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: WELCOME TO "EARTH - ODYSSEY".

I'M DYLAN DREYER.

GET READY TO TRAVEL AROUND

THE WORLD.

ON TODAY'S SHOW, WE HEAD

TO SOUTH AMERICA'S BIGGEST

WETLAND, THE PANTANAL.

WE'LL MEET GIANT RIVER

OTTERS WHOSE SIZE NEVER

GETS IN THE WAY OF THEIR

ABILITY TO GET OUT OF A

TIGHT SQUEEZE.

- AND LATER, JAGUARS AND - MONKEYS DON'T MAKE THE

HUNTING TEAM, BUT THERE

ARE TWO SPECIES THAT HELP

EACH OTHER FROM THE WATER

TO THE SKY.

ALL THIS AND MORE COMING

UP ON "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE PANTANAL IS - THE LARGEST WETLAND IN THE

WORLD, COVERING MORE THAN

60,000 SQUARE MILES OF

SOUTH AMERICA.

SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT

15-TO-23,000 YEARS AGO, IT

WAS ACTUALLY A SANDY

DESERT, HARDLY SUPPORTING

ANY LIFE AT ALL.

THAT TIME IS WELL IN THE

PAST, AS WE'RE ABOUT TO

SEE.

TODAY, THE PANTANAL HAS

BECOME AN ECOSYSTEM OF

FLOWING RIVERS THAT

SUPPORT ALL TYPES OF

PLANTS AND ANIMALS AS WELL

AS HUMANS.

LET'S EXPLORE THE

FASCINATING WORLD THAT

- LIVES UNDER AND ABOVE THE - RICH RIVERS OF THE

PANTANAL.

- WELCOME TO THE PANTANAL'S - MOST IMPORTANT WATER

SYSTEMS WHICH ACT AS THE

KEY TO THIS RICH

ENVIRONMENT.

FOUR MONTHS AFTER THE LAST

SERIOUS RAIN, THE PANTANAL

IS STILL RELEASING WATER

INTO A NETWORK OF MIGHTY

RIVERS.

- THE LARGEST OF THESE - SURVIVE EVEN THE DRIEST

MONTHS OF THE YEAR,

CREATING AN EVER-RELIABLE

RESERVOIR OF FOOD AS WELL

AS WATER.

FEW PEOPLE LIVE

PERMANENTLY IN THE

PANTANAL.

- ALONG WITH THE COWBOYS, - THERE ARE SMALL

COMMUNITIES OF FISHERMEN

WHO PLY THE RIVERS

YEAR-ROUND.

GONZAGA IS SETTING OUT IN

SEARCH OF MONSTERS.

THESE RIVERS HOLD GIANTS

IN THEIR DEPTHS, BUT

- CATCHING THEM IS NO EASY - FEAT.

THE PANTANAL IS A HAVEN

FOR ONE OF GONZAGA'S

BIGGEST RIVALS, THE GIANT

RIVER OTTER.

NEARLY SIX FEET LONG AND

WEIGHING MORE THAN 65

POUNDS, IT FULLY MERITS

ITS NAME.

UNLIKE MOST OTTERS, GIANT

OTTERS LIVE IN GROUPS AND

HUNT IN PACKS, EARNING

THEIR NICKNAME, RIVER

WOLVES.

[RIVER OTTER GRUNTING]

- DYLAN: IN OPEN WATER, - THEIR TARGETS HAVE ROOM TO

MANEUVER.

EVEN WORKING TOGETHER, THE

OTTERS MISS MORE THAN THEY

HIT.

BUT CLOSER TO THE RIVER'S

EDGE, THE OTTERS SOON GET

LUCKY.

THEY MAY HUNT TOGETHER,

BUT THEY EAT ALONE.

THEY'RE RAVENOUS FEEDERS,

DEVOURING UP TO MORE THAN

TEN POUNDS A DAY, ANYTHING

FROM FISH AND BIRDS TO

ANACONDAS AND EVEN CAYMAN.

GONZAGA, TOO, IS HOMING IN

ON THE WATER'S EDGE.

HE'S CAREFUL TO STAY AWAY

FROM THE RIVERBANK.

WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER,

GONZAGA WATCHED AS HIS

BROTHER WAS ATTACKED BY A

HUNGRY JAGUAR.

HE WAS LUCKY TO ESCAPE

WITH HIS LIFE.

GONZAGA WORKS FAST...

...SOON FILLING HIS BOAT

WITH LUNGFISH AND OTHER

SPECIES.

BUT THEY'RE JUST BAIT FOR

THE GIANT HE'S AFTER.

THE FISHING PART, THE

DOMINANT MALE AND LAST

YEAR'S YOUNG, RETURNS TO

THE DEN, THE FOCUS OF

OTTER FAMILY LIFE.

[RIVER OTTER GROANING]

- DYLAN: THE BREEDING - FEMALE IS STANDING GUARD,

LOOKING AFTER THIS YEAR'S

CUBS.

SHE'S WORRIED FOR THEIR

SAFETY AND DECIDES IT'S

TIME TO MOVE HOME.

UNABLE TO SWIM, THE YOUNG

CUBS MUST BE DRAGGED INTO

THE MUDDY WATERS.

PREDATORS LURK NEARBY.

- THE OLDER SIBLINGS DECIDE - THE CAYMAN ARE TOO CLOSE

FOR COMFORT.

- COORDINATED LUNGES ARE - ENOUGH TO SEE OFF THE

DANGEROUS FOE.

THEIR NEMESIS GONE, THE

WHOLE FAMILY TURNS ITS

ATTENTION BACK TO THE

MOVE, CARRYING THE CUBS

ONE-BY-ONE.

- THEY'VE ALREADY EXCAVATED - A NEW DEN.

MOVING IN DOESN'T TAKE

LONG.

RESPONSIBILITY OVER AND

FUELED BY A BELLY FULL OF

FISH, IT'S TIME TO PLAY.

[RIVER OTTERS SCREECHING]

[SCREECHING CONTINUES]

- DYLAN: THE GAME OF TAG IS - DISRUPTED BY YET MORE

FOOD.

A THREE-FOOT-LONG SWAMP

EEL IS QUITE A FEAST.

GIANT RIVER OTTERS HAVE

LONG BEEN HUNTED FOR THEIR

FUR AND AS COMPETITION FOR

FISHERMEN.

- BY THE MID-20TH CENTURY, - THREE THOUSAND A YEAR WERE

BEING KILLED IN BRAZIL.

- TODAY, THERE COULD BE JUST - A THOUSAND LEFT ACROSS ALL

OF SOUTH AMERICA.

HERE IN THE PANTANAL,

THEY'RE BOUNCING BACK.

THIS REMOTE SWAMP IS ONE

OF THEIR LAST REFUGES.

- COMING UP, WE'LL EXPLORE - WHY THE PANTANAL IS A

- PERFECT HOME FOR THE LOCAL - JAGUARS.

PLUS, WE HIT THE RIVER AND

JOIN LOCALS AS THEY EMBARK

ON ONE OF THE MOST

FASCINATING FISHING TRIPS

YOU'LL EVER SEE.

[BREAK]

.

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

- DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO - THE PANTANAL.

- AS THE DRY SEASON NEARS - ITS PEAK, THE

YELLOW-RUMPED CACIQUES ARE

IN THE MOOD TO MATE.

- A FEMALE HAS ARRIVED AT - THE COLONY AND IS

THREADING THE FOUNDATIONS

FOR THIS YEAR'S NEST.

HER PRESENCE PROVOKES A

FRENZY.

[BIRDS SQUAWKING]

- DYLAN: AN EAGER MALE HAS - SECURED A PROMINENT

POSITION TO DAZZLE HER

WITH HIS TALENTS.

- EACH COLONY BOASTS A - UNIQUE MIX OF UP TO SEVEN

SONGS.

[BIRD SQUAWKING]

- DYLAN: THE MALE MUST BELT - OUT EACH OF THE FEMALE'S

FAVORITES TO WIN THIS

FIERCELY CONTESTED TREETOP

TALENT SHOW.

THE PANTANAL'S OVERGROWN

RIVERBANKS ARE PERFECT FOR

JAGUARS...

...WATER TO DRINK, SHADE

FROM THE SUN, AND A

- PLATFORM FROM WHICH TO SPY - PREY.

- ALMOST PERFECT, BUT - THERE'S NO RESPITE FROM

WRETCHED FLIES.

THESE NARROW RIVERSIDE

FORESTS MAKE UP JUST TWO

PERCENT OF THE PANTANAL,

BUT THEY'RE HUGELY

IMPORTANT.

- THEY'RE NATURAL HIGHWAYS, - MAKING THE PANTANAL A

MELTING POT OF SOUTH

AMERICAN WILDLIFE.

TUFTED CAPUCHINS HAVE USED

THESE CORRIDORS TO SPREAD

SOUTH FROM THE AMAZON.

- THEY LIVE IN SMALL FAMILY - GROUPS LED BY A DOMINANT

MALE.

FIFTY PERCENT LARGER THAN

THE FEMALES, HE CALLS THE

SHOTS AROUND HERE.

THE CAPUCHINS ARE SO WARY

OF EAGLES, THAT EVEN A

HARMLESS VULTURE SENDS

THEM SCURRYING DOWN FROM

THE CANOPY.

[MONKEY SCREECHING]

- DYLAN: THERE'S A STRICT - HIERARCHY WITHIN THE

GROUP.

A SUBMISSIVE GRIMACE

SHOULD KEEP THIS ONE'S

SUPERIORS HAPPY.

- ONCE THE POLITICS ARE - SORTED OUT, IT'S BACK TO

FORAGING.

CAPUCHINS EAT ANYTHING

THAT MOVES AND MUCH THAT

DOESN'T.

THE MOST PRODUCTIVE AREAS

ARE ALONG THE RIVERBANK,

- BUT WARY OF CAYMAN, THE - DIMINUTIVE MONKEYS DARE

- NOT VENTURE TOO CLOSE TO - THE EDGE.

- THOUGH PICKINGS ARE SLIM - AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, THE

TUFTED CAPUCHINS'

VERSATILITY AND THESE

- RIBBON-LIKE FORESTS HAVE - MADE THEM THE MOST

WIDESPREAD MONKEYS IN

SOUTH AMERICA.

CAPYBARAS, AT UP TO 165

POUNDS, THE WORLD'S

LARGEST RODENTS HAVE A

MORE CONSIDERATE APPROACH

TO LIFE.

THEY SPEND THE HOTTEST

PART OF THE DAY LAZING ON

THE RIVERBANKS.

- THOUGH THEY SEEM IMMUNE TO - CAYMAN, THEY'RE AT THE TOP

OF THE JAGUAR'S MENU.

EACH FAMILY PROTECTS ITS

OWN PATCH.

TERRITORIAL DUTIES FALL ON

THE DOMINANT MALE, WHO

- OBSESSIVELY MARKS THE - BOUNDARIES WITH HIS

DISTINCTIVE SCENT.

PARENTAL CARE IS LEFT TO

THE FEMALES.

- AT THE FIRST SIGN OF - DANGER, THE CAPYBARAS KNOW

JUST WHAT TO DO.

THE RIVER IS THE PERFECT

EMERGENCY EXIT.

JAGUARS HAVE LITTLE

SUCCESS HUNTING BY DAY.

BETTER TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER

DARK.

- COMING UP, YOU WON'T WANT - TO MISS THE RELATIONSHIP

THESE LOCALS HAVE WITH

LOCAL BIRDS AND HOW THEY

HELP EACH OTHER CATCH ONE

OF PANTANAL'S BIGGEST

FISH.

[BREAK]

.

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

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

- THE PANTANAL IS HOME TO - MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED

DIFFERENT SPECIES OF FISH.

SOME ARE BIG, SOME ARE

SMALL, BUT ALL PLAY AN

IMPORTANT ROLE IN

SUSTAINING THE RICH LIFE

THAT LIVES IN AND AROUND

THE REGION'S WATERWAYS.

JUST ASK THE LOCALS, WHO

USE FISHING NOT ONLY AS A

SOURCE OF FOOD, BUT AS

THEIR LIVELIHOOD.

LET'S JUMP ABOARD A LOCAL

ANGLING EXPEDITION TO SEE

IF WE CAN HOOK ONE OF THE

BIGGEST FISH IN THE

PANTANAL.

- IT'S BARELY RAINED IN FOUR - MONTHS, AND THE PANTANAL'S

WATER LEVEL HAS FALLEN

NINE FEET ALREADY.

ALONG THE RIVERBANKS,

STRANGE HOLES APPEAR, DUG

NOT BY BIRDS, BUT BY FISH,

EXCAVATING SAFE REFUGES AS

THE WATERS DROPPED.

- BLACK-COLLARED HAWKS ARE - ON THE LOOKOUT FOR

OXYGEN-STARVED PREY.

BLACK SKIMMERS HAVE TAKEN

OVER A WHOLE BEACH.

- THE ADULTS USUALLY FISH AT - NIGHT, BUT RIGHT NOW, THEY

- HAVE HUNGRY MOUTHS TO - FEED, SO THEY'RE WORKING A

DOUBLE SHIFT.

THE BREEDING SEASON IS IN

FULL FLOW.

NESTS ARE SIMPLE SCRAPES

IN THE SAND.

- THE ADULTS CAN'T STAY AWAY - FOR LONG.

- THEY MUST SHELTER THEIR - CHICKS FROM THE BLAZING

SUN.

THE CLOCK IS TICKING.

THE SKIMMERS WILL HAVE TO

FLEDGE WITHIN TWO MONTHS,

WHEN THE RAINS WILL RETURN

AND THE RIVER LEVEL RISE

AGAIN.

[BIRD SQUAWKING]

- DYLAN: GONZAGA HAS WAITED - UNTIL DUSK TO SET HIS

HOOKS.

ANY EARLIER, AND PIRANHAS

WOULD DEMOLISH HIS BAIT...

...A PINTADO, OR TIGER

CATFISH.

THEY CAN GROW TO A

MONSTROUS 55 POUNDS.

THIS IS JUST A YOUNGSTER.

AT LEAST FIVE THOUSAND

TONS OF FISH ARE PULLED

- OUT OF THE PANTANAL EVERY - YEAR.

CATFISH ARE DECLINING IN

NUMBER AND SIZE, BUT

- FISHING HAS SUSTAINED - PEOPLE HERE FOR LONGER

THAN ANYONE CAN REMEMBER.

AROUND EIGHT THOUSAND

YEARS AGO, BANDS OF NATIVE

AMERICANS FIRST ARRIVED IN

THE PANTANAL.

THEY FOUND A PLENTIFUL

HUNTING GROUND.

TODAY, FEW NATIVE

COMMUNITIES REMAIN, MOST

WIPED OUT BY THE DISEASES

AND WEAPONS OF EUROPEAN

CONQUISTADORS.

BUT THE FRINGES OF THE

PANTANAL ARE THE LAST

STRONGHOLD OF THE BORORO.

ONLY AROUND A THOUSAND ARE

LEFT.

THE BORORO MAY HAVE

EMBRACED MODERN CLOTHING,

- BUT THEY STILL HOLD ON TO - THEIR MOST IMPORTANT

TRADITIONS.

THIS ELDER OF THE VILLAGE

LEADS THE FISHING TEAM.

IT'S A TWO-DAY PROCESS AND

STARTS WITH HARVESTING

PALM FRONDS.

GETTING THE RIGHT LENGTH

AND STRENGTH IS CRUCIAL.

THE BORORO METHOD IS A

FINELY-TUNED TECHNIQUE.

- ONCE THEY'VE GATHERED THE - RAW MATERIALS, THE MEN

TAKE IT IN TURNS TO WEAVE

A GIANT SIEVE.

NEXT, THEY BUILD THE DAM.

THE VILLAGERS HAVE CHOSEN

THE LOCATION CAREFULLY.

- THIS TRIBUTARY HASN'T BEEN - FISHED IN MORE THAN A

YEAR.

THE ELDERS ARE INTENT ON

GETTING EVERY DETAIL JUST

RIGHT.

SONS AND GRANDSONS LOOK

ON, SOAKING UP THE

TRADITIONS OF THEIR

FOREFATHERS.

SKILLS LIKE THESE ARE WHAT

MAKE THEM A BORORO.

BUILDING THE DAM TAKES ALL

DAY.

THEY WON'T FINISH IT UNTIL

THE MORNING.

WHEN WE RETURN, DAY TWO OF

THE FISHING TRIP BEGINS

WITH A SPLASH, AND THE

GROUP GETS SOME UNEXPECTED

GUESTS.

[BREAK]

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

- DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO - THE PANTANAL, WHERE WE'RE

JUST EMBARKING ON DAY TWO

OF THE BORORO FISHING

TRIP.

- WHILE THE OLDER MEN PUT - THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO

THE DAM, THE YOUNGSTERS

GATHER UPSTREAM.

- THEY'VE COLLECTED VINES, - WHICH THE BORORO CALL

TIMBO.

THE NAME MEANS POISON.

MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN

MUST EXTRACT ITS ACTIVE

INGREDIENT AND FLUSH IT

DOWNSTREAM, SO THEY POUND

THE VINES TO A PULP.

THE POISON, KNOWN BY

SCIENTISTS AS ROTENONE,

PREVENTS THE FISH FROM

TAKING UP OXYGEN.

THEY BECOME DIZZY, AND THE

YOUNG BORORO ARE POISED TO

POUNCE.

THE CONFUSED FISH GO WITH

THE FLOW AND ARE USHERED

ON THEIR WAY DOWNSTREAM.

THE FRONT OF POISON WATER

MOVES INEXORABLY TOWARDS

THE DAM.

- THE VILLAGE ELDERS WAIT - PATIENTLY FOR THE

HARD-EARNED CATCH TO

ARRIVE.

IT TAKES FIVE HOURS FOR

THE FIRST WEAKENED FISH TO

BE SUCKED INTO THE TRAP.

- THE VILLAGE CHIEF IS SET - TO SWEEP IN ANY

STRUGGLERS.

WITHIN MINUTES MORE,

BIGGER FISH ARRIVE.

- SOON, MORE HANDS ARE - NEEDED TO PIN DOWN THE

SLIPPERY CATCH.

- WITHIN AN HOUR, MORE THAN - A HUNDRED FISH HAVE BEEN

CAUGHT.

- THE POISON IS HARMLESS TO - HUMANS AND WILL SOON BREAK

DOWN IN THE RIVER.

THE BORORO WILL BE

FEASTING TONIGHT, AND

THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES.

A HUNGRY JAGUAR CAN

OPERATE IN ALMOST TOTAL

DARKNESS.

ITS SAUCER-LIKE EYES USE

JUST A SIXTH OF THE LIGHT

REQUIRED BY HUMANS.

COWS, TOO, HAVE GREAT

NIGHT VISION, INHERITED

FROM WILD ANCESTORS.

BUT THEY HAVE NEITHER THE

SPEED NOR THE AGILITY TO

- ESCAPE SOUTH AMERICA'S TOP - PREDATOR.

- THE TRADITIONS THAT ARE - STILL ALIVE IN THE

PANTANAL ARE CENTRAL TO

THE SURVIVAL OF THE LOCAL

VILLAGES.

- AND WITH THE WATER FEEDING - THE LIFE HERE, THESE

TRADITIONS WILL CONTINUE

TO BE ALIVE FOR YEARS TO

COME.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US

ON OUR ADVENTURE TO THE

PANTANAL, WHERE THE WET

LANDSCAPE AND WARM CLIMATE

CREATES A HUB FOR AN

INCREDIBLE NUMBER OF

DIVERSE FISH AND MAMMALS.

WE HOPE YOU JOIN US AGAIN

FOR OUR NEXT "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]