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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH:
A Perfect Planet.
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There is a nuclear reactor
93 million miles away.
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00:00:47,700 --> 00:00:49,660
We call it the Sun.
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00:00:51,940 --> 00:00:55,180
Its rays, travelling through space,
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00:00:55,180 --> 00:00:58,260
reach the Earth in just eight
minutes...
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00:01:00,700 --> 00:01:04,340
..and give power to life
throughout the planet.
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00:01:09,740 --> 00:01:13,020
Its daily and yearly rhythms
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00:01:13,020 --> 00:01:16,940
shape the existence of every
creature on Earth...
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00:01:20,820 --> 00:01:25,020
..and has done so
for over three billion years.
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00:01:36,220 --> 00:01:37,860
In the beginning...
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00:01:39,420 --> 00:01:41,700
..there was light.
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00:01:56,780 --> 00:02:01,060
Surprisingly, perhaps, almost every
part of the Earth's surface
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00:02:01,060 --> 00:02:05,460
receives the same quantity of
sunlight each year...
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00:02:06,980 --> 00:02:10,340
..4,380 hours of it.
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00:02:13,220 --> 00:02:16,020
But it's delivered in varying
amounts
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00:02:16,020 --> 00:02:18,340
at different times of the year,
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00:02:18,340 --> 00:02:20,580
depending on where you are.
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00:02:25,540 --> 00:02:29,340
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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00:02:33,260 --> 00:02:34,500
the year round.
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00:02:38,980 --> 00:02:43,580
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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00:02:59,380 --> 00:03:02,780
And, in Southeast Asia,
gibbons live here.
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00:03:06,420 --> 00:03:09,740
WHOOPING
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00:03:09,740 --> 00:03:11,140
BIRD CALLS
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00:03:11,140 --> 00:03:14,140
A five-year-old female...
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00:03:15,820 --> 00:03:19,220
..and her lifelong partner
are on a mission.
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00:03:24,940 --> 00:03:28,020
Every morning, they head out across
their territory
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00:03:28,020 --> 00:03:29,380
to look for ripe fruit.
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00:03:37,180 --> 00:03:41,340
There is one kind of tree here
that they need more than any other.
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The fig tree.
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These are the only plants in
the entire forest that produce fruit
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all year round.
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00:04:00,260 --> 00:04:03,500
Their flowers grow in dense clusters
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inside undeveloped figs,
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00:04:07,180 --> 00:04:09,820
but these have not yet been
pollinated
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and are not yet edible.
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00:04:11,980 --> 00:04:14,860
The gibbons will have to wait.
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00:04:19,420 --> 00:04:23,460
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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00:05:04,540 --> 00:05:08,060
But she's not going to
use them again.
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00:05:11,100 --> 00:05:14,300
Once inside, she makes her way to
the tiny,
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00:05:14,300 --> 00:05:17,060
tightly packed internal flowers.
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And, here within,
she lays hundreds of eggs.
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00:05:26,620 --> 00:05:30,900
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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00:05:50,900 --> 00:05:54,420
The sunlight now slowly
ripens the figs
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and helps the young wasps
inside to develop.
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00:06:00,420 --> 00:06:04,980
After just five weeks,
the eggs start to hatch.
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00:06:06,340 --> 00:06:10,260
The first to emerge
are the golden, wingless males.
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00:06:13,540 --> 00:06:16,860
Things now become
stranger than fiction.
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These males start to mate
with their unhatched sisters.
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To reach them,
they use a telescopic penis
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that's twice their body length.
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00:06:43,420 --> 00:06:47,660
While their now-pregnant sisters
are beginning to hatch,
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00:06:47,660 --> 00:06:52,700
the males themselves burrow their
way to the outside world.
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00:07:08,980 --> 00:07:12,780
The brothers' final act
is a chivalrous one.
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00:07:17,540 --> 00:07:22,740
They sacrifice themselves
to marauding ants.
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They're serving as decoys
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so their sisters can take
to the skies.
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00:07:36,580 --> 00:07:40,660
The young females, loaded with
pollen, live for just 48 hours,
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00:07:40,660 --> 00:07:46,140
in which time they must find another
fig tree at just the right stage
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00:07:46,140 --> 00:07:50,460
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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00:08:07,700 --> 00:08:11,020
The gibbons know all the fig trees
in their territory.
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00:08:12,620 --> 00:08:16,100
And each day they travel up
to two miles
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00:08:16,100 --> 00:08:19,860
to find one with fruit
that's ready to eat.
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00:08:28,580 --> 00:08:31,620
Ripe figs at last...
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00:08:32,900 --> 00:08:36,620
..a major part of their diet
and available the year round.
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00:08:41,060 --> 00:08:44,220
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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00:08:54,660 --> 00:08:57,420
and constant daily sunlight.
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00:09:05,300 --> 00:09:08,700
But this 12-hour cycle
of light and darkness
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00:09:08,700 --> 00:09:11,420
only happens close to the equator.
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00:09:13,500 --> 00:09:17,340
Elsewhere, the amount of sunlight
fluctuates across the year.
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00:09:19,580 --> 00:09:24,420
That is because the Earth
does not spin in an upright way.
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00:09:24,420 --> 00:09:27,500
Its axis is on a tilt.
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00:09:27,500 --> 00:09:30,260
23.5 degrees.
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00:09:31,740 --> 00:09:35,620
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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00:09:40,260 --> 00:09:44,380
For the first half of the year,
it's angled away from the Sun,
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00:09:44,380 --> 00:09:48,420
bringing darkness and winter
to the northern hemisphere.
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00:09:48,420 --> 00:09:50,740
For the second part of the year,
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the North Pole swings
towards the Sun, bringing summer.
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00:09:58,100 --> 00:10:00,900
The Earth's tilt
gives us the seasons.
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00:10:04,460 --> 00:10:06,180
And life has adapted
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00:10:06,180 --> 00:10:10,340
to deal with even the most
extreme changes in light.
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00:10:11,900 --> 00:10:13,860
The High Arctic.
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00:10:13,860 --> 00:10:17,180
After six months of being angled
towards the Sun,
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00:10:17,180 --> 00:10:21,100
it begins six months
of freezing darkness.
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00:10:27,420 --> 00:10:30,260
This is Ellesmere Island,
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the closest land to the North Pole.
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00:10:34,420 --> 00:10:38,500
It's winter,
and for the last four, long months,
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the only light here
has come from the Moon.
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00:10:44,580 --> 00:10:48,300
Few creatures can survive
this sustained darkness.
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00:10:49,580 --> 00:10:54,660
They have become specialists in
living for months without sunlight.
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WIND HOWLS
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Muskox.
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Remnants of the last Ice Age.
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Having grazed all summer,
they've built up fat reserves
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00:11:12,140 --> 00:11:15,540
that will enable them to survive
the brutal cold of winter.
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00:11:18,220 --> 00:11:23,660
And this makes them a prime target
for other sub-zero specialists.
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00:11:32,180 --> 00:11:34,460
GROWLING
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Arctic wolves.
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The Moon provides just enough light
for them to see.
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SHE SNIFFS
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00:11:52,300 --> 00:11:55,900
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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00:12:25,140 --> 00:12:29,100
The alpha female signals
the start of the attack.
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00:12:41,700 --> 00:12:46,140
They run at the muskox
and the herd panics.
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00:12:59,380 --> 00:13:02,020
The muskox close ranks.
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00:13:05,860 --> 00:13:08,820
The wolves look for weakness.
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00:13:10,540 --> 00:13:12,700
MUSKOX ROARS
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00:13:17,420 --> 00:13:19,860
IT ROARS FIERCELY
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WOLVES WHINE
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Charging risks isolation
from the crowd.
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ROARING
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And that is just what
the wolf pack wants.
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00:13:37,140 --> 00:13:39,580
ROARING
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00:13:55,020 --> 00:13:57,460
The wolves can sense victory.
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00:14:13,100 --> 00:14:15,540
But the herd comes to the rescue.
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00:14:23,900 --> 00:14:27,500
And, once again, they close ranks.
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00:14:31,020 --> 00:14:35,660
Most winter hunts end in failure
for the wolves.
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00:14:35,660 --> 00:14:37,460
MUSKOX ROARS, WOLVES WHINE
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00:14:47,020 --> 00:14:50,100
As the long polar nights drag on,
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00:14:50,100 --> 00:14:55,060
the hungry wolves turn to their only
other source of food...
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00:14:58,180 --> 00:15:00,780
..arctic hares.
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00:15:08,980 --> 00:15:12,820
They've gathered together
in their hundreds for safety.
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00:15:30,500 --> 00:15:33,140
Trying to catch one hare among
hundreds
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00:15:33,140 --> 00:15:35,340
is harder than you might think.
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00:15:41,540 --> 00:15:45,700
Even if they do catch one,
it's not much of a meal.
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00:15:56,700 --> 00:16:00,580
Sometimes you just
have to admit defeat.
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WOLF GROWLS
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00:16:11,340 --> 00:16:14,900
But life is about to get better
for the wolves.
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00:16:26,980 --> 00:16:33,260
For the first time in six months,
the sun rises above the horizon.
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00:16:42,820 --> 00:16:48,900
Its appearance marks the beginning
of half a year of continuous light.
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00:16:51,220 --> 00:16:56,100
The sun's warmth will allow
the muskox to give birth,
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00:16:56,100 --> 00:17:01,260
and that will provide
easier hunting for the wolves.
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00:17:13,500 --> 00:17:15,740
It's early spring,
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00:17:15,740 --> 00:17:20,180
and much of North America
is still locked in ice.
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00:17:23,540 --> 00:17:26,500
As our tilted planet orbits the Sun,
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00:17:26,500 --> 00:17:30,100
the northern hemisphere
receives increasing sunlight...
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00:17:33,220 --> 00:17:37,620
..and wakens an animal
with an almost supernatural ability.
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00:17:46,180 --> 00:17:48,940
It is frozen solid,
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00:17:48,940 --> 00:17:50,860
like a block of ice,
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and has been all winter.
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An ordinary-looking frog...
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..but an extraordinary one.
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A wood frog.
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Its heart has stopped beating
completely.
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00:18:15,780 --> 00:18:17,940
But, as the sun's power increases,
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00:18:17,940 --> 00:18:21,100
almost miraculously,
it begins to change.
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00:18:30,260 --> 00:18:32,540
Its frozen blood is melting
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00:18:32,540 --> 00:18:35,740
and begins to flow
through its veins...
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..as its heart begins
to beat again.
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00:18:42,020 --> 00:18:45,540
HEARTBEAT
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The wood frog is cryogenic.
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In just 12 hours,
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00:18:58,020 --> 00:19:02,380
it thaws and comes back to life,
as if by magic.
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00:19:07,340 --> 00:19:09,340
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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00:19:19,220 --> 00:19:21,700
All across the northern hemisphere,
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00:19:21,700 --> 00:19:24,900
the sun's warmth
is bringing dramatic change.
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00:19:48,700 --> 00:19:52,540
As the sun rises higher
and spring takes hold,
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00:19:52,540 --> 00:19:56,380
the warming air reaches
the ground and the rocks beneath.
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00:20:01,540 --> 00:20:05,580
Here, thousands of animals
begin to stir.
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00:20:09,580 --> 00:20:11,340
Garter snakes,
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00:20:11,340 --> 00:20:14,980
one of Canada's most
northerly reptiles.
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00:20:17,300 --> 00:20:19,740
After six months of hibernation,
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00:20:19,740 --> 00:20:22,460
the males are the first to emerge.
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00:20:23,580 --> 00:20:26,660
They haven't eaten for months.
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00:20:26,660 --> 00:20:31,780
Even so, it's not food that is on
their minds, it's something else...
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00:20:33,740 --> 00:20:36,260
..females.
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00:20:36,260 --> 00:20:40,060
But they stand no chance
of doing anything about that
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00:20:40,060 --> 00:20:42,900
until they've charged their
batteries.
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00:20:49,420 --> 00:20:53,660
Snakes are cold-blooded and they
need to absorb the sun's heat
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00:20:53,660 --> 00:20:56,300
before they're able to move quickly.
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00:21:02,660 --> 00:21:06,380
After a few hours,
the males are raring to go.
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00:21:10,220 --> 00:21:12,660
20,000 snakes,
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00:21:12,660 --> 00:21:15,140
the largest emergence of reptiles
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00:21:15,140 --> 00:21:17,620
anywhere on Earth.
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00:21:31,860 --> 00:21:35,180
Now a few females appear.
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00:21:38,780 --> 00:21:41,260
They're much bigger
than the males...
200
00:21:43,500 --> 00:21:46,220
..and warming
will take them longer.
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00:21:47,460 --> 00:21:49,540
She releases a scent, a pheromone,
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00:21:49,540 --> 00:21:52,580
that attracts the males.
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00:21:52,580 --> 00:21:55,820
They outnumber her 100 to one.
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00:21:59,780 --> 00:22:04,940
To speed her own return to activity,
she will absorb heat from them.
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00:22:12,260 --> 00:22:15,220
Intoxicated by her scent,
the males compete for her,
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00:22:15,220 --> 00:22:18,580
wrapping themselves around her.
207
00:22:36,060 --> 00:22:39,300
She now has hundreds
of males on top of her,
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00:22:39,300 --> 00:22:41,660
making mating near impossible.
209
00:22:43,100 --> 00:22:47,020
But she has a way of weeding out
the men from the boys.
210
00:22:49,540 --> 00:22:54,100
She'll make a daring ascent
of the nearby cliff.
211
00:22:56,980 --> 00:23:01,620
She barges her way through the
crowd to get to the rock face.
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00:23:12,780 --> 00:23:17,660
As she climbs, only the strongest,
fittest males can keep up with her.
213
00:23:52,940 --> 00:23:55,180
She's made it to the top.
214
00:23:55,180 --> 00:24:00,180
Only a few of her suitors have
managed to rise to the occasion,
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00:24:00,180 --> 00:24:03,380
and she may reward them all.
216
00:24:09,100 --> 00:24:12,620
This entire mating
jamboree only lasts
217
00:24:12,620 --> 00:24:16,060
for one short week in the year.
218
00:24:22,260 --> 00:24:26,580
And when it's over, they all
move off into the forest.
219
00:24:29,020 --> 00:24:34,300
There, they disperse to lead
solitary lives searching for food
220
00:24:34,300 --> 00:24:39,940
until winter drives them back to the
shelter of the rocks below ground.
221
00:24:48,900 --> 00:24:52,780
It's June, halfway through
the Earth's annual journey
222
00:24:52,780 --> 00:24:58,020
around the sun, and summer has
arrived in the northern hemisphere.
223
00:25:02,340 --> 00:25:07,140
Karak Lake, in Canada,
north of the Arctic Circle.
224
00:25:08,980 --> 00:25:11,060
The summer will be brief,
225
00:25:11,060 --> 00:25:14,460
but there is sunlight
for 24 hours every day.
226
00:25:17,460 --> 00:25:22,380
So the next few months are vital
for every living thing here.
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00:25:27,900 --> 00:25:31,100
And this arctic fox knows it.
228
00:25:34,380 --> 00:25:36,020
CUBS SQUEAK
229
00:25:37,860 --> 00:25:43,780
Winter has been hard for her, and
now with a new family to support,
230
00:25:43,780 --> 00:25:47,620
she must make the most
of the summer's abundance.
231
00:25:52,380 --> 00:25:56,740
Her three-week-old pups
have just emerged from the den.
232
00:26:03,180 --> 00:26:05,140
CUBS SQUEAL
233
00:26:08,100 --> 00:26:10,580
Each of these little bundles of fur
234
00:26:10,580 --> 00:26:15,220
needs nearly 300 calories
of food every day.
235
00:26:17,660 --> 00:26:19,700
A tall order for Mum.
236
00:26:20,700 --> 00:26:22,380
GEESE HONK
237
00:26:22,380 --> 00:26:25,380
But a solution for her
problem is just arriving.
238
00:26:28,620 --> 00:26:30,500
Snow geese.
239
00:26:30,500 --> 00:26:35,180
They have flown over a thousand
miles from the United States,
240
00:26:35,180 --> 00:26:39,620
timing their arrival to coincide
with the end of the snow.
241
00:26:39,620 --> 00:26:43,380
GEESE HONK
242
00:26:52,220 --> 00:26:55,540
More than half a million
will spend the summer here,
243
00:26:55,540 --> 00:26:57,860
nesting and feeding on the grass.
244
00:26:59,740 --> 00:27:02,660
There's fierce competition
between couples
245
00:27:02,660 --> 00:27:04,780
for the safest nesting sites.
246
00:27:13,540 --> 00:27:18,260
The losers will have to nest
on the outskirts of the colony...
247
00:27:18,260 --> 00:27:21,780
..the first part to be
raided by the foxes.
248
00:27:38,500 --> 00:27:42,820
Mother is after eggs...
249
00:27:42,820 --> 00:27:46,020
..but getting them is
not going to be easy.
250
00:27:53,580 --> 00:27:57,260
GEESE HONK
251
00:28:05,980 --> 00:28:10,580
The geese will risk their lives
to protect their eggs.
252
00:28:10,580 --> 00:28:15,060
If they lose them, they can't
produce another clutch this season.
253
00:28:20,540 --> 00:28:22,820
The fox wins.
254
00:28:24,820 --> 00:28:27,940
GEESE CALL
255
00:28:31,380 --> 00:28:34,660
She gives the first eggs
to her young pups...
256
00:28:38,900 --> 00:28:41,660
..and then heads back for more.
257
00:28:53,900 --> 00:28:56,940
GEESE HONK
258
00:29:05,780 --> 00:29:09,100
Some of the eggs she stashes away.
259
00:29:12,380 --> 00:29:15,820
They will be food to help her
through the coming winter.
260
00:29:15,820 --> 00:29:18,100
GOOSE HONKS
261
00:29:34,540 --> 00:29:40,380
In just three weeks, she will steal
over 800 eggs from the geese.
262
00:29:51,540 --> 00:29:54,620
But eating a big egg is not easy
263
00:29:54,620 --> 00:29:56,980
if one is rather small.
264
00:30:00,500 --> 00:30:05,100
It's a technique the pups
haven't quite yet cracked.
265
00:30:06,340 --> 00:30:09,380
Mum shows how it's done.
266
00:30:18,980 --> 00:30:21,660
GOSLING CHEEPS
267
00:30:21,660 --> 00:30:25,660
Goslings are now hatching
all across the colony.
268
00:30:27,940 --> 00:30:30,580
And they will need all
the food they can get
269
00:30:30,580 --> 00:30:33,940
to build up their fat before
their journey south.
270
00:30:36,620 --> 00:30:38,700
Now that the chicks have hatched,
271
00:30:38,700 --> 00:30:41,500
they can all find
safety on the water.
272
00:30:49,460 --> 00:30:51,140
CUBS SQUEAL
273
00:30:51,140 --> 00:30:55,820
In these brief sunlit months,
there's time for the cubs to play.
274
00:30:58,700 --> 00:31:01,620
But there is no playtime for Mum.
275
00:31:15,460 --> 00:31:18,420
But the Arctic is warming,
276
00:31:18,420 --> 00:31:21,780
and the timing of the seasons
and the migration of the geese
277
00:31:21,780 --> 00:31:23,980
is becoming unpredictable.
278
00:31:31,740 --> 00:31:34,860
Although the sun stays above
the horizon continuously
279
00:31:34,860 --> 00:31:37,420
throughout the Arctic summer,
280
00:31:37,420 --> 00:31:40,820
its rays are comparatively feeble.
281
00:31:43,900 --> 00:31:47,340
Closer to the equator,
in our planet's deserts,
282
00:31:47,340 --> 00:31:49,820
cloud cover is rare.
283
00:32:02,580 --> 00:32:05,940
The sun here is not a friend...
284
00:32:05,940 --> 00:32:08,060
..but an enemy.
285
00:32:14,140 --> 00:32:17,380
WIND GUSTS
286
00:32:17,380 --> 00:32:19,060
Africa.
287
00:32:20,180 --> 00:32:22,260
The Sahara.
288
00:32:26,100 --> 00:32:28,780
Few creatures can live here.
289
00:32:32,860 --> 00:32:36,420
Get caught out in the open
at the wrong time of day
290
00:32:36,420 --> 00:32:38,940
and it's game over.
291
00:32:38,940 --> 00:32:41,140
WIND GUSTS
292
00:32:44,860 --> 00:32:47,700
By 10:00 in the morning,
the temperature on the surface
293
00:32:47,700 --> 00:32:51,020
of the sand is pushing
60 degrees Celsius.
294
00:32:52,540 --> 00:32:56,540
Even the toughest will
soon have to take cover.
295
00:33:00,860 --> 00:33:03,860
But one creature is
waiting underground
296
00:33:03,860 --> 00:33:06,740
for the sun to get even hotter.
297
00:33:12,860 --> 00:33:15,100
Temperatures are now so high
298
00:33:15,100 --> 00:33:18,260
that everything else has to shelter.
299
00:33:24,500 --> 00:33:29,900
The desert now belongs to the
Earth's greatest solar specialist...
300
00:33:31,340 --> 00:33:34,580
..the Saharan silver ant.
301
00:33:36,780 --> 00:33:40,300
At midday, when the
sun is at its fiercest,
302
00:33:40,300 --> 00:33:44,500
they emerge to look for creatures
killed by the scorching heat.
303
00:33:46,500 --> 00:33:50,380
They're one of the fastest insects
on Earth, and they need to be,
304
00:33:50,380 --> 00:33:54,060
with just five minutes to find
food before the heat kills them.
305
00:33:58,380 --> 00:34:01,420
Getting lost would
mean certain death,
306
00:34:01,420 --> 00:34:04,020
so every few seconds
they spin round,
307
00:34:04,020 --> 00:34:06,420
taking a bearing from the sun.
308
00:34:15,100 --> 00:34:19,540
When others are frying,
these ants have solar tech
309
00:34:19,540 --> 00:34:22,740
to stop them from overheating...
310
00:34:27,140 --> 00:34:30,220
..special glassy hairs
and shining bodies
311
00:34:30,220 --> 00:34:33,260
that reflect the sun's lethal rays.
312
00:34:35,660 --> 00:34:38,140
It buys them precious time.
313
00:34:45,700 --> 00:34:48,780
To get their prize back
as quickly as possible
314
00:34:48,780 --> 00:34:52,380
to their underground den
demands teamwork.
315
00:34:59,700 --> 00:35:02,940
But shelter is a long way away.
316
00:35:05,180 --> 00:35:08,180
Any technique will do.
317
00:35:08,180 --> 00:35:10,580
The push and slide.
318
00:35:13,540 --> 00:35:15,540
The spin.
319
00:35:18,380 --> 00:35:21,100
Even dune surfing.
320
00:35:31,980 --> 00:35:35,220
The nest is still 70 metres away.
321
00:35:45,780 --> 00:35:49,020
Some are already
collapsing in the heat.
322
00:35:51,300 --> 00:35:54,740
Reinforcements are needed urgently.
323
00:35:56,860 --> 00:36:01,260
Now the heat whips up violent
gusts of hot desert air.
324
00:36:04,500 --> 00:36:07,020
For an ant, these are hurricanes.
325
00:36:12,620 --> 00:36:14,860
WIND HOWLS
326
00:36:27,620 --> 00:36:31,340
They must get their prize
underground as soon as possible,
327
00:36:31,340 --> 00:36:35,980
and blown sand has blocked the
entrance to their den.
328
00:36:35,980 --> 00:36:39,220
Any longer out here
and they will be toast.
329
00:36:45,460 --> 00:36:48,220
One final effort.
330
00:37:01,780 --> 00:37:04,620
The last of the team race home.
331
00:37:08,260 --> 00:37:11,620
Shade, at last.
332
00:37:19,260 --> 00:37:22,820
Much of the land on our planet
could become as scorched
333
00:37:22,820 --> 00:37:26,420
and lifeless as this if
we allow our activities
334
00:37:26,420 --> 00:37:29,420
to continue to change
the atmosphere.
335
00:37:33,700 --> 00:37:38,540
The Sahara alone has expanded by
an area twice the size of France
336
00:37:38,540 --> 00:37:41,620
in just the last hundred years...
337
00:37:41,620 --> 00:37:44,580
WIND GUSTS
338
00:37:44,580 --> 00:37:50,260
..part of a global desert invasion
that threatens a third of all land.
339
00:37:55,220 --> 00:37:58,420
The sun can certainly
be a lethal threat,
340
00:37:58,420 --> 00:38:00,420
but it could also be our saviour.
341
00:38:01,540 --> 00:38:05,100
The solar energy that strikes
our planet in just an hour
342
00:38:05,100 --> 00:38:09,460
contains more power than
that used by all of humanity
343
00:38:09,460 --> 00:38:12,060
in an entire year.
344
00:38:21,180 --> 00:38:24,700
By October, as the Earth
completes its annual journey
345
00:38:24,700 --> 00:38:28,940
around the sun, day lengths
in the northern hemisphere
346
00:38:28,940 --> 00:38:31,540
are shortening once again.
347
00:38:35,220 --> 00:38:39,100
The sun's power is diminishing.
348
00:38:39,100 --> 00:38:44,220
Trees are beginning to
shut down their solar panels.
349
00:38:44,220 --> 00:38:48,660
The green chlorophyll with which
they collected the sun's energy
350
00:38:48,660 --> 00:38:52,260
is broken down chemically
and reabsorbed.
351
00:39:00,660 --> 00:39:05,060
And the forests turn
from emerald to gold.
352
00:39:07,140 --> 00:39:09,140
It's autumn.
353
00:39:12,580 --> 00:39:17,780
Once again, the living world away
from the tropics is transformed.
354
00:39:20,500 --> 00:39:23,580
Plants stop growing
355
00:39:23,580 --> 00:39:27,780
and many animals begin to
prepare for tough times ahead.
356
00:39:36,740 --> 00:39:39,860
The forests of central China...
357
00:39:41,660 --> 00:39:45,580
..home to the golden
snub-nosed monkey.
358
00:39:49,660 --> 00:39:53,180
They will not survive
the fast-approaching winter
359
00:39:53,180 --> 00:39:56,660
unless they stock up
on calorie-rich food.
360
00:39:59,220 --> 00:40:05,220
Top of their autumn
menu - pine cones,
361
00:40:05,220 --> 00:40:09,540
They grew during the summer
sunlight and are rich in fats.
362
00:40:14,340 --> 00:40:16,500
Few are now left,
363
00:40:16,500 --> 00:40:19,340
and time to gather
them is running out.
364
00:40:25,940 --> 00:40:29,060
Dominant males patrol the troop,
365
00:40:29,060 --> 00:40:31,620
making sure they get
the pick of the crop.
366
00:40:31,620 --> 00:40:34,500
MONKEYS SCREECH
367
00:40:34,500 --> 00:40:37,140
As the number of
pine cones dwindles,
368
00:40:37,140 --> 00:40:40,140
tensions between
rival families increase.
369
00:40:40,140 --> 00:40:43,420
AGGRESSIVE SCREECHING
370
00:40:48,300 --> 00:40:54,140
Mere threats between two males may
not be enough to settle disputes.
371
00:40:58,580 --> 00:41:00,940
MONKEYS SCREECH
372
00:41:00,940 --> 00:41:03,620
Conflict is in the air.
373
00:41:04,980 --> 00:41:07,100
There's going to be a fight.
374
00:41:37,140 --> 00:41:39,540
MONKEY SCREECHES
375
00:41:39,540 --> 00:41:41,820
Vital food is at stake,
376
00:41:41,820 --> 00:41:44,540
so every pine cone
is worth fighting for.
377
00:42:08,300 --> 00:42:09,380
MONKEY SCREECHES
378
00:42:10,780 --> 00:42:15,820
The victor and his family
enjoy the spoils of war.
379
00:42:19,300 --> 00:42:23,180
The losers get no more
than a few dead leaves
380
00:42:23,180 --> 00:42:27,220
and will have fewer energy
reserves for the coming winter.
381
00:42:31,460 --> 00:42:33,900
The sun's power dims.
382
00:42:35,300 --> 00:42:37,660
Temperatures drop.
383
00:42:42,740 --> 00:42:45,300
Everything slows down.
384
00:42:47,980 --> 00:42:51,980
Ahead lies months of crippling cold.
385
00:42:51,980 --> 00:42:53,660
MONKEY WHINES
386
00:43:10,860 --> 00:43:14,820
Most of the life on Earth
away from the tropics
387
00:43:14,820 --> 00:43:19,020
has managed to adapt
to the changing seasons,
388
00:43:19,020 --> 00:43:21,860
but there are some creatures
that have found a way
389
00:43:21,860 --> 00:43:25,060
to avoid the cold
of winter altogether.
390
00:43:26,620 --> 00:43:29,540
Snares Island, New Zealand,
391
00:43:29,540 --> 00:43:31,980
deep in the southern hemisphere.
392
00:43:31,980 --> 00:43:34,100
CAWING
393
00:43:34,100 --> 00:43:38,060
Here, sooty shearwaters have been
nesting throughout the long summer
394
00:43:38,060 --> 00:43:40,860
and gorging themselves on fish.
395
00:43:42,380 --> 00:43:46,580
As a result, they've piled
on quite a few pounds.
396
00:43:49,100 --> 00:43:53,340
But the sun is now fading, and the
southern winter is approaching.
397
00:43:54,540 --> 00:43:57,620
No time to hang around.
398
00:43:57,620 --> 00:43:59,700
SHEARWATERS CAW
399
00:44:06,060 --> 00:44:08,140
When you're a touch tubby,
400
00:44:08,140 --> 00:44:10,780
launching into the air...
401
00:44:10,780 --> 00:44:12,620
..is a leap of faith.
402
00:44:15,700 --> 00:44:19,620
They won't see land again
for four weeks.
403
00:44:24,300 --> 00:44:27,700
Setting off across the Pacific,
they're starting on
404
00:44:27,700 --> 00:44:32,100
one of the longest journeys
made by any living thing.
405
00:44:34,180 --> 00:44:38,860
Their aim - to avoid the
consequences of the Earth's tilt
406
00:44:38,860 --> 00:44:43,100
and follow the sun's warmth
as it dwindles in the south
407
00:44:43,100 --> 00:44:45,620
and increases in the north.
408
00:44:57,660 --> 00:45:01,540
For those who survive
the 10,000-mile marathon,
409
00:45:01,540 --> 00:45:04,220
there will be a great prize.
410
00:45:08,620 --> 00:45:12,540
The reward for travelling from
one end of the planet to the other
411
00:45:12,540 --> 00:45:16,180
is long summer days the year round.
412
00:45:18,900 --> 00:45:21,260
This is their destination...
413
00:45:22,940 --> 00:45:25,580
..Alaska's Aleutian Islands.
414
00:45:29,220 --> 00:45:32,860
While the south of our planet
is slipping into autumn...
415
00:45:34,460 --> 00:45:37,380
..here, summer is just beginning.
416
00:45:47,500 --> 00:45:52,540
Below the waves, vast clouds
of plankton are blooming.
417
00:45:53,780 --> 00:45:56,460
Triggered by the sunlight,
418
00:45:56,460 --> 00:45:59,100
these tiny marine organisms
419
00:45:59,100 --> 00:46:02,100
are food for crustaceans - krill.
420
00:46:04,980 --> 00:46:07,860
This is the sun-fuelled bounty
421
00:46:07,860 --> 00:46:10,620
for which the shearwaters
have crossed the planet.
422
00:46:17,340 --> 00:46:19,420
By cheating the tilt,
423
00:46:19,420 --> 00:46:23,060
they're able to enjoy the
riches of summer the year round.
424
00:46:30,340 --> 00:46:35,020
But shearwaters are not the only
ones to visit the warming seas.
425
00:46:36,820 --> 00:46:40,100
WHALES CALL
426
00:46:41,380 --> 00:46:43,540
Humpback whales.
427
00:46:45,700 --> 00:46:49,180
They've been breeding
in the tropics...
428
00:46:49,180 --> 00:46:51,980
..and haven't fed for six months.
429
00:47:02,500 --> 00:47:07,700
Up to 6,000 whales are now
heading for these islands -
430
00:47:07,700 --> 00:47:13,220
the only place where they can find
food in the quantities they need.
431
00:47:17,860 --> 00:47:22,540
The shearwaters begin to dive
into a huge shoal of krill.
432
00:47:28,220 --> 00:47:30,860
The humpbacks attack from below.
433
00:47:38,420 --> 00:47:42,500
Each year, a million
shearwaters join the whales
434
00:47:42,500 --> 00:47:45,420
in these dramatic feeding frenzies.
435
00:47:58,740 --> 00:48:02,740
It's one of the greatest
gatherings of life on Earth.
436
00:48:04,060 --> 00:48:08,780
And it only happens because
some whales and some birds
437
00:48:08,780 --> 00:48:12,980
have found a way to live in
a summer that never ends.
438
00:48:32,820 --> 00:48:36,140
Rolf Steinmann has wanted
to be a wildlife cameraman
439
00:48:36,140 --> 00:48:42,020
since he was a child, even if he has
to remind himself from time to time.
440
00:48:42,020 --> 00:48:46,420
I'm a lucky cameraman.
441
00:48:46,420 --> 00:48:48,700
I'm a lucky cameraman...
442
00:48:48,700 --> 00:48:52,860
To those who've worked with Rolf,
his love of the wild is legendary.
443
00:48:52,860 --> 00:48:55,020
You know, if he's not on
location, he's at home watching
444
00:48:55,020 --> 00:48:57,420
every other wildlife documentary
that's ever been made.
445
00:48:57,420 --> 00:49:01,340
I think Rolf is motivated
by the beauty in the world.
446
00:49:01,340 --> 00:49:03,540
I think he really
has this pure heart.
447
00:49:03,540 --> 00:49:06,460
Rolf alone with nature
is Rolf at his best.
448
00:49:06,460 --> 00:49:09,820
Rolf is a man obsessed.
449
00:49:09,820 --> 00:49:12,900
The opportunity to be the
first to film arctic wolves
450
00:49:12,900 --> 00:49:16,540
in the polar night is
Rolf's dream of a lifetime.
451
00:49:17,940 --> 00:49:21,620
We have a lot of luggage.
This is a major expedition.
452
00:49:21,620 --> 00:49:25,300
And there's one piece
of luggage that is very,
453
00:49:25,300 --> 00:49:27,660
very special to me, and it's...
454
00:49:27,660 --> 00:49:30,580
It's actually this book
by Jim Brandenburg.
455
00:49:30,580 --> 00:49:32,580
It's 30 years old,
it's from the '80s.
456
00:49:32,580 --> 00:49:35,140
And when I saw this
book the first time,
457
00:49:35,140 --> 00:49:38,820
it really triggered a dream
to become a wildlife cameraman.
458
00:49:38,820 --> 00:49:41,060
And this was the shot.
459
00:49:41,060 --> 00:49:42,940
It's unmatched to this day.
460
00:49:42,940 --> 00:49:46,180
When I saw it, I just wanted
to experience it myself.
461
00:49:46,180 --> 00:49:50,540
To go to Ellesmere now
and to film wolves is...
462
00:49:50,540 --> 00:49:53,300
..is my biggest dream coming true.
463
00:49:53,300 --> 00:49:57,140
If I'm honest, I'm not just
excited about the shoot,
464
00:49:57,140 --> 00:49:59,500
I'm also a little bit anxious.
465
00:49:59,500 --> 00:50:02,740
I haven't worked in -50 degrees,
466
00:50:02,740 --> 00:50:07,100
and actually trying to find wolves
in darkness, in the polar night,
467
00:50:07,100 --> 00:50:11,340
is something that has not
even been tried by anyone.
468
00:50:18,100 --> 00:50:24,100
Ellesmere Island lies just
500 miles from the North Pole.
469
00:50:24,100 --> 00:50:27,980
In the winter, the sun
doesn't rise for four months.
470
00:50:29,060 --> 00:50:34,260
The temperature regularly
drops to -50 degrees...
471
00:50:34,260 --> 00:50:37,820
..making it one of the
coldest places on Earth.
472
00:50:39,500 --> 00:50:41,460
It's such an unreal place.
473
00:50:41,460 --> 00:50:44,540
It's like a...like a frozen dream.
474
00:50:46,500 --> 00:50:49,340
There's so much space.
475
00:50:49,340 --> 00:50:51,900
It's really like a different planet.
476
00:50:54,420 --> 00:50:57,660
The wolves here can range
for thousands of miles
477
00:50:57,660 --> 00:50:59,860
across the frozen landscape.
478
00:51:01,380 --> 00:51:04,540
If you look at that landscape,
479
00:51:04,540 --> 00:51:06,820
how vast it is,
480
00:51:06,820 --> 00:51:10,060
you can imagine how hard
it is to find the wolves,
481
00:51:10,060 --> 00:51:13,100
a white animal in a white landscape.
482
00:51:15,940 --> 00:51:19,180
One wolf has a radio collar,
483
00:51:19,180 --> 00:51:25,100
but this kind of telemetry only
gives a rough direction to explore.
484
00:51:25,100 --> 00:51:27,540
The fjord is just to the south,
so I think the best plan
485
00:51:27,540 --> 00:51:30,860
is cut across on the ice and
see if we can find a way up.
486
00:51:30,860 --> 00:51:34,820
The team race towards the
wolf's last broadcast position
487
00:51:34,820 --> 00:51:36,460
and get lucky.
488
00:51:36,460 --> 00:51:38,900
They find the whole pack,
489
00:51:38,900 --> 00:51:41,780
and something never seen before.
490
00:51:43,340 --> 00:51:46,540
This is so incredible.
HE LAUGHS
491
00:51:46,540 --> 00:51:49,300
A herd of hundreds of arctic hares
492
00:51:49,300 --> 00:51:52,500
are under attack from
Rolf's white wolves.
493
00:51:54,660 --> 00:51:57,580
HE CHUCKLES
Wow.
494
00:51:57,580 --> 00:51:59,620
We found our...
495
00:51:59,620 --> 00:52:02,300
..our pack of seven wolves,
496
00:52:02,300 --> 00:52:05,260
in their full beauty,
which is amazing.
497
00:52:06,940 --> 00:52:11,500
Filming the new behaviour
ramps up the pressure on Rolf.
498
00:52:11,500 --> 00:52:15,420
Oh, God, the situation is
just right in the wrong spot.
499
00:52:16,900 --> 00:52:21,340
Rolf is well known
for his self-criticism.
500
00:52:21,340 --> 00:52:22,900
He's a perfectionist.
501
00:52:22,900 --> 00:52:26,420
You know, he wants that image
to be absolutely perfect.
502
00:52:28,260 --> 00:52:31,700
You're amazing,
but I'm stupid, unfortunately.
503
00:52:35,660 --> 00:52:40,860
A day later, the wolves disappear
out of range of the telemetry.
504
00:52:40,860 --> 00:52:44,340
It said they were here,
but now they aren't here
505
00:52:44,340 --> 00:52:47,380
and we don't get any signal
from the telemetry.
506
00:52:47,380 --> 00:52:52,460
So, now I think we realise how hard
it will be to find the wolves
507
00:52:52,460 --> 00:52:54,700
if we don't just run into them.
508
00:52:55,980 --> 00:52:58,820
With no wolves to film,
Rolf is determined
509
00:52:58,820 --> 00:53:02,180
to capture the beauty of
the landscape with a drone.
510
00:53:12,380 --> 00:53:14,620
We just can't get
the thing in the air.
511
00:53:14,620 --> 00:53:18,940
Um, the motors, they've
physically frozen solid.
512
00:53:18,940 --> 00:53:22,300
And the drone's not the
only thing that's freezing.
513
00:53:22,300 --> 00:53:25,940
Look what I just
found under my mask.
514
00:53:25,940 --> 00:53:27,340
ROLF LAUGHS
515
00:53:31,620 --> 00:53:34,260
THEY LAUGH
516
00:53:44,860 --> 00:53:49,820
A plan to warm up the drone
with a hairdryer and a duffel bag
517
00:53:49,820 --> 00:53:54,180
could mean that the world record
for the coldest flight is still on.
518
00:53:55,980 --> 00:53:57,780
Success!
519
00:54:04,580 --> 00:54:09,300
But the cold soon takes its toll
on Jesse, the drone operator.
520
00:54:09,300 --> 00:54:13,060
Argh! I'm sorry,
I can't feel my hands.
521
00:54:13,060 --> 00:54:16,740
I think we have to drift to
the right a little bit more.
522
00:54:16,740 --> 00:54:20,380
When you're on a shoot with Rolf,
he'll just keep going
523
00:54:20,380 --> 00:54:22,900
and going and going.
524
00:54:22,900 --> 00:54:24,900
We can fly towards the big mountain.
525
00:54:24,900 --> 00:54:28,100
I can get the... Argh!
..the big mountain, you know...
526
00:54:28,100 --> 00:54:29,940
Yeah. ..like, more centred.
527
00:54:29,940 --> 00:54:32,740
Argh! My hands!
528
00:54:32,740 --> 00:54:36,660
Come on, it's coming, it's coming.
You just fly straight, Jesse.
529
00:54:36,660 --> 00:54:39,180
But I'm losing my sensation
in my hands, Rolf.
530
00:54:39,180 --> 00:54:41,500
Yeah, let's hit roll on it
before we die... Let's record.
531
00:54:41,500 --> 00:54:43,180
Come on, do it.
532
00:54:45,380 --> 00:54:49,060
This feels like a totally
different planet. It's really crazy.
533
00:54:49,060 --> 00:54:52,940
OK, and I think now we could
do a forward view. Yeah.
534
00:54:52,940 --> 00:54:56,100
Argh! Perfect, Jesse.
You can go a bit slower.
535
00:54:56,100 --> 00:54:59,020
If you can, go a bit slower.
My fingers are hurting.
536
00:55:00,660 --> 00:55:01,900
Argh!
537
00:55:01,900 --> 00:55:03,940
That looks really cool!
538
00:55:03,940 --> 00:55:06,060
It's incredible.
539
00:55:09,980 --> 00:55:12,620
With no sighting of
the wolves in weeks,
540
00:55:12,620 --> 00:55:16,020
the team decide to follow
their prey instead.
541
00:55:17,460 --> 00:55:20,100
Muskoxen.
542
00:55:20,100 --> 00:55:21,620
And the tactic pays off.
543
00:55:22,740 --> 00:55:25,580
The herd is being
shadowed by the wolves.
544
00:55:25,580 --> 00:55:28,220
MUSKOX GRUNT
545
00:55:31,380 --> 00:55:34,100
They are very close to
a herd of muskoxen there,
546
00:55:34,100 --> 00:55:35,580
and something might happen.
547
00:55:40,220 --> 00:55:44,420
Rolf is in the perfect spot to
capture the first arctic wolf hunt
548
00:55:44,420 --> 00:55:47,500
ever filmed in the polar night.
549
00:55:53,220 --> 00:55:55,260
WOLVES WHINE
550
00:55:55,260 --> 00:55:59,100
God, there was some good stuff,
I think, if I got it in focus.
551
00:56:00,940 --> 00:56:06,660
With the shots in the can, there
is a magical experience for Rolf...
552
00:56:06,660 --> 00:56:10,060
..one he's dreamed of
since he was a child.
553
00:56:16,460 --> 00:56:18,980
It doesn't get better than this.
554
00:56:21,860 --> 00:56:24,060
WOLVES WHINE
555
00:56:24,060 --> 00:56:27,140
Oh, my God. This is an absolutely...
556
00:56:27,140 --> 00:56:29,060
..dream of a lifetime.
557
00:56:32,620 --> 00:56:37,740
Honestly, you are the most beautiful
living being I've ever seen.
558
00:56:37,740 --> 00:56:39,300
Incredible.
559
00:56:49,060 --> 00:56:50,740
Next time...
560
00:56:50,740 --> 00:56:52,100
..weather.
561
00:56:55,380 --> 00:56:59,820
This powerful force carries
vital freshwater around the globe.
562
00:57:02,220 --> 00:57:07,740
And all life on land is perfectly
in tune with its annual rhythms.
563
00:57:14,660 --> 00:57:17,900
The Open University has
produced a free poster
564
00:57:17,900 --> 00:57:20,340
exploring our perfect planet.
565
00:57:20,340 --> 00:57:25,620
To order, please call 0300 303 0901.
566
00:57:25,620 --> 00:57:30,340
Or go to bbc.co.uk/perfectplanet
567
00:57:30,340 --> 00:57:33,300
and follow the links
to the Open University.
44601
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