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 THERE.

- I'M DYLAN DREYER, AND THIS IS - "EARTH ODYSSEY".

TODAY ON "EARTH ODYSSEY", WE

TRAVEL TO THE INTENSE WILDERNESS

OF RUSSIA TO DISCOVER SOME OF

ITS MOST DANGEROUS PREDATORS AND

ITS MOST EVASIVE PREY, LIKE THIS

SEAL THAT NEEDS TO FAREWELL WHEN

SWIMMING IN THIS POLAR BEAR'S

SWELL.

- THEN, THESE BIRDS NEED TO THINK - OUTSIDE THE BOX WHEN

- FACE-TO-FACE WITH THIS ARCTIC - FOX.

PLUS, THIS DARING IBEX HERD

TAKES ITS CHANCES AGAINST THIS

HUGE GOLDEN EAGLE.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: RUSSIA IS EARTH'S - LARGEST COUNTRY, AND IT COUNTS

FOR ONE-NINTH OF THE PLANET'S

TERRESTRIAL AREA, AND RUSSIA'S

MAGNITUDE DOESN'T END ON LAND.

EVEN THEIR SEA-LOVING MAMMALS

ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST IN THE

WORLD, LIKE THE POLAR BEAR.

DESPITE ITS SIZE, IT GETS AROUND

RUSSIA'S GLACIERS WHILE BARELY

BEING NOTICED.

STRETCHING MORE THAN 6,000 MILES

FROM EAST TO WEST...

...THIS IS THE BIGGEST COUNTRY

ON OUR PLANET.

BUT IT'S ALSO A LAND OF

MYSTERY...

...WITH SOME OF THE MOST EXTREME

HABITATS ANYWHERE ON EARTH.

- IN THIS REMOTE AND ISOLATED - WILDERNESS, SOME OF NATURE'S

MOST INCREDIBLE ANIMALS HAVE

ADAPTED IN AMAZING WAYS.

[BISON COLLIDING]

BUT THIS WILD REFUGE IS A

FRAGILE PARADISE.

HERE, SOME OF THE PLANET'S

RAREST AND MOST ICONIC CREATURES

MUST BATTLE FOR TERRITORY AND

FOR THEIR VERY SURVIVAL.

WELCOME TO THE WILD EDEN OF

RUSSIA.

SUNRISE IN A WILDERNESS OF

ALMOST UNIMAGINABLE PROPORTIONS.

THIS COUNTRY IS SO VAST, DAWN

MAY BE BREAKING HERE ON RUSSIA'S

EASTERN COAST, BUT THE SUN WON'T

RISE ON ITS WESTERN FRONTIER FOR

ANOTHER 11 HOURS.

COVERING MORE THAN SIX MILLION

SQUARE MILES BETWEEN EASTERN

EUROPE AND THE PACIFIC, RUSSIA'S

BIODIVERSITY IS AMAZINGLY

VARIED, HARBORING MANY

IMPORTANT, YET VULNERABLE

HABITATS.

TOWERING MOUNTAINS, VAST

DESERTS, AND ALMOST A QUARTER OF

ALL TREES ON OUR PLANET,

THIS IS NATURE ON A TRULY EPIC

SCALE.

BUT PERHAPS RUSSIA'S MOST

THREATENED REGION IS FOUND ON

ITS NORTHERLY COAST.

FOR MOST OF THE YEAR, RUSSIA'S

ENTIRE ARCTIC COAST IS LOCKED IN

SEA ICE.

BUT CLIMATE CHANGE MEANS THE

POLAR ICE CAPS' SUMMER VOLUME

HAS DECREASED BY TWO-THIRDS

SINCE THE 1980'S, AND AT THIS

TIME OF YEAR, THESE MELTING ICE

FLOWS NOW RETREAT HUNDREDS OF

MILES FROM LAND.

BUT THIS CHANGING MARINE HABITAT

IS ACTUALLY HOME TO THE PLANET'S

BIGGEST LAND-LIVING CARNIVORE,

MAROONED HERE AMONG THE

DWINDLING ICE AND NOW FIGHTING

FOR SURVIVAL.

A FEMALE POLAR BEAR HUNTING FOR

SEALS,

- BUT GETTING CLOSE ENOUGH TO - CATCH ONE AT THIS TIME OF

YEAR WILL BE EXTREMELY TOUGH.

- SWIMMING BETWEEN THE FRACTURED - SUMMER SEA ICE IS MUCH MORE

- STRENUOUS THAN WHEN THE SEAS ARE - FROZEN.

IT ALSO MAKES IT EASIER FOR HER

PREY TO ESCAPE.

BUT JUST FINDING A SEAL AMONG

THOUSANDS OF ICE FLOWS IS THE

BIGGEST CHALLENGE, SO THE BEAR

HAS DEVELOPED AN INGENIOUS

HUNTING STRATEGY TO HELP SNIFF

OUT HER PREY.

- SHE IS TRAVELING NORTH INTO THE - WIND.

THEN BY MOVING LEFT AND RIGHT IN

LONG ZIGZAGS, SHE CONSTANTLY

SNIFFS THE AIR.

THIS ALLOWS HER NOSE TO SCOUR A

MUCH LARGER AREA THAN MOVING IN

A STRAIGHT LINE.

AND THE BEAR APPEARS TO HAVE

PICKED UP A SCENT...

...A BEARDED SEAL RESTING ON AN

ICE FLOW 1.2 MILES AHEAD.

THE HUNT IS NOW ON.

MOVING SILENTLY THROUGH THE

WATER, THE BEAR BEGINS TO CLOSE

IN ON THE SEAL.

SHE'S MOVING IN THE RIGHT

DIRECTION, BUT SHE'S STILL MORE

THAN A MILE FROM THE SEAL, AND

SHE'S YET TO SEE IT, SO THE BEAR

MUST REPEATEDLY CLIMB OUT ONTO

THE ICE USING ONLY HER NOSE TO

REMAIN LOCKED IN ON HER TARGET.

- THIS BEAR MAY BE THE WORLD'S - BIGGEST LAND CARNIVORE, BUT SHE

CAN ENTER THE WATER WITHOUT

MAKING EVEN THE SLIGHTEST RIPPLE

AS SHE GRADUALLY CLOSES IN.

- WHEN BASKING IN THE ARCTIC - SUNSHINE, SEALS MAINTAIN THEIR

GUARD AT ALL TIMES.

- BUT THE BEAR'S STEALTH AND - CAMOUFLAGE MAKE HER ALMOST

INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM A PIECE

OF SEA ICE.

EVEN WITH THE BEAR NOW JUST

YARDS AWAY, THIS SEAL HAS NO

- IDEA OF WHAT'S ABOUT TO TAKE - PLACE.

- SLIPPING BENEATH THE SURFACE, - THE BEAR JUST NEEDS TO SELECT

THE PERFECT MOMENT TO STRIKE.

SHE LAUNCHES HER ATTACK.

- THE SEAL REACTS QUICKLY IN A - DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO EVADE THE

BEAR.

- BUT LIKE MOST HUNTS AT THIS TIME - OF YEAR, THE FRACTURED SUMMER

SEA ICE MEANS THE LONG HUNT HAS

BEEN A WASTE OF VALUABLE ENERGY.

FOR RUSSIA'S POLAR BEARS, WINTER

CANNOT COME SOON ENOUGH.

- COMING UP ON "EARTH ODYSSEY", - THERE'S A VERY GOOD REASON THAT

THE LOCKS ON THE ARCTIC FOX

CHANGE COLOR FROM SEASON TO

SEASON.

AND THEN, THIS MAGNIFICENT GRAY

OWL IS ON THE PROWL FOR ITS NEXT

MEAL.

PLUS, I'LL BET THAT ANY ANIMAL

WOULD WANT TO STAY AWAY FROM A

HUNGRY IBEX.

[BREAK]

- NARRATOR: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO - THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO RUSSIA,

WHERE SOME OF THE MOST FEARED

PREDATORS CALL HOME.

SO, FOR ANIMALS LIKE THE ARCTIC

FOX, THEY MUST ADAPT TO SURVIVE.

USUALLY BRIGHT WHITE, THIS

ARCTIC FOX'S FUR CHANGES WITH

THE SEASONS.

HE WAS ONLY BORN IN SPRING, BUT

HE HAS ALREADY BEEN KICKED OUT

OF THE DEN AND MUST NOW HUNT FOR

HIMSELF.

HIGH UP ON THESE CLIFFS, A HUGE

COLONY OF GUILLEMOTS ARE

NESTING.

AND TO A HUNGRY FOX, THE

CHALLENGE IS IRRESISTIBLE.

BUT THE ADULT GUILLEMOTS ARE

WILLING TO DEFEND THEIR NEST.

- NOT GIVING UP, THE WILY FOX - TRIES TO CLIMB AROUND TO THE

NEST FROM THE OTHER SIDE, BUT

ONCE AGAIN, THE BIRDS' DEFENSIVE

SQUAWKS AND POWERFUL BEAKS PUSH

HIM BACK.

FURTHER UP THE CLIFF, HOWEVER,

THE FOX FINDS AN ABANDONED NEST.

- IN SUMMER, THERE IS ALWAYS - SOMETHING FOR THE FOXES TO

SCAVENGE HERE ON THE ARCTIC

COAST.

BUT ANOTHER OF RUSSIA'S HABITATS

PROVIDES A SUMMER FEAST ON AN

ENTIRELY DIFFERENT SCALE...

...KAMCHATKA'S LAKE KURILE, AN

IMMENSE ISOLATED WILDERNESS THAT

HAS 29 ACTIVE VOLCANOES...

...AND THE HIGHEST DENSITY OF

BROWN BEARS ANYWHERE ON THE

PLANET.

- THIS IS SUMMER, AND HUNDREDS OF - BEARS HAVE GATHERED NEAR THE

SHORELINE TO RAISE THEIR CUBS.

THIS FEMALE'S THREE CUBS WERE

BORN IN THE DEN LAST WINTER

WEIGHING UNDER A POUND, BUT

THANKS TO HER MILK, THEY ARE

GROWING RAPIDLY.

- SO, TODAY, SHE ONLY ALLOWS THE - HUNGRY CUBS A LITTLE BIT OF

MILK.

- IF THEY ARE TO GROW STRONG - ENOUGH TO SURVIVE THEIR FIRST

WINTER, SHE MUST START TO WEAN

THEM ONTO THE SALMON THAT WILL

SOON BE ARRIVING HERE IN THE

MILLIONS FOR THEIR ANNUAL

SPAWNING.

- THESE WATERS WILL SOON BE - CHOKING WITH MILLIONS OF SOCKEYE

SALMON ON A MISSION TO DEPOSIT

THEIR EGGS UPSTREAM IN THE

LAKE'S TRIBUTARIES.

- THE ARRIVAL OF THE SALMON MARKS - THE BEGINNING OF ONE OF NATURE'S

GREATEST FEASTS.

- THE MOTHER CATCHES A FISH FOR - EACH OF HER CUBS.

BUT WHILE HUNGRY BEARS CAN

CONSUME 40 WHOLE SALMON A DAY,

IT'S FEARED OVERFISHING AND

WARMING SEA TEMPERATURES COULD

POSE A MUCH GREATER THREAT TO

SALMON NUMBERS.

IT'S THE BOUNTY OF SALMON THAT

ATTRACTS SO MANY BEARS HERE,

- ALLOWING THEM TO RAISE THEIR - CUBS ON THE BEAUTIFUL BANKS OF

LAKE KURILE.

COMING UP, THESE ANIMALS IN

RUSSIA'S WILDERNESS NEED TO

ALWAYS KEEP THEIR EYES ON THE

SKIES FOR POTENTIAL PREDATORS.

PLUS, YOU WILL BE PERPLEXED BY

THE SKILLS OF THIS UNBELIEVABLE

IBEX.

[BREAK]

- NARRATOR: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO - THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: OF THE 6.6 MILLION

SQUARE MILES THAT BELONGS TO

RUSSIA, THREE-FOURTHS OF IT IS

TAKEN UP BY SIBERIA.

- THIS HARSH TUNDRA IS FILLED WITH - SOME OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST

FORESTS, DEEPEST LAKES, AND MOST

DANGEROUS PREDATORS, PREDATORS

THAT DON'T ONLY RULE THE VAST

LAND OF SIBERIA, BUT ALSO ITS

SKIES.

- ENCOMPASSING MORE THAN - THREE-QUARTERS OF ITS TOTAL

LANDMASS, SIBERIA IS A BRUTAL,

BUT FRAGILE WILDERNESS.

THE MAJORITY OF ITS FIVE MILLION

SQUARE MILES ARE COVERED IN SOME

- OF THE PLANET'S MOST IMPORTANT - FORESTS.

CO2 EMISSIONS ARE THE MAIN CAUSE

OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, AND

SIBERIA HOLDS MOST OF RUSSIA'S

640 BILLION TREES THAT REMOVE

HALF-A-BILLION TONS OF CO2 FROM

THE ATMOSPHERE AND HARBOR SOME

OF RUSSIA'S DEADLIEST AND MOST

ELUSIVE PREDATORS...

...INCLUDING THE LARGEST SPECIES

OF OWL IN THE WORLD.

FOUND IN FORESTS RIGHT ACROSS

THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, GREAT

GRAY OWLS HAVE EVEN ADAPTED TO

THE PUNISHING WINTERS OF

SIBERIA.

THIS FEMALE NESTS IN THE DENSE

SIBERIAN FOREST, BUT WHEN SHE

NEEDS TO HUNT, SHE MOVES INTO

POSITION ON THE EDGE OF THE TREE

LINE.

THE OWL'S SUPER-POWERED HEARING

CAN DETECT PREY UNDER TWO FEET

OF SNOW, BUT IN SUMMER, SHE ALSO

USES HER POWERFUL BINOCULAR

VISION TO SCAN THE MEADOW FOR

ANY SIGNS OF LIFE.

A LEMMING VENTURING OUT OF ITS

BURROW.

HE'S SEARCHING FOR FRESH GRASS.

- INITIALLY, THE CAUTIOUS LEMMING - STAYS CLOSE TO THE COVER OF ITS

BURROW, BUT GROWING IN

CONFIDENCE, GRADUALLY, HE

VENTURES FARTHER FROM SAFETY.

MORE THAN 150 FEET AWAY, THE OWL

WAITS FOR THE PERFECT MOMENT.

EVENTUALLY, THE LEMMING WANDERS

TOO FAR, AND THE OWL MAKES HER

MOVE.

- AFTER CRUSHING THE LEMMING IN - HER TALONS, SHE SIMPLY SWALLOWS

IT WHOLE.

ALTHOUGH SIBERIA IS NOTORIOUS

FOR THESE SEEMINGLY ENDLESS

FORESTS, ITS SOUTHERNMOST EDGE

IS HOME TO A SURPRISINGLY BARREN

AND DRY TERRAIN.

- FORMING RUSSIA'S BORDER WITH - THREE OTHER COUNTRIES, THESE ARE

THE ALTAI, THE GOLDEN MOUNTAINS.

MOST OF THIS RANGE IS A

DESICCATED ALPINE TUNDRA, A

COLD, YET PARCHED LANDSCAPE

STRETCHING ALL THE WAY TO THE

GOBI DESERT.

- BUT EVEN IN THIS HOSTILE - TERRAIN, SOME ANIMALS HAVE FOUND

WAYS TO SURVIVE THE ALTAI'S MOST

PUNISHING CONDITIONS.

COMING UP, THE RESILIENCE OF

THIS GROUP OF IBEX ARE ALMOST

UNHEARD OF, AND YOU WON'T WANT

TO MISS THEIR GREAT ESCAPE.

[BREAK]

- NARRATOR: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO - THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO RUSSIA,

WHERE WE'RE IN THE SIBERIAN

DESERT, BUT WE'RE ALSO ON HIGH

ALERT, A HERD OF IBEX.

GRAZING THE STEEP GORGES ON THE

BORDER OF RUSSIA AND MONGOLIA,

THE HERD IS LED BY THE DOMINANT

MALE.

IN EXCHANGE FOR BREEDING RIGHTS,

HE OFFERS PROTECTION TO THE REST

OF THE HERD, AND UP HERE, THEY

FACE DANGER FROM EVERY

DIRECTION.

TO AVOID THE ALTAI'S WOLVES AND

SNOW LEOPARDS, THE IBEX MUST

MAKE THEIR HOME ON THESE NEAR

VERTICAL CLIFFS.

- BUT EVEN UP HERE, THEY CAN - BECOME A TARGET FOR THE HUGE

GOLDEN EAGLES THAT PATROL THE

ALTAI'S VALLEYS IN SEARCH OF

YOUNG IBEX.

- DESPITE THESE CONSTANT DANGERS, - THE IBEX EEK OUT AN EXISTENCE

GRAZING THE SMALL SHRUBS AND

GRASSES THAT GROW ON THE BARREN

MOUNTAINSIDE.

BUT THIS DRY GRASS PROVIDES

LITTLE IN THE WAY OF HYDRATION,

SO THEY MUST RISK DESCENDING TO

THE VALLEY FLOOR IN SEARCH OF

WATER.

AT THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY, THE

MALE SCOURS THE VALLEY TO DECIDE

IF IT'S SAFE.

THEN, UNDER HIS COMMAND, THE

WHOLE HERD MUST MAKE THE TRICKY

DESCENT.

ON THE MOUNTAIN LEDGES, THESE

AGILE IBEX HAVE THE UPPER HAND

AGAINST PREDATORS, BUT THE LOWER

THEY GET TO THE VALLEY FLOOR,

THE LESS CHANCE THEY WILL HAVE

TO ESCAPE ANY ATTACK.

- WHEN THEY REACH THE VALLEY - FLOOR, THE ENTIRE HERD IS

NERVOUS, BUT THE URGE TO DRINK

PUSHES THEM ON.

- THE MALE CONTINUES TO WATCH FOR - PREDATORS AS THE REST OF THE

HERD SLOWLY EDGES ITS WAY TOWARD

THE WATERING HOLE.

- OUT OF SIGHT, AN EAGLE HAS - RETURNED, HOPING TO CATCH ANY

CARELESS YOUNG IBEX THAT WANDERS

TOO FAR FROM THE GROUP.

- NERVOUSLY, THE MOTHERS AND THEIR - YOUNG TAKE TURNS, THIRSTILY

GUZZLING AS MUCH WATER AS

POSSIBLE.

- THE MALE SPOTS THE CIRCLING - EAGLE, AND IT'S TIME TO RETREAT

TO THE SAFETY OF THE MOUNTAINS.

RUSSIA IS A LAND OF THE

INCREDIBLE, FROM THE INCREDIBLY

BIG TO THE INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL.

IT'S DIVERSE LANDSCAPE CREATES

THE PERFECT ECOSYSTEMS FOR A

WIDE ARRAY OF ANIMALS, EACH MORE

SPECTACULAR THAN THE NEXT.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THIS

ADVENTURE TO RUSSIA, WHERE THE

LAND IS VAST, THE ANIMALS ARE

LARGE, AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT

YOU'LL DISCOVER UNDER THE ICE

CAPS OR ABOVE THE CLOUDS.

JOIN US NEXT TIME ON ANOTHER

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]