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, WE HEAD TO THE HIMALAYAS,

HOME OF SOME OF EARTH'S HIGHEST

PEAKS.

WE'LL FLY HIGH AND GO ON ONE OF

THE MOST INCREDIBLE MIGRATIONS

IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

- AND LATER, WE EXPLORE JAPAN'S - VOLCANIC ISLANDS, WHERE THESE

MONKEYS HAVE FOUND A UNIQUE WAY

TO DEFROST WHEN THERE'S A

BLIZZARD OUTSIDE.

THEN THE PUFFY GUANACO HAS TO BE

ON HIGH ALERT AT ALL TIMES,

- BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT - YOU'LL FIND IN THE UNPREDICTABLE

AND WILD REGION OF PATAGONIA.

AND WE HEAD HIGH INTO THE

MOUNTAINS, WHERE SNUB-NOSED

- MONKEYS FLY THROUGH THE AIR WITH - THE GREATEST OF EASE.

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: THE HIMALAYAS ARE THE - LARGEST MOUNTAIN CHAIN IN THE

WORLD, AND ALTHOUGH THEY LOOK

FROZEN, THEY'RE ACTUALLY MOVING

AROUND TWO INCHES EACH YEAR.

THIS RATE MIGHT SEEM INCREDIBLY

SLOW, BUT IT ACTUALLY MAKES THE

HIMALAYAS THE FASTEST MOVING

MOUNTAIN RANGE IN THE WORLD, AND

IT'S HOME TO A SPECIES OF GEESE

THAT KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT

MOVING FAST THEMSELVES.

TAKE A LOOK.

- WELCOME TO THE HIMALAYAS, WHERE - MOUNTAINS BREAK THROUGH THE

CLOUDS AND ONE SPECIES OF BIRD

BREAKS THROUGH THE SKY.

BAR-HEADED GEESE HEAD SOUTH OVER

THE HIMALAYAS TO THE WARMER

WINTER FEEDING GROUNDS OF

NORTHERN INDIA.

BUT TRAVELING MORE THAN 900

MILES IN A SINGLE DAY ISN'T THIS

BIRD'S ONLY CLAIM TO FAME.

IT CHOOSES TO FLY AT AN ALTITUDE

FEW OTHER CREATURES COULD BARELY

IMAGINE, AND THAT INCLUDES

HUMANS, AS THIS BIRD CRUISES

EVEN HIGHER THAN A JUMBO JET.

SOARING MORE THAN 30,000 FEET,

BAR-HEADED GEESE HAVE EVEN BEEN

- SPOTTED FLYING OVER EVEREST, THE - TALLEST MOUNTAIN IN THE WORLD.

- ALTHOUGH BROADER THAN AVERAGE - WINGS CREATE A LARGE UPLIFTING

SURFACE-TO-WEIGHT RATIO, THIS

SPECIES DOESN'T JUST GLIDE WITH

THE WIND.

- PART OF ITS SUCCESS IS DOWN TO - BEING A POWERFUL FLAPPER.

UNDER THEIR OWN POWER,

BAR-HEADED GEESE CAN FLY MORE

THAN 50 MILES PER HOUR.

WITH A TAILWIND, THIS SPEED CAN

EASILY BE DOUBLED.

AT MINUS 31 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,

ICE BUILDUP ON THEIR WINGS WOULD

NORMALLY BE AN ISSUE FOR MOST

BIRDS, BUT THE BAR-HEADS'

RELENTLESS FLAPPING OVER THE

MOUNTAINS PRODUCES EXCESS BODY

HEAT, WHICH IN TURN ACTS AS A

DE-ICING MECHANISM.

- THE ATMOSPHERE UP HERE CONTAINS - JUST A QUARTER OF THE OXYGEN

FOUND AT SEA LEVEL.

- BUT UNLIKE OTHER GOOSE SPECIES, - BAR-HEADED GEESE HAVE A GREATER

NUMBER OF BLOOD CAPILLARIES

SERVICING THEIR WING MUSCLES.

THIS EVOLUTIONARY TRAIT MEANS

THE LIMITED OXYGEN ABSORBED IS

UTILIZED MUCH MORE EFFICIENTLY.

IN THE HIGH HIMALAYAN PLATEAU OF

LADAKH, BUDDHIST MONKS

OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE THE ARRIVAL

OF SPRING, AND THE HIGH-ALTITUDE

- LAKES PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR THE - RETURN OF THEIR SUMMERTIME

RESIDENTS.

[HORN BLOWING]

DEFROSTED STREAMS FEED THE

THAWED-OUT GRASSLANDS, AND THE

HIGH-ALTITUDE LAKES PREPARE

THEMSELVES FOR THE RETURN OF

THEIR SUMMERTIME RESIDENTS.

WITH TEMPERATURES AROUND 70

DEGREES ABOVE FREEZING, SO

MARWARI'S WATERS ARE VIRTUALLY

COMPLETELY MELTED.

- THE HIGH-FLYING BAR-HEADED GEESE - BEGIN ARRIVING FROM THEIR WINTER

- BASE IN INDIA'S LOWER PLAINS - MORE THAN A THOUSAND MILES AWAY.

SO MARWARI IS THE ONLY PLACE IN

INDIA WHERE BAR-HEADED GEESE

COME TO BREED.

- BECAUSE THERE ARE FEW PREDATORS - AT THIS HIGH ALTITUDE, THE LAKE

- PROVIDES THE PERFECT SUMMER - RESIDENCE FOR A WHOLE VARIETY OF

WATER BIRDS.

SHELDUCKS, GREBES, AND GULLS

ALSO RELY ON SO MARWARI FOR

RAISING THEIR YOUNG, MAKING THIS

HIMALAYAN LAKE ONE OF INDIA'S

MOST IMPORTANT WETLAND

ECOSYSTEMS.

COMING UP, YOU'LL SEE WHY THESE

GUANACOS NEED THEIR DOUBLE LAYER

OF FUR.

AND THEN, THESE MONKEYS HAVE

FOUND A UNIQUE WAY TO DEFROST

WHEN THERE'S A BLIZZARD OUTSIDE.

.

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

- DYLAN: TWENTY THOUSAND YEARS - AGO, THE WHOLE OF SOUTHERN CHILE

WAS COVERED BY ICE.

TODAY, JUST FOUR PERCENT OF THIS

ICE SHEET REMAINS IN TWO FIELDS.

THE LARGER OF THE TWO, THE

SOUTHERN PATAGONIAN ICE FIELD,

- STILL EXTENDS MORE THAN - SIX-AND-A-HALF THOUSAND SQUARE

MILES.

- IT'S THE SECOND LARGEST EXPANSE - OF ICE IN THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF

THE NORTH AND SOUTH POLES.

AS WINTER APPROACHES...

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

- ...MORE AND MORE STORMS BRING - NEW SNOWFALL TO FEED THE ICE

FIELD.

DAYS SHORTEN TO JUST SEVEN HOURS

OF LIGHT.

IN THE SHADOW OF THE FREEZING

PEAKS, FLAMINGOS FUEL UP WHILE

THEY CAN.

THEIR TONGUES PUMP UP AND DOWN

SIX TIMES PER SECOND, PUSHING

WATER THROUGH THEIR BEAKS,

ALLOWING THEM TO FILTER OUT

ALGAE AND INVERTEBRATES.

- SOON THE LAKE WILL FREEZE OVER, - AND THE FLAMINGOS WILL BE FORCED

TO MOVE NORTH TOWARDS THE

EQUATOR.

NOT ALL ANIMALS CAN ESCAPE THE

BRUTAL GRIP OF WINTER.

- THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SIT - OUT THE SNOWS.

- THIS GUANACO'S DOUBLE COAT OF - FUR HELPS IT COPE WITH THE COLD.

A FINE DOWN LAYER CLOSE TO THE

SKIN INSULATES AGAINST THE

BITING WIND, AND COARSE OUTER

HAIRS KEEP WET SNOW AWAY FROM

ITS BODY.

GUANACOS STICK TOGETHER IN

HERDS, KEEPING A WARY EYE OUT

FOR DANGER.

THE PUMA IS A CONSTANT THREAT.

[GUANACO NEIGHING]

A GRAY FOX WILY ENOUGH TO

FOLLOW THE HERDS MAKES A MEAGER

LIVING PICKING UP SCRAPS FROM

ANY PUMA KILL.

[GUANACO GROANING]

- BUT CLIMATE IS THE BIGGEST - CHALLENGE HERE.

- NOT ALL ANIMALS WILL SURVIVE THE - FIVE LONG MONTHS OF WINTER.

GUANACOS RECYCLE EACH MOUTHFUL

OF FOOD, EXTRACTING EVERY LAST

NUTRIENT AVAILABLE.

A PUMA IS DESPERATELY HUNGRY,

BUT THE GUANACOS ARE ON

HIGH ALERT.

- AND WITHOUT THE ELEMENT OF - SURPRISE, THE PUMA HAS LITTLE

CHANCE OF MAKING A KILL.

- A HARE IS HARDLY MORE THAN A - MOUTHFUL, BUT IN THESE LEAN

TIMES, IT COULD BE THE

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND

DEATH.

BUT THIS TIME, THE HARE HAS

HOPPED AWAY TO SAFER GROUNDS.

COMING UP, THESE MONKEYS HAVE

FOUND A UNIQUE WAY TO DEFROST

WHEN THERE'S A BLIZZARD OUTSIDE.

AND LATER, WE'LL MEET SOME

MOUNTAIN-DWELLING MONKEYS WHOSE

TREE-SWINGING SKILLS WOULD MAKE

TARZAN JEALOUS WHEN "EARTH

ODYSSEY" RETURNS.

.

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

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.

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...

...AND SOMETIMES MASSIVE TIDAL

WAVES CALLED TSUNAMIS.

- WITH ALL OF THIS GOING ON, 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.

THE ISLANDS ARE NOW HOME TO MANY

SPECIES OF WILDLIFE FOUND

NOWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.

- 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 MACAQUES, 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 100 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.

[MONKEYS SHRIEKING]

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, WE'LL MEET SOME

MOUNTAIN-DWELLING MONKEYS WHOSE

TREE-SWINGING SKILLS WOULD MAKE

TARZAN JEALOUS.

- YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THEIR - HIGH-FLYING FEATS WHEN "EARTH

ODYSSEY" RETURNS.

.

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

DYLAN: HIGH UP IN THE HENGDUAN

MOUNTAINS OF CHINA LIVES A

MYSTERIOUS GROUP OF PRIMATES,

AND THEY'VE INSPIRED LEGENDS OF

MYTHICAL CREATURES WHO ROAM THE

SNOW-COVERED SUMMITS.

DURING THE COLDER MONTHS, FEW

HUMANS VENTURE INTO THESE

UNBEARABLE CLIMATES, AND REPORTS

OF UNEARTHLY BEINGS IS JUST

ANOTHER REASON TO STAY AS FAR

AWAY AS POSSIBLE.

AND WHO COULD BLAME THEM?

- THESE BIZARRE-LOOKING PRIMATES - HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE

- YETI, OR ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN, FOR - CENTURIES.

BUT THESE ARE NOT GHASTLY

MONSTERS.

THESE ARE SNUB-NOSED MONKEYS,

NOTORIOUS FOR THEIR HUMAN-LIKE

UPRIGHT WALKING.

WITH THEIR STRANGE APPEARANCE

AND DEMONIC-SOUNDING CHATTER,

- IT'S NO WONDER LOCAL PEOPLE - THOUGHT THEY WERE SINISTER

VILLAINS.

IT'S BELIEVED THAT THEIR LACK OF

A FLESHY NOSE IS NATURE'S WAY OF

PROTECTING THEM FROM GETTING A

FROSTBITTEN FACE.

THEIR FLAT-MUZZLED NOSTRILS ALSO

GIVE THEM THEIR APTLY EARNED

NAME.

SNUB-NOSED MONKEYS ARE OFTEN

FOUND LIVING IN ALTITUDES

HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER PRIMATE

ASIDE FROM HUMANS.

ONE GROUP IN NORTHERN YUNAN HAVE

BEEN RECORDED LIVING AT OVER

15,000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

- AT THESE ALTITUDES, TEMPERATURES - CAN DROP TO MINUS 40 DEGREES.

- BUT WHILE OTHER MAMMALS RETREAT - TO THE WARMER VALLEYS,

SNUB-NOSED MONKEYS HAVE FREE

REIGN OF THE SNOWY PEAKS, AND

THEY TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF IT.

SWINGING FROM TREE-TO-TREE IS

THE PREFERRED FORM OF TRAVEL.

- KNOWN AS BRACHIATION, IT ALLOWS - THEM TO MOVE QUICKLY AND

EFFICIENTLY OVER SHORT

DISTANCES.

THEIR LONG, MUSCULAR ARMS ENABLE

THEM TO PERFORM INCREDIBLE

ACROBATICS, AND THEY OFTEN STICK

THE LANDING ON TWO FEET.

THEIR LONG, LANKY ARMS AREN'T

THE ONLY THINGS THAT COME IN

HANDY.

THE SNUB-NOSED MONKEY'S THICK,

SHAGGY FUR ALSO PROVIDES THEM

- WITH NECESSARY COLD WEATHER - INSULATION.

- WHILE MOST PRIMATES HAVE THE - LUXURY OF DINING ON LEAVES AND

FRUIT, THESE GUYS ARE HAPPY WITH

A HEARTY MEAL OF PINE NEEDLES

AND BARK.

- WHILE THERE'S PLENTY OF ROUGHAGE - TO GO AROUND, COMPETITION OVER

THE BEST TWIG CAN LEAD TO SOME

MINOR SCUFFLES BETWEEN THE

YOUNGER MONKEYS.

[MONKEYS SHRIEKING]

[SHRIEKING CONTINUES]

BUT THE ADULT MALES HAVE MUCH

MORE IMPORTANT ISSUES TO FIGHT

OVER.

[MONKEYS SHRIEKING]

COMPETITION OVER FEMALES IS A

CONSTANT BATTLE.

[MONKEYS SHRIEKING]

ARMED WITH OVERSIZED CANINE

TEETH, A FULL-ON FIGHT COULD

PROVE DANGEROUS.

[MONKEYS SHRIEKING]

FORTUNATELY, THIS GUY KNOWS

WHEN TO WALK AWAY FROM A BRAWL.

AS THE DAY COMES TO AN END, IT

PAYS FOR EVERYONE TO SETTLE

THEIR DIFFERENCES.

- HUDDLING TOGETHER IS KEY TO - SURVIVAL, AS THE NIGHTTIME

- TEMPERATURES DROP BELOW - FREEZING.

- 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]