi, in honor of the king
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that brought the river goddess to earth.
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50 kilometers downstream,
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the turbulent Bhagirathi collides
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with one of its sister streams,
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the sedate and muddy Alaknanda.
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The two run alongside each other for 200 meters
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before their waters mix.
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This river is now called Ganges.
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(suspenseful music)
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Raging water calms as the river reaches the flat lands
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of the Gangetic Plains.
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Sediments carried from high among the glaciers are released.
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(awe-inspiring music)
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The Ganges deposits 1.6 billion tons of sediment every year,
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four times as much as the Amazon.
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This creates some of the most fertile land in the world.
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The Ganges River Basin covers a million square kilometers
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of Northeastern India.
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Much of this huge flood plain has been farmed,
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but a few pockets of wild grassland and forest survive
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among the river's furthest tributaries
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in a region known as the Terai.
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The Terai is home to one of the largest animals
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in the world, the Indian rhino.
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(birds chirping)
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Males can weigh up to 3000 kilos,
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twice the weight of the average family car.
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Indian rhinos once roamed right across the Gangetic Plains.
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But now are found in just a few protected areas.
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Their single horn can grow to over half a meter in length.
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Their prehensile lip makes their mouths
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almost as nimble as a hand.
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They can grasp tufts of grass and pick up fruit and leaves.
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Rhinos eyesight is poor, but their sense of smell is sharp.
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Scent glands on their feet leave a pungent trail
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wherever they walk back.
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At midday, pre-monsoon heat nudges temperatures
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into the 40s.
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Rhinos seek refuge in the river.
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As they are the most aquatic of all rhinos,
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a calf's first lesson is how to swim.
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Indian rhinos are more tolerant of company
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than their African cousins and often bathe together.
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(suspenseful music)
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But tempers fray when females are on heat
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Battles over breeding rights can be bloody
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Thick, warty folds around a male's neck
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offer some protection.
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But fights like this often lead to death.
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The reward for the victorious male is the right to mate.
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In 16 months, the female will give birth to one calf.
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It will be two to three years
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before she's ready to mate again.
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(mysterious music)
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The floodplains of the Ganges in Northern India contain
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some of the world's most fertile soil.
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Nearly 500 million people live in the Ganges River Basin.
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It's one of the most densely populated places on earth.
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Wildlife is under increasing pressure
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from the huge number of people
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sharing the river's resources.
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Ganges water is naturally muddy.
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Runoff from farming and industry makes it murkier still,
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but there are animals living here.
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One creature is seen so rarely, it seems almost mythical.
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(bright music)
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The Gangetic river dolphin spends most
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of its time foraging for food.
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Visibility in the water is so poor
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that the dolphins eyes have lost their lenses.
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They're almost completely blind and use echolocation
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to navigate and detect prey.
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Like its marine cousins,
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the river dolphin is a mammal
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and has to surface every few minutes to breathe.
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Local people call it susu after the sound it makes
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when it takes in air through the blow hole
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on the top of its head.
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(uplifting music)
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The elusive susu isn't the only strange creature
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to call the Ganges home.
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(suspenseful music)
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These armor plates belong
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to one of the largest crocodilians in the world,
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the gharial.
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Male gharials can grow to be six meters long.
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This prehistoric-looking predator poses no threat to man
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Its long slender jaws are too delicate
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to tackle large mammals.
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They're adapted to hunt fish.
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A slim-line snout whips through the water with little drag.
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Slippery fish is skewered on rows of razor sharp teeth.
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Tiny pits in their scales detect vibrations
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in the water and help pinpoint prey.
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Male gharials develop a bump at the end of their noses
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called a gharra, after the Hindi word for pot.
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The bigger the gharra,
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the more attractive a male is to a mate,
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but a female may hear her suitor before she sees him.
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(gharial buzzing)
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Air squeezed through the male's nostrils is amplified
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by his bulbous snout.
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It becomes a loud buzzing sound
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that can be heard up to a kilometer away.
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A female raises her head, a sign she's ready to male.
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The courting couple slip under the cover of water
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and stay submerged up to half an hour.
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Females lay their eggs on sandy riverbanks.
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Gharials are much better adapted to life in water.
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On land, the female's short legs
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can't lift her body clear of the ground.
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Under the cover of darkness,
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she buries up to 100 eggs.
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Sand acts as an incubator.
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It absorbs the sun's warmth
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and keeps the eggs between 30 and 34 degrees Celsius.
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The mother guards her nest for two months
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while her eggs develop.
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The eggs are some of the largest in the crocodile world
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and make a tasty meal for a jackal or a monitor lizard.
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(suspenseful music)
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Gharials are an ancient species, over 60 million years old.
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Just 60 years ago, there were thought
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to be as many as 10,000 living wild.
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Today, there are fewer than 200.
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They've been hunted for their meat and skins
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and for the males gharra,
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which some people believe is an aphrodisiac.
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As the Ganges banks succumb to agriculture and industry,
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their habitat is being destroyed too.
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Human pressure has pushed gharials
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to the brink of extinction,
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but for Hindus, the worship, protection,
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and feeding of animals is key to their faith.
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(birds shrieking)
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Usi Sahami rows across the Ganges every morning.
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Feeding gulls has been her daily ritual for 20 years.
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She considers it her duty as a Hindu
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and believes it will help her achieve a better existence
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in the next life.
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Reincarnation is a core belief of Hinduism.
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Nowhere is this more evident
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than in Usi's hometown, Varanasi.
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Varanasi is at the heart of the Ganges
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and is considered to be the holiest place in India.
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00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:46,350
It's one of the oldest cities in the world.
263
00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:53,740
People have been coming here to bathe in the Ganges
264
00:19:53,740 --> 00:19:55,463
for over 3000 years.
265
00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:02,893
The water is believed to wash away sins and purify the soul.
266
00:20:06,660 --> 00:20:09,433
Every Hindu dreams of visiting the Ganges,
267
00:20:11,690 --> 00:20:15,720
But the many who comes to Varanasi, it's the last journey
268
00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:16,620
they'll ever make.
269
00:20:19,220 --> 00:20:21,823
Varanasi is a city of death.
270
00:20:24,980 --> 00:20:27,600
Hindus believe every soul is locked
271
00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:31,330
in a perpetual cycle of birth and reincarnation,
272
00:20:31,330 --> 00:20:32,673
known as samsara.
273
00:20:33,950 --> 00:20:36,073
Death is just one link in the chain.
274
00:20:39,130 --> 00:20:42,793
The scent of sandalwood, incense, and ghee fills the air.
275
00:20:43,940 --> 00:20:45,933
Funeral pyres burn round the clock.
276
00:20:52,380 --> 00:20:54,300
Varanasi is considered to be a gateway
277
00:20:54,300 --> 00:20:55,823
between heaven and earth.
278
00:20:57,780 --> 00:21:00,560
To die and be cremated here is believed
279
00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,293
to ease the soul on its journey to the next life.
280
00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:08,710
The ultimate goal is to escape the suffering
281
00:21:08,710 --> 00:21:12,583
of repeated lives and attain moksha, release.
282
00:21:19,610 --> 00:21:24,030
For the untouchable Dom caste, Varanasi's undertakers,
283
00:21:24,030 --> 00:21:25,823
death is a way of life.
284
00:21:28,460 --> 00:21:30,783
The Doms keep Varanasi's fires burning.
285
00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:35,063
They sell the wood and prepare bodies for cremation.
286
00:21:36,850 --> 00:21:39,600
The chief undertaker, the Dom Raja,
287
00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:43,423
guards an eternal flame from which all pyres must be lit.
288
00:21:47,510 --> 00:21:50,290
An average of 250 cremations take place
289
00:21:50,290 --> 00:21:51,963
on the burning ghats every day.
290
00:21:53,310 --> 00:21:55,560
The ashes of thousands are scattered
291
00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:57,223
in the Ganges River each year.
292
00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:02,960
When the funeral is over, religious devotion dissolves
293
00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:04,773
into raw reality once more.
294
00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:09,070
The Doms sift through their client's remains,
295
00:22:09,070 --> 00:22:10,273
looking for spoils.
296
00:22:12,530 --> 00:22:14,420
They're rumor to collect up to seven grams
297
00:22:14,420 --> 00:22:16,593
of gold teeth and earrings every day.
298
00:22:19,120 --> 00:22:23,453
In Varanasi, the spiritual and the mundane go hand-in-hand.
299
00:22:24,610 --> 00:22:27,340
Pilgrims wash while they worship
300
00:22:27,340 --> 00:22:29,363
and pollute as they purify.
301
00:22:31,090 --> 00:22:34,040
The Ganges is one of the most polluted rivers in the world.
302
00:22:38,540 --> 00:22:41,510
Yet the life-sustaining power of Ganges water
303
00:22:41,510 --> 00:22:43,610
has been recognized for hundreds of years.
304
00:22:48,430 --> 00:22:52,550
In the 16th century, the Mughal Emperor Akbar called it
305
00:22:52,550 --> 00:22:54,980
the water of immortality.
306
00:22:54,980 --> 00:22:57,320
He would serve nothing else to his guests
307
00:22:57,320 --> 00:22:58,973
because it tasted so sweet.
308
00:23:01,300 --> 00:23:02,930
200 years later,
309
00:23:02,930 --> 00:23:06,330
the British East India Company regularly stocked ships
310
00:23:06,330 --> 00:23:08,063
with barrels of Ganges water.
311
00:23:12,150 --> 00:23:15,100
They claimed no other water stayed as fresh
312
00:23:15,100 --> 00:23:17,250
for the three-month journey back to England
313
00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,770
Today, despite huge numbers gathering
314
00:23:25,770 --> 00:23:29,763
to bathe, often where raw sewage drains into the river,
315
00:23:30,997 --> 00:23:32,650
there have been no recorded outbreaks
316
00:23:32,650 --> 00:23:35,983
of major diseases like cholera or typhoid.
317
00:23:41,030 --> 00:23:44,593
Hindus insist Ganges water has the power to purify.
318
00:23:45,500 --> 00:23:48,150
Maybe there is more to this claim than meets the eye.
319
00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:55,610
The lower reaches of India's Ganges River Basin
320
00:23:55,610 --> 00:23:58,450
are so fertile, the locals call the area
321
00:23:58,450 --> 00:23:59,833
the Rice Bowl of India.
322
00:24:08,590 --> 00:24:11,433
Farmers reap four rice harvests a year here,
323
00:24:12,380 --> 00:24:14,430
double that of many parts of the country.
324
00:24:17,950 --> 00:24:21,564
But these fertile fields bring dangers of their own.
325
00:24:21,564 --> 00:24:24,950
(suspenseful music)
326
00:24:24,950 --> 00:24:28,970
A deadly monocled cobra feasts on a toad.
327
00:24:28,970 --> 00:24:30,573
Common prey in a paddy field.
328
00:24:33,170 --> 00:24:34,650
The snake's hunting trip brings it
329
00:24:34,650 --> 00:24:38,033
perilously close to farmers harvesting rice.
330
00:24:41,468 --> 00:24:45,600
A million people in India are bitten by snakes every year.
331
00:24:48,050 --> 00:24:51,662
Monocled cobras are one of the most venomous snakes in Asia.
332
00:24:51,662 --> 00:24:55,200
(men shouting in foreign language)
333
00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:56,430
Fangs inject poison
334
00:24:56,430 --> 00:24:58,710
that paralyzes its victim's nervous system
335
00:24:59,670 --> 00:25:01,786
and breaks down its cells.
336
00:25:01,786 --> 00:25:04,453
(snake hissing)
337
00:25:08,610 --> 00:25:11,620
One bite can kill a man in less than an hour.
338
00:25:19,450 --> 00:25:22,483
Many people here have an understandable fear of snakes,
339
00:25:23,660 --> 00:25:26,210
but in the village of Chhoto Poshla in West Bengal,
340
00:25:27,140 --> 00:25:29,600
the attitude towards these deadly serpents
341
00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:30,900
is rather more surprising.
342
00:25:33,250 --> 00:25:36,260
Snakes are drawn to the village in search of rodents,
343
00:25:36,260 --> 00:25:38,403
often found around human settlements.
344
00:25:39,478 --> 00:25:42,478
(suspenseful music)
345
00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:11,903
A rat in the larder is one thing.
346
00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,570
A cobra in the bedroom, quite another.
347
00:26:36,260 --> 00:26:38,600
But instead of causing panic,
348
00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:41,630
the venomous visitor raises not so much as an eyebrow.
349
00:26:44,470 --> 00:26:47,410
Villagers here don't just tolerate snakes.
350
00:26:47,410 --> 00:26:48,353
They worship them.
351
00:26:50,300 --> 00:26:51,920
The village priest is summoned
352
00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:53,883
to relocate the revered intruder.
353
00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:58,310
He's the only one permitted to handle them.
354
00:27:01,420 --> 00:27:04,430
Chhoto Poshla's 6,000 residents share the village
355
00:27:04,430 --> 00:27:06,423
with 3000 monocled cobras.
356
00:27:10,050 --> 00:27:12,080
Village elders tell the tale
357
00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:15,450
that snakes arrived six centuries ago to seek refuge
358
00:27:15,450 --> 00:27:16,573
from a huge flood.
359
00:27:19,930 --> 00:27:23,093
Flood water brought with it remarkable rice production.
360
00:27:26,220 --> 00:27:29,213
Snakes have been associated with prosperity ever since.
361
00:27:33,050 --> 00:27:36,200
When he's not removing snakes from people's homes,
362
00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:39,648
Shyamal Chakrabarti leads the worship in the village temple.
363
00:27:39,648 --> 00:27:42,402
(bell ringing)
364
00:27:42,402 --> 00:27:44,985
(bright music)
365
00:27:49,180 --> 00:27:51,480
Villagers make offerings of fruit and sweets
366
00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:53,810
to the snake goddess Manasa,
367
00:27:53,810 --> 00:27:56,480
who they believe keeps their fields flourishing
368
00:27:56,480 --> 00:27:58,463
and their people safe from snakebite.
369
00:28:02,490 --> 00:28:04,610
When a dead snake is found,
370
00:28:04,610 --> 00:28:07,560
Shyamal carries its body to the Ganges
371
00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:10,273
so it can continue its journey of reincarnation.
372
00:28:13,601 --> 00:28:18,440
(water burbling)
(birds chirping)
373
00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:22,350
As well as a sacred burial site for humans and animals,
374
00:28:22,350 --> 00:28:24,970
the Ganges also provides a hunting ground
375
00:28:24,970 --> 00:28:27,923
for one of the world's most skillful aquatic predators.
376
00:28:32,580 --> 00:28:36,063
Smooth-coated otters are in their element underwater.
377
00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,250
Ears and nostrils close to keep water out
378
00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:47,760
as they propel themselves with powerful webbed hind feet
379
00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:50,433
and a strong flattened tail.
380
00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:59,623
Thick velvety coats provide a streamlined surface,
381
00:29:03,090 --> 00:29:06,004
crucial to the high-speed pursuit of fish.
382
00:29:06,004 --> 00:29:08,470
(bright music)
383
00:29:08,470 --> 00:29:10,773
An otter can change direction in a flash.
384
00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:16,133
Sensitive whiskers detect the slightest movement of prey.
385
00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:24,710
Unlike other otters,
386
00:29:24,710 --> 00:29:26,993
smooth-coated otters are social animals.
387
00:29:30,590 --> 00:29:33,740
Family groups of as many as 17 share a territory
388
00:29:33,740 --> 00:29:35,223
led by a dominant female.
389
00:29:40,500 --> 00:29:43,000
Wriggling against each other helps dry their coats
390
00:29:45,020 --> 00:29:46,493
and reinforces bonds.
391
00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:51,170
Otters work as a team when they hunt,
392
00:29:51,170 --> 00:29:54,523
corralling shoals of fish and sharing the spoils,
393
00:29:58,630 --> 00:30:01,030
But they aren't the only fishermen on the river.
394
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:13,930
Sachin Bishwash has made his living on the Ganges
395
00:30:13,930 --> 00:30:18,930
for over 40 years, but Sachin is no ordinary angler.
396
00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:23,804
He has a secret weapon.
397
00:30:23,804 --> 00:30:27,000
(otters chirping)
398
00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:27,833
Otters.
399
00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:35,290
He's recruited some of nature's most talented fishermen
400
00:30:35,290 --> 00:30:38,607
and trained them to herd fish into his nets.
401
00:30:38,607 --> 00:30:42,857
(man speaking in foreign language)
402
00:30:45,820 --> 00:30:49,030
The fact that fish survive in this polluted river
403
00:30:49,030 --> 00:30:50,100
is another indication
404
00:30:50,100 --> 00:30:52,639
that Ganges water has unique properties.
405
00:30:52,639 --> 00:30:55,472
(otters chirping)
406
00:31:06,830 --> 00:31:09,693
Today's catch is small, but profitable.
407
00:31:11,860 --> 00:31:14,393
Catfish can fetch over $30 each.
408
00:31:23,510 --> 00:31:26,880
This family of otters has been fishing with Sachin's family
409
00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:31,880
for generations, but the men must still be careful.
410
00:31:35,630 --> 00:31:38,983
Even a friendly nip could take a man's finger clean off.
411
00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:46,973
Otters work hard and are well paid for their labor.
412
00:31:48,090 --> 00:31:51,603
No matter how small the catch, they are first to be fed.
413
00:31:58,210 --> 00:32:01,300
Back in their village, the otters get time time
414
00:32:01,300 --> 00:32:03,283
to take a dust bath with their pups.
415
00:32:07,180 --> 00:32:08,693
This is their fourth litter,
416
00:32:09,570 --> 00:32:11,983
five healthy and boisterous males.
417
00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:18,020
A second helping of fish keeps the family content.
418
00:32:22,910 --> 00:32:25,703
The pups have a lot to learn yet about catching food.
419
00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:31,703
They're three months old and just about weaned.
420
00:32:33,020 --> 00:32:35,893
Sachin's mother always lends a hand rearing the otters.
421
00:32:42,930 --> 00:32:44,140
In a few weeks,
422
00:32:44,140 --> 00:32:46,530
these youngsters will begin their training
423
00:32:46,530 --> 00:32:48,313
and learn to fish with the humans.
424
00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:51,680
And when they're a year old,
425
00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:53,760
Sachin will sell them on.
426
00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:56,593
A good fishing otter can fetch over $200.
427
00:32:58,700 --> 00:33:00,860
Much of the fish Sachin catches is sold
428
00:33:00,860 --> 00:33:03,260
and transported downstream,
429
00:33:03,260 --> 00:33:04,730
where it ends up in the markets
430
00:33:04,730 --> 00:33:07,530
of one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world.
431
00:33:09,980 --> 00:33:13,760
Kolkata is home to nearly 16 million people
432
00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:16,070
and sprawls along the Hooghly River,
433
00:33:16,070 --> 00:33:18,733
the main branch of the Ganges that runs to the sea.
434
00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:24,190
Once capital of the British Raj,
435
00:33:24,190 --> 00:33:26,380
Kolkata is now one of India's most diverse
436
00:33:26,380 --> 00:33:27,713
and chaotic cities.
437
00:33:29,470 --> 00:33:32,120
Kolkata's lifeblood is its river,
438
00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:35,180
which it depends on for trade, industry,
439
00:33:35,180 --> 00:33:36,663
and hydroelectric power.
440
00:33:37,550 --> 00:33:40,760
The city is far removed from the wild Ganges
441
00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:43,530
and it's a stark reminder of the huge demands put
442
00:33:43,530 --> 00:33:44,733
on the river by man.
443
00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:51,110
But just 60 kilometers upstream,
444
00:33:51,110 --> 00:33:54,280
a recent discovery has provided a glimmer of hope
445
00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:56,033
for the Ganges and its wildlife.
446
00:33:57,222 --> 00:33:58,740
(crickets chirring)
447
00:33:58,740 --> 00:34:01,003
Gharials are making a comeback.
448
00:34:03,250 --> 00:34:06,170
Thought to be extinct in this part of the river,
449
00:34:06,170 --> 00:34:10,070
there have been no gharial sightings here for over 30 years,
450
00:34:10,070 --> 00:34:14,330
until now.
451
00:34:14,330 --> 00:34:17,373
Muted squeaks bring a female out of the water.
452
00:34:20,570 --> 00:34:22,310
When they're ready to hatch,
453
00:34:22,310 --> 00:34:24,763
her young call out from inside their eggs.
454
00:34:26,340 --> 00:34:29,689
It's their mother's cue to give them a helping hand
455
00:34:29,689 --> 00:34:30,539
and dig them out.
456
00:34:33,780 --> 00:34:35,920
The little hatchlings pierce the leathery shell
457
00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,960
of their eggs with a tiny egg tooth
458
00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:41,207
that grows on the tip of their snouts.
459
00:34:41,207 --> 00:34:43,703
(eerie music)
460
00:34:43,703 --> 00:34:46,870
(hatchlings chirping)
461
00:35:05,010 --> 00:35:07,150
A female gharial cannot carry her young
462
00:35:07,150 --> 00:35:09,083
to the water like other crocodilians.
463
00:35:10,530 --> 00:35:11,923
Her teeth are too shop.
464
00:35:13,750 --> 00:35:16,500
The hatchlings need to make their own way to the river.
465
00:35:27,595 --> 00:35:28,740
(birds chirping)
466
00:35:28,740 --> 00:35:32,193
But one nest has been unearthed by the wrong reptile.
467
00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:40,003
A monitor lizard makes short work of a clutch of eggs.
468
00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:43,986
The mother moves quickly.
469
00:35:43,986 --> 00:35:46,986
(suspenseful music)
470
00:35:57,143 --> 00:35:59,893
(gharial hisses)
471
00:36:02,300 --> 00:36:03,673
But she's not quick enough.
472
00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:10,640
This clutch has been unlucky, but others have survived.
473
00:36:15,330 --> 00:36:18,140
Less than 40 centimeters long when they hatch,
474
00:36:18,140 --> 00:36:21,163
newborn gharials are vulnerable to predators too,
475
00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:29,300
But their mother protects them for several weeks
476
00:36:29,300 --> 00:36:30,550
while they learn to hunt.
477
00:36:32,210 --> 00:36:34,963
Juveniles feed on insects and small frogs.
478
00:36:36,550 --> 00:36:37,680
It will be a few years before
479
00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:40,473
these miniature predators pose any threat to fish.
480
00:36:43,240 --> 00:36:45,540
It's thought that there are now at least 100 gharials
481
00:36:45,540 --> 00:36:47,140
living in this stretch of river.
482
00:36:48,410 --> 00:36:52,450
If they're surviving here, so close to a big city,
483
00:36:52,450 --> 00:36:54,900
then there may yet be some hope for their future.
484
00:36:56,310 --> 00:36:59,143
(uplifting music)
485
00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:06,560
The Ganges supplies trillions of gallons
486
00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:08,853
of water for farming and industry,
487
00:37:11,060 --> 00:37:13,923
and flushes away the waste of millions of people.
488
00:37:17,130 --> 00:37:20,840
Despite this, Hindus drink it every day
489
00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:23,640
and claim that far from making them ill,
490
00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:26,223
it's good for physical and spiritual health.
491
00:37:28,670 --> 00:37:30,923
Scientists have studied this paradox.
492
00:37:34,020 --> 00:37:36,873
The Ganges seems to contain a natural disinfectant,
493
00:37:37,870 --> 00:37:41,713
capable of killing pathogens that cause widespread disease.
494
00:37:43,900 --> 00:37:47,193
Research has identified the presence of bacteriophages,
495
00:37:49,300 --> 00:37:52,113
microscopic organisms that feed on bacteria.
496
00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:55,920
When they find food,
497
00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:58,553
bacteriophages multiply incredibly quickly.
498
00:38:00,860 --> 00:38:05,817
In less than half an hour, 100 can become 100,000.
499
00:38:08,420 --> 00:38:10,700
The more people that enter the water,
500
00:38:10,700 --> 00:38:13,720
the more food is available to the Ganges's bacteriophages
501
00:38:17,700 --> 00:38:20,330
In an invisible feeding frenzy,
502
00:38:20,330 --> 00:38:22,713
they eliminate diseases before they spread.
503
00:38:26,390 --> 00:38:27,910
Tests also show
504
00:38:27,910 --> 00:38:30,250
that the Ganges carries an unusually large amount
505
00:38:30,250 --> 00:38:31,543
of dissolved oxygen.
506
00:38:35,050 --> 00:38:38,450
This helps break down the human and animal waste spewed
507
00:38:38,450 --> 00:38:39,283
into the river.
508
00:38:41,890 --> 00:38:45,573
The Ganges does this 25 times faster than any other river.
509
00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:51,573
This could be the secret to the survival of animals here.
510
00:38:55,390 --> 00:38:59,820
A high oxygen content sustains a healthy fish population,
511
00:38:59,820 --> 00:39:03,080
which in turn supports the Ganges's aquatic animals,
512
00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:08,080
river dolphins, gharials, and otters.
513
00:39:10,210 --> 00:39:13,260
And organic waste is broken down into nutrients
514
00:39:13,260 --> 00:39:16,663
that are useful rather than harmful to the environment.
515
00:39:22,747 --> 00:39:25,497
(wind whooshing)
516
00:39:29,130 --> 00:39:32,070
On the border of India and Bangladesh,
517
00:39:32,070 --> 00:39:35,393
the Ganges dissolves into the largest river delta on earth.
518
00:39:37,010 --> 00:39:39,490
Formed by the confluence of the Ganges,
519
00:39:39,490 --> 00:39:42,680
the Brahmaputra, and the Meghna rivers,
520
00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:45,833
this super delta is a labyrinth of channels and creeks.
521
00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:50,020
In it lies the largest tract
522
00:39:50,020 --> 00:39:52,874
of mangrove swamp and forest on earth.
523
00:39:52,874 --> 00:39:53,707
(suspenseful music)
524
00:39:53,707 --> 00:39:54,743
The Sundarbans.
525
00:39:58,670 --> 00:40:01,773
Rivers wash mud and silt out into the Bay of Bengal,
526
00:40:03,490 --> 00:40:06,723
ocean tides flood the forest with salt water every day.
527
00:40:09,650 --> 00:40:10,483
It's one of
528
00:40:10,483 --> 00:40:12,510
the world's most challenging natural environments.
529
00:40:15,170 --> 00:40:18,310
The Sundarbans is a place where land meets sea
530
00:40:18,310 --> 00:40:20,433
and the line in between is blurred.
531
00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:23,123
Even the fish seem confused.
532
00:40:25,009 --> 00:40:28,453
Mudskippers spend more time out of the water than in it.
533
00:40:30,540 --> 00:40:33,320
Water stored in pouches stops their gills drying out
534
00:40:34,170 --> 00:40:35,610
and they can breathe through their skin
535
00:40:35,610 --> 00:40:36,610
as long as it's wet.
536
00:40:42,110 --> 00:40:44,110
Modified pectoral fins are strong enough
537
00:40:44,110 --> 00:40:45,510
to pull them over the ground
538
00:40:46,500 --> 00:40:49,513
and they can skip a half a meter by flexing their tails.
539
00:40:53,690 --> 00:40:55,380
During the breeding season,
540
00:40:55,380 --> 00:40:59,184
tensions run high and males defend their territories.
541
00:40:59,184 --> 00:41:02,040
(suspenseful music)
542
00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:03,653
Blue markings become brighter.
543
00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:08,663
Dorsal fins wave like warning flags.
544
00:41:10,234 --> 00:41:12,890
If this fails to deter an intruder,
545
00:41:12,890 --> 00:41:15,390
there's nothing left except mouth to mouth combat.
546
00:41:20,300 --> 00:41:22,703
Trees also have strange adaptations.
547
00:41:24,210 --> 00:41:26,400
To escape the waterlogged soil,
548
00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:28,220
their roots send up stalks,
549
00:41:28,220 --> 00:41:30,721
which absorb oxygen from the atmosphere.
550
00:41:30,721 --> 00:41:33,638
(insects chirring)
551
00:41:36,580 --> 00:41:38,110
For a wild boar,
552
00:41:38,110 --> 00:41:40,033
the muddy Sundarbans's a paradise.
553
00:41:42,850 --> 00:41:45,940
Chital deer look up rather than down for food
554
00:41:49,100 --> 00:41:51,563
and always keep an eye open for danger.
555
00:41:54,260 --> 00:41:55,253
With good reason.
556
00:41:57,618 --> 00:41:58,870
(tiger snarls)
557
00:41:58,870 --> 00:42:00,440
In the Sundarbans,
558
00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:03,475
the tiger is still king of the jungle.
559
00:42:03,475 --> 00:42:05,660
(suspenseful music)
560
00:42:05,660 --> 00:42:08,180
Stripes break up its outline
561
00:42:08,180 --> 00:42:10,493
and make it hard to spot through the trees.
562
00:42:13,150 --> 00:42:15,643
Male tigers are the heaviest cats in the world.
563
00:42:16,600 --> 00:42:19,210
They can weigh over 200 kilos,
564
00:42:19,210 --> 00:42:21,510
about three times more than the average human.
565
00:42:22,540 --> 00:42:26,020
Paws the size of side plates spread their weight
566
00:42:26,020 --> 00:42:28,368
and help them move silently through the forest.
567
00:42:28,368 --> 00:42:31,368
(suspenseful music)
568
00:42:33,620 --> 00:42:36,440
Tigers creep as close to prey as possible
569
00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:37,973
before launching an attack.
570
00:42:40,030 --> 00:42:42,643
Thick mangroves provide plenty of cover.
571
00:42:46,620 --> 00:42:48,293
Chital deer are favorite targets.
572
00:42:54,630 --> 00:42:57,073
Tiger's canines can grow to 10 centimeters,
573
00:42:58,230 --> 00:42:59,380
the longest of any cat.
574
00:43:05,050 --> 00:43:07,400
They're so powerful they've been known
575
00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:10,123
to bring down animals six times their own weight.
576
00:43:16,230 --> 00:43:18,780
The chital sense danger.
577
00:43:18,780 --> 00:43:20,930
Fleeing into water is usually a good tactic
578
00:43:20,930 --> 00:43:22,556
for escaping predators.
579
00:43:22,556 --> 00:43:25,389
(water whooshing)
580
00:43:31,990 --> 00:43:35,030
But tigers don't mind getting wet.
581
00:43:35,030 --> 00:43:40,030
(dramatic music)
(water whooshing)
582
00:43:58,200 --> 00:44:00,983
Unlike most cats, they're excellent swimmers.
583
00:44:01,829 --> 00:44:04,662
(water whooshing)
584
00:44:14,780 --> 00:44:17,150
With its catch back on dry land,
585
00:44:17,150 --> 00:44:19,363
the big cat makes light work of its meal.
586
00:44:20,490 --> 00:44:23,170
A rough tongue scrapes meat clean off the bone
587
00:44:29,016 --> 00:44:30,420
Today, the Sundarbans is home
588
00:44:30,420 --> 00:44:34,360
to the largest population of wild Bengal tigers in India.
589
00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:35,393
Over 400.
590
00:44:40,520 --> 00:44:42,070
It's the only place on earth
591
00:44:42,070 --> 00:44:45,163
where these big cats live in such an aquatic environment.
592
00:44:47,760 --> 00:44:50,540
Tigers have embraced their watery world
593
00:44:50,540 --> 00:44:52,603
and will feed on fish and crabs,
594
00:44:53,452 --> 00:44:56,035
(birds cooing)
595
00:44:59,510 --> 00:45:02,026
but there is something else on their menu.
596
00:45:02,026 --> 00:45:05,026
(suspenseful music)
597
00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:12,343
The Sundarbans tigers are notorious man eaters.
598
00:45:15,290 --> 00:45:18,090
It's thought that as many as 250 people are killed
599
00:45:18,090 --> 00:45:19,993
in tiger attacks here every year.
600
00:45:21,652 --> 00:45:22,730
(men shouting in foreign language)
601
00:45:22,730 --> 00:45:25,763
Foraging in the forest for honey or firewood can be fatal.
602
00:45:27,510 --> 00:45:30,223
Some say a tiger can even pull a man from a boat.
603
00:45:35,620 --> 00:45:38,070
Villagers have even been dragged from their beds.
604
00:45:44,240 --> 00:45:46,180
It's still not fully understood
605
00:45:46,180 --> 00:45:48,473
why the tigers here are such a threat to man.
606
00:45:49,720 --> 00:45:52,950
People live close to tigers in other parts of India,
607
00:45:52,950 --> 00:45:55,563
but nowhere else are fatalities so high.
608
00:45:57,570 --> 00:46:01,280
One theory is they've developed a taste for human flesh
609
00:46:01,280 --> 00:46:04,033
after scavenging on the bodies of cyclone victims.
610
00:46:05,870 --> 00:46:09,230
Devastating weather in the Bay of Bengal kills thousands
611
00:46:09,230 --> 00:46:10,794
of people every year.
612
00:46:10,794 --> 00:46:13,550
(waves whooshing)
613
00:46:13,550 --> 00:46:16,300
Or perhaps these tigers have never learned to fear man.
614
00:46:17,880 --> 00:46:19,720
In the 20th century,
615
00:46:19,720 --> 00:46:23,570
big game hunting caused India's tiger population to crash
616
00:46:23,570 --> 00:46:26,653
from 40,000 to just 1800,
617
00:46:31,720 --> 00:46:35,680
but impenetrable mangrove forest protected Sundarbans tigers
618
00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:37,553
from man and his guns.
619
00:46:41,150 --> 00:46:43,273
Here, people are prey,
620
00:46:44,930 --> 00:46:48,250
but each time a tiger takes a human life,
621
00:46:48,250 --> 00:46:51,143
the precarious existence of its own kind is shaken.
622
00:46:52,540 --> 00:46:55,363
Fear and reprisal leads to tigers being killed.
623
00:46:56,800 --> 00:46:59,360
For a species on the brink of extinction,
624
00:46:59,360 --> 00:47:02,624
every tiger death is a catastrophe.
625
00:47:02,624 --> 00:47:04,370
(melancholy music)
626
00:47:04,370 --> 00:47:07,100
A government conservation program works hard
627
00:47:07,100 --> 00:47:09,483
to keep man and cat safe from each other.
628
00:47:17,230 --> 00:47:20,730
As home to one of the world's most endangered animals,
629
00:47:20,730 --> 00:47:22,790
the Sundarbans will be protected
630
00:47:22,790 --> 00:47:26,770
so people as well as tigers can benefit from it
631
00:47:26,770 --> 00:47:28,173
for generations to come.
632
00:47:32,550 --> 00:47:33,650
While the Sundarbans is one
633
00:47:33,650 --> 00:47:36,030
of the world's great wildernesses,
634
00:47:36,030 --> 00:47:38,660
a small island, just a few miles away,
635
00:47:38,660 --> 00:47:41,410
hosts one of the planet's largest gatherings of people.
636
00:47:46,660 --> 00:47:48,610
Sagar Island is the place
637
00:47:48,610 --> 00:47:51,320
where the Ganges finally reaches the sea
638
00:47:51,320 --> 00:47:52,970
and flows into the Bay of Bengal.
639
00:47:55,700 --> 00:47:57,650
It's the middle of January
640
00:47:57,650 --> 00:47:59,810
and this sleepy island is about
641
00:47:59,810 --> 00:48:03,150
to be transformed by an inundation.
642
00:48:03,150 --> 00:48:05,763
Not of water, but of people.
643
00:48:08,350 --> 00:48:11,010
This is a dramatic reminder of the pressure put
644
00:48:11,010 --> 00:48:14,575
on the Ganges river and its wildlife by humans.
645
00:48:14,575 --> 00:48:16,870
(bright music)
646
00:48:16,870 --> 00:48:18,950
Millions of Hindus arrive here
647
00:48:18,950 --> 00:48:22,623
on the day of Makara Sankranti, the winter solstice.
648
00:48:24,830 --> 00:48:27,650
The Gangasagar Mela, as it is known,
649
00:48:27,650 --> 00:48:30,675
is one of the largest religious gatherings on earth.
650
00:48:30,675 --> 00:48:33,675
(people chattering)
651
00:48:43,110 --> 00:48:45,824
Many travel for days to get here.
652
00:48:45,824 --> 00:48:50,241
(people singing in foreign language)
653
00:48:54,340 --> 00:48:57,733
For some, it's the first time they've ever seen the sea.
654
00:49:00,740 --> 00:49:02,850
Tropical beaches are transformed
655
00:49:02,850 --> 00:49:04,573
into the world's biggest campsite.
656
00:49:08,070 --> 00:49:11,403
Pilgrims throw coins as offerings for the goddess Ganga.
657
00:49:14,110 --> 00:49:16,060
For enterprising children,
658
00:49:16,060 --> 00:49:18,963
it's an opportunity worth braving the mud to exploit.
659
00:49:21,710 --> 00:49:25,080
During the festival, they can make over 1000 rupees,
660
00:49:25,080 --> 00:49:27,823
a healthy boost to often meager incomes,
661
00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:33,103
Makara Sankranti is a harvest festival,
662
00:49:34,080 --> 00:49:36,250
a time to give thanks to the Ganges
663
00:49:36,250 --> 00:49:40,073
for the crop she provides and livelihood she sustains.
664
00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:53,110
Sagar Island is regarded
665
00:49:53,110 --> 00:49:54,840
as one of the most auspicious places
666
00:49:54,840 --> 00:49:57,135
to bathe in Ganges water.
667
00:49:57,135 --> 00:49:59,968
(uplifting music)
668
00:50:02,120 --> 00:50:04,300
This is a grand farewell
669
00:50:04,300 --> 00:50:06,770
to a river that has played such a vital role
670
00:50:06,770 --> 00:50:09,273
in the lives of India's people and wildlife.
671
00:50:20,927 --> 00:50:22,290
(suspenseful music)
672
00:50:22,290 --> 00:50:25,870
The Ganges is home to some of India's rarest creatures,
673
00:50:25,870 --> 00:50:29,433
which fight for survival as man encroaches on wilderness.
674
00:50:31,100 --> 00:50:33,820
Agriculture and industry have swallowed much
675
00:50:33,820 --> 00:50:38,400
of the Ganges's fertile floodplain, once home to giants
676
00:50:38,400 --> 00:50:39,623
like the Indian rhino.
677
00:50:41,960 --> 00:50:45,603
Millions of humans live and die on the riverbanks.
678
00:50:46,800 --> 00:50:49,800
The Ganges is regarded not just as sacred,
679
00:50:49,800 --> 00:50:51,903
but as a goddess in her own right.
680
00:50:52,830 --> 00:50:56,830
A dip in the holy river purifies the soul,
681
00:50:56,830 --> 00:50:58,613
but also pollutes the water,
682
00:50:59,590 --> 00:51:03,820
but high levels of oxygen and disease-eating microorganisms
683
00:51:03,820 --> 00:51:07,040
lend the scientific ring of truth to religious beliefs
684
00:51:07,040 --> 00:51:09,013
in the cleansing powers of the Ganges.
685
00:51:10,100 --> 00:51:12,900
The river's unique properties nurture and sustain
686
00:51:12,900 --> 00:51:15,540
a spectacular array of wildlife.
687
00:51:15,540 --> 00:51:19,730
From death and decay come new beginnings on the Ganges.
688
00:51:19,730 --> 00:51:22,035
India's great river of life.
689
00:51:22,035 --> 00:51:24,087
(dramatic music)
690
00:51:24,087 --> 00:51:26,670
(snake hisses)
691
00:51:29,882 --> 00:51:32,465
(bright music)
54023
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