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A Perfect Planet.
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There is a nuclear reactor
93 million miles away.
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We call it the Sun.
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00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,735
Its rays, travelling through space,
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00:00:54,759 --> 00:00:57,920
reach the Earth in just eight
minutes...
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..and give power to life
throughout the planet.
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00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,575
Its daily and yearly rhythms
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00:01:12,599 --> 00:01:16,560
shape the existence of every
creature on Earth...
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..and has done so
for over three billion years.
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00:01:35,799 --> 00:01:37,479
In the beginning...
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..there was light.
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00:01:56,359 --> 00:02:00,536
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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00:02:06,599 --> 00:02:10,000
..4,380 hours of it.
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00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,656
But it's delivered in varying
amounts
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00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,015
at different times of the year,
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depending on where you are.
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00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,896
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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00:02:32,879 --> 00:02:34,079
the year round.
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00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:43,216
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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and fuels a multitude of plants.
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And, in Southeast Asia,
gibbons live here.
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00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,800
A five-year-old female...
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..and her lifelong partner
are on a mission.
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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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Their flowers grow in dense clusters
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inside undeveloped figs,
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but these have not yet been
pollinated
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and are not yet edible.
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The gibbons will have to wait.
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To produce ripe fruit,
the fig still needs two things...
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..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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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 --> 00:05:07,639
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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tightly packed internal flowers.
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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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..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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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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00:06:05,879 --> 00:06:09,959
The first to emerge
are the golden, wingless males.
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00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,439
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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While their now-pregnant sisters
are beginning to hatch,
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the males themselves burrow their
way to the outside world.
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00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,399
The brothers' final act
is a chivalrous one.
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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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The young females, loaded with
pollen, live for just 48 hours,
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in which time they must find another
fig tree at just the right stage
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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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00:08:07,199 --> 00:08:10,680
The gibbons know all the fig trees
in their territory.
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And each day they travel up
to two miles
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to find one with fruit
that's ready to eat.
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Ripe figs at last...
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..a major part of their diet
and available the year round.
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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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00:09:04,879 --> 00:09:08,336
But this 12-hour cycle
of light and darkness
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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 --> 00:09:24,135
That is because the Earth
does not spin in an upright way.
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Its axis is on a tilt.
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23.5 degrees.
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00:09:31,279 --> 00:09:35,176
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 --> 00:09:43,936
For the first half of the year,
it's angled away from the Sun,
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bringing darkness and winter
to the northern hemisphere.
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00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:50,296
For the second part of the year,
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the North Pole swings
towards the Sun, bringing summer.
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00:09:57,639 --> 00:10:00,559
The Earth's tilt
gives us the seasons.
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00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:05,735
And life has adapted
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to deal with even the most
extreme changes in light.
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The High Arctic.
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00:10:13,399 --> 00:10:16,735
After six months of being angled
towards the Sun,
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00:10:16,759 --> 00:10:20,840
it begins six months
of freezing darkness.
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This is Ellesmere Island,
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the closest land to the North Pole.
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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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Few creatures can survive
this sustained darkness.
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They have become specialists in
living for months without sunlight.
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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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that will enable them to survive
the brutal cold of winter.
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00:11:17,799 --> 00:11:23,360
And this makes them a prime target
for other sub-zero specialists.
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Arctic wolves.
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The Moon provides just enough light
for them to see.
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This alpha female leads the hunt.
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Target in sight.
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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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The alpha female signals
the start of the attack.
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They run at the muskox
and the herd panics.
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The muskox close ranks.
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The wolves look for weakness.
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00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:27,679
Charging risks isolation
from the crowd.
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00:13:33,759 --> 00:13:36,799
And that is just what
the wolf pack wants.
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The wolves can sense victory.
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00:14:12,759 --> 00:14:15,159
But the herd comes to the rescue.
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00:14:23,519 --> 00:14:27,120
And, once again, they close ranks.
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00:14:30,559 --> 00:14:35,240
Most winter hunts end in failure
for the wolves.
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00:14:46,639 --> 00:14:49,576
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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00:15:08,559 --> 00:15:12,519
They've gathered together
in their hundreds for safety.
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Trying to catch one hare among
hundreds
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00:15:32,759 --> 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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Sometimes you just
have to admit defeat.
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00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:14,519
But life is about to get better
for the wolves.
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00:16:26,559 --> 00:16:32,919
For the first time in six months,
the sun rises above the horizon.
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00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:48,559
Its appearance marks the beginning
of half a year of continuous light.
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00:16:50,799 --> 00:16:55,696
The sun's warmth will allow
the muskox to give birth,
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00:16:55,720 --> 00:17:00,879
and that will provide
easier hunting for the wolves.
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00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:15,336
It's early spring,
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and much of North America
is still locked in ice.
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00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:26,016
As our tilted planet orbits the Sun,
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the northern hemisphere
receives increasing sunlight...
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00:17:32,759 --> 00:17:37,200
..and wakens an animal
with an almost supernatural ability.
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00:17:45,839 --> 00:17:48,496
It is frozen solid,
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like a block of ice,
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and has been all winter.
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00:17:56,599 --> 00:17:58,480
An ordinary-looking frog...
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..but an extraordinary one.
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A wood frog.
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00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:09,720
Its heart has stopped beating
completely.
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00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:17,496
But, as the sun's power increases,
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almost miraculously,
it begins to change.
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00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:32,096
Its frozen blood is melting
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and begins to flow
through its veins...
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..as its heart begins
to beat again.
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00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,279
The wood frog is cryogenic.
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00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:57,576
In just 12 hours,
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it thaws and comes back to life,
as if by magic.
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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 --> 00:19:21,296
All across the northern hemisphere,
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the sun's warmth
is bringing dramatic change.
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As the sun rises higher
and spring takes hold,
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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 --> 00:20:10,895
Garter snakes,
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one of Canada's most
northerly reptiles.
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00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:19,336
After six months of hibernation,
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the males are the first to emerge.
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00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:26,256
They haven't eaten for months.
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00:20:26,279 --> 00:20:31,440
Even so, it's not food that is on
their minds, it's something else...
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..females.
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00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,576
But they stand no chance
of doing anything about that
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until they've charged their
batteries.
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00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:53,296
Snakes are cold-blooded and they
need to absorb the sun's heat
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00:20:53,319 --> 00:20:55,920
before they're able to move quickly.
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00:21:02,279 --> 00:21:06,039
After a few hours,
the males are raring to go.
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00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:12,256
20,000 snakes,
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the largest emergence of reptiles
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anywhere on Earth.
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Now a few females appear.
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They're much bigger
than the males...
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..and warming
will take them longer.
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She releases a scent, a pheromone,
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that attracts the males.
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00:21:52,279 --> 00:21:55,440
They outnumber her 100 to one.
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To speed her own return to activity,
she will absorb heat from them.
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00:22:11,839 --> 00:22:14,855
Intoxicated by her scent,
the males compete for her,
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wrapping themselves around her.
194
00:22:35,599 --> 00:22:38,855
She now has hundreds
of males on top of her,
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00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,279
making mating near impossible.
196
00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:46,680
But she has a way of weeding out
the men from the boys.
197
00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:53,799
She'll make a daring ascent
of the nearby cliff.
198
00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:01,240
She barges her way through the
crowd to get to the rock face.
199
00:23:12,319 --> 00:23:17,279
As she climbs, only the strongest,
fittest males can keep up with her.
200
00:23:52,559 --> 00:23:54,736
She's made it to the top.
201
00:23:54,759 --> 00:23:59,816
Only a few of her suitors have
managed to rise to the occasion,
202
00:23:59,839 --> 00:24:02,960
and she may reward them all.
203
00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:12,175
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.
205
00:24:21,799 --> 00:24:26,279
And when it's over, they all
move off into the forest.
206
00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:33,776
There, they disperse to lead
solitary lives searching for food
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00:24:33,799 --> 00:24:39,640
until winter drives them back to the
shelter of the rocks below ground.
208
00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:52,336
It's June, halfway through
the Earth's annual journey
209
00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:57,599
around the sun, and summer has
arrived in the northern hemisphere.
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Karak Lake, in Canada,
north of the Arctic Circle.
211
00:25:08,599 --> 00:25:10,576
The summer will be brief,
212
00:25:10,599 --> 00:25:14,079
but there is sunlight
for 24 hours every day.
213
00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:22,000
So the next few months are vital
for every living thing here.
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00:25:27,519 --> 00:25:30,680
And this arctic fox knows it.
215
00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:43,296
Winter has been hard for her, and
now with a new family to support,
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00:25:43,319 --> 00:25:47,319
she must make the most
of the summer's abundance.
217
00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:56,400
Her three-week-old pups
have just emerged from the den.
218
00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:10,096
Each of these little bundles of fur
219
00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:14,920
needs nearly 300 calories
of food every day.
220
00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:19,400
A tall order for Mum.
221
00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,039
But a solution for her
problem is just arriving.
222
00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:29,976
Snow geese.
223
00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:34,655
They have flown over a thousand
miles from the United States,
224
00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:39,279
timing their arrival to coincide
with the end of the snow.
225
00:26:51,759 --> 00:26:55,135
More than half a million
will spend the summer here,
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00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:57,480
nesting and feeding on the grass.
227
00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:02,296
There's fierce competition
between couples
228
00:27:02,319 --> 00:27:04,400
for the safest nesting sites.
229
00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:17,816
The losers will have to nest
on the outskirts of the colony...
230
00:27:17,839 --> 00:27:21,440
..the first part to be
raided by the foxes.
231
00:27:38,079 --> 00:27:42,336
Mother is after eggs...
232
00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:45,680
..but getting them is
not going to be easy.
233
00:28:05,559 --> 00:28:10,096
The geese will risk their lives
to protect their eggs.
234
00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:14,720
If they lose them, they can't
produce another clutch this season.
235
00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:22,519
The fox wins.
236
00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,319
She gives the first eggs
to her young pups...
237
00:28:38,559 --> 00:28:41,359
..and then heads back for more.
238
00:29:05,359 --> 00:29:08,720
Some of the eggs she stashes away.
239
00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:15,480
They will be food to help her
through the coming winter.
240
00:29:34,079 --> 00:29:40,039
In just three weeks, she will steal
over 800 eggs from the geese.
241
00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:54,215
But eating a big egg is not easy
242
00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:56,640
if one is rather small.
243
00:30:00,039 --> 00:30:04,720
It's a technique the pups
haven't quite yet cracked.
244
00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:09,000
Mum shows how it's done.
245
00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:25,400
Goslings are now hatching
all across the colony.
246
00:30:27,519 --> 00:30:30,056
And they will need all
the food they can get
247
00:30:30,079 --> 00:30:33,519
to build up their fat before
their journey south.
248
00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:38,256
Now that the chicks have hatched,
249
00:30:38,279 --> 00:30:41,160
they can all find
safety on the water.
250
00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:55,440
In these brief sunlit months,
there's time for the cubs to play.
251
00:30:58,319 --> 00:31:01,240
But there is no playtime for Mum.
252
00:31:15,079 --> 00:31:17,935
But the Arctic is warming,
253
00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:21,415
and the timing of the seasons
and the migration of the geese
254
00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:23,599
is becoming unpredictable.
255
00:31:31,279 --> 00:31:34,415
Although the sun stays above
the horizon continuously
256
00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:37,056
throughout the Arctic summer,
257
00:31:37,079 --> 00:31:40,480
its rays are comparatively feeble.
258
00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:46,976
Closer to the equator,
in our planet's deserts,
259
00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,440
cloud cover is rare.
260
00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:05,536
The sun here is not a friend...
261
00:32:05,559 --> 00:32:07,640
..but an enemy.
262
00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:18,759
Africa.
263
00:32:19,759 --> 00:32:21,920
The Sahara.
264
00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:28,480
Few creatures can live here.
265
00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:36,016
Get caught out in the open
at the wrong time of day
266
00:32:36,039 --> 00:32:38,480
and it's game over.
267
00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:47,215
By 10:00 in the morning,
the temperature on the surface
268
00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:50,680
of the sand is pushing
60 degrees Celsius.
269
00:32:52,039 --> 00:32:56,160
Even the toughest will
soon have to take cover.
270
00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:03,455
But one creature is
waiting underground
271
00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:06,400
for the sun to get even hotter.
272
00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:14,776
Temperatures are now so high
273
00:33:14,799 --> 00:33:17,880
that everything else has to shelter.
274
00:33:24,079 --> 00:33:29,559
The desert now belongs to the
Earth's greatest solar specialist...
275
00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:34,240
..the Saharan silver ant.
276
00:33:36,359 --> 00:33:39,816
At midday, when the
sun is at its fiercest,
277
00:33:39,839 --> 00:33:44,119
they emerge to look for creatures
killed by the scorching heat.
278
00:33:46,039 --> 00:33:49,935
They're one of the fastest insects
on Earth, and they need to be,
279
00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:53,759
with just five minutes to find
food before the heat kills them.
280
00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:00,895
Getting lost would
mean certain death,
281
00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:03,576
so every few seconds
they spin round,
282
00:34:03,599 --> 00:34:06,039
taking a bearing from the sun.
283
00:34:14,679 --> 00:34:19,175
When others are frying,
these ants have solar tech
284
00:34:19,199 --> 00:34:22,400
to stop them from overheating...
285
00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:29,815
..special glassy hairs
and shining bodies
286
00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:32,840
that reflect the sun's lethal rays.
287
00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:37,840
It buys them precious time.
288
00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:48,335
To get their prize back
as quickly as possible
289
00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:51,960
to their underground den
demands teamwork.
290
00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:02,559
But shelter is a long way away.
291
00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:07,775
Any technique will do.
292
00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:10,239
The push and slide.
293
00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:15,199
The spin.
294
00:35:18,039 --> 00:35:20,719
Even dune surfing.
295
00:35:31,639 --> 00:35:34,840
The nest is still 70 metres away.
296
00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:48,639
Some are already
collapsing in the heat.
297
00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:54,360
Reinforcements are needed urgently.
298
00:35:56,440 --> 00:36:00,880
Now the heat whips up violent
gusts of hot desert air.
299
00:36:04,119 --> 00:36:06,639
For an ant, these are hurricanes.
300
00:36:27,159 --> 00:36:30,896
They must get their prize
underground as soon as possible,
301
00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:35,496
and blown sand has blocked the
entrance to their den.
302
00:36:35,519 --> 00:36:38,920
Any longer out here
and they will be toast.
303
00:36:45,079 --> 00:36:47,840
One final effort.
304
00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:04,280
The last of the team race home.
305
00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:11,239
Shade, at last.
306
00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:22,335
Much of the land on our planet
could become as scorched
307
00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:26,016
and lifeless as this if
we allow our activities
308
00:37:26,039 --> 00:37:29,079
to continue to change
the atmosphere.
309
00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:38,175
The Sahara alone has expanded by
an area twice the size of France
310
00:37:38,199 --> 00:37:41,239
in just the last hundred years...
311
00:37:44,159 --> 00:37:49,920
..part of a global desert invasion
that threatens a third of all land.
312
00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:57,976
The sun can certainly
be a lethal threat,
313
00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:00,079
but it could also be our saviour.
314
00:38:01,079 --> 00:38:04,655
The solar energy that strikes
our planet in just an hour
315
00:38:04,679 --> 00:38:09,056
contains more power than
that used by all of humanity
316
00:38:09,079 --> 00:38:11,679
in an entire year.
317
00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:24,255
By October, as the Earth
completes its annual journey
318
00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:28,576
around the sun, day lengths
in the northern hemisphere
319
00:38:28,599 --> 00:38:31,239
are shortening once again.
320
00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:38,655
The sun's power is diminishing.
321
00:38:38,679 --> 00:38:43,815
Trees are beginning to
shut down their solar panels.
322
00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:48,215
The green chlorophyll with which
they collected the sun's energy
323
00:38:48,239 --> 00:38:51,960
is broken down chemically
and reabsorbed.
324
00:39:00,199 --> 00:39:04,679
And the forests turn
from emerald to gold.
325
00:39:06,719 --> 00:39:08,840
It's autumn.
326
00:39:12,079 --> 00:39:17,440
Once again, the living world away
from the tropics is transformed.
327
00:39:20,199 --> 00:39:23,096
Plants stop growing
328
00:39:23,119 --> 00:39:27,400
and many animals begin to
prepare for tough times ahead.
329
00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:39,559
The forests of central China...
330
00:39:41,199 --> 00:39:45,199
..home to the golden
snub-nosed monkey.
331
00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:52,735
They will not survive
the fast-approaching winter
332
00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:56,320
unless they stock up
on calorie-rich food.
333
00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:04,735
Top of their autumn
menu - pine cones,
334
00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:09,239
They grew during the summer
sunlight and are rich in fats.
335
00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:16,056
Few are now left,
336
00:40:16,079 --> 00:40:19,000
and time to gather
them is running out.
337
00:40:25,519 --> 00:40:28,615
Dominant males patrol the troop,
338
00:40:28,639 --> 00:40:31,239
making sure they get
the pick of the crop.
339
00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:36,735
As the number of
pine cones dwindles,
340
00:40:36,760 --> 00:40:39,719
tensions between
rival families increase.
341
00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:53,760
Mere threats between two males may
not be enough to settle disputes.
342
00:41:00,599 --> 00:41:03,199
Conflict is in the air.
343
00:41:04,639 --> 00:41:06,719
There's going to be a fight.
344
00:41:39,199 --> 00:41:41,376
Vital food is at stake,
345
00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:44,239
so every pine cone
is worth fighting for.
346
00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:15,440
The victor and his family
enjoy the spoils of war.
347
00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:22,655
The losers get no more
than a few dead leaves
348
00:42:22,679 --> 00:42:26,920
and will have fewer energy
reserves for the coming winter.
349
00:42:31,079 --> 00:42:33,559
The sun's power dims.
350
00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:37,320
Temperatures drop.
351
00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:44,960
Everything slows down.
352
00:42:47,639 --> 00:42:51,639
Ahead lies months of crippling cold.
353
00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:14,376
Most of the life on Earth
away from the tropics
354
00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:18,496
has managed to adapt
to the changing seasons,
355
00:43:18,519 --> 00:43:21,335
but there are some creatures
that have found a way
356
00:43:21,360 --> 00:43:24,679
to avoid the cold
of winter altogether.
357
00:43:26,239 --> 00:43:29,135
Snares Island, New Zealand,
358
00:43:29,159 --> 00:43:31,559
deep in the southern hemisphere.
359
00:43:33,719 --> 00:43:37,695
Here, sooty shearwaters have been
nesting throughout the long summer
360
00:43:37,719 --> 00:43:40,480
and gorging themselves on fish.
361
00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:46,199
As a result, they've piled
on quite a few pounds.
362
00:43:48,679 --> 00:43:53,039
But the sun is now fading, and the
southern winter is approaching.
363
00:43:54,239 --> 00:43:57,239
No time to hang around.
364
00:44:05,679 --> 00:44:07,775
When you're a touch tubby,
365
00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:10,376
launching into the air...
366
00:44:10,400 --> 00:44:12,280
..is a leap of faith.
367
00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:19,280
They won't see land again
for four weeks.
368
00:44:23,840 --> 00:44:27,215
Setting off across the Pacific,
they're starting on
369
00:44:27,239 --> 00:44:31,719
one of the longest journeys
made by any living thing.
370
00:44:33,719 --> 00:44:38,456
Their aim - to avoid the
consequences of the Earth's tilt
371
00:44:38,480 --> 00:44:42,735
and follow the sun's warmth
as it dwindles in the south
372
00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:45,239
and increases in the north.
373
00:44:57,239 --> 00:45:01,096
For those who survive
the 10,000-mile marathon,
374
00:45:01,119 --> 00:45:03,800
there will be a great prize.
375
00:45:08,199 --> 00:45:12,175
The reward for travelling from
one end of the planet to the other
376
00:45:12,199 --> 00:45:15,840
is long summer days the year round.
377
00:45:18,519 --> 00:45:20,920
This is their destination...
378
00:45:22,599 --> 00:45:25,239
..Alaska's Aleutian Islands.
379
00:45:28,840 --> 00:45:32,400
While the south of our planet
is slipping into autumn...
380
00:45:34,159 --> 00:45:37,039
..here, summer is just beginning.
381
00:45:47,079 --> 00:45:52,239
Below the waves, vast clouds
of plankton are blooming.
382
00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:56,096
Triggered by the sunlight,
383
00:45:56,119 --> 00:45:58,695
these tiny marine organisms
384
00:45:58,719 --> 00:46:01,800
are food for crustaceans - krill.
385
00:46:04,639 --> 00:46:07,416
This is the sun-fuelled bounty
386
00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:10,239
for which the shearwaters
have crossed the planet.
387
00:46:17,039 --> 00:46:18,976
By cheating the tilt,
388
00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:22,719
they're able to enjoy the
riches of summer the year round.
389
00:46:29,880 --> 00:46:34,679
But shearwaters are not the only
ones to visit the warming seas.
390
00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:43,119
Humpback whales.
391
00:46:45,280 --> 00:46:48,735
They've been breeding
in the tropics...
392
00:46:48,760 --> 00:46:51,599
..and haven't fed for six months.
393
00:47:02,119 --> 00:47:07,215
Up to 6,000 whales are now
heading for these islands -
394
00:47:07,239 --> 00:47:12,880
the only place where they can find
food in the quantities they need.
395
00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:22,199
The shearwaters begin to dive
into a huge shoal of krill.
396
00:47:27,880 --> 00:47:30,559
The humpbacks attack from below.
397
00:47:37,960 --> 00:47:42,096
Each year, a million
shearwaters join the whales
398
00:47:42,119 --> 00:47:45,039
in these dramatic feeding frenzies.
399
00:47:58,360 --> 00:48:02,400
It's one of the greatest
gatherings of life on Earth.
400
00:48:03,639 --> 00:48:08,335
And it only happens because
some whales and some birds
401
00:48:08,360 --> 00:48:12,679
have found a way to live in
a summer that never ends.
402
00:48:32,320 --> 00:48:35,735
Rolf Steinmann has wanted
to be a wildlife cameraman
403
00:48:35,760 --> 00:48:41,695
since he was a child, even if he has
to remind himself from time to time.
404
00:48:41,719 --> 00:48:44,016
I'm a lucky cameraman.
405
00:48:44,039 --> 00:48:46,016
I'm a lucky cameraman.
406
00:48:46,039 --> 00:48:48,255
I'm a lucky cameraman...
407
00:48:48,280 --> 00:48:52,376
To those who've worked with Rolf,
his love of the wild is legendary.
408
00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:54,576
You know, if he's not on
location, he's at home watching
409
00:48:54,599 --> 00:48:56,936
every other wildlife documentary
that's ever been made.
410
00:48:56,960 --> 00:49:00,936
I think Rolf is motivated
by the beauty in the world.
411
00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:03,135
I think he really
has this pure heart.
412
00:49:03,159 --> 00:49:06,096
Rolf alone with nature
is Rolf at his best.
413
00:49:06,119 --> 00:49:09,335
Rolf is a man obsessed.
414
00:49:09,360 --> 00:49:12,456
The opportunity to be the
first to film arctic wolves
415
00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:16,199
in the polar night is
Rolf's dream of a lifetime.
416
00:49:17,480 --> 00:49:21,135
We have a lot of luggage.
This is a major expedition.
417
00:49:21,159 --> 00:49:24,896
And there's one piece
of luggage that is very,
418
00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:27,175
very special to me, and it's...
419
00:49:27,199 --> 00:49:30,135
It's actually this book
by Jim Brandenburg.
420
00:49:30,159 --> 00:49:32,135
It's 30 years old,
it's from the '80s.
421
00:49:32,159 --> 00:49:34,655
And when I saw this
book the first time,
422
00:49:34,679 --> 00:49:38,456
it really triggered a dream
to become a wildlife cameraman.
423
00:49:38,480 --> 00:49:40,695
And this was the shot.
424
00:49:40,719 --> 00:49:42,496
It's unmatched to this day.
425
00:49:42,519 --> 00:49:45,655
When I saw it, I just wanted
to experience it myself.
426
00:49:45,679 --> 00:49:50,096
To go to Ellesmere now
and to film wolves is...
427
00:49:50,119 --> 00:49:52,896
..is my biggest dream coming true.
428
00:49:52,920 --> 00:49:56,775
If I'm honest, I'm not just
excited about the shoot,
429
00:49:56,800 --> 00:49:59,056
I'm also a little bit anxious.
430
00:49:59,079 --> 00:50:02,295
I haven't worked in -50 degrees,
431
00:50:02,320 --> 00:50:06,615
and actually trying to find wolves
in darkness, in the polar night,
432
00:50:06,639 --> 00:50:11,000
is something that has not
even been tried by anyone.
433
00:50:17,679 --> 00:50:23,576
Ellesmere Island lies just
500 miles from the North Pole.
434
00:50:23,599 --> 00:50:27,639
In the winter, the sun
doesn't rise for four months.
435
00:50:28,679 --> 00:50:33,775
The temperature regularly
drops to -50 degrees...
436
00:50:33,800 --> 00:50:37,480
..making it one of the
coldest places on Earth.
437
00:50:39,119 --> 00:50:41,096
It's such an unreal place.
438
00:50:41,119 --> 00:50:44,199
It's like a... like a frozen dream.
439
00:50:46,039 --> 00:50:48,936
There's so much space.
440
00:50:48,960 --> 00:50:51,559
It's really like a different planet.
441
00:50:54,039 --> 00:50:57,335
The wolves here can range
for thousands of miles
442
00:50:57,360 --> 00:50:59,480
across the frozen landscape.
443
00:51:01,039 --> 00:51:04,215
If you look at that landscape,
444
00:51:04,239 --> 00:51:06,376
how vast it is,
445
00:51:06,400 --> 00:51:09,695
you can imagine how hard
it is to find the wolves,
446
00:51:09,719 --> 00:51:12,800
a white animal in a white landscape.
447
00:51:15,559 --> 00:51:18,695
One wolf has a radio collar,
448
00:51:18,719 --> 00:51:24,576
but this kind of telemetry only
gives a rough direction to explore.
449
00:51:24,599 --> 00:51:27,056
The fjord is just to the south,
so I think the best plan
450
00:51:27,079 --> 00:51:30,416
is cut across on the ice and
see if we can find a way up.
451
00:51:30,440 --> 00:51:34,335
The team race towards the
wolf's last broadcast position
452
00:51:34,360 --> 00:51:36,056
and get lucky.
453
00:51:36,079 --> 00:51:38,496
They find the whole pack,
454
00:51:38,519 --> 00:51:41,440
and something never seen before.
455
00:51:42,920 --> 00:51:46,135
This is so incredible.
456
00:51:46,159 --> 00:51:48,856
A herd of hundreds of arctic hares
457
00:51:48,880 --> 00:51:52,119
are under attack from
Rolf's white wolves.
458
00:51:54,199 --> 00:51:57,096
Wow.
459
00:51:57,119 --> 00:51:59,215
We found our...
460
00:51:59,239 --> 00:52:01,856
..our pack of seven wolves,
461
00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:04,840
in their full beauty,
which is amazing.
462
00:52:06,559 --> 00:52:11,016
Filming the new behaviour
ramps up the pressure on Rolf.
463
00:52:11,039 --> 00:52:15,000
Oh, God, the situation is
just right in the wrong spot.
464
00:52:16,519 --> 00:52:20,936
Rolf is well known
for his self-criticism.
465
00:52:20,960 --> 00:52:22,456
He's a perfectionist.
466
00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:26,119
You know, he wants that image
to be absolutely perfect.
467
00:52:27,760 --> 00:52:31,400
You're amazing,
but I'm stupid, unfortunately.
468
00:52:35,239 --> 00:52:40,376
A day later, the wolves disappear
out of range of the telemetry.
469
00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:43,896
It said they were here,
but now they aren't here
470
00:52:43,920 --> 00:52:46,936
and we don't get any signal
from the telemetry.
471
00:52:46,960 --> 00:52:52,096
So, now I think we realise how hard
it will be to find the wolves
472
00:52:52,119 --> 00:52:54,400
if we don't just run into them.
473
00:52:55,559 --> 00:52:58,376
With no wolves to film,
Rolf is determined
474
00:52:58,400 --> 00:53:01,800
to capture the beauty of
the landscape with a drone.
475
00:53:11,920 --> 00:53:14,175
We just can't get
the thing in the air.
476
00:53:14,199 --> 00:53:18,496
Um, the motors, they've
physically frozen solid.
477
00:53:18,519 --> 00:53:21,815
And the drone's not the
only thing that's freezing.
478
00:53:21,840 --> 00:53:25,559
Look what I just
found under my mask.
479
00:53:44,440 --> 00:53:49,376
A plan to warm up the drone
with a hairdryer and a duffel bag
480
00:53:49,400 --> 00:53:53,880
could mean that the world record
for the coldest flight is still on.
481
00:53:55,639 --> 00:53:57,440
Success!
482
00:54:04,199 --> 00:54:08,856
But the cold soon takes its toll
on Jesse, the drone operator.
483
00:54:08,880 --> 00:54:12,576
Argh! I'm sorry,
I can't feel my hands.
484
00:54:12,599 --> 00:54:16,295
I think we have to drift to
the right a little bit more.
485
00:54:16,320 --> 00:54:19,976
When you're on a shoot with Rolf,
he'll just keep going
486
00:54:20,000 --> 00:54:22,536
and going and going.
487
00:54:22,559 --> 00:54:24,496
We can fly towards the big mountain.
488
00:54:24,519 --> 00:54:27,655
I can get the... Argh!
..the big mountain, you know...
489
00:54:27,679 --> 00:54:29,576
Yeah... like, more centred.
490
00:54:29,599 --> 00:54:32,295
Argh! My hands!
491
00:54:32,320 --> 00:54:36,255
Come on, it's coming, it's coming.
You just fly straight, Jesse.
492
00:54:36,280 --> 00:54:38,695
But I'm losing my sensation
in my hands, Rolf.
493
00:54:38,719 --> 00:54:41,135
Yeah, let's hit roll on it
before we die... Let's record.
494
00:54:41,159 --> 00:54:42,800
Come on, do it.
495
00:54:44,960 --> 00:54:48,615
This feels like a totally
different planet. It's really crazy.
496
00:54:48,639 --> 00:54:52,536
OK, and I think now we could
do a forward view. Yeah.
497
00:54:52,559 --> 00:54:55,655
Argh! Perfect, Jesse.
You can go a bit slower.
498
00:54:55,679 --> 00:54:58,679
If you can, go a bit slower.
My fingers are hurting.
499
00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:01,536
Argh!
500
00:55:01,559 --> 00:55:03,576
That looks really cool!
501
00:55:03,599 --> 00:55:05,639
It's incredible.
502
00:55:09,559 --> 00:55:12,215
With no sighting of
the wolves in weeks,
503
00:55:12,239 --> 00:55:15,679
the team decide to follow
their prey instead.
504
00:55:17,119 --> 00:55:19,655
Muskoxen.
505
00:55:19,679 --> 00:55:21,280
And the tactic pays off.
506
00:55:22,280 --> 00:55:25,199
The herd is being
shadowed by the wolves.
507
00:55:30,920 --> 00:55:33,655
They are very close to
a herd of muskoxen there,
508
00:55:33,679 --> 00:55:35,280
and something might happen.
509
00:55:39,880 --> 00:55:43,976
Rolf is in the perfect spot to
capture the first arctic wolf hunt
510
00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:47,239
ever filmed in the polar night.
511
00:55:54,800 --> 00:55:58,760
God, there was some good stuff,
I think, if I got it in focus.
512
00:56:00,519 --> 00:56:06,215
With the shots in the can, there
is a magical experience for Rolf...
513
00:56:06,239 --> 00:56:09,679
..one he's dreamed of
since he was a child.
514
00:56:16,079 --> 00:56:18,599
It doesn't get better than this.
515
00:56:23,639 --> 00:56:26,655
Oh, my God. This is an absolutely...
516
00:56:26,679 --> 00:56:28,679
..dream of a lifetime.
517
00:56:32,159 --> 00:56:37,376
Honestly, you are the most beautiful
living being I've ever seen.
518
00:56:37,400 --> 00:56:38,920
Incredible.
519
00:56:48,599 --> 00:56:50,335
Next time...
520
00:56:50,360 --> 00:56:51,760
..weather.
521
00:56:54,960 --> 00:56:59,559
This powerful force carries
vital freshwater around the globe.
522
00:57:01,800 --> 00:57:07,320
And all life on land is perfectly
in tune with its annual rhythms.
523
00:57:14,239 --> 00:57:17,456
The Open University has
produced a free poster
524
00:57:17,480 --> 00:57:19,896
exploring our perfect planet.
525
00:57:19,920 --> 00:57:25,255
To order, please call 0300 303 0901.
526
00:57:25,280 --> 00:57:29,896
Or go to bbc.co.uk/perfectplanet
527
00:57:29,920 --> 00:57:32,880
and follow the links
to the Open University.
42497
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