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 THE

LARGEST WETLAND AREA IN

THE WORLD, THE PANTANAL

REGION OF SOUTH AMERICA,

WHERE THESE BEAUTIFUL BLUE

WING MACAWS RULE THE

SKIES.

PLUS, WE'LL SEE A POWERFUL

DISPLAY OF PREY VERSUS

PREDATOR.

CAN YOU GUESS WHICH ONE IS

WHICH?

AND LATER, THE AWESOME

REASON WHY THEY CALL

PANTANAL A WETLAND.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THERE AREN'T MANY - PLACES IN THE WORLD MORE

PERFECT FOR ANIMAL REFUGE

THAN THE GREAT SOUTH

AMERICAN WETLAND, THE

PANTANAL.

THIS LUSH REGION HAS MANY

QUALIFICATIONS AS THE

IDEAL SANCTUARY FOR THE

BIRDS AND MAMMALS WHO LIVE

HERE.

NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS

SHEER SIZE.

IT'S THE LARGEST WETLAND

ON EARTH, TEN TIMES BIGGER

- THAN THE EVERGLADES IN - FLORIDA.

- ITS RICH, NATURAL - RESOURCES MAKE THE

PANTANAL THE PERFECT HOME

FOR SOME OF THE MOST

INTERESTING ANIMALS IN THE

WORLD.

LET'S DIVE IN.

AT THE VERY CENTER OF

SOUTH AMERICA, THE

PANTANAL IS A GIANT BASIN.

THE VAST MAJORITY LIES IN

BRAZIL, THE REST IN

BOLIVIA AND PARAGUAY.

EARLY EXPLORERS THOUGHT IT

WAS A VAST INLAND SEA.

IN REALITY, THE PANTANAL

IS A HUGE INLAND DELTA.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: IT NAME MEANS

SWAMP, BUT THIS IS A PLACE

WITH TWO DISTINCT

PERSONALITIES.

FOR SIX MONTHS, IT'S WET,

WITH UP TO 80 PERCENT

SUBMERGED BY FLOODS.

THE REST OF THE YEAR, IT'S

DRY, WITH LITTLE RAIN AND

SOARING TEMPERATURES, THE

FLOODWATERS DROP AND THE

PANTANAL REVERTS TO PART

SAVANNAH.

- THE PANTANAL STARTS WHERE - THE CONTINENT'S CENTRAL

PLATEAU COMES TO A HALT.

THE PLATEAU DROPS INTO A

SERIES OF CANYONS.

THE BRIDE'S VEIL WATERFALL

PLUNGES 260 FEET OFF THE

EDGE OF THE CANYONS.

IT'S SEPTEMBER, MIDWAY

THROUGH THE DRY SEASON,

AND THERE'S BARELY ENOUGH

WATER TO REACH THE BOTTOM.

WHITE-EYED PARAKEETS HAVE

SPENT THE NIGHT ROOSTING

IN THE SANDSTONE WALLS.

- THEY'RE PREPARING FOR A - LONG DAY IN THEIR DUSTY

ENVIRONMENT BY WAITING IN

LINE FOR AN INVIGORATING

SHOWER, ONE PAIR AT A

TIME.

- WHILE THE PARAKEETS - FRESHEN UP, LARGER

RELATIVES GATHER ABOVE

THEM.

LIKE MOST PARROTS,

BLUE-WINGED MACAWS PAIR

FOR LIFE.

WHAT SEEMS LIKE SQUABBLING

IS THEIR WAY OF CEMENTING

THEIR BOND BEFORE THEY FLY

OFF TO FORAGE.

A PAIR OF RED AND GREEN

MACAWS SHARES THE CANYON.

- AMONG THE HEAVIEST PARROTS - IN THE WORLD, THEY NEED

PLENTY OF FOOD.

THEIR LONG, NARROW WINGS

WILL POWER THEM ON A 60

MILE ROUND TRIP TO FIND

IT.

THEY WERE BUILT FOR THIS

JOURNEY AND THEY FLY OFF,

DISAPPEARING INTO THE

PANTANAL BREEZE.

COMING UP, TWO BEASTS GO

HEAD TO HEAD IN THIS

JAGUAR VERSUS CAIMAN

SHOWDOWN.

THEN, WHICH LITTLE INSECT

IS ANNOYING ENOUGH TO GET

UNDER THESE GIANT'S SKIN?

THAT'S NEXT ON "EARTH

ODYSSEY."

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

- ON EVERY "EARTH ODYSSEY," - WE FIND A DIVERSE GROUP OF

WILDLIFE, ALL WITH UNIQUE

TRAITS THAT SERVE THEM IN

THE WILD.

WELL, YOU'RE ABOUT TO MEET

ANOTHER ANIMAL WITH A

- SPECIAL TALENT FOR - SURVIVING AND THRIVING.

TAKE A LOOK.

- MANY OF THE STREAMS AND - RIVERS THAT CARVE THROUGH

CENTRAL BRAZIL FIND THEIR

WAY HERE BEFORE TUMBLING

INTO THE PANTANAL BELOW.

A GIANT PATCHWORK OF

FOREST, SAVANNAHS, AND

SWAMPS, IT TILTS GENTLY

SOUTH, SO ITS NORTHERN

REACHES ARE THE FIRST TO

DRY OUT.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: SHRINKING POOLS - PROVIDE LITTLE PROTECTION

FOR THE REGION'S

WATER-LOVING REPTILES.

AND VULNERABLE WILDLIFE IS

AN IRRESISTIBLE LURE TO

LARGE PREDATORS.

THIS IS THE JAGUAR'S

KINGDOM.

AT OVER 220 POUNDS, IT'S

ONE OF THE HEAVIEST CATS

IN THE WORLD.

ONLY TIGERS AND LIONS ARE

BIGGER.

ITS NAME MEANS THE BEAST

THAT KILLS IN ONE BOUND.

AND AT THIS TIME OF YEAR,

ITS PREY SEEMS WELL WITHIN

RANGE.

BUT CAIMAN KNOW JUST HOW

TO EVADE THEM.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE JAGUAR WILL - HAVE PLENTY MORE

OPPORTUNITIES.

ABUNDANT CAIMAN IS JUST

ONE REASON WHY PANTANAL'S

JAGUARS ARE TWICE THE SIZE

OF THOSE ELSEWHERE IN

LATIN AMERICA.

EUROPEANS FIRST CAME TO

THE PANTANAL IN SEARCH OF

GOLD.

- FAILING TO FIND EL DORADO, - THEY SETTLED ON FARMING.

NOW, 95 PERCENT OF THE

PANTANAL IS OWNED BY

RANCHERS.

UP TO EIGHT MILLION CATTLE

GRAZE HERE.

IN PARTS OF THE PANTANAL,

CATTLE MAKE UP A THIRD OF

THE JAGUAR'S PREY, FUELING

THE PREDATOR'S GROWTH.

COME NIGHTFALL, THIS

RANCHER CAN ONLY HOPE THAT

HIS ANIMALS ARE THE LUCKY

ONES.

- THE COWBOYS AND THEIR - CATTLE HAVE CHANGED THE

FACE OF THE PANTANAL, TO

MAKE SPACE FOR GRAZING,

TREES ARE REMOVED.

BUT THE CATTLES' PRESENCE

HAS UNEXPECTED BENEFITS

FOR OTHER ANIMALS.

COMING UP, MACAWING ALL

BIRD LOVERS.

WE FIND OUT WHO BENEFITS

THE MOST FROM THE PRESENCE

OF RANCHERS AND CATTLE.

PLUS, WE VISIT THE WETTEST

REGION IN THE WETTEST TIME

OF YEAR FOR SOUTH AMERICA.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

AS THE LARGEST WETLAND ON

EARTH, THE PANTANAL IS

HOME TO A REMARKABLE

NUMBER OF FISH SPECIES

- THAT RULE THE RIVERS IN - BOTH THE DRY AND FLOOD

SEASONS.

- WITH ALL OF THIS WATER, - YOU MIGHT EXPECT THERE ARE

- MORE FISH SPECIES IN THE - PANTANAL THAN ANY OTHER

ANIMAL, BUT THERE ARE

ACTUALLY TWICE AS MANY

BIRD SPECIES.

- LET'S HEAD BACK TO THE - WETLANDS TO GET A BIRDS'

EYE VIEW OF THE FEATHERED

FRIENDS WHO POPULATE THE

PANTANAL.

ONE ANIMAL THAT BENEFITS

FROM THE RANCHERS IN THE

PANTANAL REGION OF SOUTH

AMERICA IS THE LARGEST

PARROT ON THE PLANET.

THE HYACINTH MACAW.

IT FEEDS ALMOST

EXCLUSIVELY ON PALM NUTS.

AND IT PREFERS THOSE WHOSE

HUSKS HAVE ALREADY BEEN

DIGESTED BY CATTLE.

EVEN DE-HUSKED, THESE ARE

PARTICULARLY HARD NUTS TO

CRACK.

SO HARD THAT A THIRD OF

ALL THE MACAW'S MUSCLES

ARE CONCENTRATED IN ITS

HEAD TO POWER ITS

MONSTROUS MANDIBLES.

BUT BRUTE STRENGTH IS NOT

ENOUGH.

AS WELL AS ITS BEAK, THE

HIGHLY INTELLIGENT PARROT

USES ITS HAND-LIKE FEET,

FLEXIBLE TONGUE, AND

AWESOME BRAINPOWER TO

HARVEST THE NUTRITIOUS

KERNELS HIDDEN INSIDE.

THREE QUARTERS OF ALL

HYACINTH MACAWS LIVE IN

THE PANTANAL.

- THEY THRIVE ONLY WHERE - THERE ARE PLENTY OF PALM

NUTS AND PLENTY OF CATTLE

TO HELP PREPARE THEM.

EVERY CATTLE PASTURE HAS A

WATER HOLE.

AS THE DRY SEASON TIGHTENS

ITS GRIP, STRANGE NOISES

EMANATE FROM WITHIN.

CAIMAN ARE FORCED TOGETHER

IN THESE DWINDLING POOLS.

BEING SO TIGHTLY PACKED

PROVOKES PRIMAL INSTINCTS.

THE GRUNT OF A SINGLE

FEMALE SPARKS THE CHORUS.

THE MALE RESPONDS WITH

INFRASONIC BOOMS, POWERFUL

ENOUGH TO MAKE THE WATER

DANCE.

THEY'RE ESTABLISHING A

HIERARCHY.

- THE BIGGER THE MALE, THE - MORE IMPRESSIVE THE

DISPLAY.

- WHEN IT COMES TO COURTING, - THE FEMALES WILL KNOW WHO

TO PICK.

FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR, THE

CAIMAN HUNT UNDER THE

COVER OF DARKNESS.

BUT NOW, WITH PREY

STRANDED IN INCREASINGLY

SHALLOW WATER, FISHING IS

EASY.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: AS THE SUN RISES, - THE CAIMAN COME OUT TO

BASK, THEY MUST RAISE

THEIR BODY TEMPERATURE TO

86 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT TO

BETTER DIGEST THEIR

BREAKFAST.

AS MANY AS 35 MILLION

CAIMAN LURK HERE.

THE BIGGEST CONCENTRATION

OF REPTILES ON THE PLANET.

THE PANTANAL WOULD SEEM TO

BE A CAIMAN PARADISE, BUT

THE TEMPERATURE SOON SOARS

TO MORE THAN 104 DEGREES.

AND BITING FLIES FIND

VULNERABILITIES IN THE

REPTILE'S ARMOR.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THE INSECTS FORCE

THEM TO RETREAT.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE WARMING WATER - IN THE PANTANAL'S POOLS

GRADUALLY GIVES UP ITS

OXYGEN, LEAVING TRAPPED

FISH EXPOSED TO PREY.

BIRDS FLY IN FROM FAR AND

WIDE TO JOIN THE FEAST.

WOOD STORKS, WORKING IN

TEAMS, PROBE FOR PREY WITH

BEAKS AND FEET.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: JABIRU STORKS WORK

ALONE, USING SIGHT AS WELL

AS TOUCH TO DOUBLE THEIR

CHANCES.

THEY CARE LITTLE ABOUT

PASSING CAIMAN, THEY JUST

NEED TO CATCH AS MANY FISH

AS POSSIBLE.

- AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, - THEY'LL WORK AS LONG AS

THERE'S LIGHT TO FISH BY

BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT A NEST

FULL OF GIANT CHICKS TO

FEED.

- JABIRUS COINCIDE THEIR - BREEDING WITH THIS

SEASONAL BOUNTY.

USUALLY, THEY'LL REAR JUST

TWO CHICKS, FOUR SIGNALS A

PARTICULARLY DRY YEAR.

- IT'S A BIG COMMITMENT FOR - THEIR HARD-WORKING

PARENTS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: AS WELL AS - FERRYING FISH, THEY NEED

TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE

NEST.

SUCH A LARGE, PRECARIOUS

PLATFORM NEEDS CONSTANT

REBUILDING.

ESPECIALLY AS NOISY

NEIGHBORS SEEM INTENT ON

DISMANTLING IT.

MONK PARAKEETS HAVE MOVED

IN DOWNSTAIRS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THEIR SQUABBLING - DOESN'T GIVE THE STORKS

MUCH PEACE, BUT AT LEAST

THE MOTHER JABIRU LEAVES

HER YOUNG IN A WELL

ALARMED HOME.

- COMING UP, THE PANTANAL IS - DRY FOR NOW, BUT WHAT DOES

IT LOOK LIKE WHEN THE

RAINS START TO FALL IN THE

- WETTEST REGION OF SOUTH - AMERICA?

NEXT ON "EARTH ODYSSEY."

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THE PANTANAL,

WHICH HAS BEEN SO DRY, IS

TRANSFORMED INTO A WATER

WORLD ONCE MORE.

ITS SWOLLEN RIVERS FUNNEL

SOUTH, JOINING THE

PARAGUAY RIVER, THEN MERGE

WITH THE PARANA, THE

SECOND LONGEST RIVER IN

SOUTH AMERICA.

TOGETHER, THEY DRAIN A

FIFTH OF THE ENTIRE

CONTINENT.

- ONE OF THE TRIBUTARIES - PASSES THROUGH IGUAZU

FALLS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE MIGHTIEST - WATERFALLS IN THE

AMERICAS.

- SHAPED LIKE A GIANT - HORSESHOE, THEY'RE A

SERIES OF 275 FALLS,

DROPPING 260 FEET INTO A

NARROW CHASM.

NEARLY TWO MILES ACROSS,

THE IGUAZU FALLS ARE WIDER

THAN THE VICTORIA FALLS

AND DWARF NIAGARA.

IN THE WET SEASON, UP TO

THREE MILLION GALLONS FLOW

OVER THE EDGE EVERY

SECOND.

18,000 OLYMPIC SWIMMING

POOLS EVERY HOUR.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: BLACK VULTURES

GATHER.

THEY KNOW THAT ANYTHING

SWEPT OVER THE EDGE WILL

- BE DASHED ON THE ROCKS - BELOW.

AN EASY MEAL ON TAP.

HUGE FLOCKS OF GREAT DUSKY

SWIFTS SWIRL THROUGH THE

MISTS.

THEY'VE COME TO BREED.

BUT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM.

- THE LUSCIOUS FORESTS THAT - CLOAK THE FALLS ARE FULL

OF THIEVES.

TOUCANS, SPECIALIST NEST

RAIDERS.

AND COATIS, THEY'LL EAT

ANYTHING THEY CAN FIND,

- BUT EGGS ARE A - PARTICULARLY VALUABLE

PRIZE.

BANDS PATROL EVERY LEVEL

OF THE FOREST.

- THE SWIFTS HAVE COME UP - WITH AN EXTRAORDINARY

SOLUTION.

AS DUSK ARRIVES, THEY FLY

EVER CLOSER TO THE FALLS,

- LOOKING FOR A CHANCE TO - PENETRATE THE THUNDERING

CURTAIN OF WATER.

THEN, ONE BY ONE, THEY

SWOOP THROUGH.

- ONCE THEY'VE MADE IT TO - THE SLIPPERY CLIFF FACE,

THEIR LONG CLAWS ENABLE

THEM TO CLING ON.

- THEN THEY CLAMBER TOWARDS - THEIR NESTS AND PRECIOUS

EGGS ARE SAFELY DEPOSITED

OUT OF DANGER'S REACH.

- ALL OF THE RIVERS FROM THE - PANTANALS EVENTUALLY FLOW

INTO THE RIO PLATA,

CREATING THE SECOND

LARGEST RIVER BASIN ON

EARTH.

THE PANTANAL PLAYS A

CRUCIAL ROLE IN

CONTROLLING THIS MASSIVE

VOLUME OF WATER, ACTING

LIKE A GIANT SPONGE.

DURING THE WET SEASON, IT

WORKS AS A NATURAL BREAK,

- PREVENTING FLASH FLOODS - FROM HITTING SOUTHERN

BRAZIL, PARAGUAY, AND

ARGENTINA.

AND DURING THE DRY, IT

BECOMES A VITAL RESERVOIR,

SLOWLY RELEASING ITS

CONTENTS.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US

ON OUR TRIP TO THE

- PANTANAL REGION OF SOUTH - AMERICA.

FROM TALL STANDING STORKS

TO LOW CRAWLING

CROCODILES, THIS WONDERFUL

WETLAND IS HOME TO AMAZING

ANIMALS OF EVERY SPECIES.

- BE SURE TO JOIN US WAS WE - TRAVEL TO ANOTHER

FASCINATING PART OF THE

WORLD ON THE NEXT "EARTH

ODYSSEY."

[MUSIC]