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".

ON TODAY'S EPISODE, WE HEAD TO

CAMBODIA TO EXPLORE THE WET

LOWLANDS AND CARVED OUT FEATURES

OF THIS FASCINATING ECOSYSTEM.

PLUS, WE'LL VENTURE INTO THE

FOREST TO FIND THE GIANT

NATIONAL BIRD OF CAMBODIA.

AND LATER, WE'LL SEARCH THROUGH

THE MUD TO FIND CAMBODIA'S MOST

FEARED AND MOST HUNTED

CREATURES.

ALL THIS AND MORE COMING UP ON

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

[ELEPHANT GRUMBLING]

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THERE ARE FEW ECOSYSTEMS - IN THE WORLD THAT CAN PROVIDE AS

MUCH CAMOUFLAGE FOR ITS WILDLIFE

AS CAMBODIA.

GIANT ASIAN ELEPHANTS MIGHT

STICK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB, BUT

ANIMALS LIKE LEOPARDS AND

CROCODILES HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT,

AND THERE'S ANOTHER ANIMAL THAT

WAS CLOSE TO DISAPPEARING

ENTIRELY, BUT THANKS TO

CONSERVATION EFFORTS, IT'S NOW

THRIVING FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.

CAMBODIA IS A COUNTRY CARVED BY

WATER, A WILD LAND OF MONSOON

RAINS, RAGING RIVERS, AND

FLOODING LAKES.

- LIFE-GIVING WATER PROVIDES - OPPORTUNITIES AND GREAT

- CHALLENGES FOR THE DIVERSE ARRAY - OF WILDLIFE.

HOME TO FOREST GIANTS,

SPECIALIST PREDATORS, AND

MONSTERS OF THE DEEP.

IT IS A LAND WHERE LOST

CIVILIZATIONS HAVE BEEN

REDISCOVERED, AND ANIMALS FACE A

DAILY BATTLE TO SURVIVE.

CHANGING SEASONS BRING THEIR OWN

CHALLENGES AND A TIDAL WAVE OF

LIFE.

THIS IS CAMBODIA, THE WATER

KINGDOM.

WILDLIFE IS DRAWN TO

EVER-SHRINKING WATERING HOLES.

FEEDING GROUNDS BUSTLE, BUT

THESE CAN BE DANGEROUS PLACES.

GIANT IBIS ARE THE NATIONAL BIRD

OF CAMBODIA AND WERE BELIEVED TO

BE ALMOST EXTINCT UNTIL 2003.

WITH ONLY A FEW BIRDS OBSERVED

IN NEIGHBORING LAOS AND VIETNAM,

CAMBODIA IS HOME TO 90 PERCENT

OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION.

THEY NORMALLY REMAIN IN PAIRS OR

FAMILY GROUPS, BUT THE DRY

SEASON IS TOUGH, AND THEY FLOCK

TOGETHER IN LARGE NUMBERS TO

FEED IN THE SHRINKING WETLANDS.

- THESE FRAGMENTS ACT AS A MAGNET - FOR MANY ANIMALS AND THEIR

PREDATORS.

[BOAR GRUNTING]

- DYLAN: SEVERAL PAIRS OF EYES - ARE BETTER THAN ONE WHEN YOUR

HUNTER COULD BE WATCHING.

BUT VENTURING INTO THE OPEN

LEAVES THEM EXPOSED.

IT PAYS TO KEEP ALERT.

THE CLOUDED LEOPARD HAS A TASTE

FOR WILD PIGS.

BUT EVEN FOR PREDATORS, THESE

ARE UNCERTAIN TIMES.

COMING UP, WE SWING THROUGH THE

TREES WITH SOME OF CAMBODIA'S

BEST ATHLETES.

PLUS, WE HIT THE WATER TO SWIM

WITH CAMBODIA'S RESIDENT

REPTILES.

[BREAK]

.

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

- DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO - CAMBODIA, WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE

TO LOOK FAR TO FIND THE MORE

ATHLETIC ANIMALS.

[BIRD SQUAWKING]

DYLAN: INDOCHINESE SILVERED

LANGURS, THE ACROBATS OF THESE

LOWLAND FORESTS.

LONG MUSCULAR LEGS AND GRIPPING

FEET MAKE THEM EXCEPTIONAL

CLIMBERS.

- AGILITY IS KEY TO SURVIVAL, AND - THEY ARE PERFECTLY DESIGNED FOR

THEIR WORLD.

- THEIR THUMBS HAVE EVOLVED AND - REDUCED IN SIZE, ALLOWING THEM

- TO QUICKLY MOVE THROUGH THE - TREES.

DANGER IS NEVER FAR AWAY.

THEY MUST KEEP MOVING.

- LONG, THIN TAILS PROVIDE PERFECT - BALANCE ON THE THINNEST OF

BRANCHES.

- EVEN FROM A YOUNG AGE, THEY'VE - HAD TO LEARN FAST.

THEY'RE ALSO KNOWN AS LEAF

MONKEYS BECAUSE OF THEIR ALMOST

EXCLUSIVELY LEAFY DIET; HOWEVER,

SOME LEAVES THEY EAT CONTAIN

TOXINS.

- BUT THESE LANGURS HAVE A CLEVER - WAY OF DEALING WITH THIS

PROBLEM.

A LARGE SPECIALIZED STOMACH

CONTAINING SYMBIOTIC BACTERIA

ALLOWS THEM TO CLEAN OTHERWISE

POISONOUS LEAVES.

BECAUSE OF THEIR LEAFY DIET,

THEY FEED IN THE CANOPY, BUT

LURKING HERE ARE DANGEROUS

ADVERSARIES.

SLEEPING CAN BE A RISKY AFFAIR,

SO THIS MALE KEEPS WATCH.

IT'S A CLOUDED LEOPARD.

HE, TOO, IS AN EXPERT CLIMBER.

A LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY AND A

LONG TAIL PROVIDES EXCELLENT

BALANCING AIDS.

THE SANCTUARY OF THE TREES ISN'T

SO SAFE.

[MONKEYS GRUNTING]

- DYLAN: BUT VIGILANCE PAYS OFF, - AND HIS COVER IS BROKEN.

- THE TROOP HAS AVOIDED TROUBLE - FOR NOW.

[ELEPHANT GRUMBLING]

DYLAN: AFTER A DAY OF

SEARCHING, THESE ELEPHANTS

- FINALLY REACH THE BOUNTY OF THIS - UPLAND FOREST.

THIS HAVEN IS FULL OF BAMBOO AND

FED BY A NOW FAST-FLOWING RIVER

MAKING ITS WAY TO THE LOWLANDS.

- THE PLENTIFUL SUPPLY OF WATER - PRODUCES SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE

TREATS.

- THESE HIGHLY SOCIABLE AND - EMOTIONAL CREATURES USE THEIR

TRUNKS TO TOUCH EACH OTHER,

REINFORCING BONDS AND

ESTABLISHING NEW RELATIONSHIPS.

AFTER FEEDING, ELEPHANTS LOVE

NOTHING MORE THAN SCRATCHING

THOSE TRICKY SPOTS AND TAKING A

REFRESHING DIP.

AS THEY WASH AND PLAY, THEY

SOUND THEIR EXCITEMENT.

[ELEPHANT TRUMPETING]

- DYLAN: AND WE TAKE OUR - EXCITEMENT TO THE NEXT STOP ON

OUR ODYSSEY.

- WHEN "EARTH ODYSSEY" RETURNS, - WE'LL LEAVE THE TARANTULA

HUNTING TO THE PROS.

PLUS, CROCODILES IN CAMBODIA

AREN'T THE ONLY ONES TO COME OUT

OF THEIR SHELL DURING

DINNERTIME.

[BREAK]

.

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

DYLAN: IN ANCIENT CAMBODIA WHEN

FOOD WAS SCARCE, PEOPLE HAD TO

EAT WHATEVER THEY COULD FIND.

- NOT ONLY DID THEY HAVE TO FIGURE - OUT WHAT TO HUNT, THEY HAD TO

FIGURE OUT HOW TO HUNT.

- SOME OF THESE METHODS ARE STILL - PRACTICED TODAY, TECHNIQUES THAT

MAY NOT LOOK TASTY, BUT I

PROMISE THEY'VE GOT LEGS.

WELCOME BACK TO CAMBODIA, WHERE

BY LATE SEPTEMBER, THE WET

SEASON IS REACHING ITS HEIGHT.

THE DAILY SURGE OF RAIN IS

RELENTLESS.

STORMS SPREAD OVER THIS LAND

LIKE WILDFIRE.

A BREAK IN THE RAINS GIVES THESE

CAMBODIANS AN OPPORTUNITY.

- CAMBODIANS HAVE HAD TO BE - RESOURCEFUL TO SURVIVE, AND

WITHOUT ENOUGH SUSTENANCE FROM

RICE RATIONS, PEOPLE TURN TO

EATING THE WILDLIFE.

- SOME SAY THIS IS WHEN THEY - STARTED HUNTING TARANTULAS AND

WHEN HUNTER BECAME HUNTED.

- TODAY, THIS IS STILL CARRIED OUT - BY CHILDREN IN RURAL

COMMUNITIES, BUT DEALING WITH AN

APEX PREDATOR OF THE UNDERGROWTH

DOESN'T COME WITHOUT RISK.

SENSING SEISMIC VIBRATIONS ON

THE GROUND, SHE RETREATS DEEP

INTO HER BURROW.

DIGGING OUT THE EARTH, THE BOY

MUST BE CAREFUL.

SHE IS MORE LIKELY TO TRY AND

BITE IF PROVOKED.

- BUT ONE ISN'T ENOUGH TO FEED A - FAMILY.

THEY MUST COLLECT MORE.

CLOTHED IN SENSORY HAIRS, THE

NEXT VICTIM CAN FEEL THE

SLIGHTEST VIBRATIONS ON THE

GROUND AND IN THE AIR.

SHE COMES OUT IN FULL ATTACK

MODE, AND THE THAI ZEBRA-STRIPED

TARANTULA PACKS A MUCH BIGGER

BITE THAN OTHERS.

REARING UP, BRINGING DOWN THE

VENOMOUS FANGS, SHE COULD EASILY

PIERCE THE CHILD'S HAND.

- TO THIS DAY, FAMILIES STILL RELY - ON THE WILD FOODS THEY CAN

FORAGE.

- TARANTULAS ARE A SOURCE OF - PROTEIN THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL

ENJOY.

AFTER SOME SLOW COOKING,

EVERYONE TUCKS IN, NO MATTER

THEIR AGE, BUT THESE PEOPLE

AREN'T THE ONLY ONES HUNGRY

TODAY.

COMING UP, MONSOONS FEED

CAMBODIA'S LOWLANDS.

[LIGHTNING CRASHING]

- DYLAN: BUT WHAT FEEDS THE - LOWLAND'S LOCALS?

[BREAK]

.

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

- DYLAN: WE'RE BACK IN CAMBODIA, - WHERE MONSOONS HAVE A HUGE

EFFECT ON MANY HABITATS, BUT

NONE MORE NOTICEABLE THAN THE

CENTRAL LOWLAND AREAS.

WATERWAYS FROM THE FORESTED

UPLANDS JOURNEY TOWARDS THE

LONGEST RIVER IN SOUTHEAST ASIA,

THE MIGHTY MEKONG.

- ORIGINATING AT THE TIBETAN - PLATEAU, IT ENTERS CAMBODIA ON

THE NORTHERN BORDER WITH LAOS.

- TRAVELING WELL OVER TWO THOUSAND - MILES, IT DISCHARGES ENOUGH

WATER TO ANNUALLY FILL 190

MILLION OLYMPIC-SIZED SWIMMING

POOLS, BRINGING WITH IT A TIDAL

WAVE OF LIFE AND SUPPLYING THE

WORLD'S LARGEST INLAND FISHERY.

- THANKS TO THE MONSOON, THE - MEKONG RIVER IS AT FULL FLOOD

- AND HAS INCREASED IN SIZE OVER - 16 TIMES.

- THIS ANNUAL CHANGE MEANS THE - MEKONG HAS DEVELOPED KEY

- ECOSYSTEMS, LIKE THE FLOODED - FOREST.

- THOUGHT TO BE CRITICALLY - IMPORTANT FOR THEIR RICH

DIVERSITY OF FISH, THEY ALSO

HARBOR PREDATORS.

- THE MURKY WATERS ARE THICK WITH - SEDIMENT IDEAL FOR CONCEALING

ONE OF THE MEKONG RIVER'S

MONSTERS.

THE LARGE FLATTENED SHELL OF THE

CANTOR'S SOFTSHELL TURTLE IS

DIFFERENT FROM MOST.

HER RIBS ARE FUSED TOGETHER,

COVERED BY RUBBERY SKIN.

ABLE TO GROW TO TWO METERS IN

LENGTH, HE IS THE LARGEST OF ALL

SOFTSHELL TURTLES.

THE DIVERSITY OF FISH FOUND HERE

IS PERFECT FOR THIS PREDATOR,

AND WITH A BITE THAT CAN CRUSH

BONE...

...AN UNSUSPECTING FISH STANDS

LITTLE CHANCE.

- DESPITE BEING ONE OF THE FASTEST - STRIKING ANIMALS ON THE PLANET,

THE FISH ARE FASTER.

CAMOUFLAGE AND CONCEALMENT ARE

KEY FOR THIS AMBUSH PREDATOR.

USING SAND AND MUD FROM THE

MEKONG, HE COVERS HIS SHELL AND

HEAD TO HIDE HIS PRESENCE.

SPENDING UP TO 95 PERCENT OF

THEIR LIFE BURIED AND ONLY

NEEDING TO SURFACE TWICE A DAY

TO BREATHE INCREASES HIS CHANCE

OF SURPRISE.

IT'S A WAITING GAME.

THE PUPILS OF HIS EYES MIMIC

GRAINS OF SAND, AS DO HIS NOSE

AND MOUTH.

SURVIVAL IS DOWN TO APPEARANCE

AND JUDGING THE PERFECT MOMENT

TO STRIKE.

THIS IS A BALANCE GOVERNED BY

ONE OF CAMBODIA'S RAREST AND

MOST REVERED PREDATORS, THE

SIAMESE CROCODILE.

WITH ONLY AROUND 250 REMAINING

IN THE WILD, THIS IS A SPECIES

ON THE BRINK.

THIS PREHISTORIC CROCODILIAN HAS

MASTERED ITS HUNTING TECHNIQUE

OVER MILLENNIA.

HAVING WALKED WITH DINOSAURS,

THEY ARE SO WELL EVOLVED,

RELATIVELY LITTLE HAS CHANGED.

- MEASURING UP TO TEN FEET IN - LENGTH, THE SIAMESE CROCODILE

PERFORMS A VITAL ROLE FOR

CAMBODIA'S WILDLIFE, SCAVENGING

THE DEAD AND HUNTING THE WEAK.

FORTUNATELY FOR THE DEER, THE

SIAMESE CROCODILE HAS A PALATE

FOR SMALLER PREY.

THIS WILD LAND OF MONSOON RAINS,

RAGING RIVERS, AND FLOODING

LAKES PROVIDE SOME OF THE MOST

UNIQUE HABITATS ON EARTH.

LIFE-GIVING WATERS CARVE OUT

ENVIRONMENTS, PROVIDING

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME AND

CHALLENGES FOR OTHERS.

IT'S A LAND WHERE LOST

CIVILIZATIONS HAVE BEEN

REDISCOVERED AND WHERE ANIMALS

FACE A DAILY BATTLE TO SURVIVE.

GIANTS, SPECIALIST PREDATORS,

AND MONSTERS OF THE DEEP THRIVE

HERE.

A TIDAL WAVE OF LIFE FEEDS

CAMBODIA, THE WATER KINGDOM.

- DYLAN: THANK YOU FOR JOINING US - ON THIS INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

THROUGH CAMBODIA, WHERE ANIMALS

ARE ALWAYS ON HIGH ALERT AND

TRIBES STAY TRUE TO THEIR

ANCIENT TRADITIONS.

WE HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US ON OUR

NEXT "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]