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 THERE, I'M DYLAN

DREYER AND THIS IS "EARTH

ODYSSEY."

COMING UP, WE HEAD TO

SOUTHEAST ASIA TO REVISIT

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE

ANIMALS FROM THESE

INCREDIBLE REGIONS OF THE

EARTH, LIKE THIS PROBOSCIS

MONKEY, WHO KNOWS A THING

OR TWO ABOUT MALAYSIA.

THEN, WE HEAD TO THAILAND

TO SEE WHAT TREE LIFE IS

- LIKE IN THESE CLOSE - QUARTERS.

PLUS, WE HEAD BACK TO

MALAYSIA WITH AN ORANGUTAN

AND ONE OF HIS BIGGEST

PREDATORS.

THIS AND MORE COMING UP ON

"EARTH ODYSSEY."

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: SOUTHEAST ASIA IS - HOME TO SOME OF THE MOST

EXOTIC WILDLIFE THAT WE'VE

SEEN ON OUR ADVENTURES, SO

WE'RE ABOUT TO TRAVEL BACK

TO REVISIT TWO OF ITS MOST

BEAUTIFUL COUNTRIES,

THAILAND AND MALAYSIA.

YOU'D THINK THAT SINCE

THESE TWO COUNTRIES ARE SO

- CLOSE TOGETHER, THAT THEIR - GEOGRAPHIC MAKEUP WOULD BE

SIMILAR, BUT THERE IN LIES

THE FASCINATING QUALITY OF

THE ECOSYSTEMS IN

SOUTHEAST ASIA.

DESPITE THEIR CLOSE

PROXIMITY, THAILAND AND

MALAYSIA ARE WORLDS APART.

MALAYSIA IS ONE OF 17

COUNTRIES IDENTIFIED AS

MEGADIVERSE.

MEANING, THESE COUNTRIES

HARBOR THE MAJORITY OF THE

EARTH'S SPECIES.

A FIFTH OF 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.

- THE SECRET BEHIND THIS - INCREDIBLY BIODIVERSITY

LIES IN MALAYSIA'S HOT,

WET CLIMATE AND ITS HUGE

VARIETY OF DIFFERENT

HABITATS.

- 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 THEY'RE 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.

COMING UP, LIFE CAN BE

PEACEFUL FOR A HOG DEER ON

THE PLAINS OF THAILAND,

BUT THAT CAN CHANGE IN THE

BLINK OF AN EYE.

- THEN, WE SEE WHAT NEIGHBOR - LIFE IS LIKE FOR THESE

PLAYFUL GIBBONS.

PLUS, WE STAND SIDE BY

SIDE WITH OUR CLOSEST

ANIMAL RELATIVE IN ITS

MOST STRESSFUL TIMES.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THAILAND IS A

COUNTRY OF EXTREMES.

A LAND SHAPED BY WILD

FORCES, WHERE ANIMALS FACE

TOUGH CHALLENGES.

- WITH ONE OF THE MOST - DIVERSE CLIMATES IN

SOUTHEAST ASIA, AN ARRAY

OF HABITATS HAS DEVELOPED.

EACH IS HOME TO A

REMARKABLE VARIETY OF

SPECIES.

BUT SURVIVAL IS THE NAME

OF THE GAME.

WITH NEARLY 300 MAMMAL

SPECIES ROAMING THIS RICH

LAND, SOME CREATURES ARE

CONSTANTLY AT ODDS.

BUT TOGETHER, THEY MUST

ALL COPE WITH UNFRIENDLY

ENVIRONMENTS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: SURROUNDED BY - FOUR COUNTRIES AND BETWEEN

TWO SEAS, THAILAND IS A

MELTING POT FOR WILDLIFE

FROM ACROSS THE REGION.

- AND WITH A RANGE OF - CLIMATES AND VARIED

GEOGRAPHY, IT'S A

BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT.

- THE SOUTH TROPICAL - RAINFOREST HIDES A

PRIMEVAL CAVE SYSTEM

THAT'S SAID TO BE OLDER

THAN THE AMAZON.

- AND IN THE NORTH, THE LAST - FOOTHILLS OF THE HIMALAYAS

CREATE HIGHLAND PLAINS.

BUT ALTITUDE SHOWS ANOTHER

SIDE TO THAILAND.

OVER HALF A MILE HIGH, THE

NORTHEASTERN HILLS ARE A

FAR CRY FROM THE

SUN-SOAKED BEACH.

FOR ONE ANIMAL, THE CRISP

MORNING PROVIDES A PERFECT

TIME TO FIND A MEAL.

THE COOL, DRY SEASON IS A

TIME FOR HOG DEER TO STOCK

UP.

- THIS IS BECAUSE, IN A - MATTER OF MONTHS,

TEMPERATURES WILL SOAR AND

FOOD WILL NOT BE AS EASILY

ACCESSIBLE.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: DESPITE RARELY - BEING FOUND IN HILLY

ENVIRONMENTS; THEY HAVE

ADAPTED TO THAILAND'S COLD

UPLAND PLAINS.

THEIR SUCCESS IS ALL ABOUT

TIMING.

CAPABLE OF HAVING AT LEAST

THREE FAWNS IN TWO YEARS,

THEY CAN TIME THE ARRIVAL

OF NEW FAWNS WITH THE

AVAILABILITY OF FRESH

FOODS.

- WITH VULNERABLE YOUNG AND - PREGNANT FEMALES, SURVIVAL

HERE RELIES ON A LOT MORE.

THEIR POWERFUL SENSES OF

SMELL, SIGHT, AND HEARING

ARE ESSENTIAL.

IF THEY CATCH A WHIFF OF

TROUBLE, THEY'LL BOLT.

AND IN THESE DANGEROUS

PLAINS, IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD

IDEA TO BE ON HIGH ALERT.

COMING UP, WILL OUR HO

DEER FRIEND BE ABLE TO HOP

- AWAY FROM ONE OF - THAILAND'S BIGGEST

PREDATORS?

PLUS, LIFE ISN'T ALWAYS

FUN AND GAMES IN MALAYSIA

FOR THIS ORANGUTAN.

[BREAK]

.

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

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

WE'RE TRAVELING ACROSS THE

GLOBE TO GET A CLOSER LOOK

AT THE DIVERSE WILDLIFE OF

SOUTHEAST ASIA.

AN INCREDIBLE NUMBER OF

ANIMAL SPECIES CALL

THAILAND HOME, WHICH

BRINGS ANIMALS CLOSER

TOGETHER, BUT NOT ALWAYS

IN A FUN, LOVING WAY.

IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERY

SPECIES TO WATCH ITS BACK,

ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S MEALTIME.

- LET'S SEE WHO'S AT THE TOP - OF THE FOOD CHAIN IN THIS

PACKED PART OF SOUTHEAST

ASIA.

THE HIGHLANDS OF THAILAND

ARE HOME TO A WIDE ARRAY

OF ANIMALS AT ALL LEVELS

OF THE FOOD CHAIN.

AND AT THE VERY TOP, BUILT

FOR A LIFE OF AMBUSH

ATTACKS, IS THE

INDOCHINESE TIGER.

- THAILAND IS THOUGHT TO - CONTAIN ONE OF THE LARGEST

POPULATIONS OF THESE CATS

IN THE WORLD.

AND TIGERS LIKE THIS GUY

HAVE EVOLVED PERFECTLY FOR

THIS HABITAT.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: HIS STRIPED - MARKINGS LIKELY HELP

CAMOUFLAGE HIM WITHIN A

WORLD OF CONFUSED LINES.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: BUT HOG DEER

ARE EVER VIGILANT, SO

SURPRISE IS HIS MOST

IMPORTANT ASSET.

ONLY ONE OUT OF EVERY 10

TO 20 ATTACKS RESULTS IN

SUCCESS FOR THE TIGER, SO

THE ODDS ARE STILL STACKED

AGAINST HIM.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: BUT THE HIGHLAND - PLAINS MAKE AN

UNPREDICTABLE PLAYING

FIELD.

CAUTION AND AWARENESS ARE

ESSENTIAL FOR HOG DEER TO

SURVIVE THAILAND'S WILD

ARENAS.

THE FOREST FLOOR IS AN

UNPREDICTABLE ARENA FOR

PLANT LIFE, TOO.

TREES CONSTANTLY COMPETE

FOR LIGHT, WATER, AND

NUTRIENTS.

BUT THE STRANGLER FIG

AVOIDS SUCH PROBLEMS BY

USING OTHER TREES TO GIVE

IT A HEAD START IN LIFE.

- IN THEIR CANOPY, THEY - GATHER NUTRIENTS FROM THE

SUN AND RAIN, SENDING OUT

AERIAL ROOTS WHICH ENGULF

THE HOST.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: UP IN THE TREES, - EVERY PATCH IS ACCOUNTED

FOR AND THE KINGS OF THE

CANOPY LIKE TO STAKE THEIR

CLAIM.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: LAR GIBBONS ASSERT

THEMSELVES BY CALLING.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THEY ARE A - TIGHTKNIT FAMILY AND

TOTALLY COMMITTED TO EACH

OTHER.

- BRINGING UP THEIR - OFFSPRING IS A FULLTIME

JOB IN THIS HIGHRISE HOME.

- THESE GIBBONS HAVE - SUCCESSFULLY AWAKENED

THEIR NEIGHBORS.

- THEY NEED TO FEED AND - BEGIN HEADING FOR A

FRUITING TREE.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: LIKE GYMNASTS, - THEY USE BODYWEIGHT TO

PROPEL THEMSELVES.

- THEIR ABILITY TO TOTALLY - ROTATE THEIR SHOULDER

JOINT MEANS SWINGING HOLDS

MORE SWAY.

- WITH NO NEED FOR A TAIL TO - BALANCE ON TOP OF

BRANCHES, THEY SWING

UNDERNEATH, HAND OVER HAND

THROUGH THEIR CANOPY

KINGDOM.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: FRUIT MAKES UP - AT LEAST HALF OF THEIR

DIET, SO A FIG TREE IS A

MONKEY MAGNET.

BUT THE GIBBON ISN'T THE

ONLY PRIMATE ATTRACTED TO

THESE FIGS.

COMING UP, IS THIS

ORANGUTAN IN BIGGER

TROUBLE THAN IT THINKS?

WE FIND OUT NEXT ON EARTH

ODYSSEY.

[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 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.

- 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.

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 DO'S

AND DON'TS OF LIFE IN

THEIR FOREST HOME.

AND FIRST ON THE LIST OF

DON'TS IS DON'T LET GO.

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.

- 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]