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, I'M DYLAN

DREYER AND WE'RE ABOUT TO

EMBARK ON ANOTHER EARTH

ODYSSEY.

COMING UP, OUR ODYSSEY

TAKES US TO THE JUNGLES OF

MALAYSIA WHERE THIS

PROBOSCIS MONKEY MIGHT NOT

BE THE MOST GRACEFUL, BUT

SHE SURE KNOWS HOW TO GET

AROUND.

PLUS, THIS PITCHER PLANT'S

BIG MOUTH CAN GET IT INTO

TROUBLE, BUT IT CAN ALSO

STORE A LOT OF FOOD.

AND LATER, A FAMILY OF

ORANGUTANS MAKES A HOME IN

THE TREES, BUT NOT ALL

THEIR NEIGHBORS ARE THE

FRIENDLY KIND.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THERE ARE ALMOST

200 MILLION SQUARE MILES

THAT COMPRISE THE SURFACE

AREA OF OUR PLANET.

- THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS - THAT LIVE TOGETHER IN OUR

DIVERSE WORLD GIVE IT THE

LIFE THAT SEPARATES EARTH

FROM EVERY OTHER PLANET IN

OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

AND THERE'S ONE COUNTRY

THAT HOLDS MORE DIVERSITY

IN ITS 127,000 SQUARE

MILES THAN ANYWHERE ELSE

ON EARTH; MALAYSIA.

TAKE A LOOK.

MALAYSIA IS ONE OF 17

COUNTRIES IDENTIFIED AS

MEGA DIVERSE.

MEANING, THESE COUNTRIES

HARBOR THE MAJORITY OF THE

EARTH'S SPECIES.

A FIFTH ALL THE WORLD'S

ANIMAL SPECIES LIVE HERE,

DESPITE IT HAVING JUST

POINT TWO PERCENT OF THE

WORLD'S LAND MASS.

IT'S NOT JUST THE AMOUNT

OF DIFFERENT SPECIES

THAT'S SO SURPRISING BUT

HOW STRANGE MANY ARE.

MALAYSIA IS HOME TO SOME

OF THE LARGEST, SMALLEST,

AND DOWNRIGHT ODDEST

LIFEFORMS ON THE PLANET;

MANY OCCURRING NOWHERE

ELSE ON EARTH.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE SECRET BEHIND - THIS INCREDIBLE

BIODIVERSITY LIES IN

MALAYSIA'S HOT, WET

CLIMATE AND ITS HUGE

VARIETY OF DIFFERENT

HABITATS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: MALAYSIA SITS JUST - NORTH OF THE EQUATOR IN

THE TROPICAL BELT, WHERE

RAINFALL IS HIGH AND

TEMPERATURES WARM.

IT'S A LAND OF TWO HALVES;

WEST MALAYSIA IS A

PENINSULA, THE VERY TIP OF

INDOCHINA'S MAINLAND.

EASTERN MALAYSIA COVERS

THE TOP QUARTER OF BORNEO,

THE THIRD LARGEST ISLAND

IN THE WORLD.

DURING THE LAST ICE AGE,

THE TWO WERE CONNECTED BY

LAND BRIDGES.

18,000 YEARS AGO, THE

GLACIERS RETREATED, SEA

LEVELS ROSE, AND BORNEO

WAS CUT OFF.

AND WHEN ISOLATED, LIFE

CAN EVOLVE IN PECULIAR

WAYS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THERE ARE 100

SPECIES IN BORNEO THAT

OCCUR NOWHERE ELSE ON

EARTH.

AND THERE'S ONE THAT WINS

THE WEIRD RACE BY A NOSE.

FOR PROBOSCIS MONKEYS,

BEAUTY IS SURELY IN THE

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER.

MALES HAVE THE LONGEST

NOSES OF ALL PRIMATES.

[MONKEY CALLS OUT]

- DYLAN: THEIR ECHO - CHAMBERS AMPLIFY THE

MALE'S CALLS, WHICH

INTIMIDATES RIVALS, AS

WELL AS IMPRESSES FEMALES.

THE BIGGEST NOSE IN THIS

PACK BELONGS TO AN ALPHA

MALE.

- HE'S THE BOSS OF A SMALL - GROUP OF FEMALES AND THEIR

YOUNG.

YOUNG MALES HANG OUT

TOGETHER IN SMALL TROOPS

- UNTIL THEY'RE STRONG - ENOUGH TO RUN A GROUP OF

THEIR OWN.

AND THEY'RE ALWAYS ON THE

LOOKOUT TO RECRUIT NEW

MEMBERS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE DOMINANT MALE - DOESN'T SEEM TOO UPSET BY

THE GROUPS ADVANCES, BUT

HE'S KEEPING A STEADY EYE

ON THINGS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: BUT A BRIEF - RAINSTORM EXTINGUISHES ANY

IMPENDING SCUFFLE, OR

PERHAPS IT'S JUST NOT

WORTH PUTTING THE ALPHA

MALE'S NOSE OUT OF JOINT.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: PROBOSCIS MONKEYS - AREN'T THE MOST GRACEFUL

OF PRIMATES.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THEIR POT BELLIES - SEEM TO MAKE JUMPING

DIFFICULT, BUT THEIR KEY

TO SURVIVAL.

PACKED WITH FRIENDLY

BACTERIA AND DIVIDED INTO

CHAMBERS LIKE A COW'S, A

PROBOSCIS MONKEY'S STOMACH

IS LIKE A HUGE

FERMENTATION VAT.

AND THIS UNIQUE DIGESTION

SYSTEM MEANS THEY CAN

CARRY UP TO A QUARTER OF

THEIR BODY WEIGHT IN THEIR

STOMACH, SLOWLY GLEANING

EVERY LAST MORSEL OF

NUTRITION.

THE BACTERIA EVEN

NEUTRALIZE TOXINS, MEANING

PROBOSCIS MONKEYS CAN EAT

LEAVES THAT WOULD POISON

OTHER ANIMALS.

EVEN SO, THEY CHOOSE THEIR

FOOD CAREFULLY.

- THE SEARCH FOR THE - TASTIEST LEAVES AND SHOOTS

LEADS THIS YOUNGSTER AWAY

FROM THE TROOP.

BUT THE MANGROVE FOREST

ISN'T THE SAFEST PLACE TO

EXPLORE UNSUPERVISED,

ESPECIALLY WHEN GYMNASTICS

AREN'T YOUR STRONG SUIT.

COMING UP, WE'LL SEE IF

THIS LITTLE MONKEY'S POT

BELLY KEEPS HIM FROM

GETTING INTO A CROC'S

BELLY.

AND LATER, A PLANT WITH A

FEARSOME APPETITE.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: IN THE TREES OF

MALAYSIA, YOU'LL FIND ONE

OF THE FUNNIEST LOOKING

MONKEYS IN THE WORLD.

BUT THERE'S NOTHING FUNNY

ABOUT WHAT'S BELOW THE

TREES.

IT'S THE WORLD'S LARGEST

LIVING REPTILE.

A FEARSOME GIANT THAT CAN

GROW TO 22 FEET LONG, A

SALTWATER CROCODILE.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE MONKEYS MIGHT - SEEM SAFE IN THE BRANCHES,

BUT THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO

LOSE THEIR FOOTING.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: A MOUTH FULL OF

MORE THAN 60 TEETH WITH

THE STRONGEST BITE FORCE

OF ANY ANIMAL IS WAITING

FOR ITS NEXT MEAL.

AND THE CROC HAS A SECRET

WEAPON.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: USING ITS POWERFUL - TAIL, A SALTWATER

CROCODILE CAN LEAP MORE

THAN THREE FEET INTO THE

AIR IN UNDER A SECOND.

LUCKILY FOR THE MONKEY,

THIS CROC DIDN'T TIME HIS

JUMP QUITE RIGHT AND THIS

MONKEY WILL THINK TWICE

BEFORE VENTURING SO LOW.

THE RAINFOREST'S CONSTANT

CONDITIONS ALLOW LIFE TO

RUN RIOT.

TO SURVIVE IN THIS

COMPETITIVE WORLD, YOU

NEED TO SPECIALIZE, AND

THAT DRIVES THE EVOLUTION

OF EVER STRANGER LIFE

FORMS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: STAYING OUT OF

SIGHT IS A SURE WAY TO

SURVIVE, AND SOME INSECTS

HAVE PERFECTED THE ART OF

DISGUISE.

AS LONG AS YOUR FOREARM,

THIS GIANT STICK INSECT

ALL BUT DISAPPEARS AMONG

THE BRANCHES OF A TREE.

AN ORCHID MANTIS TAKES

THIS DECEPTION A STEP

FURTHER, DISGUISING ITSELF

AS A FLOWER.

BUT THIS IS NO HERBIVORE

AND ITS COSTUME IS AS MUCH

DECOY AS CAMOUFLAGE.

LULLED INTO A FALSE SENSE

OF SECURITY AND EXPECTING

TO FIND A NECTAR MEAL OF

ITS OWN, A PASSING FLY IS

LUNCH BEFORE IT EVEN

SENSES DANGER.

- TREMBLING LIKE A BLOSSOM - BLOWING IN THE BREEZE, THE

MANTIS SLOWLY STALKS ITS

PREY.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THERE ARE MANY - KINDS OF MANTIS' AND ALL

ARE HUNGRY PREDATORS,

DEVOURING ANYTHING THAT

COMES WITHIN SNATCHING

DISTANCE.

THE SECRET TO THEIR

SUCCESS LIES IN THEIR

EYESIGHT.

THIS GREEN MANTIS KEEPS A

VERY CLOSE EYE ON AN ANT.

WHEN A MANTIS SPOTS A

TARGET, SEVERAL FACETS OF

ITS COMPOUND EYES LINE UP,

VISIBLE AS A BLACK DOT

THAT RESEMBLES A PUPIL.

AT CLOSE RANGE, A MANTIS

HAS ACUTE,

THREE-DIMENSIONAL VISION.

BUT OF ALL THE WEIRD AND

WONDERFUL ANIMALS IN THE

RAINFOREST, THERE'S ONE

MORE PERFECTLY SUITED THAN

ANY OTHER TO LIFE IN THE

TREES.

COMING UP, THIS PLANT

CRAVES MORE THAN WATER,

AND THE TECHNIQUE TO EAT

ITS FAVOR MEAL IS PICTURE

PERFECT.

PLUS, AN ORANGUTAN FAMILY

MEETS ITS NEW NEIGHBORS

AND THEY MIGHT WANT TO PUT

UP A FENCE.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: MALAYSIA IS THE

LAND OF DIVERSITY FOR MANY

REASONS.

- NOT ONLY DO YOU FIND - THOUSANDS OF DIFFERENT

SPECIES OF ANIMALS, YOU'LL

EVEN FIND SPECIES THAT

DON'T EXIST ANYWHERE ELSE

IN THE WORLD.

- BUT IT'S THE GEOGRAPHY OF - MALAYSIA THAT GIVES THESE

CREATURES A HOME WHERE

THEY CAN FLOURISH.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE JUST SAW

CROCODILES DOMINATING THE

LOWEST DEPTHS OF THE

FOREST, SO LET'S SEE WHO

REIGNS AT THE HIGHEST

POINTS, IN THE RICH AND

ROCKY MOUNTAINS OF BORNEO.

BORNEO IS THE WORLD'S

THIRD LARGEST ISLAND.

RISING ABOVE ITS SWAMPY

FORESTS IS A VERY

DIFFERENT LANDSCAPE THAT

HOSTS CREATURES EVEN MORE

UNUSUAL THAN THE PROBOSCIS

MONKEY.

MOUNT KINABALU, MALAYSIA'S

HIGHEST MOUNTAIN.

IT'S A HUGE PLUG OF

GRANITE THAT PUSHED UP

THROUGH THE SURROUNDING

ROCK 15 MILLION YEARS AGO.

- THE GEOLOGICAL BLINK OF AN - EYE.

AND IT'S STILL GOING UP,

GROWING ALMOST A QUARTER

OF AN INCH EVERY YEAR.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: REACHING MORE THAN - TWO AND A HALF MILES INTO

THE AIR, THE MOUNTAIN

TOWERS ABOVE THE LAND

BELOW.

AN ISLAND IN THE SKY.

AS YOU CLIMB, THE PLANT

LIFE CHANGES.

TEMPERATURES COOL AND

SOILS GET THINNER.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: PLANTS HAVE - EVOLVED A MIND-BOGGLING

NUMBER OF WAYS TO COPE.

6,000 PLANT SPECIES GROW

HERE, THAT'S HALF OF ALL

- THE PLANTS FOUND IN - MALAYSIA.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: A PITCHER PLANT,

THE STRANGEST OF THEM ALL.

THESE PLANTS HAVE COME UP

WITH AN INGENIOUS WAY TO

SUPPLEMENT THEIR DIETS;

THEY'RE CARNIVORES.

ATTRACTED TO THE SMELL OF

SWEET NECTAR, A FLY CAN'T

HELP ITSELF FROM TASTING

THE PLANT'S RIM.

JUST BELOW IS A DEADLY

RESERVOIR.

FLUID FILLED WITH

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES BREAKS

DOWN ANYTHING UNLUCKY

ENOUGH TO FALL IN.

THE PLANT'S RIBBED EDGE IS

DESIGNED TO MAKE INSECTS

LOSE THEIR FOOTING, BUT

THE FLY TAKES OFF IN THE

NICK OF TIME.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: EVEN IF FALLEN - INSECTS DO MAKE THEIR WAY

OUT OF THE LETHAL POOL,

WITH WATERLOGGED WINGS,

THEY'D HAVE NO WAY OF

ESCAPING THE PLANT'S

WICKED SPINES.

- BUT PITCHER PLANTS ARE NOT - JUST AGENTS OF

DESTRUCTION, OVER TIME,

THE FLUID IN THE PITCHERS

IS DILUTED BY RAINWATER

AND THEY BECOME OCCUPIED

BY FLY LARVA.

BUT THESE SQUATTERS PAY

RENT, THEY HELP BREAK DOWN

THE PLANT'S PREY AND KEEP

BACTERIA AT BAY.

NOT A BAD FEE TO AVOID

BECOMING A PITCHER PLANT'S

NEXT MEAL.

COMING UP, WE GO BACK TO

THE TREES TO MEET THE

PERSON OF THE FOREST AND

SEE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO

THIS VAST AND BEAUTIFUL

LANDSCAPE.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: OF ALL THE WEIRD - AND WONDERFUL ANIMALS IN

MALAYSIA'S RAINFOREST,

THERE'S ONE MORE PERFECTLY

SUITED THAN ANY OTHER TO

LIFE IN THE TREES.

ITS NAME MEANS PERSON OF

THE FOREST.

THE ORANGUTAN.

- FOUND ONLY IN MALAYSIA AND - INDONESIA, THESE STRANGE

APES ARE SOME OF THE MOST

ENDANGERED ANIMALS IN THE

WORLD.

SHARING MORE THAN 97

PERCENT OF THEIR DNA WITH

HUMANS, ORANGUTANS ARE ONE

OF OUR CLOSEST COUSINS.

BUT THEY ARE UNUSUAL AMONG

APES.

THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES

THAT LIVE ALMOST ENTIRELY

IN TREES.

THEIR ARMS CAN SPAN SIX

AND A HALF FEET FROM

FINGERTIP TO FINGERTIP,

IDEAL FOR SWINGING BETWEEN

BRANCHES.

OPPOSABLE THUMBS AND TOES

EFFECTIVELY GIVE THEM FOUR

GRIPPING HANDS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: EIGHT TIMES - STRONGER THAN HUMANS, THEY

CAN TRAVEL AS FAST THROUGH

THE TREETOPS AS MAN CAN

RUN ON THE FOREST FLOOR.

BRIGHT ORANGE HAIR MIGHT

SEEM AN ODD COLOR FOR AN

ANIMAL LIVING HIGH IN

GREEN TREES, BUT THESE

GINGER APES ARE

SURPRISINGLY WELL

CAMOUFLAGED IN THEIR LEAFY

HOME.

BECAUSE THE GREEN PIGMENT

THAT PLANTS USE FOR

PHOTOSYNTHESIS REFLECTS

GREEN LIGHT BUT ABSORBS

RED AND YELLOW, IT'S

THOUGH THE ORANGUTAN'S

ORANGE COLOR BECOMES

HARDER TO DETECT AMONG THE

SHADOWS BETWEEN THE

LEAVES.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: OR PERHAPS, - THEY'RE JUST GOOD AT

HIDING.

ORANGUTANS HAVE EVOLVED TO

BE FOREST SPECIALISTS, BUT

THEY ALSO PLAY A VITAL

ROLE IN SHAPING THE VERY

FOREST THEY DEPEND ON.

THEY EAT MORE THAN 400

TYPES OF FOOD, MUCH OF IT

FRUIT, AND THEY SPREAD OUT

THE FRUIT SEEDS AS THEY

MOVE THROUGH THE BRANCHES.

AND AS ORANGUTANS BEND AND

SNAP BRANCHES TO MAKE NEW

NESTS EACH NIGHT, THEY

OPEN UP HOLES IN THE THICK

CANOPY, WHICH LETS LIGHT

DOWN INTO THE FOREST

DEPTHS BELOW.

UNLIKE OTHER GREAT APES

THAT LIVE IN TROOPS,

ORANGUTANS ARE SOLITARY

ANIMALS, EXCEPT FOR

MOTHERS AND THEIR YOUNG.

- THEY HAVE ONE OF THE - LONGEST PERIODS OF

CHILDHOOD IN THE NATURAL

WORLD, STAYING WITH THEIR

MOTHER FOR EIGHT TO TEN

YEARS, LEARNING THE DOS

AND DON'TS OF LIFE IN

THEIR FOREST HOME.

AND FIRST ON THE LIST OF

DON'TS IS DON'T LET GO.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: BABIES ARE - PERMANENTLY CLAMPED TO

MOM'S HIP, CLINGING ON

QUITE LITERALLY FOR DEAR

LIFE.

A DROP FROM THE TREETOPS

WOULD BE FATAL.

THIS YOUNG FEMALE HAS LONG

SINCE MASTERED THE ART OF

TREE CLIMBING AND IS NOW

JUST A FEW MONTHS AWAY

FROM LEAVING HER MOTHER

AND MAKING HER OWN WAY IN

THE JUNGLE.

BUT SHE STILL HAS SOME

FINAL VITAL LESSONS TO

LEARN.

- BAMBOO SHOOTS ARE A GOOD - SOURCE OF FOOD WHEN

FRUITING TREES ARE HARD TO

FIND.

SHE'LL NEED TO LEARN WHAT

DANGERS LURK HERE, TOO.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: A CAT SNAKE, SIX

FEET LONG AND FAR FROM

FRIENDLY, THESE COIL IN

TREES, WAITING TO AMBUSH

BIRDS AND SMALL MAMMALS.

AN ORANGUTAN IS TOO BIG TO

BE ITS MEAL, BUT AN

INQUISITIVE YOUNGSTER

MIGHT GET A NASTY BITE

THAT COULD PROVE

DANGEROUS, EVEN FATAL.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THE ORANGUTAN AND

ALL OF THESE AMAZINGLY

WEIRD AND SPECIALIZED

ANIMALS MAKES UP THE

DIVERSITY THAT GIVES

MALAYSIA ONE OF THE MOST

FASCINATING PALLETS OF

WILDLIFE IN THE WORLD.

- THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME - ON THIS JOURNEY TO

MALAYSIA, ONE OF THE

WORLD'S MOST DIVERSE

ECOSYSTEMS, FULL OF SOME

OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE

ANIMALS ON THE PLANET.

I'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR

ANOTHER EARTH ODYSSEY.

[MUSIC]