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 EXPLORE THE

HIDDEN ANIMALS AND ANCIENT

CULTURES THAT LIVE IN THE

HIMALAYAS.

WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN SPOT

THE SPOTTED SNOW LEOPARD

BEFORE HE SPOTS US, AND

LATER, THE LOCALS SHOW US

THE DANGERS THAT COME WITH

LIVING IN ONE OF THE

WORLD'S BIGGEST MOUNTAIN

CHAINS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE HIMALAYAS ARE - THE HIGHEST AND PERHAPS

THE MOST FAMOUS MOUNTAINS

ON EARTH.

THE RANGE LIES ACROSS

MULTIPLE ASIAN COUNTRIES,

AND IT'S HOME TO THE

WORLD'S TALLEST PEAK,

MOUNT EVEREST, BUT IT'S

ALSO HOME TO A VARIETY OF

EXOTIC ANIMALS AND ANCIENT

CIVILIZATIONS WHO SHARE

THIS DANGEROUS, BUT

BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN RANGE.

LET'S HEAD EAST TO EXPLORE

WHAT CREATURES AND CULTURES ARE LIVING IN THE

HIMALAYAS.

AT 16,500 FEET ABOVE SEA

LEVEL, AMONG THE MOST

- TREACHEROUS AND UNTAMED - MOUNTAINS IN THE WORLD,

CERTAIN HIGHLY ADAPTED

SPECIES HAVE MADE THE

HIMALAYAS THEIR HOME.

BLUE SHEEP, ALSO KNOWN AS

BHARAL, RESEMBLE GOATS

RATHER THAN THEIR WOOLLY

NAMESAKE.

LIVING IN SMALL GROUPS OF

AROUND 20, THEY ARE ACTIVE

THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

WINTER FOOD IS SO SCARCE,

SEARCHING FOR HIDDEN ROOTS

IS PART OF THE DAILY

ROUTINE, BUT THE

OCCASIONAL STUMP OF DRIED

UP SUMMER GRASS STILL

PROVIDES A WELCOME BONUS.

DESPITE THEIR EXCELLENT

CAMOUFLAGE AND SUREFOOTED

ABILITY, BHARAL STILL FALL

VICTIM TO PREDATORS.

YOUNG LAMBS ARE

PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE,

- ESPECIALLY WHEN FORCED TO - BREAK COVER IN SEARCH OF A

MUCH-NEEDED DRINK, BUT

AERIAL HUNTERS AREN'T THE

MAIN THREAT ALONG THESE

SNOW-COVERED PLAINS.

ANOTHER PREDATOR PROWLS

THE PEAKS, AND THERE'S NO

LIMIT TO THE SIZE OF THIS

CREATURE'S PREY.

FROM ABOVE, THE ELEMENT OF

SURPRISE IS ALL PART OF

THIS SNOW LEOPARD'S

PREFERRED METHOD OF

CAPTURE.

LIKE MANY OF THE BIG CATS,

THE SNOW LEOPARD IS A

POWERFUL AMBUSH HUNTER,

BUT LIKE ALL MOUNTAIN

GOATS, THESE IBEX HAVE

HIGHLY TUNED SENSES.

- THEIR EYES LOCK ON TO THE - IMPENDING DANGER BEFORE

TAKING EVASIVE ACTION.

DESPITE HAVING LARGE

ROCK-GRIPPING PADDED FEET

- AND A LONG - BALANCE-ASSISTING TAIL,

THIS LEOPARD STANDS LITTLE

CHANCE OF CATCHING ONE OF

THE MOST AGILE CREATURES

ON THE PLANET UNLESS IT

CAN AVOID BEING SPOTTED.

BUT THE SNOW LEOPARD

RARELY GOES HUNGRY.

IT HAS A SECRET WEAPON.

- WHILE MOST MOUNTAIN GOATS - BECOME BLIND TO THE NIGHT,

- THE SNOW LEOPARD'S - EXCELLENT NOCTURNAL VISION

KICKS IN.

- THIS ADVANTAGE EXPLAINS - WHY THE MAJORITY OF ITS

SUCCESS TAKES PLACE CLOSER

TO DAWN AND DUSK.

COMING UP, MEET THE LOCALS

WHO CALL THIS FRIGID AND

RIGID ENVIRONMENT HOME.

PLUS, IF IT'S SO COLD IN

THE MOUNTAINS, WHY ARE

THESE STREAMS BOILING?

FIND OUT WHY NEXT ON

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

.

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

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO THE

HIMALAYAS, WHERE IT'S SO

COLD, THAT SNOW LEOPARDS

RARELY VENTURE HIGHER THAN

18,000 FEET.

AND IT APPEARS THIS

OXYGEN-DEPLETED ALTITUDE

IS THE LIMIT WHERE ANOTHER

MAMMAL THAT ALSO STRUGGLES

- TO SURVIVE IN THE - MOUNTAINS OF INDIA'S MOST

NORTHERN REGION, LADAKH.

- FOLLOWING A SIX-HOUR TREK - FROM THE HIMALAYAS' HIGHER

PLAINS, THE CHANGPA TRIBE

FINALLY REACH THEIR

TEMPORARY WINTER BASE.

- THESE NOMADIC HERDERS - CAN'T SURVIVE THE HARSH

WINTER COLD ABOVE 16,000

FEET, SO INSTEAD TRAVEL

MORE THAN SIX MILES TO

REACH THE LOWER ALTITUDE

PLAINS.

EVEN HERE AT 13,000 FEET,

IN A BLINK OF THE SUN,

TEMPERATURES CAN SUDDENLY

PLUMMET FROM PLUS 41 TO

MINUS 22 DEGREES

FAHRENHEIT.

SETTING UP CAMP BY ONE OF

THE PREVIOUS SEASON'S DRY

STONE CORRALS IS TOP OF

THE TO-DO LIST BEFORE THE

- BONE-CHILLING NIGHT AIR - CREEPS IN.

AS THE EARLY MORNING SUN

TAKES THE AMBIENT AIR

ABOVE FREEZING, BABY GOATS

THAT SPENT THE NIGHT UNDER

THE WARM COVER OF CANVAS

ARE RETURNED TO THE HERD.

FOR CENTURIES, NOMADS HAVE

BEEN HERDING THE GOATS,

WHOSE DELICATE WOOL

SUPPLIES THE CASHMERE

SHAWL INDUSTRY.

NEWBORN KIDS GUARANTEE THE

FUTURE SUPPLY OF RAW WOOL

KNOWN AS PASHUM, SO THEY

RECEIVE SPECIAL CARE AND

ARE ALWAYS FIRST TO BE

TENDED TO.

A CONSTANTLY SMOKING STOVE

IS THE CENTER POINT TO

NOMADIC LIFE ALONGSIDE A

DECORATED ALTAR USED FOR

DAILY WORSHIP.

WITH THEIR ORIGINS IN

NEIGHBORING COUNTRY TIBET,

THE CHANGPA ARE DEVOUT

FOLLOWERS OF TIBETAN

BUDDHISM.

- THEY BELIEVE THE WORLD IS - DIVIDED INTO THREE

DISTINCT LAYERS, THE UPPER

TIER BEING THE HOME OF THE

GODS, THE LOWER, THE

DOMAIN OF THE UNDERWORLD

SPIRIT, AND SANDWICHED IN

THE MIDDLE IS THE LAYER

SHARED BY PEOPLE AND

ANIMALS.

- BELIEVING THAT THEIR - LIVESTOCK IS A GIFT FROM

THE GODS, EACH MORNING,

INCENSE BURNED AT THE

TENT'S ALTAR IS TAKEN

OUTSIDE AND OFFERED TO

THEIR ANIMALS.

- THE NUMBER OF GOATS, - SHEEP, AND YAK A FAMILY

OWNS DEFINES WEALTH.

- THE MOST WELL-OFF CAN - POSSESS MORE THAN A

THOUSAND ANIMALS.

WITH TREES UNABLE TO GROW

AT THIS HIGH ALTITUDE

CLIMATE, FIREWOOD IS

CONVENIENTLY REPLACED BY

ANOTHER RENEWABLE SOURCE.

- WHILE HIS MOTHER AND - FATHER REMAIN AT CAMP

TACKLING DOMESTIC DUTIES,

18-YEAR-OLD TUPSTIN HEADS

- OFF FOR THE DAY IN SEARCH - OF GRAZING TO SATISFY HIS

HERD OF ONE HUNDRED HUNGRY

MOUTHS.

[TUPSTIN WHISTLING]

- DYLAN: BOYS START - SHEPHERDING WITH THEIR

FATHERS AT THE AGE OF

EIGHT, AND WHEN CONFIDENT,

HEAD OFF INTO THE HILLS ON

THEIR OWN.

ALTHOUGH SHEEP AND YAK

FIBERS ALSO PROVIDE A

- SOURCE OF INCOME, IT IS - THE INDIGENOUS TIBETAN OR

PASHMINA MOUNTAIN GOATS

THAT ARE THE MOST VALUED.

- THE HARSH CLIMATE AT THE - LADAKH PLATEAU FORCES THE

GOATS TO GROW AN EXTRA

LAYER OF DOWNY FIBER

BENEATH THEIR UPPER COAT,

PRODUCING SOME OF THE

FINEST WOOL AVAILABLE

TODAY.

BACK IN THE 19TH CENTURY,

THE EVER-SCHEMING EAST INDIA

COMPANY REALIZED THE VALUE

OF SUCH FIBERS AND WERE

QUICK TO COERCE THE

LADAKHY KINGS TO SIDE WITH

THE EMPIRE.

- BUT THE SO-CALLED PASHMINA - WARS BETWEEN THE REGION'S

VARIOUS RULERS DATE BACK

MORE THAN FOUR HUNDRED

YEARS.

[TUPSTIN WHISTLING]

- DYLAN: ALTHOUGH THE LOWER - GRAZING GROUNDS AREN'T

- COVERED BY SNOW LIKE THE - HIGHER PLAINS, THEIR

SHORT, DRY GRASSES PROVIDE

A VERY LIMITED, VASTLY

SPREAD OUT RESOURCE.

TUPSTIN AND HIS HERD HAVE

NO OPTION BUT TO COVER

- MORE THAN SIX MILES EACH - DAY IN SEARCH OF EDIBLE

PASTURE.

IT'S AN ARDUOUS, BUT

REWARDING NINE-HOUR TRIP.

- WHEN "EARTH ODYSSEY" - RETURNS, FIND OUT WHAT'S

NEXT ON TUPSTIN'S DAILY

JOURNEY OF KEEPING HIS

HERD HAPPY.

PLUS, THE NATURAL WONDERS

OF THE LANDSCAPE THAT LIVE

IN THE HIMALAYAS.

THAT'S NEXT.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAIN

RANGE IS THE YOUNGEST ON

EARTH AT ONLY 70 MILLION

YEARS OLD, AND THIS YOUNG

- BUCK IS STILL GROWING AT A - PACE OF ABOUT TWO

MILLIMETERS EACH YEAR.

ITS GRADUAL GROWTH IS JUST

ONE OF ITS MANY

FASCINATING FEATURES.

THE HIMALAYAS ARE FULL OF

HUMAN CULTURES AND

ADAPTABLE ANIMALS WHO HAVE

BEEN ABLE TO SURVIVE FOR

THOUSANDS OF YEARS IN SUCH

A HARSH ENVIRONMENT.

TAKE A LOOK.

- WELCOME BACK TO THE - HIMALAYAS, WHERE THE LOCAL

LADAKH CHILDREN TEND TO

THE BIGGEST HERDS.

WITH NO OTHER SIBLINGS TO

HELP TEND THE HERD, IT'S

DOWN TO TUPSTIN TO

MAINTAIN THE FAMILY

INCOME.

- AT THE END OF ANOTHER - NINE-HOUR FOOD TREK, IT'S

ALL HANDS ON DECK AS EACH

ANIMAL IS GIVEN A COUPLE

OF HANDFULS OF BARLEY TO

SUPPLEMENT THEIR REDUCED

WINTER GRAZING.

FINALLY, THE DAY IS DONE,

AND THE HERD HUDDLES

- TOGETHER INSIDE THE STONE - CORRAL.

- ALONE, THEY'D STAND LITTLE - CHANCE OF SURVIVING

SUBZERO NIGHTTIME

TEMPERATURE.

THE COLD ISN'T THE ONLY

THREAT IN THE VALLEY.

A NEARBY NEIGHBOR BRINGS

NEWS OF A GROWING PROBLEM

FACING THE ENTIRE CHANGPA

COMMUNITY.

LAST NIGHT, ANOTHER ONE OF

HIS GOATS WAS TAKEN.

IN TOTAL, MORE THAN 40

ANIMALS HAVE BEEN ATTACKED

THIS WINTER, AND IT

APPEARS THEY'RE DEALING

WITH A NUMBER OF THREATS.

- AS THE CHANGPA RETREAT TO - LOWER CLIMBS TO SURVIVE

THE WINTER, THE SNOW

LEOPARDS FOLLOW, AND IT

- SEEMS THE ENTIRE PLATEAU - COULD NOW BE SURROUNDED.

AN ELDER PROPOSES THE

STANDARD SOLUTION, AND AS

NIGHT CREEPS IN, IT'S

APPARENT THAT TUPSTIN,

BEING THE YOUNGEST, HAS

ONCE AGAIN DRAWN THE SHORT

STRAW.

SWAPPING WARMTH OF THE

FAMILY TENT FOR THE

FREEZING NIGHT AIR IS A

FREQUENT CHORE FOR

TUPSTIN, BUT A HUMAN

PRESENCE IS THE BEST WAY

TO PROTECT THE HERD FROM

PREDATORY ATTACKS.

MORNING COMES, AND IT'S

SOON APPARENT THEY'VE HAD

A VISITOR.

- DRAG MARKS OFFER A CLEAR - CLUE TO TO WHICH DIRECTION

THE ASSAILANT HEADED.

SNOW LEOPARDS USUALLY DRAG

THEIR PREY TO A SAFE

LOCATION BEFORE EATING,

BUT THIS GOAT IS STILL

INTACT, MEANING ONE THING;

THE PERPETRATOR CAN'T BE

TOO FAR AWAY.

DESPITE THEIR FORMIDABLE

REPUTATION, SNOW LEOPARDS

POSE LITTLE DIRECT THREAT

TO PEOPLE.

- UNLIKE MOST OF THEIR BIG - CAT RELATIVES, THESE

HIGHLAND HUNTERS HAVE

NEVER BEEN KNOWN TO ATTACK

A HUMAN.

- AND THE BIGGEST DANGER AT - THIS ALTITUDE IS STILL THE

COLD.

- COMING UP, SEE WHAT'S - BOILING IN THE HIGH

ALTITUDE OF SOME OF THE

HIGHEST PEAKS IN THE

WORLD.

THAT'S NEXT ON "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

.

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

- DYLAN: DURING THE WINTER - IN NORTHERN INDIA, THE

PLATEAU'S ONCE

FAST-FLOWING RIVERS BECOME

JUST ANOTHER FROZEN

FEATURE.

- EVEN THE REGION'S LARGEST - ECOSYSTEMS, THE

HIGH-ALTITUDE LAKES, TAKE

A BREAK FROM THEIR SUMMER

WETLAND ROLES AS ICE

CLAIMS EVERY LAST DROP OF

WATER.

LYING 15,000 ABOVE SEA

LEVEL, TSO MORIRI ISN'T

ONLY ONE OF THE HIGHEST

LAKES IN THE WORLD.

AT 17 MILES LONG BY FIVE

WIDE, IT'S ALSO THE

LARGEST BODY OF WATER IN

THE INDIAN HIMALAYAS.

SURROUNDED BY SNOW-CAPPED

PEAKS, THE LAKE IS MAINLY

TOPPED OFF BY SUMMER

MELTWATER.

THE REGION'S RAINFALL ADDS

VERY LITTLE WITH AN ANNUAL

COUNT OF JUST FOUR INCHES.

WITH NO OUTLAND, TSO

MORIRI'S ALREADY BRACKISH

WATER IS BECOMING

INCREASINGLY SALINE EVERY

YEAR.

DESPITE THIS SLIGHTLY

SALTY COMPOSITION, THE

LAKE STILL REMAINS

COMPLETELY FROZEN FOR

AROUND FOUR MONTHS OF THE

YEAR.

IN THE EASTERN PART OF

LADAKH'S PUGA VALLEY,

STEAM RISING FROM THE

FREEZING LAND IS A STARK

REMINDER THAT THESE

HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS ARE NO

SLEEPING GIANTS.

BOILING HOT STREAMS POINT

TO DEEP FRACTURES IN THE

ROCK BENEATH, A CONTINUOUS

REMINDER OF THE TECTONIC

COLLISION THAT BEGAN 50

MILLION YEARS AGO AND

THAT'S STILL TAKING PLACE

TODAY.

- THE CIRCULATION OF WATER - THROUGHOUT THESE

UNDERGROUND FAULTS HAVE

CREATED MORE THAN A

HUNDRED THERMAL SPRINGS.

- SUPER-HEATED WATER FROM - RESERVOIRS MORE THAN A

HALF-MILE DOWN RISES TO

THE SURFACE AT A

TEMPERATURE OF 183 DEGREES

FAHRENHEIT, THE REDUCED

BOILING POINT AT THIS

PARTICULAR ALTITUDE.

THE HIMALAYAS ARE A

HOSTILE WILDERNESS THAT

CHALLENGE ALL WHO VENTURE

THEIR SNOWY SLOPES, BUT

THESE MAMMOTH MOUNTAINS

ALSO HAVE A POSITIVE

EFFECT ON CLIMATE,

SUPPORTING THE LIVES OF AN

ENDLESS NUMBER OF

CREATURES, INCLUDING ONE

OF THE LARGEST POPULATIONS

OF PEOPLE ON THE PLANET.

- BUT THE BATTLE TO SURVIVE - ON THE WORLD'S TOUGHEST

MOUNTAINS CONTINUES.

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

HIMALAYAS.

DESPITE THE HARSH CLIMATE

AND TREACHEROUS LANDSCAPE,

THIS EPIC MOUNTAIN RANGE

SUSTAINS LIFE FOR ANIMALS

WHO ARE BORN TO THRIVE IN

THE MOST DANGEROUS PARTS

OF THE WORLD.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT

TIME ON ANOTHER AMAZING

ADVENTURE ON "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]