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, I'M DYLAN

DREYER AND WE'RE ABOUT TO

EMBARK ON ANOTHER "EARTH

ODYSSEY."

ON TODAY'S SHOW, WE HEAD

TO ONE OF INDIA'S WILDEST

REGIONS: THE THAR DESERT.

HOME TO ALL TYPES OF

EXOTIC ANIMALS.

SOME FOUND NOWHERE ELSE ON

EARTH.

- WE'LL MEET SOME CITY - SLICKING MACAQUES AND FIND

OUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY

GO BACK TO THE WILD.

- AND LATER, TRAVELING'S - NEVER A PAIN WHEN YOU'RE A

CRANE, EVEN IF THE JOURNEY

IS STEEPER THAN IT LOOKS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: ALMOST A THIRD OF - THE EARTH'S SURFACE IS

COVERED BY LAND AND A

THIRD OF THAT LAND IS

DESERT.

DESERTS CAN BE BIG OR

SMALL, HOT OR COLD, AND

- CAN EVEN HAVE THRIVING - CITIES RIGHT IN THE

MIDDLE, LIKE THE ONE WE'RE

VISITING TODAY.

YOU'RE ABOUT TO EXPLORE

INDIA'S THAR DESERT, ONE

- OF THE BIGGEST IN THE - WORLD.

IT HAS A METROPOLITAN HUB

THAT'S SHARED BY HUMANS

AND ANIMALS.

AND LIKE ANY CITY,

CREATIVE METHODS ARE

NEEDED FOR KEEPING LAW AND

ORDER, ESPECIALLY WHEN

SOME OF THOSE INHABITANTS

ARE MISCHIEVOUS MONKEYS

KNOWN AS MACAQUES.

TAKE A LOOK.

THE THAR DESERT, A LAND OF

CONTRASTS.

TEMPERATURES SOAR TO MORE

THAN 120 DEGREES

FAHRENHEIT AND LESS THAN

TWO INCHES OF RAIN FALLS

EACH YEAR.

- IT'S ONE OF THE HARSHEST - ENVIRONMENTS ON THE

PLANET, BUT SOMEHOW, LIFE

HAS EXISTED HERE FOR

THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: BEYOND THE DUNES, - LIES A TAPESTRY OF

LANDSCAPES, WOODLANDS,

DESERT SCRUB, SALT PANS,

GRASSY PLAINS, DRY

FORESTS, AND EVEN CITIES.

THESE HABITATS PROVIDE

HOMES FOR AN INCREDIBLE

ARRAY OF ANIMALS.

EXPLORING INDIA'S GREAT

DESERT REVEALS ITS HIDDEN

- SECRETS AND THE UNIQUE - SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIPS

THAT EXIST HERE.

ON THESE DESERT SANDS, THE

LIVES OF MAN AND BEAST ARE

SO CLOSELY CONNECTED THAT

THEY OWE THEIR SURVIVAL TO

EACH OTHER.

WE BEGIN ON THE THAR

DESERT'S EASTERN EDGE,

JAIPUR, THE CAPITAL AND

LARGEST CITY IN INDIA.

JAIPUR'S A DESERT IN

DISGUISE.

APPROACHING THREE MILLION

PEOPLE, IT'S ONE OF THE

FASTEST GROWING PLACES ON

THE PLANET, BUT PEOPLE

DON'T HAVE THE CITY TO

THEMSELVES, ANIMALS

THREATEN TO TAKE OVER THE

STREETS.

THE MOST SUCCESSFUL

INVADERS ARE JAIPUR'S

MONKEYS.

ALONGSIDE HUMANS, RHESUS

MACAQUES ARE THE WORLD'S

MOST ADAPTABLE PRIMATES.

TRADITIONALLY, MACAQUES

LIVE IN FORESTS, BUT AS

JAIPUR HAS EXPANDED INTO

THEIR NATURAL HOME,

THEY'VE ADAPTED TO CITY

LIFE.

40 GROUPS NOW RUN THE

NEIGHBORHOOD.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: BUT ABOVE JAIPUR'S - HECTIC STREETS, ONE

MACAQUE FAMILY OCCUPIES A

PRIVILEGED POSITION.

THIS IS THE 60 STRONG

TEMPLE TROOP.

THOUGH PROTECTED BY A

MALE, IT'S THE ALPHA

FEMALE WHO'S IN CHARGE.

FEMALE MACAQUES STAY

TOGETHER FOR LIFE AND ARE

THE CORE OF THE GROUP.

THIS FAMILY THRIVES

BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN A

TEMPLE DEDICATED TO

MONKEYS.

EVERY YEAR, THOUSANDS OF

PILGRIMS COME HERE TO

WORSHIP HANUMAN, THE

MONKEY GOD.

THE TEMPLE TROOP IS

TREATED LIKE ROYALTY.

LOCALS SHOW THEIR RESPECT

FOR HANUMAN BY FEEDING THE

MACAQUES.

THIS IS MONKEY HEAVEN,

WHERE THE FAMILY CAN

AFFORD TO RELAX AND HAVE

FUN.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: LIFE WILL GET - HARDER IN TIME, WHEN

SUMMER SETS IN, THE CITY

WILL HEAT UP, SUPPLIES OF

FOOD AND WATER WILL

DWINDLE AND THE TROOP WILL

HAVE TO FIGHT FOR

SURVIVAL.

BUT FOR NOW, THESE

PRECOCIOUS PRIMATES ARE

ENJOYING THEIR URBAN

COMFORTS.

- COMING UP, WE'LL SEE WHERE - THE MACAQUES GO WHEN THEY

DON'T FOLLOW THE RULES OF

THE BIG CITY.

PLUS, MEET THE BIRDS WHO

CAN ACTUALLY FLY OVER THE

HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: ON THE EASTERN

EDGE OF THE THAR DESERT,

MACAQUES AND HUMANS LIVE

SIDE BY SIDE, BUT IN THE

SUMMERTIME, THE HOT DESERT

HEAT DRIVES SOME OF THESE

MONKEYS BANANAS.

FOR THE HUNGRY TROOP, THIS

IS A BANQUET TOO TEMPTING

TO RESIST.

THE FAMILY MOVES INTO

POSITION.

- FROM THEIR ROOFTOP VANTAGE - POINT, THEY PLAN THEIR

STRATEGY.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: IT'S A SLICK,

CAREFULLY COORDINATED

OPERATION.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: BUT THE PEOPLE OF - JAIPUR HAVE A SECRET

WEAPON.

DANA LULL, THE MONKEY

CATCHER.

DANA IS IN CHARGE OF

HANDLING PROBLEM MONKEYS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: HE KNOWS WHERE THE - TROUBLEMAKERS HIDE AND

HE'S ONE STEP AHEAD.

MACAQUES MIGHT BE CLEVER,

BUT IT'S HARD TO OUTSMART

THE MONKEY CATCHER.

DANA LULL TAKES THE

PROBLEM MACAQUES ON A

RETURN JOURNEY, 100 MILES

OUTSIDE JAIPUR.

TO THEIR ANCESTRAL HOME,

THE ARAVALLI HILLS.

IN THE SUMMER, ANIMALS

CROWD THE WATERHOLES.

A SAMBAR DEER CAKES

HIMSELF IN MUD, AS A WAY

OF KEEPING COOL.

FEMALE WILD BOAR FEEL THE

HEAT, TOO, ESPECIALLY WITH

THE DEMANDS OF THIRSTY

PIGLETS.

MALE PEACOCKS ARE

COMPETING, AS WELL, WITH

BEAUTIFUL DISPLAYS.

FEMALES PREFER MALES WITH

BIG TAILS, BUT FABULOUS

FEATHERS CAN ATTRACT

DANGEROUS ADMIRERS.

THIS REGION IS HOME TO

INDIA'S MOST ICONIC

PREDATOR, BENGAL TIGERS.

ALL FOREST ANIMALS SHARE A

COMMON ENEMY AND THEY WORK

TOGETHER TO TRY AND

SURVIVE.

MANY EYES ARE ALERT TO

DANGER.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE NEIGHBORS - OPERATE AN EARLY WARNING

SYSTEM.

THE ARAVALLI FOREST IS

HOME TO AROUND 30 OF

INDIA'S REMAINING 1,500

BENGAL TIGERS.

THE THAR DESERT PROVIDES A

SANCTUARY TO MANY OF

INDIA'S NATIVE SPECIES.

- AND IT ALSO ATTRACTS - VISITORS FROM MUCH FARTHER

AWAY.

ONE OF THEM MIGRATES

THOUSANDS OF MILES FROM

CHINA AND RUSSIA TO REACH

THE DESERT.

ON ITS EPIC JOURNEY, IT

MUST SCALE THE WORLD'S

HIGHEST MOUNTAINS.

COMING UP, WITNESS ONE OF

THE MORE IMPROBABLE AND

SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE

MIGRATIONS IN THE ANIMAL

KINGDOM.

- PLUS, WE CHECK BACK IN - WITH OUR TEMPLE TROOP OF

MACAQUES AS THEY STAND

THEIR GROUND AGAINST THEIR

BIGGEST CHALLENGE YET.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

MIGRATION IS ONE OF THE

MOST FASCINATING AND

MYSTERIOUS BEHAVIORS IN

THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

- FROM WHALES, TO - WILDEBEESTS, TO

DRAGONFLIES.

SOME SPECIES WILL TRAVEL

THOUSANDS OF MILES FOR

FOOD, WATER, OR EVEN JUST

A VACATION HOME.

- BUT YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE - ONE MIGRATION THAT FLIES

HIGH ABOVE THE REST,

SOARING ABOVE THE WORLD'S

TALLEST PEAK AND THROUGH

SOME OF THE MOST DANGEROUS

CLIMATES ON EARTH.

THE HIMALAYAS STRETCH FOR

1,500 MILES ACROSS ASIA.

THE TALLEST PEAK RISES

ALMOST FIVE MILES ABOVE

SEA LEVEL.

EVEREST.

EVEREST IS KNOWN IN TIBET

AS THE MOUNTAIN SO HIGH NO

BIRD CAN FLY OVER IT, BUT

ONE REMARKABLE SPECIES HAS

PROVEN OTHERWISE.

THE DEMOISELLE CRANE.

TO ESCAPE ASIA'S BITTER

WINTERS, THE CRANES TAKE

ON THE PLANET'S ULTIMATE

MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THESE DELICATE - LOOKING BIRDS

FIND THE STRENGTH TO

BATTLE FREEZING WINDS AND

AIR SO THIN THEY ARE

LITERALLY STARVED OF

OXYGEN.

FLYING ALONGSIDE THEIR

PARENTS ARE JUVENILES,

WHOSE FEATHERS HAVE ONLY

RECENTLY APPEARED.

BUT THEIR PARENTS CAN'T

PROTECT THEM FROM

MASTERFUL MOUNTAIN

PREDATORS.

THE FLOCKS FLY 2,000 MILES

NONSTOP IN JUST SEVEN DAYS

TO GET HERE, THE TINY

DESERT TOWN OF KICHAN.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE TOWNSPEOPLE - ARE HONORED TO WELCOME THE

SURVIVORS AND FEED THEM

THROUGHOUT THEIR SIX-MONTH

STAY.

THEIR GENEROSITY IS A MARK

OF THEIR RESPECT FOR THE

- CRANES AND IT IS JUSTLY - REWARDED.

9,000 CRANES FLOCK TO

KICHAN, ONE OF THE LARGEST

CONGREGATIONS IN THE

WORLD.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: IT'S A SAFE, WARM

PLACE TO WINTER AND

- THERE'S ENOUGH FOOD TO - RECOVER FROM THEIR ARDUOUS

TRIP.

THE PEOPLE OF KICHAN

CONSIDER IT A PRIVILEGE TO

HOST THESE BRAVE TRAVELERS

DURING THEIR INCREDIBLE

MIGRATION, THROUGH ONE OF

THE WORLD'S MOST ICONIC

LANDSCAPES.

WHEN WE RETURN, IT'S A

BATTLE FOR THE CITY AS A

RIVAL BAND OF MACAQUES

THREATEN TO TAKE OVER OUR

TEMPLE TROOP'S TOMB.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: IN THE THAR - DESERT, WHEN THE SUMMER

HEAT IS AT ITS PEAK, IT'S

TOO HOT TO MOVE.

TEMPERATURES SOAR TO 120

DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

WITHOUT A DROP OF RAIN,

THE DESERT IS GRIPPED BY

DROUGHT.

THE REGIONS CAPITAL CITY,

JAIPUR, FEELS THE EFFECTS

OF FOOD AND WATER

SHORTAGES.

THE TEMPLE TROOP IS FORCED

DOWNTOWN IN SEARCH OF

SOMETHING TO EAT.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: WATER SUPPLIES ARE - DRYING OUT, EVEN AT THE

TEMPLE.

BUT THE RESIDENT TROOP

STILL HAS ONE PRECIOUS

POOL LEFT.

AT THIS TIME OF YEAR,

THEY'RE PERMANENTLY ON

GUARD.

- GIVEN HALF A CHANCE, - NEIGHBORING TROOPS WILL

STEAL THEIR PRIME

TERRITORY.

IN MACAQUE SOCIETY, YOU

HAVE TO DEFEND YOUR HOME

IF YOU WANT TO KEEP IT.

- THE TEMPLE TROOP HAS LIVED - HERE IN LUXURY FOR

GENERATIONS.

IT'S THE MAIN REASON SO

MANY HAVE SURVIVED.

- BUT THEIR RIVALS ARE - CLOSING IN, THEY'LL DO

ALMOST ANYTHING TO CLAIM

THE TEMPLE AND ITS

PRICELESS WATER SUPPLIES.

THE TEMPLE TROOP FORMS A

DEFENSIVE WALL.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: BUT - DESPERATION IS A POWERFUL,

DRIVING FORCE, THE

INTRUDERS TAKE THEIR

CHANCE AND ATTACK.

THEY BREAK THE TEMPLE

TROOP'S DEFENSIVE LINE.

IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHO'S

WHO, UNTIL THE RIVAL'S

DOMINANT MALE MAKES HIS

MOVE.

HE ATTACKS THE ALPHA

FEMALE.

IT'S A BIG MISTAKE, HER

FAMILY LEAPS TO HER

DEFENSE.

THE BIG MALE TURNS TAIL

AND FLEES.

HIS TROOP FOLLOWS SUIT AND

THEIR ATTACK CRUMBLES.

- AFTER TEN MONTHS OF - DROUGHT, THE BAKING DESERT

IS ROCK HARD.

SUDDENLY, A CHANGE IN THE

AIR.

THE MONSOON STIRS.

LOW PRESSURE SUCKS

MOISTURE LADEN AIR FROM

THE INDIAN OCEAN TOWARDS

THE HIMALAYAS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WITHIN DAYS, THE

DESERT IS TRANSFORMED.

SOILS BECOME FERTILE;

CROPS REGROW.

JAIPUR IS QUICK TO REAP

THE BENEFITS.

FRESH FOOD AND WATER

STOCKS ARE REPLENISHED.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THE THAR DESERT,

SO HARSH, YET SO FULL OF

LIFE.

- WHERE ANIMALS AND PEOPLE - HAVE ALWAYS NEEDED EACH

OTHER.

COMPETITION IS FIERCE AND

THE FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL CAN

BE DESPERATE.

BUT ON THESE SACRED SANDS,

A SPIRIT OF COMPASSION

SAVES LIVES.

- THE THAR IS HOME TO MORE - CREATURES THAN ANY OTHER

DESERT IN THE WORLD

BECAUSE ITS PEOPLE HAVE A

LONG TRADITION OF RESPECT

FOR NATURE.

- THANK YOU FOR JOINING US - ON OUR ADVENTURE TO THE

THAR DESERT.

WE'VE SEEN A VARIETY OF

FASCINATING RELATIONSHIPS,

SOME NICE, LIKE THE BOARS,

DEER, AND PEACOCKS SHARING

A WATERING HOLE, TO

COMPLICATED ONES, LIKE

MISBEHAVING MONKEYS

MESSING WITH JAIPUR

LOCALS.

- WE HOPE YOU COME ALONG - NEXT TIME TO ANOTHER

INCREDIBLE PART OF THE

WORLD ON "EARTH ODYSSEY."

[MUSIC]