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 TRAVEL TO THE ARABIAN

PENINSULA TO EXPLORE THE

INCREDIBLE WILDLIFE THAT MAKES

THIS REGION ONE OF THE MOST

FASCINATING PLACES ON EARTH,

LIKE THIS VERREAUX'S EAGLE, WHO

HAS A KEEN EYE ON ITS NEXT

BREAKFAST.

AND THEN, THIS NEWBORN ORYX

FACES SOME OF ITS TOUGHEST DAYS

RIGHT OUT OF THE WOMB, BUT MOM

IS ALWAYS NEARBY.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: IF THERE WAS EVER A

DESTINATION WHERE YOU CAN LEAVE

- YOUR JACKET AT HOME, IT'S THE - ARABIAN PENINSULA.

NOT ONLY IS IT THE LARGEST

PENINSULA IN THE WORLD, BUT THE

VAST MAJORITY IS COVERED BY

DESERT.

IT'S HOT, DRY, AND VIRTUALLY

UNINHABITABLE BY HUMANS;

HOWEVER, A SMALL GROUP OF

ANIMALS HAS FIGURED OUT HOW TO

SURVIVE AND EVEN THRIVE WITHIN

THE DESERT'S UNFORGIVING

LANDSCAPE.

LET'S FIND OUT HOW.

THE ARABIAN PENINSULA, AN

ANCIENT LAND OF ILLUSION,

WHERE SEARING DESERT SAND NEVER

STOPS MARCHING...

...WHILE SUNBAKED MOUNTAINS RISE

LIKE INACCESSIBLE FORTRESSES.

THE UNFORGIVING HEAT APPEARS TO

ZAP LIFE FROM EVERY CORNER, YET

TRICKS OF THE LIGHT AND THE ART

OF DECEPTION ARE THE FABRIC OF

LIFE.

MYTHOLOGICAL BEASTS ARE SAID TO

ROAM HERE.

PLANTS APPEAR TO BLEED.

NOTHING IS QUITE AS IT SEEMS.

THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE MYTHS

ARE BORN, BUT WILDLIFE FACES THE

HARSH REALITY OF SURVIVAL.

FLORA AND FAUNA BOTH RELY ON

THEIR OWN ILLUSIONS AND TRICKS

OF SURVIVAL.

OMAN'S DHOFAR MOUNTAINS ALSO

CONJURE CHANGE.

AS THE SUMMER HEATS UP, THERE

ARE SIGNS SOMETHING IS IN THE

AIR.

THE RAMPARTS OF JABAL SAMHAN

TOWER OVER SOUTHERN OMAN.

- RISING TO MORE THAN A MILE, IT - DEFENDS THE COAST LIKE A

FORTRESS.

THE SHEER DROP OF EVEN HALF OF A

MILE GIVES A VERREAUX'S EAGLE A

LIFT ON THE MORNING THERMALS.

WITHIN THE DRIED UP RIVERBEDS

AND WADI CANYONS, COLONIES OF

ROCK HYRAX, THE PERFECT FOOD

WHILE TRAVELING BY WING.

BASKING IN THE MORNING SUN, LIFE

SEEMS BLISSFUL.

AT AROUND 15 INCHES IN LENGTH,

THESE FURRY, UNASSUMING MAMMALS

ARE ARABIA'S ULTIMATE ESCAPE

ARTISTS.

RIGHT NOW, THEY HAVE OTHER

THINGS ON THEIR MINDS,

BREAKFAST.

LIVING IN LARGE COLONIES, THEY

CAN SPREAD OUT TO FIND FOOD;

- HOWEVER, WATER IS NOT SO EASILY - AVAILABLE.

SO, HYRAX PERFORM THEIR FIRST

ACT OF SORCERY...

...AND EXTRACT THE WATER THEY

NEED FROM THE JUICY PLANTS.

- THESE NERVOUS FORAGERS - CONSTANTLY CHECK THE VICINITY

FOR DANGER.

IF THE TERRITORIAL MALE GIVES

THE SHRILL SHRIEK OF ALARM,

THEY'LL BOLT.

THIS VERREAUX'S EAGLE HAS

SPOTTED THE HYRAX HIGHRISE.

HE USES THE SUN TO HIDE HIS

PRESENCE.

BUT HYRAX KNOW THIS GAME.

A UNIQUELY-SHAPED IRIS ALLOWS

THEM TO LOOK ALMOST DIRECTLY

INTO THE SUN.

[HYRAX CHITTERING]

AND THE ALARM CALL IS RAISED.

NOW YOU SEE THEM.

NOW YOU DON'T.

THE ROCK-TOP SANCTUARY PROVIDES

A NETWORK OF BURROUGHS AND THEIR

ESCAPE.

COMING UP, WE'RE TURNING UP THE

HEAT TO 120 DEGREES AS WE

EXPLORE FURTHER INTO ARABIA WITH

THIS ANCIENT AND ONCE EXTINCT

ARABIAN ORYX.

AND LATER, IT USUALLY TAKES

ABOUT A DECADE FOR THEM TO

EMERGE, BUT WE'LL BE THERE TO

GET A GLIMPSE OF THESE TADPOLE

SHRIMP.

- PLUS, THESE CREATURES ARE USED - TO THE DRY DESERT, SO HOW DO

THEY ADAPT WHEN HIT WITH A

DEVASTATING MONSOON?

[BREAK]

.

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

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO ARABIA,

WHERE FOLKLORES TALKED OF

UNICORNS ROAMING DESERTS.

THE ARABIAN ORYX NEARLY BECAME

AS MYTHICAL AS THESE BEASTS.

ONCE HUNTED TO EXTINCTION IN

OMAN, 1982 SAW THEM REINTRODUCED

TO THE WILD.

- TAGGING AND MONITORING HAS - HELPED NUMBERS RISE, BUT

- SURVIVING THE JEDDAH IS STILL - TOUGH.

TEMPERATURES CAN REACH MORE THAN

120 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

IN SOME YEARS, THERE CAN BE NO

RAIN.

NATIVE TO THESE DESERTS, THEIR

WHITE COATS REFLECT THE

PUNISHING HEAT...

- ...WHILE DARK MARKINGS UNDER - THEIR EYES REDUCE THE SUN'S

GLARE.

BUT TO FIND WATER, THEY HAVE TO

SMELL IT ON THE WIND.

TRAVELING HUGE DISTANCES, THEY

CAN GO LONGER THAN CAMELS

WITHOUT DRINKING; HOWEVER, SOME

FEMALES ARE CARRYING YOUNG.

FINDING NUTRIENTS TO SUPPORT ONE

IS HARD ENOUGH, LET ALONE TWO.

ARABIAN ORYX KEEP MOVING, BUT

THE PREGNANT FEMALE IS NO LONGER

WITH THEM.

HAVING CARRIED HER OFFSPRING FOR

EIGHT HOT MONTHS, SHE HAS LEFT

THE HERD; HOWEVER, THERE IS A

GOOD REASON FOR THIS.

THE CALF IS MINUTES OLD AND WILL

RELY ON HER FOR EVERYTHING.

LICKING HER NEWBORN HELPS

BONDING AND GIVES ENCOURAGEMENT.

EXPOSED IN THE DESERT, SHE MUST

GET HIM UP AND FEEDING IF HE IS

TO STAND ANY CHANCE...

BUT IT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE.

ORYX CALVES FACE SOME OF THEIR

GREATEST TESTS IN THESE FIRST

DAYS OF LIFE.

HE GAINS MUCH-NEEDED STRENGTH

FROM HIS MOTHER'S MILK.

- THIS WILL BE HIS MAIN SOURCE OF - NUTRITION FOR THE NEXT

FOUR-AND-A-HALF-MONTHS AS THEY

AND THE HERD CONTINUE THEIR

JOURNEY IN THE JEDDAH.

THEIR FUTURE IS BY NO MEANS

SECURE, BUT ONCE A LEGEND, LIKE

THE UNICORN, THE ARABIAN ORYX

HAS A FIGHTING CHANCE IN OMAN'S

DESERTS.

- COMING UP, HOW LONG DO THESE - TADPOLE SHRIMP SURVIVE IN

ARABIA'S HEAT WITHOUT WATER?

THE ANSWER LIES DEEP IN THE

SANDY DESERTS.

PLUS, THESE CREATURES MUST BE IN

TUNE WHEN FACING THE THREAT OF A

WET AND WILD MONSOON.

[BREAK]

.

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

- DYLAN: THERE'S NOTHING LIKE - THAT FIRST DRINK OF WATER WHEN

YOU'RE REALLY THIRSTY, AND WHEN

YOU'RE AN ANIMAL IN THE ARABIAN

DESERT, THAT SIP CAN BE HARD TO

COME BY UNLESS YOU HAVE

- PATIENCE, LIKE THE TADPOLE - SHRIMP, WHO WILL WAIT YEARS TO

GET THAT ELUSIVE DRINK.

AND WHEN THEY FIND IT, THEY ACT

FAST, BECAUSE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE

THESE CAN DRY UP FASTER THAN THE

WATER ITSELF.

TAKE A LOOK.

- WATER HOLES DON'T JUST QUENCH - THIRST.

- THEY'RE ALSO A CATALYST FOR ONE - OF THE DESERT'S GREATEST

MYSTICAL ILLUSIONS.

ALIEN-LIKE CREATURES EMERGE.

TADPOLE SHRIMP ARE ONE OF THE

WORLD'S MOST ANCIENT ANIMALS,

AND THEY WILL WAIT IN THE SAND

FOR UP TO TEN YEARS FOR ANY

SIGNS OF WATER.

LYING DORMANT FOR SO LONG MEANS

WHEN THEIR TIME COMES, THERE'S

ONLY ONE THING ON THEIR MIND.

THEY NEED A MATE.

- IT'S A SHORT AND SIMPLE LIFE, - BUT THIS CUNNING TRICK ENABLES

THEM TO LIVE IN A VOLATILE

HABITAT.

- FINDING A SOURCE OF WATER IN THE - DESERT HAS TO BE ONE OF NATURE'S

TOUGHEST ACTS.

ARABIA'S MOUNTAIN GAZELLE FILL

UP WHEREVER THEY CAN AND ARE

ABLE TO DRINK HALF-A-GALLON IN A

MATTER OF MINUTES, BUT FINDING

FOOD IS NOT SO EASY.

DOTTED ACROSS THIS DEHYDRATED

DESERT, THE ACACIA TREE ALSO

EKES OUT WATER.

A THICK, WOODY BARK PREVENTS

WATER LOSS WHILST SMALL

SUCCULENT LEAVES ARE DEFENDED BY

LARGE, RAZOR-SHARP THORNS.

BUT GAZELLE HAVE FOUND A WAY TO

INFILTRATE THESE DEFENSES.

LONGER NECKS AND LEGS HELP THEM

TO REACH, AND THEIR NARROW

MUZZLE WITH LARGER MOUTH ENABLES

THEM TO STRIP LEAVES.

- WITH SO MANY ACACIAS ACROSS THIS - LANDSCAPE, YOU'D THINK THE

GAZELLE COULD EAT ALL DAY;

HOWEVER, THESE TREES HAVE

ANOTHER WEAPON.

THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE AIR.

AS BROWSERS FEAST ON THEIR

LEAVES, AN ALARM SIGNAL IS

PASSED BETWEEN ACACIAS.

BY EMITTING ETHYLENE INTO THE

AIR, TREES UP TO 150 FEET AWAY

ARE WARNED OF THE IMPENDING

DANGER.

THEY CAN THEN STEP UP PRODUCTION

OF DEFENSIVE LEAF TANNINS IN

QUANTITIES LETHAL TO THE

BROWSERS.

- THIS SLEIGHT OF HAND STOPS - GAZELLE FROM STRIPPING THE

ACACIA BARE AND MEANS BOTH CAN

EXIST TOGETHER IN OMAN'S

PUNISHING JEDDAH.

COMING UP, THE HIDDEN ECOSYSTEM

OF THE ARABIAN PENINSULA IS IN

FULL BLOOM AFTER THE WRATH OF A

DEVASTATING MONSOON.

[BREAK]

.

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

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO ARABIA,

WHERE THESE DESERTS ARE SUBJECT

- TO SOME OF THE HOTTEST AND - DRIEST CONDITIONS FOUND ANYWHERE

IN THE WORLD.

- BUT ONCE A YEAR, THE SOUTHERN - CORNER OF OMAN RECEIVES A

NATURAL BLESSING, THE MONSOON.

- AS THE COOL WINDS BLOW IN FROM - THE INDIAN OCEAN, THEY MEET THE

HOT ARABIAN AIR, AND VAST CLOUD

BANKS ARE FORMED.

FOR JUST A FEW MONTHS EACH YEAR,

THE MONSOON'S CLOAK REVEALS A

HIDDEN ECOSYSTEM.

DESPITE THE PASTORAL CALM, WADIS

HAVE BECOME A HIVE OF ACTIVITY.

A GREY HEADED KINGFISHER IS

GOING TO GET AN UNSCHEDULED

BATH.

- PREFERRING TO EAT INSECTS, THE - REPLENISHED WATERWAYS PROVIDE AN

- OPPORTUNITY TO BATHE RATHER THAN - HUNT.

THE CINNAMON BREASTED BUNTING IS

ALSO MAKING THE MOST OF THE

DELUGE.

BATHING IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF

FEATHER MAINTENANCE.

DAMPENING THE FEATHERS LOOSENS

DIRT AND MAKES THEM EASIER TO

PREEN.

- BUT ONE CAN'T SPEND ALL DAY - BATHING.

THIS SEEMINGLY NEVER-ENDING

HAVEN WILL ONLY LAST FOR THREE

MONTHS OF THE MONSOON.

- DURING THIS SMALL WINDOW, THERE - IS SOME SERIOUS NEST-BUILDING TO

DO.

THE ARCHITECTS OF THE BIRD WORLD

ARE RUPPELL'S WEAVER BIRDS.

THE MALE SPENDS HOURS TIRELESSLY

DESIGNING AND LITERALLY WEAVING

THE NEST FROM GRASS AND LONG

STRIPS OF PALM FRONDS.

- WHILE FEMALES WILL HELP, THEY - CHOOSE THE BREEDING PARTNER

BASED ON NEST LOCATION, DESIGN,

AND RELATIVE COMFORT.

MALES TYPICALLY HAVE TO BUILD UP

TO EIGHT GLOBULAR NESTS;

HOWEVER, THEY HAVE USED THE

THINNEST BRANCHES OVERHANGING

WATER TO PUT OFF TREEBOUND

HUNTERS.

THE MAGICIAN OF THE MONSOON IS

NO THREAT TO THE WEAVER BIRDS.

HE'S AFTER INSECTS.

THE ARABIAN CHAMELEON USES

CAMOUFLAGE AND PATIENCE.

- COLOR CHANGE ENABLES HIM TO - BLEND IN TO THIS NOW GREEN,

LEAFY WORLD.

AND A LONG PREHENSILE TAIL HELPS

HIM BRIDGE BRANCHES AS HE MOVES.

COLOR SIGNALS MANY THINGS.

- IT HELPS REGULATE TEMPERATURE, - SIGNALS DOMINANCE AMONG MALES,

AND SHOWS IF A FEMALE IS

INTERESTED.

BUT RIGHT NOW IS A CASE OF

CONCEALMENT WHILST LOOKING FOR

LUNCH.

REMAINING MOTIONLESS MEANS THE

EYES NEED TO DO ALL THE WORK.

EACH ONE IS INDEPENDENT.

HE CAN LITERALLY SEE BOTH WAYS

AT THE SAME TIME.

ON SPOTTING ITS PREY, A COMPLEX

SET OF BEHAVIORS ARE SET INTO

MOTION, AS FOCUS INFORMATION

JUDGES DISTANCE.

ONCE SET, THE TONGUE MUSCLES

TENSE AND DO THE REST.

APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEPTIVE IN

ARABIA.

THE ARABIAN PENINSULA IS HOME TO

BEGUILING DESERTS AND RAGING

SEAS, YET THIS MYSTERIOUS LAND

IS HOME TO A HOST OF INGENIOUS,

ELUSIVE, AND UNWAVERING

CREATURES.

SPELLS ARE CAST...

...MYTHS ARE DESTROYED, AND

LEGENDS ARE BORN.

TRICKS OF THE LIGHT ARE PART OF

THE FABRIC OF LIFE, YET ALL MEET

THE REALITY OF SURVIVAL IN THIS

LAND OF ILLUSION.

- THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON OUR - JOURNEY TO THE INCREDIBLE AND

INCREDIBLY HOT ARABIAN

PENINSULA.

DESPITE THE EXTREME CONDITIONS,

THE PEOPLE AND ANIMALS WHO LIVE

HERE HAVE ADAPTED TO MAKE A HOME

FOR THEMSELVES IN ONE OF THE

MOST INHOSPITABLE PLACES ON THE

PLANET.

JOIN US AGAIN ON OUR NEXT "EARTH

ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]