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 EVERYONE, I'M DYLAN DREYER.

AND IT'S TIME FOR AN INCREDIBLE ADVENTURE ON "EARTH ODYSSEY."

TODAY, WE ARE SCOURING THE GLOBE TO FIND THE ANIMALS WITH SOME OF

THE WORLD'S MOST ASTONISHING APPETITES.

LIKE THIS GROUP OF GRAZERS THAT CAN CLEAR FIELDS FOR MILES

AROUND.

AND A ROAMING GIANT WHOSE MEALS COME IN ELEPHANTINE PROPORTIONS.

LATER, WE'LL MEET A HORNED HARD BODY WITH A NOSE FOR FINDING A

GOOD MEAL.

BUT FIRST, WE MAKE OUR WAY TO THE WATERFRONT TO SEE A WHOLE

FAMILY WITH A HEAVYWEIGHT HUNGER.

THERE'S SO MUCH TO SEE COMING UP ON "EARTH ODYSSEY."

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THE ANIMAL KINGDOM IS ALWAYS FULL OF THE UNEXPECTED.

AND A BIG 9,000-POUND EXAMPLE IS THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.

WHILE THEIR MASS MAY IMPRESS, IT'S THEIR MUNCHING THAT

MATTERS.

THESE SEMI-AQUATIC CREATURES PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THEIR

ECOSYSTEM, HELPING TO CLEAR RIVERS, STREAMS AND LAKES BY

EATING HUGE AMOUNTS OF AQUATIC PLANTS.

AND THERE'S NOTHING A HIPPO LOVES MORE THAN A WELL CARED FOR

WATERWAY.

FROM ALMOST THE MOMENT THEY'RE BORN, HIPPOS HAVE A SPECIAL

KINSHIP WITH THE WATER.

THESE YOUNG CALVES ARE TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF THEIR AQUATIC

PLAYGROUND WITH SOME WRESTLING.

IT'S ALL FUN AND GAMES FOR NOW.

BUT WHEN THEY'RE ADULTS, THE SIZE OF THEIR CANINES AND

STRENGTH OF THEIR JAWS WILL MEAN THEY SAVE THESE TYPES OF BRAWLS

FOR SERIOUS MATTERS ONLY.

HIPPOS ARE A RELATIVELY SOCIAL BUNCH IN THE WILD.

THEY LIVE IN GROUPS MOSTLY COMPOSED OF A DOMINANT MALE AND

A FEW FEMALES WITH THEIR YOUNG.

EACH ALPHA MALE ONLY CONTROLS 100 YARDS OF RIVERBANK, BUT THEY

DEFEND IT FIERCELY.

AS LONG AS NO CHALLENGERS ARISE, THE WATERFRONT REMAINS SERENE.

[MUSIC, SOUNDS OF NATURE]

DYLAN: HIPPOS AREN'T PICKY WHEN IT COMES TO BODIES OF WATER.

AS LONG AS THEY CAN SUBMERGE THEMSELVES COMPLETELY, THEY'RE

AS HAPPY AS CAN BE.

AND FOR GOOD REASON.

A HIPPO'S SKIN ISN'T AS THICK AS IT LOOKS,

NOR DO THEY HAVE ANY SWEAT GLANDS.

THAT MEANS THEY DEHYDRATE FAST.

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

DYLAN: NO WONDER THEY HAVE SUCH A STRONG CONNECTION TO THE

WATER.

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

DYLAN: ONCE UNDER THE SURFACE, THEY MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE

BOTTOM, HOLDING THEIR BREATH AS THEY MOVE AROUND.

BUT WHAT ARE THEY DOING DOWN THERE?

IT'S A TRUE MYSTERY.

ONE THING WE KNOW THEY'RE NOT DOING IS EATING.

THAT REQUIRES TOO MUCH BREATHING.

BUT WHAT THEY CAN DO IS SLEEP.

THEY CAN EVEN COME TO THE SURFACE TO BREATHE WITHOUT

WAKING UP.

TALK ABOUT TRUSTING YOUR INSTINCTS.

WHEN IT COMES TIME TO FEED, HIPPOS GORGE ON GRASS.

THEY CAN EAT UP TO 90 POUNDS OF IT IN A DAY.

BUT THEY PREFER TO EAT ALONE; NOT WANTING TO RUB SHOULDERS

WITH THEIR FELLOW HIPPOS DURING A MEAL.

HOWEVER, WHEN THE MEAL IS OVER, HIPPOS ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO

HANG OUT.

THE REASON BEHIND THEIR CLOSE SOCIAL BONDS ISN'T EXACTLY

CLEAR.

IT COULD BE PART OF ROUTINE.

IN THE SUMMER WHEN THERE ISN'T MUCH WATER, THEY PACK TOGETHER

TO SHARE WHAT WATER THERE IS.

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

DYLAN: IT COULD ALSO BE A DEFENSIVE STRATEGY TO PROTECT

THEIR YOUNG FROM CROCODILES.

BUT THE REAL ANSWER IS THAT WE SIMPLY AREN'T SURE.

THESE MAJESTIC MAMMALS ARE PROOF THAT NATURE IS STILL FULL OF

MYSTERIES.

WHEN WE COME BACK, WE'LL MEET A BEEFY BOVINE THAT FINDS STRENGTH

IN NUMBERS.

AND SEE WHAT IT TAKES TO SATIATE THESE MASSIVE MAMMALS.

PLUS, A SAVANNA STYLE THAT DATES BACK MILLIONS OF YEARS.

THIS AND SO MUCH MORE NEXT ON "EARTH ODYSSEY."

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: EACH FAMILY OF ANIMALS IS TIED TOGETHER BY COMMON TRAITS

THAT MAKE THEM UNIQUE, SETTING THEM APART FROM OTHER ANIMALS.

LET'S USE THE GREAT FAMILY OF BOVIDAE AS AN EXAMPLE.

THERE'S THE BUFFALO AND THE ANTELOPES;

75 SPECIES IN ALL, VARYING IN SHAPE,

SIZE AND COLOR.

BUT WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON?

TO START, THEY HAVE TWO-TOED HOOFS.

ALL THE MALES HAVE HORNS.

AND EVERY ONE OF THEM LOVES TO GRAZE THE DAY AWAY, EATING AMPLE

AMOUNTS OF VEGETATION.

BUT EVEN WITH THEIR SIMILARITIES, EACH SPECIES IS

ORGANIZED DIFFERENTLY, CHOOSING EITHER TO LIVE IN A GROUP OR

ALONE.

IT'S ALMOST HALF AND HALF.

43 SPECIES LIVE IN COMMUNITIES WHILE 32 OF THEM KEEP TO

THEMSELVES.

BUFFALO CERTAINLY PREFER THE FORMER.

FOR THEM, LIVING IN GROUPS IS A KEY TO THEIR SURVIVAL STRATEGY.

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO KEEP OUT OF SIGHT, ESPECIALLY AS THEY

HAVE TO KEEP MOVING DUE TO THEIR MASSIVE APPETITE.

AT ANY MOMENT, THEY COULD COME UPON A PREDATOR ON THE PROWL.

SO, HOW DO THEY PREPARE FOR THIS?

THEY LIVE IN GROUPS WHICH TURNS OUT TO BE AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THEIR NUMBER AND THEIR MASS CAN BE A STRONG DETERRENT

FOR ANY PREDATOR, ESPECIALLY IN THIS HERD WHERE EVERY ANIMAL IS

KEEPING WATCH FOR EACH OTHER.

IN A HERD OF SEVERAL HUNDRED MEMBERS LIKE THIS ONE, THE RISK

OF BEING A PREDATOR'S NEXT VICTIM IS DEFINITELY LESS OF A

WORRY.

WHILE THE BUFFALO MAKE UP A STABLE AND TIGHTKNIT GROUP,

GIRAFFES ARE A DIFFERENT STORY ENTIRELY.

IN GENERAL, THEY ARE PHYSICALLY AND SOCIALLY APART FROM ONE

ANOTHER.

AS FOR THE INDIVIDUALS THEMSELVES, THEY HAVE A FEW

SURPRISES HIDDEN UP THEIR VERY LONG SLEEVES.

FOR EXAMPLE, GIRAFFES ARE WHAT'S CALLED RUMINATE; MEANING THEY

CAN GET NUTRIENTS BY FERMENTING FOOD IN THEIR STOMACHS.

OR HOW ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE CLOVEN HOOVES LIKE GAZELLES

OR GOATS?

ANOTHER INTERESTING FACT IS THAT THE MALE'S COAT DARKENS WITH AGE

WHILE THE FEMALES DON'T.

HOWEVER, WHAT TRULY SETS GIRAFFES APART IS THEIR

IMPRESSIVE REACH.

SOME AS TALL AS 18 FEET, THEY'RE MASTERS OF PICKING THEIR FOOD

FROM THE TOP SHELF.

ADDING SOME EXTRA REACH WITH THEIR NEARLY 2-FOOT-LONG

TONGUES, THESE GRAZERS CAN FEED WHERE NO ONE ELSE CAN.

GORGEOUS, BUT A BIT GAWKY.

ODD, BUT UNDOUBTEDLY AWE-INSPIRING.

THE GIRAFFE IS AN ANIMAL THAT TOWERS OVER THE AFRICAN

LANDSCAPE AS A TRULY HIGH-CLASS HERBIVORE.

COMING UP, THIS GIANT GRAZER HAS THE ANIMAL KINGDOM'S MOST

VERSATILE DINNER UTENSIL.

AND WE'LL SEE HOW FINDING A GOOD MEAL IS ALL ABOUT FOLLOWING YOUR

NOSE.

STICK AROUND FOR MORE "EARTH ODYSSEY."

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: AFRICA IS HOME TO THE LARGEST LAND ANIMALS ON EARTH.

THIS LUSH AND DIVERSE LANDSCAPE OFFERS ENOUGH FOOD, WATER AND

SPACE FOR EVEN THE MOST COLOSSAL CREATURES TO THRIVE.

WHILE THEIR SIZE MAY MEAN THEY AREN'T THREATENED BY PREDATORS,

BEING THE BIGGEST AROUND COMES WITH ITS OWN DIFFICULTIES.

ONE HERD OF TUSK-WIELDING TITANS MUST WORK AROUND THE CLOCK TO

STAY FIT FOR FORAGING.

AFRICAN ELEPHANTS, A MAMMAL WITH AN APPETITE TO MATCH THEIR

INCREDIBLE SIZE.

BUT THAT KIND OF HUNGER COMES WITH A THIRST TO MATCH.

AN ELEPHANT CAN DRINK UP TO 50 GALLONS EVERY DAY USING ITS

TRUNK AS AN EASY WAY TO COLLECT WATER AND SPRAY IT INTO ITS

MOUTH.

A SINGLE TRUNKFUL CAN CARRY MULTIPLE GALLONS OF WATER.

THAT'S SOME SERIOUSLY HEAVYWEIGHT HYDRATION.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THIRST TAKEN CARE OF, IT'S BACK TO THEIR FAVORITE PAST

TIME - GRAZING.

THIS HERD IS HARD AT WORK GRABBING LEAVES FROM THE HIGH

BRANCHES IN THIS TREE.

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

DYLAN: AS THEY MUNCH, THEIR POWERFUL EARS ACT AS A COOLING

SYSTEM FOR THEM.

AROUND THE BACKSIDE OF THE ELEPHANT, THEIR TAIL IS AN

EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR SWATTING AWAY ANY UNWANTED PESTS

OR BIRDS.

BUT OF COURSE, EVERY APPENDAGE PALES IN COMPARISON TO THE MOST

VERSATILE OF ALL - THE TRUNK.

INCREDIBLY MOBILE AND ACCURATE, TRUNKS CAN ACT AS A SNORKEL,

ARM AND FLY-SWATTER AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.

THE DEXTERITY WITH WHICH THEY CAN GRAB AND PICK OUT FOOD WITH

THEIR TRUNK IS UNMATCHED AMONG ITS FELLOW ANIMAL CITIZENS OF

THE SAVANNA.

BUT THERE ARE MORE HIDDEN ATTRIBUTES OF THE ELEPHANT'S

MAKEUP.

THEIR SKIN HAS NO SWEAT GLANDS, MAKING IT UNATTRACTIVE TO MANY

PESTS LIKE TICS.

HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T MEAN A GOOD DUST BATH GOES TO WASTE.

IT CAN HELP DETRACT MITES AND OTHER TINY INSECTS.

SO, IN THIS CASE, THE DIRTIER THE BETTER.

WHILE ELEPHANTS ARE ONE OF THE WILD'S MOST WELL-KNOWN ANIMALS,

THEY OFTEN RAISE THE MOST QUESTION.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY HAVE NO SWEAT GLANDS, WHAT'S THAT LIQUID

WE SEE TRICKLING BETWEEN THE EYE AND THE EAR?

IT'S FROM THE ELEPHANT'S TEMPORAL GLAND.

ON FEMALES OR THE YOUNG, IT'S SIMPLY CAUSED BY A STATE OF

STRESS OR EXCITEMENT.

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

DYLAN: BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE MATURE MALES, IT MEANS THEY ARE

IN A PERIOD KNOWN AS MUSTH.

MUSTH IS A CONDITION IN MALE ELEPHANTS THAT SEES A MASSIVE

INCREASE IN THEIR REPRODUCTIVE HORMONES.

A TIME WHEN OTHER ANIMALS KNOW THEY MUST BE CAREFUL.

THEIR TESTOSTERONE LEVELS CAN REACH MORE THAN 60 TIMES THE

USUAL AMOUNT.

AND USUALLY, THAT MEANS SOME HIGHLY AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR.

THIS BULL CAN SENSE IT IN HIS COMPATRIOT AND PREFERS TO AVOID

CONTACT ALTOGETHER.

WHEN IN THIS MOOD, AN ELEPHANT CAN CHASE OFF ALL THE MALES IN

THE VICINITY TO BE ALONE WITH THE FEMALES.

BUT STRANGELY, THIS PHENOMENON IS NOT ENTIRELY LINKED TO

REPRODUCTION.

MALES CAN MATE PERFECTLY WELL WITHOUT EVER GOING INTO THIS

MUSTH STATE.

SO, ITS TRUE REASON REMAINS A TRUE MYSTERY.

JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF NATURE'S ABILITY TO KEEP US GUESSING.

AFTER THE BREAK, WE'LL SEE HOW THIS HUNGRY HULK'S DIET IS ALL

ABOUT MODERATION.

WHEN "EARTH ODYSSEY" RETURNS.

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: SOME CREATURES HAVE CONNECTIONS FAR BACK BEYOND

HUMAN HISTORY.

BUT WE CAN STILL SEE THEIR ANCIENT PAST TODAY AS A SPECIAL

FEW HAVE KEPT THEIR PREHISTORIC APPEARANCE.

THE BLACK RHINO IS ONE OF THE LAST EXAMPLES OF A FAMILY OF

ANIMALS WHICH APPEARED ON THE PLANET 35 MILLION YEARS AGO.

AT THAT TIME, THEY HAD NO HORN, BUT WERE NONETHELESS REAL RHINOS

WITH HUGE BODIES, SHORT LEGS AND A LONG HEAD WITH A PREHENSILE

UPPER LIP RESEMBLING A TURTLE'S BEAK.

ONE OTHER SPECIES OF RHINO HAS SURVIVED, THE WHITE RHINO.

TWICE THE SIZE OF ITS BLACK COUSIN, IT APPEARED MILLIONS OF

YEARS LATER DURING THE QUATERNARY ERA.

IN BOTH SPECIES, THE EYES ARE SMALL AND SET VERY LOW ON THEIR

CHEEKS.

TO COMPENSATE FOR THEIR POOR SIGHT, THEY RELY ON THEIR EARS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WHILE THE BLACK RHINO WILL EAT UP TO 200 VARIETIES OF

PLANT, WHITE RHINOS EAT ONLY GRASS.

RHINOS HAVE NEITHER CANINES NOR INCISORS; THEREFORE, THEY USE

THEIR LIPS TO GRAB AND TEAR THEIR FOOD.

THE WHITE RHINO'S LIPS ARE WHITE AND STRAIGHT TO PROVIDE A BIGGER

CUTTING EDGE.

RHINOS EAT MAINLY IN THE MORNING AND THE EVENING.

IN THIS CASE, JUST AFTER A MUD BATH.

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

DYLAN: THEY CAN GET BY ON 40 TO 70 POUNDS OF GRASS A DAY, A

SURPRISINGLY SMALL AMOUNT FOR ANIMALS THIS BIG.

THE REASON FOR THIS LIMITED NEED FOR FOOD IS THEIR SLOW

METABOLISM AND THAT THEY EXERT THEMSELVES SO LITTLE THEY CAN

SEEM APATHETIC.

RHINOS HAVE THE REPUTATION OF BEING SOLITARY CREATURES, WHICH

IS TRUE OF THE TERRITORIAL MALES.

FEMALES, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE RARELY ALONE.

IF THEY HAVE NO YOUNG, THEY JOIN UP WITH OTHER FEMALES IN THE

SAME SITUATION AND LIVE TOGETHER IN SMALL, STABLE GROUPS.

THE STRONGEST AND MOST ENDURING SOCIAL BOND AMONG RHINOS IS THAT

BETWEEN A MOTHER AND ITS BABY.

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

DYLAN: THEY STAY TOGETHER FOR 2 TO 3 YEARS, WAY PAST WEANING AND

BEYOND THE STAGE WHEN THEIR SIZE LEAVES THEM VULNERABLE TO

PREDATORS.

BARELY AN HOUR AFTER ITS BORN, THE BABY RHINO CAN ALREADY STAND

ALONGSIDE ITS MOTHER.

THIS ONE IS NOW 2 MONTHS OLD AND HAS ALREADY BEGUN GRAZING.

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

DYLAN: DESPITE THIS PRECOCIOUSNESS, THE RHINO'S LIFE

WILL NOT LIVE UP TO ITS EARLY PROMISE.

THIS COSSETED CHILDHOOD SPENT EXCLUSIVELY WITH ITS MOTHER

MERELY PREPARES IT FOR A LIFE WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT SOCIAL

RELATIONS.

WHILE A SOLITARY EXISTENCE MAY SEEM HARSH, IT HAS PROVEN TO BE

THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY FOR THESE GRASSLAND GIANTS TO THRIVE

THROUGH THE GENERATIONS.

ALL OF THE INCREDIBLE WILDLIFE AROUND THE WORLD CAN INTRIGUE

AND IMPRESS.

BUT THE STAGGERING SIZES OF EARTH'S GIANT MAMMALS ARE

AWE-INSPIRING.

THE ABILITY OF THESE BEHEMOTHS TO ADAPT AND THRIVE ARE JUST

SOME OF THE REASONS WHY THEY'RE TRUE ICONS OF THE WILD.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON OUR ADVENTURE INTO THE LAND OF THE

LARGEST ANIMALS.

I HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF "EARTH

ODYSSEY."

[MUSIC]