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."

TODAY, WE TRAVEL TO

SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA

- WHERE YOU'LL FIND THE - MAJESTIC REGION CALLED

PATAGONIA.

ALONG THE WAY, WE'LL MEET

SOME SPECTACULAR ANIMALS,

LIKE THESE HIGH FIVING

PENGUIN PALS.

- PLUS, WHO ARE THE BUSIEST - BEAVERS IN THE WORLD?

WE MIGHT'VE FOUND THEM

WHERE YOU'D LEAST EXPECT.

AND LATER, THE PUFFY

GUANACO HAS TO BE ON HIGH

ALERT AT ALL TIMES BECAUSE

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'LL

FIND IN THE UNPREDICTABLE

AND WILD REGION OF

PATAGONIA.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: SOUTH AMERICA IS - HOME TO SOME OF THE MOST

INCREDIBLE PLACES ON

EARTH; FROM THE AMAZON

RAINFOREST TO THE ORINOCO

RIVER, THESE REGIONS

PROVIDE THE RESOURCES

NEEDED TO SUSTAIN SOME OF

- THE MOST DIVERSE CREATURES - ON THE PLANET.

AND THERE'S ONE REGION

THAT'S RULED BY SOME OF

THE OLDEST AND STRANGEST

CREATURES OF THEM ALL,

PATAGONIA.

STRETCHING FROM ARGENTINA

TO CHILE, THIS IS HOME TO

THE LARGEST DINOSAUR

FOSSIL EVER FOUND, THE

SECOND OLDEST TREE ON

EARTH, AND A SPECIES OF

FLIGHTLESS BIRD THAT

ALMOST OUTNUMBERS HUMANS.

TAKE A LOOK INSIDE THE

WILD LIFE OF PATAGONIA.

500 MILES EAST OF THE

ANDES AND BEYOND

PATAGONIA'S VAST PLAINS

LIES PENINSULA VALDES.

IT STICKS OUT INTO THE

ATLANTIC OCEAN TO FORM

TWO SHELTERED BAYS.

- PROVIDING A WELCOME - RESTING PLACE FOR OCEAN

FRIENDS.

THESE MAGELLANIC PENGUINS

HAVE BEEN AT SEA FOR SIX

MONTHS, BUT THEY MOST COME

TO THE SHORE TO BREED.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: PENGUIN COUPLES - RETURN TO THE SAME NEST

YEAR AFTER YEAR.

- THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF - THOUSANDS OF PENGUIN NESTS

IN SEVERAL COLONIES ALONG

THIS COAST.

IN THESE LARGE ROOKERIES,

SOME PENGUINS MUST WALK

OVER A MILE INLAND TO

REACH THEIR BURROW.

NOT EASY FOR AN ANIMAL

ADAPTED TO LIFE IN THE

OCEAN.

PENGUIN BODIES ARE BUILT

FOR THE SEA.

- TIGHTLY PACKED FEATHERS - ARE COATED IN

WATER-RESISTANT OIL,

SECRETED BY A GLAND ABOVE

THE TAIL.

AND WITH FLIPPER-LIKE

WINGS, THEY FLY THROUGH

THE WATER.

LIFE ON LAND IS MUCH

HARDER WORK.

EVEN ON PATAGONIA'S COOL

SPRING DAYS, A PENGUIN CAN

OVERHEAT.

THEY CAN'T SWEAT, BUT

PATCHES AROUND THEIR EYES

HELP BREAKDOWN THE HEAT

AND THEY CAN EVEN PANT TO

KEEP COOL.

COLONIES DISPERSE WHEN

THEY'RE AT SEA AND THESE

PENGUIN PAIRS HAVEN'T SEEN

EACH OTHER FOR SIX MONTHS,

THEY'RE DESPERATE TO FIND

THEIR PARTNERS.

BUT FINDING YOUR MATE

AMONG THE MULTITUDE CAN BE

TRICKY.

- BILL FENCING IS A WAY OF - GREETING OLD

ACQUAINTANCES, LIKE A

HANDSHAKE OR A PENGUIN

POUND.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: BUT NOT ALL

PENGUINS ARE PLEASED TO

SEE EACH OTHER.

SQUABBLES OVER NEST SITES

ARE COMMON.

LOUD CRIES CARRY RIGHT

ACROSS THE COLONY AND EACH

PENGUIN RECOGNIZES THE

DISTINCTIVE CALL OF ITS

PARTNER.

- THESE LONG-DISTANCE - RELATIONSHIPS SEEM TO WORK

AND THESE LOVEBIRDS ARE

READY TO SETTLE DOWN FOR

THE LONG SUMMER.

COMING UP, NO TREE IS SAFE

WHEN THESE TWO ARE AROUND.

PLUS, MORE PREDATORS AND

PREY THAT CALL PATAGONIA

THEIR HOME.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE FORESTS OF - SOUTHERN BEECH TREES ON

THESE PATAGONIAN ISLANDS

CONTAINS SOME OF THE

- HEARTIEST TREES IN THE - WORLD.

THEY THRIVE IN THIN SOIL,

TOLERATE GALE FORCE WINDS,

AND SURVIVE TEMPERATURES

AS LOW AS MINUS 20 DEGREES

FAHRENHEIT.

BUT THEY ARE SUCCUMBING TO

A NEW ENEMY.

BEAVERS.

THIS MALE WORKS HARD TO

STOCKPILE FOOD FOR HIS

FAMILY BEFORE THE WINTER

TAKES HOLD.

IN A FEW SHORT WEEKS, HIS

POND WILL FREEZE OVER, BUT

HE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO

ACCESS HIS UNDERWATER

PANTRY.

HIS THICK, OILY COAT KEEPS

HIM WARM IN THE ICY WATER.

- LIKE ALL RODENTS, THIS - BEAVER HAS AN INSATIABLE

DESIRE TO CHEW.

HIS CHISEL-LIKE TEETH

NEVER STOP GROWING, SO HE

NEEDS TO GNAW WOOD TO WEAR

THEM DOWN.

THIS MALE IS DESCENDED

FROM JUST A FEW DOZEN

CANADIAN BEAVERS THAT WERE

RELEASED IN TIERRA DEL

FUEGO IN THE 1940'S.

THE BEAVERS THRIVED.

TODAY, HE'S ONE OF MORE

THAN A 100,000 BEAVERS

HERE AND THEIR DAMS HAVE

FLOODED SIGNIFICANT

- ACREAGE IN TIERRA DEL - FUEGO.

THESE FORESTS CAN'T

REGENERATE FROM THE STUMP,

SO BEAVER DAMAGE KILLS

THEM OUTRIGHT.

BEAVER DAMS TURN PRISTINE

STREAMS INTO STAGNANT

PONDS.

NATIVE ANIMALS, SUCH AS

THESE AUSTRAL PARAKEETS

ARE STRUGGLING TO ADJUST

AS A RESULT.

- THESE LITTLE BIRDS LIVE - FARTHER SOUTH THAN ANY

OTHER PARROT IN THE WORLD.

- AS BEAVERS CUT DOWN MORE - AND MORE TREES, THE

PARAKEETS' FOOD SUPPLY AND

POTENTIAL HOMES ARE

RUNNING OUT.

- THERE'S ANOTHER BIRD HERE - THAT SEEMS TO BE THRIVING

IN THE WAKE OF THE

BEAVERS' DESTRUCTION.

THE MAGELLANIC WOODPECKER.

A REDHEADED MALE FORAGES

WITH HIS FAMILY.

DECAYING LOGS FELLED BY

BEAVERS ARE PRIME HABITAT

FOR GRUBS.

- AND THE WOODPECKERS HAVE - THE PERFECT TOOLS TO

DISLODGE THEM.

THE BEAK IS HARD AND LIKE

THE BEAVER'S TEETH, NEVER

STOPS GROWING.

- IT'S WORN DOWN BY THE - BIRD'S INCESSANT

HAMMERING.

HUGE FEET HAVE TOES THAT

FACE BOTH FORWARDS AND

BACKWARDS, HELPING THEM

KEEP A FIRM GRIP.

AND SPECIALLY STIFFENED

TAIL FEATHERS BRACE

AGAINST THE TREE LIKE THE

THIRD LEG OF A TRIPOD.

BUT THE WOODPECKER'S

SECRET WEAPON IS ITS

TONGUE, COVERED IN STICKY

SALIVA AND BARBED AT THE

END, IT'S THE IDEAL TOOL

FOR GRABBING JUICY PREY.

THE WOODPECKER'S TONGUE IS

ALSO A BUILT IN SHOCK

ABSORBER.

THE TONGUE IS ALMOST AS

LONG AS THE BIRD'S BODY

AND IT WRAPS AROUND THE

WOODPECKER'S SKULL,

- HELPING PROTECT IT'S BRAIN - FROM THE IMPACT OF

DRILLING FOR GRUBS.

- BUT THE WOODPECKER'S BOOM - TIME WON'T LAST.

BEAVER DAMAGED TREES ROT

AWAY TO NOTHING AND THE

FORESTS ARE SHRINKING.

EVENTUALLY, THERE WON'T BE

ENOUGH TREES TO SUPPORT

WOODPECKERS AT ALL.

COMING UP, YOU'LL SEE WHY

THESE GUANACOS NEED THEIR

DOUBLE LAYER OF FUR.

PLUS, THE SPECIAL BOND

BETWEEN ANIMALS AND HUMANS

IS REVEALED AS PATAGONIAN

GAUCHOS TAME THESE

MAGNIFICENT WILD HORSES.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

PATAGONIA HAS A VARIETY OF

LANDSCAPES, SOME THAT YOU

WON'T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE

IN SOUTH AMERICA.

FROM ITS TALL AND RIGID

MOUNTAINS TO ITS VAST AND

FRIGID GLACIERS,

PATAGONIA'S GEOGRAPHIC

DIVERSITY IS WHAT ALLOWS

SO MANY UNIQUE ANIMALS TO

LIVE THERE.

AND WHERE THERE ARE

ANIMALS, THERE'S PREY, AND

- WHERE THERE'S PREY THERE - ARE PREDATORS.

EVEN WHEN THE TEMPERATURE

DROPS BELOW ZERO.

TAKE A LOOK.

20,000 YEARS AGO, THE

WHOLE OF SOUTHERN CHILE

WAS COVERED BY ICE.

TODAY, JUST FOUR PERCENT

OF THIS ICE SHEET REMAINS,

IN TWO FIELDS.

THE LARGER OF THE TWO, THE

SOUTHERN PATAGONIAN ICE

FIELD, STILL EXTENDS MORE

THAN SIX AND A HALF

THOUSAND SQUARE MILES.

- IT'S THE SECOND LARGEST - EXPANSE OF ICE IN THE

WORLD, OUTSIDE OF THE

NORTH AND SOUTH POLES.

AS WINTER APPROACHES, MORE

AND MORE STORMS BRING NEW

SNOWFALL TO FEED THE ICE

FIELD.

DAYS SHORTEN TO JUST SEVEN

HOURS OF LIGHT.

IN THE SHADOW OF THE

FREEZING PEAKS, FLAMINGOS

FUEL UP WHILE THEY CAN.

THEIR TONGUES PUMP UP AND

DOWN SIX TIMES PER SECOND,

PUSHING WATER THROUGH

THEIR BEAKS, ALLOWING THEM

TO FILTER OUT ALGAE AND

INVERTEBRATES.

- SOON, THE LAKE WILL FREEZE - OVER AND THE FLAMINGOS

WILL BE FORCED TO MOVE

NORTH TOWARDS THE EQUATOR.

NOT ALL ANIMALS CAN ESCAPE

THE BRUTAL GRIP OF WINTER,

THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO

SIT OUT THE SNOWS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THIS GUANACO'S - DOUBLE COAT OF FUR HELPS

IT COPE WITH THE COLD.

A FINE DOWN LAYER CLOSE TO

THE SKIN INSULATES AGAINST

THE BITING WIND AND COURSE

OUTER HAIRS KEEP WET SNOW

AWAY FROM ITS BODY.

GUANACOS STICK TOGETHER IN

HERDS, KEEPING A WARY EYE

OUT FOR DANGER.

THE PUMA IS CONSTANT

THREAT.

A GRAY FOX WILEY ENOUGH TO

FOLLOW THE HERDS MAKES A

MEAGER LIVING PICKING UP

SCRAPS FROM ANY PUMA KILL.

BUT CLIMATE IS THE BIGGEST

CHALLENGE HERE.

NOT ALL ANIMALS WILL

SURVIVE THE FIVE LONG

MONTHS OF WINTER.

- GUANACOS RECYCLE EACH - MOUTHFUL OF FOOD,

EXTRACTING EVERY LAST

NUTRIENT AVAILABLE.

A PUMA IS DESPERATELY

HUNGRY.

BUT THE GUANACOS ARE ON

HIGH ALERT.

AND WITHOUT THE ELEMENT OF

SURPRISE, THE PUMA HAS

LITTLE CHANCE OF MAKING A

KILL.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: A HARE IS HARDLY - MORE THAN A MOUTHFUL, BUT

IN THESE LEAN TIMES, IT

COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: BUT THIS TIME,

THE HARE HAS HOPPED AWAY

TO SAFER GROUNDS.

COMING UP, TAMING A WILD

HORSE CAN BE TRICKY, BUT

WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE HOW

THIS NEW GENERATION OF

GAUCHOS HAS LEARNED TO

SOOTHE THE SAVAGE BEAST.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: EAST OF THE ANDES - MOUNTAIN RANGE, THE

GLACIAL LAKES GIVE WAY TO

THE DESERT OF PATAGONIA'S

STEP.

- GUANACOS HERE HAVE HAD A - LESS SEVERE WINTER THAN

THOSE IN THE HIGHLANDS,

BUT THEY FACE CHALLENGES

OF THEIR OWN.

WITH NO RAINFALL AND FEW

RIVERS, GUANACOS MUST GET

ALL THE MOISTURE THEY NEED

FROM EATING THE FEW TOUGH

PLANTS THAT MANAGE TO GROW

IN THE ARID CONDITIONS.

GUANACOS ARE THE ONLY

LARGE NATIVE HERBIVORES

ABLE TO SURVIVE HERE.

BUT THEY DO HAVE

COMPETITION.

INTRODUCED 150 YEARS AGO,

SHEEP THRIVE IN PATAGONIA.

BUT ONLY WITH HUMAN HELP.

BY SHEPHERDING THEIR

FLOCKS LONG DISTANCES

- BETWEEN PASTURES AND FAR - FLUNG WATER POINTS,

PATAGONIAN COWBOYS, CALLED

GAUCHOS, CAN RAISE

THOUSANDS OF SHEEP.

IT'S ARDUOUS WORK.

- THESE GAUCHOS RELY ON - THEIR HORSES TO REACH

THEIR FLOCKS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: A RIVER RUNNING - THROUGH THEIR LAND IS A

VALUABLE ASSET, BUT AS

WELL AS BEING A VITAL

WATER SUPPLY, IT CAN BE A

DAMAGING FORCE.

- SNOW MELT IN THE MOUNTAINS - AT THIS TIME OF YEAR CAN

SWELL WATER LEVEL

DRAMATICALLY IN A MATTER

OF HOURS.

THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO

PRESS ON AND GET TO THE

HERDS.

IT'S LAMBING TIME, THE

MOST DANGEROUS TIME FOR

SHEEP.

A GLUT OF YOUNG LAMBS

OFTEN DRAWS PREDATORS DOWN

FROM THE MOUNTAINS.

THEY'RE MUCH EASIER TO

HUNT THAN WILD GUANACOS.

THE GAUCHOS CANNOT AFFORD

TO LOSE THEIR LIVELIHOODS

TO THE JAWS OF A MOUNTAIN

LION.

PUMAS ARE PESTS HERE AND

THE GAUCHOS NEED TO BE

VIGILANT.

- BREEDING WORKING ANIMALS - STRONG ENOUGH TO COPE WITH

THIS RANCHING LIFESTYLE IS

TOUGH AND DANGEROUS.

- THESE YOUNG HORSES WERE - BORN ON THE FARM BUT HAVE

NEVER BEEN HANDLED.

[MAN SHOUTING]

- DYLAN: THEY HAVE LIVED - ALMOST WILD FOR THAT LAST

THREE YEARS, ROAMING THE

PLAINS AS A HERD.

- BUT NOW, IT'S TIME FOR - THEM TO BE CAUGHT AND

TAMED.

DON ZOILA HAS BEEN WORKING

WITH HORSES SINCE HE WAS A

BOY.

IN HIS YOUNGER DAYS, HE

MIGHT'VE USED A LESS

HUMANE WAY TO BREAK IN

THIS HORSE.

BUT TODAY, HE AND HIS

STEPSON GERARDO PRACTICE A

MORE COMPASSIONATE METHOD.

THEY BELIEVE THE SECRET

BEHIND TAMING A HORSE IS

TO SPEAK ITS LANGUAGE AND

EARN ITS TRUST.

BUT IT'S NOT EASY.

- LITTLE BY LITTLE, THEY - INTRODUCE A YOUNG CULT TO

A BIT AND A SADDLE.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: FOR A HORSE THAT'S - KNOWN NOTHING BUT THE

- FREEDOM OF THE FIELDS, - IT'S A SHOCK TO THE

SYSTEM.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THIS HORSE IS SO - FEISTY, HE'S BEEN NAMED

CHISPA, MEANING SPARK.

- IT WILL TAKE A LOT MORE - PERSUASION TO CONVINCE

CHISPA TO TOW THE LINE.

BUT THESE ARE PATAGONIA'S

PREMIUM GAUCHOS AND THEIR

NEW METHODS OF TRAINING

WILL PREVAIL FOR THEIR

HORSES.

- PATAGONIA IS ONE OF SOUTH - AMERICA'S LAST GREAT

WILDERNESSES.

A WIND-SWEPT PLAIN IN THE

SHADOW OF FROZEN

MOUNTAINS, IT HOLDS THE

WILD WONDER THAT MAKES IT

- ONE OF THE MOST - FASCINATING REGIONS IN THE

WORLD.

- THANK YOU FOR JOINING US - ON OUR JOURNEY TO

PATAGONIA, WHOSE LOW

PLAINS, HIGH MOUNTAINS,

AND ICY GLACIERS GIVE THIS

LAND THE DIVERSITY IT

NEEDS TO BE HOME TO A

VARIETY OF FASCINATING

ANIMALS.

JOIN US ON OUR NEXT

ADVENTURE AS WE TRAVEL TO

ANOTHER AMAZING PART OF

THE WORLD ON "EARTH

ODYSSEY."

[MUSIC]