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 EPISODE, WE'LL

EXPLORE THE DAILY LIFE OF

LOCALS THAT ROAM INDIA'S

BIGGEST DESERT, THE THAR.

- WE'LL DISCOVER WHAT MAKES - THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

THESE LOCAL NOMADS AND THE

LOCAL ANIMALS SO SPECIAL.

PLUS, I'D BE "LION" IF I

SAID WE WOULDN'T EXPLORE

BIG CAT COUNTRY.

ALL THIS AND MORE ON

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: WITH ITS HIGH - TEMPERATURES AND SCARCE

WATER SOURCES, THE THAR

DESERT IS ONE OF THE

HARSHEST DESERTS IN THE

WORLD, BUT IT'S ALSO THE

MOST DENSELY POPULATED.

- ANCIENT TRADITIONS AND - CULTURES ARE STILL

EMBRACED BY THOSE WHO LIVE

HERE, AND ONE COMMON

THREAD WOVEN THROUGHOUT

THEIR HISTORY IS THEIR

RELATIONSHIP WITH ANIMALS.

LET'S GO TO INDIA AND

EXPLORE WHAT MAKES THE

THAR DESERT ONE OF THE

MOST FASCINATING PLACES ON

EARTH.

INDIA'S GREAT DESERT.

BAKING HEAT, DEHYDRATING

WINDS, AND NEAR PERMANENT

DROUGHT HAVE EARNED THIS

UNFORGIVING LAND ANOTHER

NAME, THE REGION OF DEATH.

BUT THIS DESERT IS FULL OF

LIFE.

- IT'S A HOTSPOT FOR NATURE, - HOME TO SOME OF THE

TOUGHEST AND RAREST

CREATURES ON EARTH.

- MILLIONS OF PEOPLE LIVE - HERE, TOO.

IT'S THE MOST CROWDED

DESERT IN THE WORLD.

HUMANS AND ANIMALS HAVE

FORGED INCREDIBLE

ALLIANCES TO SURVIVE.

THIS IS NO ORDINARY

WILDERNESS.

THIS IS THE THAR, THE

DESERT OF LIFE.

INDIA'S DESERT COVERS

90,000 SQUARE MILES ACROSS

THE FAR NORTHWEST OF THE

COUNTRY.

- TAKING IN THE STATES OF - NORTHERN GUJARAT AND

RAJASTHAN, THE DESERT

ENGULFS TEN PERCENT OF

INDIA'S LAND MASS BEFORE

SWEEPING NORTH ACROSS THE

BORDER INTO PAKISTAN.

- THIS BORDER COUNTRY IS THE - EMPTY HEART OF AN

OTHERWISE CROWDED DESERT.

IT'S EFFECTIVELY A GIANT

DUST BOWL.

- BILLIONS OF SAND GRAINS - ARE WHIPPED UP BY

70-MILE-PER-HOUR WINDS.

THEY FORM IMMENSE SAND

DUNES, SOME ALMOST HALF A

MILE HIGH.

SOME NEVER STOP MOVING.

OTHERS HAVE STOOD FOR

THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

- DUNE RIDGES RIPPLE LIKE - WAVES IN A SEEMINGLY

ENDLESS SEA OF SAND.

WITH NO SHADE OR WATER,

FEW ANIMALS MAKE THEIR

HOME ON THESE SHIFTING

SANDS.

[CAMEL GROANING]

DYLAN: THIS IS A LAND OF

NOMADS.

- MANY OF THE REGION'S - TRIBES MOVE THROUGH THE

DESERT IN A CONSTANT

SEARCH FOR WATER AND

- GRAZING FOR THEIR - LIVESTOCK, AND EVERY

SPRING, THEY TRAVEL FROM

THE FAR CORNERS OF THE

THAR TO A SMALL TOWN AT

ITS HEART, NAGAUR.

- TWENTY THOUSAND PEOPLE - GATHER FOR THE DESERT'S

LARGEST LIVESTOCK MARKET,

THE NAGAUR FAIR.

- THEY COME TO CELEBRATE - THEIR TRADITIONAL WAY OF

LIFE AND THEIR ANCIENT

ALLIANCE WITH NATURE.

THESE PEOPLE ARE FARMERS,

BUT WITH REGULAR DROUGHTS,

THEY CAN'T RELY ON CROPS

FOR FOOD OR INCOME.

- INSTEAD, THEY OWE THEIR - SURVIVAL TO DOMESTICATED

ANIMALS.

- BECAUSE OF THIS DEPENDENCE - ON ANIMAL FARMING, THE

DESERT IS HOME TO TEN

TIMES MORE LIVESTOCK THAN

ANYWHERE ELSE IN INDIA.

- CAMELS ARE CENTRAL TO - DESERT LIFE BECAUSE THEY

CAN WITHSTAND THE INTENSE

HEAT AND LACK OF WATER

THAT WOULD KILL OTHER

SPECIES.

OWNERS TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN

THEIR PRECIOUS ANIMALS.

- WITH PAINSTAKING ATTENTION - TO DETAIL, THEY ARE

- TRANSFORMED INTO LIVING - WORKS OF ART.

THE MARWARI HORSE IS ALSO

HIGHLY VALUED.

- IT'S UNIQUE SMOOTH STEP, - THE REVAL, ENABLES THE

RIDER TO TRAVEL ACROSS

SAND IN COMFORT.

MARWARI MEANS "FROM THE

LAND OF DEATH".

ORIGINALLY BRED FOR DESERT

WARRIORS, IT'S A WAR HORSE

OF INCREDIBLE STAMINA THAT

CAN THRIVE WITH LITTLE

FOOD OR WATER.

DESERT PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS

SHARED THEIR LIVES WITH

ANIMALS AND RELIED ON THEM

FOR SURVIVAL.

- THIS HAS CREATED AN - ENGRAINED TRADITION OF

RESPECT FOR ANIMALS

FUNDAMENTAL TO LIFE ALL

OVER THE THAR.

COMING UP, FIND OUT HOW

THESE BIRDS STAY HAPPY,

HEALTHY, AND HIGH-FLYING

NEXT ON "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[BREAK]

.

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

- DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO - THE THAR DESERT, WHERE WE

- MAKE OUR WAY TO A CITY - KNOWN AS THE GATEWAY TO

THE DESERT, JODHPUR.

- IT'S DOMINATED BY ONE OF - INDIA'S MOST IMPRESSIVE

BUILDINGS, MEHRANGARH

FORT, ALSO KNOWN AS

MOUNTAIN OF BIRDS.

- ITS BATTLEMENTS TOWER FOUR - HUNDRED FEET ABOVE THE

CITY, AND THEY'VE BEEN

OCCUPIED FOR CENTURIES.

- THE FORT IS A STRONGHOLD - FOR BIRDS OF PREY THANKS

TO THE PEOPLE OF JODHPUR.

- IN THE FABLED BLUE CITY, - RAPTORS HAVE LONG BEEN

PROTECTED.

- CARING FOR THE BLACK KITE - POPULATION IS A TASK

- LATEEF PRESHI TAKES TO - HEART.

- LATEEF FEEDS THE KITES - EVERY DAY AS HIS FAMILY

HAS DONE FOR GENERATIONS.

IT IS A GREAT HONOR.

NURTURED BY THE CITY, THE

KITES THRIVE IN THEIR

DESERT FORTRESS.

- THEY SHARE THEIR HOME WITH - LONG-BILLED VULTURES THAT

NEST ON ITS BATTLEMENTS.

BUT INDIA'S VULTURES

HAVEN'T BEEN SO LUCKY.

THEIR NUMBERS FELL BY 90

PERCENT IN RECENT YEARS,

ACCIDENTALLY POISONED BY A

DRUG THAT IS NOW BANNED.

- FEWER VULTURES NEST HERE - NOW, BUT JODHPUR'S FORT

REMAINS A VITAL BREEDING

GROUND.

NUMBERS ARE SLOWLY

RECOVERING.

VULTURES RISE ON THERMALS

AND SOAR EFFORTLESSLY

ABOVE THE BLUE CITY.

- THE STREETS BELOW ARE - CROWDED WITH WORKING

ANIMALS.

COWS ARE SACRED TO HINDUS

AND CANNOT BE EATEN WHEN

THEY DIE.

INSTEAD, THEY MUST BE

RESPECTFULLY DISPOSED OF.

- EVERY DAY, CARCASSES ARE - WHEELED TO THE EDGE OF THE

CITY, WHERE THEY ARE LEFT

FOR THE SCAVENGERS.

BIRDS OF PREY ARE

INVALUABLE TO SOCIETY.

VULTURES ARE FED.

IN RETURN, THEY CLEAN UP

THE CITY, HELPING ENSURE

DISEASE DOESN'T SPREAD.

COMING UP ON "EARTH

ODYSSEY", WHAT OTHER

ANIMALS SHARE THIS

BEAUTIFUL SANCTUARY?

[MONKEY GRUNTING]

[BREAK]

.

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

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

- THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE - THAR DESERT HAVE AN

UNBELIEVABLY STRONG AND

OFTEN PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

- WITH THE WILD ANIMALS THAT - LIVE THERE.

- THE CATTLE AND HORSES GIVE - THEM FOOD AND

TRANSPORTATION AND IN

RETURN ARE TREATED WITH

- CARE, AND THERE'S ANOTHER - ANIMAL TREATED WITH THE

SAME RESPECT, BUT THIS

TYPE IS MORE SPIRITUAL

THAN TANGIBLE.

LANGUR MONKEYS ARE ONE OF

THE ONLY MAMMALS THAT CAN

THRIVE IN THE HARSH

ENVIRONMENTS OF THE THAR

DESERT, SO LET'S EXPLORE

HOW THEIR ADAPTABILITY

DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED BY

THEIR HUMAN NEIGHBORS.

- THE THAR DESERT IS FULL OF - SANCTUARIES FOR EXOTIC

ANIMALS, LIKE THE

MEHRANGARH FORT, WHICH

ISN'T ONLY A HAVEN FOR

BIRDS; IT'S A SANCTUARY

FOR ANOTHER OF INDIA'S

MOST SACRED ANIMALS.

REVERED ABOVE ALL MONKEYS

IS THE HANUMAN LANGUR,

BELIEVED TO BE THE LIVING

INCARNATION OF THE MONKEY

GOD.

- THIS ADAPTABLE PRIMATE CAN - SURVIVE EVERYWHERE FROM

STEAMING JUNGLES TO FROZEN

FORESTS.

- NO OTHER MONKEY LIVES IN - THE CENTER OF A PARCHED

DESERT.

LANGURS KNOW WHICH DESERT

PLANTS ARE EDIBLE AND GET

MOST OF THE MOISTURE THEY

NEED FROM SOLID FOOD, BUT

- THEY ALSO SEIZE MANMADE - OPPORTUNITIES.

- EVERY MORNING, THE FAMILY - LEAVES THEIR TREES TO TAKE

A TRIP INTO TOWN.

- INCREDIBLE ACROBATS, THEY - GRACEFULLY SCALE THE

ROOFTOPS ON THEIR WAY TO

MEHRANGARH FORT.

- IT'S USUALLY A GOOD PLACE - TO GET HANDOUTS FROM

GENEROUS PILGRIMS, BUT

TODAY, THERE'S A VERY

DIFFERENT WELCOMING

COMMITTEE.

ROGUE BACHELOR MALES

PATROL THE RAMPARTS.

- WITHOUT A TROOP OF THEIR - OWN, THEY TEAM UP TO TRY

AND STEAL ONE.

[MONKEY GRUNTING]

- DYLAN: TROOP TAKEOVERS - CAN OFTEN BE TOUGH FOR

THESE FAMILIES.

[MONKEY GRUNTING]

- DYLAN: BUT THESE MONKEYS' - MOTHERS WILL DO ANYTHING

TO PROTECT THEIR YOUNG.

[MONKEY GRUNTING]

[GRUNTING CONTINUES]

[GRUNTING CONTINUES]

DYLAN: THE ALPHA FEMALE

SHOWS INCREDIBLE BRAVERY.

SHE RISKS LIFE AND LIMB TO

REPEL THE ATTACKERS.

IT'S NOT THEIR TIME YET.

THE BACHELORS FLEE, BUT

THEY WILL BE BACK.

MALE TAKEOVERS ARE PART OF

LANGUR LIFE.

THE ALPHA MALE IS ONLY

STRONG ENOUGH TO RETAIN A

TROOP FOR A FEW YEARS.

- SCARRED FROM PREVIOUS - BATTLES, HIS DAYS AT THE

TOP ARE NUMBERED.

WITH FREQUENT DROUGHTS,

FOOD SHORTAGES, AND FIERCE

FIGHTS BETWEEN RIVAL

TROOPS, DESERT LIFE IS A

STRUGGLE FOR LANGURS.

BUT THANKS TO THEIR HOLY

STATUS, HELP IS AT HAND.

MR. BORANA RUNS A CHARITY

DEDICATED TO CARING FOR

JODHPUR'S SACRED MONKEYS.

- AFTER THEIR BRUISING - ENCOUNTER, THE LANGURS ARE

- READY TO SEE A FRIENDLY - FACE...

...PARTICULARLY, WHEN HE'S

HANDING OUT A FEAST.

MR. BORANA: OH!

OH!

- [MR. BORANA SPEAKING FOREIGN - LANGUAGE]

- DYLAN: MANY OF THE - LANGURS HAVE KNOWN MR.

BORANA SINCE THEY WERE

BORN, AND THEY'RE NOT SHY.

- THOUGH BANANAS AREN'T THE - NATURAL FOOD OF DESERT

MONKEYS, THEY'RE THE

TROOP'S FAVORITE.

- THE ALPHA FEMALE IS WISE - ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT MR.

BORANA IS A LIFELINE FOR

HER FAMILY.

- THERE IS NO RISK OF - STARVATION HERE DESPITE

- THE CONSTANT THREAT OF - DROUGHT.

- IN THIS DESERT COMMUNITY, - PEOPLE TAKE THE WELFARE OF

- ANIMALS INTO THEIR OWN - HANDS.

MR. BORANA'S DEVOTION TO

THESE MONKEYS HAS CREATED

A UNIQUE BOND BETWEEN MAN

AND HIS PRIMATE COUSINS,

AND THIS BOND ALLOWS THESE

LANGUR MONKEYS TO THRIVE.

- COMING UP, THERE ARE - PLENTY OF PREDATORS THAT

LIVE IN THE THAR DESERT,

BUT WHICH ONE IS THE MOST

FEARED AND MOST PROTECTED?

[BREAK]

.

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

- DYLAN: THE THAR IS HOME - TO A SURPRISING NUMBER OF

PREDATORS, INDIAN FOXES,

HYENAS, AND THE KING OF

THEM ALL, AN ANIMAL THAT

ONCE RIVALED THE TIGER.

- AT THE FAR SOUTHERN EDGE - OF THE DESERT IN GUJARAT'S

GIR FOREST LIVES A

PREDATOR NORMALLY

ASSOCIATED WITH AFRICA.

- THIS PARCHED FOREST IS AT - ITS MOST DANGEROUS IN THE

SUMMER, WHEN ONE OF THE

WORLD'S MOST FORMIDABLE

PREDATORS HAS YOUNGSTERS

TO FEED.

LIFE-SAVING WATER SOURCES

BECOME DEATH TRAPS.

THIS IS LION COUNTRY.

- FEMALES HAVE CUBS DURING - THE HOTTEST MONTHS OF THE

YEAR, WHEN PREY IS FORCED

TO VISIT SHRINKING WATER

- HOLES AND IT'S EASIER TO - MAKE A KILL.

INDIAN LIONS CAN HUNT

SUCCESSFULLY ALONE USING

- THE COVER OF THE TREES TO - GET WITHIN STRIKING

DISTANCE.

UNLIKE THEIR AFRICAN

COUSINS, INDIAN LIONS HAVE

A THINNER MANE AND A LONG

LINE OF SKIN RUNNING DOWN

THEIR BELLY.

- THE GIR FOREST IS THE LAST - STRONGHOLD OF LIONS WHICH

ONCE ROAMED ALL OVER

EUROPE, ASIA, AND INDIA.

- AFTER A CENTURY OF BIG - GAME HUNTING, THEY WERE AT

THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION.

IN 1900, THERE WERE JUST

20 LIONS LEFT.

NOW THERE ARE AROUND FIVE

HUNDRED.

- THEY OWE THEIR SURVIVAL TO - THE MALDHARI HERDSMEN, WHO

GAVE UP THEIR ANCESTRAL

HOMELANDS TO CREATE A LION

RESERVE.

- WITH NOTHING BUT THORN - FENCES FOR PROTECTION, THE

MALDHARI'S TOLERANCE FOR

BIG CATS IS REMARKABLE.

- THE MALDHARIS ARE HINDUS - AND CONSIDER THE LION

SACRED.

THEY WORSHIP THE MAN-LION

NARASIMHA, A SUPREME GOD.

- EVEN THOUGH LIONS ARE - VENTURING OUTSIDE THE

RESERVE, THE MALDHARI

CONTINUE TO TOLERATE THEIR

DANGEROUS NEIGHBOR.

- THE RELATIONSHIP THAT - HUMANS HAVE WITH THE

ANIMALS THAT BELONG TO THE

THAR DESERT IS WHAT MAKES

THIS LAND SO SPECIAL.

- IT'S A LAND OF LIFE THAT - ONLY THRIVES WITH THE

MUTUAL RESPECT AND TRUST

THAT PEOPLE SHARE WITH

THEIR ANIMAL NEIGHBORS.

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

THAR DESERT, WHERE THE

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

HUMANS AND ANIMALS GOES

BACK GENERATIONS AND IS

KEY TO SURVIVAL IN THESE

HARSH ENVIRONMENTS.

- WE HOPE YOU JOIN US NEXT - TIME FOR ANOTHER

INCREDIBLE JOURNEY ON

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]