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: HI THERE.

I'M DYLAN DREYER, AND THIS IS

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

TODAY, WE'LL JOURNEY AROUND THE

WORLD TO FIND OUR FAVORITE FURS

IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

SOME FUR CAN BE USED FOR WARMTH,

OTHERS FOR CAMOUFLAGE, AND SOME

ARE JUST HAVING SOME FASHIONABLE

FUN, LIKE THE ASIATIC BLACK BEAR

AND THE OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD DESIGN

ON ITS CHEST.

AND LATER, THIS SINGING GIBBON

HAS THE KEY TO A PRACTICAL AND

BEAUTIFUL FURRY OUTFIT.

PLUS, THIS MAMMAL HAS ADAPTED TO

LIVING IN ONE OF JAPAN'S COLDEST

REGIONS AND HAS THE COAT THAT IS

THE ENVY OF ALL THE OTHER

SPECIES WHO HAVE THE ANIMAL

KINGDOM'S MOST FAMOUS FUR.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: DID YOU KNOW THAT STYLE

MATTERS IN THE WILD?

- NOT SO MUCH FOR FASHION, BUT THE - FUNCTION OF AN ANIMAL'S

APPEARANCE MAKES ALL THE

DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.

- TODAY, WE'LL ROLL OUT THE RED - CARPET FOR SOME OF NATURE'S MOST

FAMOUS FUR, STARTING IN

PATAGONIA, WHERE THE LOCAL SHEEP

HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONAL STYLIST.

- EAST OF THE ANDES MOUNTAIN - RANGE, THE GLACIAL LAKES GIVE

WAY TO THE DESERT OF PATAGONIA'S

STEP.

- GUANACOS HERE HAVE HAD A LESS - SEVERE WINTER THAN THOSE IN THE

HIGHLANDS, BUT THEY FACE

CHALLENGES OF THEIR OWN.

WITH NO RAINFALL AND FEW RIVERS,

GUANACOS MUST GET ALL THE

MOISTURE THEY NEED FROM EATING

THE FEW TOUGH PLANTS THAT MANAGE

TO GROW IN THE ARID CONDITIONS.

GUANACOS ARE THE ONLY LARGE

NATIVE HERBIVORES ABLE TO

SURVIVE HERE, BUT THEY DO HAVE

COMPETITION.

INTRODUCED 150 YEARS AGO, SHEEP

THRIVE IN PATAGONIA, BUT ONLY

WITH HUMAN HELP.

- BY SHEPHERDING THEIR FLOCKS LONG - DISTANCES BETWEEN PASTURES AND

FAR-FLUNG WATER POINTS,

PATAGONIAN COWBOYS CALLED

GAUCHOS CAN RAISE THOUSANDS OF

SHEEP.

IT'S ARDUOUS WORK.

THESE GAUCHOS RELY ON THEIR

HORSES TO REACH THEIR FLOCKS.

A RIVER RUNNING THROUGH THEIR

LAND IS A VALUABLE ASSET, BUT AS

WELL AS BEING A VITAL WATER

SUPPLY, IT CAN BE A DAMAGING

FORCE.

SNOWMELT IN THE MOUNTAINS AT

THIS TIME OF YEAR CAN SWELL

WATER LEVELS DRAMATICALLY IN A

MATTER OF HOURS.

THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PRESS

ON AND GET TO THE HERDS.

IT'S LAMBING TIME, THE MOST

DANGEROUS TIME FOR SHEEP.

A GLUT OF YOUNG LAMBS OFTEN

DRAWS PREDATORS DOWN FROM THE

MOUNTAINS.

- THEY'RE MUCH EASIER TO HUNT THAN - WILD GUANACOS.

- THE GAUCHOS CANNOT AFFORD TO - LOSE THEIR LIVELIHOODS TO THE

JAWS OF A MOUNTAIN LION.

PUMAS ARE PESTS HERE, AND THE

GAUCHOS NEED TO BE VIGILANT.

ANOTHER PREDATOR PROWLS THE

PEAKS IN THE INDIAN HIMALAYAS,

AND THERE'S NO LIMIT TO THE SIZE

OF THIS CREATURE'S PREY.

FROM ABOVE, THE ELEMENT OF

SURPRISE IS ALL PART OF THE SNOW

- LEOPARD'S PREFERRED METHOD OF - CAPTURE.

LIKE MANY OF THE BIG CATS, THE

SNOW LEOPARD IS A POWERFUL

AMBUSH HUNTER, BUT LIKE ALL

MOUNTAIN GOATS, THESE IBEX HAVE

HIGHLY TUNED SENSES.

THEIR EYES LOCK ON TO THE

IMPENDING DANGER BEFORE TAKING

EVASIVE ACTION.

DESPITE HAVING LARGE

ROCK-GRIPPING PADDED FEET AND A

LONG BALANCE-ASSISTING TAIL,

THIS LEOPARD STANDS LITTLE

CHANCE OF CATCHING ONE OF THE

MOST AGILE CREATURES ON THE

- PLANET UNLESS IT CAN AVOID BEING - SPOTTED.

- BUT THE SNOW LEOPARD RARELY GOES - HUNGRY.

IT HAS A SECRET WEAPON.

- WHILE MOST MOUNTAIN GOATS BECOME - BLIND TO THE NIGHT, THE SNOW

LEOPARD'S EXCELLENT NOCTURNAL

VISION KICKS IN.

THIS ADVANTAGE EXPLAINS WHY THE

MAJORITY OF ITS SUCCESS TAKES

PLACE CLOSER TO DAWN AND DUSK.

COMING UP, THIS TREE-TRAVELING

GIBBON NEEDS A RIBBON TO REWARD

ITS FANTASTIC FASHION.

PLUS, THIS BLACK BEAR STEPS OUT

OF THE NORM WITH ITS GORGEOUS

AND DARING CRESCENT MOON MARK.

PLUS, HOW DOES THIS MAMMAL STAY

SO WARM WITH ONLY ONE COAT?

THE ANSWER IS COMING UP ON

"EARTH ODYSSEY".

[BREAK]

.

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

- DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO THE - FORESTS OF THE LOST WORLDS OF

INDIA.

HUNDREDS OF SPECIES OF ANIMALS

CALL THIS PLACE HOME, AND SOME

SPECIES ARE HARD TO TELL APART.

MANY PEOPLE MISTAKE THE HOOLOCK

GIBBON FOR A MONKEY BECAUSE OF

- ITS SMALL SIZE AND MISCHIEVOUS - APPEARANCE.

[MONKEY HOWLING]

- BUT LIKE OTHER APES SUCH AS - CHIMPS AND GORILLAS, THE GIBBON

DOESN'T HAVE A TAIL, AND ITS

HANDS HAVE OPPOSABLE THUMBS LIKE

HUMANS.

THE ARMS OF THESE UNUSUAL APES

ARE LONGER THAN THEIR LEGS.

- IT HELPS THEM TRAVEL THROUGH THE - TREES WITH EASE.

THESE NIMBLE GYMNASTS HAVE FEW

EQUALS IN THE FOREST.

HOOLOCK GIBBONS ARE THE FASTEST

AND MOST AGILE OF THE PRIMATES.

THEY MAINLY USE THEIR ARMS TO

MOVE BETWEEN BRANCHES, BUT THEY

CAN JUMP MORE THAN 30 FEET, TOO.

MALES HAVE A BLACK COAT AND

WHITE EYEBROWS.

FEMALES ARE MUCH LIGHTER IN

COLOR.

BABIES ARE BORN WITH WHITE FUR,

WHICH GRADUALLY DARKENS AS THEY

GROW OLDER.

- THEY MAINLY EAT FRUIT, BUT ALSO - LIKE LEAVES, INSECTS, AND

FLOWERS.

BUT THESE ACROBATIC APES ARE

MOST FAMOUS FOR THEIR SINGING.

[MONKEY HOWLING]

[MONKEY HOWLING]

[MONKEY HOWLING]

DYLAN: COMPLEX CALLS PROCLAIM

TERRITORIES, REINFORCE PAIR

BONDS, AND ATTRACT POTENTIAL

MATES.

[MONKEYS HOWLING]

THE LOST WORLD OF INDIA IS

OFTEN UNREACHABLE BY HUMANS.

ITS STORY CAN ONLY BE TOLD BY

THE ANIMALS AND CREATURES WHO

CALL THIS PLACE HOME, AND ITS

MYSTERY WILL KEEP THE

FASCINATION ALIVE FOREVER.

[MONKEY HOWLING]

COMING UP, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO

HELP BUT STARE AT THE ICONIC

BEAUTY OF THIS MOON BEAR.

AND LATER, THIS MAMMAL IS THE

PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW A SPECIES

CAN ADAPT TO ANY WEATHER AFTER

GENERATIONS OF SURVIVING AND

THRIVING.

[BREAK]

.

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

DYLAN: BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF

THE BEHOLDER, AND THIS COULDN'T

BE MORE TRUE THAN WITH

BLACK-SHANKED DOUCS.

- WITH WILD COLOR SCHEMES AND - PATTERNS, THEY HAVE ONE OF THE

MOST FASHIONABLE COATS IN THE

FOREST, BUT FASHION CAN ALSO BE

SIMPLE.

AND FOR THE ASIAN MOON BEAR, IT

CAN EVEN MAKE A NAME FOR ITSELF.

BILLOWING CLOUDS MARK THE

BEGINNING OF THE MONSOON SEASON

IN CAMBODIA.

WATER RUSHES DOWN FROM THE

FORESTS UNTIL IT MEETS UP WITH

THE MEKONG RIVER, THE LONGEST

RIVER IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.

DURING THE RAINY MONSOONS, THIS

RIVER WILL GROW TO 16 TIMES ITS

SIZE.

BOTH PLANTS AND ANIMALS DEPEND

ON THOSE RAINS TO COME BACK

EVERY YEAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN

YOU'VE GOT AN ENORMOUS APPETITE.

- HIDING IN THE THICK FOREST, YOU - MIGHT CATCH A GLIMPSE OF A FURRY

CREATURE, BUT KEEP YOUR

DISTANCE.

THE POWERFUL ASIATIC BLACK BEAR

IS A TOWER OF FORCE.

THIS BEAR WEIGHS TWICE AS MUCH

AS THE AVERAGE HUMAN AND COULD

PLAY PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL

WITH AN AVERAGE HEIGHT OF

SIX-AND-A-HALF FEET.

BUT THE MOST INTRIGUING

CHARACTERISTIC, AN ASTRONOMICAL

SIGN ON ITS CHEST, A CREAMY

WHITE MARK THAT LOOKS JUST LIKE

A CRESCENT-SHAPED MOON.

IT'S NICKNAME, MOON BEAR.

THESE BEARS ARE BUILT A LOT LIKE

ITS COUSINS, THE AMERICAN BLACK

BEARS.

IT'S THOUGHT THEY MIGHT EVEN

SHARE A COMMON ANCESTOR.

THE MOON BEAR HAS A NOSE FOR

FOOD, TOO.

WITH A POWERFUL SENSE OF SMELL,

HE CAN SNIFF OUT TASTY INSECTS

AND GRUBS, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE

BURIED THREE FEET BELOW THE

FOREST FLOOR.

HE QUICKLY DIGS FOR HIS DINNER

WITH LONG, SHARP CLAWS.

- THE EARTH IS SOFT AFTER ALL OF - THE RAIN.

THESE RULERS OF THE FOREST

TREETOPS LOOK LIKE THEY COME

FROM ANOTHER PLANET.

BLUE FACED WITH YELLOW RINGED

EYES, THE BLACK-SHANKED DOUCS

ONLY LIVE HERE IN CAMBODIA AND

IN NEIGHBORING VIETNAM.

RARE AND ENDANGERED, THEY

PERFORM WILD TRICKS IN THE

AIR...

...DARING ACTS SAILING THROUGH

THE TREETOPS LIKE TRAPEZE

ARTISTS.

LONG HIND LEGS SHOOT UP GIANT

TREES HUNDREDS OF FEET IN THE

SKY.

TAILS HELP THEM BALANCE ON

SKINNY TREE LIMBS...

...ALWAYS ON THE MOVE, LOOKING

FOR UNRIPE FRUIT TO EAT.

UNLIKE OTHER MONKEYS, RIPE FRUIT

IS HARDER FOR THIS SPECIES TO

DIGEST.

- EVEN THE LITTLE ONES WILL GET - INTO THE ACT, FOLLOWING THEIR

PARENTS, LEAPING FROM TREE TO

TREE DEEPER INTO THE FOREST.

COMING UP, THIS ANIMAL IS IN THE

MIX AS ONE OF EARTH'S MOST

FASCINATING BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO

BE A MIX OF THREE DISTINGUISHED

MAMMALS.

[BREAK]

.

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

DYLAN: MOUNTAINOUS, BEAUTIFUL,

AND BIZARRE IN ITS ROUGH NATURE,

TURKEY SITS BETWEEN EUROPE AND

THE MIDDLE EAST.

- TWO MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES REST - ON EITHER SIDE OF ITS CENTRAL

PLATEAU.

WITH PEAKS RISING MORE THAN

16,000 FEET, SHAPED BY VOLCANIC

EXPLOSIONS AND A NEVER-ENDING

SUPPLY OF EARTHQUAKES, THIS IS A

LAND OF EXTREMES...

MAJOR FAULT LINES CAUSING QUAKES

IN THE EARTH'S SURFACE, 80

PERCENT OF THE TERRAIN CONSISTS

OF BROKEN, JAGGED ROCK.

WITH FREEZING COLD WINTERS AND A

BURNING HOT SUMMER SUN, THIS

COUNTRY CHALLENGES THE TOUGHEST

ANIMALS TO SURVIVE, YET SOMEHOW,

NATURE RISES TO THE CHALLENGE

HERE IN TURKEY, ONE OF THE MOST

EXTREME CLIMATES ON EARTH.

HOLDING ON FOR DEAR LIFE,

TURKEY'S ALPINE FORESTS FIND OUT

THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO BUT UP.

THEY'VE MANAGED TO ROOT DOWN

INTO SHEER MOUNTAINOUS SIDES,

ALLOWING LIFE TO THRIVE

UNDERNEATH ITS CANOPY.

THIS BROWN BEAR TRIES TO SCALE

THE TREES DESPITE HIS HEFTY

BUILD.

[BEAR GROWLING]

BEARS ARE THE LARGEST LAND

MAMMALS IN TURKEY.

THIS ONE COULD WEIGH HALF-A-TON.

[BEAR GROANING]

HIS PAWS ARE ENORMOUS, THE SIZE

OF FRISBEES.

HIS FINGERLIKE CLAWS ARE LONG

ENOUGH TO HELP HIM HANG ON.

IN A TREE, THERE ARE NO

DISRUPTIONS, AND HE CAN ENJOY

HIS SOLITARY DINNER IN PEACE.

DOWN BELOW IS ANOTHER STORY.

SOMETIMES A COMPETING BEAR WILL

INTERRUPT HIS FEEDING TIME.

- HE'LL NEED AN ESCAPE ROUTE TO - AVOID ANY TROUBLES.

MALE BEARS PREFER TO STAY SOLO.

THEY CAN WANDER AS FAR AS 700

MILES LOOKING FOR A GOOD MEAL.

THESE BEARS TAKE A LONG WINTER'S

NAP, HIBERNATING FOR SIX MONTHS

AT A TIME.

WHEN THEY WAKE UP, THEY'RE

LITERALLY STARVING.

BEARS DON'T NORMALLY EAT OR

DRINK DURING HIBERNATION.

IN FACT, FEMALES WHO GIVE BIRTH

DURING THE WINTER SLEEP CAN LOSE

ALMOST HALF THEIR BODY WEIGHTS.

THESE BEARS ARE GRUMPY WHEN THEY

WAKE UP, TOO.

[BEAR ROARING]

- THAT'S WHERE THE OLD SAYING - COMES FROM, "NEVER WAKE A

SLEEPING BEAR."

ONCE THEY'RE UP, IT'S GAME ON TO

FIND A TASTY MORSEL, EVEN IF IT

- MEANS BRAVING THE EXTREME - CLIMATE.

TWO LAYERS OF FUR PROTECT THE

BEARS FROM NASTY WEATHER.

A THICK UPPER LAYER OF HAIR ACTS

LIKE A FURRY RAINCOAT FOR THESE

MAMMALS.

WATER STREAMS OFF OF CLUMPS OF

THE LONG, COARSE HAIR.

- HE'LL HAVE TO KEEP MOVING IF HE - IS GOING TO GET ANYTHING TO EAT

TODAY.

HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD IN

JAPAN, ANOTHER FURRY ANIMAL IS

EMERGING.

THE JAPANESE SEROW IS BRAVELY

MAKING HIS WAY OUT NOW TO FIND

HIS NEXT MEAL.

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, THE

JAPANESE HAVE HIGHLY REGARDED

THESE UNUSUAL ANIMALS AS

PEACEFUL CREATURES.

- ALSO KNOWN AS THE WOLF DEER, - THEY SAY THEY HAVE THE LEGS OF A

GOAT, THE BODY OF A DEER, AND

THE FUR OF A WOLF, BUT THEIR

EXISTENCE IS A LONELY ONE.

WANDERING OUT IN THE COLD,

EATING ANY SHOOTS OR LEAVES THEY

MAY FIND IN THE SNOW, THEY'LL

KEEP LOOKING THROUGH THE DAY AND

NIGHT UNTIL SOMETHING FINALLY

APPEARS.

THESE CREATURES ONLY LIVE ON

THREE OF THE SEVEN THOUSAND

JAPANESE ISLANDS, INCLUDING

HONSHU, BUT TO THE JAPANESE

PEOPLE, THEY ARE THE PROTECTORS

OF THE FORESTS, THE PERFECT MIX

OF STRENGTH AND KINDNESS TO

OVERSEE THE REST OF NATURE

THROUGH THE BRUTALLY COLD

SEASON.

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

FAMOUS FUR IN THE ANIMAL

KINGDOM.

- SOME OF THESE PATTERNS ARE FOR - COMFORT.

SOME ARE FOR PROTECTION, BUT

THEY ALL MAKE UP THE FASCINATING

BEAUTY WE FIND IN THE WILD.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON

ANOTHER "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]