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Provided by explosiveskull
https://twitter.com/kaboomskull
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Magical creatures
have fascinated us,
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00:00:21,537 --> 00:00:24,665
ever since
we first walked the Earth.
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00:00:24,749 --> 00:00:28,002
Whether created entirely
from the imagination
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00:00:28,086 --> 00:00:30,963
or inspired
by the animals around us,
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00:00:31,047 --> 00:00:34,258
mythical beasts have captured
our attention
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00:00:34,342 --> 00:00:36,636
for thousands of years.
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00:00:36,719 --> 00:00:41,682
But why in this modern age
of science and technology,
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00:00:41,766 --> 00:00:46,896
are we still so captivated
by these fantastic beasts?
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00:00:47,772 --> 00:00:49,148
And what are the truths
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00:00:49,232 --> 00:00:52,527
that lie behind
the myths, the magic,
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00:00:53,236 --> 00:00:54,570
and the legends?
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Join me on a journey
of exhilarating exploration
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and daring discovery,
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as we uncover the secrets
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behind some of our best-loved
mythical creatures...
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Oh, my heavens.
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Wow.
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...revealing
the real-life beasts
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behind some of the greatest
legends in history.
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You look at some of nature's
extraordinary creations
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and you think, "Well, CGI
will never match this."
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And finding out why
the world of magical animals
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is more popular today
than ever before.
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These are
the extraordinary stories
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of the world's most
fantastic beasts.
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This is one of the greatest
treasure troves
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of the natural world.
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London's Natural History Museum
is a cornucopia
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of unique and fascinating
collections
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from across the globe.
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It's also a place where the
worlds of science and fiction
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have been known to overlap.
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I'll be exploring the museum's
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labyrinth of corridors
and cabinets,
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and uncovering the stories
that continue to fascinate
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millions of people today.
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From the legendary creatures
of ancient mythology,
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to the magical animals
of Harry Potter
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and the Wizarding World.
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Stories like these.
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The fantastic beasts
and mythological creatures
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00:03:01,739 --> 00:03:05,534
within these pages,
appear to be pure fantasy,
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00:03:05,618 --> 00:03:09,330
but things aren't always
quite that simple.
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We begin our story
with arguably the best-known
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mythological animal
on the planet...
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the dragon.
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One of the most ancient
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00:03:54,292 --> 00:03:58,212
and universal
of our mythological creatures,
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the dragon has enthralled
the human race
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00:04:01,257 --> 00:04:02,717
for thousands of years.
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00:04:04,969 --> 00:04:08,389
But where did the idea
for this creature
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00:04:08,472 --> 00:04:10,850
first take flight?
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Was there a spark of truth
behind the dragon myth?
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Chinese New Year
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is often celebrated
around the world
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with a traditional
dragon dance.
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In the dance,
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the dragon represents
wisdom, power, and wealth.
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00:04:39,962 --> 00:04:42,715
And it's believed
that performing the dance
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scares off evil spirits
and brings good luck.
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But why the dragon?
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What is it about this creature
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that so excites
and mesmerizes us?
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00:05:00,816 --> 00:05:04,195
Many cultures around the world
have a dragon myth,
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00:05:04,278 --> 00:05:06,781
although they often
vary in appearance.
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00:05:08,157 --> 00:05:11,952
European dragons
are usually seen as terrifying,
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00:05:12,036 --> 00:05:17,333
fire-breathing beasts
with wings and horns.
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00:05:17,416 --> 00:05:20,503
Whereas Asian dragons
are depicted as
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wise, benevolent creatures,
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with a more
serpent-like appearance.
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But if you take a closer
look at the dragon,
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you can see that many
of its features
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are borrowed from real animals,
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animals that have
a fearsome reputation.
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A dragon's large,
powerful talons
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are like those of an eagle.
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Its sharp teeth
and strong limbs
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are like a lion's.
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00:05:55,204 --> 00:05:57,665
And its scales
and hissing tongue
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are similar to a snake's.
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00:06:00,918 --> 00:06:05,131
One recent scientific theory
suggests that the dragon is,
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is simply a combination
of those three animals.
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The animals that our early
ancestors were most afraid of.
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An interesting idea indeed,
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but what lies
behind this theory?
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I visited San Diego Zoo
in California,
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to meet a little creature
that could help to explain.
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Oh, now.
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Who have we here?
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So this is our vervet family.
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This chap here
with the blue bottom,
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he's looking rather alarmed.
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So that is our
dominant male in the family.
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There's some new enrichment
in their enclosure
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that they haven't seen before,
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so he's letting everyone know
there's something new.
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When you say enrichment,
do you mean that earthen pot?
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Correct.
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00:06:52,928 --> 00:06:54,180
- They've never seen it before?
- Never seen it before.
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It has mealworms in there,
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- it has peanuts, so they have to reach their hand in.
- Right.
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00:06:58,767 --> 00:07:01,312
But because it's something
new in their environment,
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00:07:01,395 --> 00:07:03,230
he's started making
that alert call
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00:07:03,314 --> 00:07:04,732
and I don't know
if you noticed,
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00:07:04,815 --> 00:07:05,941
they all started
to jump into the trees.
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They did, didn't they?
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00:07:07,485 --> 00:07:08,819
And they were all
responding to his,
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"Hey there's something
new here".
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There is something new,
we don't know what it is,
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everyone go to your post.
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00:07:14,742 --> 00:07:16,035
Vervet monkeys
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can be found across
most of Africa,
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and usually live
in large groups,
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known as troops.
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Studies have revealed
that they communicate
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in a highly sophisticated way,
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using different alarm calls
for specific predators,
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to warn their troop
of approaching danger.
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Is it a very particular
kind of warning
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that they know
means something on the ground
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rather than something
on a tree?
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00:07:44,522 --> 00:07:46,482
They do. They have
three different calls.
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So they have one for something
that's on the ground, like a snake.
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Oh, right.
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They have a different call
for something's in the air,
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- like a bird of prey.
- Yeah.
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00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,243
And then they have another call
for big cats.
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Those are the three things that
are most likely to threaten them?
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00:08:00,329 --> 00:08:01,497
Correct.
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00:08:01,580 --> 00:08:02,831
So that was
a snake call, was it?
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'Cause they
were all looking down.
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It was. They were
all up on their tiptoes,
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00:08:05,876 --> 00:08:07,461
they were all
looking down at it.
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00:08:07,545 --> 00:08:08,879
- Of course.
- It's exactly what they do for a snake
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00:08:08,963 --> 00:08:10,381
and, you know,
I was cleaning, um,
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their bedrooms one time,
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and they started to do
the same call
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00:08:14,885 --> 00:08:15,928
for the water hose.
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- Really?
- Yeah.
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00:08:17,304 --> 00:08:19,431
Of course, a hose
is a green snake.
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They're, like, what is that?
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00:08:22,434 --> 00:08:24,603
So what does
this all mean?
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00:08:24,687 --> 00:08:27,773
Well, it's thought
that vervet alarm calls
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indicate a very deep-rooted
fear of these three predators.
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And we humans,
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as the primate cousins
of the vervet monkey,
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share the same instinctive
fears of big cats,
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birds of prey, and snakes.
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00:08:46,208 --> 00:08:48,002
And perhaps that primal fear
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is what led people
around the world,
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to combine these
three deadly animals
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into their own unique version
of the almighty dragon.
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00:09:01,390 --> 00:09:05,352
But there is another theory
behind the legend of the dragon
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and it's based on a group
of formidable reptiles
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that walked the Earth millions
of years ago.
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If you've ever wanted
to dig up a dinosaur,
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then this is the place to come.
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I am surrounded by thousands
of dinosaur fossils here.
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I'm in the Valley Of Bones.
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00:09:42,431 --> 00:09:46,602
Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry
in Utah, America,
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has the densest concentration
of Jurassic dinosaur fossils
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ever found on the planet.
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So, have they dug up
anything here that can help us
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00:10:00,783 --> 00:10:04,328
decipher the dragon myth?
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00:10:04,411 --> 00:10:07,623
I'm meeting with two
of the quarry's top experts,
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00:10:07,706 --> 00:10:11,710
Mike Leschin
and Casey Dooms, to find out.
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00:10:15,297 --> 00:10:17,424
So in terms
of recent human history,
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00:10:17,508 --> 00:10:19,385
when was this place discovered?
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00:10:19,468 --> 00:10:22,054
We know that people
knew about the area since,
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probably at least late 1800s.
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First Europeans
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00:10:25,641 --> 00:10:27,726
undoubtedly stumbled across
a lot of different
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finds of dinosaur fossils
and all kinds of things.
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Because
they were visible?
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Eroding out of the hills,
eroding out of these formations...
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00:10:34,775 --> 00:10:37,236
- So, sort of, bones poking up through the soil.
- Mm-hmm.
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00:10:37,319 --> 00:10:39,905
And, Mike, the Europeans,
the ranchers in the 18th century,
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00:10:39,989 --> 00:10:41,865
they had no reason to suppose
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00:10:41,949 --> 00:10:44,868
that the creatures
that were exhibited there
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were extinct.
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And some people
still kind of get
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confused in their head,
don't they,
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about the fact that obviously
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we never co-existed
with these creatures.
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Oh, yeah, I've had people
come out here and say,
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"I'm here 'cause
I don't believe in dinosaurs."
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- Really?
- And, yeah,
189
00:11:00,426 --> 00:11:02,761
so I was like, well,
go look down there
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00:11:02,845 --> 00:11:03,762
and then we'll talk.
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00:11:05,514 --> 00:11:08,684
What about the non-Europeans,
the native Americans, the Ute?
192
00:11:08,767 --> 00:11:11,311
The Ute tribe
was the local tribe.
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00:11:11,395 --> 00:11:15,774
- They knew they were the remains of a living creature.
- Yeah.
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00:11:15,858 --> 00:11:19,695
And their attitude
was to respect that
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00:11:19,778 --> 00:11:22,448
- and leave it alone.
- Yeah.
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00:11:22,531 --> 00:11:24,533
Dinosaur fossils
have been found
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on every continent on Earth.
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00:11:28,537 --> 00:11:31,665
Could they be behind
the dragon story?
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00:11:34,501 --> 00:11:37,129
If you take
a look at the T-Rex,
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00:11:37,212 --> 00:11:39,131
with its terrifying teeth,
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00:11:39,882 --> 00:11:42,009
sharp claws,
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00:11:42,092 --> 00:11:43,969
and enormous size,
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00:11:44,052 --> 00:11:47,556
you can see
how the idea could arise.
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00:11:51,101 --> 00:11:53,103
Goodness me,
what is this place?
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00:11:53,187 --> 00:11:56,356
So this is the actual
Cleveland-Lloyd dinosaur quarry.
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00:11:56,440 --> 00:12:00,194
Ah. And you've enclosed it
to show off these amazing...
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00:12:00,277 --> 00:12:02,112
- Yes.
- ...specimens.
208
00:12:02,196 --> 00:12:04,907
So over here, we have some back
vertebrae from a camarasaurus.
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00:12:04,990 --> 00:12:06,492
From what animal?
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00:12:06,575 --> 00:12:08,202
Camarasaurus,
so it's a herbivorous dinosaur.
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00:12:08,285 --> 00:12:09,995
One of the big long-necks.
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00:12:10,078 --> 00:12:11,205
Right next to it,
213
00:12:11,288 --> 00:12:13,582
we have a tail vertebrae
of an Allosaurus.
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00:12:13,665 --> 00:12:15,042
- Oh, yeah.
- The big predator,
215
00:12:15,125 --> 00:12:17,002
the major predator of the day.
216
00:12:17,085 --> 00:12:19,213
You can really
see here, Casey, can't you,
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00:12:19,296 --> 00:12:21,340
how the dragon myth can arise.
218
00:12:21,423 --> 00:12:22,841
Yeah, absolutely.
219
00:12:22,925 --> 00:12:24,760
Especially if you're
finding stuff like this.
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00:12:24,843 --> 00:12:28,305
That is a single tooth of an Allosaurus.
221
00:12:28,388 --> 00:12:30,682
Oh, my goodness.
I can feel its serrations...
222
00:12:30,766 --> 00:12:32,726
- Serrations, yeah.
- ...saw like, um...
223
00:12:32,810 --> 00:12:35,687
- like a steak knife for cutting through flesh.
- Yeah.
224
00:12:35,771 --> 00:12:37,231
It's still,
after 147 million years,
225
00:12:37,314 --> 00:12:39,358
you can still see them
and you can still feel them.
226
00:12:39,441 --> 00:12:41,652
I mean,
that's a dragon's tooth,
227
00:12:41,735 --> 00:12:44,530
- there's no question about it, it's just...
- Yes.
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00:12:44,613 --> 00:12:46,740
Wow. I'll give it back to you,
it's very valuable.
229
00:12:46,824 --> 00:12:47,950
Look at that.
230
00:12:48,492 --> 00:12:50,202
Wow.
231
00:12:50,285 --> 00:12:53,622
Indigenous American
mythology features
232
00:12:53,705 --> 00:12:55,124
dragon-like creatures
233
00:12:55,207 --> 00:12:58,752
such as the Piasa Bird,
with feathery wings,
234
00:12:58,836 --> 00:13:02,256
elk's horns,
and a long spiked tail.
235
00:13:03,507 --> 00:13:06,260
And the Gaasyendietha dragon,
236
00:13:06,343 --> 00:13:10,222
a lake-dwelling,
fire-breathing beast.
237
00:13:10,305 --> 00:13:13,433
Perhaps these creations
were inspired by fossils
238
00:13:13,517 --> 00:13:16,562
like those discovered here
in Utah.
239
00:13:19,189 --> 00:13:23,110
If I was here some thousand
years ago or so,
240
00:13:23,193 --> 00:13:26,238
it's easy to see how,
if someone dug up
241
00:13:26,321 --> 00:13:27,614
something like this,
242
00:13:27,698 --> 00:13:30,784
it could conjure up
the image of a dragon,
243
00:13:30,868 --> 00:13:33,078
and terrifying it would be,
244
00:13:33,161 --> 00:13:35,163
because how could I know that
245
00:13:35,247 --> 00:13:38,417
this was from a species
that had gone extinct
246
00:13:38,500 --> 00:13:40,544
millions of years ago.
247
00:13:40,627 --> 00:13:42,212
As far as I was concerned,
248
00:13:42,296 --> 00:13:47,551
this was one of the species
that was still very much alive
249
00:13:47,634 --> 00:13:51,263
and might swoop down
on me at any moment.
250
00:14:00,314 --> 00:14:03,317
In the world
of fantastic beasts,
251
00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:04,985
there is another creature
252
00:14:05,068 --> 00:14:08,447
that's as universally
recognized as the dragon.
253
00:14:15,996 --> 00:14:18,332
You know, there's
one mythical creature
254
00:14:18,415 --> 00:14:21,960
whose popularity seems
to be even greater today
255
00:14:22,044 --> 00:14:23,879
than it's ever been.
256
00:14:23,962 --> 00:14:26,882
And it's one
of the few magical animals
257
00:14:26,965 --> 00:14:29,134
that isn't
a terrifying monster.
258
00:14:29,217 --> 00:14:32,804
Indeed it's famous
for its peaceful,
259
00:14:32,888 --> 00:14:35,057
benevolent nature.
260
00:14:35,140 --> 00:14:38,769
I'm talking, of course,
about the unicorn.
261
00:14:40,729 --> 00:14:41,939
One more!
262
00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:49,112
I'm on my way to a country
which was once so convinced
263
00:14:49,196 --> 00:14:52,616
that this mystical creature
was real,
264
00:14:52,699 --> 00:14:55,786
that they named it
their national animal.
265
00:15:03,210 --> 00:15:06,463
Often depicted as a beautiful,
horse-like creature
266
00:15:06,546 --> 00:15:10,842
with flowing mane,
and long, spiraled horn,
267
00:15:10,926 --> 00:15:15,138
the unicorn is a symbol
of purity and innocence.
268
00:15:15,222 --> 00:15:17,349
Believed to have
magical powers,
269
00:15:17,432 --> 00:15:20,811
the unicorn's horn was said
to heal sickness
270
00:15:20,894 --> 00:15:23,230
and protect against poison.
271
00:15:25,816 --> 00:15:27,317
In recent years,
272
00:15:27,401 --> 00:15:31,113
unicorns have seen
a huge surge in popularity.
273
00:15:32,864 --> 00:15:36,910
But this adoration
is nothing new in Scotland,
274
00:15:36,994 --> 00:15:40,414
where the unicorn
has been revered for centuries.
275
00:15:42,958 --> 00:15:47,129
So what is this obsession
all about?
276
00:15:47,212 --> 00:15:49,047
I've come to Stirling Castle,
277
00:15:49,131 --> 00:15:53,802
to meet historian Professor Donna
Heddle, to find out.
278
00:15:53,885 --> 00:15:56,179
- Professor Heddle.
- Oh, call me Donna.
279
00:15:56,263 --> 00:15:57,139
Donna.
280
00:15:57,222 --> 00:15:58,348
What a place.
281
00:16:02,269 --> 00:16:04,021
Oh, my goodness.
282
00:16:05,022 --> 00:16:08,108
Unicorns absolutely everywhere.
283
00:16:08,191 --> 00:16:09,651
I know.
It's splendid, isn't it?
284
00:16:09,735 --> 00:16:11,820
And there are more
all round the room.
285
00:16:11,903 --> 00:16:14,197
This tells us the story
of the hunt of the unicorn.
286
00:16:14,281 --> 00:16:15,866
It's an allegorical piece.
287
00:16:15,949 --> 00:16:17,325
Based on tapestries,
288
00:16:17,409 --> 00:16:19,327
we know that we're
in the collection of James V.
289
00:16:19,411 --> 00:16:21,997
I think they're called
"The History of the Unicorn."
290
00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,292
America has a Bald Eagle,
and France has a Cockrel,
291
00:16:25,375 --> 00:16:28,253
and we have
a Lion in England...
292
00:16:28,336 --> 00:16:31,590
you, in Scotland,
don't have a real animal,
293
00:16:31,673 --> 00:16:33,091
you have a mythical animal.
294
00:16:33,175 --> 00:16:35,010
Why is that, do you think?
295
00:16:35,093 --> 00:16:36,928
Well, I think at the time
when it was chosen,
296
00:16:37,012 --> 00:16:40,015
people did think it was real,
they did believe in it,
297
00:16:40,098 --> 00:16:41,850
but it's a kind of a thing
in the 15th century,
298
00:16:41,933 --> 00:16:43,810
lots of kings
were adopting animals
299
00:16:43,894 --> 00:16:45,270
as their personal symbols
300
00:16:45,353 --> 00:16:47,439
and the unicorn
became the symbol of Scotland
301
00:16:47,522 --> 00:16:50,817
because it is untamable,
it is undefeatable.
302
00:16:50,901 --> 00:16:53,653
Oh, so that's a symbol
of Scotland's sense of itself.
303
00:16:53,737 --> 00:16:54,613
Absolutely.
304
00:16:54,696 --> 00:16:56,490
It's brave, it's courageous,
305
00:16:56,573 --> 00:16:57,991
what's not to like?
306
00:16:58,075 --> 00:17:00,077
- How cool is that for a national symbol?
- Yes.
307
00:17:02,537 --> 00:17:04,039
In the Middle Ages,
308
00:17:04,122 --> 00:17:07,501
the evidence used to prove
that unicorns existed,
309
00:17:07,584 --> 00:17:11,463
came from another
mysterious creature entirely.
310
00:17:13,590 --> 00:17:17,302
A genuine unicorn horn.
311
00:17:17,385 --> 00:17:21,640
Or is it in fact
a narwhal tusk?
312
00:17:21,723 --> 00:17:23,141
I think it's a narwhal tusk.
313
00:17:23,225 --> 00:17:25,227
In fact, it's a replica
of a narwhal tusk,
314
00:17:25,310 --> 00:17:26,728
'cause we wouldn't
have such a thing...
315
00:17:26,812 --> 00:17:29,689
obviously, they belong
on the narwhal's head.
316
00:17:29,773 --> 00:17:31,441
Um, they, sort of,
grow up like that.
317
00:17:31,525 --> 00:17:35,987
I mean, extraordinary things
on the narwhal.
318
00:17:36,071 --> 00:17:39,699
And you can see why
somebody enterprising,
319
00:17:39,783 --> 00:17:41,701
who unfortunately caught one
of those whales
320
00:17:41,785 --> 00:17:45,330
and sawed off his tusk
would have thought,
321
00:17:45,413 --> 00:17:48,458
"I can sell this
as a unicorn horn."
322
00:17:48,542 --> 00:17:50,210
Because that's just
what it looks like.
323
00:17:50,293 --> 00:17:51,962
And it's
quite beautiful.
324
00:17:54,965 --> 00:17:58,760
The narwhal
is an elusive toothed whale
325
00:17:58,844 --> 00:18:01,179
found in Arctic waters.
326
00:18:01,263 --> 00:18:02,722
The spectacular tusk,
327
00:18:02,806 --> 00:18:05,475
usually only found
on male narwhals,
328
00:18:05,559 --> 00:18:09,396
is actually an overgrown
spiralized tooth.
329
00:18:10,939 --> 00:18:12,524
Scientists are still unsure
330
00:18:12,607 --> 00:18:14,693
as to what exactly
the tusk is for,
331
00:18:14,776 --> 00:18:19,030
but it's thought that it may be
used to break through ice,
332
00:18:19,114 --> 00:18:20,532
help catch fish,
333
00:18:20,615 --> 00:18:25,704
or possibly
to impress female narwhals.
334
00:18:25,787 --> 00:18:28,748
I believe I'm right in saying
that these did change hands
335
00:18:28,832 --> 00:18:31,293
for quite astonishing
sums of money.
336
00:18:31,376 --> 00:18:32,878
Vast sums of money.
337
00:18:32,961 --> 00:18:35,297
We know that Queen Elizabeth I,
paid 10 thousand pounds
338
00:18:35,380 --> 00:18:37,549
and that, that's kept in the
Tower of London, for example,
339
00:18:37,632 --> 00:18:40,260
so it's a very high status
object.
340
00:18:40,343 --> 00:18:42,220
Who created this market?
341
00:18:42,304 --> 00:18:43,722
Well, they were
mainly people
342
00:18:43,805 --> 00:18:45,307
who were fishing
in the North of Norway
343
00:18:45,390 --> 00:18:48,101
or Greenland in the Arctic,
Scandinavia.
344
00:18:48,185 --> 00:18:51,021
They would come across the
narwhals, and it was a huge trade.
345
00:18:51,104 --> 00:18:52,564
And the idea was that
346
00:18:52,647 --> 00:18:54,900
it obviously was a symbol
of your own power and wealth,
347
00:18:54,983 --> 00:18:56,651
but also that it would
protect you in some way?
348
00:18:56,735 --> 00:18:59,112
That's right, the purity
of the unicorn.
349
00:18:59,196 --> 00:19:01,615
This was believed to be
able to purify water,
350
00:19:01,698 --> 00:19:03,033
and to guard against poisons.
351
00:19:03,116 --> 00:19:05,243
Also, in a rather more
mundane fashion
352
00:19:05,327 --> 00:19:06,578
to cure boils and plague.
353
00:19:06,661 --> 00:19:08,622
And it was used
by apothecaries
354
00:19:08,705 --> 00:19:09,915
up until the 18th century.
355
00:19:09,998 --> 00:19:11,541
It was called alicorn powder.
356
00:19:11,625 --> 00:19:13,084
A mere pinch of this
357
00:19:13,168 --> 00:19:15,378
would have been beyond
the dreams of ordinary men.
358
00:19:15,462 --> 00:19:16,671
Right.
359
00:19:18,215 --> 00:19:21,760
It's thought the first written
reference to unicorns
360
00:19:21,843 --> 00:19:25,263
dates back
to over 2,000 years ago.
361
00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:27,933
Over that time,
362
00:19:28,016 --> 00:19:30,143
many real animals
have been linked
363
00:19:30,227 --> 00:19:32,354
with this mythical creature.
364
00:19:34,856 --> 00:19:36,191
The Arabian oryx,
365
00:19:36,274 --> 00:19:38,985
also known
as the Arabian unicorn,
366
00:19:39,069 --> 00:19:41,738
has two long slender horns,
367
00:19:41,821 --> 00:19:43,823
and when viewed in profile,
368
00:19:43,907 --> 00:19:45,951
their horns can appear as one,
369
00:19:46,034 --> 00:19:49,120
making them closely
resemble a unicorn.
370
00:19:53,041 --> 00:19:56,044
But there's another,
rather different animal
371
00:19:56,127 --> 00:19:59,214
that is part
of the unicorn story,
372
00:19:59,297 --> 00:20:00,924
one that may have
373
00:20:01,007 --> 00:20:03,385
the strongest connection
of all.
374
00:20:07,722 --> 00:20:11,393
There they are,
the little armored tanks.
375
00:20:18,233 --> 00:20:19,859
The rhinoceros, the rhino,
376
00:20:19,943 --> 00:20:23,530
surely one of nature's
most iconic creatures,
377
00:20:23,613 --> 00:20:27,784
with its unmistakable
thick, gray hide
378
00:20:27,867 --> 00:20:31,329
and its signature horn.
379
00:20:31,413 --> 00:20:34,708
I call it one of nature's
masterpieces.
380
00:20:34,791 --> 00:20:37,085
An extraordinary,
unique beauty, aren't you?
381
00:20:37,168 --> 00:20:38,670
Yes.
382
00:20:43,633 --> 00:20:47,679
These magnificent creatures
are Indian rhinoceros,
383
00:20:47,762 --> 00:20:50,849
and their scientific species
name is,
384
00:20:50,932 --> 00:20:55,061
splendidly,
"Rhinoceros Unicornis."
385
00:20:56,104 --> 00:20:58,064
And they are, in fact,
386
00:20:58,148 --> 00:21:01,067
distantly related
to a real unicorn.
387
00:21:01,985 --> 00:21:03,361
Oh, come now, Stephen.
388
00:21:03,445 --> 00:21:06,031
Well, millions of years ago,
389
00:21:06,114 --> 00:21:10,201
a creature called
Elasmotherium Sibiricum,
390
00:21:10,285 --> 00:21:13,079
the Siberian Unicorn,
391
00:21:13,163 --> 00:21:17,042
roamed between Asia
and Europe and around
392
00:21:17,125 --> 00:21:19,502
for many, many
millions of years.
393
00:21:22,130 --> 00:21:23,715
These prehistoric rhinos
394
00:21:23,798 --> 00:21:26,217
wouldn't have looked
terribly different
395
00:21:26,301 --> 00:21:28,345
to the ones we know today.
396
00:21:28,428 --> 00:21:30,305
But they were enormous.
397
00:21:30,388 --> 00:21:32,724
Twice the size
of modern rhinos,
398
00:21:32,807 --> 00:21:35,143
at around three meters tall,
399
00:21:35,226 --> 00:21:37,395
covered in thick, shaggy hair,
400
00:21:37,479 --> 00:21:41,524
and thought to have
a single, large horn.
401
00:21:41,608 --> 00:21:44,736
The Siberian Unicorn
is believed to have grazed
402
00:21:44,819 --> 00:21:46,988
almost entirely on grass,
403
00:21:47,072 --> 00:21:48,990
and despite its large size,
404
00:21:49,074 --> 00:21:53,953
was built to run at speed
across the plains.
405
00:21:54,037 --> 00:21:58,875
They survived all the way
up to about 39,000 years ago,
406
00:21:58,958 --> 00:22:00,293
when they became extinct.
407
00:22:00,377 --> 00:22:02,670
But at that time,
we were there,
408
00:22:02,754 --> 00:22:04,422
we, homo-sapiens.
409
00:22:04,506 --> 00:22:05,757
We'd developed language,
410
00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:07,967
and so, we were able
to tell each other
411
00:22:08,051 --> 00:22:10,387
about meeting
these incredible creatures,
412
00:22:10,470 --> 00:22:12,555
what would
we have thought of them?
413
00:22:12,639 --> 00:22:17,477
Perhaps that's another reason
why the idea of the unicorn
414
00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:19,813
entered the human imagination.
415
00:23:15,869 --> 00:23:19,539
Of all the eerie legends
of the ocean depths,
416
00:23:19,622 --> 00:23:22,417
there is one that has
enthralled us
417
00:23:22,500 --> 00:23:24,586
more than any other...
418
00:23:25,378 --> 00:23:26,713
The Kraken.
419
00:23:29,924 --> 00:23:32,051
Over 500 years ago,
420
00:23:32,135 --> 00:23:36,055
sailors first told
of an enormous sea monster,
421
00:23:36,139 --> 00:23:39,684
said to live in the waters
off Norway and Iceland,
422
00:23:39,767 --> 00:23:42,145
which had long, snake-like arms
423
00:23:42,228 --> 00:23:45,815
covered in suckers
for grabbing prey.
424
00:23:45,899 --> 00:23:48,026
Some stories reported
the monster
425
00:23:48,109 --> 00:23:50,570
as being
two kilometers in length,
426
00:23:50,653 --> 00:23:55,700
with tentacles as thick
and long as ship's masts.
427
00:23:55,783 --> 00:23:59,329
By the 18th century,
scientists truly believed
428
00:23:59,412 --> 00:24:01,915
that the Kraken was
a living, breathing animal,
429
00:24:01,998 --> 00:24:03,374
and so it was included
430
00:24:03,458 --> 00:24:05,877
in all the highly-respected
scientific journals
431
00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:09,047
of the time, includingthe Systema Naturae,
432
00:24:09,130 --> 00:24:11,883
developed by the famous
Swedish naturalist,
433
00:24:11,966 --> 00:24:13,551
Carl Linnaeus.
434
00:24:13,635 --> 00:24:18,181
Was there really a huge monster
living in the ocean depths,
435
00:24:18,264 --> 00:24:21,935
that overturned ships
and devoured sailors?
436
00:24:25,438 --> 00:24:30,068
This is the Natural History
Museum's Tank Room,
437
00:24:30,151 --> 00:24:35,573
home to thousands of the most
incredible scientific specimens.
438
00:24:35,657 --> 00:24:37,742
And there's one in particular
439
00:24:37,825 --> 00:24:40,328
that may explain
our Kraken myth,
440
00:24:40,411 --> 00:24:43,915
along with a little help
from museum curator,
441
00:24:43,998 --> 00:24:45,542
Jon Ablett.
442
00:24:47,544 --> 00:24:49,921
- Hello there. Jon.
- Hello.
443
00:24:50,004 --> 00:24:51,339
Good to meet you,
444
00:24:51,422 --> 00:24:53,758
thanks for showing me around
your incredible...
445
00:24:55,301 --> 00:24:58,012
What the heck is that?
446
00:24:58,096 --> 00:25:00,932
Well, this is Archie,
our beautiful giant squid specimen.
447
00:25:01,015 --> 00:25:02,183
This is a giant squid.
448
00:25:02,267 --> 00:25:04,018
I mean, one hears
about giant squids
449
00:25:04,102 --> 00:25:06,271
and one imagines that they are,
450
00:25:06,354 --> 00:25:08,940
maybe, what people mean
by sea monsters.
451
00:25:09,023 --> 00:25:11,192
Is this what they are?
Are these the monsters?
452
00:25:11,276 --> 00:25:13,987
Well, I mean, we don't really
know what people were seeing,
453
00:25:14,070 --> 00:25:16,864
when we think of these kind
of old-fashioned sea monsters,
454
00:25:16,948 --> 00:25:18,950
but these are definitely
a great candidate.
455
00:25:19,033 --> 00:25:21,119
I mean, they get
up to about 13 meters.
456
00:25:21,202 --> 00:25:24,872
So Archie here, is about
8.6 meters, so not fully grown.
457
00:25:24,956 --> 00:25:26,708
- Is this a junior?
- This is a junior.
458
00:25:26,791 --> 00:25:28,668
So the females,
we think, get to about 13,
459
00:25:28,751 --> 00:25:30,837
the males about 10, 11.
460
00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:32,964
Oh, I can't imagine what
it must be like,
461
00:25:33,047 --> 00:25:35,633
seeing one of those
actually in the water.
462
00:25:37,302 --> 00:25:41,097
One of the most elusive
creatures on the planet,
463
00:25:41,180 --> 00:25:45,727
giant squid are believed
to weigh up to 500 kilos
464
00:25:45,810 --> 00:25:50,148
and inhabit the deepest oceans
around the world.
465
00:25:50,231 --> 00:25:54,611
This incredibly rare footage
was captured by scientists
466
00:25:54,694 --> 00:25:59,449
in the deep waters
of the Gulf of Mexico in 2019.
467
00:25:59,532 --> 00:26:01,284
Thought to be a juvenile,
468
00:26:01,367 --> 00:26:04,120
and measuring over
three and a half meters,
469
00:26:04,203 --> 00:26:06,164
the squid is attempting to feed
470
00:26:06,247 --> 00:26:09,959
on a decoy
bioluminescent jellyfish.
471
00:26:10,043 --> 00:26:13,087
This is only
the second time in history
472
00:26:13,171 --> 00:26:17,383
that a giant squid has been
filmed in the wild.
473
00:26:17,467 --> 00:26:20,553
So that, sort of, um,
child's adventure book
474
00:26:20,637 --> 00:26:23,348
with a huge tentacle
coming in to the deck,
475
00:26:23,431 --> 00:26:26,476
and wrapping itself around
an unfortunate sailor
476
00:26:26,559 --> 00:26:29,020
- is not very likely?
- Pretty unlikely.
477
00:26:29,103 --> 00:26:30,772
I mean, these live
at really great depths,
478
00:26:30,855 --> 00:26:33,066
we're thinking,
possibly down to 2,000 meters,
479
00:26:33,149 --> 00:26:35,735
and it's actually very likely they
can't actually breathe at the surface.
480
00:26:35,818 --> 00:26:37,153
Really?
481
00:26:37,236 --> 00:26:39,280
Oh, look, there's more,
you've got suckers and...
482
00:26:39,364 --> 00:26:40,698
There's a wonderful...
483
00:26:40,782 --> 00:26:42,867
Well, this isn't actually
part of a giant squid,
484
00:26:42,950 --> 00:26:45,495
there is something
that possibly gets even bigger.
485
00:26:45,578 --> 00:26:47,246
This is actually
from a colossal squid.
486
00:26:47,330 --> 00:26:49,290
We think they get bigger
than the giant squid,
487
00:26:49,374 --> 00:26:51,209
possibly up to 18 meters.
488
00:26:51,292 --> 00:26:53,002
Eighteen meters!
489
00:26:53,836 --> 00:26:55,713
Wow.
490
00:26:55,797 --> 00:26:58,758
So if you have a look inside,
a closer look.
491
00:27:03,388 --> 00:27:06,474
Wow. I can see
the suckers so clearly.
492
00:27:06,557 --> 00:27:09,811
So here you can see
just the very tip
493
00:27:09,894 --> 00:27:12,855
of a tentacle
of a colossal squid.
494
00:27:12,939 --> 00:27:14,482
And you can see,
they have these
495
00:27:14,565 --> 00:27:17,318
traditional circular suckers
with the saw-toothed edge,
496
00:27:17,402 --> 00:27:19,821
- just like you see in lots of squid.
- Yeah. Yeah.
497
00:27:19,904 --> 00:27:22,740
But also these
very sharp talon like...
498
00:27:22,824 --> 00:27:24,701
Oh, yes, I can see that.
499
00:27:24,784 --> 00:27:25,785
Ooh!
500
00:27:25,868 --> 00:27:27,537
Goodness they are, aren't they?
501
00:27:27,620 --> 00:27:29,038
Two or three in each sucker,
502
00:27:29,122 --> 00:27:32,709
that are these claws,
these thorns.
503
00:27:32,792 --> 00:27:35,253
Even the ones that don't have
thorns have a certain
504
00:27:35,336 --> 00:27:37,255
sort of raspy burr to them,
don't they?
505
00:27:37,338 --> 00:27:40,174
Yeah, they, sort of, have a serrated
saw-tooth edge as well, so, yeah.
506
00:27:40,258 --> 00:27:43,636
I mean, absolutely terrifying, you
don't want to be caught by one of these.
507
00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:46,723
Even bigger
than its giant cousin,
508
00:27:46,806 --> 00:27:51,436
the colossal squid is the
largest invertebrate on Earth.
509
00:27:51,519 --> 00:27:56,441
Potentially almost as long
as an early sailing ship.
510
00:27:56,524 --> 00:27:58,776
These mysterious creatures
511
00:27:58,860 --> 00:28:02,321
live in the icy depths
of Antarctic waters,
512
00:28:02,405 --> 00:28:03,906
and most of what we know
513
00:28:03,990 --> 00:28:06,659
is based on a small number
of carcasses
514
00:28:06,743 --> 00:28:09,620
found by deep-sea
fishing vessels.
515
00:28:10,496 --> 00:28:12,165
Images like these
516
00:28:12,248 --> 00:28:16,252
are almost the only evidence
we have of their existence.
517
00:28:17,253 --> 00:28:19,756
Did these enormous squid,
518
00:28:19,839 --> 00:28:23,634
found washed ashore
or caught in nets long ago,
519
00:28:23,718 --> 00:28:27,805
launch the legend
of the Kraken?
520
00:28:27,889 --> 00:28:29,807
I mean, they really are
so other-worldly, aren't they?
521
00:28:29,891 --> 00:28:31,684
Yeah. And it's hard
not to be scared
522
00:28:31,768 --> 00:28:34,687
at the thought of one
of those tendrils
523
00:28:34,771 --> 00:28:36,773
coming out and grabbing you.
524
00:28:36,856 --> 00:28:39,233
It is a pretty
primal nightmare.
525
00:28:39,317 --> 00:28:40,318
It certainly is.
526
00:28:44,238 --> 00:28:47,241
Sailors could spin
wonderful yarns
527
00:28:47,325 --> 00:28:51,037
about the strange sights
they saw at sea.
528
00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:55,541
But not all the tales they told
were of the terrifying type,
529
00:28:55,625 --> 00:28:58,628
some took
a more appealing form.
530
00:29:00,713 --> 00:29:03,174
Mermaids have featured
in legends
531
00:29:03,257 --> 00:29:06,552
from around the world
for thousands of years.
532
00:29:08,429 --> 00:29:12,058
In 1493, the explorer
Christopher Columbus,
533
00:29:12,141 --> 00:29:13,643
sailing to the Americas,
534
00:29:13,726 --> 00:29:17,605
saw what he believed
to be three mermaids,
535
00:29:17,688 --> 00:29:19,065
describing them as
536
00:29:19,148 --> 00:29:21,692
"not so beautiful
as they are said to be,
537
00:29:21,776 --> 00:29:25,029
for their faces
had some masculine traits."
538
00:29:26,989 --> 00:29:30,952
But some scientists now think
that what he actually saw
539
00:29:31,035 --> 00:29:33,079
was a creature
that is still found
540
00:29:33,162 --> 00:29:36,290
along the coasts
of North America today.
541
00:29:41,379 --> 00:29:43,548
Crystal River in Florida,
542
00:29:43,631 --> 00:29:47,218
is home
to these enigmatic animals.
543
00:29:49,846 --> 00:29:52,431
There's one. Its little nose
popped up to say hello.
544
00:29:57,979 --> 00:30:01,691
These incredible creatures
are manatees, or sea cows,
545
00:30:01,774 --> 00:30:04,485
and they're the ocean's
largest herbivore
546
00:30:04,569 --> 00:30:07,947
or grazer, in their case
on sea grass.
547
00:30:08,030 --> 00:30:10,157
And despite their massive bulk,
548
00:30:10,241 --> 00:30:13,536
unlike me, they are incredibly
graceful swimmers.
549
00:30:16,372 --> 00:30:19,750
Local manatee expert
Monica Scroggin
550
00:30:19,834 --> 00:30:22,545
has studied the population
on this river
551
00:30:22,628 --> 00:30:24,338
for a number of years.
552
00:30:25,631 --> 00:30:27,717
What brings the manatees
to this place?
553
00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:30,052
Do they find it as beautiful
as everyone else does?
554
00:30:30,136 --> 00:30:32,138
So actually,
it's the water temperature,
555
00:30:32,221 --> 00:30:35,683
but that's because they have
a very small metabolism,
556
00:30:35,766 --> 00:30:39,729
so they have to eat about
ten percent of their body fat
557
00:30:39,812 --> 00:30:41,606
every single day.
558
00:30:41,689 --> 00:30:43,691
So for a thousand
pound manatee,
559
00:30:43,774 --> 00:30:45,902
that's about a hundred
pounds of food.
560
00:30:45,985 --> 00:30:47,278
- My goodness.
- Yes.
561
00:30:47,361 --> 00:30:50,323
It is a lot
of green vegetables.
562
00:30:51,532 --> 00:30:53,451
Manatees can be found
563
00:30:53,534 --> 00:30:56,829
along the coasts
and rivers of North America,
564
00:30:56,913 --> 00:31:01,667
the Amazon in South America,
and Western Africa.
565
00:31:03,294 --> 00:31:06,797
Though populations
are on the rise in Florida,
566
00:31:06,881 --> 00:31:09,800
manatee numbers
are declining worldwide,
567
00:31:09,884 --> 00:31:13,429
and they are considered
vulnerable to extinction.
568
00:31:15,389 --> 00:31:17,850
Measuring over
three meters in length,
569
00:31:17,934 --> 00:31:22,146
these gentle giants often
travel long distances
570
00:31:22,229 --> 00:31:24,523
in search of seagrass.
571
00:31:26,525 --> 00:31:31,989
Manatee tails certainly
look very mermaid-like.
572
00:31:32,073 --> 00:31:35,493
Perhaps it's the graceful way
they move in the water
573
00:31:35,576 --> 00:31:38,120
that has inspired
these legends.
574
00:31:39,914 --> 00:31:42,667
Or had the sailors
who glimpsed them
575
00:31:42,750 --> 00:31:45,795
simply been at sea
for too long?
576
00:31:48,255 --> 00:31:49,590
And when you look at manatees,
577
00:31:49,674 --> 00:31:52,009
do you see merpeople,
mermen and mermaids?
578
00:31:52,093 --> 00:31:55,429
I do. I think they
have the similar shape.
579
00:31:55,513 --> 00:31:58,724
They have the similar tail,
their flippers.
580
00:31:58,808 --> 00:32:00,643
Yeah. Do they use them
almost like hands?
581
00:32:00,726 --> 00:32:02,937
I mean, obviously,
they're not opposable thumbs or anything.
582
00:32:03,020 --> 00:32:05,022
Right, but they almost are.
583
00:32:05,106 --> 00:32:07,858
You could think of their
flipper, like our hands,
584
00:32:07,942 --> 00:32:09,527
but only with skin covering it.
585
00:32:09,610 --> 00:32:11,570
Their bones
look just like ours.
586
00:32:12,655 --> 00:32:14,532
The manatee skeleton
587
00:32:14,615 --> 00:32:18,661
could also hold a clue
to the mermaid myth.
588
00:32:18,744 --> 00:32:21,664
Take a look at their arms
and hands,
589
00:32:21,747 --> 00:32:24,333
and you can see
they are similar to ours.
590
00:32:24,417 --> 00:32:29,630
Yet their tail bones
are unmistakably fish-like.
591
00:32:29,714 --> 00:32:32,383
It's easy to see
how these skeletons
592
00:32:32,466 --> 00:32:34,677
washing up on shores long ago,
593
00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:39,765
could have inspired the idea
of a mysterious half-human,
594
00:32:39,849 --> 00:32:42,018
half-sea creature.
595
00:32:43,978 --> 00:32:47,732
Well, I'm not entirely sure
about these theories,
596
00:32:47,815 --> 00:32:50,943
so perhaps I'd better
take a closer look.
597
00:32:51,652 --> 00:32:52,737
Here goes.
598
00:33:14,633 --> 00:33:17,261
Wow, they are amazing.
599
00:33:17,344 --> 00:33:19,430
So much bigger underwater
600
00:33:19,513 --> 00:33:22,433
and yet still so graceful.
601
00:33:22,516 --> 00:33:24,602
But they don't seem
to mind my presence there,
602
00:33:24,685 --> 00:33:29,273
they just gently nibble away
at that sea grass.
603
00:33:30,608 --> 00:33:31,650
Incredible.
604
00:33:38,699 --> 00:33:40,951
It's not hard to imagine,
is it, how a sailor,
605
00:33:41,035 --> 00:33:43,662
far from home
after a long voyage
606
00:33:43,746 --> 00:33:46,665
and maybe after
a little tot of rum,
607
00:33:46,749 --> 00:33:49,001
looks out and sees a manatee
608
00:33:49,085 --> 00:33:52,546
and in his mind's eye,
there's a mermaid.
609
00:33:52,630 --> 00:33:54,131
A beautiful mermaid.
610
00:33:54,215 --> 00:33:57,051
All right, perhaps
a large tot of rum.
611
00:33:58,886 --> 00:34:02,640
Meanwhile,
the mermaid myth lives on.
612
00:34:07,561 --> 00:34:09,146
Fantastic beasts
613
00:34:09,230 --> 00:34:14,151
don't just lurk on land
or slither through seas.
614
00:34:15,736 --> 00:34:18,447
From Pegasus...
615
00:34:18,531 --> 00:34:20,324
to the hippogriff...
616
00:34:22,243 --> 00:34:23,911
Thestrals...
617
00:34:24,912 --> 00:34:28,165
to Thunderbirds...
618
00:34:28,249 --> 00:34:32,837
many magical creatures
can be found on the wing,
619
00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:35,673
soaring across the skies.
620
00:34:45,766 --> 00:34:48,185
Oh, good Lord. Chris, hello.
621
00:34:48,269 --> 00:34:50,020
Hi.
622
00:34:50,104 --> 00:34:52,898
What's the name
of this extraordinary creature?
623
00:34:52,982 --> 00:34:57,319
This is Nikita, and she's
a Steller's sea eagle.
624
00:34:57,403 --> 00:34:59,280
A sea eagle.
625
00:34:59,363 --> 00:35:02,116
So beautiful.
626
00:35:02,199 --> 00:35:06,078
And that beak, is it
a specialist beak for fish?
627
00:35:06,162 --> 00:35:07,371
That's a serious beak.
628
00:35:07,455 --> 00:35:09,290
It's designed
for cutting flesh,
629
00:35:09,373 --> 00:35:12,585
but a fish pulled out
of the water at minus 40
630
00:35:12,668 --> 00:35:15,045
is gonna be a block of ice
within a couple of moments,
631
00:35:15,129 --> 00:35:17,590
- so that's what that tin opener is for.
- Oh.
632
00:35:17,673 --> 00:35:19,758
And those trousers,
I love those,
633
00:35:19,842 --> 00:35:21,927
shaggy, shaggy feet.
634
00:35:22,011 --> 00:35:25,055
On the soles of her feet,
she's got almost like Velcro,
635
00:35:25,139 --> 00:35:27,099
to enable her to grab hold
of slippery fish
636
00:35:27,183 --> 00:35:30,269
- and pull them off the surface of the water. Yeah.
- Of course.
637
00:35:32,146 --> 00:35:37,067
As you can see, Nikita
is no myth, she's all reality.
638
00:35:37,151 --> 00:35:38,736
Steller's sea eagles,
639
00:35:38,819 --> 00:35:41,447
they're amongst the largest
eagles in the world,
640
00:35:41,530 --> 00:35:43,908
and they're formidable
predators.
641
00:35:43,991 --> 00:35:47,036
There have been stories
over the years, of course,
642
00:35:47,119 --> 00:35:49,914
of eagles attacking humans,
643
00:35:49,997 --> 00:35:52,750
which is why, perhaps,
it isn't surprising
644
00:35:52,833 --> 00:35:55,586
that stories through the ages
have been passed down
645
00:35:55,669 --> 00:35:58,422
of mythical winged beasts
646
00:35:58,505 --> 00:36:01,342
with enormous claws and beaks.
647
00:36:02,384 --> 00:36:04,136
And with that in mind,
648
00:36:04,220 --> 00:36:06,847
it's time for me
to get a bit closer,
649
00:36:06,931 --> 00:36:08,057
so wish me luck.
650
00:36:13,812 --> 00:36:15,105
Right, Stephen, so,
651
00:36:15,189 --> 00:36:17,441
essentially it needs
to be upright.
652
00:36:17,524 --> 00:36:19,026
- Oh, like that. Right.
- Yeah.
653
00:36:19,109 --> 00:36:20,986
And now, I'm gonna place
the bird on your arm on the top
654
00:36:21,070 --> 00:36:23,322
and then you've just gotta
keep your arm nice and level
655
00:36:23,405 --> 00:36:25,491
and just slightly
away from your body.
656
00:36:25,574 --> 00:36:27,534
It's gonna be heavy.
657
00:36:27,618 --> 00:36:29,620
So I'm now gonna give you the weight.
658
00:36:29,703 --> 00:36:31,330
Oh, my heavens.
659
00:36:32,498 --> 00:36:33,540
Wow.
660
00:36:34,875 --> 00:36:37,294
Enormous as you are,
661
00:36:37,378 --> 00:36:40,172
you'd be small compared
to some of your ancestors,
662
00:36:40,256 --> 00:36:43,842
both real and mythical.
663
00:36:43,926 --> 00:36:47,930
One flying beast that appears
in ancient tales
664
00:36:48,013 --> 00:36:51,600
from the Middle East
is known as the Roc.
665
00:36:51,684 --> 00:36:53,936
Described as an enormous eagle,
666
00:36:54,019 --> 00:36:57,606
it was said to be strong enough
to carry off an elephant.
667
00:36:58,565 --> 00:37:00,192
Inspiration for the Roc
668
00:37:00,276 --> 00:37:03,988
is believed to have come
from the eggs of a real bird,
669
00:37:04,071 --> 00:37:05,489
Aepyornis...
670
00:37:05,572 --> 00:37:09,743
which lived in Madagascar
over 40,000 years ago.
671
00:37:09,827 --> 00:37:12,413
One of the largest
flightless birds
672
00:37:12,496 --> 00:37:13,998
ever to have existed,
673
00:37:14,081 --> 00:37:19,295
at over three meters tall
and weighing 500 kilos.
674
00:37:19,378 --> 00:37:21,964
Also known
as the Elephant Bird,
675
00:37:22,047 --> 00:37:25,050
it went extinct around
a thousand years ago.
676
00:37:25,134 --> 00:37:30,806
But its eggs were so huge,
as large as 150 chicken eggs,
677
00:37:30,889 --> 00:37:35,602
that people thought they must
belong to the legendary Roc.
678
00:37:35,686 --> 00:37:38,355
Aren't you amazing?
Well, I think it's time you had her back.
679
00:37:38,439 --> 00:37:41,525
So I'll hand her over to you.
680
00:37:44,528 --> 00:37:47,031
Perhaps, it's the very
mysteriousness
681
00:37:47,114 --> 00:37:48,490
of flight itself,
682
00:37:48,574 --> 00:37:50,868
that has inspired these stories
683
00:37:50,951 --> 00:37:54,621
of legendary flying creatures,
over the centuries.
684
00:37:54,705 --> 00:37:58,542
That, and a fear
of the very powerful
685
00:37:58,625 --> 00:38:01,920
and very real birds themselves.
686
00:38:06,467 --> 00:38:07,968
Goodness.
687
00:38:08,052 --> 00:38:10,429
Fortunately,
nobody's told Nikita
688
00:38:10,512 --> 00:38:14,099
how delicious I am,
so I think I'm safe.
689
00:38:28,989 --> 00:38:32,117
Stories
of fantastical beasts
690
00:38:32,201 --> 00:38:34,370
aren't just a thing
of the past.
691
00:38:40,834 --> 00:38:44,004
And there's one
world-famous legend
692
00:38:44,088 --> 00:38:47,341
that is alive and well
here in Scotland...
693
00:38:49,176 --> 00:38:50,886
The Loch Ness Monster.
694
00:38:52,930 --> 00:38:57,101
The origin story
of this iconic monster
695
00:38:57,184 --> 00:39:01,021
can be traced back
to around 1500 years ago
696
00:39:01,105 --> 00:39:04,316
when Irish missionaries
and Columba
697
00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:07,820
was said
to have encountered a beast
698
00:39:07,903 --> 00:39:09,780
in the River Ness.
699
00:39:09,863 --> 00:39:11,323
Over the years,
700
00:39:11,407 --> 00:39:14,326
thousands of people have
claimed to see Nessie
701
00:39:14,410 --> 00:39:15,994
and there have been
numerous attempts
702
00:39:16,078 --> 00:39:19,456
to find conclusive proof
of its existence.
703
00:39:19,540 --> 00:39:22,459
But none have been
as promising,
704
00:39:22,543 --> 00:39:26,046
or as high-tech,
as recent efforts.
705
00:39:29,758 --> 00:39:33,303
I've traveled to the banks
of this legendary Loch...
706
00:39:33,387 --> 00:39:35,139
- Stephen, come aboard.
- Hello.
707
00:39:35,222 --> 00:39:36,890
...to meet Adrian Shine,
708
00:39:36,974 --> 00:39:40,769
a naturalist involved in this
exciting new development.
709
00:39:49,945 --> 00:39:53,657
Why do you think that there's
a special quality to Loch Ness?
710
00:39:53,740 --> 00:39:57,911
I mean, why has it retained
such mystique over the decades?
711
00:39:57,995 --> 00:40:00,956
Well, it's fascinating.
It is probably, arguably,
712
00:40:01,039 --> 00:40:03,083
the most famous lake
in the world,
713
00:40:03,167 --> 00:40:05,210
- and it's quite large.
- Yeah.
714
00:40:05,294 --> 00:40:07,963
You could put the whole human
population of the world into it
715
00:40:08,046 --> 00:40:09,965
- at least three times over.
- Seriously?
716
00:40:10,048 --> 00:40:12,843
- It is quite deep.
- Good gracious. Wow.
717
00:40:12,926 --> 00:40:14,511
And it's hostile.
718
00:40:14,595 --> 00:40:18,056
So in that respect,
it qualifies as a lost world,
719
00:40:18,140 --> 00:40:20,142
and we need lost worlds
720
00:40:20,225 --> 00:40:23,353
to make our mythical creatures
at least credible.
721
00:40:23,437 --> 00:40:26,064
- Or more credible.
- Yeah, so it's big enough
722
00:40:26,148 --> 00:40:27,649
for the,
if there were a monster,
723
00:40:27,733 --> 00:40:31,904
it could have credibly hidden
for all this time.
724
00:40:31,987 --> 00:40:36,200
The story of Nessie
evolved over centuries,
725
00:40:36,283 --> 00:40:41,371
but it was in the 1930s
that things really took off.
726
00:40:41,455 --> 00:40:44,166
That was when
the Loch Ness monster,
727
00:40:44,249 --> 00:40:47,544
that we know
and love today, was born.
728
00:40:47,628 --> 00:40:52,049
There's the multi-humped
sea serpent
729
00:40:52,132 --> 00:40:54,134
and the plesiosaur.
730
00:40:54,218 --> 00:40:56,553
- The idea of a prehistoric monster...
- With the long neck.
731
00:40:56,637 --> 00:40:59,181
...long necked,
four flippers, stumpy body.
732
00:41:05,979 --> 00:41:08,273
We used to spend a lot of time
733
00:41:08,357 --> 00:41:10,275
in trying to work out
what was in Loch Ness
734
00:41:10,359 --> 00:41:13,612
with our fish nets,
towing things like that around.
735
00:41:13,695 --> 00:41:15,864
Then we'd spend hours
and hours and hours
736
00:41:15,948 --> 00:41:17,241
looking through microscopes,
737
00:41:17,324 --> 00:41:20,077
identifying things,
counting things.
738
00:41:20,160 --> 00:41:23,622
But now there is
a much more elegant way.
739
00:41:26,959 --> 00:41:28,919
Listen to this delicious...
740
00:41:30,921 --> 00:41:32,673
- Just a minute.
- What a lovely noise.
741
00:41:32,756 --> 00:41:34,424
There we are.
742
00:41:34,508 --> 00:41:38,053
Using a process called
Environmental DNA Sampling
743
00:41:38,136 --> 00:41:39,721
or E-DNA,
744
00:41:39,805 --> 00:41:43,934
scientists examined the
different types of animal DNA
745
00:41:44,017 --> 00:41:46,520
found in Loch Ness water.
746
00:41:46,603 --> 00:41:48,730
- And there we go.
- That's it.
747
00:41:48,814 --> 00:41:51,191
My very own bucket
of Loch Ness water.
748
00:41:51,275 --> 00:41:52,401
That's right.
749
00:41:54,278 --> 00:41:55,946
There are
many different theories
750
00:41:56,029 --> 00:41:59,783
as to the Loch Ness Monster's
true identity.
751
00:41:59,866 --> 00:42:01,535
One that Adrian supports
752
00:42:01,618 --> 00:42:04,955
is that it could be
an enormous eel.
753
00:42:06,790 --> 00:42:08,959
Eels are an elusive species.
754
00:42:09,042 --> 00:42:10,377
Much of their behavior
755
00:42:10,460 --> 00:42:12,838
and exactly how large
they can grow
756
00:42:12,921 --> 00:42:15,507
is still a mystery
to scientists.
757
00:42:16,925 --> 00:42:19,428
One of the biggest species
in the world
758
00:42:19,511 --> 00:42:21,847
is the European conger eel,
759
00:42:21,930 --> 00:42:25,309
which is thought to grow
to over three meters long.
760
00:42:28,437 --> 00:42:31,231
But some believe eels
are capable
761
00:42:31,315 --> 00:42:34,067
of growing
to a much larger size.
762
00:42:35,652 --> 00:42:37,571
Known as eunuch eels,
763
00:42:37,654 --> 00:42:41,325
their existence
is somewhat controversial.
764
00:42:41,408 --> 00:42:46,246
Usually, adult eels swim into
the Atlantic Ocean to breed,
765
00:42:46,330 --> 00:42:48,123
after which they die.
766
00:42:48,206 --> 00:42:52,085
But eunuch eels
are said to be infertile,
767
00:42:52,169 --> 00:42:54,963
leading them
to remain in freshwater,
768
00:42:55,047 --> 00:42:58,050
and continuing to grow
for many years,
769
00:42:58,133 --> 00:43:00,761
potentially to a huge length.
770
00:43:03,347 --> 00:43:08,560
So will the DNA results
confirm Adrian's suspicions?
771
00:43:08,644 --> 00:43:12,147
Now presumably, it will take a
few days to get this analyzed,
772
00:43:12,230 --> 00:43:14,191
but you've had
previous samples.
773
00:43:14,274 --> 00:43:17,778
Well, we certainly think
we know what's in Loch Ness,
774
00:43:17,861 --> 00:43:21,281
and there weren't any great
surprises from the DNA.
775
00:43:21,365 --> 00:43:22,699
What have you found?
776
00:43:22,783 --> 00:43:25,744
Bacteria, plankton,
lots of fish.
777
00:43:25,827 --> 00:43:27,245
No reptiles.
778
00:43:27,329 --> 00:43:28,580
No reptiles.
779
00:43:28,664 --> 00:43:30,165
- Sad that, wasn't it?
- Slightly disappointing.
780
00:43:30,248 --> 00:43:33,168
Didn't really expect them,
to be quite honest,
781
00:43:33,251 --> 00:43:34,711
but there we are.
782
00:43:34,795 --> 00:43:38,465
But we got lots and lots
of eel DNA.
783
00:43:38,548 --> 00:43:42,552
But, of course,
it would be the same DNA
784
00:43:42,636 --> 00:43:47,724
for a ordinary eel
as for a huge eunuch eel.
785
00:43:47,808 --> 00:43:51,478
An ordinary eel,
which comes into Loch Ness,
786
00:43:51,561 --> 00:43:53,063
but likes it so much
787
00:43:53,146 --> 00:43:56,108
that it doesn't go back
to the Sargasso Sea to spawn.
788
00:43:56,191 --> 00:43:59,403
- It just grows huge.
- Oh, so it avoids the famous life cycle.
789
00:44:01,405 --> 00:44:03,156
One of the things
that's so intriguing
790
00:44:03,240 --> 00:44:06,868
is this latest DNA work
that you've been doing,
791
00:44:06,952 --> 00:44:10,247
still leaves avenues open
to believing, doesn't it?
792
00:44:10,330 --> 00:44:11,873
And that's the fun of it.
793
00:44:11,957 --> 00:44:15,585
- Yeah. That is...
- Nature surprises us all the time.
794
00:44:15,669 --> 00:44:18,296
Exactly right. Exactly right.
795
00:44:19,172 --> 00:44:20,590
And so the mystery
796
00:44:20,674 --> 00:44:23,677
of the Loch Ness Monster
continues.
797
00:44:38,734 --> 00:44:41,069
Our passion
for all things magical,
798
00:44:41,153 --> 00:44:43,947
has never been
stronger than it is today.
799
00:44:45,490 --> 00:44:49,286
Many of the most popular books
and movies of our time
800
00:44:49,369 --> 00:44:53,331
are based on myths, legends
and fantasy worlds,
801
00:44:53,415 --> 00:44:56,793
filled with some of the most
extraordinary creatures
802
00:44:56,877 --> 00:44:58,295
you'll ever see.
803
00:45:00,756 --> 00:45:03,717
And now with cutting-edge
computer technology,
804
00:45:03,800 --> 00:45:07,721
we can bring them to life,
like never before.
805
00:45:11,641 --> 00:45:14,394
Now, behind these doors
806
00:45:14,478 --> 00:45:18,482
is something
just a little bit special.
807
00:45:25,363 --> 00:45:28,158
I've come
to The Making of Harry Potter
808
00:45:28,241 --> 00:45:31,495
at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour
near London,
809
00:45:31,578 --> 00:45:35,373
to see how the Fantastic Beasts
of the Wizarding World
810
00:45:35,457 --> 00:45:37,375
are brought to life,
811
00:45:37,459 --> 00:45:40,128
and to discover
how the natural world
812
00:45:40,212 --> 00:45:44,674
has often inspired
these extraordinary creations.
813
00:45:44,758 --> 00:45:47,469
This is quite an honor for me.
814
00:45:47,552 --> 00:45:49,971
They don't usually
let Muggles in here.
815
00:46:03,985 --> 00:46:05,779
But where do you start
816
00:46:05,862 --> 00:46:09,032
when trying to create
a fantastic beast
817
00:46:09,115 --> 00:46:10,700
for the big screen?
818
00:46:10,784 --> 00:46:14,704
Surely, a description in a book
can only tell you so much.
819
00:46:14,788 --> 00:46:16,206
Well, I've come here
820
00:46:16,289 --> 00:46:17,791
to find out some
of the tricks of the trade,
821
00:46:17,874 --> 00:46:21,545
from visual effects supervisor,
Christian Manz.
822
00:46:25,465 --> 00:46:28,051
Oh, now, hang on.
823
00:46:28,134 --> 00:46:32,055
I think I recognize
where we are.
824
00:46:32,138 --> 00:46:33,974
This is Dumbledore's office.
825
00:46:34,057 --> 00:46:35,725
Yeah.
826
00:46:36,560 --> 00:46:39,145
Now, Christian,
827
00:46:39,229 --> 00:46:42,315
I'm sure a lot of people have
heard of CGI as it's called,
828
00:46:42,399 --> 00:46:44,442
do you spend your whole time
just looking at a computer screen
829
00:46:44,526 --> 00:46:47,237
doing mathematical things
to create images?
830
00:46:47,320 --> 00:46:49,197
The brilliant thing
about visual effects
831
00:46:49,281 --> 00:46:52,409
is it's a real marriage of the
creative and the technical,
832
00:46:52,492 --> 00:46:55,787
and our inspiration,
particularly with animation,
833
00:46:55,871 --> 00:46:59,624
is looking at creatures
from all over the world,
834
00:46:59,708 --> 00:47:01,042
and make the audience believe
835
00:47:01,126 --> 00:47:03,086
that what they're seeing
is real.
836
00:47:03,169 --> 00:47:04,462
Have you got some examples?
837
00:47:04,546 --> 00:47:06,965
In the second film,
we had the Zouwu,
838
00:47:07,048 --> 00:47:11,011
a elephant-sized,
really colorful big cat.
839
00:47:11,094 --> 00:47:12,512
In the script, it said that
840
00:47:12,596 --> 00:47:15,015
the Zouwu could travel
a thousand miles a day,
841
00:47:15,098 --> 00:47:17,976
and that led us
to that idea of speed.
842
00:47:18,059 --> 00:47:21,187
So here, this was a design that
bedded in for a while actually...
843
00:47:21,271 --> 00:47:22,981
- The cobra-like head...
- Yes.
844
00:47:23,064 --> 00:47:24,524
...with a reptilian body.
845
00:47:24,608 --> 00:47:26,276
We got to the point
of, you know, modelling it
846
00:47:26,359 --> 00:47:29,905
and animating it, but we were
never quite sure about it,
847
00:47:29,988 --> 00:47:31,948
it didn't quite feel
of our world,
848
00:47:32,032 --> 00:47:35,285
and then somebody came up
with this design, this concept.
849
00:47:35,368 --> 00:47:37,454
- Goodness.
- And we were like,
850
00:47:37,537 --> 00:47:39,456
- "Wow that feels bonkers."
- Yes.
851
00:47:39,539 --> 00:47:44,961
And also felt very akin to some
of the Chinese dragon dancers.
852
00:47:45,045 --> 00:47:46,630
The sort of ribbon, like...
853
00:47:46,713 --> 00:47:48,298
I've taken a look
at those too,
854
00:47:48,381 --> 00:47:51,217
and I know what you mean,
and that exactly suggests it,
855
00:47:51,301 --> 00:47:54,095
- that long sinuous, flowing tail.
- Yes.
856
00:47:54,179 --> 00:47:56,056
And then, kind of,
the cat-like face,
857
00:47:56,139 --> 00:47:57,974
and then the body which
in the end,
858
00:47:58,058 --> 00:48:01,186
lizards, was a lot
of our inspiration.
859
00:48:01,269 --> 00:48:03,772
So from that,
we'd look at wildlife.
860
00:48:03,855 --> 00:48:06,316
So you've got coral,
and is that a variegated tulip?
861
00:48:06,399 --> 00:48:07,984
Yeah,
and a fighting fish,
862
00:48:08,068 --> 00:48:11,529
and also we tried it
with the sea anemone.
863
00:48:11,613 --> 00:48:13,365
Yes,
that's so surprising,
864
00:48:13,448 --> 00:48:15,909
'cause I can believe
that you might look at lizards
865
00:48:15,992 --> 00:48:17,452
and you might look
at large cats
866
00:48:17,535 --> 00:48:20,455
and things, but coral
and flowers...
867
00:48:20,538 --> 00:48:23,667
And yet once you point it out,
you can see that.
868
00:48:23,750 --> 00:48:27,003
What's so interesting, is that
the most ancient stories
869
00:48:27,087 --> 00:48:28,755
of mythical creatures
870
00:48:28,838 --> 00:48:31,508
drew their inspiration
from nature.
871
00:48:31,591 --> 00:48:34,678
And the most modern
technological mythical creatures
872
00:48:34,761 --> 00:48:37,472
that you create,
also draw from nature.
873
00:48:37,555 --> 00:48:40,517
And I suppose, as long
as the lead times
874
00:48:40,600 --> 00:48:43,478
and the process of doing
computer graphics is,
875
00:48:43,561 --> 00:48:45,855
it's nothing compared
to the millions of years...
876
00:48:45,939 --> 00:48:48,608
- No.
- ...that nature has to try out new ideas.
877
00:48:48,692 --> 00:48:51,528
Yeah, I think that's one of our
biggest learning experiences, really,
878
00:48:51,611 --> 00:48:54,030
that Mother Nature's definitely
better at it than we are...
879
00:48:54,114 --> 00:48:56,199
But she's had practice.
880
00:48:56,282 --> 00:48:58,451
She's had so much practice.
881
00:49:21,099 --> 00:49:24,227
But where on Earth
did all of this start?
882
00:49:25,770 --> 00:49:27,814
When did we very first create
883
00:49:27,897 --> 00:49:30,734
or imagine
these mythical creatures?
884
00:49:32,819 --> 00:49:35,780
When early humans
began to draw,
885
00:49:35,864 --> 00:49:38,491
we depicted the world
we saw around us...
886
00:49:38,575 --> 00:49:41,578
the landscape, people,
and animals,
887
00:49:41,661 --> 00:49:45,165
like this magnificent mastodon.
888
00:49:45,248 --> 00:49:47,250
But we also began to create
889
00:49:47,333 --> 00:49:50,211
entirely imaginary
creatures too.
890
00:49:51,713 --> 00:49:55,050
There are examples
of these mysterious creatures
891
00:49:55,133 --> 00:49:56,551
painted in caves,
892
00:49:56,634 --> 00:49:58,970
and on rocks,
found around the world.
893
00:49:59,054 --> 00:50:04,142
Some dating back
as far as 44,000 years ago.
894
00:50:04,225 --> 00:50:06,811
No one really knows
why these images were created,
895
00:50:06,895 --> 00:50:10,065
but perhaps the most
reasonable explanation
896
00:50:10,148 --> 00:50:14,861
is that they were one of the
earliest forms of storytelling.
897
00:50:14,944 --> 00:50:18,114
I wanted to know more
about this instinct
898
00:50:18,198 --> 00:50:20,617
to create mythical creatures,
899
00:50:20,700 --> 00:50:23,286
so I asked someone
who knows a thing or two
900
00:50:23,369 --> 00:50:26,331
about telling stories...
901
00:50:26,414 --> 00:50:28,374
author of the
Harry Potter books,
902
00:50:28,458 --> 00:50:31,669
and creatorof Fantastic Beasts,
903
00:50:31,753 --> 00:50:33,713
J.K. Rowling.
904
00:50:38,551 --> 00:50:40,386
Why is it that we humans
905
00:50:40,470 --> 00:50:43,848
have to tell everything
through stories and examples,
906
00:50:43,932 --> 00:50:47,102
it's our great creative power,
isn't it?
907
00:50:47,185 --> 00:50:48,520
I think about this a lot,
908
00:50:48,603 --> 00:50:50,772
the fact that
we're storytelling creatures,
909
00:50:50,855 --> 00:50:52,357
because to our knowledge,
910
00:50:52,440 --> 00:50:54,275
- we are the only animal that does this.
- Yeah.
911
00:50:54,359 --> 00:50:57,112
And obviously it was an attempt
I think to...
912
00:50:57,195 --> 00:50:59,030
certainly in terms
of myth and folklore,
913
00:50:59,114 --> 00:51:01,533
it's an attempt to explain
the natural world,
914
00:51:01,616 --> 00:51:03,159
things people
didn't understand.
915
00:51:03,243 --> 00:51:06,788
I am very interested
in story, inevitably.
916
00:51:06,871 --> 00:51:09,833
I'm not just interested
in writing stories.
917
00:51:09,916 --> 00:51:13,211
I am interested in why
we write stories.
918
00:51:13,294 --> 00:51:14,337
Yes.
919
00:51:14,420 --> 00:51:16,798
I'm even more fascinated
by the fact
920
00:51:16,881 --> 00:51:20,552
that discrete cultures
who'd never met,
921
00:51:20,635 --> 00:51:25,515
- create such similar archetypes and such similar creatures.
- Yeah.
922
00:51:25,598 --> 00:51:28,518
So we see the fire bird,
923
00:51:28,601 --> 00:51:30,103
the phoenix as I called it,
924
00:51:30,186 --> 00:51:32,522
but you see the creation
of a fire bird
925
00:51:32,605 --> 00:51:34,607
throughout different cultures.
926
00:51:34,691 --> 00:51:35,525
Yes.
927
00:51:35,608 --> 00:51:37,485
And what is that telling us
928
00:51:37,569 --> 00:51:39,362
about what it is to be human
929
00:51:39,446 --> 00:51:41,281
and what lives at the back
of our minds,
930
00:51:41,364 --> 00:51:42,574
in our subconscious?
931
00:51:42,657 --> 00:51:45,034
You often see this
in magical beasts,
932
00:51:45,118 --> 00:51:48,413
that very similar beasts
have been imagined
933
00:51:48,496 --> 00:51:53,459
- by, after all, peoples who are living among different...
- Yes.
934
00:51:53,543 --> 00:51:54,919
...real animals.
935
00:51:55,003 --> 00:51:57,380
We're talking cultures
across different continents.
936
00:51:57,463 --> 00:51:58,882
And that fascinates me,
937
00:51:58,965 --> 00:52:01,593
because that's clearly
telling us about ourselves.
938
00:52:01,676 --> 00:52:03,761
And a perfect example
is the dragon.
939
00:52:03,845 --> 00:52:05,471
- There you are.
- All over the world.
940
00:52:05,555 --> 00:52:07,390
- In China, famously, of course.
- All over...
941
00:52:07,473 --> 00:52:09,309
And what else are there?
Mermaids.
942
00:52:09,392 --> 00:52:11,769
Mermaids, it's
very interesting, isn't it?
943
00:52:11,853 --> 00:52:14,105
Because where did
that myth come from?
944
00:52:14,189 --> 00:52:18,067
Even in Africa,
these inland countries...
945
00:52:18,151 --> 00:52:20,111
- Yeah.
- ...of course, have great rivers...
946
00:52:20,195 --> 00:52:23,448
- Yeah.
- ...there is a form of mermaid, the Jengu.
947
00:52:23,531 --> 00:52:24,657
Ah.
948
00:52:24,741 --> 00:52:28,161
So again,
this is something that has...
949
00:52:28,244 --> 00:52:31,915
has been created across
these different cultures.
950
00:52:31,998 --> 00:52:36,753
Why were British sailors
imagining fishtailed women
951
00:52:36,836 --> 00:52:41,007
when people in Africa were
imagining fishtailed women,
952
00:52:41,090 --> 00:52:43,218
it's just extraordinary.
953
00:52:43,301 --> 00:52:45,595
Do you think it's possible
to invent a creature
954
00:52:45,678 --> 00:52:47,305
that has no basis in nature?
955
00:52:47,388 --> 00:52:50,016
- I think it would be exceptionally difficult.
- Wouldn't it?
956
00:52:50,099 --> 00:52:52,769
I created a creature,
957
00:52:52,852 --> 00:52:55,980
in Fantastic Beasts,
the original book
958
00:52:56,064 --> 00:52:57,357
called a Lethifold.
959
00:52:57,440 --> 00:52:59,234
Yes,
a nasty piece of work.
960
00:52:59,317 --> 00:53:01,152
Now that is my worst nightmare.
961
00:53:01,236 --> 00:53:03,821
I really had, there,
gone for something
962
00:53:03,905 --> 00:53:07,575
- that would scare the bejesus out of me.
- Yes.
963
00:53:07,659 --> 00:53:11,037
Although I was taking
the idea from a cloak,
964
00:53:11,120 --> 00:53:13,665
when I stood back
from what I'd invented,
965
00:53:13,748 --> 00:53:15,708
I thought, well, you've...
That's just a manta ray.
966
00:53:15,792 --> 00:53:18,294
- And a manta means a cloak, doesn't it? Yes.
- There you go. Exactly.
967
00:53:18,378 --> 00:53:21,631
So basically, I've invented a
manta ray that doesn't need water.
968
00:53:21,714 --> 00:53:24,217
- And the niffler?
- Well, I was going to say the niffler, exactly,
969
00:53:24,300 --> 00:53:26,469
so the niffler is a bit
of a favorite of mine.
970
00:53:26,552 --> 00:53:28,888
It's a treasure seeker,
it likes everything that glitters,
971
00:53:28,972 --> 00:53:31,140
so it can locate
treasure for you.
972
00:53:32,141 --> 00:53:33,393
So for those who don't know,
973
00:53:33,476 --> 00:53:35,311
a niffler
is a curious creature,
974
00:53:35,395 --> 00:53:38,648
- I suppose it's a cross between a magpie, in nature...
- Yes.
975
00:53:38,731 --> 00:53:41,234
...and a duck-billed
platypus in appearance.
976
00:53:41,317 --> 00:53:43,695
- And a mole.
- And a mole, exactly.
977
00:53:43,778 --> 00:53:45,530
But they used a platypus
978
00:53:45,613 --> 00:53:48,783
to get the snout-like
appearance in the movie,
979
00:53:48,866 --> 00:53:50,410
which I adored.
980
00:53:50,493 --> 00:53:52,662
I mean, they ran these things
past me and I just loved it.
981
00:53:52,745 --> 00:53:55,832
It gave it such an endearing
appearance, I think.
982
00:53:58,251 --> 00:54:01,087
- So it's exceptionally difficult...
- Yeah.
983
00:54:01,170 --> 00:54:02,380
...to invent something.
984
00:54:02,463 --> 00:54:05,675
And often nature
got there far better,
985
00:54:05,758 --> 00:54:09,053
because you look at some of
nature's extraordinary creations,
986
00:54:09,137 --> 00:54:11,973
and you think, well,
CGI will never match this.
987
00:54:18,271 --> 00:54:20,398
You created your own world
988
00:54:20,481 --> 00:54:22,692
that has its famous
989
00:54:22,775 --> 00:54:25,653
and knowable characters
and creatures,
990
00:54:25,737 --> 00:54:28,281
um, which must give you
enormous satisfaction,
991
00:54:28,364 --> 00:54:31,034
and you've done it
by examining the real world
992
00:54:31,117 --> 00:54:32,744
and the world
of the imagination
993
00:54:32,827 --> 00:54:34,037
that our ancestors had,
994
00:54:34,120 --> 00:54:36,039
all the way back
through earliest myths.
995
00:54:36,122 --> 00:54:37,707
I was thinking
about the creatures
996
00:54:37,790 --> 00:54:40,043
because we were gonna
sit down and talk about this,
997
00:54:40,126 --> 00:54:41,836
and I realized
998
00:54:41,919 --> 00:54:46,591
that half the books fold
without those creatures,
999
00:54:46,674 --> 00:54:48,760
you know, they're so important.
1000
00:54:50,470 --> 00:54:52,347
- Hedwig the owl.
- Yeah.
1001
00:54:52,430 --> 00:54:55,516
And then we move through
the Thestrals and the dragons,
1002
00:54:55,600 --> 00:54:58,227
and they are key plot points
1003
00:54:58,311 --> 00:55:01,356
and obviously, thematically,
they work in terms of life
1004
00:55:01,439 --> 00:55:04,442
and death and power.
And struggle and treasure.
1005
00:55:04,525 --> 00:55:08,071
But I realized when I really
focused on those creatures,
1006
00:55:08,154 --> 00:55:11,115
just how important they were,
and that shows,
1007
00:55:11,199 --> 00:55:12,950
we have a deep need, I think,
1008
00:55:13,034 --> 00:55:14,911
to be connected
to the animal world.
1009
00:55:36,808 --> 00:55:42,146
Fantastic beasts have been
with us since the dawn of time,
1010
00:55:42,230 --> 00:55:44,774
from the first imaginary
creatures
1011
00:55:44,857 --> 00:55:47,110
sketched on cave walls,
1012
00:55:47,193 --> 00:55:49,195
to the state-of-the-art animals
1013
00:55:49,278 --> 00:55:51,614
that we see
on our big screens today,
1014
00:55:51,697 --> 00:55:56,786
they are a fundamental part
of our own history.
1015
00:56:02,500 --> 00:56:06,421
Our endless fascination
with magical animals
1016
00:56:06,504 --> 00:56:10,341
and our instinctive curiosity
about the world around us
1017
00:56:10,425 --> 00:56:13,469
could even lead
to the discovery
1018
00:56:13,553 --> 00:56:16,139
of entirely new species...
1019
00:56:17,056 --> 00:56:19,308
If we keep our eyes
1020
00:56:19,392 --> 00:56:21,936
and our minds open,
1021
00:56:22,019 --> 00:56:25,565
who knows
what might be out there?
1022
00:56:33,072 --> 00:56:36,200
The world is a magical place.
1023
00:56:36,284 --> 00:56:38,828
Fantastic Beasts show
1024
00:56:38,911 --> 00:56:42,957
there are still so many things
to discover.
1025
00:57:24,439 --> 00:57:29,439
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