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: WELCOME TO "EARTH - ODYSSEY".

I'M DYLAN DREYER.

GET READY TO TRAVEL AROUND

THE WORLD.

TODAY ON "EARTH ODYSSEY",

WE HEAD BACK TO SOME OF

OUR FAVORITE, MOST

FASCINATING, AND COLDEST

REGIONS ON EARTH.

FIRST, WE SLIDE INTO SOME

FUN WITH PENGUINS IN

PATAGONIA AND SEE HOW

THEIR DAILY LIFE IS MORE

THAN JUST SURVIVAL.

PLUS, WE HEAD FOR THE

HIMALAYAS, WHERE BLUE

SHEEP AND SNOW LEOPARDS

RULE THE GRASSY AND FOGGY

REGIONS, BUT WHICH ANIMAL

REALLY REIGNS SUPREME?

WE'LL THEN HEAD TO THE

LOCALS OF THE HIMALAYAS

AND EXPLORE THE SENSITIVE

AND POWERFUL RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN HUMAN AND ANIMAL.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE EARTH'S EPIC - MOUNTAIN RANGES ARE OFTEN

THOUGHT TO BE BARREN AND

LIFELESS, BUT NOTHING

- COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE - TRUTH.

- NOT ONLY DO THEY PROVIDE - SOME OF THE MOST

INCREDIBLE LANDSCAPES AND

CULTURES, THEY ALSO SERVE

AS HOME TO SOME OF THE

MOST DIVERSE WILDLIFE IN

THE WORLD.

TODAY, WE'RE VISITING TWO

OF THE BIGGEST, THE

HIMALAYAS IN ASIA AND

PATAGONIA IN SOUTH

AMERICA.

TOGETHER, THEY COMPRISE

ALMOST HALF-A-MILLION

SQUARE MILES OF THE

PLANET'S SURFACE, WITHIN

- WHICH YOU'LL FIND - INCREDIBLE ANIMALS THAT

HAVE LEARNED TO ADAPT TO

THE MOST SEVERE CLIMATES.

FIVE HUNDRED MILES EAST OF

THE ANDES AND BEYOND

PATAGONIA'S VAST PLAINS

LIES PENINSULA VALDES.

- IT STICKS OUT INTO THE - ATLANTIC OCEAN TO FORM TWO

SHELTERED BAYS, PROVIDING

A WELCOME RESTING PLACE

FOR OCEAN FRIENDS.

THESE MAGELLANIC PENGUINS

HAVE BEEN AT SEA FOR SIX

MONTHS, BUT THEY MUST COME

TO THE SHORE TO BREED.

PENGUIN COUPLES RETURN TO

THE SAME NEST YEAR AFTER

YEAR.

- THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF - THOUSANDS OF PENGUIN NESTS

IN SEVERAL COLONIES ALONG

THIS COAST.

- IN THESE LARGE ROOKERIES, - SOME PENGUINS MUST WALK

OVER A MILE INLAND TO

REACH THEIR BURROW...

- ...NOT EASY FOR AN ANIMAL - ADAPTED TO LIFE IN THE

OCEAN.

PENGUIN BODIES ARE BUILT

FOR THE SEA.

- TIGHTLY PACKED FEATHERS - ARE COATED IN

WATER-RESISTANT OIL,

SECRETED BY A GLAND ABOVE

THE TAIL.

- AND WITH FLIPPER-LIKE - WINGS, THEY FLY THROUGH

THE WATER.

LIFE ON LAND IS MUCH

HARDER WORK.

EVEN ON PATAGONIA'S COOL

SPRING DAYS, A PENGUIN CAN

OVERHEAT.

THEY CAN'T SWEAT, BUT

PATCHES AROUND THEIR EYES

HELP BREAK DOWN THE HEAT,

AND THEY CAN EVEN PANT TO

KEEP COOL.

- COLONIES DISPERSE WHEN - THEY'RE AT SEA, AND THESE

PENGUIN PAIRS HAVEN'T SEEN

EACH OTHER FOR SIX MONTHS.

THEY'RE DESPERATE TO FIND

THEIR PARTNERS, BUT

- FINDING YOUR MATE AMONG - THE MULTITUDE CAN BE

TRICKY.

- BILL FENCING IS A WAY OF - GREETING OLD

ACQUAINTANCES, LIKE A

HANDSHAKE OR A PENGUIN

POUND.

BUT NOT ALL PENGUINS ARE

PLEASED TO SEE EACH OTHER.

SQUABBLES OVER NEST SITES

ARE COMMON.

[PENGUIN SQUAWKING]

DYLAN: LOUD CRIES CARRY

RIGHT ACROSS THE COLONY,

- AND EACH PENGUIN - RECOGNIZES THE DISTINCTIVE

CALL OF ITS PARTNER.

- THESE LONG DISTANCE - RELATIONSHIPS SEEM TO

WORK, AND THESE LOVEBIRDS

ARE READY TO SETTLE DOWN

FOR THE LONG SUMMER.

COMING UP, WE HEAD FOR THE

HILLS, WELL, TECHNICALLY,

MOUNTAINS OF THE HIMALAYAS

TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR

THE RARE, BUT BEAUTIFUL

SNOW LEOPARD NEXT ON

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

.

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

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 NEXT, WE SPEND A - DAY WITH THE LOCALS OF THE

HIMALAYAS TO SEE HOW THEIR

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE

LOCAL GOATS GOES MUCH

FURTHER THAN SPIRITUAL,

PLUS, THE ICY ECOSYSTEM

THAT IS PERFECT FOR

HUNDREDS OF SPECIES.

.

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

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

IN THE ANCIENT INDIAN

LANGUAGE OF SANSKRIT,

HIMALAYAS TRANSLATES INTO

"ABODE OF SNOW", CERTAINLY

AN ACCURATE MONIKER FOR

THIS FROSTY PARADISE.

THE HIMALAYAS' MOST FAMOUS

FEATURE ALSO HAS A FITTING

TRANSLATION.

THE NEPALESE PEOPLE CALL

MOUNT EVEREST THE GODDESS

OF THE UNIVERSE.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT HOW

THE LOCAL CULTURES PAY

HOMAGE TO THIS MAMMOTH

MOUNTAIN RANGE.

- 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 FOR 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

SPIRITS, 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 - IN 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 IN

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.

- COMING UP, WE HEAD BACK TO - SOUTH AMERICA, WHERE THE

PATAGONIA ICE FIELDS ARE

FULL OF FURRY AND

FEATHERED ANIMALS AND A

STEALTH PUMA YOU WON'T

WANT TO MISS.

.

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

- DYLAN: TWENTY THOUSAND - YEARS AGO, THE WHOLE OF

SOUTHERN CHILE WAS COVERED

BY ICE.

TODAY, JUST FOUR PERCENT

OF THIS ICE SHEET REMAINS

IN TWO FIELDS.

THE LARGER OF THE TWO, THE

SOUTHERN PATAGONIAN ICE

FIELD, STILL EXTENDS MORE

THAN SIX-AND-A-HALF

THOUSAND SQUARE MILES.

- IT'S THE SECOND LARGEST - EXPANSE OF ICE IN THE

WORLD OUTSIDE OF THE NORTH

AND SOUTH POLES.

AS WINTER APPROACHES, MORE

AND MORE STORMS BRING NEW

- SNOWFALL TO FEED THE ICE - FIELD.

DAYS SHORTEN TO JUST SEVEN

HOURS OF LIGHT.

- IN THE SHADOW OF THE - FREEZING PEAKS, FLAMINGOES

FUEL UP WHILE THEY CAN.

THEIR TONGUES PUMP UP AND

DOWN SIX TIMES PER SECOND,

- PUSHING WATER THROUGH - THEIR BEAKS, ALLOWING THEM

TO FILTER OUT ALGAE AND

INVERTEBRATES.

- SOON, THE LAKE WILL FREEZE - OVER, AND THE FLAMINGOES

WILL BE FORCED TO MOVE

NORTH TOWARDS THE EQUATOR.

NOT ALL ANIMALS CAN ESCAPE

THE BRUTAL GRIP OF WINTER.

THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO

SIT OUT THE SNOWS.

THIS GUANACO'S DOUBLE COAT

OF FUR HELPS IT COPE WITH

THE COLD.

A FINE DOWN LAYER CLOSE TO

THE SKIN INSULATES AGAINST

THE BITING WIND, AND

COARSE OUTER HAIRS KEEP

WET SNOW AWAY FROM ITS

BODY.

GUANACOS STICK TOGETHER IN

HERDS, KEEPING A WARY EYE

OUT FOR DANGER.

- THE PUMA IS A CONSTANT - THREAT.

A GRAY FOX WILY ENOUGH TO

FOLLOW THE HERDS MAKES A

MEAGER LIVING PICKING UP

SCRAPS FROM ANY PUMA KILL.

BUT CLIMATE IS THE BIGGEST

CHALLENGE HERE.

- NOT ALL ANIMALS WILL - SURVIVE THE FIVE LONG

MONTHS OF WINTER.

GUANACOS RECYCLE EACH

MOUTHFUL OF FOOD,

EXTRACTING EVERY LAST

NUTRIENT AVAILABLE.

A PUMA IS DESPERATELY

HUNGRY, BUT THE GUANACOS

ARE ON HIGH ALERT.

- AND WITHOUT THE ELEMENT OF - SURPRISE, THE PUMA HAS

LITTLE CHANCE OF MAKING A

KILL.

A HARE IS HARDLY MORE THAN

A MOUTHFUL, BUT IN THESE

LEAN TIMES, IT CAN BE THE

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE

AND DEATH.

BUT THIS TIME, THE HARE

HAS HOPPED AWAY TO SAFER

GROUNDS.

- THANKS FOR JOINING US ON - THIS LOOK BACK AT THE EPIC

MOUNTAINS OF PATAGONIA AND

THE HIMALAYAS.

ALTHOUGH WORLDS APART,

THESE TWO LARGER THAN LIFE

REGIONS SHARE THE DISTINCT

QUALITY OF DIVERSITY THAT

MAKES OUR PLANET SO

SPECIAL.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]