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: WELCOME TO "EARTH - ODYSSEY".

I'M DYLAN DREYER.

GET READY TO TRAVEL AROUND THE

WORLD.

COMING UP, WE'LL TRY TO GET A

GLIMPSE OF THE ALWAYS ELUSIVE

AND ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL CLOUDED

LEOPARD.

PLUS, WE'LL DISCOVER SOME OF THE

WILDLIFE OF PATAGONIA.

AND LATER, WE'LL EXPLORE THE

EXCITING AND UNUSUAL

LIMB-SWINGING SNUB-NOSED MONKEY,

WHOSE UNIQUE FEATURE "NOSE" NO

BOUNDS.

PLUS, HOW DO ANIMALS SURVIVE IN

THE ALWAYS-CHANGING ANDES

MOUNTAIN RANGE?

[MUSIC]

- DYLAN: PART OF THAILAND'S - BEAUTY CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO ITS

TROPICAL CLIMATE.

IT'S OFTEN WET AND RARELY COLD,

WHICH EQUALS LUSH, VIBRANT

JUNGLES AND HEALTHY PLANT LIFE.

THAT BEAUTY EXTENDS TO

THAILAND'S WILDLIFE AS WELL.

THE NATIVE CLOUDED LEOPARD IS

ONE OF THE MOST CAPTIVATING

CREATURES ON THE PLANET,

CONSIDERED THE SMALLEST OF THE

WORLD'S BIG CATS.

AND THERE'S A BIG, IF NOT HUGE

ANIMAL THAT SHARES THIS

EXQUISITE ECOSYSTEM, THE ASIAN

ELEPHANT.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT HOW THIS

TIED TWOSOME LIVES SIDE-BY-SIDE.

WELCOME TO THAILAND, WHERE THE

JUNGLES ARE FULL OF PREY AND

PREDATORS.

THIS MEANS THAT SENSES HAVE TO

BE FINELY TUNED TO LIVE HERE,

- AND IN THE SURROUNDING ANCIENT - RAINFOREST, THEY ARE EQUALLY

CRITICAL.

- THE CLOUDED LEOPARD IS A - SKILLFUL, BUT SECRETIVE

PREDATOR.

SHE HAS AN ARSENAL OF SENSES.

ABLE TO SEE SIX TIMES BETTER

THAN HUMANS AT NIGHT, SHE IS

ALSO ARMED WITH EXTREMELY

ACCURATE 3D VISION THAT HELPS

GAUGE DISTANCE OF PREY IN THE

CANOPY.

- HEARING AND SMELL ARE JUST AS - IMPORTANT FOR HER, AND SHE IS

CONSTANTLY ALERT TO THE SOUNDS

OF THE JUNGLE.

[MONKEYS HOWLING]

BUT THIS MASTER OF THE SHADOWS

ISN'T HUNTING.

SHE HAS OTHER PRIORITIES.

SCENT-MARKING, IT IS AN IDEAL

FORM OF COMMUNICATION FOR THESE

TYPICALLY SOLITARY CATS.

MARKING HER TERRITORY, SHE ALSO

LEAVES A SIGNAL TO ANY POTENTIAL

MATE.

- FOR THE MALE, PATROLLING HIS - PATCH AND LEAVING HIS MARK IS

ALSO ESSENTIAL.

- NOT ONLY IS IT PRECIOUS HUNTING - GROUND, MORE THAN HALF OF HIS

TERRITORY OVERLAPS WITH FEMALE

RANGES.

- RUBBING UP AGAINST BRANCHES - HELPS SECRETE SCENT FROM THE

GLANDS IN HIS FACE, AND USING

THIS TECHNIQUE, HE MAY FIND A

MATE.

SURVIVAL DOESN'T JUST COME FROM

BEING AN EFFICIENT HUNTER.

- BREEDING IS ALSO CRITICAL, AND - THE CLOUDED LEOPARD'S SENSES ARE

VITAL.

- BUT WITH NUMBERS DWINDLING IN - THE WILD, HOW THEY SELECT EACH

OTHER ISN'T CLEAR.

THESE ELUSIVE CATS STILL HIDE

MANY SECRETS.

LIKE THE CLOUDED LEOPARD, THE

DIVERSITY OF THE FLORA AND FAUNA

IN THE AREA IS YET TO BE FULLY

UNDERSTOOD.

BUT ONE THING IS FOR SURE;

JUNGLE GIANTS STAMP THEIR MARK

ON IT.

KNOWN AS MEGA HERBIVORES, ASIAN

ELEPHANTS CERTAINLY HAVE A MEGA

APPETITE.

FEEDING ON MORE THAN 60 SPECIES

OF PLANTS IN SOME PLACES, THEY

ARE THE GARDENERS OF THE FOREST.

- THEIR HEALTHY APPETITE MEANS - THEY DISPERSE SEEDS FROM MANY

PLANTS.

BUT THEY AREN'T CAREFUL

CULTIVATORS.

THEY ARE EXTREME LANDSCAPERS.

THEY SHAPE THEIR HABITATS,

PRUNING AS THEY ROAM AND

- ALLOWING PLANTS TO GROW BACK - STRONGER AND THICKER THAN

BEFORE.

MORE SUNLIGHT ACCESSES THE

GROUND, AND GRASSES GROW

CREATING NEW HOMES FOR OTHER

ANIMALS AND PLANTS.

USING POWER AND STRENGTH, THEY

TRANSFORM THEIR HABITAT AND HELP

SUSTAIN ECOSYSTEMS AS THEY

MIGRATE.

COMING UP ON "EARTH ODYSSEY", WE

STEP INTO THE IDEAL PLACE FOR

SEA LIONS TO REAR THEIR PUPS.

PLUS, HOW DO ANIMALS SURVIVE AND

THRIVE IN THE ALWAYS-CHANGING

ANDES MOUNTAIN RANGE?

.

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

DYLAN: STRETCHING SOUTH FROM

THE RIO COLORADO, PATAGONIA

COVERS MORE THAN 300,000 SQUARE

MILES OF ARGENTINA AND CHILE.

IT'S A PLACE OF EXTREMES,

- HOME TO ONE OF THE WORLD'S - LARGEST

DESERTS.

AND YET, BILLIONS OF GALLONS OF

FRESH WATER ARE LOCKED INTO THE

ICE OF ITS VAST GLACIER FIELDS.

IT'S A LAND OF THE UNEXPECTED,

WHERE UNUSUAL ANIMALS LIVE IN

UNUSUAL PLACES.

- PENGUINS NEST UNDER DESERT - PLANTS.

RELATIVES OF THE CAMEL SIT OUT

WINTER SNOWS,

AND PARROTS LIVE BY THE SEA.

GRIPPED BY WINTER FOR NEARLY

HALF THE YEAR, PATAGONIA IS A

TOUGH PLACE TO SURVIVE.

ON THE NORTHEAST COAST, THE

OCEAN COLLIDES WITH A REMOTE

PENINSULA.

IT'S THE IDEAL PLACE FOR SEA

LIONS TO REAR THEIR PUPS.

IT'S THE END OF SUMMER.

FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS, THE

PUPS HAVE ENJOYED THE SAFETY OF

THE BEACHES.

BUT NOW THEY ARE GETTING CURIOUS

AND VENTURING INTO THE WATER.

- THEY NEED TO PERFECT THEIR - SWIMMING SKILLS BEFORE WINTER

RETURNS AND THEY HAVE TO TAKE

THEIR FIRST JOURNEY OUT TO THE

OPEN OCEAN.

SURFING THE SHALLOWS, THEY FLEX

THEIR FLIPPERS AND GEAR UP FOR A

LIFE AT SEA.

- BUT THIS NURSERY ISN'T A SAFE - PLACE.

[WATER SPLASHING]

[SEA LION GROANING]

[GROANING CONTINUES]

ORCAS, OR KILLER WHALES, ARE

THE OCEAN'S TOP PREDATORS AND

ONE OF THE MOST INTELLIGENT

ANIMALS IN THE WATER.

THIS PATAGONIAN BEACH IS THE

ONLY PLACE IN THE WORLD WHERE

KILLER WHALES HAVE LEARNED TO

BEACH THEMSELVES AS A HUNTING

TECHNIQUE.

IT'S A VERY RISKY MANEUVER.

- IF THEY GET STRANDED ON LAND, - THEIR BODIES WOULD QUICKLY

COLLAPSE UNDER THEIR OWN WEIGHT.

- THE KILLER WHALES PATROLLING - PATAGONIA'S BEACHES HAVE LEARNED

HOW TO WRIGGLE BACK TO DEEPER

WATER.

[SEA LION GROANING]

THE HUNTER'S WINDOW OF

OPPORTUNITY IS SHORT-LIVED.

IN JUST TWO WEEKS, THE SEA LIONS

WILL LEAVE THE BEACHES AND HEAD

SOUTH TO THE RICH FEEDING

GROUNDS OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC.

COLD WATER FROM ANTARCTICA

PUSHES NORTH ALONG SOUTH

AMERICA'S WEST COAST FROM THE

SOUTHERN TIP OF CHILE RIGHT UP

TO THE EQUATOR.

THIS VAST COLD TONGUE OF WATER

IS KNOWN AS THE HUMBOLDT

CURRENT.

- BRINGING NUTRIENTS UP FROM THE - DEEP, IT POWERS THE MOST

PRODUCTIVE MARINE ECOSYSTEM IN

THE WORLD.

[SEAGULL SQUAWKING]

WHILE THEY MAY HAVE CLAIMED THE

LIVES OF HUNDREDS OF SAILORS,

THE COLD SEAS AROUND THE TIP OF

PATAGONIA ARE BURSTING WITH

LIFE.

SARDINES FORM SHOALS THAT CAN BE

MORE THAN 60 FEET ACROSS AND

MADE UP OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS

OF INDIVIDUALS.

A FIFTH OF THE WORLD'S ENTIRE

FISH CATCH COMES FROM THESE

WATERS.

AND SO MUCH FISH ATTRACT

SPECIALIST HUNTERS.

A SEA LION IS ONE OF THE MOST

SKILLFUL PREDATORS IN THE OCEAN.

HIS RICH DIET HELPS HIM BUILD UP

A LAYER OF BLUBBER SEVERAL

INCHES THICK, KEEPING HIM WARM

IN ALMOST FREEZING WATER.

TIERRA DEL FUEGO IS SURROUNDED

BY ICY WATERS, BUT ITS NAME

MEANS "LAND OF FIRE".

COMING UP ON "EARTH ODYSSEY",

FIND OUT THE FAMILY TREE OF

ANDES GUANACOS.

PLUS, HOW DO ANIMALS SURVIVE THE

DIVERSE CLIMATE IN THE ANDES

MOUNTAINS?

THAT'S NEXT.

.

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

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK.

THERE ARE LOTS OF ANIMALS ALL

OVER THE WORLD SO CLOSELY

RELATED, THAT IT'S HARD TO TELL

THEM APART, LIKE LLAMAS AND THE

GUANACOS YOU'RE ABOUT TO MEET.

A GUANACO IS A LLAMA THAT

SETTLED IN THE ANDES MOUNTAINS

AFTER MIGRATING FROM NORTH

AMERICA MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO.

THIS LONG-NECKED ANDES NATIVE IS

ALSO RELATED TO THE CAMEL, WHO

SHARES ITS GOOD LOOKS AND THE

IMPRESSIVE PHYSICAL ENDURANCE

THAT'S REQUIRED FOR LIFE IN THIS

UNFORGIVING ENVIRONMENT.

LLAMAS ARE DESCENDED FROM WILD

ANCESTORS CALLED GUANACOS.

THESE CAMEL-LIKE ANIMALS GRAZE

THE SLOPES THE LENGTH OF THE

ANDES AND THRIVE AT ALL

ALTITUDES.

THEY RANGE FROM THE ALTIPLANO

ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE COAST.

HERDS OF GUANACOS GRAZE UNDER

THE WATCHFUL EYE OF THE

TERRITORIAL MALE.

HE HAS TEN FEMALES IN HIS GROUP,

MOST ACCOMPANIED BY YOUNG.

YOUNG BACHELOR MALES STICK CLOSE

BY.

[GUANACO NEIGHING]

- CAST OUT FROM THEIR HERDS, - THEY'RE TOO SMALL TO TAKE OVER A

TERRITORY OF THEIR OWN.

BUT JOINING TOGETHER FOR SAFETY,

THEY MAKE ALLIES AND PRACTICE

THEIR FIGHTING SKILLS.

[GUANACO SHRIEKING]

- GUANACOS FIND SAFETY IN - NUMBERS.

THE MOUNTAIN SLOPES ARE ALSO

HOME TO THE PUMA.

IN THIS PART OF THE ANDES,

GUANACOS MAKE UP OVER HALF THEIR

DIET, AND WITH SO MUCH POTENTIAL

PREY GRAZING ON THE SLOPES,

PUMAS ARE MORE COMMON HERE THAN

ANYWHERE ELSE IN THEIR RANGE.

THIS FEMALE HAS SUCCESSFULLY

MANAGED TO RAISE FOUR CUBS

ALMOST TO ADULTHOOD.

EACH NEEDS NINE POUNDS OF MEAT A

DAY TO SURVIVE, SO SHE MUST HUNT

MORE THAN EVER.

BUT CATCHING PREY ON THIS OPEN

TERRAIN DURING THE DAY IS ALMOST

IMPOSSIBLE,

SO SHE MUST WAIT FOR

THE COVER OF DARKNESS.

PUMAS HAVE EXCELLENT NIGHT

VISION.

THEY ARE BUILT TO SPRINT, NOT

FOR ENDURANCE.

TO PULL DOWN A GUANACO, A PUMA

MUST GET WITHIN 30 FEET BEFORE

LAUNCHING AN ATTACK.

WITH EYES ON THE SIDE OF ITS

HEAD, THE GUANACO HAS ALMOST

360-DEGREE VISION,

AND EXCELLENT HEARING.

THE MOMENT THE PUMA IS SPOTTED,

IT'S OVER.

THE GUANACO HERD CLOSES RANKS

AND MAKES A RUN FOR IT.

COMING UP, WE'LL EXPLORE THE

EXCITING AND UNUSUAL

LIMB-SWINGING SNUB-NOSED MONKEY,

WHOSE UNIQUE FEATURE "NOSE" NO

BOUNDS.

.

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

DYLAN: WELCOME TO THE HIGH

ALTITUDES OF SOUTHERN CHINA.

- SNOW BLANKETS THE MOUNTAIN PEAKS - ALL YEAR ROUND,

BUT THIS REMOTE, UNWELCOMING

TERRAIN IS HOME TO MANY SPECIES

THAT HAVE ADAPTED TO ITS

CLIMATE, INCLUDING A TRULY

BIZARRE GROUP OF PRIMATES.

THIS SPECIES OF SNUB-NOSED

MONKEY MAKES THEIR HOME UP TO

TWO MILES ABOVE SEA LEVEL, THE

HIGHEST ALTITUDE OF ANY PRIMATE.

AND UP HERE, SNOW CLOAKS THE

FORESTS FOR MONTHS.

- AND IT'S THOUGHT THAT THIS - MONKEY'S SNUB-NOSE MAY HAVE

EVOLVED TO AVOID THE OTHERWISE

INEVITABLE FROSTBITE IN SUCH

HARSH CONDITIONS.

THEIR FUR, THANKFULLY, LOCKS IN

BODY HEAT.

- SO, WHILE OTHER MAMMALS MUST - RETREAT TO THE WARMER VALLEYS,

THESE SNUB-NOSED MONKEYS HAVE

THE PICK OF THE CROP.

- ALTHOUGH THERE'S NO FRUIT AT - THIS TIME OF YEAR, LICHENS AND

TREES PROVIDE NOURISHMENT.

IT SEEMS EVEN THIS BARK IS WORTH

A BITE.

SO, HERE IN THE BRANCHES, FOOD

IS EVERYWHERE.

DESPITE THE ABUNDANCE OF FOOD,

CONFLICTS BETWEEN GROUPS IS

COMMON, AND TERRITORY MUST BE

DEFENDED.

[MONKEY SHRIEKING]

LIVING IN GROUPS OF 60 MONKEYS,

THEY MUST WORK TOGETHER TO

PROTECT THEIR YOUNG, AND THE

ADULTS REMAIN ON HIGH ALERT FOR

ANY SIGN OF DANGER...

...LIKE A RIVAL ENTERING THEIR

TERRITORY.

AS THIS INTRUDER APPROACHES,

DEFENDING THE TERRITORY WILL

FALL TO THIS LARGE MALE.

[MONKEYS SHRIEKING]

AS THE BATTLE BEGINS, OTHER

GROUP MEMBERS GATHER TOGETHER

AND CALL AT THE INVADER.

AND THANKS TO THEIR HUGE CANINE

TEETH, FIGHTS LIKE THESE CAN BE

ROUGH.

THE CHALLENGER IS SPIRITED AND

POWERFUL.

[MONKEY GROANING]

- BUT EVENTUALLY, THE PACK'S - BIGGEST MALE ASSERTS HIS

- DOMINANCE, AND THE CHALLENGER IS - FORCED TO FLEE.

THEY ARE HIGHLY AGILE, TRAVELING

AT SPEED THROUGH THE TREES AND

OFTEN LANDING ON TWO FEET.

NOTORIOUS FOR THIS HUMAN-LIKE

WALKING AND THEIR STRANGE CALLS,

IT'S EASY TO SEE WHY THESE

MONKEYS MAY HAVE INSPIRED THE

LEGEND OF THE YETI.

AT NIGHT, AS TEMPERATURES

PLUNGE, THE WHOLE TROOP MUST

ONCE AGAIN WORK TOGETHER.

SLEEPING IN CLUSTERS LIKE THIS

WILL BE ESSENTIAL IF THEY ARE TO

SURVIVE THE WINTER IN THIS

FROZEN CORNER OF THE FAR EAST.

- THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON THIS - SPECTACULAR JOURNEY THROUGH THE

GREATEST PLACES ON EARTH.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR

ANOTHER "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]