All language subtitles for Mysterious Planet Series 1 Part 3 Mountains of Fire and Ice 1080p

DAVID SCHWIMMER: One
mountain range connecting

two extreme worlds,
a fortress of fire,

stronghold of a
phoenix, and a realm

of ice, conquered by
a master of stealth,

a furry ninja of death.

But how have these two
creatures become the rulers

of such hostile lands?

I'm hoping dance off.

To answer this question is to
take the first steps on an epic

journey across continents,
through millennia,

uncovering the mysteries that
shape life in the mountains

of fire and ice.

Oh, hello.

I'm David Schwimmer, and
I have no fear of wildlife

projected on screen behind me.

This is "Mysterious Planet--

Mountains of Fire and Ice."

Is it still behind me?

The Andes, not Warhol and
Samberg, from frozen peaks

to endless, barren desert,
the longest mountain

range on Earth,
stretching over 4,000

miles along the entire west
coast of South America.

That's, like, 100 million
sausage links end to end,

to give you some perspective.

At it's end, on the
doorstep of Antarctica,

lies a world shaped by ice--

Patagonia.

The peaks here are perpetually
snow capped, like some people's

hearts I know.

Massive glaciers carve
out vast valleys.

This is the realm
of one of the most

successful hunters on earth.

The puma, top predator
in the land of ice,

and pretty good at slow motion.

How did they come
to rule this place?

The answer is hidden in the
past, locked in the ice--

and in the next act.

But 2,000 miles to the north,
at the heart of the Andes,

is a totally different world.

Here, the story of life
was shaped by fire.

They, uh, must have put it out.

Touching the sky,
almost 14,000 feet up,

lies the Altiplano, a
vast, sun-scorched plateau,

like the surface of Mars,
flanked by towering volcanoes,

stained with toxic lakes.

Worst vacation spot ever.

Survival here seems
impossible, but somehow,

life rises from the ashes.

James's flamingo, ruler
in the land of fire.

This Red Lake, Laguna
Colorada, is their stronghold.

But the waters are so toxic,
there aren't even the fish

here.

I have knees like that.

That's why I don't wear shorts.

How have they
conquered this place?

The key to their survival is
in the waters at their feet.

The lake is colored red by
a soup of microscopic algae,

brought to you by
Campbells, which

thrives in the harsh
conditions here,

and the flamingo's beak is the
perfect tool for extracting it.

But their strange diet
isn't only for sustenance.

It serves a double
purpose, revealed

by an ancient ritual,
one of the most important

moments in these birds' lives.

Cue music.

[music playing]

It's the breeding season, time
for males and females to dance.

Yes!

Dance off!

Love it.

This synchronized courtship
is how they choose a mate,

also how they look
for a contact lens.

When enough dancers join
in, the real party begins.

She's over here, guys.

She's over here.

Come, come, come, come,
come, come, come, come.

Yeah, baby.

There she is.
No, wait.

No, she's over there.
She's going that way.

She's going that way.

As the group grows,
the chaos rises,

as does my desire to join in.

All it takes is one
misstep to ruin the party,

don't I know that feeling.

But how do you pick
the right partner

amongst all the confusion?

Wait for it.

Their food holds the answer.

The red algae that
tints the water

also gives the flamingos
their iconic color.

The more you eat,
the more colorful

you become, and the better
your chances of winning a mate.

I am going to live
on red algae shakes.

They can't be too quick to
make a decision, though.

James's flamingos mate for life.

New couples don't venture far.

This fire lake is also
where James's flamingo

raises the next generation.

These birds have embarked
on a lifelong journey

that will never be easy.

Their harsh world
will constantly

test them, from unrelenting,
sun-scorched days

to frigid mountain nights.

But at least they won't
have to look far for food.

It's all that red stuff.

In the ice lands to the
south, getting a meal

is much more difficult,
unless you only eat snow.

Puma must always be ready
for the hunt, never far

behind their
favorite prey, knees,

or, rather, knees
of the guanaco.

But it's not easy taking down a
creature that's twice its size,

and just as fast.

It's like me taking down Shaq.

It takes stealth and cunning
to reign in the land of ice.

Guanaco live in
big family groups

that are always on the move, in
search of the freshest grasses.

Grazing is distracting work,
but there's always someone

keeping an eye out for danger.

You guys hear something?

Death can be hidden
around any corner,

also right there in shot.

In Patagonia, these guanaco
must always remain vigilant.

Death can be hidden
around any corner.

The puma must get close
enough, undetected,

to spring its ambush.

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

No!

Uh-- oh, d-- ah!

Doh!

Ugh, even the most
experienced hunters slip up.

Stupid twigs.

It's all part of an
ancient game of survival

that started long
ago and far away.

Pumas haven't always
lived in these mountains.

To become ruler
of the land of ice

would take an epic
journey through eons

and across continents,
enduring cataclysmic change.

But the puma isn't the only
ruler that came to the Andes

from distant lands.

The ancestor of James's flamingo
evolved in North America,

but around four million
years ago, these birds

set their sights south.

This is real footage.

When they arrived
on the Altiplano,

they discovered a
strange new world.

Even the land of fire
can freeze over, brutal.

[vocalizing]

[grunt]

Mastering the art of the frozen
lake landing takes practice.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Ah-- ah-- nailed it.

Fortunately, relief
is on its way.

The rising sun melts the ice
and gives the flamingos access

to their food once more.

With each dawn, heat is
restored to the land of fire.

But at 14,000 feet above sea
level, when the sun sets,

temperatures plummet.

And on winter nights,
the ice takes hold.

The freeze can be fatal.

Oh, man.

But not all flamingos
fall victim to the cold.

There are places
where these birds

get help from forces hidden deep
in the heart of the fire world.

Beneath the Altiplano
churns a massive chamber

of molten magma.

Across the plateau,
volcanic vents

break through the surface.

Some spew magma-heated
water into Laguna Colorada,

giving the flamingos a break
from the coldest nights.

But it's just a hint of the
true power hidden below.

To understand the forces
that shaped this world,

we need to go back
in time to the bottom

of the Pacific Ocean.

140 million years ago,
the sliding oceanic crust

met an impenetrable
barrier, my mother,

or, rather, the continent
of South America.

There is only one way to go.

The scraping sea floor
descends into the earth,

pushing up the continent.

The Andes begin to rise.

Great volcanic peaks
shoot into the sky.

But then, something
strange happens

here in the heart of the Andes.

Pushed against the massive
center of the continent,

the earth crumples
and folds, forming

a second mountain range.

As these parallel ranges squeeze
together, the land in between

is forced upwards.

Molten rock and ash spew
into the rising plateau,

building it up even higher.

Layer upon layer, the
Altiplano is born.

It's this unique geology
that makes the Altiplano

so unusual and so extreme--

and kind of sexy.

The fortress of parallel peaks
blocks almost all moisture

from entering the plateau.

And at 14,000 feet,
the sun is brutal.

It blasts the Altiplano with
the most intense UV radiation

on Earth, baking away
the water of James's

flamingo's stronghold.

In the Altiplano, the harsh
sun evaporates lake water,

but this is actually a good
thing for James's flamingo.

Evaporation concentrates
toxic volcanic salts

in Laguna Colorada, creating
the perfect chemical

cocktail for the flamingo's
red algae to bloom.

Under these extreme
conditions, James's flamingos

not only survive, they thrive.

But like everyone, wish they
bought real estate in the '70s.

Right in the middle
of this toxic lake,

they're even bringing
forth new life.

Chicks are born with a straight
beak and can't feed themselves.

Until their beaks bend,
they rely on their parents

to provide a remarkable meal--

flamingo milk, an algae smoothie
high in proteins and fats,

richer than cow's milk,
perfect for growing

chicks in a toxic wasteland.

Not available online.

The ancient forces that
shaped the land of fire

are critical to the
flamingo's rule.

In the ice lands to the
south, the rise of the puma

is also linked to
the mountain's past.

But the story of this
world is very different--

hint, it's colder.

Patagonia sits on the
doorstep of Antarctica.

The freezing temperatures
at the bottom of the world

have a major impact on
the end of the Andes.

I mean, it makes it really cold.

Every 100,000 years,
as ice ages take hold,

the Antarctic deep
freeze spreads north,

forming a massive ice
cap over Patagonia.

Through millennia, this has
happened again and again.

I hope that doesn't
mean we're due.

And when it retreated, it
left behind great valleys

right through the
heart of Patagonia.

Unlike the arid fortress
of the Altiplano,

these ice-sculpted
mountains funnel and collect

moisture, blanketing the peaks
with thick snow every winter.

When the summer sun
arrives, melting snow

flows down into the valleys.

This influx of water fuels
an explosion of life.

Aw.

Every summer, female guanaco
give birth to a single baby,

called a chulengo.

They're a bit awkward at
first, but they quickly

find their feet, which
is a shock to them

because their
parents have hoofs.

While females are busy
caring for their chulengo,

males have a very
different priority--

combat, or, rather,
running to combat.

Males are highly territorial.

The strongest fighters
secure the best feeding sites

and get access to
the most females.

They'll wrestle, fight, and
even spit putrid green phlegm.

Oh, yeah, go ahead,
use your phlegm.

Anything to secure
their dominance.

Ah!

Hey, don't bite me there!

All this commotion
is an opportunity

for pumas on the prowl.

The chaos of the breeding
season and the arrival

of carefree chulengos increase
the chances of making a kill.

But for this puma, the
stakes are even higher.

OK, that sounds ominous.

Summer in Patagonia
brings a bounty

of carefree baby guanaco,
the prime target for pumas.

But pumas have their
own distractions.

Keeping focus is difficult with
mischievous kittens in tow.

Aw, look at those
darling guanaco eaters.

Playing games helps young
puma learn the hunting

skills they need to survive.

Soon, they'll be on
their own, but they've

got a good start in life.

Here in Patagonia,
the frozen past

has created the perfect
conditions for guanacos, which,

in turn, support one of
the densest populations

of puma in the world.

But how did they
find this paradise?

Puma Yelp?

Like James's flamingo,
their journey

begins millions of
years ago, 6,000 miles

away in Derek's North America.

But at first, the
puma's ancestor has

no way of reaching the Andes.

There's an ocean
blocking its path.

Then, around 5 million years
ago, a bridge starts to form.

The isthmus of Panama rises from
the waters, joining continents.

The puma said,
isthmus be my time

to cross into South America.

The puma's ancestor has a
direct route to South America.

The Andes are there to
greet it, a giant highway

to the entire continent.

Over generations, it
moves along the Andes,

establishing itself
in every ecosystem.

Its southward
expansion never stops

until it reaches the
end of the longest

mountain range on Earth.

But the puma's journey to
become ruler of the land of ice

is only just beginning.

There are monsters in these
mountains, predators the puma

can't possibly overthrow.

When James's flamingo first
arrives in the fire lands

to the north, it doesn't have
to cope with competition.

It faces a totally
different challenge.

In the arid desolation
of the Altiplano,

it discovers an
untapped food source.

But a deadly threat
looms overhead.

As the brutal sun
evaporates water,

it creates the
perfect conditions

for the flamingos food.

But too much
evaporation, and the lake

will vanish, and so
will James's flamingo.

How can Laguna Colorada survive
in this arid mountain fortress?

At over 20,000 feet high,
the great volcanic peaks

that encircle the Altiplano
act as gatekeeper,

preventing moist air from
entering the plateau.

But every summer, some clouds
breach the mountain fortress,

spilling just 15 inches of
rainfall into the land of fire.

As this fresh water
flows over the plateau,

it begins a radical
transformation

that is crucial to the
survival of James's flamingo.

Summer in the Altiplano brings
just 15 inches of rainfall

to the land of fire.

It may not be much,
but this fresh water

is crucial to the survival
of James's flamingo.

Over millions of years, the
water carves out great ravines.

As it passes through the
ancient layers of ash and lava,

it dissolves out volcanic
salts, transporting

them towards Laguna Colorada.

By the time it spills out
to replenish the levels

of the giant lake, it becomes
4 times as salty as the Pacific

Ocean, with all the
toxic ingredients needed

for red algae to thrive,
which is also the recipe

for my mom's brisket.

In the colony, the
chicks are growing fast.

Their beaks begin to
develop the iconic curve,

and they start to
feed for themselves.

Their world exists
in a delicate balance

between water lost from
evaporation and water

brought in by seasonal rains.

But as global temperatures
rise, the land of fire

just gets hotter and drier, and
the future for these chicks,

less certain.

Adapting to change isn't a
new challenge for the puma.

In fact, it could even be
the secret to its reign.

When the puma first
arrives in Patagonia,

the climate is even
colder than today.

And there are strange creatures
lurking in the land of ice--

ground sloths, 10-feet
long, one of the biggest

herbivores to ever
live in the Andes.

With mega prey comes
monster predators.

Oh, jeez.

20,000 years ago, the
puma isn't the ruler here.

That title is held by a
more terrifying hunter--

smilodon, the saber-toothed
cat, not to be

confused with frownasaurus.

Over 800 pounds, it can take
down prey five times its size.

Again, this is footage
from 20,000 years ago.

This formidable cat won't remain
the top predator for long.

Patagonia is about
to change forever.

Around 12,000 years
ago, temperatures

begin to rapidly rise.

Massive glaciers retreat.

Great forests expand,
replacing the open grasslands

that the giants need to survive.

As smilodon follows its prey
into the last remaining pockets

of grasslands, a new
threat appears, an even

more ruthless predator--

humans.

The mega mammals are no match
for such intelligent hunters.

Here, kitty, kitty.

Come here.

Relentless human
hunting, and the loss

of their open grasslands, brings
an end to the age of giants.

The stage is set for
a new ruler to emerge.

Thousands of years
ago, the mega mammals

that once dominated
the land of ice

become extinct, ushering in
a new ruler of Patagonia.

The key to the
puma's rise to power

is its ability to adapt
to its changing world.

Unlike smilodon, pumas can
survive anywhere, from forests

to sheer mountain cliffs,
and on any prey big or small,

allowing them to
thrive in places where

even humans can't reach them.

The puma survives the test of
time to rule the land of ice,

but every day must
fight for its life.

This young male
is now on its own.

Without his mother's
support, hunting

is no longer a playful game.

Been there.

One misstep, one
well-placed kick

could seriously injure him.

He must choose
his target wisely.

And he can't hesitate.

OK, I'm going to--

I'm-- I'm-- no, I'm--

I'm looking away now.

I don't want to.

Oh, boy.

Oh, boy.

Is it over?

Oh-- oh, god.

Oh, no.

Here we-- no, you know what?

Oh, ah-- OK.

He won't go hungry tonight.

He's learned the skills he
needs to survive on his own,

and now he can take
his rightful place

as ruler of the land of ice.

Where did I put
the French fries?

In the land of fire,
the flamingo's world

is transformed.

Parts of Laguna Colorada
dry up seasonally.

But this year, the water
around the breeding colony

vanishes early, and
so do the flamingos--

or at least most of them.

This flock of juveniles
is on its own.

Their parents flew to
the edges of the lake

where some water still flows
down from the mountains.

If these young flamingos don't
leave soon, they'll starve.

But how do you reach
the life-giving waters

when you can't fly?

There's only one option.

Like countless
generations before them,

these young flamingos
march to survive.

Every year, juveniles
must leave the only home

they've ever known, entering
the next chapter of their lives.

Reaching the red
waters brings them

one step closer to to becoming
the rulers of the land of fire.

Yes!

Woo-hoo!

Made it!

[music playing]