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 ON TODAY'S SHOW,

WE EXPLORE THAILAND'S

INCREDIBLE LANDSCAPE AND

ITS MOST EXOTIC ANIMALS.

WE'LL TRY TO GET A GLIMPSE

OF THE ALWAYS ELUSIVE AND

ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL CLOUDED

LEOPARD.

PLUS, WE HEAD TO THE SEA

AND EXPLORE WHAT LIVES IN

THAILAND'S MOST ACTIVE

REEFS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: PART OF THAILAND'S - BEAUTY CAN BE ATTRIBUTED

TO ITS TROPICAL CLIMATE.

IT'S OFTEN WET AND RARELY

COLD, WHICH EQUALS LUSH,

VIBRANT JUNGLES AND

HEALTHY PLANT LIFE.

THAT BEAUTY EXTENDS TO

THAILAND'S WILDLIFE AS

WELL.

- THE NATIVE CLOUDED LEOPARD - IS ONE OF THE MOST

CAPTIVATING CREATURES ON

THE PLANET CONSIDERED THE

SMALLEST OF THE WORLD'S

BIG CATS, AND THERE'S A

BIG, IF NOT HUGE, ANIMAL

THAT SHARES THIS EXQUISITE

ECOSYSTEM, THE ASIAN

ELEPHANT.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT HOW

THIS TIED TWOSOME LIVES

SIDE-BY-SIDE.

WELCOME TO THAILAND, WHERE

THE JUNGLES ARE FULL OF

PREY AND PREDATORS.

THIS MEANS THAT SENSES

HAVE TO BE FINELY TUNED TO

LIVE HERE, AND IN THE

SURROUNDING ANCIENT

RAINFOREST, THEY ARE

EQUALLY CRITICAL.

- THE CLOUDED LEOPARD IS A - SKILLFUL, BUT SECRETIVE

PREDATOR.

SHE HAS AN ARSENAL OF

SENSES.

ABLE TO SEE SIX TIMES

BETTER THAN HUMANS AT

NIGHT, SHE IS ALSO ARMED

WITH EXTREMELY ACCURATE 3D

VISION THAT HELPS GAUGE

DISTANCE OF PREY IN THE

CANOPY.

HEARING AND SMELL ARE JUST

AS IMPORTANT FOR HER, AND

SHE IS CONSTANTLY ALERT TO

THE SOUNDS OF THE JUNGLE.

[MONKEYS HOWLING]

DYLAN: BUT THIS MASTER OF

THE SHADOWS ISN'T HUNTING.

SHE HAS OTHER PRIORITIES.

- SCENT MARKING, IT IS AN - IDEAL FORM OF

COMMUNICATION FOR THESE

TYPICALLY SOLITARY CATS.

MARKING HER TERRITORY, SHE

ALSO LEAVES A SIGNAL TO

ANY POTENTIAL MATE.

- FOR THE MALE, PATROLLING - HIS PATCH AND LEAVING HIS

MARK IS ALSO ESSENTIAL.

- NOT ONLY IS IT PRECIOUS - HUNTING GROUND, MORE THAN

HALF OF HIS TERRITORY

OVERLAPS WITH FEMALE

RANGES.

- RUBBING UP AGAINST - BRANCHES HELPS SECRETE

SCENT FROM THE GLANDS IN

HIS FACE, AND USING THIS

TECHNIQUE, HE MAY FIND A

MATE.

- SURVIVAL DOESN'T JUST COME - FROM BEING AN EFFICIENT

HUNTER.

- BREEDING IS ALSO CRITICAL, - AND THE CLOUDED LEOPARD'S

SENSES ARE VITAL.

BUT WITH NUMBERS DWINDLING

IN THE WILD, HOW THEY

- SELECT EACH OTHER ISN'T - CLEAR.

THESE ELUSIVE CATS STILL

HIDE MANY SECRETS.

- LIKE THE CLOUDED LEOPARD, - THE DIVERSITY OF THE FLORA

AND FAUNA IN THE AREA IS

YET TO BE FULLY

UNDERSTOOD, BUT ONE THING

IS FOR SURE;

JUNGLE GIANTS STAMP THEIR MARK

ON IT.

KNOWN AS MEGA HERBIVORES,

ASIAN ELEPHANTS CERTAINLY

HAVE A MEGA APPETITE.

FEEDING ON MORE THAN 60

SPECIES OF PLANTS IN SOME

PLACES, THEY ARE THE

GARDENERS OF THE FOREST.

- THEIR HEALTHY APPETITE - MEANS THEY DISPERSE SEEDS

FROM MANY PLANTS.

BUT THEY AREN'T CAREFUL

CULTIVATORS.

THEY ARE EXTREME

LANDSCAPERS.

THEY SHAPE THEIR HABITATS,

PRUNING AS THEY ROAM AND

ALLOWING PLANTS TO GROW

BACK STRONGER AND THICKER

THAN BEFORE.

MORE SUNLIGHT ACCESSES THE

GROUND, AND GRASSES GROW

CREATING NEW HOMES FOR

OTHER ANIMALS AND PLANTS.

USING POWER AND STRENGTH,

THEY TRANSFORM THEIR

HABITAT AND HELP SUSTAIN

ECOSYSTEMS AS THEY

MIGRATE.

COMING UP, WE GO ON ONE OF

THE MOST INCREDIBLE

FISHING EXPEDITIONS IN THE

WORLD WHERE BIRDS AND

HUMANS TEAM UP, AND LATER,

WE MEET THAILAND'S MOST

POPULAR MONKEYS.

- ALL OF THIS AND MORE - COMING UP ON "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

[BREAK]

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

DYLAN: WELCOME TO THE

MANGROVES OF THAILAND.

THE SHELTERED ROOT SYSTEMS

ACT AS NURSERIES FOR FISH,

- BUT THIS PROVIDES AN - OPPORTUNITY FOR AN AERIAL

PREDATOR.

THE BRAHMINY KITE IS KING

OF THESE SKIES AND AN

OPPORTUNIST.

HE SURVEYS THE WATERS FROM

MANGROVE HUNTING PERCHES

IN SEARCH OF A MEAL, BUT

IT'S ON THE WING WHERE HE

REALLY COMES INTO HIS OWN.

- DROPPING FROM THE SKY, HE - TRIES HIS LUCK.

- BUT EVEN FOR ELITE AERIAL - COMMANDOES, FISH ARE

SOMETIMES JUST TOO FAST.

THE PEOPLE OF INDOCHINA

HAVE ALSO FACED SIMILAR

CHALLENGES.

THE FINE BALANCE BETWEEN

CLIMATE, GEOGRAPHY, AND

WILDLIFE HAS CREATED

COMPLEX HABITATS.

LOCAL PEOPLE HAVE BECOME

PART OF THIS RELATIONSHIP,

- AND THE MANGROVE PROVIDE - AN ESSENTIAL SOURCE OF

FOOD FOR THEM.

- THIS HAS LED TO AN ALMOST - SYMBIOTIC PARTNERSHIP WITH

THE BRAHMINY KITE.

LACKING THE KITE'S VISION

AND SPEED, HE LAYS HIS NET

- WHERE THESE BIRDS HAVE - BEEN SPOTTED.

- THE MANGROVE ACTS AS AN - ANCHOR AS HE SETS HIS

TRAP.

- SLOWLY DRIFTING, THE NET - ENCIRCLES FISH.

NOTHING WILL GO TO WASTE

HERE.

KITES ARE NOT ONLY

COMMANDERS OF THE SKY;

- THEY ARE ALSO MASTERS OF - OPPORTUNITY.

- BUT NEWS SPREADS FAST ON - THE WING, AND THESE

NORMALLY SOLITARY BIRDS

FLOCK IN THE HUNDREDS.

- WING-EYE COORDINATION HAS - NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT

- AS THEY HURDLE TOWARDS - EACH OTHER.

[BIRDS SQUAWKING]

- DYLAN: CIRCLING AND - SPOTTING, OTHERS DROP FROM

THE SKY.

- THEY KNOW IT'S A RACE - AGAINST TIME BEFORE THIS

FREE MEAL SINKS AND

BECOMES RECLAIMED BY THE

MANGROVE THAT HELPED

NURTURE IT.

- THESE MANGROVE WATERS HAVE - PROVED A RICH SOURCE OF

FOOD, BUT THEY ARE ALSO

DIRECTLY LINKED TO THE

DIVERSITY OF THE SEAS, AND

IN SOME PARTS OF THE

WORLD, THERE ARE AS MANY

AS 25 TIMES MORE FISH ON

- REEFS CLOSE TO MANGROVE - AREAS.

- WHEN WE RETURN, IT'S ALL - BUSINESS WHEN IT COMES TO

THAILAND'S HUNGRY MONKEYS.

- PLUS, WE TAKE A DIP WITH - THAILAND'S MOST EXOTIC SEA

CREATURES COMING UP ON

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

[BREAK]

.

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

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

- IN THE JUNGLES, WE'VE SEEN - SOME OF THE BIGGEST

MAMMALS ON EARTH, BUT

ELEPHANTS AREN'T THE ONLY

GIANTS IN THAILAND.

JUST OFF THE BEACHES ARE

REEFS TEEMING WITH SEA

CREATURES, AND THE BIGGEST

OF THEM ALL IS THE LARGEST

KNOWN FISH IN THE WORLD,

THE WHOPPING 20-TON FILTER

FEEDING WHALE SHARK.

LET'S TAKE A DIP TO GET A

CLOSER LOOK.

- THAILAND'S COASTAL WATERS - ARE BOARDED BY A RANGE OF

EXTREME HABITATS.

ROCKY SHORES BARRICADE

IDYLLIC ISLANDS THAT

PEPPER THE SEA.

- BUT PARADISE HIDES SOME OF - THE MOST CHALLENGING

ENVIRONMENTS.

THIS ISLAND IS HOME TO A

TROOP OF INVENTIVE

CASTAWAYS.

LONG-TAILED MACAQUES

FORAGE FOR THEIR SURVIVAL,

- BUT NOT BEING TOO PICKY, - THEY WILL EAT WHATEVER IS

AVAILABLE, AN ADAPTABILITY

THAT IS CRUCIAL ON A SMALL

ISLAND.

BUT THE TROOP AREN'T THE

ONLY CASTAWAYS HERE.

A MONITOR LIZARD ALSO

ROAMS, AND THIS CARNIVORE

IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A

QUICK BITE.

[MONKEY SCREECHING]

- DYLAN: VENTURING TO THE - SHORE MAY BE A SAFER BET

- AND PROVIDE ANOTHER - OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TROOP

TO FEED.

FED BY TWO OCEANS, THE

PACIFIC AND INDIAN,

THAILAND'S WATERS SUPPORT

A TENTH OF THE WORLD'S

MARINE FISH.

THE ANDAMAN SEA AND THE

GULF OF THAILAND BUFFER

THE COUNTRY, AND CORAL

REEFS FORM THE BASIS OF

COMPLEX ECOSYSTEMS.

COVERING AN AREA 24 TIMES

THE SIZE OF MANHATTAN,

THEY ARE REFUGES IN THE

OCEAN'S DESERT AND ABLE TO

SUPPORT UP TO FOUR

THOUSAND INDIVIDUAL

SPECIES.

THESE WATERS ARE ALSO

PERFECT FOR MICROSCOPIC

ORGANISMS CALLED PLANKTON,

WHICH FORM A STAPLE FOOD

FOR MANY FISH OF ALL

SHAPES AND SIZES.

- AND THAT INCLUDES THE - WORLD'S BIGGEST FISH AND

MONSTER OF THE DEEP, THE

WHALE SHARK.

- MIGRATING THROUGH THE - OCEANS, WHERE THEY GO AND

COME FROM IS STILL

UNCLEAR, BUT HERE, THEY

- MAKE THE MOST OF PLANKTON - BLOOMS...

- ...ESCORTED BY REMORA FISH - THAT CLEAN THEM, HOOVERING

UP ANY PARASITES.

- WITH MOUTHS OVER A METER - WIDE, THESE SHARKS COULD

DEVOUR MOST FISH, BUT IT'S

THE SMALLEST CREATURES

THAT THEY FEED ON.

- TENS OF THOUSANDS OF - PLANKTON ARE INGESTED IN

ONE GULP.

- BAIT FISH ARE SCHOOLING - FOR PROTECTION AS

YELLOWFIN TUNA ATTACK.

SAFETY IN NUMBERS IS

USUALLY A GOOD DEFENSE OUT

HERE.

- BUT EMERGING FROM BELOW, - THE WHALE SHARK HEADS

STRAIGHT FOR THEM.

IT'S NOT JUST PLANKTON

THAT HE FEEDS ON.

- LIKE THOSE ON LAND, THE - CREATURES HERE MUST MAKE

THE MOST OF ANY

OPPORTUNITY TO SURVIVE.

AND AS THE TIDES SHIFT, SO

MUST HE TO SEARCH FOR MORE

FOOD.

COMING UP, WE SWING BY TO

SEE WHAT'S UP WITH

THAILAND'S LONG-TAILED

MACAQUES.

[BREAK]

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

- DYLAN: BACK ON LAND, THE - TIDE RECEDES AND REVEALS

ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, THIS

TIME FOR ISLAND CASTAWAYS.

- TO CONQUER THE CHALLENGES - OF THEIR HABITAT, THESE

LONG-TAILED MACAQUES HAVE

HAD TO USE EVOLUTIONARY

INTELLIGENCE.

ALONG THIS ROCKY COASTLINE

LIES SUCCULENT SHELLFISH

FOR THEM TO HARVEST, BUT

EVERYTHING HERE COMES

HEAVILY ARMORED.

STRONG JAWS TRY TO PRY

OPEN SOME OF THE MOLLUSKS.

OTHERS HAVE DECIDED

SLAMMING CLAMS AGAINST

ROCKS IS THE ONLY OPTION.

- BUT THESE TECHNIQUES ARE - SLOW, AND WITH TIDES

CHANGING, TIME IS

CERTAINLY AGAINST THEM.

- TO MAKE THE MOST OF THIS - HEARTY MEAL, A NEW

STRATEGY IS CALLED FOR...

...STONE TOOLS.

COLLECTED FROM THE SHORE,

THESE LONG-TAILED MACAQUES

- HAVE LEARNED TO USE STONES - AS WE WOULD HAMMERS OR

AXES.

THE TROOP FORAGE

INDIVIDUALLY, TIRELESSLY

CHIPPING AWAY THROUGHOUT

THE ROCK POOLS.

- THE LOW TIDE EXPOSES - OYSTERS, BUT THE

DIFFICULTY HERE IS ALSO

PRYING THEM AWAY.

- DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF - MOLLUSK, HE APPEARS TO

ACTUALLY SELECT THE BEST

STONE FROM HIS PALETTE.

FOR OYSTERS, LONGER

POINTED STONES PROVIDE

ACCURATE AND TARGETED

PRESSURE.

- FOR CLAMS, A FLATTER, - HEAVIER STONE IS NEEDED TO

POUND THE SHELL.

- THIS EXTRAORDINARY - BEHAVIOR HAS ONLY EVER

BEEN WITNESSED IN A

HANDFUL OF PRIMATES.

- THESE MACAQUES LITERALLY - CARVE OUT THEIR SUCCESS IN

THAILAND'S ARMORED

COASTLINE.

- WHERE THE NATURAL WORLD IS - LEFT TO FORGE ITS

SURVIVAL, EXTRAORDINARY

ADAPTATIONS, BEHAVIOR, AND

EVOLUTIONARY TRICKS OCCUR.

- THE FINE BALANCE BETWEEN - LIFE AND DEATH IS

- CONSTANTLY PLAYED OUT IN - THAILAND'S DIVERSE

HABITATS.

FROM THE FAR NORTH TO

EXTREME SOUTH, CLIMATE AND

GEOGRAPHY CREATE ANCIENT

RAINFORESTS...

...COOL HIGHLAND PLAINS...

...AND EVER-CHANGING

COASTLINES...

- ...HARBORING ICONIC - PREDATORS AND INVENTIVE

SCAVENGERS.

THESE WORLDS BRING

CONSTANT CHALLENGES.

THOSE WHO ADAPT REAP THE

REWARDS...

[BATS CHIRPING]

DYLAN: ...AND HAVE BECOME

NATURE'S SURVIVORS.

- THANKS FOR JOINING US ON - THIS INCREDIBLE

EXPLORATION OF THE

WILDLIFE THAT LIVES IN

THAILAND.

ALTHOUGH IT'S A RELATIVELY

SMALL COUNTRY, THAILAND IS

HOME TO SOME OF THE

BIGGEST ANIMALS IN THE

WORLD, ALL WORKING

TOGETHER TO KEEP THE

CIRCLE OF LIFE IN MOTION.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME

FOR ANOTHER "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]