All language subtitles for A.Wild.Year.On.Earth.S01E01.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-NTb_track3_[eng]

[narrator] Earth
is a restless place.

[Thunder clapping]

Its seasons driven
by the orbit around our sun.

An epic journey
that sets the rhythms

of all life.

Humans honour this passage
through ritual

and celebration.

[Fireworks crackling]

Nature marks the cycle
with its own patterns.

[Bats chittering]

Over the course of a year,

the planet's most spectacular
events of migration,

rebirth,
and transformation unfold.

[Screeching]

[Squealing]

[Roaring]

Moment by moment,

month by month,

throughout A Wild Year On Earth.

Billions of years ago,

Earth was born from fire.

[Fireworks booming]

Today, fire heralds
the New Year.

[Fireworks booming]

This is a time of extremes
across the globe.

Both the height of summer,
and depths of winter.

The seasons we've come to know

have strange
otherworldly origins.

A planetary collision
left our home forever skewed

at 23.5 degrees on its axis.

This small tilt
has huge consequences

for life on the surface.

In January,

the southern hemisphere feels
the full force of the sun.

Tilted away from the sun,

the northern hemisphere

is left out in the cold.

In the Arctic in January,

temperatures drop
to minus 40 degrees.

[Cold wind blowing]

The days are at their shortest.

This is about as extreme
a place, and season,

as any creature can endure.

Incredibly, this seemingly
lifeless environment

has given rise to the planet's
largest land carnivore...

The polar bear.

A male wanders alone,

fully exposed to winter's worst.

Half his bodyweight
is insulating blubber.

Under his white fur
is black skin,

to absorb
what little solar heat there is.

[Triumphant music plays]

In this icy realm, he is king.

The residents
of this frozen land

are not the only creatures
coping with Arctic extremes

this time of year.

In January, the polar
jet stream pushes south,

penetrating deep
into North America.

This powerful front
of fast-moving, frigid air

takes the Rocky Mountains
firmly in its grip.

The snow lies almost
a metre thick.

To survive,

animals must make snow an ally,
not an enemy.

A normally nocturnal raptor
has switched to daytime hunting

over winter.

The Great Horned Owl.

Its food options have decreased,

but its appetite has not.

It must eat 100g of meat per day
to survive.

That's three voles' worth.

Unlike many tiny mammals,

the meadow vole
doesn't hibernate.

Over winter,

it digs a labyrinth of tunnels
under the snow.

Under the muffling blanket,

the vole makes
the faintest rustle.

Even 20m away,
the owl can hear it.

[Dramatic music plays]

The vole has acute senses
and quick reflexes of its own.

But this game of cat and mouse
is not over.

The vole has a weakness.

It doesn't stash food
under the snow.

It needs a steady
supply of seeds.

Getting food
means breaking cover.

[Dramatic music plays]

[Vole chirping]

Riding the icy north wind,
the hunter flies on.

Across the continent
of North America,

the polar jet stream arcs south.

Out in the cold expanse
of the North Pacific,

the jet stream's seasonal shift
has a very different impact.

[Waves crashing]

A winter storm
whips the sea into a frenzy.

[Suspenseful music plays]

Along the California coast,

rocky coves
and bays offer shelter.

But there's no escaping
the sea temperature,

which stays a frigid
12 degrees Celsius.

Fortunately,
sea otters love the cold.

Many of Earth's creatures
wait for warmer spring days

to breed, but not the otters.

They give birth
when the sea is at its coldest.

[Gentle calming music plays]

In the aquatic maternity ward

are a rag-tag collection
of pups of different ages.

This six-week-old was born
during winter's first cold snap.

Safe on his mother's belly,

he gets acquainted
to the world around him.

Teenagers play-fighting
are the most entertaining.

Mum knows her pup is not ready

for such rough play.

But she agrees to give him
a little independence.

It gives her a chance
to attend to an important task.

Her fur is the densest
of any animal on Earth,

double-layered with over 150,000
hairs per square centimetre.

Grooming releases natural oils
from the skin,

to keep her coat waterproof.

She checks if her son's
picking up some tips.

Not bad.

Primping done, hunger calls.

Her pup's too young
to join her hunting,

but he can't be left
to drift alone.

So she ties him up
for safe keeping.

Sea otters use kelp strands

to anchor themselves
in the swell,

and to keep unattended pups
from floating away.

[Squealing]

Mind at ease,
Mum takes the plunge,

to forage in the kelp beds
below.

Winter's nutrient-rich waters
swirl up from the deep

and flow into Monterey Bay's
submarine canyon.

Countless marine creatures
thrive,

including this spiny army.

Sea urchins eat kelp.

Thankfully,
sea otters eat urchins.

Mussels are also
on the seafood buffet.

[Crunching]

The mother sea otter
takes her time foraging

and returns to the surface
clutching her favourite meal...

Butter clams.

This was a good haul.

Hunger served,
she looks for her pup.

He is untethered from his kelp,

but thankfully,

his fluffy fur
acts as a life vest.

She gathers him onto her belly,

safely back where he belongs.

[Emotional music plays]

Not all marine mammals

need to be as hardy
as the sea otter in January.

Winter waters are milder
on the opposite side

of North America.

On the east coast,

the Gulf Stream flows
from the tropics

along the Atlantic seaboard,

keeping both air
and sea temperatures balmy.

Humans flock to Florida,
the sunshine state,

for their winter holidays.

Manatees do too.

Some travel over 600 kilometres
to escape the cold.

Despite their fat appearance,
they lack insulating blubber.

If the water is colder
than 20 degrees,

they cannot digest food
or maintain body temperature.

But sharing the winter holiday
with humans

presents another danger.

[Engine revving]

Boat strike is common.

And most manatees
bear propeller scars.

[Sad music plays]

It's the last winter holiday
here for this old soul.

Her injuries have proved
too much for her.

Despite the dangers,
the manatees return each year.

Up to 6,000 manatees
congregate in the area.

But as winter deepens,

even the sea here
can get too cold for them.

So they push on further,
up creeks to shallow springs,

where temperatures remain
a stable 22 degrees.

And where they're also
protected from boats.

Calves of different ages

take the journey
with their Mums.

They nurse as they go from
a teat in Mum's armpit.

And they learn as they go, too,

about what their bodies need

and how they must travel
with the seasons.

It's the first journey
for this young manatee.

Over her lifetime

she may take the trip
up and down Florida's waterways

60 times.

Across the globe,

other creatures also escape
winter's extremes.

The influence of the Gulf Stream

extends beyond the shores
of the Atlantic coast,

right across
into Western Europe.

In January,

winters can be milder here
than similar latitudes.

Brent geese know it well,

flying to the coast of France
each January.

Compared to their homeland
of Siberia,

this is blissfully warm.

Travelling deeper
over the continent,

winter temperatures plummet.

In the Bavarian Alps,

the coldest days of the year
drive people indoors

to escape
the sub-zero temperatures.

Hiding to survive winter

is a strategy
shared by many creatures.

In a tiny den,
under frozen ground,

it's warm enough for eggs
to incubate

under heavy guard.

It's the precious brood
of a mother earwig.

She works tirelessly,
turning to keep the eggs damp,

cleaning to prevent mould.

When you have 60 eggs,

each the size
of a matchstick head,

that's a lot of work.

Her maternal dedication
is a rarity in the insect world

and she will keep it up
until the next generation hatch

and emerge.

Through thin eggshells,
tiny brown eyeballs appear.

Sensing this pulse of life,

a predatory spider
enters the chamber.

The mother earwig
detects the trespass

and won't tolerate it.

[Suspenseful music plays]

The spider is banished back
outside, into the deep freeze.

For another three weeks,

the mercury continues to plummet

to sub-zero temperatures.

Above ground,

the world is kept
in suspended animation.

But below ground,
there's an awakening.

[Unsettling music plays]

The earwig nymphs grow quickly,

and moult regularly.

Each moult leaves them darker,
like their mother.

But unlike their mother,

the young don't waste energy
protecting family.

On the contrary,

unhatched siblings offer
a macabre game of soccer.

And supper.

This meal is good for now.

But winter is long.

They turn to Mum for more food.

But she only has one thing
to feed them.

In a final act of maternal care,

she makes
the ultimate sacrifice.

Offering her young
the vital calories

and protein needed
to survive till spring.

By late January,

much of east Asia
is also in winter's grip.

[Wind blowing]

The temperature in Siberia

can plummet
to minus 60 degrees centigrade,

and bitter winds race across
the frozen lakes.

The wind gathers moisture

as it travels
over the Sea of Japan.

Colliding with the steep
mountains of western Japan,

the winds lift and dump
great powder kegs of snow.

Japan can be
one of the snowiest places

on the planet.

Not the typical spot
to find a monkey.

Japanese macaques

are the world's most
northerly species of primate,

other than people.

Feeding from winter's larder
can be tough.

Sometimes it's just a lot
of digging

for an ice-encrusted bug,

or a bit of bark.

In driving snow,
it's hard for fur to dry.

As body temperature falls
and stress rises,

there's only one thing to do.

Hit the spa
with a group of friends.

Hot springs can be 50 degrees
warmer than the air.

It seems to induce a zen-like
mood among the macaques.

The troop bathes
for hours on end.

Their preference
for communal living

is a primate habit,

one we humans have taken
to the extreme.

[Fast-paced
drumming music plays]

Hundreds of millions of people
are on the move,

to reunite with generations
of family

for the Chinese New Year.

It's the largest
human migration on the planet.

From Shanghai to Beijing,
cities alight.

For two weeks,

people come together
to see dragons dance.

[Fireworks booming]

The dragon symbolizes good luck.

To be in its presence
is to be blessed with happiness

and fortune for the coming year.

Chinese New Year marks the
second new moon

after the winter solstice.

It signals spring is on its way
in the Northern Hemisphere.

Crossing the equator
to the Southern Hemisphere,

intense solar energy
is driving another phenomenon.

In February,

the path of the sun
over equatorial Africa

bakes the landmass.

As heat rises,
moisture and winds converge,

forming an immense
tropical rain belt.

Marching across the continent,

vast quantities of water
are on the move.

It's an event known simply as
The Wet.

In the southern African country
of Zambia,

the same amount of rain falls
in January and February

as the entire rest of the year.

[Rain pouring]

Hippos are happiest
in the wet season.

February is mid-calving time.

A big responsibility
for this first-time Mum.

Only a few weeks old,

the calf is entirely dependent
on Mum

to tell him what's what
in this water world.

[Suspenseful music plays]

They look dangerous.

Mum barely reacts.

An adult hippo like her
is too big and strong

to be considered
a crocodile meal.

And in the wet season,

there's plenty of room
in the pool

for everyone
to keep a safe distance.

But those unblinking eyes,
are disconcerting.

Mum decides a breather
ashore is not a bad idea.

The calf stays close to Mum.

The bond between them is intense

and can last for six years
or more.

He depends on her
for protection.

Danger lies everywhere.

Lions on this river
are specialist hippo killers.

It's hard
for the inexperienced Mum

to judge
where her calf is safest.

She makes the choice
most hippos make.

She mistakes her own
personal safety as safe.

The bystanders have a sense
of what's unfolding,

but the calf is too naive.

By the time the mother realizes

her terrible error of judgement,

it's too late.

[growling]

[Sombre music plays]

It's a heartbreaking outcome
for the mother.

But with only half
of all baby hippos

surviving their first year,

her loss is a reality
she may experience

many more times.

[Sombre music plays]

The wet season continues
to wash across southern Africa.

[Lightning striking]

The giant herbivores
gorge on all the fresh foliage.

Less than half
is properly digested

by the time
it rains back down on the plain.

The combination of A-Grade dung
and high humidity

is a heady mix for one local.

When drops and plops
knock on his door,

he hurries to answer.

For the copper dung beetle,
this is heaven.

He spent the dry season
underground,

in semi-hibernation.

The seasonal rain kick-starts
his body into action.

[Buzzing]

While some rush to mate,
he gallops past.

He wants to focus on creating
his seasonal masterpiece first.

He fashions a brood ball.

It's the ultimate way
to impress a female

and encourage egg laying.

He hurries to complete it
and roll it away

before someone else steals it.

[Playful music plays]

He has a clear plan in mind
and stops often

to check the position
of the sun.

The problem with dung
is that flies love it, too.

Given a chance

they would contaminate his ball
with their eggs,

so they have to be shooed away.

[Playful music plays]

He checks his coordinates
one last time.

In the distance,
he spots his destination.

Soft soil, a bit of grass.

Perfect.

He digs deep,

ensuring his ball and any egg
laid within it stays safe,

as wet season turns to dry.

February is a time of calm seas

in the equatorial waters
around Indonesia.

Here is the meeting place
of two major oceans.

Water flows from the Pacific
into the Indian Ocean

through thousands
of beehive islands.

This convergence

results in a dynamic
tropical eco-system,

with Raja Ampat,
its crowning jewel.

Under the surface,

strong currents churn nutrients
and plankton blooms.

This soup of micro-organisms

supports the entire
oceanic food chain.

Dense schools of baitfish
attract a squadron of predators.

Devil rays.

These specialist fish eaters

will travel hundreds
of kilometres

in the pursuit
of this seasonal bounty.

In groups of 30 or more,
they scissor the blue.

Their tight formations
herd the frightened baitfish.

Light, agile bodies

with swept-back wings
like a jet fighter,

can accelerate from cruise
to attack speed in milliseconds.

[Intense music plays]

Out of the blue,

an oceanic manta ray arrives,
with hitchhikers in tow.

This is the world's largest
species of ray.

Wings propel its two-tonne body
lithely through the water.

Most of the year,
it prefers to travel solo.

But at Raja Ampat,

the season's nutrient-rich
waters draw individuals

to feed from far and wide.

They mingle with the resident
reef manta rays.

It's a rare time of year

when both species
converge in the same waters.

With filter feeding mouths
agape,

they ride the currents
like magic carpets.

To the south of Indonesia
lies Australia,

a continent where summer
means extreme heat.

Soaring temperatures
over 40 degrees Celsius

send people surfside
to cool off.

At this time of year,

Australia is one of
the hottest places on Earth.

Inland, no rain has fallen
for months.

Australian summers
are becoming hotter,

drier and deadlier
as global temperatures rise.

[Lightning striking]

Dry lightning connects
to the tinder-dry grass.

A spark becomes an inferno.

[Dramatic music plays]

Whilst most scramble to escape,

an aerial predator
swoops closer.

[Screeching]

The black kite.

A creature who deliberately
seeks out fires.

This bird is perhaps
the only Australian

who welcomes the fire season.

Drawn by the smoke,

others converge
from kilometres around.

[Dramatic music plays]

As the fire simmers down,
competition flares.

Less fire, less food.

One black kite is still hungry.

Both phoenix and pyromaniac.

What it does next
is the stuff of legend.

Aboriginal Dreamtime
calls the kite, 'Fire Hawk'.

Like humans,

it harvests fire
for personal gain.

What it hopes to gain now
is grasshopper.

[Dramatic music plays]

satiated, the kite flies on,

spotting new fires
as deftly as any satellite.

Parched inland Australia
stands in stark contrast

to the jungles of South America.

In February,

it's the dry season
in the Amazon rainforest.

But dry is a relative term.

The jungle still gets
heavy downpours.

As quickly as
the heavens open...

[Drum and claps]

..they close again.

[Drum and claps continue]

With a break in the weather,

leaf cutter ants
pick up the pace

along their mass highway.

[Upbeat music plays]

The buttercup tree is flowering,
an annual seasonal harvest.

Ten million ants
join the foraging parade.

It's a rush to get nutrition

to their subterranean
algae gardens

before the next downpour.

In Rio de Janeiro,

humans celebrate this season
with Carnivale,

an annual festival

celebrating abundance
before abstinence.

Both events require
intense preparation,

teamwork and synchronization.

It's a wild climax
to the start of the year.

Our planet completes its first
60 degrees of revolution

around the great ball of fire.

In the months ahead,

more profound change
awaits the planet's inhabitants,

for change is the one constant

during a Wild Year On Earth.