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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH:
A Perfect Planet.
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There is a nuclear reactor
93 million miles away.
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00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:49,280
We call it the Sun.
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00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,760
Its rays, travelling through space,
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00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,920
reach the Earth in just eight
minutes...
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00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,960
..and give power to life
throughout the planet.
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00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,600
Its daily and yearly rhythms
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00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,560
shape the existence of every
creature on Earth...
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00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:24,640
..and has done so
for over three billion years.
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00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:37,480
In the beginning...
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00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,320
..there was light.
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00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:00,560
Surprisingly, perhaps, almost every
part of the Earth's surface
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00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:05,120
receives the same quantity of
sunlight each year...
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00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:10,000
..4,380 hours of it.
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00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,680
But it's delivered in varying
amounts
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00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,040
at different times of the year,
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00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:20,240
depending on where you are.
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00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,920
It's only here in the tropics,
close to the equator,
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that there are 12 hours of
guaranteed daily sunlight
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00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:34,080
the year round.
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00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:43,240
And, here, that has created
a great richness of life -
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the tropical forest.
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Each leaf is a natural solar panel
which collects the sun's energy
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00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,880
and fuels a multitude of plants.
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00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,440
And, in Southeast Asia,
gibbons live here.
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00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:09,400
WHOOPING
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00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:10,840
BIRD CALLS
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00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,800
A five-year-old female...
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00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:18,840
..and her lifelong partner
are on a mission.
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00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,640
Every morning, they head out across
their territory
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to look for ripe fruit.
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There is one kind of tree here
that they need more than any other.
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The fig tree.
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These are the only plants in
the entire forest that produce fruit
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all year round.
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00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:03,200
Their flowers grow in dense clusters
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inside undeveloped figs,
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00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:09,480
but these have not yet been
pollinated
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00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:11,600
and are not yet edible.
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00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,480
The gibbons will have to wait.
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00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:23,080
To produce ripe fruit,
the fig still needs two things...
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00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:26,920
..a large dose of sunlight
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and some of the smallest creatures
in the forest.
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Tiny fig wasps.
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They're only 2mm long.
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The figs have a unique partnership
with these insects.
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A female wasp
has the space of just a single day
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00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:56,600
when the fig will allow her to
burrow into the undeveloped fruit.
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It's such a tight squeeze
that her wings are ripped off.
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00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,640
But she's not going to
use them again.
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Once inside, she makes her way to
the tiny,
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00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,720
tightly packed internal flowers.
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00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,720
And, here within,
she lays hundreds of eggs.
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She then carefully unpacks
fig pollen from her abdomen...
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00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:36,360
..and with it
fertilises the tiny flowers.
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When she's finished laying,
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she dies...
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..inside the unripe fig
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alongside her eggs.
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00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,960
The sunlight now slowly
ripens the figs
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and helps the young wasps
inside to develop.
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00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:04,680
After just five weeks,
the eggs start to hatch.
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00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:09,960
The first to emerge
are the golden, wingless males.
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00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,440
Things now become
stranger than fiction.
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These males start to mate
with their unhatched sisters.
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To reach them,
they use a telescopic penis
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that's twice their body length.
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00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:47,280
While their now-pregnant sisters
are beginning to hatch,
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00:06:47,280 --> 00:06:52,320
the males themselves burrow their
way to the outside world.
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00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,400
The brothers' final act
is a chivalrous one.
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00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:22,320
They sacrifice themselves
to marauding ants.
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They're serving as decoys
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so their sisters can take
to the skies.
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00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:40,240
The young females, loaded with
pollen, live for just 48 hours,
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00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:45,640
in which time they must find another
fig tree at just the right stage
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00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:50,120
into which they themselves
can burrow, as their mothers did.
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With the sun's helping hand,
the figs are now ready to eat.
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00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:10,680
The gibbons know all the fig trees
in their territory.
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00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,680
And each day they travel up
to two miles
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00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,440
to find one with fruit
that's ready to eat.
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00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:31,240
Ripe figs at last...
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00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:36,280
..a major part of their diet
and available the year round.
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00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,840
Thousands of animals
rely on fig trees.
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This abundance is only possible
in a world without seasons
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and constant daily sunlight.
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00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:08,360
But this 12-hour cycle
of light and darkness
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00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:11,040
only happens close to the equator.
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00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:17,000
Elsewhere, the amount of sunlight
fluctuates across the year.
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00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:24,160
That is because the Earth
does not spin in an upright way.
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00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:27,200
Its axis is on a tilt.
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00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:29,880
23.5 degrees.
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00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:35,200
So as the Earth makes its annual
orbit around the Sun,
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keep your eye on the North Pole.
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00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:43,960
For the first half of the year,
it's angled away from the Sun,
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00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:48,080
bringing darkness and winter
to the northern hemisphere.
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00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:50,320
For the second part of the year,
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the North Pole swings
towards the Sun, bringing summer.
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00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:00,560
The Earth's tilt
gives us the seasons.
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00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:05,760
And life has adapted
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00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:09,960
to deal with even the most
extreme changes in light.
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00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:13,400
The High Arctic.
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00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:16,760
After six months of being angled
towards the Sun,
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00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:20,840
it begins six months
of freezing darkness.
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00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,840
This is Ellesmere Island,
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the closest land to the North Pole.
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00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:38,080
It's winter,
and for the last four, long months,
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the only light here
has come from the Moon.
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00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:47,920
Few creatures can survive
this sustained darkness.
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00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:54,280
They have become specialists in
living for months without sunlight.
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WIND HOWLS
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Muskox.
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Remnants of the last Ice Age.
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Having grazed all summer,
they've built up fat reserves
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00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:15,240
that will enable them to survive
the brutal cold of winter.
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00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:23,360
And this makes them a prime target
for other sub-zero specialists.
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00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,080
GROWLING
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Arctic wolves.
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The Moon provides just enough light
for them to see.
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SHE SNIFFS
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This alpha female leads the hunt.
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Target in sight.
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00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:10,160
If her pack is to survive,
they need to make a large kill
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at least once every three weeks.
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00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:28,760
The alpha female signals
the start of the attack.
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00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:45,800
They run at the muskox
and the herd panics.
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00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,680
The muskox close ranks.
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00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:08,480
The wolves look for weakness.
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00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:12,280
MUSKOX ROARS
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IT ROARS FIERCELY
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WOLVES WHINE
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Charging risks isolation
from the crowd.
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ROARING
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00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:36,800
And that is just what
the wolf pack wants.
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00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,240
ROARING
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00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,040
The wolves can sense victory.
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00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:15,160
But the herd comes to the rescue.
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00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:27,120
And, once again, they close ranks.
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00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:35,240
Most winter hunts end in failure
for the wolves.
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00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:37,120
MUSKOX ROARS, WOLVES WHINE
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00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:49,600
As the long polar nights drag on,
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the hungry wolves turn to their only
other source of food...
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..arctic hares.
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00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:12,520
They've gathered together
in their hundreds for safety.
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00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,760
Trying to catch one hare among
hundreds
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00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:35,000
is harder than you might think.
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00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:45,360
Even if they do catch one,
it's not much of a meal.
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00:15:56,240 --> 00:16:00,280
Sometimes you just
have to admit defeat.
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00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:09,160
WOLF GROWLS
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00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:14,520
But life is about to get better
for the wolves.
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00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:32,920
For the first time in six months,
the sun rises above the horizon.
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00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:48,560
Its appearance marks the beginning
of half a year of continuous light.
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00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:55,720
The sun's warmth will allow
the muskox to give birth,
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00:16:55,720 --> 00:17:00,880
and that will provide
easier hunting for the wolves.
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00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:15,360
It's early spring,
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00:17:15,360 --> 00:17:19,800
and much of North America
is still locked in ice.
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00:17:23,120 --> 00:17:26,040
As our tilted planet orbits the Sun,
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00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:29,680
the northern hemisphere
receives increasing sunlight...
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00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:37,200
..and wakens an animal
with an almost supernatural ability.
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00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:48,520
It is frozen solid,
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00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:50,440
like a block of ice,
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and has been all winter.
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An ordinary-looking frog...
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..but an extraordinary one.
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A wood frog.
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Its heart has stopped beating
completely.
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00:18:15,360 --> 00:18:17,520
But, as the sun's power increases,
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00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:20,800
almost miraculously,
it begins to change.
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00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:32,120
Its frozen blood is melting
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00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:35,360
and begins to flow
through its veins...
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00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:41,720
..as its heart begins
to beat again.
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00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:45,160
HEARTBEAT
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The wood frog is cryogenic.
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00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:57,600
In just 12 hours,
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00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:02,040
it thaws and comes back to life,
as if by magic.
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00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:08,920
This defrosting ability
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means it's ready for the moment
when, at last,
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spring arrives.
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00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:21,320
All across the northern hemisphere,
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00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,440
the sun's warmth
is bringing dramatic change.
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00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:52,080
As the sun rises higher
and spring takes hold,
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00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:56,000
the warming air reaches
the ground and the rocks beneath.
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00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:05,240
Here, thousands of animals
begin to stir.
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00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:10,920
Garter snakes,
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00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:14,640
one of Canada's most
northerly reptiles.
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00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:19,360
After six months of hibernation,
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00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:22,080
the males are the first to emerge.
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00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:26,280
They haven't eaten for months.
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00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:31,440
Even so, it's not food that is on
their minds, it's something else...
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00:20:33,360 --> 00:20:35,880
..females.
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00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,600
But they stand no chance
of doing anything about that
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00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:42,520
until they've charged their
batteries.
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00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:53,320
Snakes are cold-blooded and they
need to absorb the sun's heat
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00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:55,920
before they're able to move quickly.
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00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:06,040
After a few hours,
the males are raring to go.
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00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:12,280
20,000 snakes,
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00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:14,800
the largest emergence of reptiles
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00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:17,320
anywhere on Earth.
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00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,800
Now a few females appear.
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00:21:38,360 --> 00:21:40,960
They're much bigger
than the males...
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00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,840
..and warming
will take them longer.
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00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:49,200
She releases a scent, a pheromone,
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00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:52,280
that attracts the males.
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00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:55,440
They outnumber her 100 to one.
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00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:04,560
To speed her own return to activity,
she will absorb heat from them.
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00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,880
Intoxicated by her scent,
the males compete for her,
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00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:18,160
wrapping themselves around her.
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00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:38,880
She now has hundreds
of males on top of her,
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00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,280
making mating near impossible.
209
00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:46,680
But she has a way of weeding out
the men from the boys.
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00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:53,800
She'll make a daring ascent
of the nearby cliff.
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00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:01,240
She barges her way through the
crowd to get to the rock face.
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00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:17,280
As she climbs, only the strongest,
fittest males can keep up with her.
213
00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:54,760
She's made it to the top.
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00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:59,840
Only a few of her suitors have
managed to rise to the occasion,
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00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:02,960
and she may reward them all.
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00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:12,200
This entire mating
jamboree only lasts
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00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:15,720
for one short week in the year.
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00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:26,280
And when it's over, they all
move off into the forest.
219
00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:33,800
There, they disperse to lead
solitary lives searching for food
220
00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:39,640
until winter drives them back to the
shelter of the rocks below ground.
221
00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:52,360
It's June, halfway through
the Earth's annual journey
222
00:24:52,360 --> 00:24:57,600
around the sun, and summer has
arrived in the northern hemisphere.
223
00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:06,760
Karak Lake, in Canada,
north of the Arctic Circle.
224
00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:10,600
The summer will be brief,
225
00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:14,080
but there is sunlight
for 24 hours every day.
226
00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:22,000
So the next few months are vital
for every living thing here.
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00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:30,680
And this arctic fox knows it.
228
00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:35,680
CUBS SQUEAK
229
00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:43,320
Winter has been hard for her, and
now with a new family to support,
230
00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:47,320
she must make the most
of the summer's abundance.
231
00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:56,400
Her three-week-old pups
have just emerged from the den.
232
00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:04,800
CUBS SQUEAL
233
00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:10,120
Each of these little bundles of fur
234
00:26:10,120 --> 00:26:14,920
needs nearly 300 calories
of food every day.
235
00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:19,400
A tall order for Mum.
236
00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:22,000
GEESE HONK
237
00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,040
But a solution for her
problem is just arriving.
238
00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:30,000
Snow geese.
239
00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:34,680
They have flown over a thousand
miles from the United States,
240
00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:39,280
timing their arrival to coincide
with the end of the snow.
241
00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:43,000
GEESE HONK
242
00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:55,160
More than half a million
will spend the summer here,
243
00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:57,480
nesting and feeding on the grass.
244
00:26:59,360 --> 00:27:02,320
There's fierce competition
between couples
245
00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:04,400
for the safest nesting sites.
246
00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:17,840
The losers will have to nest
on the outskirts of the colony...
247
00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,440
..the first part to be
raided by the foxes.
248
00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:42,360
Mother is after eggs...
249
00:27:42,360 --> 00:27:45,680
..but getting them is
not going to be easy.
250
00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:56,960
GEESE HONK
251
00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:10,120
The geese will risk their lives
to protect their eggs.
252
00:28:10,120 --> 00:28:14,720
If they lose them, they can't
produce another clutch this season.
253
00:28:20,120 --> 00:28:22,520
The fox wins.
254
00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:27,600
GEESE CALL
255
00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,320
She gives the first eggs
to her young pups...
256
00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:41,360
..and then heads back for more.
257
00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:56,640
GEESE HONK
258
00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:08,720
Some of the eggs she stashes away.
259
00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:15,480
They will be food to help her
through the coming winter.
260
00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:17,760
GOOSE HONKS
261
00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:40,040
In just three weeks, she will steal
over 800 eggs from the geese.
262
00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:54,240
But eating a big egg is not easy
263
00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:56,640
if one is rather small.
264
00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:04,720
It's a technique the pups
haven't quite yet cracked.
265
00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:09,000
Mum shows how it's done.
266
00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:21,240
GOSLING CHEEPS
267
00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:25,400
Goslings are now hatching
all across the colony.
268
00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:30,080
And they will need all
the food they can get
269
00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,520
to build up their fat before
their journey south.
270
00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:38,280
Now that the chicks have hatched,
271
00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:41,160
they can all find
safety on the water.
272
00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:50,720
CUBS SQUEAL
273
00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:55,440
In these brief sunlit months,
there's time for the cubs to play.
274
00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:01,240
But there is no playtime for Mum.
275
00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:17,960
But the Arctic is warming,
276
00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:21,440
and the timing of the seasons
and the migration of the geese
277
00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:23,600
is becoming unpredictable.
278
00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:34,440
Although the sun stays above
the horizon continuously
279
00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:37,080
throughout the Arctic summer,
280
00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:40,480
its rays are comparatively feeble.
281
00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:47,000
Closer to the equator,
in our planet's deserts,
282
00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,440
cloud cover is rare.
283
00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:05,560
The sun here is not a friend...
284
00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:07,640
..but an enemy.
285
00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:17,000
WIND GUSTS
286
00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:18,760
Africa.
287
00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:21,920
The Sahara.
288
00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:28,480
Few creatures can live here.
289
00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:36,040
Get caught out in the open
at the wrong time of day
290
00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:38,480
and it's game over.
291
00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:40,800
WIND GUSTS
292
00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:47,240
By 10:00 in the morning,
the temperature on the surface
293
00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:50,680
of the sand is pushing
60 degrees Celsius.
294
00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:56,160
Even the toughest will
soon have to take cover.
295
00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:03,480
But one creature is
waiting underground
296
00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:06,400
for the sun to get even hotter.
297
00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:14,800
Temperatures are now so high
298
00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:17,880
that everything else has to shelter.
299
00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:29,560
The desert now belongs to the
Earth's greatest solar specialist...
300
00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:34,240
..the Saharan silver ant.
301
00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:39,840
At midday, when the
sun is at its fiercest,
302
00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:44,120
they emerge to look for creatures
killed by the scorching heat.
303
00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:49,960
They're one of the fastest insects
on Earth, and they need to be,
304
00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:53,760
with just five minutes to find
food before the heat kills them.
305
00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:00,920
Getting lost would
mean certain death,
306
00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:03,600
so every few seconds
they spin round,
307
00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:06,040
taking a bearing from the sun.
308
00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:19,200
When others are frying,
these ants have solar tech
309
00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:22,400
to stop them from overheating...
310
00:34:26,720 --> 00:34:29,840
..special glassy hairs
and shining bodies
311
00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:32,840
that reflect the sun's lethal rays.
312
00:34:35,240 --> 00:34:37,840
It buys them precious time.
313
00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:48,360
To get their prize back
as quickly as possible
314
00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:51,960
to their underground den
demands teamwork.
315
00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:02,560
But shelter is a long way away.
316
00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:07,800
Any technique will do.
317
00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:10,240
The push and slide.
318
00:35:13,240 --> 00:35:15,200
The spin.
319
00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:20,720
Even dune surfing.
320
00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:34,840
The nest is still 70 metres away.
321
00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:48,640
Some are already
collapsing in the heat.
322
00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:54,360
Reinforcements are needed urgently.
323
00:35:56,440 --> 00:36:00,880
Now the heat whips up violent
gusts of hot desert air.
324
00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:06,640
For an ant, these are hurricanes.
325
00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:14,520
WIND HOWLS
326
00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:30,920
They must get their prize
underground as soon as possible,
327
00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:35,520
and blown sand has blocked the
entrance to their den.
328
00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:38,920
Any longer out here
and they will be toast.
329
00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:47,840
One final effort.
330
00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:04,280
The last of the team race home.
331
00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:11,240
Shade, at last.
332
00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:22,360
Much of the land on our planet
could become as scorched
333
00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:26,040
and lifeless as this if
we allow our activities
334
00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:29,080
to continue to change
the atmosphere.
335
00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:38,200
The Sahara alone has expanded by
an area twice the size of France
336
00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:41,240
in just the last hundred years...
337
00:37:41,240 --> 00:37:44,160
WIND GUSTS
338
00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:49,920
..part of a global desert invasion
that threatens a third of all land.
339
00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:58,000
The sun can certainly
be a lethal threat,
340
00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:00,080
but it could also be our saviour.
341
00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:04,680
The solar energy that strikes
our planet in just an hour
342
00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:09,080
contains more power than
that used by all of humanity
343
00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:11,680
in an entire year.
344
00:38:20,720 --> 00:38:24,280
By October, as the Earth
completes its annual journey
345
00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:28,600
around the sun, day lengths
in the northern hemisphere
346
00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:31,240
are shortening once again.
347
00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:38,680
The sun's power is diminishing.
348
00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:43,840
Trees are beginning to
shut down their solar panels.
349
00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:48,240
The green chlorophyll with which
they collected the sun's energy
350
00:38:48,240 --> 00:38:51,960
is broken down chemically
and reabsorbed.
351
00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:04,680
And the forests turn
from emerald to gold.
352
00:39:06,720 --> 00:39:08,840
It's autumn.
353
00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:17,440
Once again, the living world away
from the tropics is transformed.
354
00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:23,120
Plants stop growing
355
00:39:23,120 --> 00:39:27,400
and many animals begin to
prepare for tough times ahead.
356
00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:39,560
The forests of central China...
357
00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:45,200
..home to the golden
snub-nosed monkey.
358
00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:52,760
They will not survive
the fast-approaching winter
359
00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:56,320
unless they stock up
on calorie-rich food.
360
00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:04,760
Top of their autumn
menu - pine cones,
361
00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:09,240
They grew during the summer
sunlight and are rich in fats.
362
00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:16,080
Few are now left,
363
00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:19,000
and time to gather
them is running out.
364
00:40:25,520 --> 00:40:28,640
Dominant males patrol the troop,
365
00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:31,240
making sure they get
the pick of the crop.
366
00:40:31,240 --> 00:40:34,000
MONKEYS SCREECH
367
00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:36,760
As the number of
pine cones dwindles,
368
00:40:36,760 --> 00:40:39,720
tensions between
rival families increase.
369
00:40:39,720 --> 00:40:43,080
AGGRESSIVE SCREECHING
370
00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:53,760
Mere threats between two males may
not be enough to settle disputes.
371
00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:00,600
MONKEYS SCREECH
372
00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:03,200
Conflict is in the air.
373
00:41:04,640 --> 00:41:06,720
There's going to be a fight.
374
00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:39,200
MONKEY SCREECHES
375
00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:41,400
Vital food is at stake,
376
00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:44,240
so every pine cone
is worth fighting for.
377
00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:09,040
MONKEY SCREECHES
378
00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:15,440
The victor and his family
enjoy the spoils of war.
379
00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:22,680
The losers get no more
than a few dead leaves
380
00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:26,920
and will have fewer energy
reserves for the coming winter.
381
00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:33,560
The sun's power dims.
382
00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:37,320
Temperatures drop.
383
00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:44,960
Everything slows down.
384
00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:51,640
Ahead lies months of crippling cold.
385
00:42:51,640 --> 00:42:53,320
MONKEY WHINES
386
00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:14,400
Most of the life on Earth
away from the tropics
387
00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:18,520
has managed to adapt
to the changing seasons,
388
00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:21,360
but there are some creatures
that have found a way
389
00:43:21,360 --> 00:43:24,680
to avoid the cold
of winter altogether.
390
00:43:26,240 --> 00:43:29,160
Snares Island, New Zealand,
391
00:43:29,160 --> 00:43:31,560
deep in the southern hemisphere.
392
00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:33,720
CAWING
393
00:43:33,720 --> 00:43:37,720
Here, sooty shearwaters have been
nesting throughout the long summer
394
00:43:37,720 --> 00:43:40,480
and gorging themselves on fish.
395
00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:46,200
As a result, they've piled
on quite a few pounds.
396
00:43:48,680 --> 00:43:53,040
But the sun is now fading, and the
southern winter is approaching.
397
00:43:54,240 --> 00:43:57,240
No time to hang around.
398
00:43:57,240 --> 00:43:59,360
SHEARWATERS CAW
399
00:44:05,680 --> 00:44:07,800
When you're a touch tubby,
400
00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:10,400
launching into the air...
401
00:44:10,400 --> 00:44:12,280
..is a leap of faith.
402
00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:19,280
They won't see land again
for four weeks.
403
00:44:23,840 --> 00:44:27,240
Setting off across the Pacific,
they're starting on
404
00:44:27,240 --> 00:44:31,720
one of the longest journeys
made by any living thing.
405
00:44:33,720 --> 00:44:38,480
Their aim - to avoid the
consequences of the Earth's tilt
406
00:44:38,480 --> 00:44:42,760
and follow the sun's warmth
as it dwindles in the south
407
00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:45,240
and increases in the north.
408
00:44:57,240 --> 00:45:01,120
For those who survive
the 10,000-mile marathon,
409
00:45:01,120 --> 00:45:03,800
there will be a great prize.
410
00:45:08,200 --> 00:45:12,200
The reward for travelling from
one end of the planet to the other
411
00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:15,840
is long summer days the year round.
412
00:45:18,520 --> 00:45:20,920
This is their destination...
413
00:45:22,600 --> 00:45:25,240
..Alaska's Aleutian Islands.
414
00:45:28,840 --> 00:45:32,400
While the south of our planet
is slipping into autumn...
415
00:45:34,160 --> 00:45:37,040
..here, summer is just beginning.
416
00:45:47,080 --> 00:45:52,240
Below the waves, vast clouds
of plankton are blooming.
417
00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:56,120
Triggered by the sunlight,
418
00:45:56,120 --> 00:45:58,720
these tiny marine organisms
419
00:45:58,720 --> 00:46:01,800
are food for crustaceans - krill.
420
00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:07,440
This is the sun-fuelled bounty
421
00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:10,240
for which the shearwaters
have crossed the planet.
422
00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:19,000
By cheating the tilt,
423
00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:22,720
they're able to enjoy the
riches of summer the year round.
424
00:46:29,880 --> 00:46:34,680
But shearwaters are not the only
ones to visit the warming seas.
425
00:46:36,480 --> 00:46:39,720
WHALES CALL
426
00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:43,120
Humpback whales.
427
00:46:45,280 --> 00:46:48,760
They've been breeding
in the tropics...
428
00:46:48,760 --> 00:46:51,600
..and haven't fed for six months.
429
00:47:02,120 --> 00:47:07,240
Up to 6,000 whales are now
heading for these islands -
430
00:47:07,240 --> 00:47:12,880
the only place where they can find
food in the quantities they need.
431
00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:22,200
The shearwaters begin to dive
into a huge shoal of krill.
432
00:47:27,880 --> 00:47:30,560
The humpbacks attack from below.
433
00:47:37,960 --> 00:47:42,120
Each year, a million
shearwaters join the whales
434
00:47:42,120 --> 00:47:45,040
in these dramatic feeding frenzies.
435
00:47:58,360 --> 00:48:02,400
It's one of the greatest
gatherings of life on Earth.
436
00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:08,360
And it only happens because
some whales and some birds
437
00:48:08,360 --> 00:48:12,680
have found a way to live in
a summer that never ends.
438
00:48:32,320 --> 00:48:35,760
Rolf Steinmann has wanted
to be a wildlife cameraman
439
00:48:35,760 --> 00:48:41,720
since he was a child, even if he has
to remind himself from time to time.
440
00:48:41,720 --> 00:48:44,040
I'm a lucky cameraman.
441
00:48:44,040 --> 00:48:46,040
I'm a lucky cameraman.
442
00:48:46,040 --> 00:48:48,280
I'm a lucky cameraman...
443
00:48:48,280 --> 00:48:52,400
To those who've worked with Rolf,
his love of the wild is legendary.
444
00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:54,600
You know, if he's not on
location, he's at home watching
445
00:48:54,600 --> 00:48:56,960
every other wildlife documentary
that's ever been made.
446
00:48:56,960 --> 00:49:00,960
I think Rolf is motivated
by the beauty in the world.
447
00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:03,160
I think he really
has this pure heart.
448
00:49:03,160 --> 00:49:06,120
Rolf alone with nature
is Rolf at his best.
449
00:49:06,120 --> 00:49:09,360
Rolf is a man obsessed.
450
00:49:09,360 --> 00:49:12,480
The opportunity to be the
first to film arctic wolves
451
00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:16,200
in the polar night is
Rolf's dream of a lifetime.
452
00:49:17,480 --> 00:49:21,160
We have a lot of luggage.
This is a major expedition.
453
00:49:21,160 --> 00:49:24,920
And there's one piece
of luggage that is very,
454
00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:27,200
very special to me, and it's...
455
00:49:27,200 --> 00:49:30,160
It's actually this book
by Jim Brandenburg.
456
00:49:30,160 --> 00:49:32,160
It's 30 years old,
it's from the '80s.
457
00:49:32,160 --> 00:49:34,680
And when I saw this
book the first time,
458
00:49:34,680 --> 00:49:38,480
it really triggered a dream
to become a wildlife cameraman.
459
00:49:38,480 --> 00:49:40,720
And this was the shot.
460
00:49:40,720 --> 00:49:42,520
It's unmatched to this day.
461
00:49:42,520 --> 00:49:45,680
When I saw it, I just wanted
to experience it myself.
462
00:49:45,680 --> 00:49:50,120
To go to Ellesmere now
and to film wolves is...
463
00:49:50,120 --> 00:49:52,920
..is my biggest dream coming true.
464
00:49:52,920 --> 00:49:56,800
If I'm honest, I'm not just
excited about the shoot,
465
00:49:56,800 --> 00:49:59,080
I'm also a little bit anxious.
466
00:49:59,080 --> 00:50:02,320
I haven't worked in -50 degrees,
467
00:50:02,320 --> 00:50:06,640
and actually trying to find wolves
in darkness, in the polar night,
468
00:50:06,640 --> 00:50:11,000
is something that has not
even been tried by anyone.
469
00:50:17,680 --> 00:50:23,600
Ellesmere Island lies just
500 miles from the North Pole.
470
00:50:23,600 --> 00:50:27,640
In the winter, the sun
doesn't rise for four months.
471
00:50:28,680 --> 00:50:33,800
The temperature regularly
drops to -50 degrees...
472
00:50:33,800 --> 00:50:37,480
..making it one of the
coldest places on Earth.
473
00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:41,120
It's such an unreal place.
474
00:50:41,120 --> 00:50:44,200
It's like a...like a frozen dream.
475
00:50:46,040 --> 00:50:48,960
There's so much space.
476
00:50:48,960 --> 00:50:51,560
It's really like a different planet.
477
00:50:54,040 --> 00:50:57,360
The wolves here can range
for thousands of miles
478
00:50:57,360 --> 00:50:59,480
across the frozen landscape.
479
00:51:01,040 --> 00:51:04,240
If you look at that landscape,
480
00:51:04,240 --> 00:51:06,400
how vast it is,
481
00:51:06,400 --> 00:51:09,720
you can imagine how hard
it is to find the wolves,
482
00:51:09,720 --> 00:51:12,800
a white animal in a white landscape.
483
00:51:15,560 --> 00:51:18,720
One wolf has a radio collar,
484
00:51:18,720 --> 00:51:24,600
but this kind of telemetry only
gives a rough direction to explore.
485
00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:27,080
The fjord is just to the south,
so I think the best plan
486
00:51:27,080 --> 00:51:30,440
is cut across on the ice and
see if we can find a way up.
487
00:51:30,440 --> 00:51:34,360
The team race towards the
wolf's last broadcast position
488
00:51:34,360 --> 00:51:36,080
and get lucky.
489
00:51:36,080 --> 00:51:38,520
They find the whole pack,
490
00:51:38,520 --> 00:51:41,440
and something never seen before.
491
00:51:42,920 --> 00:51:46,160
This is so incredible.
492
00:51:42,920 --> 00:51:46,160
HE LAUGHS
493
00:51:46,160 --> 00:51:48,880
A herd of hundreds of arctic hares
494
00:51:48,880 --> 00:51:52,120
are under attack from
Rolf's white wolves.
495
00:51:54,200 --> 00:51:57,120
HE CHUCKLES
496
00:51:54,200 --> 00:51:57,120
Wow.
497
00:51:57,120 --> 00:51:59,240
We found our...
498
00:51:59,240 --> 00:52:01,880
..our pack of seven wolves,
499
00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:04,840
in their full beauty,
which is amazing.
500
00:52:06,560 --> 00:52:11,040
Filming the new behaviour
ramps up the pressure on Rolf.
501
00:52:11,040 --> 00:52:15,000
Oh, God, the situation is
just right in the wrong spot.
502
00:52:16,520 --> 00:52:20,960
Rolf is well known
for his self-criticism.
503
00:52:20,960 --> 00:52:22,480
He's a perfectionist.
504
00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:26,120
You know, he wants that image
to be absolutely perfect.
505
00:52:27,760 --> 00:52:31,400
You're amazing,
but I'm stupid, unfortunately.
506
00:52:35,240 --> 00:52:40,400
A day later, the wolves disappear
out of range of the telemetry.
507
00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:43,920
It said they were here,
but now they aren't here
508
00:52:43,920 --> 00:52:46,960
and we don't get any signal
from the telemetry.
509
00:52:46,960 --> 00:52:52,120
So, now I think we realise how hard
it will be to find the wolves
510
00:52:52,120 --> 00:52:54,400
if we don't just run into them.
511
00:52:55,560 --> 00:52:58,400
With no wolves to film,
Rolf is determined
512
00:52:58,400 --> 00:53:01,800
to capture the beauty of
the landscape with a drone.
513
00:53:11,920 --> 00:53:14,200
We just can't get
the thing in the air.
514
00:53:14,200 --> 00:53:18,520
Um, the motors, they've
physically frozen solid.
515
00:53:18,520 --> 00:53:21,840
And the drone's not the
only thing that's freezing.
516
00:53:21,840 --> 00:53:25,560
Look what I just
found under my mask.
517
00:53:25,560 --> 00:53:27,080
ROLF LAUGHS
518
00:53:31,200 --> 00:53:33,920
THEY LAUGH
519
00:53:44,440 --> 00:53:49,400
A plan to warm up the drone
with a hairdryer and a duffel bag
520
00:53:49,400 --> 00:53:53,880
could mean that the world record
for the coldest flight is still on.
521
00:53:55,640 --> 00:53:57,440
Success!
522
00:54:04,200 --> 00:54:08,880
But the cold soon takes its toll
on Jesse, the drone operator.
523
00:54:08,880 --> 00:54:12,600
Argh! I'm sorry,
I can't feel my hands.
524
00:54:12,600 --> 00:54:16,320
I think we have to drift to
the right a little bit more.
525
00:54:16,320 --> 00:54:20,000
When you're on a shoot with Rolf,
he'll just keep going
526
00:54:20,000 --> 00:54:22,560
and going and going.
527
00:54:22,560 --> 00:54:24,520
We can fly towards the big mountain.
528
00:54:24,520 --> 00:54:27,680
I can get the... Argh!
..the big mountain, you know...
529
00:54:27,680 --> 00:54:29,600
Yeah. ..like, more centred.
530
00:54:29,600 --> 00:54:32,320
Argh! My hands!
531
00:54:32,320 --> 00:54:36,280
Come on, it's coming, it's coming.
You just fly straight, Jesse.
532
00:54:36,280 --> 00:54:38,720
But I'm losing my sensation
in my hands, Rolf.
533
00:54:38,720 --> 00:54:41,160
Yeah, let's hit roll on it
before we die... Let's record.
534
00:54:41,160 --> 00:54:42,800
Come on, do it.
535
00:54:44,960 --> 00:54:48,640
This feels like a totally
different planet. It's really crazy.
536
00:54:48,640 --> 00:54:52,560
OK, and I think now we could
do a forward view. Yeah.
537
00:54:52,560 --> 00:54:55,680
Argh! Perfect, Jesse.
You can go a bit slower.
538
00:54:55,680 --> 00:54:58,680
If you can, go a bit slower.
My fingers are hurting.
539
00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:01,560
Argh!
540
00:55:01,560 --> 00:55:03,600
That looks really cool!
541
00:55:03,600 --> 00:55:05,640
It's incredible.
542
00:55:09,560 --> 00:55:12,240
With no sighting of
the wolves in weeks,
543
00:55:12,240 --> 00:55:15,680
the team decide to follow
their prey instead.
544
00:55:17,120 --> 00:55:19,680
Muskoxen.
545
00:55:19,680 --> 00:55:21,280
And the tactic pays off.
546
00:55:22,280 --> 00:55:25,200
The herd is being
shadowed by the wolves.
547
00:55:25,200 --> 00:55:27,840
MUSKOX GRUNT
548
00:55:30,920 --> 00:55:33,680
They are very close to
a herd of muskoxen there,
549
00:55:33,680 --> 00:55:35,280
and something might happen.
550
00:55:39,880 --> 00:55:44,000
Rolf is in the perfect spot to
capture the first arctic wolf hunt
551
00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:47,240
ever filmed in the polar night.
552
00:55:52,800 --> 00:55:54,800
WOLVES WHINE
553
00:55:54,800 --> 00:55:58,760
God, there was some good stuff,
I think, if I got it in focus.
554
00:56:00,520 --> 00:56:06,240
With the shots in the can, there
is a magical experience for Rolf...
555
00:56:06,240 --> 00:56:09,680
..one he's dreamed of
since he was a child.
556
00:56:16,080 --> 00:56:18,600
It doesn't get better than this.
557
00:56:21,480 --> 00:56:23,640
WOLVES WHINE
558
00:56:23,640 --> 00:56:26,680
Oh, my God. This is an absolutely...
559
00:56:26,680 --> 00:56:28,680
..dream of a lifetime.
560
00:56:32,160 --> 00:56:37,400
Honestly, you are the most beautiful
living being I've ever seen.
561
00:56:37,400 --> 00:56:38,920
Incredible.
562
00:56:48,600 --> 00:56:50,360
Next time...
563
00:56:50,360 --> 00:56:51,760
..weather.
564
00:56:54,960 --> 00:56:59,560
This powerful force carries
vital freshwater around the globe.
565
00:57:01,800 --> 00:57:07,320
And all life on land is perfectly
in tune with its annual rhythms.
566
00:57:14,240 --> 00:57:17,480
The Open University has
produced a free poster
567
00:57:17,480 --> 00:57:19,920
exploring our perfect planet.
568
00:57:19,920 --> 00:57:25,280
To order, please call 0300 303 0901.
569
00:57:25,280 --> 00:57:29,920
Or go to bbc.co.uk/perfectplanet
570
00:57:29,920 --> 00:57:32,880
and follow the links
to the Open University.
42526
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