Original subtitles

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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 THERE, I'M DYLAN DREYER, AND WE'RE ABOUT TO

EMBARK ON A JOURNEY INTO THE WILD ANIMAL KINGDOM HERE ON

EARTH ODYSSEY.

TODAY, WE'RE HEADED TO A LAND OF FOUR-LEGGED WONDERS, AFRICA,

TO SEE SOME OF THE WILD'S MOST MAGNIFICENT MAMMALS.

LIKE THESE MASTERS OF THE MONOCHROME,

AND A TUSKED TODDLER LOOKING TO COOL OFF IN A SAVANNAH RIVER.

LATER, ALL IT TAKES IS A BED IN THE BRANCHES FOR THIS BIG CAT

TO KICK BACK AND RELAX.

BUT WE'RE JUMPING HEAD FIRST INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE ACTION

TO SEE WHAT'S GOT THESE YOUNG BUCKS ALL RILED UP.

LET'S GET THIS ADVENTURE UNDERWAY.

WELCOME TO EARTH ODYSSEY.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: AMONG EVERY SPECIES OF ANIMAL, THERE ARE TRADITIONS

AND RITUALS THAT DEFINE THEM.

WHILE THEY MAY LOOK STRANGE OR SEEM INCONSEQUENTIAL, THESE ODD

BEHAVIORS PLAY AN INTEGRAL PART IN ESTABLISHING HIERARCHY,

CHOOSING A PARTNER, OR EVEN REMINDING A RIVAL WHO'S BOSS.

IN THE WILD, AGE-OLD TRADITIONS LIKE A CEREMONIAL BATTLE CAN

SHAPE AN ANIMAL'S ENTIRE FUTURE.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THIS ENTANGLEMENT MAY BE SILENT, CODIFIED, LOOKING ALMOST

PEACEFUL, BUT IT CAN TURN OUT TO BE VERY DANGEROUS.

NEITHER ANIMAL WANTS TO BACK DOWN IN THIS TRIAL OF STRENGTH.

THERE IS EXTREME THRUST AT THE POINT OF THE HORN.

IT PRESSES INTO THE SKIN ONLY A FEW INCHES FROM THE EYE.

CONFLICT IS INHERENT TO THE LIFE OF ALL GROUPS, BUT

IN MOST ANIMAL SOCIETIES, FIGHTING IS RITUALIZED.

IN OTHER WORDS, THE ACTUAL DANGER IS LIMITED.

IT'S MORE FOR SHOW, BUT STILL A CRUCIAL ASPECT OF THEIR LIVES.

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG, YOU LOSE A HORN.

IT'S PAINLESS.

IT HAS NO EFFECT ON THE STATE OF HEALTH, BUT IT

ISN'T WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES.

IT'S OFTEN THE END OF A WHOLE PERIOD OF SOCIAL LIFE.

THERE ISN'T A SINGLE FEMALE IN THE SAVANNAH WHO WILL

CHOOSE A MALE WHO'S MISSING HALF HIS CROWNING GLORY.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: EACH SPECIES IS DEFINED BY PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

THAT ARE COMMON TO ALL OF ITS INDIVIDUALS,

A SORT OF STANDARD MODEL FROM WHICH SOME OF THEM DIFFER IN

SOMETIMES SPECTACULAR WAYS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: IT MIGHT BE A SIMPLE QUESTION OF ITS COAT.

WITH THE GREATER KUDU, THE NORM IS TO HAVE A

FEW STRIPES ON THE COAT.

THIS FEMALE STANDS OUT WITH ITS ORIGINAL SPOTTED DESIGN.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS A WARTHOG.

USUALLY IT HAS SOME LONG HAIRS THAT HANG ON ITS NECK,

BUT THIS ONE HAS A STUNNING BLONDE MANE.

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

DYLAN: YOU COULD SPOT HIM IN A GROUP OF A THOUSAND.

OTHER AFRICAN PIGS DON'T HAVE HIS UNLIKELY PONY-LIKE BEARING.

THIS RATHER SPECIAL ANIMAL IS ALSO THE RESULT OF A GENETIC

EXCEPTION.

THIS SMALL BLACK GAZELLE DOES NOT SEEM TO APPEAR ANYWHERE

IN THE LONG LIST OF MORE THAN 75 TYPES OF AFRICAN ANTELOPES.

TO TRY TO IDENTIFY THIS SPECIES, WE CAN START WITH ITS SIZE.

IT'S AN AVERAGE-SIZED GAZELLE, WHICH MUST WEIGH ABOUT 65 POUNDS

AND MEASURE MORE THAN TWO AND A HALF FEET AT THE SHOULDER.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WE CAN ALSO NOTE ITS HORNS AND OBSERVE WHAT IT EATS.

HERE, IT'S FEEDING ON ACACIA FLOWERS.

A FEW FEET AWAY, ANOTHER GAZELLE OF ROUGHLY THE SAME SIZE

AND APPEARANCE IS EATING THE SAME THING.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THIS ONE, HOWEVER, IS WELL-KNOWN.

IT'S A SPRINGBOK.

IT ALSO HAS POINTED EARS, BUT THE COLOR OF ITS

COAT AND THE SHAPE OF ITS HORNS ARE QUITE DIFFERENT.

AND YET, IT'S OF THE SAME SPECIES, ADMITTEDLY

IN AN UNUSUAL VERSION.

THIS ONE HAS A CONDITION CALLED MELANISM, MEANING THAT

ITS FUR HAS TURNED BLACK.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE OCCURRENCE AMONG THE SPECIES.

EVEN IN THE WILD, BEING ONE OF A KIND IS SOMETHING SPECIAL,

AND THIS YOUNG SPRINGBOK IS A STANDOUT EXAMPLE.

AFTER THE BREAK, WE'LL MEET A FAMILY OF SAVANNAH SUPERSTARS

WEARING STRIPES.

AND SEE WHAT THE WILD'S BIGGEST APPETITE LOOKS LIKE.

PLUS, WHEN IT COMES TO HUNTING TECHNIQUES, THIS CAT ISN'T

AFRAID TO GO OUT ON A LIMB.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE "EARTH ODYSSEY."

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: NOT JUST IN AFRICA, BUT ACROSS THE ENTIRE GLOBE, THERE

ARE FEW LOOKS AS MEMORABLE OR ICONIC AS THE BLACK-AND-WHITE

STYLE OF A ZEBRA.

BUT WHY DO THEY SPORT THESE UNMISSABLE STRIPES?

THE ZEBRA'S ANCESTORS HAD PLAIN, DARK COATS, WHICH

MAKES THEIR CURRENT STYLE ALL THE MORE INTRIGUING.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: FROM THE MOMENT THEY'RE BORN, ZEBRAS SHOW OFF THEIR

MONOCHROMATIC COAT WITH PRIDE.

A COMMON THEORY IS THAT ZEBRAS HAVE STRIPES AS A FORM OF

DEFENSE.

ZEBRAS LIVE IN GROUPS AND USUALLY STICK PRETTY CLOSE

TO THEIR COMPATRIOTS.

AND THAT POSES A PROBLEM FOR PREDATORS.

ONCE THIS LIONESS SPOTS THE ZEBRAS, THEY APPEAR AS A

CONFUSING AND SHIFTING MIXTURE OF LINES.

SEEING THIS OPTICAL ILLUSION MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT

FOR HER TO SINGLE OUT JUST ONE AS HER POTENTIAL PREY.

ON THE SURFACE, ALL ZEBRAS ARE ALIKE.

BUT LOOKING A LITTLE DEEPER, WE CAN SEE THAT NO ZEBRA HAS

THE SAME DESIGN AS ANY OTHER.

THIS SUGGESTS ANOTHER REASON FOR THEIR STRIPES.

MAYBE THEY ACT AS A NATURAL BARCODE, LIKE

FINGERPRINTS ON HUMANS, ALLOWING OTHER ZEBRAS TO

RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER WITH EASE.

HOWEVER, WHAT IF THE REAL REASON FOR THE STRIPES IS

SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY?

NOT DEFENSE.

NOT RECOGNITION.

BUT AIR CONDITIONING.

A WAY TO KEEP COOL.

THIS NEW THEORY HAS COME FROM OBSERVING A SURPRISING

PHENOMENON.

ABOVE THE DARK STRIPES, WHICH ABSORB MORE HEAT,

THE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IS LOWER THAN IT IS OVER THE

WHITE STRIPES.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

THESE LITTLE DIFFERENCES IN PRESSURE ARE THOUGHT TO CREATE

TINY AIR CURRENTS ABOVE THEIR HIDE.

AND JUST LIKE THAT, ANIMAL AC.

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

DYLAN: ZEBRAS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR ICONIC BLACK AND WHITE,

BUT THERE'S A THIRD COLOR STRIPE THAT OFTEN GETS OVERLOOKED.

BROWN STRIPES, ALSO REFERRED TO AS SHADOW STRIPES,

OCCUR ON CERTAIN ZEBRAS, ESPECIALLY NEWBORNS.

THESE TAN LINES ARE AN UNEXPECTED BIT OF MAGIC

FOR ONE OF EARTH'S MOST EYE-CATCHING ANIMALS.

LEOPARDS HAVE THEIR OWN COLOR CODING, FEATURING A LITTLE

UNDERCOVER WHITE ON THEIR TAIL.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: YET, WHITE IS A RARE SIGHT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

EVEN THE WHITE RHINO DOESN'T EXACTLY LIVE UP TO ITS TITLE.

SO WHY THE MISLEADING NAME?

IT COMES FROM A CONFUSION OF WORDS.

"WIDE" WAS THE TERM USED TO DESCRIBE RHINO SNOUTS,

BUT MANY HEARD "WHITE," THE COLOR.

GUESS EVEN IN THE WILD, YOU CAN'T ALWAYS JUDGE

A BOOK BY ITS COVER.

WHEN WE COME BACK, THE TRUE GIANTS OF THE WILD

ARE ON FULL DISPLAY.

AND WE'LL SEE HOW THIS COLORFUL CAT HAS PERFECTED

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT.

STAY TUNED 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.

MOVING THROUGH THE MARSHY GRASSES, A THUNDERING PARADE

CAN BE HEARD AND FELT AS EASILY AS IT CAN BE SEEN.

THESE ARE AFRICAN ELEPHANTS, THE LARGEST

LAND ANIMAL ON THE PLANET.

THOUGH THEIR SUPER SIZE IS ICONIC, IT'S THEIR HEARING

THAT IS THEIR BEST ATTRIBUTE.

THANKS TO THEIR ENORMOUS EAR FLAPS, THEY PICK UP EVERY

SOUND WITH EXTREME PRECISION.

THEIR HEARING IS SO EFFECTIVE, THEY CAN PICK UP SOUNDS AT ONLY

5 HERTZ.

THE AVERAGE HUMAN CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING BELOW 20.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: BUT THEIR EARS AREN'T THEIR ONLY MEANS OF HEARING.

INCREDIBLY, ELEPHANTS CAN ALSO HEAR THROUGH THEIR FEET

IN A MATTER OF SPEAKING.

THEY CAN PICK UP ACOUSTIC SOUND WAVES ON THE GROUND SURFACE

FROM UP TO A MILE AWAY.

IT SEEMS EARTH'S BIGGEST ANIMALS DEVELOP THE MOST

PECULIAR SENSORY TRAITS.

IT WOULD BE EASY TO ASSUME THAT ELEPHANTS HAVE GREAT

VISION BECAUSE THEY TOWER OVER ALMOST EVERYTHING.

HOWEVER, SIGHT IS A SENSE ELEPHANTS STRUGGLE WITH.

WHILE WE MAY FIND IT EASY TO SPOT THEM AMONG THESE TALL

GRASSES, ELEPHANTS RELY MORE ON THEIR TRUMPETING SOUNDS,

HUGE EARS AND TRUNKS TO FIND ONE ANOTHER.

BUT EVEN THAT CAN PROVE DIFFICULT SOMETIMES.

THIS MOTHER HAS LOST HER CALF.

SHE SEARCHES THE TALL GRASSES BY THE RIVER FOR ANY SIGNS.

SHE CROSSES INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE WATER FOR A BETTER VIEW,

BUT STILL NOTHING.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THIS TERRAPIN MAY HAVE A CLUE.

FOUND IT!

THE BABY ELEPHANT IS ONLY A FEW HUNDRED YARDS AWAY FROM ITS

MOTHER.

EVEN IF THE REEDS WEREN'T THERE, THEY'RE TOO FAR AWAY

FOR EITHER TO SEE EACH OTHER.

SO IT'S UP TO THE LITTLE ONE TO MAKE ITS WAY OUT OF THE RIVER

AND BACK TO MORE FAMILIAR TERRITORY.

BUT THAT TASK IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE FOR THIS MINI GIANT.

THE SWIMMING IS TIRING AND NOT FAR AWAY LIES ANOTHER POTENTIAL

PROBLEM.

A HERD OF HIPPOS HAS CLAIMED A PART OF THE RIVER AND THEY DON'T

LIKE INTRUDERS.

BUT THIS LITTLE ELEPHANT IS DETERMINED AND WON'T BE

INTIMIDATED BY THIS AQUATIC ARMY.

IN FACT, HE TAKES THEM HEAD OR SHALL WE SAY TRUNK ON.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: PHEW, SAFELY THROUGH.

THE MASSIVE MALE HIPPO COULD HAVE EASILY MADE THE SITUATION

MORE DANGEROUS.

HOWEVER, IN THIS INSTANCE, PEACE PREVAILS.

WHILE THE SEARCH FOR MOM CONTINUES, THE HARDEST PART

IS OVER AND THIS YOUNG CALF CAN SOON REST SAFELY BACK HOME.

UP NEXT, A GOOD RESTING SPOT IS ALWAYS ON THE PRIORITY

LIST FOR THIS LETHAL LAYABOUT.

THERE'S MORE EARTH ODYSSEY RIGHT AFTER THIS.

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WHEN THE SUN BEGINS TO SET, IT SEEMS ALL OF THE WILD

SHARES AN EVENING ROUTINE.

ANIMAL FAMILIES HAVE ALL GOT TOGETHER AND A WILDLIFE

PROCESSION BEGINS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: BUT THERE ARE FAMILIES THAT ARE UNITED AND SUPPORTIVE,

LIKE THE ELEPHANTS WHERE EVERYONE LOOKS OUT FOR THE

SMALLEST IN THE GROUP.

AND OTHERS, LIKE THE IMPALAS, GAZELLES THAT

ARE QUITE INDIFFERENT TO EACH OTHER, ONLY TRAVELING

TOGETHER OUT OF INSTINCT.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: AS NIGHT APPROACHES, THE HYENAS LEAVE THEIR YOUNG

TO GO OFF HUNTING.

IMPALAS MUST BE DOUBLY ALERT, ESPECIALLY AS THE

VEGETATION IS DENSE AND CAN EASILY HIDE A HYENA AMBUSH.

BUT HYENAS AREN'T THE ONLY THREAT.

THIS IS THE TIME WHEN AN ATTACK CAN ALSO COME FROM

A LEOPARD OR A LION, SO BEING VIGILANT IS A MUST.

A NEW DAY HAS BEGUN WITH RAIN DOMINATING THE SKIES.

IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, DECEMBER MARKS THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER.

THE DAYS ARE HOT AND THE AIR IS SATURATED WITH HUMIDITY.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: BUT THIS WATERLOGGED WEATHER DOESN'T UPSET THE

SPIRIT OR ACTIVITIES OF ANYONE.

IN FACT, IT'S CAUSE FOR A BIT OF FROLICKING FUN FOR MANY.

BUT THE RAIN CAN STOP AS QUICKLY AS IT BEGINS.

AND FOR THE IMPALAS WHO STOPPED THEIR GRAZING IN THE DOWNPOUR,

THEY CAN NOW RESUME THEIR FEEDING.

NOT FAR AWAY, A LEOPARD IS KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON

THE IMPALA.

FOR THE MOMENT, HE HAS NOT YET MADE THE DECISION TO STRIKE

OR SIMPLY CARRY ON HIS CATNAP.

EVERY ONE OF AFRICA'S FOUR-LEGGED WONDERS

HAS PERSEVERED TO SURVIVE ANOTHER DAY.

BUT EVEN FOR PREDATORS, THE WORK NEVER STOPS IF YOU WANT

TO THRIVE IN THE WILD.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY ON OUR AFRICAN ADVENTURE.

FEW PLACES ON EARTH HAVE A MORE VIBRANT AND DIVERSE

COMMUNITY OF WILDLIFE.

WITH MORE THAN ONE MILLION ANIMAL SPECIES CALLING

THIS CONTINENT HOME, IT'S NO WONDER THAT SOME

OF OUR PLANET'S BIGGEST SUPERSTARS CAN BE FOUND HERE,

THRIVING IN THE LUSH, WARM EMBRACE OF THE SAVANNAH.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF EARTH

ODYSSEY.

[MUSIC]