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, EVERYBODY.

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

TODAY ON "EARTH ODYSSEY", WE

TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD TO FIND

THE CREATURES WHO LOVE TO LIVE

ON THE PLANET'S HIGHEST PEAKS,

LIKE IN THE WESTERN GHATS, WHERE

THE LION-TAILED MACAQUE LOVES

THE CANOPY SO MUCH, THAT YOU

WILL NEVER SEE THIS SPECIES

ANYWHERE ELSE ON EARTH.

AND THEN, WE HEAD TO THE ISLAND

OF MALAYSIA, WHERE ONE PRIMATE

LOVES LIFE ON THE TOP OF THE

RAINFOREST TREES.

AND LATER, WE HEAD TO JAPAN,

WHERE THESE ANIMALS HAVE A GREAT

ATTITUDE DESPITE THE CONDITIONS

IN THESE HARSH ALTITUDES.

PLUS, WE HEAD TO TURKEY, WHERE

ONE BROWN BEAR NEEDS TO WATCH

ITS STEP, BECAUSE THESE CLIFFS

ARE STEEP.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF - ANIMAL SPECIES THAT PREFER

LIVING ON DANGEROUSLY HIGH

PEAKS, BUT WE SHOULDN'T LOOK

- DOWN ON THEM FOR THAT - PREFERENCE.

THOSE TREACHEROUS HEIGHTS ARE

OFTEN A SAFE HAVEN FAR AWAY FROM

PREDATORS.

TODAY, WE'LL HANG WITH ANIMALS

WHO LOVE LIFE AT THE TOP, FROM

CLIFFS TO CANOPIES.

- CHECK OUT THESE DARING - TREE-DWELLERS WHO HAPPILY LIVE

HIGH UP IN THE FORESTS OF THE

WESTERN GHATS.

THE WESTERN GHATS MOUNTAINS

STRETCH ALMOST A THOUSAND MILES

FROM MUMBAI ALL THE WAY TO THE

SOUTHERN TIP OF INDIA, RUNNING

PARALLEL TO INDIA'S WEST COAST.

THIS MOUNTAIN RANGE COVERS SIX

PERCENT OF INDIA'S LAND MASS,

BUT PROVIDES A HOME TO MORE THAN

30 PERCENT OF ITS PLANT AND

ANIMAL SPECIES.

HERE, TROPICAL RAINFORESTS

THRIVE.

THIS JUNGLE CANOPY IS HOME TO

ONE OF INDIA'S MOST ELUSIVE

ANIMALS, THE LION-TAILED

MACAQUE, A RARE PRIMATE WHO ONLY

LIVES HERE IN THE RAINFOREST OF

THE WESTERN GHATS.

THEIR DARK BODIES AND GRAY MANES

MAKE THEM DIFFICULT TO SPOT

AMONG THE SHADOWS OF THE JUNGLE.

THEIR THICK FUR HELPS TO PROTECT

THEM FROM THE TORRENTIAL RAINS.

- THESE PRIMATES ARE JUNGLE - SPECIALISTS.

THEY SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME

EATING FRUIT, AND THERE'S ALWAYS

A MEAL WITHIN REACH IN THIS LUSH

FOREST.

- THESE JACKFRUIT MAY HAVE A ROUGH - OUTER LAYER, BUT THAT DOESN'T

BOTHER A HUNGRY MACAQUE.

- IT'S LARGE CANINE TEETH ARE - STRONG ENOUGH TO TEAR THROUGH

THE FRUIT'S TOUGH, SPINY SKIN.

THIS BABY IS THE NEWEST ADDITION

TO A MACAQUE FAMILY LED BY A

DOMINANT MALE.

- SHE WILL STAY WITH HER TROOP ALL - OF HER LIFE AND WILL EVENTUALLY

FIND HER PLACE IN THE SOCIAL

HIERARCHY AS SHE GETS OLDER.

HOWEVER, THIS YOUNG MALE WILL

ONE DAY BREAK AWAY FROM HIS

FAMILY AND JOIN A BACHELOR

GROUP.

HE'S ALREADY SHOWING SIGNS OF

INDEPENDENCE.

THE YOUNG MALE IS LEARNING HOW

TO INVESTIGATE HIS ENVIRONMENT

TO FIND THINGS TO EAT.

IN ADDITION TO FRUITS AND SEEDS,

INSECTS, BIRDS AND LIZARDS ARE

ALSO ON THE MACAQUE'S MENU.

THIS OLDER MALE HAS SECURED A

NICE MEAL.

HE QUICKLY GATHERS AS MUCH FOOD

AS POSSIBLE BEFORE A MORE

DOMINANT MEMBER OF THE TROOP

DECIDES TO SNATCH AWAY HIS

MIDDAY SNACK.

- THE MACAQUE'S CHEEK POUCHES CAN - HOLD AS MUCH FOOD AS HIS

STOMACH.

UP IN THE CANOPY OF THE TREES,

HE CAN RELAX AND FINISH HIS MEAL

IN PEACE.

FIGS ARE ANOTHER JUNGLE STAPLE

FOR THE MACAQUE, AND THEY ALSO

HELP FEED ANOTHER CREATURE IN

THE JUNGLE AS WELL.

THE MALABAR GIANT SQUIRREL USES

ITS LONG TAIL AS A COUNTERWEIGHT

TO HELP IT BALANCE WHILE IT

FEEDS.

MALABAR SQUIRRELS ARE ONE OF THE

LARGEST SQUIRRELS IN THE WORLD.

THEY CAN GROW TO BE OVER A

FOOT-AND-A-HALF LONG AND CAN

WEIGH UP TO SEVEN POUNDS, THREE

TIMES THE SIZE OF A NORTH

AMERICAN GRAY SQUIRREL.

LIKE THEIR FOREST NEIGHBORS THE

MACAQUES, GIANT SQUIRRELS ALSO

SPEND TIME GROOMING EACH OTHER.

- BUT LUCKY FOR THE GIANT - SQUIRRELS AND MACAQUES, THEY ARE

SAFE FROM ANY DANGER AT THESE

HIGH PEAKS OF THE RAINFOREST.

COMING UP, WE TRAVEL TO MALAYSIA

TO EXPLORE THE RAINFORESTS AND

- LOOK UP AT THE PRIMATES WHO HANG - UP AT THE CANOPY.

[MONKEY HOWLING]

AND LATER, JAPAN'S TOUGH

ENVIRONMENT IS NO MATCH FOR

THESE CREATIVE CREATURES.

PLUS, THE CLIFFS OF TURKEY ARE

CHALLENGING FOR MOST ANIMALS,

BUT ONE GIANT CARNIVORE CAN

"BEAR" THE DANGER.

[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.

- DYLAN: OF ALL THE WEIRD AND - WONDERFUL ANIMALS IN MALAYSIA'S

RAINFOREST, THERE'S ONE MORE

PERFECTLY SUITED THAN ANY OTHER

TO LIFE IN THE TREES.

ITS NAME MEANS "PERSON OF THE

FOREST", THE ORANGUTAN.

FOUND ONLY IN MALAYSIA AND

INDONESIA, THESE STRANGE APES

ARE SOME OF THE MOST ENDANGERED

ANIMALS IN THE WORLD.

[MONKEY GRUNTING]

SHARING MORE THAN 97 PERCENT OF

THEIR DNA WITH HUMANS,

ORANGUTANS ARE ONE OF OUR

CLOSEST COUSINS.

BUT THEY ARE UNUSUAL AMONG APES.

THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT LIVE

ALMOST ENTIRELY IN TREES.

[MONKEY HOWLING]

THEIR ARMS CAN SPAN

SIX-AND-A-HALF-FEET FROM

FINGERTIP TO FINGERTIP, IDEAL

FOR SWINGING BETWEEN BRANCHES.

OPPOSABLE THUMBS AND TOES

EFFECTIVELY GIVE THEM FOUR

GRIPPING HANDS.

- EIGHT TIMES STRONGER THAN - HUMANS, THEY CAN TRAVEL AS FAST

THROUGH THE TREETOPS AS MAN CAN

RUN ON THE FOREST FLOOR.

BRIGHT ORANGE HAIR MIGHT SEEM AN

ODD COLOR FOR AN ANIMAL LIVING

HIGH IN GREEN TREES, BUT THESE

GINGER APES ARE SURPRISINGLY

WELL-CAMOUFLAGED IN THEIR LEAFY

HOME.

BECAUSE THE GREEN PIGMENT THAT

PLANTS USE FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS

REFLECTS GREEN LIGHT, BUT

ABSORBS RED AND YELLOW, IT'S

THOUGHT THE ORANGUTANS ORANGE

COLOR BECOMES HARDER TO DETECT

AMONG THE SHADOWS BETWEEN THE

LEAVES...

...OR PERHAPS THEY'RE JUST GOOD

AT HIDING.

ORANGUTANS HAVE EVOLVED TO BE

FOREST SPECIALISTS, BUT THEY

ALSO PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN

SHAPING THE VERY FOREST THEY

DEPEND ON.

THEY EAT MORE THAN 400 TYPES OF

FOOD, MUCH OF IT FRUIT, AND THEY

SPREAD OUT THE FRUIT SEEDS AS

THEY MOVE THROUGH THE BRANCHES.

AND AS ORANGUTANS BEND AND SNAP

BRANCHES TO MAKE NEW NESTS EACH

NIGHT, THEY OPEN UP HOLES IN THE

THICK CANOPY, WHICH LETS LIGHT

DOWN INTO THE FOREST DEPTHS

BELOW.

UNLIKE OTHER GREAT APES THAT

LIVE IN TROOPS, ORANGUTANS ARE

SOLITARY ANIMALS, EXCEPT FOR

MOTHERS AND THEIR YOUNG.

- THEY HAVE ONE OF THE LONGEST - PERIODS OF CHILDHOOD IN THE

NATURAL WORLD, STAYING WITH

THEIR MOTHER FOR EIGHT TO TEN

YEARS, LEARNING THE DO'S AND

DON'TS OF LIFE IN THEIR FOREST

HOME.

- AND FIRST ON THE LIST OF DON'TS - IS DON'T LET GO.

BABIES ARE PERMANENTLY CLAMPED

TO MOM'S HIP, CLINGING ON QUITE

LITERALLY FOR DEAR LIFE.

A DROP FROM THE TREETOPS WOULD

BE FATAL.

- THIS YOUNG FEMALE HAS LONG SINCE - MASTERED THE ART OF

TREE-CLIMBING AND IS NOW JUST A

FEW MONTHS AWAY FROM LEAVING HER

MOTHER AND MAKING HER OWN WAY IN

THE JUNGLE.

BUT SHE STILL HAS SOME FINAL

VITAL LESSONS TO LEARN.

BAMBOO SHOOTS ARE A GOOD SOURCE

OF FOOD WHEN FRUITING TREES ARE

HARD TO FIND.

SHE'LL NEED TO LEARN WHAT

DANGERS LURK HERE, TOO.

A CAT SNAKE, SIX FEET LONG AND

FAR FROM FRIENDLY, THESE COIL IN

TREES, WAITING TO AMBUSH BIRDS

AND SMALL MAMMALS.

AN ORANGUTAN IS TOO BIG TO BE

ITS MEAL, BUT AN INQUISITIVE

YOUNGSTER MIGHT GET A NASTY BITE

THAT COULD PROVE DANGEROUS, EVEN

FATAL.

THE ORANGUTAN AND ALL OF THESE

AMAZINGLY WEIRD AND SPECIALIZED

ANIMALS MAKES UP THE DIVERSITY

THAT GIVES MALAYSIA ONE OF THE

MOST FASCINATING PALLETS OF

WILDLIFE IN THE WORLD.

COMING UP, WE HEAD TO JAPAN TO

EXPLORE WHO CAN THRIVE AND

SURVIVE IN ITS HIGH AND HARSH

ALTITUDES.

PLUS, ONE MISSTEP COULD BE

CATASTROPHIC FOR THIS

CARNIVOROUS GIANT.

[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.

DYLAN: SOME VOLCANOES BEGAN BY

ERUPTING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE

OCEAN AND NOW RISE HIGH ABOVE

THE CLOUDS.

THIS GROWTH COMES WITH THE

TERRITORY, BECAUSE VOLCANOES

MAKE THE TERRITORY THEMSELVES

WITH THEIR HARDENED LAVA.

MANY ISLANDS WITH ACTIVE

VOLCANOES CONTINUE TO RISE, AND

THE MORE THEY GROW, THE MORE

HABITAT THEY PROVIDE FOR ALPINE

SPECIES.

SITUATED IN THE NORTHWEST

PACIFIC OCEAN, JAPAN CONSISTS OF

ABOUT 7,000 ISLANDS...

...WEATHER RANGING FROM ONE

EXTREME TO THE NEXT, FROM

SUBARCTIC FREEZING CONDITIONS TO

LUSH FORESTS AND HUMID SWAMPS.

ON TOP OF THAT, JAPAN'S ISLANDS

ARE A VOLCANIC HOTSPOT WITH MORE

THAN 1,000 EARTHQUAKES SHAKING

THIS REGION EVERY YEAR.

- JAPAN HAS EARNED ITS REPUTATION - AS BEING ONE OF THE MOST

UNSTABLE AREAS ON EARTH.

TO SURVIVE, JAPAN'S RESIDENTS

HAVE LEARNED TO ADAPT TO THESE

HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS OR RISK

EXTINCTION.

- POSSIBLY ONE OF THE MOST - CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTS IN

WHICH TO SURVIVE IS HERE IN THE

MOUNTAINS OF ONE OF JAPAN'S FOUR

MAIN ISLANDS CALLED HONSHU.

ITS NAME, JIGOKUDANI, TRANSLATES

TO MEAN "HELL'S VALLEY".

AND WHEN THE SNOW BLOWS HARD IN

THE MIDDLE OF WINTER, EVIDENCE

OF VOLCANOES IN THE AREA ARE

EASY TO SEE.

- BOILING WATER BUBBLES UP THROUGH - THE FROZEN GROUND.

IT SEEMS NOTHING COULD SURVIVE

OUT HERE, BUT THAT COULDN'T BE

FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

MEET THE JAPANESE MACAQUE, AN

ANIMAL THAT REALLY DOES MAKE THE

MOST OF ITS SURROUNDINGS.

THIS SNOW MONKEY LIVES ALL OVER

JAPAN, BUT IT'S THE ONLY PRIMATE

BESIDES HUMANS THAT CAN SURVIVE

THIS FAR NORTH IN THE SUBARCTIC

REGION.

A THICK, HEAVY COAT OF FUR HELPS

KEEP THEM WARM, EVEN WHEN THE

TEMPERATURES DIP WELL BELOW

FREEZING.

THE SNOW MONKEYS HAVE FINGERS

MUCH LIKE HUMANS.

THEY USE THEIR HANDS TO DIG DEEP

INTO THE SNOW AND FIND FOOD.

THICK PADS ON EACH HAND ACT LIKE

WARM MITTENS,

- AND THERE'S ONE FEATURE OUT HERE - IN THIS WINTERY

WORLD THAT KEEPS THE MACAQUES

IN GOOD SHAPE...

...HOT SPRINGS HEATED FROM THE

EARTH'S INNER CORE, REACHING

MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED DEGREES.

THESE WARM VOLCANIC POOLS ARE

CALLED ONSENS.

THE WATER IS PACKED WITH

MINERALS, AN EXCELLENT WAY TO

RELAX AFTER A STRESSFUL DAY IN

THE SNOW.

THESE MONKEYS TAKE FULL

ADVANTAGE, TOO, SPENDING AS MUCH

- TIME AS POSSIBLE IN THE HEALING - WATERS.

IT'S HERE THAT THEY GROOM EACH

OTHER AND BOND.

- SPENDING QUIET TIME TOGETHER IS - AN IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR

CULTURE.

- THE HEAD MALE STANDS GUARD AT - THE POOLS.

ONLY THE MOST IMPORTANT FEMALES

IN THE GROUP AND YOUNGSTERS ARE

ALLOWED TO BATHE.

ANY INTRUDER IS SENT ON HIS WAY.

[MONKEY SCREECHING]

AS THE SUN SETS, THE TROOP

HEADS BACK INTO THE FOREST FOR

THE NIGHT.

IT'S A DANGEROUS TIME TO BE ON

YOUR OWN.

THE TEMPERATURES PLUNGE.

TO STAY WARM, THE TROOP WILL

HUDDLE TOGETHER, USING BODY

WARMTH TO KEEP OUT THE COLD.

AS SOON AS THE SUN COMES BACK

UP, THEY COUNT THE MINUTES

BEFORE THEY CAN GO BACK TO THE

SANCTUARY OF THE WARM POOLS.

THESE SNOW MONKEYS RELY ON THEIR

INSTINCTS FOR SURVIVAL, BUT

THEIR DEEP TIES TO EACH OTHER

CREATE A HOME EVEN IN THE MOST

UNLIKELY OF PLACES.

COMING UP, IT'S HIGH UP HERE FOR

A BEAR, BUT THESE TURKISH

- CARNIVORES KNOW WHAT THEY'RE - DOING.

[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.

- DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO "EARTH - ODYSSEY", WHERE WE ARE EXPLORING

THE HIGHEST PEAKS ALL OVER THE

WORLD, LIKE THE LANDSCAPE HERE

IN TURKEY.

CLIFFS AND CANYONS CUT DEEP INTO

TURKEY'S LAND.

THE ROCKY EARTH EASILY SHIFTS,

CREATING A HAZARDOUS LIFESTYLE.

ALWAYS JUST ONE STEP BELOW FROM

TAKING THE PLUNGE, THE BROWN

BEARS ARE TURKEY'S LARGEST

CARNIVOROUS ANIMALS.

- THESE BEARS ARE ALSO ON THE - COUNTRY'S PROTECTED SPECIES

LIST...

...ONLY 3,000 STILL THOUGHT TO

BE LIVING IN THE WILD.

THESE MASSIVE BEARS ARE OFTEN

STARVING WHEN THEY COME OUT OF

THEIR LONG WINTER'S NAP.

AS SPRING ARRIVES, THE BEARS

WILL WANDER FOR MILES LOOKING

FOR FOOD...

...A DANGEROUS PROPOSITION ON

THESE STEEP CLIFFSIDES.

WET AND WEAK, THESE BEARS

NAVIGATE SLIPPERY SLOPES.

WEIGHING SEVERAL HUNDRED POUNDS,

THAT'S NO EASY FEAT.

BUT GRAVITY AND ROCKY SLOPES

AREN'T THIS FEMALE'S ONLY

CONCERNS.

A MALE BEAR SEEMS TO BE CHASING

HER.

- ALTHOUGH HE MIGHT JUST BE - LOOKING FOR COMPANIONSHIP, MALE

BEARS CAN BE UNPREDICTABLE.

AS THIS ONE GETS CLOSER, THE

FEMALE FEELS THE PRESSURE AND

MAKES A BREAK FOR THE TREE LINE.

SHE'LL USE THE FOREST FOR

PROTECTION.

- BROWN BEARS WEREN'T BUILT TO - NAVIGATE THIS KIND OF

TREACHEROUS TERRAIN.

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY.

- HOWEVER, THIS TURKEY NATIVE IS - MUCH MORE SURE-FOOTED.

THE ANATOLIAN WILD GOATS ARE

ADEPT AT TURKEY'S TOUGHER SPOTS.

LEATHERY SOLES ON THEIR HOOVES

HELP THEM CLING TO THE STEEP

CLIFFS.

[GOAT BAAING]

RECTANGULAR EYES ALLOW A WIDER

FIELD OF VISION FOR THESE

MOUNTAINEERS.

A HARD CLIMB IS REWARDED WITH

THE BEST THAT SPRING OFFERS.

YOUNG GREEN PLANTS SHOOT UP

BETWEEN THE ROCKS FOR THESE

BRAVE EXPLORERS.

BUT LIVING IN A LAND OF EXTREMES

DEMANDS MORE THAN JUST COURAGE.

TURKEY'S UNYIELDING CONDITIONS

CONSTANTLY TEST THE SKILLS AND

SURVIVABILITY OF ITS

INHABITANTS.

NOT ONE DAY IS TAKEN FOR GRANTED

IN THIS MIDDLE EASTERN

WILDERNESS.

- THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THIS - ADVENTURE TO FIND THE PLANET'S

HIGHEST PEAKS.

FROM THE CANOPIES TO THE

MOUNTAINS, ALL TYPES OF ANIMALS

THRIVE AND SURVIVE WHEN THEY

HAVE A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THEIR

SURROUNDINGS.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON

ANOTHER "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]