Original subtitles

.

NARRATOR: WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL, YOU KNOW YOU RE

WATCHING TELEVISION THAT IS EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL.

THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: HI, EVERYBODY, I'M DYLAN DREYER, AND THIS IS "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

TODAY, WE TRAVEL AROUND THE PLANET TO DISCOVER WHAT LIFE IS

LIKE IN THE COLDEST PLACES ON EARTH.

IN SIBERIA, THIS DESERT-DWELLER HAS TO BUNDLE UP TO SURVIVE THE

HARSH WINTER.

PLUS, THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF A PUMA CUB THAT WAS SEPARATED

FROM HIS MOTHER.

[PUMA YELPING]

THEN LATER, WE'LL HEAD TO THE ARCTIC, WHERE IT'S NEVER TOO

COLD FOR THIS FAMILY OF OXEN.

ALL OF THIS AND MUCH, MUCH MORE ON "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: ON EVERY "EARTH ODYSSEY", WE FIND A DIVERSE

GROUP OF WILDLIFE ALL WITH UNIQUE TRAITS THAT SERVE THEM IN

THE WILD.

WELL, YOU'RE ABOUT TO MEET ANOTHER ANIMAL WITH A SPECIAL

TALENT FOR SURVIVING AND THRIVING.

TAKE A LOOK.

THE SHIRETOKO PENINSULA IN NORTHERN HOKKAIDO BORDERS THE

COLDEST SEA IN EAST ASIA, THE COLDEST REGION OF JAPAN.

THE ISLAND IS IN THE GRIP OF WINTER WITH TEMPERATURES

REGULARLY DROPPING BELOW FREEZING.

BUT ONE ICONIC SPECIES FOUND HERE IS BEGINNING TO GATHER.

[BIRDS SQUAWKING]

THE RED-CROWNED CRANE IS A SYMBOL OF LUCK IN JAPAN.

THEIR LARGE FRAMES HELP THEM ENDURE THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES

OF ANY CRANE SPECIES.

THE RED-CROWNED CRANE SHOWS OFF WITH ITS MAJESTIC WHITE

FEATHERS.

THE FIELDS ARE FROZEN SOLID, BUT THESE BIRDS AREN'T HERE FOR

FOOD.

THEY'VE COME TO FIND LOVE.

THE RED-CROWNED CRANES PUT ON A PERFORMANCE FOR EACH OTHER.

THE MALE TAKES THE LEAD.

[BIRDS SQUAWKING]

HIS PARTNER SOON JOINS, MIRRORING HIS MOVES.

TOGETHER, THEY CALL OUT IN A UNIQUE DUET.

RED-CROWNED CRANES MATE FOR LIFE.

THIS DANCE IS A RITUAL THE PAIR WILL PERFORM TOGETHER MANY TIMES

OVER THE YEARS.

IT STRENGTHENS THEIR LIFELONG BOND AND IMPROVES THEIR ODDS OF

REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS.

AS MORE PAIRS GATHER, THEY FORM ONE OF NATURE'S MOST ELEGANT

ENSEMBLES.

THEY DANCE AND SING IN A BEAUTIFUL BIRD BALLET.

[BIRDS SQUAWKING]

WITH THE SHOW NOW OVER, THEY RETREAT TO THE NEARBY POOLS.

HEATED BY GEOTHERMAL ENERGY, THEY ENSURE A WELCOME RESPITE

FROM THE COLD 0BEFORE MATING SEASON BEGINS.

RED-CROWNED CRANES WILL STAY CLOSE TOGETHER NOW TO KEEP OUT

THE WINTERY COLD.

COMING UP, FIND OUT HOW THESE GIANT MAMMALS FIND THEIR FOOTING

IN THE CHALLENGING COLD CLIMATES.

PLUS, THESE OXEN ARE LIVING THE HIGH LIFE IN THE HIGH ARCTIC.

AND LATER, YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THE STORY OF THIS LITTLE

LOST PUMA CUB.

ALL OF THIS AND MORE COMING UP ON "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[PUMA YELPING]

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: IN MIDWINTER, WINDS BLOWING IN FROM SIBERIA TURN THE

GOBI DESERT TOTALLY WHITE, MAKING THIS PERHAPS THE TOUGHEST

DESERT OF ALL.

SUMMER TEMPERATURES CAN REACH MORE THAN 100 DEGREES, BUT NOW

IT'S MINUS 40.

FEW ANIMALS CAN SURVIVE SUCH BRUTAL TEMPERATURE CHANGES, BUT

THERE'S ONE THAT EXCELS IN THESE EXTREMES...

...THE WILD BACTRIAN CAMEL.

DESERT SPECIALISTS, THE ADAPTATIONS TO SAND WORK EQUALLY

WELL IN THE SNOW.

WIDE HOOVES PREVENT THEM FROM SINKING.

PADS OF FAT ON THEIR BASE PROTECT FROM COLD JUST AS THEY

DO HEAT...

...WHILE BUSHY EYEBROWS, TWO ROWS OF LASHES, AND A THICK,

SHAGGY WINTER COAT KEEP THE COLD AT BAY.

DURING SUMMER, THESE CAMELS NEVER WANDER FAR FROM A WATERING

HOLE.

BUT WINTER GIVES THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO VENTURE FARTHER

TO FIND FOOD.

WHAT LITTLE WATER THERE WAS IS NOW FROZEN, SO THE CAMELS EAT

THE SNOW.

THEY MUST BE CAREFUL.

TOO MUCH TOO QUICKLY COULD BE LETHAL, SO THEY TAKE WHAT THEY

NEED LITTLE AND OFTEN.

AND THE SNOW WILL NEVER MELT.

THE AIR IS TOO COLD AND TOO DRY.

INSTEAD, IT'S TURNED STRAIGHT TO VAPOR BY THE SUN, WHICH IS NOT A

PROBLEM FOR THE CAMELS SINCE THEIR NOSTRILS CAN REABSORB THE

WATER FROM THE AIR.

THEIR NEWFOUND WINTER FREEDOM TIES IN WITH BREEDING SEASON.

[CAMEL GROANING]

MALES PUT ON A SOMEWHAT BIZARRE PERFORMANCE IN THE HOPE OF

ATTRACTING A MATE.

[CAMEL GROANING]

USING HIS TAIL, HE FLICKS HIS ALLURING SCENT OVER HIS BACK TO

DRAW IN THE FEMALES.

DESPITE HIS EFFORTS, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE WORKING, BUT IT'S

EARLY IN THE SEASON.

HE'S GOT PLENTY OF TIME TO PERFECT HIS TACTICS.

COMING UP, THESE MUSK OXEN ARE FULLY DRESSED FOR THE LOW

TEMPERATURES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC.

BUT FIRST, THE EARTH'S COLDEST REGIONS CAN BE CRUEL, ESPECIALLY

TO NATURE'S MOST VULNERABLE.

[PUMA YELPING]

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: IN THE COLDEST PLACES ON EARTH, SEASONS CAN CHANGE IN AN

INSTANT.

THIS IS WHEN SURVIVAL RELIES LESS ON INSTINCT AND MORE ON

EXPERIENCE.

IF YOU'RE A BABY IN THE WILD THAT FULLY DEPENDS ON YOUR

MOTHER'S GUIDANCE, IT'S CATASTROPHIC TO BE SEPARATED.

THE EMOTIONALLY EXHAUSTING TASK OF REUNITING WITH YOUR FAMILY IS

SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE IN THE WILD, BUT FOR ONE LOST PUMA CUB,

LIFE AND LOVE FINDS A WAY.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS INCREDIBLE STORY.

ON THE SOUTHERN TIP OF CHILE LIES TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL

PARK.

AT THE FOOT OF THE ANDES, THE WEATHER HERE IS UNPREDICTABLE.

SNOWSTORMS CAN ERUPT WITHOUT WARNING, CATCHING SOME ANIMALS

UNAWARE.

THIS 15-MONTH-OLD PUMA HAS LOST HIS MOTHER.

HE'S NOT YET ABLE TO SURVIVE ALONE.

SHE COULD BE ANYWHERE IN THEIR TERRITORY OF NEARLY 40 SQUARE

MILES.

HE JUST NEEDS TO HOLD OUT LONG ENOUGH TO FIND HER.

THANKFULLY, PUMAS ARE ONE OF THE MOST ADAPTABLE BIG CATS USED TO

FACING A VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.

HIS THICK FUR PREVENTS HIM FROM GETTING WET AND KEEPS OUT THE

COLD.

[PUMA YELPING]

HE DESPERATELY CRIES FOR HIS MOTHER.

[YELPING CONTINUES]

BUT HIS CALLS GO UNANSWERED.

[PUMA YELPING]

[YELPING CONTINUES]

WITH THE WEATHER CLOSING IN, HIS BEST CHANCE OF SURVIVAL IS

TO FIND A PLACE TO HIDE.

BUT IN THIS OPEN TERRAIN, THE OPTIONS ARE LIMITED.

HE'S FORCED TO SPEND ANOTHER COLD NIGHT ALONE.

THE NEXT MORNING, THE MOTHER IS OUT SEARCHING FOR HER MISSING

CUB.

RETRACING HER STEPS AROUND THE BOUNDARIES OF THEIR TERRITORY,

SHE CHECKS FOR HIS SCENT OR ANY SIGN HE MAY HAVE BEEN CLOSE.

THEN, SHE HEARS A SOUND COMING FROM THE VALLEY BELOW.

[PUMA YELPING]

IT'S HER CUB.

AT LAST, THEY'RE REUNITED.

FOR THE YOUNG CUB, IT'S A LUCKY ESCAPE.

THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFERENT.

THIS YOUNG PUMA WILL SPEND THE NEXT NINE MONTHS WITH HIS

MOTHER, WHERE HE'LL LEARN HOW TO ADAPT TO THE EVER-CHANGING

CLIMATE IN THE ANDES.

COMING UP, THE TEMPERATURE IS LOW, BUT TENSIONS ARE HIGH AS

THESE MUSK OXEN FIGHT TO SURVIVE THE ARCTIC WINTER.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: THE HIGH ARCTIC...

...A LANDSCAPE OF FREEZING TEMPERATURES COVERED IN ITS

ENTIRETY BY ENDLESS WHITE SHEETS OF SNOW.

IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE THAT ANY CREATURE CAN SURVIVE SUCH

CONDITIONS.

BUT ONE DOES, THE MUSK OX.

THESE ICE AGE RELICS ARE PERFECTLY SUITED TO THIS

UNFORGIVING PLACE.

THEIR FUR ENABLES THEM TO WITHSTAND THE HARSHEST WEATHER

CONDITIONS.

BLIZZARD-PROOF, REACHING OUT TO THREE FEET IN LENGTH, IT COVERS

THEIR ENTIRE BODY.

THE DOMINANT MALE IN THE GROUP IS ALWAYS ON GUARD.

COME SUMMER, HE'LL NEED TO FIGHT FOR HIS RIGHT TO MATE WITH THE

FEMALES.

SO, HE'LL TAKE ANY CHANCE HE GETS TO PRACTICE.

MALES CHARGE THEIR RIVALS AT UP TO 25 MILES PER HOUR, CRASHING

HORNS AS THEY COME TOGETHER.

[OX GROANING]

THE CLASHES CONTINUE...

[OX GROANING]

...UNTIL ONE BACKS DOWN.

THE VICTOR HAS WON THE BATTLE.

BUT ALL THE MUSK OXEN MUST CONTINUE TO FIGHT THE WAR WITH

THE COLD.

FOR ALL ANIMALS, WINTER BRINGS UNIQUE CHALLENGES.

BUT NATURE'S TOUGHEST CREATURES HAVE FOUND INCREDIBLE WAYS TO

SURVIVE IN OUR PLANET'S COLDEST REGIONS.

WHETHER IT'S FINDING FOOD...

...IMPRESSING A MATE...

...OR WITHSTANDING THE PLANET'S MOST EXTREME COLD, THESE ANIMALS

HAVE EVOLVED REMARKABLE ADAPTATIONS TO OUTSMART THE COLD

AND SUCCEED...

...IN THE RELENTLESS STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE.

AS WE'VE JUST SEEN, IN THE COLDEST PLACES ON EARTH, IT

TAKES TRUE RESILIENCE FOR ANIMALS TO THRIVE.

FROM PATIENTLY PREYING ON ITS FROZEN DINNER TO FINDING ITS

FAMILY IN THE WORST OF CIRCUMSTANCES, THE SPIRIT OF

THESE ANIMALS IS TRULY HEARTWARMING.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]