Original subtitles

(sparse mysterious music) (wind whistling)

In South America,

there's one country where the tallest peak

is 6,263 meters above sea level,

where the cold winds contend with snow and ice.

And far below, rising from the mist, lush forest,

seemingly endless, home to innumerable animal species.

(light orchestral music)

And off the coast, an ocean sanctuary,

an archipelago of islands

celebrated for its exceptional wildlife.

The country is Ecuador, ideally situated on the equator.

From the Amazon rainforest to the Galapagos Islands,

with the snow-capped Andes in between,

these enormously varied ecosystems

make Ecuador a nation of mega biodiversity.

(rousing orchestral music)

(wind whistling)

(insects chirping)

In the eastern part of the country,

there's an unending symphony of sounds.

The Amazon rainforest is everywhere vibrant with life.

This region of the enormous Amazon River basin

is considered the planet's richest reserve of plant

and animal life.

During the great ice ages, untold species took refuge here,

some of them still survive.

The Yasuni National Park has the greatest diversity

of tree species found anywhere in the world.

This lush vegetation

is explained largely by the high humidity.

The heavy rainfall stagnates over the clay soil,

which is relatively impermeable.

The scarlet macaw, like other wildlife,

can drink just about anywhere,

yet they seem to congregate around this small pool of water.

This one seems reluctant to fly down to the ground,

where it would be vulnerable,

especially because many mammal species

also drink at this spot.

A cat could be lying in wait,

hidden in the dense vegetation, ready to spring,

(water trickling) (insects chirping)

(bird caws) so the scarlet macaws

remain on the lookout and hesitate.

But why do they come here to this tiny clearing

when there's ample water everywhere?

One of them goes first,

possibly bolder than the rest or thirstier.

(water trickling) (insects chirping)

(birds cawing)

Seeing there's no immediate danger, the others follow.

(birds cawing)

This patch of water is actually a freshwater spring

emerging from under the hill above the clearing.

As the rainwater seeps through the soil,

it takes on minerals that are essential for health,

and because there are few such springs in the forest,

the birds gather in the same places.

(birds cawing)

There's a further benefit for the macaws.

They can ingest clay to protect their digestive system

from the acidity in the fruits they feed on.

In the rainforest, many fruits are acidic,

a defensive mechanism that plants have evolved

to deter animals from eating them.

This gives the fruit time to ripen

and a better chance to germinate when it's on the ground.

But the macaws have overcome that problem.

Centuries of experience have taught them macaws

the value of clay as a gastric dressing

and a way to reduce the effects of the acids in fruits.

(water trickling) (insects chirping)

(birds flapping)

Thus, in the equatorial forest,

each plant or animal species

has found a way to adapt to the constraints

and advantages of its environment.

The entire ecosystem hinges on a very complex balance

where each plant, each creature,

has its place and plays a role.

That's why the loss of any species is tragic,

as it removes a vital part from a complex mechanism

involving other species, which may, each in its turn,

be threatened,

and this could lead to a catastrophic collapse.

Yes, fortunately, nature can adapt to changes,

but nature does things at its own slow pace,

which requires enormous amounts of time.

(birds chirping) (tense thoughtful music)

One witness of the exceptionally slow pace of evolution

is the hoatzin.

This amazing bird has hardly changed in 18 million years,

probably because it had no need to do so.

Hoatzins are the oldest bird species still alive today.

(birds chirping)

One original feature of the hoatzin is its digestive system,

which resembles that of ruminants in certain ways.

Indeed, it eats practically nothing but leaves

and in huge amounts because the diet is nutritionally poor.

It spends lots of time moving through the trees

in search of the best shoots.

This diet has the advantage of making the hoatzin's flesh

indigestible to predators.

That's why eagles, small cats, and monkeys

will hunt young chicks, but not the adults.

(foliage rustling)

Not far away, this white-fronted capuchin

has stolen eggs from the nest of a Spix's guan.

These monkeys are highly evolved and quite intelligent.

In fact, they're the only American monkey species

that uses tools.

It's easy for them to distract birds and steal their eggs.

The hardest part is eating the eggs

without being bothered by young members of the group.

(foliage rustling) (insects chirping)

Capuchins live in groups of a dozen or more members.

There's an alpha couple

and a little else in the way of a social hierarchy.

Food is abundant, so there's enough for everyone.

Capuchins are active during the daytime,

moving in search of fruit trees and other foods,

such as insects and small invertebrates.

(foliage rustling)

Capuchins often form a very noisy group

and the racket they make in the forest doesn't go unnoticed.

These common squirrel monkeys are smaller.

They have no trouble finding the capuchins

and are eager to follow them.

Not only do the capuchins alert them to any dangers,

but they also lead them to the best fruit trees,

and the squirrel monkeys take advantage of any scraps

that capuchins happen to drop.

(foliage rustling) (sparse tense music)

(thunder crashing)

(rain lashing)

Thunderstorms breaking throughout the day

don't often affect the busy common squirrel monkeys.

They communicate with high-pitched calls and cries.

(monkeys chattering)

(thunder crashing)

Unlike many other tree monkeys,

squirrel monkeys don't have a prehensile tail,

but they're still very agile.

The squirrel monkey travels repeatedly

over the same branches,

marking them with scent so they can find the path

to their favorite fruits and berries.

(monkeys chattering) (rain pattering)

Squirrel monkeys are naturally curious and playful,

and they're sometimes captured for the pet trade,

but the greatest danger they and so many other species face

is the loss of habitat due to deforestation.

The primary threat in this part of the Amazon

is accelerating petroleum exploration and production.

(monkeys chattering) (birds chirping)

Whether it rains for an hour or for days on end,

the rainfall always stops.

An evaporation immediately begins, replenishing the clouds.

(wildlife chatters)

(birds chirping)

For the white-throated toucan,

the rain itself is not a problem, but mosquitoes, gnats,

and other insects take refuge under its plumage.

The toucan removes them with its beak.

Toucans are primarily fruit eaters,

so these insect parasites are just an annoyance.

(wildlife chatters) (birds chirping)

Insects thrive in the varzea, the seasonal floodplain forest

that is inundated several months a year.

Here, the acidic black water flows slowly,

tracing channels through a labyrinth of vegetation.

Plants climb skyward as they contend for light.

The foliage is so thick

that visibility is limited to one meter or two.

The ground is a tangle of roots and rotting branches.

Yet the forest rings out with innumerable chirping sounds,

evidence of mysterious life.

But what animals live here, in the varzea forest?

(sparse mysterious music)

The South American coati

is perfectly adapted to this equatorial forest biome.

Its long fur coat provides protection from insects.

Its acute sense of smell, coupled with a long snout,

means it can detect and capture prey

or fruits from a distance.

(insects chirping)

The coati's claws make it an excellent climber.

Coatis usually live in families of five or six members,

but this one, who's about four months old,

is possibly lost or an orphan.

Still, it seems capable of finding food on its own,

and its omnivore diet

means there should be no trouble doing so.

(insects chirping)

(wildlife chatters)

But for the time being,

it looks like this little coati wants a quiet place to nap

where it will be comfortable without falling.

(insects chirping) (wildlife chattering)

(birds chirping)

All the mammals that inhabit this dense forest

are more or less capable of climbing trees

for food and shelter.

These monkeys, Spix's night monkey,

show only the tips of their snouts at the end of the day

when they begin to go hunting.

These nocturnal primates wait for the sun to set

as their large eyes cannot stand strong light.

(insects chirping) (wildlife chattering)

Night falls suddenly here at the equator.

In an hour's time, the active wildlife changes completely,

as nocturnal species emerge.

Some, because it's the best time to hunt,

and others, on the contrary,

because they're protected by the darkness.

The Amblypygi, or whip spider,

may look like a frightening cross between a scorpion

and a spider, yet it produces no venom and spins no web.

Instead, it waits in ambush to catch insects with pedipalps,

which look like feet with claws.

Thus, whether predators or prey,

the creatures of the night are always on the alert.

The least mistake could be fatal.

(light thoughtful music) (wildlife chattering)

The glacier on Mount Antisana,

a volcano that reaches 5,750 meters above sea level,

is the closest glacier to the Amazon rainforest.

(river rushing)

The water from rain and melting ice

rushes to the foothills of the Andes

before flowing into the Napo River.

The water then flows slowly eastward into the Amazon

and then the Atlantic Ocean.

This is a journey of over 5,000 kilometers,

with some 20 cycles of evaporation and rainfall.

Thus, the Andes Mountain Range,

which extends across Ecuador from north to south,

is the divide between two watersheds.

The rivers that originate on the western slopes

flow more swiftly into the Pacific Ocean.

The Andes include many active volcanoes,

yet the relief is due primarily to mountain building

by plate tectonics over the past 70 million years.

This has resulted in a stratification

of different forest types,

ranging from the rainforest in the Amazon basin

to other forests as high as 3,500 meters above sea level.

(birds chirping)

Plants have had millions of years

to adapt to these changing geological

and climate conditions.

Many epiphytes have emerged.

These plants grow well above ground level, on branches,

where they benefit from the constantly humid air.

Species that grow in a cloud forest

at altitudes over 1,000 meters

are very different from species found at lower altitudes

that cannot withstand temperature variations

or the lack of light.

(thunder rumbles) (rain patters)

While the sun often shines in the early morning,

clouds that form lower on the Amazonian plain rise at midday

and dark in the sky, justifying the term "cloud forest."

(wildlife chattering)

(waterfall crashing) (river rushing)

The rain pours down, suddenly swelling the river beds.

From waterfalls to mountain torrents,

the water rushes down the steep slopes

on the eastern side of the Andes.

For this pair of torrent ducks,

the swift running water is a means of navigation

and a place to catch their food.

The female, identifiable by her reddish breast,

floats downriver.

The male soon realizes that she is no longer in sight,

(river rushing)

but she's already managed to move upstream.

With their large webbed feet,

torrent ducks can face the most powerful currents.

(river burbling)

Undaunted by eddies and rocks,

they plunge for underwater larvae and small invertebrates.

(river bubbling)

Their population is threatened by the introduction of trout,

which feed on the same prey,

and by the construction of hydroelectric dams.

This couple seems to have welcomed the next generation.

Shortly after hatching, the featherweight torrent ducklings

are able to fend for themselves in the water,

carefully watched over by the parents,

who guide them in the current.

Ducklings have to stop frequently to catch their breath,

and on the rocks, their plumage makes it hard for predators

to spot them.

(river rushing)

As the only birds in this region that can feed underwater,

torrent ducks occupy a unique ecological niche.

Other species also nest on the shore.

The torrent tyrannulet feeds on flying insects

it captures near the banks

and doesn't compete with torrent ducks for food,

especially now that the tyrannulets

are preparing for mating, looking for soft materials

to build their nest amid the rocks.

A little further up the riverbank,

another bird is building its future home.

It's an impressive project, as the nest hangs from a branch

and will have to resist the wind.

(birds chirping) (wildlife chattering)

The mountain cacique is an outstanding building engineer,

selecting sturdy fibers from the palm leaves.

He carries each strand to the nest, puts it in place,

and ties it to the other strands,

weaving everything together to form a structure

capable of bearing his weight.

(birds chirping)

Shuttling back and forth, from his nest to the trees,

the mountain cacique can build his nest in a single day.

(birds chirping) (wildlife chattering)

It takes energy to build a nest.

The many-banded aracari, on the other hand,

uses cavities in tree trunks hollowed out by other species.

That leaves all day to groom his plumage,

to frolic, and to feed.

And the bird can look mighty tempting

to the black-mantled tamarin.

(birds chirping) (wildlife chattering)

Tamarins are always alert to their surroundings,

especially when a slate-colored hawk

is perching in the vicinity.

(birds chirping)

For the time being, at least,

the hawk doesn't seem to be a danger.

Black-mantled tamarins live in small groups.

They are sociable creatures

and sometimes even follow other species of monkeys or birds

to locate fruit trees.

And to find their way back, they mark favorite paths

and locations with their scent.

Deep in the forest,

insects are dense from evening through early morning.

This knowledge is second nature to the turquoise jay,

who hunts mainly at dawn

when nocturnal insects are plump and easier to catch.

(birds chirping) (wildlife chattering)

The green jay is another insect eater.

When he finds a good place to hunt,

he stakes his claim to the territory,

ready to defend it against intruders.

(birds chirping)

The ochre-breasted antpitta is a timid bird

and seldom leaves the shade of the undergrowth.

It flies down to the ground to capture small invertebrates.

(birds chirping)

Hummingbirds are not very discreet.

They are, however, very small,

sometimes measuring less than 10 centimeters

and rarely weighing more than 10 grams.

But their constant motion and bright iridescent plumage

never go unnoticed.

(birds chirping) (wildlife chattering)

(bird whooshing)

The rivalry between species

isn't just a matter of the colors of their plumage.

These tiny birds are extremely aggressive

toward one another,

chasing rivals away, going at them full speed,

even if it means colliding midair.

All to defend their food sources,

generally masses of flowering plants.

When a hummingbird rests, it's only for a moment

to recuperate, preen, or simply observe the surroundings.

(birds chirping)

(bird whooshing)

Their fighting spirit is easily explained.

Hummingbirds need constant access to food.

During the day, they must feed every 15 minutes or so.

Theirs is the fastest metabolism in the animal kingdom,

with a heart rate of some 1,000 beats per minute.

They have to drink half their weight in sugar every day.

Deprived of food,

a hummingbird would die within two hours.

(bird flapping) (wildlife chattering)

All 132 species of hummingbirds found in Ecuador

have developed long beaks

that let them extract nectar from flowers

with the tip of their tongue.

They can do this midair, without landing,

without damaging the petals.

Rubbing their beaks on the pistil of each flower,

they play a vital role as pollinators,

which is essential for many plants' survival.

This is a mutually beneficial arrangement,

as are so many in nature.

(birds chirping) (bird flapping)

(gentle thoughtful music) (wildlife chattering)

At higher altitudes, the mountains are more rugged,

with sheer rock and gorges carved by the rivers.

At 2,500 meters very tall trees are rarer.

Trees that haven't been carried away by landslides

provide an excellent opportunity

for spectacled bears to play.

(birds chirping)

These two spectacled bear cubs are waiting for their mother.

They haven't been weaned,

so she left them here before seeking food for herself.

Here, they can play gently

and improve their climbing skills.

Also called the Andean bear,

this is the only bear species native to South America.

Unlike North American bears,

the spectacled bear is almost exclusively vegetarian

and doesn't hibernate

because there are no harsh winters here.

(soft playful music) (wildlife chattering)

Spectacled bears spend most of their time

in high-altitude meadows

at about 4,000 meters above sea level, above the tree line.

But for a few weeks, they go down to the cloud forest

to feed on the ripening fruit.

These are plants the cubs have never seen before.

Everything they do is a matter of play, exploration,

and physical exercise.

(soft playful music continues) (wildlife chattering)

The name spectacled bear

comes from the light-colored patterns

that some of them have around their eyes

and not because they are nearsighted,

although they are, indeed, nearsighted.

(soft playful music continues) (birds chirping)

When the cubs are tired,

they'll nap on the nest of branches

prepared by their mother.

(birds chirping)

(rain pattering)

They're awakened by a familiar sound:

Their mother is back.

The mother bear has been wearing a radio transmitter caller

ever since farmers in the nearby valley

caught her eating their corn in a field.

They've relocated her to a higher altitude

and have been tracking her ever since,

to check that she doesn't return to the farmland.

She was very fortunate because, in other places,

spectacled bears have been killed for doing the same thing.

For the time being,

her main concern is returning to the nest,

to nurse her seven-month-old cubs.

(wildlife chattering) (river rushing)

After nursing, the entire family falls asleep.

An hour later, the nap is over, and it's time to move.

(birds chirping)

The cubs carefully observe their mother's every move

before following her lead.

It's more difficult with small paws.

It's a good thing they can count on rugged claws.

(birds chirping) (river rushing)

(light whimsical music)

Their mother is leading them to the opposite shore,

but when they start to climb, she spots a male bear

coming downhill through the scrub,

moving in their direction.

(light tense music)

She changes course immediately.

The male could kill her cubs in order to mate with her.

She prefers to stay at this lower altitude,

hoping he won't pick up her scent.

Fortunately, the wind is blowing in the right direction,

downhill.

Having found nothing of interest,

the male goes back up, as the family watches attentively.

(light tense music continues)

Here, they will wait until the danger is passed.

(soft thoughtful music) (birds chirping)

(waterfall crashing)

The multitude of waterfalls cascading from the cliffs

is a sign that there are other untamed places

at higher altitudes.

(wind whistling)

At nearly 4,000 meters above sea level,

the landscape changes radically.

The cold, the winds, the thin air,

and the strong ultraviolet radiation

impose their demands on the plants

that have managed to survive in this environment.

Most are endemic species which can grow only in this biotope

called the paramo ecosystem.

Here a continuous wind dries the ground,

but the soil and the rock are covered with mosses,

which hold moisture

and provide a substrate for other plants.

Certain plants can live like this for several hundred years.

The secret to their longevity

might lie in their extremely slow growth.

Despite the harsh climate, this environment still hosts

a great diversity of plant species,

remarkable for their shapes and colors.

The lakes and ponds form a series of wetlands

that are invaluable to the few bird species

that can survive at this altitude.

(wind whistling)

Naturally, there are fewer animal species at this altitude,

but the presence of raptors, like this Puna hawk,

indicates that they find enough prey to survive.

In addition to small birds and rodents,

larger mammals are found on the flanks

of the Antisana volcano

and at the foot of the Antisana glacier.

(wind billows) (birds chirping)

The white-tailed deer have also acclimatized to the paramo.

They live in small family groups,

consisting of a dominant male, his harem,

and their young offspring.

These high isolated valleys provide food and safety.

Spectacled bears aren't a danger to adults,

and the only threat comes from cougars

that are few and far between.

(wind whistling)

The swirling winds bring a variety of sent,

some of them intriguing.

Even when grazing, the buck is ever on the alert,

attentive to the least change in his surroundings.

(wind gusting)

Especially to the scent of blood.

(wind lashing)

These spacious grassy plains

are now also used for cattle grazing,

but in this rugged terrain, with its harsh climate,

any fall can be fatal.

After breaking her bones,

this poor cow dragged herself there but died of thirst.

In this wild place,

one creature's death allows others to survive.

Condors have already spotted the carcass,

but it's a young carunculated caracara that lands first

before the condors.

Other adults join in

and also lay their claim to the carcass.

(birds squawking) (wind whistling)

A couple of adult caracaras and two younger birds

attack the flesh, preserved by the cold of the night.

This is a rare feast for them because, most often,

scavengers have to settle for small rodents, amphibians,

worms, and insects.

They're also capable of digging for seeds.

Opportunistic feeding

is especially important for the caracaras

because food is scarce at this altitude

and will thus be fought over.

Nothing ever goes to waste in these desolate climbs.

(tense thoughtful music)

Other scavengers have a different strategy,

conserving energy to restrict their nutritional needs.

Consider the largest of the raptors, the Andean condor.

With a wingspan of three meters,

the condor has the greatest wing area of any living bird.

Soaring on updrafts, it covers enormous distances.

So great is its ability to navigate

that it almost never needs to flap its wings.

When the condor sleeps,

its body temperature falls several degrees.

In the morning, it wakes slowly

and stretches to invigorate its muscles and joints,

waiting for the air to warm sufficiently

to cause updrafts along the rock face.

Only then can the condor take flight over the void.

(brooding mysterious music)

The condor exercises perfect control over flight

by directing the primary feathers at the wingtips.

It can soar to altitudes of 6,000 meters,

cross mountain summits,

and seek carrion in distant valleys.

(brooding mysterious music continues)

A male condor will sometimes travel in search of a mate.

The female lays a single egg,

and both parents will take care of it together,

like many long-lived species,

and they can live for up to 50 years.

The condor breeds very few offspring:

On average, only one every two or three years.

Thus, when necessary, the species regulates its reproduction

to avoid overpopulation.

(wind whistling)

At higher altitudes, nearly 5,000 meters above sea level,

begins the realm of eternal ice and snow,

where not even the hardiest plants can survive.

The cold, the wind,

and the thin air prevent any form of perennial life.

Glaciers rain and majesty on the volcano peaks.

(tense thoughtful music) (wind lashing)

(dramatic thoughtful music)

Rising to 5,900 meters above sea level,

Cotopaxi is not the highest volcano in Ecuador,

but it's one of the most beautiful,

with its perfect cone in its red and black lava,

contrasting with the sparkling white walls of ice,

but that's where its danger lies.

When the volcano awakens,

the earth's heat melts the glacier.

Large blocks break off, and water rushes downhill,

causing devastating avalanches and mudslides.

(rousing ominous orchestral music)

The canyons that scar, the volcano slopes,

and the broader valley below,

bear witness to the powers of the water, mud, and ice.

(birds chirping)

(stream trickles)

The base of the volcano is classified as a natural park,

a peaceful sanctuary for wildlife.

The culpeo fox is an opportunistic predator.

Able to adapt to vastly different environments,

very much at ease in the high grasses

where he can go unseen, this fox spends hours and hours

pacing the sides of the volcano

in search of carrion or prey.

(wind whistling) (birds chirping)

And when he rests in the sun, can we imagine he dreams

of the rabbits that form the mainstay of his diet?

Driven by hunger,

the fox will hunt over considerable distances,

but the swirling wind

makes it hard to follow the scent or sound of a prey,

so he searches, guided by instinct and experience.

(wind whistling) (birds chirping)

He can track a bird over several kilometers

up to nearly 4,800 meters above sea level,

but then the fox is on open terrain,

and if the bird finally flies away,

then the culpeo's efforts were all in vain.

(wind whooshing)

All he can do is catch his breath

and try to warm his body in sunlight,

while the sunlight lasts.

These high-altitude valleys of the Andes are formidable,

with their rugged relief, harsh climate,

and frequent storms.

There are moments of sunshine, but they cannot last,

as clouds from the Pacific contend with the fogs

and mist from the Amazon rainforest.

(wind whistling)

The paramo nevertheless fulfills

an important ecological function

by storing both carbon and moisture.

Global warming could affect the plant life

that has taken millions of years to adapt to the cold,

and that could not withstand a sudden rise in temperature.

The plant species living here

help to maintain the moisture balance.

Loss of these plants

could create a vicious circle of desertification

as moss is replaced by only dust,

and animal life, so fragile already, is doomed to disappear.

There are indeed a number of unexpected species

in these remote places.

Several small herds of wild horses

thrive at the foot of Cotopaxi.

These horses descend from ancestors

imported during the Spanish colonization

in the 17th century.

Horses that escaped from the haciendas

where they were used to herd cattle.

Horses that fled to these high plateaus,

protected by the volcano.

Over the generations, they have acclimatized,

and now they are free to roam these wide open spaces.

(light majestic orchestral music)

(stream burbles)

Even more amazing is a hummingbird species

that lives only between 3,500

and 5,200 meters above sea level.

To resist the sub-zero temperatures at night,

the Ecuadorian hillstar enters into a torpor,

close to a state of hibernation,

before slowly reemerging each morning.

(wind whistling)

Other birds can endure the freezing cold.

Rufous-bellied seedsnipe feed on seeds

and succulent plants that they peck at on the ground.

Vicunas can survive the cold

with their excellent wool coats,

with fibers as fine and warm as its domesticated cousin,

the alpaca.

While native to Peru and Bolivia,

the vicuna was introduced to Ecuador in the late 1970s.

Since then, the population has gradually multiplied,

as its only predators are cougars, which are rare,

and foxes.

Vicunas live in small family groups

consisting of an adult male, a number of females,

and their offspring under a year and a half old.

(wind whistling)

Mid afternoons, the clouds suddenly rise from the valley.

In a matter of minutes, the humidity rises,

the temperature drops,

and visibility is reduced to just a few meters.

(wind whooshing)

The vicunas are used to this

and take advantage to graze on plants covered with dew.

The newer shoots are softer, sweeter, juicier,

and easier to digest.

(wind whistling)

The persistent wind finally drives away the cloud cover,

revealing the summit of Chimborazo,

the highest volcano in Ecuador.

(majestic orchestral music)

The ice cap volcano rises to 6,263 meters above sea level.

Like everywhere else, alas, the glacier is receding

and shrinking dramatically.

While climate change has already had

a drastic effect on the polar regions,

there were hopes that the equatorial zones

would be spared to some extent,

but process of melting snow and ice simply started later.

By the end of the century,

even this giant mountain will lose its ice,

depriving biotopes at lower altitudes

of the water reserves they need for survival.

(birds chirping)

The western slopes of the Andes on the Pacific Ocean side

are also covered by a cloud forest,

but an entirely different forest with different species.

(monkey groaning)

(waves crashing)

And there are even greater differences in species

in the westernmost region of Ecuador,

1,000 kilometers off the coast:

The fabulous Galapagos Islands.

(water bubbles)

(majestic thoughtful orchestral music)