Original subtitles

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- This is "The Americas," an extraordinary journey

across Earth's great supercontinent,

the widest variety of life on the planet,

the untold story of our home.

[majestic music]

Tonight on "The Americas"-

* *

-the Andes-

* *

-a spectacular sky world and the longest mountain

range in the Americas.

[volcano rumbling]

Forged by fire

and ice-

* *

-it's a world of unrivaled beauty.

* *

But here, life must battle to survive

in the most perilous places imaginable-

[thunder booming]

-the planet's driest deserts, frozen peaks,

and strange, magical forests in the clouds.

* *

Every animal must triumph

in life lived truly on the edge.

* *

The Andes is the spine of South America.

Running from the southern tip of this supercontinent,

it stretches 5,500 miles forming the high peaks

of Bolivia and Peru before pushing north

toward the equator into the heart of the tropics,

where the mountains of Ecuador can seem

like looking back in time.

Sheer cliffs and deep gorges are cloaked in forests.

[animals chittering]

Here, giant higuer�n trees, draped in bromeliads,

are fruiting.

[gentle music]

And that's exactly what one family has been waiting for.

* *

Hiding over a thousand feet above the forest,

a spectacled bear mom.

[cub bleating]

These bears are the rarest in the Americas

and the inspiration for "Paddington."

Mom, known by scientists as Silvestre,

is nursing her three-month-old twins, Yoyo and Irene,

secluded in their tiny nest.

The towering cliffs have kept them safe from predators.

But now the family must leave.

Mom's milk is running out.

They need the fruit nearly half a mile below.

The sky-high rock face that protected them

is about to become their biggest challenge.

The most dangerous journey of their lives begins.

[tense music]

* *

[cub bleating]

Tracked using her collar, scientists know Silvestre

has made this descent before.

* *

[rocks rumbling]

But it's the first time for the cubs.

* *

Yoyo and Irene will need to follow their mother closely.

* *

One misplaced step could be a disaster.

* *

Cubs have fallen to their death here.

[cubs bleating]

* *

[rocks rumbling]

* *

A moment of reassurance from Mom.

She knows the hardest part is yet to come.

* *

Irene takes a wrong turn.

She has lost sight of Mom,

and at the worst possible moment.

* *

[rocks rumbling]

* *

Yoyo has made it down OK.

[cub bleating]

And so has Irene.

The worst seems behind them.

But there's no time to rest.

[gentle music]

* *

Silvestre is bringing them to the very same fruit tree

that she returns to every year.

* *

* *

Plants and fruit like this can make up

over 90% of a spectacled bear's diet,

and the cubs are not holding back.

* *

[cubs bleating]

* *

Spectacled bears navigate these mountains

by having a detailed mental map of their world.

The cubs can stay with Mom for over two years

to build a map of their own.

One day, with luck, Irene will be able to lead her own cubs

down the same cliffs.

* *

It all seems so easy now, but the cubs have just undertaken

a death-defying start to life.

[cubs bleating]

In the mountains of the Andes,

all life is pushed to the limit.

[music crescendos]

* *

These remarkable high-rise forests hide

other extraordinary secrets-

[birds whooshing]

-spectacular animals so small and fast

.

- Our journey in the tropical Andes continues,

rising to 10,000 feet, where the peaks trap

moist air from the Amazon,

creating a mysterious cloud forest.

[majestic music]

Here, nature is at its most magical.

Curiously shaped flowers shine out like beacons,

signaling they have energy-rich nectar inside.

* *

And if they can entice a visitor,

they will be pollinated.

Usually bugs do that job, but these forests

are too cold for many of them.

So instead, it's done by-

[harp glissando]

-hummingbirds, most not much bigger than your thumb.

In fact, the Andes is home to more species of hummingbirds

than anywhere else on Earth.

[upbeat orchestra music]

Feisty and agile, they'll fight to be the first in line

for a drink of nectar on shimmering wings

that can beat over 80 times a second.

[wings flapping]

* *

The Andes has thousands of remote valleys like these,

but just one in Peru is the home

to an almost mythical hummingbird

hardly ever seen in the open.

[gentle flute music]

He is a marvelous spatuletail,

one of just 500 or so left on Earth.

Deforestation has meant their habitat is disappearing.

[light music]

Only males have these extravagant tail feathers,

which have just one purpose-

to attract a female.

* *

He's keeping them in top condition-

* *

-for the performance of his life.

An audience has arrived,

but this is not who he wants.

[dramatic music]

* *

Rivals.

Every male around, even stumpy-tailed youngsters,

have turned up to fight to control

this exclusive courtship area.

* *

He's not the only one who wants the limelight.

* *

[gentle flute music]

Fighting off so many is exhausting.

* *

He really should refuel.

But that's going to have to wait.

* *

A female marvelous spatuletail is here.

* *

Now the show can begin.

* *

He'll be judged on the length of his tail feathers

and the quality of his performance.

* *

- [chirping]

* *

She's interested.

* *

Time to take his display to the next level.

And now, it's all about stamina.

* *

In this thin mountain air, he's got to dig deep.

* *

It's a critical moment-

both for him and the future of the species.

If he wins her over, together,

they will produce the next generation.

* *

And at last, she accepts his invitation-

* *

a sign of hope for this remarkable hummingbird.

[birds chirping]

Throughout the Andes-

[volcano booming]

-the land itself can feel alive.

[rocks crackling]

And in a way, it is,

with an eruption occurring every few years.

[volcano booming]

Immense Earth forces forged these mountains-

[volcano booms]

-leaving a legacy of over 200 active volcanoes-

[volcano booms]

-more than anywhere else in the Americas.

[dramatic music]

For 40 million years,

they've pushed higher and higher.

* *

And in a few places, an eerie ice world

has formed at the peaks,

.

- The Andes is so high that 99% of the world's

tropical glaciers are found here.

[dramatic music]

The largest is in southern Peru.

* *

It's certainly cold, but at an altitude of 18,000 feet,

ultraviolet radiation is very intense.

* *

So when the sun shines, the ground

heats to a jaw-dropping 111 degrees Fahrenheit,

transforming ice world to sauna

in the blink of an eye.

* *

It's the last place to expect to find a frog.

[playful music]

Marbled four-eyed frogs live at the highest

altitude of any frog on Earth.

* *

Every year, females must breed in pools

formed by glacial meltwater.

* *

But their world is changing.

The glacier is retreating further up the mountains.

* *

Each year, she climbs higher,

enduring hotter days,

but also the colder nights.

* *

And that's become a real problem.

* *

The temperature is dropping fast.

She needs to find shelter.

* *

But as her muscles chill, they are starting to seize up.

* *

The deeper underground, the safer she'll be.

But a clear sky means extreme cold is on its way.

[heartbeat thumping]

* *

On these nights... the ice...is relentless.

* *

Its reach stretches far beneath the surface.

* *

[ice crackling]

* *

Her journey looks to be over.

* *

She is frozen solid.

* *

[birds chirping]

[gentle flute music]

As the world warms up,

something strange happens beneath the surface.

[ice crackling]

These marbled four-eyed frogs, living in the highest reaches

of the Andes, have evolved a remarkable talent

almost beyond belief, and never filmed before.

They can freeze solid and come back from the dead

every single day-

* *

-the only frog in the world that can do this.

* *

She drives forward once more.

* *

The frog that cheats death every night

is ready to continue her journey-

and, with luck, meet a new mate.

[frog chittering]

* *

This frog may be a miracle worker,

but its future is not certain.

* *

The glaciers on which it and so many other animals depend

are in trouble.

* *

They're shrinking due to a global rise in temperature.

Over the last 50 years, the neighboring Qori Kalis

Glacier has halved in size.

At the current rate it will disappear entirely

in just 30 more years,

which could be a disaster not just for

the four-eyed frogs but for all life

in these mountains.

* *

As water from the sky-high glaciers of the Andes cascades

down the steep slopes, it creates a unique

network of 100,000 rivers-

[water rushing]

-water that is crucial both for wildlife

and for millions of people.

Most of these rivers are ice-cold,

but this one in Argentina is near-boiling,

superheated by geothermal activity deep underground.

What in their right mind would live

.

- In the mountain rivers of the Andes

only one animal can master turbulent waters

that range from boiling point to near-freezing-

[dramatic music]

-a torrent duck.

Not just any duck, but a super duck.

He comes fully equipped with heat-resistant feathers,

armor-plated leg skin, and built-in protective goggles,

a third eyelid.

This specialist gear means he can survive

a daily temperature range

of minus 13 degrees above water

to plus 122 degrees underwater,

all to reach a sumptuous buffet.

These superheated waters are a hothouse for growing

fly larva in the thousands-

* *

-delicious and nutritious for a duck-

-especially one with a family.

These baby super ducks must find

their own food from day one.

[ducklings chirping]

Luckily, they are equipped for extreme swimming too.

Tail feathers develop early to act as a rudder,

and huge feet provide propulsion.

[ducklings chirping]

Downy feathers trap air

to keep them insulated and afloat.

They already have superhero swagger.

[playful music]

* *

But their buoyant down has, well, a downside.

Where the water is deep, those delicious bugs

are out of reach.

* *

They need to find shallower feeding grounds.

But as the family heads downstream,

things get dangerous.

[water rushing]

The parents lead the way.

[duck quacking]

The ducklings can't yet fly.

They will have to swim for it in these deadly,

scalding waters.

[duck quacking]

[duckling chirps]

Only 1/3 survive to adulthood.

[tense music]

Where they make their jump-

[duck quacking]

-decides their fate-

* *

[duckling chirping]

* *

-as this chick's about to find out.

* *

The parents try to keep tabs on each of the chicks-

* *

-but in these raging waters-

* *

-that's not always possible.

* *

[duckling chirping]

* *

As the chick scrambles out, he must quickly look

for another route to get back to his family.

* *

[duckling chirping]

* *

Now, it's all or nothing.

* *

[inspirational music]

His air-filled feathers pull him to the surface.

* *

Saved by their superpowers, the whole family has reached

the shallow feeding ground-

a bug buffet now within reach for all.

* *

If you've got what it takes, this wild river,

born of fire and ice, can be a kind of paradise

for a duck.

[mystical music]

* *

Traveling south,

the Andes spread to their widest point.

Here, the highest peaks block moisture from both the Amazon

and the Pacific,

which helps create a desert like no other-

the Atacama,

the driest place on Earth,

so arid that NASA uses it to test

equipment destined for Mars.

But in exceptional years, a miracle of nature

.

- The Atacama Desert in northern Chile

is the driest on Earth.

But maybe once a decade, a stormfront from the west

can have enough power to reach around the mountains-

[thunder booming]

-and bring salvation, torrential rain-

[rain pattering]

[wonderous music]

-summoning one of the rarest wonders in nature-

what is known as a superbloom.

* *

Billions of seeds that have been sleeping

in the sand, some for more than ten years,

can finally burst into life.

* *

This new world draws strange creatures

from beyond the desert.

[cururo chittering]

The cururo, a mountain rodent

seldom seen on the surface.

A giant caterpillar-hunting wasp

brings food to her young.

* *

And like the rest, a family of burrowing owls

packs a whole lifetime into these few weeks of plenty.

Because as fast as the superbloom emerges-

* *

-it's reclaimed by the desert,

and life begins the long wait for water once more.

* *

Just to the north is Salar de Uyuni,

the largest salt flat on Earth.

[upbeat music]

When the rains reach here-

[thunder booming]

-another brief wonder of nature is created-

* *

-a giant mirror larger than Yellowstone-

* *

set beneath the clearest skies on Earth.

* *

Here, we look into deep space for answers light-years away-

* *

-while an exquisite vision of the universe

comes to our feet.

* *

But it, too, doesn't last long.

[salt crackling]

And soon, all that remains is a salt crust-

a world utterly hostile to life.

And yet, for some, it's home.

[salt crackling]

A salt flat lizard-

a young male on the lookout for a territory.

There's no time to waste.

[playful music]

* *

An oasis?

No, this water is full of salt.

He can't drink it,

but these brine flies can,

converting it into freshwater

inside their bodies.

* *

It's a perfect combo meal-

a drink with a side of flies.

* *

But for a rookie, this is going to take some practice.

[fly buzzing]

200 flies contain just a thimble of water.

He's sure got his work cut out.

* *

Almost there.

* *

Nailed it!

* *

[flies buzzing]

Could life get any better?

[tense music]

* *

Maybe it can...

* *

It's a female salt flat lizard

wafting a powerful, seductive scent into the air.

* *

What young flycatcher could resist?

* *

But all is not as it seems.

* *

Another male.

* *

She will only mate with the strongest males,

dominant enough to hold the precious

waterfront territories.

And she wants to see what the young flycatcher is made of.

[dramatic music]

* *

She's set him up.

It's trial by combat.

* *

Overpowered, and now in deeper trouble than he knows.

Every inch of the water's edge is controlled

by paired-up power couples-

* *

-who won't share.

[dramatic music]

* *

Retreat is his only option.

* *

[playful music]

He's not ready to take on the big males right now.

* *

But he is alive

and has learned valuable lessons.

[tense music]

* *

Well, maybe.

* *

Reaching the highest point in our whole Americas journey,

we ascend to over 19,000 feet,

where the salt flats become salt lakes,

each one a unique, toxic cocktail of metals,

minerals, and microorganisms.

[spacey music]

* *

The most extraordinary of all is Laguna Colorada,

a hellscape where morning ice

has a daily battle with the strongest

UV radiation on Earth, more than double that

of Death Valley.

* *

And yet, every year, it's home to the most spectacular event

.

- The Toxic Red Lake of the High Andes.

[tense music]

* *

It takes a special kind of toughness to survive here.

* *

But once a year, this lake becomes

the setting for the greatest party in the Andes-

* *

-although not everyone is invited.

[delicate music]

* *

Right now, this world of extremes

plays host to James' flamingos.

[flamingos trilling]

* *

They gather here from across the Andes

in the thousands

hoping to find a mate.

* *

Males and females might appear almost identical,

but they know the difference.

* *

They all want to look their best,

and the pinker the better.

The secrets to their success?

Tough-skinned long legs

letting them wade through the caustic lake-

* *

-and a unique bill that filters out microscopic life

from the toxic water.

Eating this food turns their feathers pinker

making them more desirable.

[flamingos chirping]

But life is about to get more complicated

as the Laguna becomes flamingo central.

Chilean and Andean flamingos are flying in too-

[upbeat music]

-both much bigger but a lot less graceful.

* *

Crowds begin to build to 40,000 strong.

And then, on an unseen cue, a dance-off begins.

[upbeat jazzy music]

* *

The smaller James' are in danger of being pushed

out before it even begins.

* *

Over 4 feet tall, the Chileans can strut in the deep water-

* *

-while the enigmatic Andeans

rumba by the smoke machine.

* *

But at last, the James' get their groove on, too-

* *

-a tango at the top of the world.

* *

These courtship dances last for weeks.

* *

One by one lovers unite

as eventually they find a mate.

* *

But until then, the dance continues,

the greatest show in the greatest mountain range

in the Americas.

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