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On the roof of the world,
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the jagged Himalayas seem to split the sky.
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(lively instrumental music)
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In their shadow, a misty and mysterious kingdom
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hides a little-known world.
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It's home to a wild cast of characters
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that are rarely seen and largely unstudied.
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In the midst of their colorful dramas,
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one remarkable and adorable creature stands out,
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the extremely rare red panda.
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Join us for the extraordinary adventures of Ta-Shi.
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Nowhere on earth is the clash of continents more dramatic
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than in the Himalayas where India smashes into Asia,
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thrusting up the highest mountain range on earth.
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10 of the top 14 tallest summits
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in the world scrape the sky here.
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(mystical instrumental music)
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Underneath the clouds, lush mountain forests spread
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as far as the eye can see.
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They are mostly impenetrable,
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and that's proved a salvation
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for one of the most elusive animals in the world.
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The red panda has rarely been filmed in the wild,
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keeping its secrets to itself.
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Its companions in this vast emerald fortress
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are equally exotic.
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There are sacred monkeys,
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gloriously colorful birds,
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rare hoofed beasts seemingly assembled by a committee,
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and a top predator, the leopard.
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Deep in this vast mountain kingdom lives Ta-Shi,
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a female red panda and a young mother.
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Ta-Shi lives in the shadow of the Kangchenjunga,
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a sacred icy mountain.
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(melancholy string music)
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But further down these slopes it's practically balmy.
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To the south of Kangchenjunga,
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winters are brief,
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sometimes lasting only a few days.
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With her luxuriant cinnamon fur,
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Ta-Shi barely registers the snow.
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She's fixated on the nutrient poor bamboo
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that she must eat and eat and eat.
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She has an admirer.
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He chirps out a love song.
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(red panda chirping)
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It's December, the start of the mating season.
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Perhaps distracted by the male,
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Ta-Shi slips from the bamboo and decides to move off.
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Looks like he's got his heart set on her though,
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and is soon hot on her trail.
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(birds chirping)
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He hustles along after her, at top red panda speed.
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At first Ta-Shi ignores his flirtatious antics,
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and he give chase to no avail.
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Rebuffed for the moment,
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he sets about marking the area,
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hoping his seductive scent will win her over.
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She tolerates his presence
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but soon she's all about the bamboo again.
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Endearingly he waves as if flexing his muscles to impress.
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Apparently his performance carries the day
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and she allows him to approach
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and share her bamboo perch and feast.
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(red panda squeaking)
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At almost 28,000 feet,
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chilly Kangchenjunga is the third
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highest mountain in the world.
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At lower elevations, though,
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winter is banished as quickly
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as it arrives in the dense forests,
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home to thousands of plant species, rhododendron woods
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and undergrowth packed with all-important bamboo.
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Everything about Ta-Shi is built for bamboo.
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In Nepali, her species name,
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ponya, means bamboo eater.
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And from ponya comes the name panda.
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The red panda, also known as the lesser panda,
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was discovered in 1825,
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50 years before her more famous namesake,
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the black and white giant panda.
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One thing the red panda has in common with the giant panda,
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however, is its obsession with bamboo.
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Since bamboo is so tough and low in nutrients,
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Ta-Shi has to eat continuously,
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consuming a third of her body weight every day.
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When she is not eating, she's a champion napper.
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Red pandas are the sloths of the Himalayas.
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(soaring string music)
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Ta-Shi's home lies on the border between Nepal
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and the Indian state of Sikkim
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where people have eked out a living for thousands of years.
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This is Buddhist country
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and prayer flags flutter everywhere.
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The Buddhists believe in reincarnation
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and this imbues them with a deep respect
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for all forms of life, including the panda.
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(bell rattling)
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But while men, their cattle, and the Himalayan wildlife
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have long coexisted peacefully,
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now human population growth
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presses deeper into the panda's forest,
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claiming more and more resources.
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And it's not known if this will put extra stress on Ta-Shi,
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especially as an expectant mother.
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February ushers in the glories of spring.
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Cobra lilies emerge and grab at sunlight.
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(playful flute music)
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The rhododendron we recognize from our gardens
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actually originated in the Himalayas,
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but here it forms entire forests.
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This rufous sibia sips sweet nectar
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and inadvertently carries pollen from bloom to bloom.
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The rufous vented yuhina hunts for insects
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and refreshes itself with sweet nectar from the flowers.
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Pink blossoms rain down to the forest floor,
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the signature of hungry squirrels above.
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(birds calling)
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Everywhere the birds and the bees hurry
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to make hay while the sun shines.
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(bees buzzing)
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(upbeat instrumental music)
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The green tailed sunbird's long curved beak
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allows it to reach deep into the mahonia blossoms.
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These tiny birds bear a striking resemblance
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to American hummingbirds,
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but they don't hover.
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Instead, they grasp the yellow mahonia clusters
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with their feet to suck up the nectar.
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(bee buzzing)
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They are barely double the size of the bumblebee.
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A female sunbird busily harvests fuzz from magnolia buds.
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A spectacularly hued male tries to catch her eye.
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The fluff will make for a cozy family nest,
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if she accepts him.
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(lively instrumental music)
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(birds chirping)
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In April, Ta-Shi becomes restless.
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She's as agile as a feline moving from branch to branch,
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earning the nickname cat-bear.
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But she's neither cat nor bear nor raccoon.
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In fact, red pandas even form their own family
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within the animal kingdom.
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It's high time Ta-Shi found a suitable nursery
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and she scours the forest for the perfect real estate
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for a single mother and baby.
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It needs to be snug, well-hidden,
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easy to defend.
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Her ideal hideaway,
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a hollow tree trunk, eludes her.
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Her search could take weeks.
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(melancholy instrumental music)
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Under cover of the cloud forests,
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another truly remarkable mountain dweller
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has already given birth,
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a rare creature and the national animal of Bhutan.
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(water rushing)
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It's the bizarre-looking takin,
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with a moose-like head,
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wildebeest-like horns,
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and the massive shoulders of a bison.
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The bulky takin may look out of place
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among the rocks and cliffs,
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but is actually nimble and quite at home here.
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The calves are only about three weeks old,
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but they are already sure-footed on the rocky terrain
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as they follow their mothers up the steepest slopes.
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(birds chirping)
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Large spurs stick out above their hooves.
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On steep ground, these dewclaws dig in
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and provide stability so they can negotiate
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the most precarious slopes with assurance.
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Takins are noted for eating almost any vegetation
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they can get their mouths on.
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They normally only give birth to one calf,
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but females are often seen with several youngsters.
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They're happy to act as surrogate aunties
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to each other's babies.
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(takin grunting)
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After two months,
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the little ones are still getting most of their nutrition
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from their mother's rich milk.
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They won't be weaned for nine months.
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(peaceful instrumental music)
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The takins will remain
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on the thickly forested slopes until April,
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where the calves engage in their first mock battles
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for dominance in the herd's hierarchy.
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Predators have little chance against these expert climbers.
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Armed with tempers as fierce
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as their backwards-curving horns,
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the adults have few enemies.
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A Himalayan black bear nonetheless
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keeps a lookout for a stray calf,
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but the youngsters are well guarded
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by a fortress of adults.
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(dramatic instrumental music)
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The female bear backs off,
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taking her cub in search of a less intimidating meal.
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(soaring instrumental music)
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In the middle of the rhododendron forest,
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Ta-Shi has finally discovered a suitable lair.
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It is high time,
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as her baby's due any day now.
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Ta-Shi is as obsessive as any mum
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when it comes to the nursery.
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She checks for signs of unwanted visitors.
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Another panda may have tried to stake a claim here.
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Worse, a predator might've scoped out the little nursery.
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Ta-Shi checks things out with her nose
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and with a special sensory organ under her tongue.
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For now she's satisfied all is well.
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But there's no rest for the pregnant panda.
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Ta-Shi ventures out again and again
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to look for insulating material for the nest.
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Deadwood, leaves, branches, and moss will do.
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Bamboo is not just for eating.
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The stems make for sturdy building material.
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But they require a little effort.
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With teeth and skillful paws,
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she patiently shapes the bamboo to the perfect size.
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(birds chirping)
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Each time she returns to the nursery,
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Ta-Shi continues her home improvements.
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It's a bit of a mess,
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but Ta-Shi clears up,
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spreading the new building material around
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and creating a little sleeping hollow with her snout.
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Everything needs to be cozy for the birth of her cub.
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Outside, a colorful neighbor appears,
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a male satyr tragopan, a pheasant.
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The dull-feathered female
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seems more intent on food than fashion.
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But the show hasn't begun yet
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and it's an eye-catching display sure to impress.
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(bird clucking)
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He starts with a love chant,
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then plumps up his feathers to magnify his size.
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(waddle rustling)
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Next, he extravagantly shakes out his skin waddle,
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normally hidden but luminously blue during mating season.
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And if that's not enough to infatuate the mousy female,
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he breaks out the big guns,
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his elaborate dance.
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(bird clicking)
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(lively sitar music)
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Nearby, others flaunt their colors.
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Two Himalayan monals fight raucously over a territory.
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(birds calling)
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The skirmish not only demonstrates strength and fitness,
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it shows off their brilliant hues to best effect.
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The changing light makes the plumage dance
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like the colors of the rainbows that glow
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at the countless mountain waterfalls.
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(peaceful flute music)
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(water rushing)
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At one waterfall,
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a plumbeous water redstart is courting.
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From his rocky stage,
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he flits and twirls.
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(bird chirping)
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His calls are pitched at a perfect frequency
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to cut through the noisy waterfall.
264
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After mating, the pair will build their nests
265
00:18:17,655 --> 00:18:19,950
in rocky crevices by the stream
266
00:18:19,950 --> 00:18:22,629
or behind a small waterfall.
267
00:18:22,629 --> 00:18:25,879
(peaceful flute music)
268
00:18:34,623 --> 00:18:38,142
Ta-Shi is only days away from giving birth
269
00:18:38,142 --> 00:18:42,450
and her signature grace in the trees becomes more lumbering.
270
00:18:42,450 --> 00:18:45,118
She's been pregnant for about five months
271
00:18:45,118 --> 00:18:46,701
and eating for two.
272
00:18:52,823 --> 00:18:54,640
The extra baby weight means
273
00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:56,599
she has to stick to thicker branches
274
00:18:56,599 --> 00:18:59,171
and move with extra care.
275
00:18:59,171 --> 00:19:00,894
Gone are the days when she navigated
276
00:19:00,894 --> 00:19:02,894
the treetops like a cat.
277
00:19:06,566 --> 00:19:10,413
Nearby, a lot of monkey business is going on.
278
00:19:10,413 --> 00:19:14,330
(energetic instrumental music)
279
00:19:22,740 --> 00:19:26,256
These gray langurs have reason to celebrate.
280
00:19:26,256 --> 00:19:28,370
The magnolia trees are blossoming,
281
00:19:28,370 --> 00:19:30,037
a once-a-year treat.
282
00:19:33,796 --> 00:19:36,879
The petals make a sweet spring salad.
283
00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:41,790
(birds chirping)
284
00:19:49,444 --> 00:19:51,527
They're in langur heaven.
285
00:20:02,634 --> 00:20:06,094
Normally the langurs eat mostly leaves,
286
00:20:06,094 --> 00:20:10,261
so these fresh flowers provide extra nutrients and energy.
287
00:20:11,253 --> 00:20:13,921
The magnolias are in bloom for just two weeks
288
00:20:13,921 --> 00:20:15,891
and the monkeys make the most of them,
289
00:20:15,891 --> 00:20:18,808
rubbing full and contented bellies.
290
00:20:23,586 --> 00:20:27,419
(peaceful instrumental music)
291
00:20:32,325 --> 00:20:34,269
In the shadow of the Himalayas,
292
00:20:34,269 --> 00:20:35,686
June has arrived.
293
00:20:38,907 --> 00:20:41,853
And something wonderful has arrived with it,
294
00:20:41,853 --> 00:20:43,020
Ta-Shi's baby.
295
00:20:45,236 --> 00:20:48,102
Normally red pandas give birth to twins
296
00:20:48,102 --> 00:20:50,958
and occasionally up to three cubs,
297
00:20:50,958 --> 00:20:53,875
but Ta-Shi has had a single baby,
298
00:20:53,875 --> 00:20:55,042
a little girl.
299
00:20:56,763 --> 00:20:58,052
In the first few days,
300
00:20:58,052 --> 00:21:01,477
Ta-Shi has hardly left the hollow.
301
00:21:01,477 --> 00:21:03,860
But now she goes out on regular forays
302
00:21:03,860 --> 00:21:06,527
for new twigs to pad things out.
303
00:21:15,901 --> 00:21:17,724
Her baby is two weeks old,
304
00:21:17,724 --> 00:21:20,057
but its eyes are still shut.
305
00:21:22,838 --> 00:21:25,783
Ta-Shi says hello by sniffing at the youngster
306
00:21:25,783 --> 00:21:28,273
and licking its fur.
307
00:21:28,273 --> 00:21:30,064
This not only cleans her coat
308
00:21:30,064 --> 00:21:33,199
but helps mother and child to bond.
309
00:21:33,199 --> 00:21:35,325
Only in a special filming burrow
310
00:21:35,325 --> 00:21:38,825
can we capture intimate details like this.
311
00:21:48,276 --> 00:21:51,020
Carefully she lifts her protesting baby
312
00:21:51,020 --> 00:21:53,811
to one side to clean up her waist.
313
00:21:53,811 --> 00:21:57,326
(red panda squealing)
314
00:21:57,326 --> 00:22:01,185
The young mother also regularly licks the den clean
315
00:22:01,185 --> 00:22:04,268
so would-be predators can't smell it.
316
00:22:09,286 --> 00:22:11,012
When Ta-Shi is hungry,
317
00:22:11,012 --> 00:22:14,679
she forages as close to the den as possible.
318
00:22:21,108 --> 00:22:22,659
When it's not suckling,
319
00:22:22,659 --> 00:22:25,490
the little cub is sleeping,
320
00:22:25,490 --> 00:22:28,573
and apparently dreaming of warm milk.
321
00:22:33,856 --> 00:22:36,876
Ta-Shi has eaten most of the nearby bamboo
322
00:22:36,876 --> 00:22:39,854
and must venture further into the forest.
323
00:22:39,854 --> 00:22:43,879
(stately instrumental music)
324
00:22:43,879 --> 00:22:45,692
And in her absence,
325
00:22:45,692 --> 00:22:48,109
a little stranger approaches.
326
00:22:51,338 --> 00:22:53,743
Fortunately, a harmless one,
327
00:22:53,743 --> 00:22:55,410
a toad on a mission.
328
00:23:00,289 --> 00:23:04,456
The dreaming cub doesn't even register its presence.
329
00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:11,982
The toad isn't looking for a home
330
00:23:11,982 --> 00:23:13,760
but a changing room.
331
00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:15,958
It's bursting out of its old skin,
332
00:23:15,958 --> 00:23:18,208
shredding it with its feet.
333
00:23:19,334 --> 00:23:21,510
This is a vulnerable time for the toad
334
00:23:21,510 --> 00:23:24,141
and the den provides safe haven.
335
00:23:24,141 --> 00:23:26,681
Plus the humidity in the nursery
336
00:23:26,681 --> 00:23:30,431
makes it easier to slough off his old outfit.
337
00:23:40,162 --> 00:23:43,912
Freshly attired, the toad heads for the exit.
338
00:23:50,358 --> 00:23:52,139
The young mother checks in,
339
00:23:52,139 --> 00:23:55,119
realizes the toad poses no threat,
340
00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:57,119
and continues to forage.
341
00:24:03,936 --> 00:24:08,103
Ta-Shi now senses a change in the weather, a big one.
342
00:24:10,030 --> 00:24:14,485
By late June, the monsoon season has arrived.
343
00:24:14,485 --> 00:24:18,161
Massive clouds pregnant with moisture from the Indian Ocean
344
00:24:18,161 --> 00:24:21,166
accumulate over the Himalayas.
345
00:24:21,166 --> 00:24:23,983
(thunder crackling)
346
00:24:23,983 --> 00:24:27,316
(mournful string music)
347
00:24:28,439 --> 00:24:31,017
For about three months, it pours.
348
00:24:31,017 --> 00:24:33,270
In some areas, hundreds of inches of rain
349
00:24:33,270 --> 00:24:35,520
can fall during the season.
350
00:24:45,545 --> 00:24:48,558
Unimaginable amounts of water cascade down
351
00:24:48,558 --> 00:24:50,808
from the roof of the world.
352
00:24:52,599 --> 00:24:56,452
The greatest rivers in Asia spring from the Himalayas.
353
00:24:56,452 --> 00:24:59,973
More than two billion people depend on this deluge,
354
00:24:59,973 --> 00:25:02,973
a quarter of the world's population.
355
00:25:11,351 --> 00:25:13,464
Little mills along the streams
356
00:25:13,464 --> 00:25:17,470
continuously turn Buddhist prayer wheels.
357
00:25:17,470 --> 00:25:18,900
As the drum revolves,
358
00:25:18,900 --> 00:25:21,726
Buddhist mantras for the benefit of all creation
359
00:25:21,726 --> 00:25:24,046
spin upward to the gods.
360
00:25:24,046 --> 00:25:26,629
(bell ringing)
361
00:25:28,009 --> 00:25:32,176
But less holy forces threaten Ta-Shi's forest waterways.
362
00:25:33,241 --> 00:25:36,274
Plans for more than 400 dams are in the works
363
00:25:36,274 --> 00:25:38,568
all around the Himalaya,
364
00:25:38,568 --> 00:25:42,456
dams that would forever alter this landscape
365
00:25:42,456 --> 00:25:44,579
in order to power the growing economies
366
00:25:44,579 --> 00:25:47,079
of India, China, and Pakistan.
367
00:25:50,084 --> 00:25:52,771
(rooster crowing)
368
00:25:52,771 --> 00:25:56,306
(melancholy string music)
369
00:25:56,306 --> 00:25:58,159
The Buddhist belief that all nature
370
00:25:58,159 --> 00:26:00,288
and all creatures are sacred
371
00:26:00,288 --> 00:26:02,998
has run up against the inexorable march
372
00:26:02,998 --> 00:26:05,248
of population and progress.
373
00:26:12,357 --> 00:26:15,161
It's one of the largest water grabs in the world,
374
00:26:15,161 --> 00:26:18,457
and even the mystical powers of great Kangchenjunga
375
00:26:18,457 --> 00:26:20,484
may not keep the Himalayas from becoming
376
00:26:20,484 --> 00:26:23,567
the most dammed region on the planet.
377
00:26:27,541 --> 00:26:29,958
Next to rain-soaked prayer flags
378
00:26:29,958 --> 00:26:34,125
a group of gray langurs patiently endures the monsoon.
379
00:26:38,123 --> 00:26:39,613
Close relatives of these langurs
380
00:26:39,613 --> 00:26:43,780
live of temple monkeys in much warmer regions of India.
381
00:26:46,311 --> 00:26:48,971
Here the mountain langurs need a thick coat
382
00:26:48,971 --> 00:26:51,121
to keep the cold at bay,
383
00:26:51,121 --> 00:26:54,078
and that coat needs careful maintenance
384
00:26:54,078 --> 00:26:57,161
with a little help from your friends.
385
00:27:02,954 --> 00:27:06,032
They're generally more peaceful than their cousins,
386
00:27:06,032 --> 00:27:07,761
which helps them to conserve their energy
387
00:27:07,761 --> 00:27:09,678
in the harsher climate.
388
00:27:20,682 --> 00:27:23,226
Langur females form close-knit groups,
389
00:27:23,226 --> 00:27:26,328
cheerfully babysitting each other's young.
390
00:27:26,328 --> 00:27:30,495
That way mothers get much-needed breaks to forage in peace.
391
00:27:32,902 --> 00:27:36,819
(energetic instrumental music)
392
00:27:38,450 --> 00:27:40,293
The monsoon certainly hasn't dampened
393
00:27:40,293 --> 00:27:42,410
the spirits of the youngest langurs,
394
00:27:42,410 --> 00:27:45,993
for whom the forest is a perfect gymnasium.
395
00:27:49,221 --> 00:27:51,138
They tussle and tumble.
396
00:27:53,116 --> 00:27:54,783
They lunge and leap.
397
00:27:57,763 --> 00:27:59,763
They even do cartwheels.
398
00:28:05,844 --> 00:28:08,918
At the age of about two years, they'll be weaned,
399
00:28:08,918 --> 00:28:12,418
leaving their mothers free to breed again.
400
00:28:17,168 --> 00:28:19,090
Deprived of mother's milk,
401
00:28:19,090 --> 00:28:21,265
the older juveniles have to make do
402
00:28:21,265 --> 00:28:23,348
with a bland, leafy diet.
403
00:28:34,275 --> 00:28:37,318
The monsoon is far from over.
404
00:28:37,318 --> 00:28:41,151
(dramatic instrumental music)
405
00:28:44,249 --> 00:28:45,886
But thanks to her fur,
406
00:28:45,886 --> 00:28:49,010
with its long guard hair and thick undercoat,
407
00:28:49,010 --> 00:28:52,843
Ta-Shi shakes off the cold and damp with ease.
408
00:28:56,167 --> 00:28:57,446
For her little girl,
409
00:28:57,446 --> 00:28:58,903
snug in the nursery,
410
00:28:58,903 --> 00:29:01,736
the monsoon may as well not exist.
411
00:29:09,449 --> 00:29:12,461
(red panda squeaking)
412
00:29:12,461 --> 00:29:14,668
Panda babies are slow to develop,
413
00:29:14,668 --> 00:29:16,562
profoundly uncoordinated,
414
00:29:16,562 --> 00:29:19,152
and aside from mum's dedicated care,
415
00:29:19,152 --> 00:29:21,178
completely defenseless.
416
00:29:21,178 --> 00:29:24,345
(red panda snuffling)
417
00:29:30,229 --> 00:29:33,896
Nearby, a red panda's worst nightmare lurks,
418
00:29:35,856 --> 00:29:39,273
one that poses a real threat to the baby.
419
00:29:40,990 --> 00:29:43,490
It's a yellow-throated marten.
420
00:29:47,396 --> 00:29:51,410
Ta-Shi nervously heads for the entrance to investigate.
421
00:29:51,410 --> 00:29:55,243
(dramatic instrumental music)
422
00:29:56,121 --> 00:29:57,347
She wouldn't stand a chance
423
00:29:57,347 --> 00:30:00,764
against the completely fearless predator.
424
00:30:06,393 --> 00:30:10,015
But it's not the panda the marten has in its sights.
425
00:30:10,015 --> 00:30:11,414
It's a pika,
426
00:30:11,414 --> 00:30:15,581
a little mammal that can rival even a red panda in cuteness.
427
00:30:19,411 --> 00:30:20,598
The pika bolts,
428
00:30:20,598 --> 00:30:22,355
followed by the marten,
429
00:30:22,355 --> 00:30:26,900
which completely missed the scent of the panda nursery.
430
00:30:26,900 --> 00:30:30,067
(red panda snuffling)
431
00:30:31,767 --> 00:30:35,767
Ta-Shi's obsessive homemaking has saved the day.
432
00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:39,092
The cub is now four weeks old.
433
00:30:39,092 --> 00:30:41,592
Her eyes and ears have opened.
434
00:30:43,156 --> 00:30:45,344
And she's crawling around,
435
00:30:45,344 --> 00:30:49,011
but she's still utterly dependent on mother.
436
00:30:52,153 --> 00:30:53,738
Ta-Shi redoubles her efforts
437
00:30:53,738 --> 00:30:56,233
to keep her child and nursery immaculate
438
00:30:56,233 --> 00:30:57,983
after the close call.
439
00:31:00,883 --> 00:31:04,383
(melancholy string music)
440
00:31:07,603 --> 00:31:10,886
Ta-Shi's human neighbors farm and raise livestock
441
00:31:10,886 --> 00:31:13,803
at the foot of the sacred mountain.
442
00:31:17,550 --> 00:31:20,550
Monsoon season is also leech season.
443
00:31:22,852 --> 00:31:27,019
The bloodsuckers are only active in summer when it's humid
444
00:31:29,556 --> 00:31:32,255
and become the bane of domestic animals
445
00:31:32,255 --> 00:31:35,922
that roam the pastures of the bamboo forest.
446
00:31:37,159 --> 00:31:41,101
The leeches clamber onto leaves to await their victims.
447
00:31:41,101 --> 00:31:42,696
They're surprising agile,
448
00:31:42,696 --> 00:31:45,029
using their suckers to move.
449
00:31:48,090 --> 00:31:51,475
When livestock arrives in the forest,
450
00:31:51,475 --> 00:31:55,308
the leeches make the leap from leaf to victim.
451
00:31:59,099 --> 00:32:00,936
They inject an anticoagulant
452
00:32:00,936 --> 00:32:04,219
before they start feasting on the blood.
453
00:32:04,219 --> 00:32:08,850
Most of the time the animals don't even know they're there.
454
00:32:08,850 --> 00:32:11,747
But gold-billed magpies know
455
00:32:11,747 --> 00:32:14,429
and become the livestocks' unlikely allies,
456
00:32:14,429 --> 00:32:17,978
plucking the parasites from their fur.
457
00:32:17,978 --> 00:32:21,813
Normally the birds feed on large insects,
458
00:32:21,813 --> 00:32:25,980
but plump leeches are a nutrient-rich treat for them.
459
00:32:32,870 --> 00:32:35,870
(chickens clucking)
460
00:32:36,707 --> 00:32:39,540
Someone else is out for blood too.
461
00:32:45,226 --> 00:32:46,602
The yellow-throated marten
462
00:32:46,602 --> 00:32:50,769
has caught a chicken in the village and lugs it home.
463
00:32:56,448 --> 00:32:59,433
The female marten announces it's dinnertime
464
00:32:59,433 --> 00:33:02,600
to her youngster in their tree hollow.
465
00:33:05,735 --> 00:33:07,763
The juvenile was born months ago
466
00:33:07,763 --> 00:33:12,224
and it's time for meat to become a staple of his diet.
467
00:33:12,224 --> 00:33:14,891
(birds calling)
468
00:33:29,690 --> 00:33:32,415
The parents are ready to tuck into the chicken
469
00:33:32,415 --> 00:33:35,884
thanks to father's hunting prowess.
470
00:33:35,884 --> 00:33:39,551
It's a bountiful meal for a family of three.
471
00:33:43,228 --> 00:33:45,395
But where's that juvenile?
472
00:33:49,051 --> 00:33:51,123
Of course, being delinquent.
473
00:33:51,123 --> 00:33:53,550
He's decided this is playtime,
474
00:33:53,550 --> 00:33:55,625
not time for a formal meal.
475
00:33:55,625 --> 00:33:56,721
His mother seems to be torn
476
00:33:56,721 --> 00:33:59,599
between her child and the chicken.
477
00:33:59,599 --> 00:34:03,266
(lively instrumental music)
478
00:34:05,552 --> 00:34:09,052
Both parents watch the gymnastics display.
479
00:34:12,352 --> 00:34:14,769
Then mother finally joins in.
480
00:34:21,245 --> 00:34:24,069
Play strengthens their bond,
481
00:34:24,069 --> 00:34:26,652
vital for future hunting trips.
482
00:34:36,431 --> 00:34:37,934
When hunting in groups,
483
00:34:37,934 --> 00:34:40,528
these martens have been known to take down animals
484
00:34:40,528 --> 00:34:42,611
as large as barking deer.
485
00:34:52,700 --> 00:34:56,427
(peaceful instrumental music)
486
00:34:56,427 --> 00:35:00,419
Underfoot, another extremely secretive and agile animal
487
00:35:00,419 --> 00:35:02,836
calls the bamboo forest home.
488
00:35:08,383 --> 00:35:11,133
The tiniest land mammal on earth.
489
00:35:14,467 --> 00:35:18,499
Etruscan shrews are much smaller than your little finger,
490
00:35:18,499 --> 00:35:20,719
barely 1 1/2 inches,
491
00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:23,719
and weigh just a sliver of an ounce.
492
00:35:24,754 --> 00:35:27,335
They're widely distributed throughout Eurasia,
493
00:35:27,335 --> 00:35:29,474
but because they live so secretly,
494
00:35:29,474 --> 00:35:32,684
no one knows much about them.
495
00:35:32,684 --> 00:35:33,873
They're so frenetic,
496
00:35:33,873 --> 00:35:36,025
they burn calories like crazy
497
00:35:36,025 --> 00:35:40,681
and need to eat twice their weight in food every day.
498
00:35:40,681 --> 00:35:44,598
Their hearts beat up to 1,500 times per minute.
499
00:35:45,679 --> 00:35:47,583
The near-sighted little shrews
500
00:35:47,583 --> 00:35:49,599
navigate mostly by touch,
501
00:35:49,599 --> 00:35:51,728
helped by long whiskers
502
00:35:51,728 --> 00:35:55,811
and special sensory hairs on their legs and tail.
503
00:35:57,361 --> 00:36:00,496
Don't let their size fool you, though.
504
00:36:00,496 --> 00:36:03,584
They're fierce little hunters.
505
00:36:03,584 --> 00:36:07,667
(suspenseful instrumental music)
506
00:36:18,250 --> 00:36:21,250
(eerie chime music)
507
00:36:23,711 --> 00:36:27,613
In her den, her teeny young are waiting.
508
00:36:27,613 --> 00:36:28,759
When they were born,
509
00:36:28,759 --> 00:36:31,759
they weighed about as much as a pea.
510
00:36:36,668 --> 00:36:40,835
The mother suckles the minuscule creatures for 20 days.
511
00:36:46,509 --> 00:36:49,439
To make room in her tiny body for more food,
512
00:36:49,439 --> 00:36:53,037
she needs to expel any undigested matter.
513
00:36:53,037 --> 00:36:56,876
The gyrating hips probably help to get it all out.
514
00:36:56,876 --> 00:37:00,543
(lively instrumental music)
515
00:37:05,867 --> 00:37:09,504
The frenzied mother is constantly relocating her tiny babies
516
00:37:09,504 --> 00:37:11,991
by caravanning within the den,
517
00:37:11,991 --> 00:37:14,613
perhaps for protection from predators,
518
00:37:14,613 --> 00:37:18,697
perhaps to teach them the ins and outs of their nest.
519
00:37:18,697 --> 00:37:21,002
The youngsters bite into the base of the tail
520
00:37:21,002 --> 00:37:22,875
of the sibling in front of them
521
00:37:22,875 --> 00:37:27,042
and the mother simply tows her family around the nursery.
522
00:37:37,272 --> 00:37:38,636
There's always one in the bunch
523
00:37:38,636 --> 00:37:41,279
who loses the shrew train.
524
00:37:41,279 --> 00:37:42,651
Not to worry.
525
00:37:42,651 --> 00:37:46,818
The dedicated little mum quickly comes to the rescue.
526
00:37:55,459 --> 00:37:58,412
(birds chirping)
527
00:37:58,412 --> 00:38:01,071
Ta-Shi has grown a bit bored at bamboo
528
00:38:01,071 --> 00:38:03,404
and is looking for a change.
529
00:38:09,526 --> 00:38:13,359
And this satyr tragopan just might provide it.
530
00:38:21,851 --> 00:38:25,184
All other pheasants breed on the ground.
531
00:38:31,128 --> 00:38:35,089
Only tragopan pheasants nest high in the trees,
532
00:38:35,089 --> 00:38:36,839
sometimes 25 feet up.
533
00:38:37,842 --> 00:38:42,009
Few humans have ever laid eyes on these hidden nests.
534
00:38:44,669 --> 00:38:48,502
For four weeks, the female will brood up here.
535
00:38:58,224 --> 00:39:02,391
Even so, she has to leave the eggs from time to time
536
00:39:07,756 --> 00:39:10,673
to eat some leaves or have a drink.
537
00:39:18,475 --> 00:39:21,275
Ta-Shi seizes the moment.
538
00:39:21,275 --> 00:39:24,005
As bamboo is extremely low in nutrients,
539
00:39:24,005 --> 00:39:26,973
she likes to supplement her diet with proteins,
540
00:39:26,973 --> 00:39:29,890
small vertebrates, worms, and eggs.
541
00:39:32,405 --> 00:39:35,452
She makes her way silently toward the nest.
542
00:39:35,452 --> 00:39:39,148
She's graceful even climbing down headfirst.
543
00:39:39,148 --> 00:39:40,402
Like all red pandas,
544
00:39:40,402 --> 00:39:42,687
she's well-equipped for life in the trees.
545
00:39:42,687 --> 00:39:46,687
Strong, sharp claws allow her a tight grip on the bark.
546
00:39:46,687 --> 00:39:48,220
The hairy soles of her feet
547
00:39:48,220 --> 00:39:51,303
give her more traction when it's wet.
548
00:39:53,793 --> 00:39:55,738
But it's all for nought.
549
00:39:55,738 --> 00:39:59,905
The hen appears in the nick of time and her brood is safe.
550
00:40:04,821 --> 00:40:08,404
So no protein on the menu for Ta-Shi today.
551
00:40:14,198 --> 00:40:17,672
Not far off, another tragopan pheasant and her chicks
552
00:40:17,672 --> 00:40:19,801
inspect the forest floor.
553
00:40:19,801 --> 00:40:24,100
(gentle instrumental music)
554
00:40:24,100 --> 00:40:28,267
It's a tutorial with mum pointing out what's good to eat.
555
00:40:30,642 --> 00:40:33,143
They're quick learners and deft peckers
556
00:40:33,143 --> 00:40:35,060
even at this young age.
557
00:40:43,727 --> 00:40:45,065
If it gets chilly,
558
00:40:45,065 --> 00:40:47,242
mother will gather her little ones around her
559
00:40:47,242 --> 00:40:49,992
and warm them with her body heat.
560
00:41:07,913 --> 00:41:10,427
Finally September arrives
561
00:41:10,427 --> 00:41:13,816
and the heavy clouds begin to disperse.
562
00:41:13,816 --> 00:41:15,377
The monsoon has ended,
563
00:41:15,377 --> 00:41:18,691
along with the torrential rains.
564
00:41:18,691 --> 00:41:23,303
A beautiful autumn moves in under the roof of the world.
565
00:41:23,303 --> 00:41:26,636
(mystical string music)
566
00:41:31,309 --> 00:41:34,142
(water splashing)
567
00:41:47,503 --> 00:41:50,930
Ta-Shi is still diligently gathering twigs,
568
00:41:50,930 --> 00:41:54,624
but this time she's shopping for educational toys,
569
00:41:54,624 --> 00:41:56,457
not building material.
570
00:42:01,468 --> 00:42:05,635
She takes these home to her growing daughter to play with.
571
00:42:11,913 --> 00:42:15,272
But the little girl is snoozing as usual,
572
00:42:15,272 --> 00:42:19,439
so mother leaves her presents and heads out for more.
573
00:42:35,514 --> 00:42:39,347
Ta-Shi's girl finally rouses herself groggily.
574
00:42:42,446 --> 00:42:44,151
Now three months old,
575
00:42:44,151 --> 00:42:46,151
she explores her nursery
576
00:42:47,568 --> 00:42:50,985
and plays with the twigs mother has left.
577
00:42:52,287 --> 00:42:55,115
It's dexterity training for using her claws
578
00:42:55,115 --> 00:42:59,282
which she'll soon need for climbing and manipulating bamboo.
579
00:43:00,907 --> 00:43:03,509
She's happily oblivious to the outside world
580
00:43:03,509 --> 00:43:06,259
and its creatures, like leopards.
581
00:43:10,069 --> 00:43:12,281
Ta-Shi spots the predator,
582
00:43:12,281 --> 00:43:16,364
(suspenseful instrumental music)
583
00:43:19,001 --> 00:43:21,251
and heads for the treetops.
584
00:43:22,182 --> 00:43:26,349
The big cat can't follow her onto the thin branches.
585
00:43:29,895 --> 00:43:34,062
More importantly, he hasn't discovered Ta-Shi's den.
586
00:43:42,947 --> 00:43:46,941
Only when the coast is clear does Ta-Shi head for home.
587
00:43:46,941 --> 00:43:48,774
She's made a decision.
588
00:43:50,370 --> 00:43:53,389
The old nursery location is no longer safe.
589
00:43:53,389 --> 00:43:55,389
It's time to move house.
590
00:43:56,622 --> 00:43:59,789
(red panda squeaking)
591
00:44:06,312 --> 00:44:07,981
With the gentlest of bites,
592
00:44:07,981 --> 00:44:11,898
she picks the cub up by the scruff of its neck.
593
00:44:14,616 --> 00:44:16,634
After some squeaks of protest,
594
00:44:16,634 --> 00:44:19,726
the baby panda soon goes limp.
595
00:44:19,726 --> 00:44:22,976
(baby panda squeaking)
596
00:44:24,670 --> 00:44:26,296
Paralyzed but comfortable,
597
00:44:26,296 --> 00:44:30,463
the little one becomes a perfectly portable package.
598
00:44:36,040 --> 00:44:37,969
With a wisdom born of instinct,
599
00:44:37,969 --> 00:44:40,477
Ta-Shi has a backup plan.
600
00:44:40,477 --> 00:44:43,654
She long ago picked out and outfitted a second den
601
00:44:43,654 --> 00:44:45,987
for just such contingencies.
602
00:44:48,738 --> 00:44:50,662
The little cub soon settles down
603
00:44:50,662 --> 00:44:52,377
after the stress of the move.
604
00:44:52,377 --> 00:44:56,544
A little cuddle and her tiny world is back in order.
605
00:44:59,678 --> 00:45:01,724
Tragically, there are worse threats
606
00:45:01,724 --> 00:45:04,891
than leopards out in the larger world.
607
00:45:07,554 --> 00:45:08,887
One is poaching.
608
00:45:09,864 --> 00:45:12,699
Their soft, warm fur is in demand for hats
609
00:45:12,699 --> 00:45:15,371
or as collar trimming for coats,
610
00:45:15,371 --> 00:45:17,400
a lucrative business.
611
00:45:17,400 --> 00:45:19,459
Most of the victims end up in China,
612
00:45:19,459 --> 00:45:21,732
where a booming economy means people can afford
613
00:45:21,732 --> 00:45:23,649
such ill-gotten luxury.
614
00:45:25,169 --> 00:45:26,839
In the past 50 years,
615
00:45:26,839 --> 00:45:29,667
red panda numbers have fallen by half.
616
00:45:29,667 --> 00:45:31,300
It's unlikely that there are even
617
00:45:31,300 --> 00:45:34,300
10,000 red pandas still alive today.
618
00:45:35,899 --> 00:45:40,066
Conservationists and scientists struggle to fight back.
619
00:45:45,139 --> 00:45:46,964
They install camera traps in places
620
00:45:46,964 --> 00:45:49,714
where the pandas regularly visit,
621
00:45:50,978 --> 00:45:52,130
panda toilets.
622
00:45:52,130 --> 00:45:53,531
The fastidious creatures like to do
623
00:45:53,531 --> 00:45:55,401
their business in the same place,
624
00:45:55,401 --> 00:45:57,234
away from their lairs.
625
00:45:59,464 --> 00:46:01,237
Camera traps help researchers
626
00:46:01,237 --> 00:46:03,975
survey the number of animals in the area,
627
00:46:03,975 --> 00:46:08,142
and the photos also help them catch poachers red-handed.
628
00:46:11,616 --> 00:46:16,124
But even poaching pales beside the greatest threat of all,
629
00:46:16,124 --> 00:46:18,378
deforestation and the fragmentation
630
00:46:18,378 --> 00:46:21,177
of mountain forest habitats.
631
00:46:21,177 --> 00:46:23,385
The growing human population fuels
632
00:46:23,385 --> 00:46:27,552
a voracious demand for firewood and construction material.
633
00:46:28,871 --> 00:46:30,404
There is hope.
634
00:46:30,404 --> 00:46:31,748
In some places,
635
00:46:31,748 --> 00:46:35,915
vast tracts of mountain forest areas remain pristine.
636
00:46:37,712 --> 00:46:40,902
(birds calling)
637
00:46:40,902 --> 00:46:42,695
Autumn brings a bit of variety
638
00:46:42,695 --> 00:46:46,569
to the menus of the mountain forest inhabitants.
639
00:46:46,569 --> 00:46:50,899
(peaceful instrumental music)
640
00:46:50,899 --> 00:46:53,039
It's not only the large-billed crows
641
00:46:53,039 --> 00:46:55,789
who love the Himalayan whitebeam.
642
00:46:57,629 --> 00:47:00,030
Ta-Shi also craves them,
643
00:47:00,030 --> 00:47:03,197
a refreshing change from tough bamboo.
644
00:47:11,318 --> 00:47:12,219
If she can,
645
00:47:12,219 --> 00:47:15,802
Ta-Shi will only eat fruit for days on end,
646
00:47:16,680 --> 00:47:20,847
wild kiwis, yew berries, as well the rowan berries.
647
00:47:21,900 --> 00:47:26,067
They're much more nutritious than the fibrous bamboo.
648
00:47:29,224 --> 00:47:32,390
The cub is now over three months old
649
00:47:32,390 --> 00:47:35,807
and still fond of napping above all else.
650
00:47:37,318 --> 00:47:39,461
But mother has other ideas.
651
00:47:39,461 --> 00:47:43,628
It's time for the cub's first adventure outside the lair.
652
00:47:51,323 --> 00:47:53,192
With a little coaxing from mum,
653
00:47:53,192 --> 00:47:56,373
the sluggish cub finally gets to her feet
654
00:47:56,373 --> 00:47:58,290
and heads for the door.
655
00:47:59,746 --> 00:48:03,579
(peaceful instrumental music)
656
00:48:09,895 --> 00:48:11,627
It's a brave new world
657
00:48:11,627 --> 00:48:15,627
full of things to experience for the first time.
658
00:48:18,230 --> 00:48:20,568
She sticks close to Ta-Shi,
659
00:48:20,568 --> 00:48:23,453
who introduces her to their universe,
660
00:48:23,453 --> 00:48:25,120
a universe of trees.
661
00:48:26,245 --> 00:48:28,995
(birds chirping)
662
00:48:32,793 --> 00:48:35,710
It's a little disorienting up here.
663
00:48:43,701 --> 00:48:47,868
Very tentatively, she puts her climbing skills to the test
664
00:48:50,803 --> 00:48:54,553
and slowly but surely navigates the branches,
665
00:48:55,398 --> 00:48:57,898
full of new tastes and smells.
666
00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:12,987
Ta-Shi shows her where the best foraging is.
667
00:49:16,260 --> 00:49:18,894
And soon the cub is nibbling away
668
00:49:18,894 --> 00:49:21,144
at her first bamboo dinner.
669
00:49:27,585 --> 00:49:30,262
(monkeys calling)
670
00:49:30,262 --> 00:49:34,179
Noisy neighbors interrupt their bamboo reverie.
671
00:49:35,069 --> 00:49:36,319
Assam macaques.
672
00:49:37,309 --> 00:49:39,840
Adult males can be up to two or three times
673
00:49:39,840 --> 00:49:43,007
the weight of a fully grown red panda.
674
00:49:47,484 --> 00:49:49,747
These macaques are usually herbivores,
675
00:49:49,747 --> 00:49:53,806
but they've been known to hunt and eat meat.
676
00:49:53,806 --> 00:49:55,475
Right now, fortunately,
677
00:49:55,475 --> 00:49:59,005
they show no interest in the newcomer in the treetops.
678
00:49:59,005 --> 00:50:01,844
They'd rather squabble and screech.
679
00:50:01,844 --> 00:50:05,126
(monkeys screeching)
680
00:50:05,126 --> 00:50:08,356
(suspenseful instrumental music)
681
00:50:08,356 --> 00:50:10,439
The cub quakes with fear.
682
00:50:12,927 --> 00:50:15,594
(bird chirping)
683
00:50:19,822 --> 00:50:24,588
Ta-Shi decides that's enough adventure for one day.
684
00:50:24,588 --> 00:50:28,338
Together they pick their way back to the den.
685
00:50:30,005 --> 00:50:33,838
(peaceful instrumental music)
686
00:50:41,616 --> 00:50:44,103
There's no place like home.
687
00:50:44,103 --> 00:50:46,479
In the familiar confines of the lair,
688
00:50:46,479 --> 00:50:47,943
snuggling with her mother,
689
00:50:47,943 --> 00:50:49,837
the cub quickly calms down
690
00:50:49,837 --> 00:50:53,254
after the excitement of her first outing.
691
00:50:55,327 --> 00:50:56,707
On the other hand,
692
00:50:56,707 --> 00:51:00,874
she's had a first taste of the dangers the forest may hold.
693
00:51:03,856 --> 00:51:07,023
(red panda snuffling)
694
00:51:16,292 --> 00:51:19,709
Ta-Shi's daughter is safe for the moment.
695
00:51:20,782 --> 00:51:24,282
(melancholy string music)
696
00:51:30,787 --> 00:51:32,804
The little panda will stay with her mother
697
00:51:32,804 --> 00:51:35,253
for another two or three months.
698
00:51:35,253 --> 00:51:38,253
Then she'll have to fend for herself
699
00:51:39,975 --> 00:51:43,160
and one day become a single mother like Ta-Shi,
700
00:51:43,160 --> 00:51:47,316
another gorgeous red ghost in the shadow of the Himalayas.
701
00:51:47,316 --> 00:51:51,066
(soaring instrumental music)
52797
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