Original subtitles

.

ANNOUNCER: WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL YOU KNOW YOU'RE

WATCHING TELEVSION THAT'S EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL.

THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: HEY THERE, I'M DYLAN DREYER, AND THIS IS

"EARTH ODYSSEY."

ON TODAY'S EPISODE, WE TRAVEL DOWN THE GANGES

RIVER IN INDIA, MEETING ALL SORTS OF ANIMALS ALONG

THE WAY, INCLUDING THE MYSTERIOUS SNOW LEOPARD.

PLUS, WE DIVE INTO THE RIVER WITH SOME

STRANGE-LOOKING CREATURES, LIKE THIS COUSIN OF THE

CROCODILE.

AND LATER, WHO SAYS CATS DON'T LIKE TO SPLASH

AROUND?

THIS TIGER IS HAPPY TO SWIM FOR HIS SUPPER.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: SEA KELP FORESTS LIKE THE ONE YOU SEE

BEHIND ME IN THIS EXHIBIT AT RIPLEY'S AQUARIUM OF

CANADA ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE THE POWER TO CLEAN WATER.

THEY DO THIS SIMPLY BY FILTERING OUT SOME OF THE

NUTRIENTS TO KEEP FOR THEMSELVES.

KELP'S NATURALLY OCCURRING PURIFICATION SYSTEM CAN

HELP CLEAN RIVERS, LAKES, AND EVEN OCEANS.

OUR DESTINATION TODAY, THE GANGES RIVER IN INDIA,

ALSO HAS A UNIQUE SELF-CLEANING MECHANISM

THAT'S BEEN ADMIRED BY SCIENTISTS FOR DECADES.

LET'S HEAD OVER TO INDIA TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT

THIS UNIQUE RIVER SYSTEM.

THE GANGES RIVER IS LOCATED IN THE ASIAN

COUNTRY OF INDIA.

THIS RIVER IS CONSIDERED SACRED IN THE HINDU

RELIGION.

IT'S NAMED AFTER THE HINDU GODDESS GANGA.

THE GANGES RIVER FLOWS MORE THAN 1,500 MILES

ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY BEFORE

MAKING ITS WAY TO THE OCEAN, BUT THE GANGES

RIVER IS MORE THAN JUST A BODY OF WATER.

IT'S THE LIFEBLOOD FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND

ANIMALS WHO LIVE AROUND IT.

NATURAL FILTRATION PROPERTIES KEEP INDIA'S

POPULATIONS THRIVING.

THE GANGES STARTS HERE, 15,000 FEET HIGH IN THE

HIMALAYAS.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE WORLD'S TALLEST MOUNTAINS.

THEIR PEAKS STAY COVERED WITH SNOW AND ICE

YEAR-ROUND.

THAT SNOW MELT CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLIES THE

GANGES WITH FRESH WATER.

HIGH IN THE HIMALAYAS, FEW ANIMALS CAN WEATHER THE

FREEZING TEMPERATURES.

A HIMALAYAN BLUE SHEEP WEARS A THICK COAT OF FUR

TO WARD OFF THE COLD.

THEY SUPPLEMENT THE LITTLE FOOD THEY CAN FIND BY

EATING MINERALS IN THE ROCKS.

ROCKFALLS FROM THESE DIZZYING HEIGHTS CAN BE

DANGEROUS FOR BLUE SHEEP BELOW.

BUT UP HERE, THE SHEEP MUST WATCH OUT FOR MORE

THAN ROCKS.

SNOW LEOPARDS CAN LIVE UP HERE, TOO.

THIS CAT IS WELL-ADAPTED FOR THE YEAR-ROUND WINTER

WILDERNESS.

FOR ADDED PROTECTION, A SNOW LEOPARD EVEN HAS FUR

ON THE BOTTOM OF ITS FEET.

AS THE RIVER MAKES ITS WAY DOWN TO THE FOOTHILLS OF

THE HIMALAYAS, THE WEATHER WARMS UP SIGNIFICANTLY.

DOWN HERE, THIS BEAST REALLY KNOWS HOW TO THROW

ITS WEIGHT AROUND.

INDIA'S FLOOD PLAINS ARE HOME TO ONE OF THE LARGEST

ANIMALS IN THE WORLD.

THE INDIAN RHINO CAN WEIGH UP TO SIX THOUSAND POUNDS.

THAT'S AS MUCH AS TWO FAMILY CARS.

THIS HEFT BRUTE SPORTS A HORN IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS

HEAD.

THE HORN CAN GROW TO BE TWO FEET AND CAN BE USED

AS A WEAPON AGAINST INVADERS.

THEY HAVE UNUSUAL MOUTHS, TOO.

THEIR LIPS GRIP TUFTS OF GRASS LIKE A HUMAN HAND.

THESE RHINOS SUFFER FROM TERRIBLE EYESIGHT AND MUST

RELY ON THEIR SHARP SENSE OF SMELL TO GET AROUND.

GLANDS IN THEIR FEET RELEASE A STRONG ODOR AS

THEY STEP THROUGH THE GRASSLANDS, MARKING THEIR

TERRITORY FOR OTHER RHINOS.

THESE PREHISTORIC CREATURES ALSO HAVE THICK

ARMORED FOLDS THAT SHIELD THEIR BODIES IN A

POTENTIAL FIGHT.

AS TEMPERATURES CLIMB WELL ABOVE ONE HUNDRED DEGREES,

COOLING OFF THESE MASSIVE BODIES IS CRITICAL.

THE RHINOS HEAD FOR THE GANGES RIVER.

FOR RHINO CALVES, LEARNING TO SWIM IS ONE OF THEIR

FIRST LESSONS IN LIFE.

THEY'RE USUALLY HAPPY TO SHARE THE WATER WITH EACH

OTHER, TOO.

THE GANGES CONTAIN PLENTY OF NUTRIENT-RICH SEDIMENT

FROM HIGH IN THE HIMALAYAS.

RELEASED INTO THESE FLOOD PLAINS, THE GANGES IS

RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF THE MOST FERTILE SOIL IN

THE WORLD.

AS A RESULT, IT'S A HEAVILY POPULATED AREA.

MORE THAN HALF-A-BILLION PEOPLE LIVE HERE.

THAT'S EIGHT PERCENT OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION.

HINDU PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THE GANGES RIVER

POSSESSES AMAZING HEALING PROPERTIES.

RIGHT NOW, THE RIVER IS UNDER A GREAT STRAIN TO

SUPPORT BOTH WILDLIFE AND HUMANS, BUT EVEN IN ITS

MURKY DEPTHS, LIFE CONTINUES TO FLOURISH IN

THE RIVER.

COMING UP, WATCH AS THIS INDIAN NATIVE MAKES A RARE

APPEARANCE, AND THEN, MY, WHAT SHARP TEETH YOU HAVE.

MEET ANOTHER RIVER-DWELLER WHO SHOWS OFF HIS TOOTHY

GRIN.

THAT'S NEXT ON "EARTH ODYSSEY."

.

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

ANNOUNCER: THIS EPISODE OF "EARTH ODYSSEY WITH DYLAN

DREYER" IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY RIPLEY'S AQUARIUMS.

DYLAN: IN THE GANGES RIVER BASIN OF INDIA, THE WATER

IS NATURALLY MUDDY.

FURTHER AGGRAVATED BY WASTE FROM NEIGHBORING

INDUSTRIES, IT'S INCREDIBLE THAT ANYTHING

COULD LIVE IN ITS MURKY DEPTHS, BUT LIFE ALWAYS

FINDS A WAY.

HERE ON THE RIVER, THERE'S ONE ANIMAL THAT'S A RARE

SIGHT TO SEE...

...THE GANGETIC RIVER DOLPHIN.

DUE TO EXTREMELY LOW VISIBILITY IN THE GANGES,

THE DOLPHINS ARE ALMOST TOTALLY BLIND.

THEY DEPEND ON ECHOLOCATION, OR SOUND

WAVES, TO LOCATE OTHER OBJECTS IN THE WATER,

INCLUDING FOOD.

AND LIKE MOST ANIMALS, THEY SPEND A LOT OF THEIR

TIME HUNTING DOWN THEIR NEXT MEAL.

TO STIR UP A LITTLE DINNER, THESE DOLPHINS

SWIM ON ONE SIDE WITH A FLIPPER SWEEPING THE MUDDY

BOTTOM.

THERE'S ANOTHER EVEN STRANGER-LOOKING ANIMAL

THAT'S ON THE HUNT IN THE INDIAN RIVER AS WELL.

ONE OF THE LARGEST CROCODILE SPECIES IN THE

WORLD AND ONE OF THE OLDEST, THE GHARIAL IS 60

MILLION YEARS IN THE MAKING.

A MALE GHARIAL CAN GROW TO 20 FEET LONG WITH AN

ARMORED PLATE AND A LONG SNOUT FULL OF RAZOR SHARP

TEETH.

THESE CREATURES LOOK LIKE THEY COULD TEAR ANYTHING

IN TWO, BUT HERE IN THE GANGES, THINGS ARE NOT

ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM.

THE GHARIAL'S SLIM JAWS ARE TOO FRAGILE TO ATTACK

ANY LARGE ANIMALS.

THAT INCLUDES HUMANS.

INSTEAD, THEY PREFER SNACKING ON SMALL FISH

THAT GET TRAPPED IN THEIR SNOUTS.

A MALE GHARIAL HAS A LARGE BUMP ON THE END OF HIS

NOSE.

THIS BUMP ACTS LIKE A HORN, ANNOUNCING HIS

PRESENCE TO FEMALES NEARBY.

THE NOISE CAN BE HEARD AS FAR AS HALF-A-MILE AWAY.

A FEMALE GHARIAL WILL CLIMB ONTO THE SANDY BANKS

OF THE GANGES TO LAY HER EGGS.

SHE'LL BURY AS MANY AS ONE HUNDRED EGGS UNDER THE

COVER OF NIGHT.

THE SAND KEEPS THE EGGS WARM AND SAFE UNTIL

THEY'RE READY TO HATCH.

AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS, THE BABIES ARE READY TO

EMERGE.

THESE HATCHLINGS CALL TO THEIR MOTHER.

THEY NEED HELP DIGGING OUT.

A TINY EGG TOOTH AT THE TIP OF THEIR SNOUTS HELPS

THEM CRACK THE SHELLS.

UNLIKE OTHER CROCS WHO CARRY THEIR YOUNG TO THE

WATER, THE GHARIAL'S TEETH ARE TOO SHARP.

THESE YOUNGSTERS HAVE TO FIND THEIR OWN WAY BEFORE

ANY PREDATORS APPEAR.

THE NUMBERS OF WILD GHARIAL HAVE DWINDLED DOWN

TO JUST A COUPLE HUNDRED, BUT THESE BABIES MAY

SIGNAL A NEW START FOR THIS SPECIES.

THESE CROCS HAVE REAPPEARED ON A

LONG-FORGOTTEN STRETCH OF THE GANGES RIVER AND SHOW

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS RIVER CONTINUES TO

OFFER HOPE DESPITE THE OVERWHELMING DEMANDS

PLACED ON IT EVERY DAY.

WHEN "EARTH ODYSSEY" RETURNS, WE'LL MEET ONE

COOL CAT WHO'S NOT AFRAID TO GET A LITTLE WET, AND

THEN, A FISH OUT OF WATER?

FIND OUT HOW THIS MUDSKIPPER SURVIVES ON

LAND.

.

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

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO "EARTH ODYSSEY."

I'M DYLAN DREYER.

DESPITE THEIR NAME AND TOOTHY APPEARANCE, SAND

TIGER SHARKS ARE DOCILE CREATURES.

MOST OF THE OTHER FISH WHO SHARE THEIR MARINE HABITAT

HAVE LITTLE TO FEAR UNLESS THEY'RE THE SMALLER ONES

WHO MAY END UP AS THE SHARK'S DINNER; HOWEVER,

THIS SHARK'S NAMESAKE WHO LIVES IN INDIA'S GANGES

RIVER DELTA IS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT STORY.

YOU ARE ABOUT TO MEET A DANGEROUS PREDATOR WHO

WILL GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO HUNT DOWN ANIMALS EVEN

FOUR TIMES ITS SIZE, THE BENGAL TIGER.

INDIA'S GANGES RIVER JOINS TWO OTHER RIVERS TO CREATE

THE LARGEST EXPANSE OF MANGROVE SWAMPS AND

FORESTS IN THE WORLD.

THE MANGROVE IS CALLED THE SUNDARBANS.

IT'S A MAZE OF WATERY CANALS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY

CHANGING WITH THE TIDES.

IT'S THE PERFECT HIDING SPOT FOR A NATURAL BORN

LEADER.

[TIGER GROWLING]

THE TIGER REIGNS SUPREME HERE AS THE KING OF THE

JUNGLE.

THE ROYAL BENGAL TIGER IS THE NATIONAL ANIMAL OF

INDIA, BOTH REVERED AND FEARED.

THESE GREAT CATS ARE AMONG THE HEAVIEST FELINES ON

EARTH.

THEY CAN EASILY WEIGH THREE TIMES AS MUCH AS AN

AVERAGE HUMAN.

WELL-CAMOUFLAGED, THE STRIPES ON THIS TIGER HELP

HIM BLEND SEAMLESSLY INTO THE JUNGLE.

THEIR ENORMOUS PAWS BALANCE THEIR WEIGHT AND

HELP THEM CREEP SILENTLY ACROSS THE FOREST FLOOR.

A RUTHLESS PREDATOR, A BENGAL TIGER HAS SHARP

TEETH THAT CAN GROW TO FOUR INCHES.

THAT'S LONGER THAN ANY OTHER CAT, INCLUDING A

LION.

CONSTANTLY ON THE PROWL, BENGAL TIGERS HAVE AN

ADVANTAGE THAT MOST CATS DON'T POSSESS.

THESE TIGERS BORN IN THE DELTA OF THE SUNDARBANS

DON'T MIND GETTING WET.

IN FACT, THEY SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME CHASING

PREY THROUGH THE WATER.

CHITAL DEER THAT LIVE IN THESE FORESTS ARE A

FAVORITE IF THE LUMBERING CATS CAN CATCH UP TO THEM.

A WARNING GOES OUT ACROSS THE DEER HERD ALLOWING FOR

A QUICK ESCAPE THIS TIME.

TODAY, THE TIGER WILL HAVE TO MAKE DUE WITH FISH AND

CRABS.

[DEER CHIRPING]

NEARLY FOUR HUNDRED TIGERS LIVE IN THIS

CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT.

VILLAGERS WHO ALSO LIVE HERE MUST STAY ALERT AT

ALL TIMES.

THE LOCALS LIVE OFF THE LAND BY COLLECTING WILD

HONEY AND FISHING.

THESE TIGERS ARE KNOWN TO ATTACK HUMANS.

CONSERVATION PROGRAMS RUN BY THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT

WORK HARD TO KEEP THE PEACE BETWEEN THE PEOPLE

WHO LIVE HERE AND THESE BEAUTIFUL, BUT DANGEROUS

WILD CATS.

THERE'S ANOTHER RESIDENT OF THE SUNDARBANS, BUT

IT'S HARDLY A THREAT TO HUMANS.

THESE ARE FISH WHO CAN'T MAKE UP THEIR MINDS IF

THEY WANT TO SWIM OR SKIP ACROSS THE MUDDY SWAMP.

APTLY CALLED MUDSKIPPERS, THEY SPEND MORE TIME ON

LAND THAN THEY DO IN THE WATER.

THEIR GILLS HAVE POUCHES THAT STORE WATER.

THEY CAN CONTINUE TO BREATHE AS LONG AS THEIR

SKIN STAYS WET.

SPECIAL FINS PULL THE FISH OVER THE LAND.

A MIGHTY SWIPE OF THEIR TAILS CAN PROPEL

MUDSKIPPERS TWO FEET ACROSS THE GROUND.

WHEN LOOKING FOR A PARTNER, THESE MALES SHOW

OFF THEIR BRIGHT BLUE SPOTS BY WAVING THEIR FINS

IN THE AIR.

WHEN THREATENED BY ANOTHER, THE ONLY WAY TO

DEFEND ITSELF IS BY MOUTH-TO-MOUTH COMBAT.

TO SURVIVE ON THE CONSTANTLY CHANGING

LANDSCAPE OF THE SUNDARBANS, THESE ANIMALS

ADAPT TO THEIR SURROUNDINGS, WHETHER IT'S

LEARNING TO SWIM OR TO SKIP.

THE SUCCESS OF THEIR SPECIES DEPENDS ON IT.

COMING UP, IT'S NOT ALL FUN AND GAMES OUT THERE.

MEET A WILY FISHERMAN READY TO CHASE DOWN HIS

MEAL NEXT ON "EARTH ODYSSEY."

.

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

DYLAN: HAPPIEST UNDERWATER, THESE

SMOOTH-COATED OTTERS ENJOY CHASING DOWN DINNER ON THE

GANGES RIVER IN INDIA.

QUICK AS A FLASH, THESE CLEVER FISHERMEN CAN CATCH

THE FISH AS THEY SWIM BY.

THEIR EARS AND NOSTRILS KEEP WATER OUT AS THEY

PERFORM THEIR OWN VERSION OF AN UNDERWATER BALLET.

SLICK, HEAVY COATS KEEP THE WATER OFF THEIR BACKS,

ALLOWING THEM TO MOVE QUICKLY IN THE WATERS.

THEIR WHISKERS SENSE A FISH NEARBY AND THEY

SWITCH DIRECTIONS TO CHASE HIM.

AFTER A GOOD HUNT, THE LARGE GROUPS WILL GET

TOGETHER FOR A LITTLE DOWNTIME.

15 OR MORE OTTERS WILL GATHER TOGETHER UNDER ONE

FEMALE LEADER.

RUBBING AGAINST EACH OTHER'S COATS HELPS DRY

THE OTTERS, BUT IT ALSO CREATES A SPECIAL BOND OF

LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR EACH OTHER.

THIS CAMARADERIE IS AN IMPORTANT BOND THAT HELPS

THESE RIVER-DWELLERS WORK TOGETHER TO HUNT FOR LARGE

SCHOOLS OF FISH.

THE GANGES RIVER CONSTANTLY DEFIES

EXPECTATIONS.

DESPITE THE HEAVY TOLL OF HUMANS RELYING ON THIS

RIVER FOR FARMING AND INDUSTRY, THE GANGES RIVER

STILL CONTINUES TO FLUSH AWAY THE WASTE.

BUT DESPITE THE OBVIOUS POLLUTION, ANIMALS AND

PLANTS THRIVE IN THE REGION.

THE HINDU PEOPLE WHO WORSHIP THIS RIVER SAY IT

HAS HEALING PROPERTIES, AND SCIENTISTS AGREE.

THEY SAY THE GANGES CONTAINS A NATURAL

DISINFECTANT THAT STOPS THE SPREAD OF DISEASE.

TESTS REVEAL THAT IT ALSO HAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF

UNDISSOLVED OXYGEN.

THAT OXYGEN HELPS BREAK DOWN HUMAN AND ANIMAL

POLLUTANTS.

THIS RIVER PROCESSES POLLUTANTS 25 TIMES FASTER

THAN ANY OTHER RIVER ON EARTH.

HIGH OXYGEN LEVELS ALSO HELP THE MARINE LIFE STAY

HEALTHY.

IN FACT, THE SECRET TO SURVIVAL MAY WELL BE IN

THESE MYSTERIOUS WATERS OF INDIA.

THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON THIS AMAZING TRIP DOWN THE

GANGES RIVER OF INDIA.

WE'VE SEEN HOW THIS UNIQUE WATERWAY HAS SUPPORTED

LIFE FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND ANIMALS WHO

LIVE IN ITS PATH, JUST ANOTHER AMAZING EXAMPLE OF

HOW NATURE TRULY TAKES CARE OF ITS OWN.

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

[MUSIC]