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[pensive music playing]

[narrator] Our nature on planet Earth is not only unique and complex.

It also hides many incredible wonders.

To explore the whole world, one human life is not enough.

So we will have a look at some of the most important

and well-known animals on Earth today.

[wind howling]

We will fly from the sky, and into the water.

From the rainforests…

to the desert, and back again.

We will dive into our oceans, be fascinated by the coral reefs,

and later lurk to admire wildcats and exotic animals.

The journey into our nature begins now,

and is as exciting and adventurous

as life itself.

[pensive music continues]

[narrator] To understand the diversity of life,

it is good to look at the different kinds of habitats we can find on Earth.

Everything started in the water.

And without water, there is no life.

We humans consist of 80 percent water at birth.

[pensive music continues]

Our blue planet consists mainly of this liquid element as well.

We have salty and so-called freshwater, which is usually drinkable.

Therefore, it's not surprising that all living beings

came from the oceans, over our coasts,

and onto land.

The diversity of species in our oceans and rivers

is only comparable with the amount of species in the rainforests.

Today, we have counted 1.8 million different animal species

in our nature.

So, there's still a lot to discover.

There's no species that can survive without water.

The lack or reduction of water in a biosphere

could lead, for example, to incredible animal migrations

because every living creature needs water.

Rivers wander like lifelines across our continents.

The first civilisations were always founded near big rivers.

[music intensifies]

Even today, we humans use drinking water from seas and rivers

and use water flows for the generation of energy

and for agriculture.

Of course, there are more habitats than rainforests, coasts and savannahs.

But today, we take a closer look at the animals and the habitats

near the equator, so let's leave it at that.

Due to the usually warm weather,

a countless diversity of species thrive here.

We can see here in the background how litres of water fall from the sky.

In addition, the absence of cold winters,

which would drive the common animals away,

and the fertile grounds, are the reasons why we find

-such a great diversity of animals here. -[music ends]

[ethnic music playing]

[woman vocalising]

[narrator] One of the most famous animals from Africa…

is watching us curiously.

It stands gracefully in the steppe.

And because of its height,

always has the best view.

We often meet giraffes in small hordes.

The young animals are always a step behind the adults.

The male giraffe is taller than the female,

and you can recognise him by the tuft of hair on his small horns.

There are never two giraffes with the same pattern of spots.

They're not shy at all.

Because of that,

it can happen that those animals who appear to be sassy

cross the streets in front of parked visitors who are driving by.

These proud animals belong to the image of the African savannahs…

but giraffes are being hunted.

In the past 30 years,

their population has been almost cut in half.

Their habitat is being destroyed more and more.

And the giraffe has already disappeared completely

from seven African countries.

[birds chirping]

They're being poached because of their meat,

and the growing superstition about the healing abilities

of their body parts.

As a result, giraffes are already on the Red List

of endangered species from the IUCN,

the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Calmly and gently,

these giants cross the African steppes.

African elephants can grow up to four metres tall,

and become as heavy as five tonnes.

Although most people believe that elephants are very slow animals,

they can speed up to 40 kilometres per hour.

And can thus easily catch up with every human,

and some cars on the African paths.

Like many other animals, elephants are gregarious creatures.

So they're better protected in a world full of predators.

These extremely heavy creatures

can travel distances up to 80 kilometres per day.

They need an incredible amount of food for their basic needs.

So you often see them eating.

These elegant pachyderms are not only highly intelligent,

they're also very social.

Because of their remarkable long-term memory,

they can remember places, voices and scents for decades.

Despite what most people think,

the skin of the elephant is actually very sensitive and tender,

especially on some spots, like their belly or behind their ears.

The elephant's characteristic feature is its trunk.

It's a multi-functional tool

which they use to grab, smell, drink and breathe.

Another special feature of their trunk

is that it consists of 40,000 muscles, and no bones.

So it has impressive elasticity and mobility.

Sadly, the population of these giants

has been declining throughout the whole world.

Guilty are the hunters

who have been preying upon their precious ivory for decades.

Although the hunting of elephants has been strictly forbidden,

it's still practised actively.

If this situation doesn't change,

these gentle pachyderms will not exist on this planet anymore.

[birds chirping]

It looks here like a group of elephants are taking a bath.

But no.

Here, we have a completely different African species.

The hippo, also called hippopotamus or river horse.

That's how they protect themselves from the burning sun,

and take time for the beautiful things in life,

relaxing, playing with the family,

and, of course, mating.

Due to their colossal weight, mating has to take place in the water.

Because of climate change,

which especially affects Africa with the absence of the rainy seasons,

these spectacular powerhouses are now on the Red List of animals

threatened with extinction,

although they don't even have predators as enemies.

Nevertheless, they can become very aggressive,

especially during mating season, and become dangerous to humans.

That's why you always have to be careful when these beautiful animals are nearby.

These giants are incredibly strong,

and against all expectations, they can get very fast.

Strangely enough, the river horse isn't,

as you might assume due to their name,

related to the horse at all.

Instead, the hippos have common ancestry with the whales.

They're the closest still-living relatives to the giant sea creatures.

Strength lies in peace.

The old saying is 100 percent correct.

[birds chirping]

These unique animals look so peaceful and relaxed.

However, this African wildcat is an exceptional one.

In the wild, it holds world records, especially when it comes to speed.

One hundred and twenty kilometres per hour is their maximum speed.

And in comparison to the fastest human in the world, Usain Bolt,

the cheetah doesn't need 9.6 seconds to travel 100 metres.

It can reach that distance in six seconds.

Extreme speed, agility and elegance

result from the advanced physical build of this wildcat.

Even the nasal cavity, bronchi and lungs are enlarged

so this impressive animal can breathe faster

and take in more oxygen.

When the fast wildcat sees its prey,

it sneaks up on it until it is about 100 metres away.

[birds chirping]

An animal like the cheetah should actually be doing well

but, sadly, this isn't the case.

Humans have hunted the cheetah because of its fur.

Today, only about 7,000 of these beautiful and elegant wildcats

exist worldwide.

That's why they're now on the IUCN Threatened from Extinction list.

Oops! Another animal, which looks very similar to another.

But leopards don't like it when they get confused with cheetahs.

The differences between them are easy to recognise if you look closely.

A notably stronger body, a different-shaped head,

and eyes that are clearly saying, "I hunt at night."

[birds chirping]

For thousands of years,

the leopard has been feared and worshipped by humans.

They are excellent hunters, climbers and sprinters,

and play a major role in the mythologies of different cultures.

The black panther, for example,

is actually a leopard with all black fur.

Leopards are typically loners.

But here, we see something very rare.

A leopard couple.

The animals only stay together for about eight or nine days to mate,

and then go their own way again.

With their sharp claws, they can climb trees up to 15 metres tall,

and pull up their catches, which are very heavy.

This leopard is eating his prey,

which he pulled up to a branch fork

so other predators, like vultures, won't steal his feast.

Sadly, these animals are endangered too,

and soon will only be seen in books or movies.

What do we have here?

A young cheetah? A baby leopard?

No, it's a completely different wildcat from the jungle.

An ocelot.

This great animal gets its name from the Aztecs.

And because of that, we already know where it lives.

The home of these wildcats is in South and Central America.

They're very shy.

Wildcats are an interesting field to study.

There are so many species in so many places in our world.

Slowly, we move away from the wild savannahs of Africa

and move towards the coast.

One of the most famous inhabitants here are the seals,

also called sea lions.

They're relaxed animals, and don't show fear towards humans.

Sea lions are very playful and intelligent.

That's why it's not unusual to see them as circus attractions.

In the wild, seals like to spend most of their time in the water.

Adult sea lions are excellent swimmers,

and can dive up to 200 metres deep.

[mid-tempo music playing]

Sea lions prefer to reside close to rocky coasts.

Here, we see a colony of seals, which live packed tightly together.

A colony is formed by many females

who live as if they're part of a harem,

and one male is in charge, like a king.

However, the male in charge has to defend himself against other males daily,

who want to push him off his throne.

[mid-tempo music continues]

[waves crashing]

Dangerous for seals are orcas or sharks,

which we will visit later on.

Sea lions aren't heavily endangered, but are being protected

because fur hunters pursued them heavily until the 1980s,

especially cute baby seals because of their fluffy fur.

[birds chirping]

These colourful birds are parrots.

[music fades out]

Since the time of Alexander the Great, 300 years before Christ,

they have been traded all around the globe.

That's why there's no country left where these animals cannot be found.

[mystical music playing]

Their nature is highly sociable and loyal.

Therefore, they're easy to hold in confinement.

However, there is nothing more soothing than to witness these animals in the wild.

This is possible, not only in South America or Africa,

but also in Europe or Germany.

Because there, parrots and parakeets started to settle.

Another thing that is quite nice, these animals commit themselves

to lifelong relationships with their partner.

It is often documented that if one partner dies,

the other one will die as well.

We would call that lovesickness.

The research of these wild birds is still going on full speed,

and constantly bears new species and subspecies.

Therefore, it is truly fascinating to study these remarkable animals.

[crickets chirping]

Birds and reptiles have a lot in common.

Not only because they both lay eggs,

but also because of the way their bodies are built.

That's why scientists today are still discussing

whether dinosaurs have more in common with birds or reptiles.

This little fellow here is an iguana, an extraordinary reptile.

There are 40 different species in the iguana family.

All of them are cold-blooded.

Including their tail,

they can reach a length of up to two metres long.

Recognising the male iguana is easy.

He has a Mohawk going from his head to his tail.

These animals are very frugal, territorial and loved by humans,

who often keep them as pets.

[birds squawking]

There's a saying, "You should not wake sleeping giants,"

and that's what we have here.

Crocodiles are the largest reptiles living in our nature.

Up to five metres in length, and weighing up to 900 kilograms,

this animal needs a lot of energy just to move.

That's why these creatures spend most of the day

relaxing very close to water.

But if you look carefully,

you'll recognise that these animals are far from sleeping.

Their eyes are open,

and they're very aware of their surroundings.

And watch out.

If they start moving, they can move pretty fast and bite.

Crocodiles are not on the verge of extinction anymore,

because some farmers recognise the possibility of farming them.

[pensive music playing]

Elegant animals do not only live in the air or on land,

but also in the water.

One of these very beautiful underwater specimens are sea turtles.

They descend from tortoises and freshwater turtles,

which isn't hard to recognise.

Calm and relaxed,

these gentle creatures glide through the water.

They're not very sight-related creatures,

because they travel incredibly long distances every year.

Except when laying their eggs,

these incredible animals spend their entire life in the water.

They survived the dinosaurs, and the continental drifts.

Apart from some small adaptations, their appearance didn't change much.

In contrast to their relatives on the land,

these animals have extremities which remind us of paddles.

They also have a more flat and aerodynamic shell,

so they're better suited to their habitat.

All sea turtles are threatened with extinction,

since human beings have been hunting them for centuries.

However, there is good news.

According to studies, since 2017,

the population has been growing again in many areas.

[pensive music continues]

Cold-blooded killers, predators

and bad boys of the oceans.

-[music fades out] -That is how we humans know the shark.

However, this could not be further away from reality.

[ominous music playing]

Incredible tales that sharks can smell human blood

or often confuse humans with seals

have contributed to establishing this mistaken image.

Although sharks are the biggest predatory fish on our planet,

you are more likely to get hit by a coconut and die

than you are to be killed in a shark attack.

The hammerhead shark, which actually looks like a tool.

Moreover, never let it be said that there are no tigers underwater.

Just take a look at the patterning of our tiger shark.

These elegant fish have lived in our oceans

for over 400 million years and have adapted to many changes.

Even though this sand shark seems quite grim,

he is still a sea dweller that needs to be protected

if we want to continue using our seas in the future.

[ominous music continues]

The shark's closest relatives are the rays.

Since these wonderful creatures developed from sharks,

they are simply flattened versions of those great fish.

Rays prefer to stay near the ocean floor,

and they move, as we can clearly see here,

by waving their pectoral fins majestically up and down like wings.

However, these unique members of our nature

also can be seen floating through the water,

with their fins moving like waves.

-[music fades out] -Due to the fact that their topside

is perfectly suited to blend in with their environment,

they have an easy time hiding on the ocean floor.

However, as we see, the fish may also swirl up some sand

to take cover or to find food, like small snakes in the sandy ground.

There are roughly 630 different kinds of rays.

Like sharks, some are bigger, some smaller,

and some are simply majestic, like the manta ray.

-[pensive music playing] -[waves crashing]

"Thar she blows," was once the cry of the whaler.

The tale of Moby Dick is one of the first stories

to change the victims into villains.

We humans have nothing to fear from whales,

but whales should fear us.

From the 18th century to today,

their population has decreased by 98 percent.

All that, just so we humans can produce fuel for oil lamps.

These breath-taking and impressive creatures

can grow to incredible dimensions.

As is generally known and often mentioned in children's stories,

whales do have blowholes on the backside of their heads.

Since whales are mammals, they breathe with lungs

and have to regularly swim to the surface of the water to breathe.

Therefore, they cannot just sink to the depths of the sea to sleep

but have to use a special technique which is surprisingly clever.

Unlike humans, whales and dolphins breathe actively

and not automatically.

Because of this mechanism,

it is only possible to rest one half of their brains.

The other half must constantly stimulate them

to swim up and breathe.

[water splashing]

There has already been a lot done to help these endangered animals,

but we are still come centuries away from the population's full recovery.

Life underwater is very different from life on dry land.

Whoever wants to breathe here needs gills to filter oxygen out of the water.

Limbs like ours on land are not very useful underwater.

Anyone who wants to be quick needs strong fins

and a streamlined-shaped body.

Corals provide many fishes housing and food.

In exchange, they get rid of algae and other pests,

like snails and crabs, by eating them.

[pensive music playing]

The coral reefs have beautiful bright colours

which are high in contrast

so that they can be recognised from a distance.

A coral reef resembles a city for fishes.

They live together in schools, and the corals are their homes

which protect them from enemies like sharks or other predators.

Thanks to the many ecological niches, there are almost no limitations

when it comes to the colours and shapes of the fishes living there.

Besides the rainforest,

coral reefs are the most diverse habitat on our Earth.

So far, only 60,000

out of the estimated 400,000 species which live there

have been positively identified.

Animals, reefs, and plants underwater are all endangered.

Climate change and overfishing are only part of the problem.

Sewage, oil tanks and carpets made out of plastic

are putting the environment over the edge.

We humans tend to ignore anything we cannot see

and consider it quite unimportant.

However, our oceans are essential for all of us.

This stiff, horizontal standing swimmer

looks similar to the better-known pike

because of its thin and elongated appearance.

Nevertheless, here we have a completely different kind of predatory fish,

the barracuda.

This kind of fish usually appears in tropical and subtropical areas

of the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

There are 26 different kinds of these elegant swimmers.

Some of them can attain a length of two metres

and a weight of up to 50 kilograms.

As we see, their lower jaw is longer than their upper jaw,

and nature has given them quite large fangs.

This turns the barracuda into the bad boy of our oceans.

Divers fear these carnivore fishes

since they are easily irritable and aggressive.

The fear of barracudas is therefore almost as great as the fear of sharks,

given that most predatory fish attacks can be traced back to these animals.

However, these so-called bad boys eat mainly mackerel, tuna

or other smaller kinds of fishes.

[music intensifies]

Morays, the horror of every amateur diver.

What winds itself here through the corals?

A water snake? A somewhat elongated barracuda?

An eel?

It is a moray.

She belongs to the family of eel-like bony fishes.

These extraordinary animal beings exist in almost any size and shape.

These eel-like fishes can often be malicious and dangerous.

Whenever they peer out of caves and crevices,

their frightening appearance does not help inspire trust.

With a strong, sharp set of teeth,

morays can induce severe wounds on other creatures.

That's not all.

Some morays are also poisonous.

These snake-like fishes only attack if they get surprised in their home,

which is usually a small cave or crevice

up to four metres long.

However, if left alone,

they are actually quite calm and peaceful animals

that merely wait in their hiding place for prey.

Prey animals are small fish, crabs or krakens.

While on the hunt, these snake-like sea dwellers

rely solely on their keen ability to smell and to hear.

Their vision, however, is nearly useless,

since all morays suffer from severe near-sightedness.

This is also the reason why moray eels stay in their regular caves during the day

and mostly hunt in the night-time.

[dramatic music playing]

He plays the starring role in many horror and monster movies.

The great white shark.

Rarely has any other animal had such an evil image

as the great white.

Yet he should fear us humans more than we should fear him.

Today, the great white shark is actually endangered.

Great whites are much sought-after trophies by anglers.

Their tail fin is used for gourmet food in some countries.

And sometimes, they end up as by-catch in commercial fisheries.

His name is due to his striking light stomach colouring,

which is easy to detect here.

He is the biggest predatory fish on our planet.

Moreover, he can be found in almost every one of our oceans.

Great white sharks are active predators,

but sometimes you will find them feeding on carrion.

His black eyes let him see better than cats at night

and can detect even the smallest light sources.

His jaw holds razor-sharp teeth

that can grow back if one happens to fall out.

Sharks have evolved constantly for more than 400 million years.

[birds chirping]

[indistinct animal calling]

Here, we spot an atelidae mother with her offspring.

Every other year, a new young one will be born.

In the first few weeks of his life,

the offspring clasps instinctively to his mother's fur.

[indistinct animal calling]

[ethnic music playing]

Atelidae are sociable and diurnal primates

which spend most of their days eating either plants or insects.

These monkeys prefer to stay in high trees,

where they enjoy protection from predators such as cats and snakes.

Their notably long tails act as a grappler to assist with climbing

or as extra balance while jumping.

These cuddly but elegant monkeys

can be found in almost every part of Africa.

Another kind of monkey is the baboon.

There are five different kinds of baboons,

which can be found in veldts, savannahs, semideserts and forests,

as well as in rocky areas.

They are also socially oriented

and live in mixed groups of different dimensions.

To communicate with their fellows,

they have a large repertoire of options.

For example, facial expressions, gestures,

diverse sounds and physical contact

to show what their concern is.

Monkeys are sometimes held incorrectly as pets, which is anything but ideal.

Whoever shows interest in these animals

should explore them in their natural habitat,

the wilderness.

[ethnic music continues]

Sometimes, while walking through the dry savannah or deserts,

you'll catch them circling above your head.

They are notably ugly-looking birds

and feast on the cadavers of rotten carcasses.

The vulture.

In many cases, we humans underestimate them,

but they have a fundamental function in our nature.

Here, we see a dead cow, which got the vultures' attention.

With their pointed, curved beak,

they are able to rip apart chewy skin to reach the still warm meat.

Not a pretty sight, but this process is essential for the environment.

Vultures are natural undertakers

and arrange for a quick removal of the dead animals.

They are specialised to feed on carrion

and tolerate the toxic, rotten flesh.

Without the vulture, dead bodies would lie on the ground even longer

and would start to spread diseases.

From a human perspective, vultures are vermin

and suffer from a similar image problem as sharks do.

However, they are actually quite likeable birds.

They do not kill other animals and live in lifelong partnerships.

Both parents raise their offspring,

and a real vulture likes to laze around with his relatives.

Almost every vulture species is endangered

and needs help and protection from humans.

Lions.

The most feared predators in the African savannah

and king of all wildlife.

Their elegant and massive physique, their comparatively big head

and weight ranging from 150 up to 225 kilograms

helps the lion claim this position in the world of the animals.

[ominous music playing]

There is one male which leads the group.

Males are easily recognisable

by their long, dark brown or reddish-brown mane.

A magnificent mane is a sign of a healthy, strong

and well-fed cat.

In addition, with a maximum speed up to 80 kilometres per hour,

he is one of the fastest animals on our planet.

Regardless of that, it is possible for us to observe these animals,

and it's necessary that we do so.

The territory of these impressive animals

can reach an area of up to 400 kilometres and is strictly protected.

Uninvited visitors will be expelled by deafening roars.

Zebras, antelopes, gazelles and gnus

are lions' typical prey, which they hunt in prides.

Only the females hunt, but that should be well-known by now.

The journey through our nature comes to an end.

Hopefully, we have aroused your enthusiasm for our unique world.

Not only does she deserve protection,

but she is also filled with miracles

that need to be discovered and admired.

Whether Africa or Antarctica,

whether high in the sky or deep down in the oceans,

our nature is full of life.

In addition, we all should never forget

that we are part of this world.

Without our nature, there is no future for us humans

on this planet Earth.

[ominous music continues]

[music fades out]

[pensive music playing]

[music ends]