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(♪♪♪)
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00:00:09,176 --> 00:00:12,045
Nestled at the foot
of these sheer cliffs
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00:00:12,679 --> 00:00:15,415
is a wild
and overgrown terrain,
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shards of light
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the only solace
in a dark, dank world.
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(♪♪♪)
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Rooted here
lives a giant,
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a 600-year-old
Outeniqua Yellowwood.
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(♪♪♪)
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Towering 35 meters
above the forest floor,
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…it is the tallest
native tree in South Africa.
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From its topmost branches
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to the ground below,
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the Giant provides
shelter and food
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to those that hide
amongst its branches.
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(♪♪♪)
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For centuries the Titan
has seen life come and go.
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What secrets does it
hold in its boughs?
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It is the keeper of tales
in this ancient realm.
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(♪♪♪)
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This is the Soutpansberg,
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the rugged backbone
to the Limpopo province
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in the northern most corner
of South Africa.
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The Giant Yellowwood
rules over this jungle.
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It’s regent of the mountains.
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00:02:05,659 --> 00:02:09,596
March marks the end of summer
in the Soutpansberg.
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At first glance,
this Eden seems deserted,
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but it’s easy for life here
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00:02:23,977 --> 00:02:26,513
to hide in the
overgrown thicket.
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The echoing chatter of birds
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provides the only solace
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that breaks
the haunting silence.
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A booming call
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joins the ceaseless
chorus of bird-song.
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The canopy is home
to South Africa’s only
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exclusively forest
dwelling primate,
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the Samango monkey.
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Notoriously skittish,
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it’s a rare treat
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00:03:07,954 --> 00:03:11,324
to catch a glimpse
of this shy forest resident.
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It has a large family,
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thirty-eight members.
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Within this troop
is a single breeding male
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who presides over his
harem of females
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and their offspring.
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The Samangos are drawn
to what is referred to
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as the Yellowwood’s ‘fruit’.
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But fruits come from flowers,
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and there are
none of those here.
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Outeniqua Yellowwoods
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belong to an ancient family
of trees called conifers,
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which evolved long before
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00:03:53,767 --> 00:03:56,136
flowering plants appeared
on the planet.
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Instead
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they produce male
and female cones,
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found on separate trees.
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Only females produce
this so-called fruit.
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This giant
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is in fact
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00:04:12,419 --> 00:04:14,121
queen of the forest.
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00:04:15,789 --> 00:04:18,158
One year since her
cones were pollinated,
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clusters of succulent,
yellow fruit
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now hang
from her branches.
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00:04:23,897 --> 00:04:25,966
Less than two centimeters
in diameter,
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they have quite
a resinous flavor.
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00:04:30,270 --> 00:04:32,372
Still, birds and other animals
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enjoy their taste,
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00:04:34,274 --> 00:04:36,810
and flock
to the yellowwood’s branches.
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(♪♪♪)
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The monkeys’ discarded seeds
and chewed fruit chunks
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fall to the forest floor.
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(♪♪♪)
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Crested Guineafowl
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greedily peck at the scraps.
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During fruiting season,
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the Yellowwood,
helped by the monkeys,
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serves a banquet
of discarded fruit
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00:05:16,816 --> 00:05:17,817
to the flock.
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00:05:21,254 --> 00:05:22,422
In fact,
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00:05:22,422 --> 00:05:25,392
monkeys and guineafowl
often forage together,
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the birds scavenging
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on the primates’
rejected leftovers.
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00:05:38,038 --> 00:05:40,740
There’s another benefit
to this odd coupling…
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00:05:42,209 --> 00:05:44,811
more eyes
to look out for predators,
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00:05:46,112 --> 00:05:47,614
both on the ground,
86
00:05:48,014 --> 00:05:49,049
and up above.
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(♪♪♪)
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In these warm
summer months
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the Samangos welcome
new members into their troop.
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00:06:05,432 --> 00:06:08,001
A female usually
only gives birth
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00:06:08,001 --> 00:06:09,469
to one infant a year,
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not taking her eyes off it
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for the first month of its life.
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A youngster desperately
clings to his mother
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as she clambers
through the forest
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in search of food.
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His mother relies
on the nutrients
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from the Yellowwood’s fruit
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to produce her milk,
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a supply
she will need to maintain
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as she nurses him
over the next two years.
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00:06:43,470 --> 00:06:45,105
But monkeys and Guineafowl
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aren’t the only ones
to reap the Queen’s rewards.
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00:06:54,347 --> 00:06:55,615
From her branches
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a hollow call
echoes through the forest.
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00:07:07,394 --> 00:07:08,962
Purple-crested Turacos
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00:07:09,229 --> 00:07:11,031
eat almost exclusively fruit
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00:07:11,698 --> 00:07:14,801
and frequently visit the giant
in fruiting season.
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Their glossy, colorful plumage
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is a sight to behold,
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00:07:25,779 --> 00:07:28,281
with beautiful crimson
flight feathers.
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00:07:32,085 --> 00:07:34,120
But they’re not
the greatest of fliers.
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00:07:36,189 --> 00:07:39,492
Instead they nimbly run
on branches in the canopy,
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(♪♪♪)
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bounding and gliding
from limb to limb.
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(♪♪♪)
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Turacos and other
fruit-eating birds
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disperse the Giant’s seeds
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all over the forest.
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(♪♪♪)
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Darkness descends
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over the mountain.
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00:08:19,366 --> 00:08:27,073
(♪♪♪)
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Wandering stars ignite
the evening sky.
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00:08:34,247 --> 00:08:35,482
For six centuries,
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this titan amongst trees
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00:08:37,984 --> 00:08:40,987
has stood witness
to this cosmic wonder.
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(♪♪♪)
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Creatures of the night stir.
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00:08:51,765 --> 00:09:08,181
(♪♪♪)
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Amongst them,
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a woodland dormouse
is out on the prowl.
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00:09:15,822 --> 00:09:17,824
Usually the bushy-tailed
scavenger
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forages in the treetops,
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00:09:21,961 --> 00:09:22,962
but tonight
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it’s rummaging
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between the fallen
Yellowwood fruit
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for a tasty tidbit,
139
00:09:29,235 --> 00:09:30,236
all the while
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00:09:30,637 --> 00:09:32,105
cautiously listening
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00:09:32,105 --> 00:09:33,106
for danger.
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It finds its prize,
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a discarded
Yellowwood seed.
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The mouse gnaws at the seed,
145
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ruining any change
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of it taking root.
147
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(♪♪♪)
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00:09:59,432 --> 00:10:01,234
As life in the forest wakes,
149
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the Crested Guineafowl
stir in the treetops
150
00:10:05,705 --> 00:10:07,040
all around the Yellowwood.
151
00:10:12,912 --> 00:10:16,149
These peculiar birds
roost in the forest canopy
152
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where they are beyond
the reach of danger.
153
00:10:24,123 --> 00:10:25,124
It’s May,
154
00:10:25,592 --> 00:10:26,659
Autumn mornings
155
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are chilly up here
amongst the leaves,
156
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and the flock
abandons its roost
157
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to go forage
beneath the Yellowwood.
158
00:10:41,841 --> 00:10:43,610
The family is a social bunch,
159
00:10:44,377 --> 00:10:45,945
constantly communicating
160
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to stay in range of each other.
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00:10:53,753 --> 00:10:55,922
A male dominates this community,
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a role he claimed
163
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and maintains
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by being the fittest cock
165
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with the most endurance.
166
00:11:06,165 --> 00:11:07,934
He keeps a blood-red eye
167
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on his flock of thirty
168
00:11:09,869 --> 00:11:10,870
from a perch.
169
00:11:21,314 --> 00:11:23,383
When it comes
to searching for food,
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one has to admire
their persistence.
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(♪♪♪)
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They spend most of the day
173
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scrounging through leaf litter
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to unearth seeds,
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(♪♪♪)
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00:11:48,308 --> 00:11:50,410
digging for roots and bulbs,
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00:11:51,077 --> 00:11:52,912
and scratching and scraping
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00:11:53,146 --> 00:11:54,948
to uncover a juicy morsel
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00:11:55,481 --> 00:11:56,482
like a spider
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00:11:56,916 --> 00:11:57,917
or a millipede.
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In Autumn
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the flock has to work
a little harder for their food.
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The Yellowwood’s
summer fruit
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is a distant memory.
185
00:12:16,169 --> 00:12:19,238
But the forest is full
of hidden treasures;
186
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you just need to know
where to look.
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(♪♪♪)
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00:12:36,756 --> 00:12:37,991
A piercing shriek
189
00:12:38,691 --> 00:12:40,793
abruptly ends
the peace and quiet
190
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of the morning
treasure hunt.
191
00:12:45,698 --> 00:12:47,066
A male Hyrax,
192
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also known as a Dassie,
193
00:12:49,469 --> 00:12:52,171
is responsible
for this shrill cry.
194
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His territorial calls
195
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defend the Yellowwood
year-round,
196
00:13:09,956 --> 00:13:12,191
but,
fall being mating season,
197
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they’re much more
frequent now.
198
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He’s guarding his den,
199
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a collection of large boulders
200
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in the shade of the Giant.
201
00:13:33,479 --> 00:13:34,647
Hidden among them
202
00:13:34,914 --> 00:13:35,915
is his harem;
203
00:13:39,218 --> 00:13:42,522
He reins over a colony
of 17 females
204
00:13:42,922 --> 00:13:43,923
and their offspring.
205
00:13:47,126 --> 00:13:48,394
A rival male
206
00:13:48,394 --> 00:13:50,430
threatens him
with quick posturing.
207
00:13:58,404 --> 00:13:59,906
But it doesn’t take much
208
00:14:00,306 --> 00:14:02,508
to intimidate this interloper…
209
00:14:04,844 --> 00:14:05,978
he’s no match
210
00:14:06,179 --> 00:14:07,680
for this seasoned champion.
211
00:14:12,185 --> 00:14:14,420
With dorsal hairs
standing on end,
212
00:14:15,188 --> 00:14:16,556
a second challenger
213
00:14:16,556 --> 00:14:18,491
confronts the ruler
of this rock.
214
00:14:21,594 --> 00:14:23,663
But he doesn’t have
what it takes either.
215
00:14:31,571 --> 00:14:32,972
Another standoff,
216
00:14:34,807 --> 00:14:35,708
and this time
217
00:14:35,908 --> 00:14:38,010
his opponent tries
to intimidate him
218
00:14:38,411 --> 00:14:39,445
by grinding
219
00:14:39,879 --> 00:14:40,880
his molars.
220
00:14:44,484 --> 00:14:45,852
That shook him up a bit.
221
00:14:46,953 --> 00:14:48,454
Better for the dominant male
222
00:14:48,688 --> 00:14:49,822
to stand down
223
00:14:49,822 --> 00:14:51,124
than lose his den.
224
00:14:54,127 --> 00:14:56,062
Don’t be deceived
by its name.
225
00:14:56,562 --> 00:14:59,132
The Rock Hyrax
is a master tree climber,
226
00:14:59,999 --> 00:15:01,901
and it often takes
to the trees
227
00:15:01,901 --> 00:15:02,902
to forage.
228
00:15:04,403 --> 00:15:06,606
As the hyrax moves
along the branches
229
00:15:07,039 --> 00:15:08,341
it relies on the thick,
230
00:15:08,341 --> 00:15:10,009
rubbery soles on its feet
231
00:15:10,543 --> 00:15:11,711
to get a good grip.
232
00:15:18,751 --> 00:15:20,953
The inner toe
on each hind foot
233
00:15:21,254 --> 00:15:23,456
serves as a
long grooming claw.
234
00:15:24,390 --> 00:15:25,792
The Dassie uses this,
235
00:15:26,359 --> 00:15:28,795
along with four
comb-like incisors,
236
00:15:29,295 --> 00:15:31,731
to scratch almost
any part of its body.
237
00:15:35,268 --> 00:15:37,637
Although the Dassie
may look like a rodent
238
00:15:38,237 --> 00:15:39,906
its closest living relative
239
00:15:40,173 --> 00:15:42,175
could not seem
more different…
240
00:15:43,376 --> 00:15:44,710
the African Elephant…
241
00:15:45,278 --> 00:15:46,546
their close relationship
242
00:15:46,913 --> 00:15:48,848
determined by
the similar structure
243
00:15:49,048 --> 00:15:50,716
of their feet and teeth.
244
00:15:52,518 --> 00:15:53,619
This colony
245
00:15:53,619 --> 00:15:55,488
has lived
in the rocky crevices
246
00:15:55,488 --> 00:15:56,556
close to the Yellowwood
247
00:15:56,856 --> 00:15:58,124
for generations…
248
00:15:59,358 --> 00:16:00,860
perhaps even witnessing
249
00:16:01,227 --> 00:16:02,995
the first growth
of its seed.
250
00:16:05,464 --> 00:16:07,300
One den in South Africa
251
00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:09,602
was found
to have urine layers
252
00:16:09,936 --> 00:16:10,937
dating back
253
00:16:10,937 --> 00:16:13,172
55,000 years.
254
00:16:18,911 --> 00:16:20,580
This ancient forest
255
00:16:21,214 --> 00:16:23,549
can be a claustrophobic world.
256
00:16:29,121 --> 00:16:30,289
Even the spans
257
00:16:30,289 --> 00:16:32,491
between the trees
are occupied.
258
00:16:36,462 --> 00:16:37,964
All around the yellowwood,
259
00:16:38,397 --> 00:16:39,699
veils of silk
260
00:16:40,099 --> 00:16:41,734
drape between branches,
261
00:16:43,502 --> 00:16:44,904
gleaming in the sunlight.
262
00:16:44,904 --> 00:16:50,710
(♪♪♪)
263
00:16:50,710 --> 00:16:51,777
A kite spider,
264
00:16:52,211 --> 00:16:53,613
dangerously beautiful
265
00:16:53,980 --> 00:16:55,648
with crab-like spines,
266
00:16:56,115 --> 00:16:58,150
meticulously cleans its web.
267
00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:02,521
But the Queen
268
00:17:02,521 --> 00:17:04,457
cradles an even
greater jewel
269
00:17:04,790 --> 00:17:06,292
in her upper reaches.
270
00:17:08,094 --> 00:17:11,731
Here, one of Africa’s
most striking orb weavers,
271
00:17:12,064 --> 00:17:13,599
the Darwin’s Bark spider,
272
00:17:14,133 --> 00:17:15,468
has spun her web.
273
00:17:15,468 --> 00:17:24,877
(♪♪♪)
274
00:17:24,877 --> 00:17:27,113
With the toughest silk
ever seen,
275
00:17:27,513 --> 00:17:29,415
ten times stronger
than Kevlar,
276
00:17:30,316 --> 00:17:31,617
these spiders spin
277
00:17:31,617 --> 00:17:34,020
some of the largest webs
found in nature,
278
00:17:38,991 --> 00:17:41,928
covering almost
three-square meters.
279
00:17:45,564 --> 00:17:48,000
The key to this
extraordinary strength
280
00:17:48,434 --> 00:17:50,336
is the silk’s elasticity,
281
00:17:51,504 --> 00:17:52,738
twice as resilient
282
00:17:53,205 --> 00:17:54,840
as other orb-spinners’ webs.
283
00:17:54,840 --> 00:18:03,416
(♪♪♪)
284
00:18:03,416 --> 00:18:05,484
Insects stand little chance
285
00:18:05,851 --> 00:18:07,954
of escaping such a masterpiece.
286
00:18:07,954 --> 00:18:22,168
(♪♪♪)
287
00:18:22,168 --> 00:18:23,502
When a second victim
288
00:18:23,736 --> 00:18:25,571
finds its way into her web,
289
00:18:26,038 --> 00:18:27,773
she gently plucks the thread
290
00:18:28,341 --> 00:18:30,343
to make sure
there is something there.
291
00:18:30,343 --> 00:18:36,615
(♪♪♪)
292
00:18:36,615 --> 00:18:39,919
She injects digestive fluids
into her prey’s body,
293
00:18:41,053 --> 00:18:43,222
dissolving it from the inside.
294
00:18:43,222 --> 00:18:51,597
(♪♪♪)
295
00:18:51,597 --> 00:18:52,965
And bit-by-bit,
296
00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:56,769
from head to toe,
297
00:18:57,536 --> 00:18:59,305
she drains her quarry…
298
00:19:01,807 --> 00:19:03,676
every last drop.
299
00:19:06,345 --> 00:19:08,314
All this happens on a web
300
00:19:09,615 --> 00:19:11,617
30 meters
off the ground,
301
00:19:12,318 --> 00:19:14,754
within the Giant’s embrace.
302
00:19:14,754 --> 00:19:21,927
(♪♪♪)
303
00:19:21,927 --> 00:19:23,662
With Winter around the corner,
304
00:19:24,163 --> 00:19:27,033
the Giant is no longer
the generous provider
305
00:19:27,266 --> 00:19:28,267
she once was.
306
00:19:29,602 --> 00:19:32,238
For now her branches
hold neither cones
307
00:19:32,505 --> 00:19:33,506
nor fruit.
308
00:19:37,676 --> 00:19:39,178
The Samango monkeys
309
00:19:39,178 --> 00:19:41,213
have to look for food elsewhere,
310
00:19:41,981 --> 00:19:43,282
their movement confined
311
00:19:43,649 --> 00:19:45,885
to a 46-hectare
stretch of forest
312
00:19:46,185 --> 00:19:47,653
around the Yellowwood.
313
00:19:50,322 --> 00:19:52,691
Luckily,
there’s plenty to choose from
314
00:19:52,691 --> 00:19:53,692
in the jungle.
315
00:19:56,962 --> 00:19:58,931
They shove sugar rich fruit
316
00:19:58,931 --> 00:20:00,366
into their cheek pouches,
317
00:20:01,967 --> 00:20:03,736
to consume at a later stage
318
00:20:04,170 --> 00:20:06,439
in a less exposed part
of the forest.
319
00:20:06,439 --> 00:20:13,446
(♪♪♪)
320
00:20:13,446 --> 00:20:15,581
Leaves also make it
onto the menu…
321
00:20:17,249 --> 00:20:19,585
but a female hits the jackpot,
322
00:20:20,453 --> 00:20:21,921
a praying mantis…
323
00:20:23,989 --> 00:20:25,424
a juicy delicacy.
324
00:20:28,027 --> 00:20:29,628
Even better than the mantis
325
00:20:30,729 --> 00:20:31,897
are caterpillars.
326
00:20:34,066 --> 00:20:35,601
The hairy ones burn
327
00:20:36,001 --> 00:20:37,770
and need to be handled
with care.
328
00:20:38,737 --> 00:20:40,639
She rubs the insect on a branch
329
00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:43,142
to get rid of the stinging
hairs…
330
00:20:45,578 --> 00:20:47,947
maybe this wasn’t
such a good idea.
331
00:20:47,947 --> 00:20:57,823
(♪♪♪)
332
00:20:57,823 --> 00:21:00,059
Fruit digests
in the monkey’s stomach,
333
00:21:04,897 --> 00:21:06,699
while leaves ferment in a pocket
334
00:21:07,233 --> 00:21:08,734
attached to its colon.
335
00:21:14,106 --> 00:21:15,608
Related females
336
00:21:15,608 --> 00:21:17,476
form the social core
of the troop,
337
00:21:18,444 --> 00:21:20,813
passing their knowledge
of the best fruiting trees
338
00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:22,081
onto their young.
339
00:21:25,518 --> 00:21:26,952
For these monkeys
340
00:21:26,952 --> 00:21:29,889
there’s little need
to leave this small patch
341
00:21:30,122 --> 00:21:32,458
of lush, green paradise,
342
00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,429
and they will brutally defend
their fruiting trees
343
00:21:37,830 --> 00:21:39,431
against rival troops.
344
00:21:44,770 --> 00:21:46,338
With the onset of Winter,
345
00:21:46,672 --> 00:21:49,475
the Samangos will have
to be even more vigilant
346
00:21:49,942 --> 00:21:51,710
as food will become scant
347
00:21:52,211 --> 00:21:53,345
in the months ahead.
348
00:21:53,345 --> 00:22:07,726
(♪♪♪)
349
00:22:07,726 --> 00:22:08,861
The Soutpansberg
350
00:22:08,861 --> 00:22:11,764
lies at the meeting point
of several biomes,
351
00:22:12,998 --> 00:22:14,934
as thick indigenous forests
352
00:22:15,267 --> 00:22:17,369
merge with grassland
from the south
353
00:22:17,903 --> 00:22:19,071
and dry Savanna
354
00:22:19,338 --> 00:22:20,339
from the north.
355
00:22:23,108 --> 00:22:24,243
In June
356
00:22:24,243 --> 00:22:27,580
a hodgepodge of spicy,
sweet fragrances
357
00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,416
hangs thick
in the cold Winter air
358
00:22:31,083 --> 00:22:33,152
as blooming aloes and shrubs
359
00:22:33,385 --> 00:22:35,354
transform the rocky grassland
360
00:22:35,754 --> 00:22:37,489
just outside the forest.
361
00:22:41,060 --> 00:22:42,294
Home to two thirds
362
00:22:42,294 --> 00:22:44,496
of the country’s
birds and mammals,
363
00:22:45,130 --> 00:22:48,367
the area encompassing
the Soutpansberg Mountains
364
00:22:48,934 --> 00:22:50,069
holds more life
365
00:22:50,536 --> 00:22:52,838
than anywhere else
in South Africa.
366
00:22:52,838 --> 00:23:13,158
(♪♪♪)
367
00:23:13,158 --> 00:23:16,028
(♪♪♪)
368
00:23:16,028 --> 00:23:18,264
This is her domain;
369
00:23:25,471 --> 00:23:27,606
she rules this kingdom.
370
00:23:27,606 --> 00:23:34,513
(♪♪♪)
371
00:23:34,513 --> 00:23:37,283
But the queen
does not stand alone,
372
00:23:40,352 --> 00:23:42,121
she has a king;
373
00:23:45,491 --> 00:23:46,759
behind the giant
374
00:23:47,192 --> 00:23:48,460
is another yellowwood…
375
00:23:51,230 --> 00:23:52,898
her male counterpart.
376
00:23:56,135 --> 00:23:59,538
Despite being much smaller
than his female companion,
377
00:24:00,172 --> 00:24:03,142
he is still a magnificent tree.
378
00:24:07,613 --> 00:24:08,614
His branches
379
00:24:09,014 --> 00:24:11,483
bear light green
male cones.
380
00:24:13,919 --> 00:24:16,855
These slender
catkin-like cones
381
00:24:17,356 --> 00:24:20,526
have been developing
for the last 18 months,
382
00:24:21,794 --> 00:24:24,730
but they still aren’t ready
to release their pollen.
383
00:24:37,476 --> 00:24:38,477
This morning
384
00:24:38,711 --> 00:24:41,046
is bitterly cold
inside the forest,
385
00:24:42,247 --> 00:24:43,549
the temperature hovering
386
00:24:43,782 --> 00:24:46,218
just below
5 degrees Celsius.
387
00:24:49,088 --> 00:24:51,023
The boulders
underneath the Yellowwood
388
00:24:51,490 --> 00:24:53,959
bake in patches
of shifting sunlight,
389
00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:56,362
it’s the perfect spot
390
00:24:56,729 --> 00:24:58,797
for a Dassie
to bask in the heat.
391
00:25:00,666 --> 00:25:01,667
And stretching out
392
00:25:02,101 --> 00:25:03,635
on a high sunny branch
393
00:25:04,036 --> 00:25:06,038
is never
too much trouble.
394
00:25:09,708 --> 00:25:11,677
Because of its
low metabolism,
395
00:25:12,077 --> 00:25:13,846
it’s difficult for a hyrax
396
00:25:14,046 --> 00:25:15,914
to control its
body temperature,
397
00:25:17,783 --> 00:25:19,351
so lying in the sun
398
00:25:19,618 --> 00:25:20,619
helps to thaw
399
00:25:20,953 --> 00:25:23,489
cold stiff limbs.
400
00:25:30,996 --> 00:25:32,998
On chilly mornings like these,
401
00:25:33,565 --> 00:25:35,234
it increases its heartbeat
402
00:25:35,701 --> 00:25:38,070
to 160 beats per minute
403
00:25:38,070 --> 00:25:39,071
to warm up.
404
00:25:43,342 --> 00:25:45,611
When the Hyrax
gets too hot,
405
00:25:46,211 --> 00:25:47,980
panting helps it cool down
406
00:25:48,747 --> 00:25:50,682
through the evaporation
of saliva.
407
00:25:51,784 --> 00:25:52,785
It can breathe
408
00:25:53,051 --> 00:25:55,320
up to 200 breaths
per minute.
409
00:25:58,957 --> 00:26:00,426
The Dassie has evolved
410
00:26:00,726 --> 00:26:03,028
into a somewhat
lazy creature,
411
00:26:04,430 --> 00:26:07,132
it spends ninety-five percent
of its day
412
00:26:07,833 --> 00:26:08,901
sunbathing
413
00:26:08,901 --> 00:26:09,902
or resting…
414
00:26:11,270 --> 00:26:13,539
an eternity
for a herbivore.
415
00:26:22,047 --> 00:26:23,415
The Samango monkeys
416
00:26:23,715 --> 00:26:25,617
also seek out the sun
417
00:26:25,617 --> 00:26:26,919
to bask in its warmth…
418
00:26:28,353 --> 00:26:30,556
it makes for lazy downtime.
419
00:26:33,358 --> 00:26:34,560
Living in a forest,
420
00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:38,964
one’s likely to collect
a few ticks and fleas.
421
00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:43,435
It’s a real nuisance
422
00:26:43,836 --> 00:26:45,437
when all one wants to do
423
00:26:45,838 --> 00:26:47,239
is bake in the sun.
424
00:26:49,675 --> 00:26:50,943
Sometimes a monkey
425
00:26:51,310 --> 00:26:53,178
just needs more hands.
426
00:26:55,781 --> 00:26:56,782
Fortunately,
427
00:26:57,115 --> 00:27:00,052
a troop-mate makes up
for this shortcoming.
428
00:27:03,021 --> 00:27:04,356
In the Samango troop,
429
00:27:04,756 --> 00:27:07,125
everyone is regarded
as a friend,
430
00:27:07,993 --> 00:27:08,994
and grooming
431
00:27:09,228 --> 00:27:10,963
reaffirms those friendships.
432
00:27:13,899 --> 00:27:16,735
The alpha male enjoys
more grooming attention
433
00:27:17,035 --> 00:27:18,804
from his harem of females
434
00:27:19,238 --> 00:27:21,039
than any other troop member,
435
00:27:21,874 --> 00:27:23,842
a sign of their devotion.
436
00:27:27,279 --> 00:27:30,215
Social grooming ensures
peace within the troop
437
00:27:30,883 --> 00:27:32,351
and aggression is rare.
438
00:27:36,121 --> 00:27:37,589
It’s the good life;
439
00:27:38,290 --> 00:27:40,692
the troop has nothing
to worry about.
440
00:27:46,765 --> 00:27:49,167
Little do these
sunbathers realize
441
00:27:49,568 --> 00:27:51,537
that two
of their biggest enemies
442
00:27:51,870 --> 00:27:52,871
have moved back
443
00:27:53,138 --> 00:27:54,306
into the neighborhood.
444
00:28:03,582 --> 00:28:05,551
A pair of Crowned Eagles
445
00:28:05,951 --> 00:28:07,653
has been using this nest
446
00:28:07,653 --> 00:28:08,754
for many years,
447
00:28:11,857 --> 00:28:14,293
each year adding
more material to it
448
00:28:14,793 --> 00:28:15,794
resulting
449
00:28:16,395 --> 00:28:17,996
in the monstrous structure
450
00:28:18,630 --> 00:28:19,698
it is today.
451
00:28:22,668 --> 00:28:24,503
But it’s not their only nest;
452
00:28:24,937 --> 00:28:26,838
the queen cradles a second,
453
00:28:27,172 --> 00:28:28,941
which the pair used last season
454
00:28:29,308 --> 00:28:30,776
to raise a single chick.
455
00:28:33,412 --> 00:28:35,247
This year
they’ve chosen instead
456
00:28:35,547 --> 00:28:37,683
to nest in a
White Stinkwood tree
457
00:28:38,116 --> 00:28:39,551
on the edge of the forest.
458
00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:43,589
The raptors aren’t afraid
459
00:28:43,922 --> 00:28:45,457
to make their presence known,
460
00:28:46,625 --> 00:28:48,660
calling to each other
at the nest,
461
00:28:50,596 --> 00:28:51,763
and soon
462
00:28:51,763 --> 00:28:53,498
both the monkeys
and the dassies
463
00:28:54,132 --> 00:28:56,401
are aware of the threat
in the vicinity.
464
00:28:58,537 --> 00:28:59,538
Crowned eagles
465
00:28:59,538 --> 00:29:02,207
are the most powerful
eagles in Africa,
466
00:29:04,276 --> 00:29:05,277
killing animals
467
00:29:05,277 --> 00:29:07,245
up to five times
their own weight,
468
00:29:07,813 --> 00:29:08,947
crushing skulls
469
00:29:09,214 --> 00:29:11,883
and breaking spines
with long talons.
470
00:29:22,227 --> 00:29:26,064
Their wingspan stretches
almost two meters across,
471
00:29:26,865 --> 00:29:28,400
a formidable predator
472
00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:30,769
for any small furry animal.
473
00:29:35,073 --> 00:29:36,742
With spring around the corner,
474
00:29:37,242 --> 00:29:38,644
they’ve laid one egg.
475
00:29:39,511 --> 00:29:42,748
The female stays behind
on the nest to incubate it,
476
00:29:43,482 --> 00:29:44,716
while the male goes off
477
00:29:44,950 --> 00:29:45,951
to hunt for her.
478
00:29:55,994 --> 00:29:57,663
A Samango’s alarm call
479
00:29:57,929 --> 00:30:00,065
scatters the monkeys
and hyraxes,
480
00:30:00,766 --> 00:30:02,367
all running for cover.
481
00:30:16,948 --> 00:30:17,949
In the confusion,
482
00:30:18,884 --> 00:30:20,018
someone is missing.
483
00:30:27,726 --> 00:30:28,827
Back on the nest
484
00:30:29,294 --> 00:30:32,831
the female waits anxiously
for her partner to return.
485
00:30:36,134 --> 00:30:37,235
Success!
486
00:30:37,803 --> 00:30:39,771
She greedily pecks at his gift;
487
00:30:40,706 --> 00:30:42,074
a young Hyrax.
488
00:30:54,086 --> 00:30:56,154
Spring offers little relief
489
00:30:56,455 --> 00:30:58,323
from the dry September heat.
490
00:30:59,858 --> 00:31:01,560
The rain will only arrive
491
00:31:01,827 --> 00:31:03,228
at the end of the season.
492
00:31:04,529 --> 00:31:06,932
The Giant is susceptible
to this drought;
493
00:31:07,399 --> 00:31:09,434
it needs a good deal of water.
494
00:31:10,402 --> 00:31:12,304
Instead of only shallow roots
495
00:31:12,304 --> 00:31:15,040
penetrating the soil
to capture rainwater,
496
00:31:16,074 --> 00:31:17,375
it sends a taproot,
497
00:31:17,709 --> 00:31:19,544
deep into the earth.
498
00:31:20,378 --> 00:31:21,813
This longer taproot
499
00:31:22,114 --> 00:31:24,116
has its own
extensive root system
500
00:31:24,349 --> 00:31:26,551
to seek out different
sources of moisture.
501
00:31:34,192 --> 00:31:36,361
Less than one kilometer away,
502
00:31:36,695 --> 00:31:38,230
up on the plateau,
503
00:31:38,663 --> 00:31:40,365
the mountain blesses the forest
504
00:31:40,866 --> 00:31:43,635
with the bounty of run off
from higher altitudes.
505
00:31:54,780 --> 00:31:55,947
Like veins,
506
00:31:56,248 --> 00:31:57,415
these small rivers
507
00:31:57,682 --> 00:32:01,353
carry the thicket’s life-blood
through the Yellowwood’s forest.
508
00:32:06,825 --> 00:32:08,727
On and on it flows,
509
00:32:09,361 --> 00:32:10,929
the current bringing life
510
00:32:11,196 --> 00:32:13,198
to every rift and crevice.
511
00:32:21,706 --> 00:32:22,841
In the blinding light
512
00:32:22,841 --> 00:32:24,476
of the September afternoon
513
00:32:24,943 --> 00:32:26,077
the stream
514
00:32:26,077 --> 00:32:27,979
is like a
semi-molten mirror.
515
00:32:28,980 --> 00:32:30,282
It quenches the thirst
516
00:32:30,615 --> 00:32:33,618
of many of the Soutpansberg’s
plants and animals.
517
00:32:38,824 --> 00:32:40,125
Where pools form,
518
00:32:40,492 --> 00:32:43,695
Whirligig beetles swim
on the water’s surface.
519
00:32:46,665 --> 00:32:49,868
They scavenge for trapped
or floating insects,
520
00:32:50,569 --> 00:32:52,204
performing what appears to be
521
00:32:52,671 --> 00:32:54,840
an elaborate aquatic ballet.
522
00:33:04,049 --> 00:33:05,317
A common river frog
523
00:33:05,584 --> 00:33:07,319
watches for prey on the bank.
524
00:33:09,521 --> 00:33:11,156
With powerful hind legs
525
00:33:11,523 --> 00:33:14,259
and a fair amount of webbing
between the toes,
526
00:33:14,893 --> 00:33:16,528
it’s perfectly adapted
527
00:33:16,528 --> 00:33:17,629
to hunt
528
00:33:17,629 --> 00:33:19,564
in this waterlogged
environment.
529
00:33:21,399 --> 00:33:22,767
Its distinct call,
530
00:33:23,401 --> 00:33:24,436
a croak
531
00:33:24,436 --> 00:33:25,437
and rattle,
532
00:33:25,937 --> 00:33:28,273
announces its presence to
rivals,
533
00:33:29,274 --> 00:33:31,509
“this is my stalking ground”.
534
00:33:41,286 --> 00:33:44,222
A damselfly
also hunts along this stream.
535
00:33:48,627 --> 00:33:50,161
It’s drawn by midges,
536
00:33:50,161 --> 00:33:52,063
mayflies and mosquitos
537
00:33:52,497 --> 00:33:54,132
that frequent these waters.
538
00:33:55,467 --> 00:33:57,769
All this aerial master has to do
539
00:33:58,403 --> 00:34:00,238
is pluck them from the air.
540
00:34:04,910 --> 00:34:06,311
Another damselfly
541
00:34:06,711 --> 00:34:07,913
uses his tail
542
00:34:08,213 --> 00:34:10,515
to keep a firm grip
on the female
543
00:34:10,515 --> 00:34:11,783
he’s just mated with…
544
00:34:12,784 --> 00:34:14,419
preventing other suitors
545
00:34:14,953 --> 00:34:16,454
from removing his sperm
546
00:34:16,788 --> 00:34:18,156
to insert their own.
547
00:34:20,492 --> 00:34:22,294
Only when she’s laid her eggs
548
00:34:22,727 --> 00:34:24,763
is his posterity ensured.
549
00:34:26,197 --> 00:34:27,933
She deposits them underwater
550
00:34:28,466 --> 00:34:29,467
in slits
551
00:34:29,467 --> 00:34:31,870
she cuts in the stems
of water plants.
552
00:34:35,974 --> 00:34:37,042
Once done,
553
00:34:37,042 --> 00:34:38,276
she must dry off
554
00:34:38,276 --> 00:34:40,478
before she can continue
on her journey.
555
00:34:45,016 --> 00:34:47,552
The stream flows like time,
556
00:34:48,053 --> 00:34:49,654
always onward.
557
00:34:50,689 --> 00:34:51,756
The Giant
558
00:34:51,756 --> 00:34:54,926
draws strength
from the nutrient rich waters.
559
00:34:56,294 --> 00:34:58,063
The wet, fertile soil
560
00:34:58,463 --> 00:34:59,998
has made this Yellowwood
561
00:35:00,398 --> 00:35:04,202
the awe-inspiring colossus
it is today.
562
00:35:09,207 --> 00:35:10,542
But the queen’s reign
563
00:35:10,875 --> 00:35:11,876
is threatened.
564
00:35:12,644 --> 00:35:15,013
A usurper is tightening its grip
565
00:35:15,013 --> 00:35:16,314
around her throne.
566
00:35:17,816 --> 00:35:18,817
An imposter…
567
00:35:19,351 --> 00:35:22,253
slowly depriving her
of nourishment.
568
00:35:23,989 --> 00:35:25,991
For years this strangler fig
569
00:35:26,491 --> 00:35:28,727
has been making its way
up her trunk
570
00:35:29,627 --> 00:35:32,063
with a network
of aerial roots.
571
00:35:35,500 --> 00:35:38,737
The fig puts out
a lush canopy of leaves
572
00:35:39,437 --> 00:35:41,873
that rob the Queen
of her sunlight.
573
00:35:44,409 --> 00:35:46,811
Each day it tightens its grip,
574
00:35:47,946 --> 00:35:50,582
slowly squeezing the life
575
00:35:50,882 --> 00:35:52,584
from its unwilling host.
576
00:35:54,352 --> 00:35:56,254
It is a fatal embrace,
577
00:35:56,955 --> 00:35:58,590
one that will eventually
578
00:35:58,923 --> 00:36:00,358
topple the giant.
579
00:36:00,358 --> 00:36:06,364
(♪♪♪)
580
00:36:06,364 --> 00:36:07,365
Once again
581
00:36:07,665 --> 00:36:08,733
change
582
00:36:08,733 --> 00:36:10,602
comes over the Soutpansberg.
583
00:36:14,572 --> 00:36:16,841
Clouds gather on the horizon.
584
00:36:19,444 --> 00:36:21,046
A storm is brewing.
585
00:36:23,181 --> 00:36:25,717
Electricity is in the air.
586
00:36:25,717 --> 00:36:31,790
(♪♪♪)
587
00:36:31,790 --> 00:36:34,159
The forest seems uneasy.
588
00:36:38,463 --> 00:36:39,998
With the arrival of rain,
589
00:36:40,565 --> 00:36:42,100
spring ends.
590
00:36:42,100 --> 00:36:48,440
(♪♪♪)
591
00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:49,974
The November downpour
592
00:36:50,175 --> 00:36:51,776
restores the landscape
593
00:36:51,976 --> 00:36:53,578
to its true splendor…
594
00:36:55,914 --> 00:36:57,749
enveloping the Yellowwood
595
00:36:58,450 --> 00:37:00,118
in a white haze.
596
00:37:04,289 --> 00:37:05,256
The Samangos
597
00:37:05,623 --> 00:37:07,725
despise
wet days like this,
598
00:37:08,460 --> 00:37:10,128
and they choose
not to forage
599
00:37:10,128 --> 00:37:11,429
too far from the Giant;
600
00:37:12,764 --> 00:37:14,232
she’s their sanctuary.
601
00:37:19,170 --> 00:37:20,672
Even though they’re drenched,
602
00:37:21,272 --> 00:37:23,374
they carry on
with their daily business.
603
00:37:38,189 --> 00:37:40,925
The guineafowl
don’t seem troubled by the rain.
604
00:37:49,567 --> 00:37:51,035
A Forest Rain Frog,
605
00:37:51,402 --> 00:37:52,837
endemic to this area,
606
00:37:53,204 --> 00:37:55,406
stumbles onto
their feeding ground.
607
00:37:57,742 --> 00:37:59,377
Many a guineafowl
have fought
608
00:37:59,611 --> 00:38:00,979
over such a delicacy.
609
00:38:03,381 --> 00:38:04,382
But they somehow
610
00:38:04,382 --> 00:38:06,718
fail to notice
the lumbering amphibian
611
00:38:07,619 --> 00:38:09,354
and he makes
a quick getaway.
612
00:38:09,354 --> 00:38:18,196
(♪♪♪)
613
00:38:18,196 --> 00:38:19,864
It’s rare for the hyraxes
614
00:38:20,098 --> 00:38:21,733
to forage in the
middle of the day
615
00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:23,801
when temperatures are highest;
616
00:38:24,769 --> 00:38:25,870
they’re making the best
617
00:38:26,171 --> 00:38:27,372
of the gloomy weather.
618
00:38:28,806 --> 00:38:29,974
They take to the trees
619
00:38:30,341 --> 00:38:33,044
to relish the burst
of fresh new foliage.
620
00:38:35,747 --> 00:38:38,416
Dassies can eat
almost any vegetation.
621
00:38:39,951 --> 00:38:42,654
Even the forest’s
most hardy morsels
622
00:38:43,388 --> 00:38:46,257
are no match
for the symbiotic bacteria
623
00:38:46,824 --> 00:38:49,093
that fill their
three chambered stomachs,
624
00:38:49,594 --> 00:38:51,162
allowing them to break down
625
00:38:51,596 --> 00:38:53,598
an impressive variety of plants.
626
00:38:56,134 --> 00:38:57,402
Agile climbers,
627
00:38:57,769 --> 00:39:01,306
these acrobats will balance
on the thinnest branches
628
00:39:01,706 --> 00:39:03,575
to get to the juiciest leaves…
629
00:39:09,113 --> 00:39:10,448
Which leads to some
630
00:39:11,749 --> 00:39:13,551
precarious situations.
631
00:39:13,551 --> 00:39:20,625
(♪♪♪)
632
00:39:28,766 --> 00:39:32,237
December is the wet season
in the Soutpansberg.
633
00:39:33,671 --> 00:39:36,007
It’s a sultry and humid place,
634
00:39:39,177 --> 00:39:42,280
mist dancing between
peaks and crags.
635
00:39:45,550 --> 00:39:54,359
(♪♪♪)
636
00:39:54,359 --> 00:39:55,360
These mountains
637
00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:57,195
have one of the
highest rainfalls
638
00:39:57,195 --> 00:39:59,030
recorded in South Africa,
639
00:40:00,031 --> 00:40:01,032
with an average
640
00:40:01,499 --> 00:40:05,270
of almost 1900mm
of rain per year.
641
00:40:05,270 --> 00:40:16,147
(♪♪♪)
642
00:40:16,147 --> 00:40:18,483
The forests in the valleys
of the mountain
643
00:40:19,017 --> 00:40:21,986
thrive on all this
moisture in the air.
644
00:40:21,986 --> 00:40:35,900
(♪♪♪)
645
00:40:35,900 --> 00:40:37,402
On the Yellowwood’s branches
646
00:40:37,769 --> 00:40:41,906
lichens and epiphytes
soak up water from the fog.
647
00:40:41,906 --> 00:40:48,513
(♪♪♪)
648
00:40:48,513 --> 00:40:50,148
Although it’s not raining,
649
00:40:50,448 --> 00:40:53,051
the mist produces
an incessant drip
650
00:40:53,384 --> 00:40:54,752
inside the forest.
651
00:40:58,623 --> 00:41:00,658
Everything is soaked through.
652
00:41:00,658 --> 00:41:07,498
(♪♪♪)
653
00:41:07,498 --> 00:41:09,567
As the sun
makes an appearance,
654
00:41:10,134 --> 00:41:12,370
light sparkles through
droplets
655
00:41:13,004 --> 00:41:15,239
caught by
the Yellowwood’s epiphytes.
656
00:41:18,810 --> 00:41:19,811
Orchids…
657
00:41:22,647 --> 00:41:23,648
Ferns...
658
00:41:24,949 --> 00:41:25,950
and succulents,
659
00:41:26,417 --> 00:41:27,819
like the lemon bean bush,
660
00:41:28,353 --> 00:41:30,922
all grow amongst
the giant’s leaves.
661
00:41:34,959 --> 00:41:36,260
But most noticeable
662
00:41:36,260 --> 00:41:37,929
between
the Yellowwood’s branches
663
00:41:38,329 --> 00:41:39,330
are Usneae,
664
00:41:39,931 --> 00:41:43,000
also known as
“Old Man’s Beard”.
665
00:41:46,070 --> 00:41:48,306
This lichen doesn’t
damage the tree,
666
00:41:49,040 --> 00:41:51,776
but grows symbiotically
with its host plant.
667
00:41:54,612 --> 00:41:55,913
The beard-like growth
668
00:41:56,381 --> 00:41:59,817
is actually two organisms
living together,
669
00:42:00,385 --> 00:42:01,386
an algae
670
00:42:01,386 --> 00:42:02,387
and a fungus.
671
00:42:04,455 --> 00:42:05,857
Sensitive to pollution,
672
00:42:06,357 --> 00:42:07,959
the grey-green tassels
673
00:42:08,159 --> 00:42:11,095
thrive on the clean air
in the Soutpansberg.
674
00:42:25,676 --> 00:42:26,944
Close to the Yellowwood,
675
00:42:27,378 --> 00:42:29,280
a delicate rasping call
676
00:42:29,614 --> 00:42:31,649
disrupts the calm
of the forest.
677
00:42:36,454 --> 00:42:38,756
It’s a female
Paradise Flycatcher
678
00:42:40,691 --> 00:42:42,260
and she’s very agitated.
679
00:42:47,498 --> 00:42:48,699
Her mate looks on
680
00:42:48,966 --> 00:42:50,067
from another branch.
681
00:42:52,837 --> 00:42:53,838
Unlike her,
682
00:42:54,038 --> 00:42:56,507
he has long,
beautiful tail feathers.
683
00:42:58,709 --> 00:43:04,649
(♪♪♪)
684
00:43:04,649 --> 00:43:06,551
African Paradise Flycatchers
685
00:43:07,084 --> 00:43:08,753
are usually noisy birds,
686
00:43:10,154 --> 00:43:13,291
but today the couple seems
particularly perturbed.
687
00:43:18,563 --> 00:43:20,131
And here is why.
688
00:43:22,633 --> 00:43:24,735
This is not a branch…
689
00:43:30,675 --> 00:43:32,977
it’s an African Vine Snake.
690
00:43:36,848 --> 00:43:38,316
Its ability to freeze,
691
00:43:38,950 --> 00:43:40,117
imitating a twig,
692
00:43:40,751 --> 00:43:42,186
makes it hard to spot…
693
00:43:44,021 --> 00:43:46,524
but the flycatchers
don’t miss a thing.
694
00:43:49,594 --> 00:43:51,295
Their nest must be close by.
695
00:43:54,332 --> 00:43:57,001
The tiny snake
is extremely venomous
696
00:43:57,869 --> 00:44:00,104
and is potentially fatal
to humans.
697
00:44:01,072 --> 00:44:02,840
No anti-venom exists.
698
00:44:05,543 --> 00:44:07,778
A small bird
like the flycatcher
699
00:44:08,279 --> 00:44:09,780
stands no chance.
700
00:44:18,089 --> 00:44:19,991
As the days
grow even warmer,
701
00:44:20,424 --> 00:44:23,127
summer begins to transform
the Yellowwood.
702
00:44:25,563 --> 00:44:26,697
In January,
703
00:44:26,697 --> 00:44:29,934
the giant sprouts
a flourish of new leaves.
704
00:44:32,737 --> 00:44:34,906
The tender,
light green shoots
705
00:44:35,239 --> 00:44:38,943
stand out boldly
against her usual dark foliage…
706
00:44:40,912 --> 00:44:41,913
but this
707
00:44:42,547 --> 00:44:44,015
is just the beginning.
708
00:44:47,051 --> 00:44:48,286
On the male yellowwood,
709
00:44:48,786 --> 00:44:50,955
two years
since they first emerged,
710
00:44:51,789 --> 00:44:53,758
the cones have turned brown
711
00:44:54,292 --> 00:44:56,561
and have released
their precious pollen.
712
00:45:01,499 --> 00:45:02,533
All that is left
713
00:45:02,767 --> 00:45:04,802
is a white,
powdery residue
714
00:45:05,136 --> 00:45:07,271
on the cones spiraling scales.
715
00:45:12,977 --> 00:45:15,212
The pollen
floats on the wind…
716
00:45:19,150 --> 00:45:20,618
a fertile dust
717
00:45:21,018 --> 00:45:23,220
that delicately
drifts towards her,
718
00:45:23,588 --> 00:45:25,289
the female Yellowwood.
719
00:45:30,494 --> 00:45:33,698
It settles on the giant’s
newly developed cones,
720
00:45:34,065 --> 00:45:35,499
pollenating them.
721
00:45:38,636 --> 00:45:41,238
These smooth,
spherical cones
722
00:45:41,539 --> 00:45:43,240
will take about a year
to develop
723
00:45:43,474 --> 00:45:44,642
into fleshy fruit,
724
00:45:45,676 --> 00:45:46,677
each
725
00:45:46,677 --> 00:45:49,347
holding a
precious woody seed.
726
00:45:52,416 --> 00:45:53,417
Perhaps one,
727
00:45:53,684 --> 00:45:55,252
centuries from now,
728
00:45:55,720 --> 00:45:58,322
will grow to the size
of this Titan.
729
00:46:03,828 --> 00:46:05,663
Seconds or minutes,
730
00:46:06,030 --> 00:46:07,164
even hours
731
00:46:07,598 --> 00:46:10,568
are inconsequential
to the Queen.
732
00:46:11,869 --> 00:46:13,604
For this ancient giant,
733
00:46:14,005 --> 00:46:15,072
seasons come
734
00:46:15,272 --> 00:46:17,174
and go in the
blink of an eye.
735
00:46:19,477 --> 00:46:23,781
Even before European explorers
discovered Southern Africa,
736
00:46:24,515 --> 00:46:27,184
this mighty
Outeniqua Yellowwood
737
00:46:27,184 --> 00:46:28,419
sheltered life
738
00:46:28,786 --> 00:46:30,688
in the safety
of her branches.
739
00:46:34,759 --> 00:46:36,727
But she is a rare survivor.
740
00:46:38,896 --> 00:46:41,432
Logging
is decimating her species.
741
00:46:42,767 --> 00:46:44,201
Fewer than 10 percent
742
00:46:44,535 --> 00:46:47,271
of old,
giant Yellowwoods remain.
743
00:46:49,974 --> 00:46:51,776
And as her rarity rises,
744
00:46:52,476 --> 00:46:54,278
so too does her price,
745
00:46:55,446 --> 00:46:56,647
making her timber
746
00:46:56,881 --> 00:46:59,550
an ever more
sought after bounty.
747
00:46:59,550 --> 00:47:08,959
(♪♪♪)
748
00:47:08,959 --> 00:47:10,394
This Giant
749
00:47:10,728 --> 00:47:13,397
is one of a handful
of Yellowwood trees
750
00:47:14,131 --> 00:47:16,233
more than 500 years old
751
00:47:16,634 --> 00:47:18,002
still standing.
752
00:47:19,770 --> 00:47:22,206
She’s now protected
in South Africa,
753
00:47:23,307 --> 00:47:25,676
but the future of her saplings
754
00:47:26,444 --> 00:47:29,013
still hangs in the balance.
50298
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