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, WE'LL EXPLORE

THE ANDES MOUNTAINS AND

THE ANCIENT RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN HUMANS AND

ANIMALS.

- THEN, WE PUT ON OUR NIGHT - VISION GOGGLES TO EXPLORE

THE ACTIVITIES OF AN ANDES

PUMA.

PLUS, HOW DO ANIMALS

SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN THE

ALWAYS-CHANGING ANDES

MOUNTAIN RANGE?

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: MORE THAN 50 - MILLION YEARS AGO, THE

SOUTH AMERICAN AND PACIFIC

TECTONIC PLATES COLLIDED

AND THE RESULT WAS THE

CREATION OF ONE OF THE

MOST MASSIVE MOUNTAIN

RANGES IN THE WORLD; THE

ANDES.

THIS NATURAL WONDER

EXTENDS 4,300 MILES

THROUGH EVERYTHING FROM

GLACIERS TO GRASSLAND,

DESERTS, LAKES, FORESTS,

EVEN VOLCANOES.

AND IT'S HOME TO THOUSANDS

OF FASCINATING SPECIES,

- INCLUDING, OF COURSE, - HUMANS.

WE BEGIN OUR ODYSSEY IN

THE RUINS OF AN ANCIENT

CIVILIZATION OF THOSE

PEOPLE WHO FIRST CALLED

THE ANDES HOME.

THE DENSE JUNGLE OF THE

ANDES MOUNTAINS CLOAK A

SECRET WORLD.

DESPITE STEEP SLOPES,

FREQUENT EARTHQUAKES, AND

CENTURIES OF HEAVY RAINS,

THE REMAINS OF ANCIENT

CITIES SURVIVE HERE.

THE CLIMATE FUELS RAPID

PLANT GROWTH AND MOST OF

THE ANCIENT REMAINS HAVE

LONG BEEN RECLAIMED BY

NATURE.

- BUT WE CAN STILL MAKE OUT - THE SHAPES OF THE

MYSTERIOUS CIVILIZATION.

DEEP FOUNDATIONS ROOT

BUILDINGS TO THE SPOT.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: AND CAREFULLY - CARVED MORTAR BOUND STONES

MEAN THAT MANY WALLS

REMAIN IN PLACE.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: EVERYWHERE, PLANTS

PROBE AND PUSH, DOING

THEIR BEST TO TAKE OVER.

THE POWER OF NATURE HAS

QUICKLY OVERWHELMED THE

REMNANTS OF HUMAN

CIVILIZATION.

- FOR CENTURIES, THESE - DENSELY FORESTED SLOPES

HID MORE THAN JUST A SMALL

FOREST SETTLEMENT.

IN 1911, THE AMERICAN

EXPLORER, HIRAM BINGHAM,

MADE AN EXTRAORDINARY

DISCOVERY IN THESE ANDEAN

FORESTS.

- HE WAS LED TO AN ANCIENT - HILLTOP.

- AMONGST THE TREES LAY A - DESERTED ANCIENT CITY.

MACHU PICCHU, THE LOST

CITY OF THE INCAS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE INCAS STARTED - BUILDING THE CITADEL IN

THE 1400'S BUT ABANDONED

IT 100 YEARS LATER DURING

THE SPANISH CONQUEST.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE SPANISH NEVER - DISCOVERED THE SITE AND SO

IT WAS LEFT INTACT FOR 500

YEARS BEFORE IT BEING

REDISCOVERED BY BINGHAM.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: RESEARCH HAS SHOWN - THAT A COMPLEX BALANCE

EXISTED BETWEEN THE INCAS

AND THE WORLD AROUND THEM.

ANIMALS WERE IMPORTANT TO

THEIR MYTHS AND CULTURE.

THE CONDOR SYMBOLIZED THE

UPPER WORLD, OR SPIRITUAL

PLANE.

ANDEAN CONDORS ARE THE

LARGEST BIRDS OF PREY ON

THE PLANET AND THEY

PATROL THE SKIES ALL

ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE

ANDES.

- THEY SOAR EASILY WITH - THEIR WINGS HELD

HORIZONTALLY AND THEIR

PRIMARY FEATHERS BENT

UPWARDS AT THE TIPS.

THEY'RE OFTEN SEEN FLYING

NEAR ROCK CLIFFS USING

- THERMALS TO HELP THEM RISE - THROUGH THE THIN AIR.

AN ADULT MALE CAN WEIGH UP

TO 33 POUNDS AND HAS A

WINGSPAN UP TO TEN FEET.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: IF IT FINDS THE - RIGHT UPDRAFT, IT CAN

- ASCEND TO MORE THAN FOUR - MILES.

IT CAN SPOT A MEAL SEVERAL

MILES AWAY.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE ANCIENT INCAS - BELIEVE THEY WERE BORN OF

THE STARS AND THAT WHEN

THEY DIED, THEY RETURNED

TO THE STARS ACROSS THE

MILKY WAY ON THE WINGS OF

A CONDOR.

- COMING UP ON EARTH - ODYSSEY, THE RELATIONSHIP

THAT ANDEAN PEOPLE HAVE

WITH LOCAL WILDLIFE.

PLUS, THE EVERCHANGING

WEATHER THAT ANIMALS MUST

ENDURE IN THE ANDES

MOUNTAINS.

[BREAK]

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO

"EARTH ODYSSEY."

THE SEVERAL MILLION

QUECHUA PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN

THE ANDES TODAY ARE

DESCENDED FROM THE ANCIENT

INCAS.

THEIR ABILITY TO SURVIVE

ALTITUDE IS MOSTLY DOWN TO

THEIR RELIANCE ON

LIVESTOCK.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: LLAMAS ARE MEMBERS - OF THE CAMEL FAMILY AND

ARE ONE OF THE OLDEST

DOMESTICATED ANIMALS.

- THEIR THICK COATS OF WOOL - AND HONED SURVIVAL

INSTINCTS ENABLE THEM TO

THRIVE HERE.

AND, TO THE QUECHUA, THEY

PROVIDE FOOD, CLOTHING,

AND TRANSPORT.

- THE PEOPLE HERE HAVE A - STRONG CONNECTION TO THEIR

OLD BELIEFS ABOUT

PACHAMAMA; MOTHER EARTH.

AND THEY PERFORM MANY

RITUALS TO HONOR HER.

AS THE SHAMAN ASKS MOTHER

EARTH FOR RAIN, HE

PREPARES THE OFFERINGS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: MOST OF THE - QUECHUA PEOPLE LIVE IN THE

HIGH-ALTITUDE PLAINS OF

THE ANDES.

- SINCE THIS IS THE ONLY - PLACE WITH GOOD GRAZING

FOR LLAMAS.

PERCHED HIGH IN THE ANDES,

NEARLY 13,00 FEET ABOVE

SEA LEVEL, AND WITH A

SURFACE AREA OF 3,000

SQUARE MILES, TITICACA IS

SOUTH AMERICA'S LARGEST

FRESHWATER LAKE.

- IT IS THE HIGHEST - NAVIGABLE LAKE IN THE

WORLD.

WATER IS CENTRAL TO

EVERYONE'S LIVES HERE.

THE LOCALS USE WATER REEDS

FOR EVERYTHING FROM HOMES

TO FOOD AND TRANSPORT.

WHOLE VILLAGES ARE MADE ON

FLOATING RAFTS CONSTRUCTED

WITH REEDS.

- KNOWN AS FLOATING ISLANDS, - THEY'RE TRADITIONALLY

BUILT TO PREVENT ATTACKS

FROM AGGRESSIVE NEIGHBORS.

- THE PEOPLE OF THE LAKE - LIVE OFF THE FISH WHO SWIM

THROUGH TITICACA'S DEEP

BLUE WATERS.

EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING

WHO LIVES HERE HAS BECOME

ADAPTED TO LIVING IN THE

THIN AIR OF HIGH ALTITUDE.

- AND ONE OF THE MOST HIGHLY - ADAPTED LIVES IN

TITICACA'S DEEP WATERS.

IT'S THE WORLD'S MOST

BIZARRE FROG.

THE TITICACA FROG HAS A

STRANGE, SAGGY APPEARANCE.

LIKE MANY AMPHIBIANS, IT

USES ITS PERMEABLE SKIN TO

BREATHE.

- 13,000 FEET ABOVE SEA - LEVEL, THERE'S VERY LITTLE

OXYGEN DISSOLVED IN THE

LAKE.

THE FROGS WEIRD FLAPS AND

FOLDS INCREASE THE BODY'S

SURFACE AREA AND HELP IT

TO ABSORB MORE OXYGEN.

AND TO INCREASE THE FLOW

OF WATER PAST ITS PEEKS

AND FRILLS, IT DOES

PRESS-UPS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: EVERY FEW WEEKS,

FROGS RENEW THEIR SKIN BY

SHEDDING THE OUTER LAYERS.

THE TITICACA FROG DOESN'T

LET THIS DISCARDED TISSUE

GO TO WASTE; IT EATS IT.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: COMING UP ON - "EARTH ODYSSEY," FIND OUT

THE FAMILY TREE OF ANDES

GUANACOS.

PLUS, HOW DO ANIMALS

SURVIVE THE DIVERSE

CLIMATE IN THE ANDES

MOUNTAINS?

THAT'S NEXT.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

THERE ARE LOTS OF ANIMALS

ALL OVER THE WORLD SO

CLOSELY RELATED THAT IT'S

HARD TO TELL THEM APART,

- LIKE LLAMAS AND THE - GUANACOS YOU'RE ABOUT TO

MEET.

A GUANACO IS A LLAMA

THAT'S SETTLED IN THE

ANDES MOUNTAINS AFTER

MIGRATING FROM NORTH

AMERICA MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO.

THIS LONG-NECKED ANDES

NATIVE IS ALSO RELATED TO

THE CAMEL, WHO SHARE ITS

GOOD LOOKS.

- AND THE IMPRESSIVE - PHYSICAL ENDURANCE THAT'S

REQUIRED FOR LIFE IN THIS

UNFORGIVING ENVIRONMENT.

LLAMAS ARE DESCENDED FROM

WILD ANCESTORS CALLED

GUANACOS.

THESE CAMEL-LIKE ANIMALS

GRAZE THE SLOPES THE

LENGTH OF THE ANDES AND

THRIVE AT ALL ALTITUDES.

- THEY RANGE FROM THE - ALTIPLANO ALL THE WAY DOWN

TO THE COAST.

- HERDS OF GUANACOS GRAZE - UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF

THE TERRITORIAL MALE.

HE HAS TEN FEMALES IN HIS

GROUP, MOST ACCOMPANIED BY

YOUNG.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: YOUNG BACHELOR

MALES STICK CLOSE BY.

- CAST OUT FROM THEIR HERDS, - THEY'RE TOO SMALL TO TAKE

- OVER A TERRITORY OF THEIR - OWN.

BUT JOINING TOGETHER FOR

SAFETY, THEY MAKE ALLIES

AND PRACTICE THEIR

FIGHTING SKILLS.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: GUANACOS FIND

SAFETY IN NUMBERS.

THE MOUNTAIN SLOPES ARE

ALSO HOME TO THE PUMA.

IN THIS PART OF THE ANDES,

GUANACOS MAKE UP OVER HALF

THEIR DIET.

- AND WITH SO MUCH POTENTIAL - PREY GRAZING ON THE

SLOPES, PUMAS ARE MORE

COMMON HERE THAN ANYWHERE

ELSE IN THEIR RANGE.

- THIS FEMALE HAS - SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED TO

- RAISE FOUR CUBS ALMOST TO - ADULTHOOD.

EACH NEEDS NINE POUNDS OF

MEAT A DAY TO SURVIVE, SO

SHE MUST HUNT MORE THAN

EVER.

BUT CATCHING PREY ON THIS

OPEN TERRAIN DURING THE

DAY IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.

SO, SHE MUST WAIT FOR THE

COVER OF DARKNESS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: PUMAS HAVE - EXCELLENT NIGHT VISION.

THEY ARE BUILT TO SPRINT,

NOT FOR ENDURANCE.

TO PULL DOWN A GUANACO, A

PUMA MUST GET WITHIN 30

FEET BEFORE LAUNCHING AN

ATTACK.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: WITH EYES ON THE - SIDE OF ITS HEAD, THE

- GUANACO HAS ALMOST 360 - DEGREE VISION.

AND EXCELLENT HEARING.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE MOMENT THE - PUMA IS SPOTTED, IT'S

OVER.

THE GUANACO HERD CLOSES

RANKS AND MAKES A RUN FOR

IT.

- COMING UP, WHEN "EARTH - ODYSSEY" RETURNS, WHERE DO

THE LOCAL FLAMINGOS GO

WHEN THE WEATHER IS TOO

HARSH TO STAND?

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO - THE ANDES MOUNTAINS, WHERE

ALL TYPES OF ANIMALS LIVE

THEIR LIVES AND RAISE

THEIR FAMILIES.

LIKE THE HERD OF GUANACOS.

BUT THE GUANACO HERD MUST

ALWAYS BE ON GUARD.

THIS FEMALE IS READY TO

GIVE BIRTH.

IT'S HER MOST VULNERABLE

TIME.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: A NEWBORN GUANACO - MUST BE UP AND RUNNING

BEFORE DUSK.

- OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, - ALL THE FEMALES IN THE

GROUP WILL DROP THEIR

YOUNG.

AN ANDEAN FOX IS THE FIRST

TO RESPOND.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: BUT IT'S NO MATCH

FOR THE PROTECTIVE MOTHER.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: IT SOON FINDS AN

EASIER OPTION.

AS THE ANDES EXPANDS

SOUTHWARDS, THEY HEAD

TOWARDS THE TIP OF SOUTH

AMERICA.

- THE WIND-WHIPPED EXTREMES - OF PATAGONIA OCCUPY

250,000 SQUARE MILES OF

SOUTHERN ARGENTINA AND

CHILE.

HERE, THE CONTINENT FALLS

AWAY IN AN EXPLOSION OF

ISLANDS, GLACIERS,

ICEBERGS, AND MOUNTAINS.

AS WINTER GRIPS THE

MOUNTAINS TO THE NORTH,

THE ALTIPLANO'S FLAMINGOS

BEGIN TO ARRIVE IN

PATAGONIA'S FOOTHILLS.

- BUT THEY WILL ONLY TAKE - SHELTER HERE TEMPORARILY.

SOON, EVEN THESE

LOW-ALTITUDE LAKES WILL

FREEZE AND THE FLAMINGOS

WILL BE FORCED ONWARDS

TOWARDS THE COAST.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: AS WINTER GRIPS

THE ANDES, EVEN ITS MOST

ADAPTABLE PREDATOR

STRUGGLES TO SURVIVE.

A PUMA FAMILY HAS GROWN

LONG COATS, WHICH PROVIDE

INSULATION FROM THE

FREEZING WEATHER.

PATAGONIA'S GUANACOS HAVE

BEEN PUSHED WEST BY THE

HARSH WIND, SO THE PUMAS

MUST MAKE THE MOST OF

SMALL OPPORTUNITIES.

BUT CATCHING DINNER IN A

BLIZZARD IS NO EASY TASK.

FROM NOW UNTIL THE SPRING

MELT, SURVIVAL WILL BE A

DAILY BATTLE FOR ALL.

- THE ANDES IS A MOUNTAIN - RANGE OF INCREDIBLE

DIVERSITY; IT FORMS SOUTH

AMERICA'S BACKBONE AND IT

CONTAINS SOME OF THE MOST

HOSTILE HABITATS ON EARTH.

BUT ON EVERY SLOPE, AT

EVERY ALTITUDE, LIFE HAS

FOUND A WAY TO EXIST.

- THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON - THIS SPECTACULAR JOURNEY

THROUGH THE GREATEST

PLACES ON EARTH.

- WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME - FOR ANOTHER "EARTH

ODYSSEY."

[MUSIC]