Original subtitles

.

NARRATOR: WHEN YOU SEE THIS

SYMBOL, YOU KNOW YOURE 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".

ON TODAY'S EPISODE, HOW DOES A

BLACK BEAR GET SO BIG OFF OF

JUST BERRIES, GRASS, AND SALMON?

WE HEAD TO VANCOUVER ISLAND

WHERE ONE FISH IS VITAL TO THE

SURVIVAL OF ALL LIVING THINGS.

PLUS, THIS PITCHER PLANT'S BIG

MOUTH CAN GET IT INTO TROUBLE,

BUT IT CAN ALSO STORE A LOT OF

FOOD.

PLUS, THE FOREST'S BIGGEST TREE

IS THE MOTHER OF MADAGASCAR AND

ALMOST AS OLD AS MOTHER NATURE

HERSELF.

AND LATER, DON'T GET TOO CLOSE

TO THE EDGE, WE DISCOVER SOME

RAGING AND IMPORTANT WATERFALLS.

[MUSIC - INTRO]

- DYLAN: IF YOU LIKE SALMON, - YOU'RE NOT ALONE, ESPECIALLY

AMONG THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

IT'S THE NUMBER ONE SOURCE OF

PROTEIN FOR THE NORTH AMERICAN

BLACK BEAR.

THEY'LL SNATCH HUNDREDS OF

SALMON FRESH OUT OF THE STREAMS

- AND LEAVE THE REMAINS SCATTERED - THROUGHOUT THEIR SURROUNDINGS.

- BUT THESE ARE MORE THAN JUST - LEFTOVERS, THEY'RE THE MAIN

- COURSE FOR THE FOREST AROUND - THEM.

LET'S EXPLORE THE DELICATE

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BLACK

BEARS, SALMON, AND THEIR

ECOSYSTEM.

- VANCOUVER ISLAND HAS THE DENSEST - POPULATION OF BLACK BEARS IN THE

WORLD.

- THEY'RE DARKER THAN MAINLAND - BEARS AND SLIGHTLY LARGER.

WEIGHING UP TO 600 POUNDS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: ALTHOUGH LARGELY - VEGETARIAN, FEEDING ON GRASSES

AND BERRIES FOR MOST OF THE

YEAR, THEY ARE THE ISLAND'S

LARGEST PREDATOR.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE ANNUAL SALMON RUN - PROVIDES A MAJOR FOOD SOURCE FOR

MANY BEARS.

THE BRAIN, EGGS, SKIN, AND BACK

MUSCLES CONTAIN HIGH LEVELS OF

FAT AND IT'S THESE PARTICULAR

AREAS THAT THE BEARS FOCUS ON.

THEY CAN EACH EAT UP TO 15

SALMON A DAY.

ONE AND A HALF INCH CURVED CLAWS

AND A SET OF FLESH TEARING TEETH

- AREN'T THE ONLY QUALITIES - KEEPING BLACK BEARS AT THE TOP

OF THE FOOD CHAIN.

THEY CAN ALSO SCALE TREES WITH

EASE, RUN AT MORE THAN 30 MILES

PER HOUR, AND SWIM LONG

DISTANCES.

TO TOP IT OFF, THEIR SENSE OF

SMELL IS SEVEN TIMES SHARPER

THAN A BLOODHOUND'S.

- DESPITE THESE IMPRESSIVE - ATTRIBUTES, CATCHING LIVE SALMON

- IN THESE DEEPER WATERS IS EASIER - SAID THAN DONE.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: FARTHER UP STREAM, THE - WATER LEVELS ARE TOO LOW FOR THE

SALMON TO CONTINUE THEIR JOURNEY

HOME.

- UNTIL THE HEAVY AUTUMNS RAINS - ARRIVE, THEY'LL JUST HAVE TO SIT

TIGHT, AS WILL THE ISLAND'S MANY

BEARS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: BLACK BEARS PLAY A VITAL - ROLE IN VANCOUVER ISLAND'S

ECOSYSTEM.

NOT ALL SALMON ARE COMPLETELY

CONSUMED AFTER BEING CARRIED

INTO THE FOREST.

AND THIS HAS A SIGNIFICANT

EFFECT ON THE SURROUNDING LAND.

WHEN THESE CARCASSES BREAK DOWN,

NITROGEN, PHOSPHOROUS, AND OTHER

NUTRIENTS ARE ABSORBED BY THE

SURROUNDING VEGETATION.

UP TO 70 PERCENT OF THE NITROGEN

IN SOME AREAS COMES DIRECTLY

FROM THE FISH.

TREES TAKING ROOT CLOSE TO

SALMON RIVERS GROW THREE TIMES

FASTER THAN THOSE NEXT TO

FISH-FREE STREAMS.

HERE, SITKA SPRUCE TAKE JUST 86

YEARS TO REACH A THICKNESS OF 20

INCHES, RATHER THAN THE USUAL

300 YEARS.

VANCOUVER ISLAND IS HOME TO THE

TALLEST SITKA SPRUCE TREES IN

CANADA, POSSIBLY THE WORLD.

SOME REACH HEIGHTS OF MORE THAN

300 FEET.

- SITKA SEEDLINGS, HOWEVER, HAVE A - DIFFICULT TIME STARTING OUT.

DENSE MOSSES AND SMALLER PLANTS

CARPET THE FOREST FLOOR, MAKING

IT DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO TAKE

ROOT.

BUT MANY ARE GIVEN A HELPING

HAND.

FALLEN TREES REPAY HUNDREDS OF

YEARS' WORTH OF BENEFITS BY

ACTING AS NURSE LOGS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: SEEDS LANDING ON THESE - DOWNED GIANTS ALREADY HAVE A

HEIGHT HEAD START, AS WELL AS AN

OPEN AREA TO GERMINATE AND

DEVELOP.

- MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF SITKA - SEEDLINGS HERE START OUT THIS

WAY.

FUNGI ALSO FEED ON THE DECAYING

TREES AND PLAY THEIR PART IN

RECYCLING NUTRIENTS.

AND JUST AS THE LAND BENEFITS

OFF OF EACH LIVING ORGANISM, THE

OCEAN SEES ITS FAIR SHARE OF

NUTRIENTS ITSELF.

COMING UP, THIS PLANT CRAVES

MORE THAN WATER AND THE

TECHNIQUE TO EAT ITS FAVORITE

MEAL IS PITCHER PERFECT.

PLUS, THE FOREST'S BIGGEST TREE

IS THE MOTHER OF MADAGASCAR AND

ALMOST AS OLD AS MOTHER NATURE

HERSELF.

AND LATER, DON'T GET TOO CLOSE

TO THE EDGE, WE DISCOVER SOME

RAGING AND IMPORTANT WATERFALLS.

- NARRATOR: WELL BE RIGHT BACK TO - THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: BORNEO IS THE WORLD'S

THIRD LARGEST ISLAND.

RISING ABOVE ITS SWAMPY FORESTS

IS A VERY DIFFERENT LANDSCAPE.

MOUNT KINABALU, MALAYSIA'S

HIGHEST MOUNTAIN.

- IT'S A HUGE PLUG OF GRANITE THAT - PUSHED UP THROUGH THE

SURROUNDING ROCK 15 MILLION

YEARS AGO.

THE GEOLOGICAL BLINK OF AN EYE.

AND IT'S STILL GOING UP, GROWING

ALMOST A QUARTER OF AN INCH

EVERY YEAR.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: REACHING MORE THAN TWO - AND A HALF MILES INTO THE AIR,

THE MOUNTAIN TOWERS ABOVE THE

LAND BELOW.

AN ISLAND IN THE SKY.

AS YOU CLIMB, THE PLANT LIFE

CHANGES.

- TEMPERATURES COOL AND SOILS GET - THINNER.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: PLANTS HAVE EVOLVED A - MIND-BOGGLING NUMBER OF WAYS TO

COPE.

6,000 PLANT SPECIES GROW HERE,

THAT'S HALF OF ALL THE PLANTS

FOUND IN MALAYSIA.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: A PITCHER PLANT, THE

STRANGEST OF THEM ALL.

THESE PLANTS HAVE COME UP WITH

AN INGENIOUS WAY TO SUPPLEMENT

THEIR DIETS; THEY'RE CARNIVORES.

ATTRACTED TO THE SMELL OF SWEET

NECTAR, A FLY CAN'T HELP ITSELF

FROM TASTING THE PLANT'S RIM.

JUST BELOW IS A DEADLY

RESERVOIR.

FLUID FILLED WITH DIGESTIVE

ENZYMES BREAKS DOWN ANYTHING

UNLUCKY ENOUGH TO FALL IN.

THE PLANT'S RIBBED EDGE IS

DESIGNED TO MAKE INSECTS LOSE

- THEIR FOOTING, BUT THE FLY TAKES - OFF IN THE NICK OF TIME.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: EVEN IF FALLEN INSECTS - DO MAKE THEIR WAY OUT OF THE

LETHAL POOL, WITH WATERLOGGED

WINGS, THEY'D HAVE NO WAY OF

ESCAPING THE PLANT'S WICKED

SPINES.

BUT PITCHER PLANTS ARE NOT JUST

AGENTS OF DESTRUCTION, OVER

TIME, THE FLUID IN THE PITCHERS

IS DILUTED BY RAINWATER AND THEY

BECOME OCCUPIED BY FLY LARVA.

BUT THESE SQUATTERS PAY RENT,

THEY HELP BREAK DOWN THE PLANT'S

PREY AND KEEP BACTERIA AT BAY.

NOT A BAD FEE TO AVOID BECOMING

A PITCHER PLANT'S NEXT MEAL.

COMING UP, THE FOREST'S BIGGEST

TREE IS THE MOTHER OF MADAGASCAR

AND ALMOST AS OLD AS MOTHER

NATURE HERSELF.

AND LATER, WE'LL HEAD TO THE

WATERFALLS BUT DON'T LOOK DOWN

BECAUSE THESE ARE SOME OF THE

BIGGEST IN THE WORLD.

- NARRATOR: WELL 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.

- ON EVERY "EARTH ODYSSEY", WE - FIND A DIVERSE GROUP OF WILDLIFE

ALL WITH UNIQUE TRAITS THAT

SERVE THEM IN THE WILD.

- WELL, YOU'RE ABOUT TO MEET - ANOTHER ANIMAL WITH A SPECIAL

TALENT FOR SURVIVING AND

THRIVING.

TAKE A LOOK.

WELCOME TO MADAGASCAR WHERE SOME

OF THE MOST UNIQUE ANIMALS IN

THE WILD CALL HOME.

BUT WHAT DO SCIENTISTS CALL THIS

HABITAT?

EXPERTS HAVE ARGUED FOR DECADES

OVER WHETHER IT'S A FOREST OR A

DESERT.

EVENTUALLY, THEY COMPROMISED AND

LABELED THE REGION A SPINY

- THICKET, DUE TO MANY TREES - POSSESSING LONG, SHARP SPINES.

WHILE SOME ARE LOW LYING AND

DENSELY PACKED WITH BRANCHES,

OTHERS ARE TALL AND ALMOST

LIMBLESS.

POSSIBLY THE MOST BIZARRE TREE

WITHIN A THICKET IS ONE OF THE

LARGEST AND LONGEST LIVING.

APPEARING AS IF THEY'RE GROWING

UPSIDE DOWN, BAOBAB TREES ARE

PERFECTLY ADAPTED TO THIS DRY

AND HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT.

THEY ARE KNOWN LOCALLY AS THE

MOTHER OF THE FOREST.

AT ALMOST 100 FEET TALL AND A

GIRTH OF MORE THAN 30 FEET,

THEIR SWOLLEN TRUNKS CAN HOLD

MORE THAN 25,000 GALLONS OF

WATER.

THIS RESERVE ENABLES THEM TO

SURVIVE THE HARSHEST OF DESERT

DROUGHTS.

MODERN SCIENCE HAS SHOWN THE

BAOBAB CAN LIVE FOR MORE THAN

3,000 YEARS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE SPINY THICKET - PROVIDES A RELATIVELY SAFE HOME

FOR MANY CREATURES.

ONE SPECIES, HOWEVER, HAS

ADOPTED A UNIQUE METHOD OF

GETTING AROUND, WHENEVER LEAVING

THE SECURITY OF THE TREES.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THIS PARTICULAR SIDEWAYS

LEAP IS MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS

THE DANCE OF THE SIFAKA.

THESE MEDIUM SIZED PRIMATES ARE

SO ADAPTED TO LIVING IN THE

TREES, WHENEVER ON THE GROUND,

ALL THEY CAN DO IS HOP.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: ONCE BACK AMONG THE - BRANCHES, HOWEVER, FEW CREATURES

CAN MATCH THEIR LEAPING PROWESS.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: SIFAKAS ARE ONE OF THE - VERY FEW PRIMATES TO REMAIN

UPRIGHT WHEN THEY JUMP.

LONG BALANCE ENHANCING TAILS

ENABLE THEM TO COVER UP TO 30

FEET IN A SINGLE LEAP.

- WEBBED SKIN UNDER THEIR ARMS - GIVES ADDITIONAL LIFT DURING THE

GRACEFUL GLIDES.

- THICK PADS PROTECT THEIR HANDS - AND FEET FROM THE UNAVOIDABLE

MASS OF SHARP THORNS.

THESE ACROBATIC LEMURS LIVE IN

SMALL GROUPS, RARELY EXCEEDING

TEN ANIMALS.

LIKE THEIR RING-TAILED COUSINS,

SIFAKA FEMALES ALSO RULE THE

ROOST.

THIS YOUNGSTER IS BARELY A WEEK

OLD AND WILL REMAIN CLOSE TO HIS

MOTHER FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.

- THROUGHOUT THIS TIME, THE ENTIRE - TROOP WILL KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR

HER SAFETY.

FORTUNATELY, VERY FEW PREDATORS

ROAM THIS ISLAND.

COMING UP, DON'T GET TOO CLOSE

TO THE EDGE, WE DISCOVER SOME

RAGING AND IMPORTANT WATERFALLS.

- NARRATOR: WELL BE RIGHT BACK TO - THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE

MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THE NORTHEAST PART OF

INDIA PRIZES SEVEN RELATIVELY

UNEXPLORED AND ISOLATED STATES.

- THEY ARE BORDERED BY THE - HIMALAYAS TO THE NORTH AND

SPREAD SOUTH TOWARDS THE INDIAN

OCEAN.

JUNGLE-CLAD MOUNTAINS CREATE

THEIR OWN WEATHER SYSTEMS.

RAIN FALLS ALMOST CONTINUALLY ON

SOME OF THE WORLD'S WETTEST

HABITATS.

AS A RESULT, LIFE FLOURISHES.

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST

BEAUTIFUL, PRISTINE, AND

UNEXPLORED PLACES ON EARTH.

THE TROPICAL MOUNTAIN FORESTS OF

NORTHERN INDIA ARE RICH IN FLORA

AND FAUNA.

AND THERE'S A GOOD REASON WHY.

THE ALMOST CONSTANT RAINFALL.

INDIA'S NORTHEASTERN STATE,

MEGHALAYA, IS THE WETTEST PLACE

OF ALL.

MEGHALAYA MEANS A BOAT

OF CLOUDS.

ON AVERAGE, ALMOST 500 INCHES OF

RAIN GATHERS HERE.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THIS FUELS RAPID AND

REMARKABLE PLANT GROWTH.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: PLANTS AND INSECTS HAVE

EVOLVED INTO MANY WEIRD AND

WONDERFUL FORMS.

AN ENORMOUS MOON MOTH MIMICS A

QUIVERING LEAF.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: ITS HUGE SIZE IS MADE

POSSIBLE BY THIS HUMID

ENVIRONMENT.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: LOCAL PEOPLE ARE NEVER

SHORT OF WATER.

THEY EMBRACE NATURE IN ALL ITS

FORMS AND UTILIZE THE RAPID RATE

OF PLANT GROWTH IN THE MOST

INGENIOUS WAY.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: THE ROOTS OF THE INDIA

RUBBER TREES ARE TRAINED ACROSS

THE RIVER AND EMBEDDED ON THE

OTHER SIDE.

THIS CREATES A LIVING ROOT

BRIDGE WHICH WILL CARRY ON

GROWING FOR DECADES.

THIS BRIDGE HAS TAKEN MORE THAN

30 YEARS TO REACH THIS SIZE.

MEGHALAYA'S HILLS AND MOUNTAINS

REACH MORE THAN 6,000 FEET HIGH

AND SHADOW A VAST PLATEAU.

ON ITS SOUTHERN EDGE, THE

MEGHALAYAN HILLS FALL AWAY TO

THE FLOOD PLAINS OF BANGLADESH.

- THE STEEP HILLS ARE LITTERED - WITH WATERFALLS, WHICH SPRING TO

LIFE AFTER EVERY DOWNPOUR.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: NOHKALIKAI FALLS DROP

ALMOST 1,000 FEET.

IT'S THE FOURTH TALLEST

WATERFALL IN THE WORLD.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: CASCADING FALLS HAVE

IMMENSE POWER.

[MUSIC]

DYLAN: OVER TIME, THEY HAVE

CARVED AN INCREDIBLE MAZE OF

CAVERNS AND CAVES, DEEP WITHIN

THE HILLS.

JAINTIA HILLS HIDE THE LONGEST

CAVE SYSTEM IN INDIA.

THEY SPREAD OUT MORE THAN 12

MILES.

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.

- THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON TODAY'S - JOURNEY TO ONE OF THE WORLD'S

MOST INCREDIBLE PLACES.

- WHERE EXOTIC PLANTS AND ANIMALS - ARE LIVING, WORKING, FIGHTING,

AND PLAYING TOGETHER.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR

ANOTHER "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC - CREDITS]