All language subtitles for Animal.Empires.S01E02.Rebuilding.an.Empire.720p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-RCVR Eng

NARRATOR: At the mouth
of the Mississippi River,

the last survivors
of a rare breed of deer

fight
for a future,

On Britain's rivers,
the Queen of England's

very own
flock of birds

gets the royal
treatment,

And tunneling tortoises
dig deep

as they compete for
real estate

in southern Florida.

Throughout history,

thousands of species
have faced extinction.

Some have
been to the brink,

and back.

For others,
the road to recovery

is just beginning.

NARRATOR: Inside
the different realms

of the animal kingdom,

Members of
a single species

assemble in droves,

And one flock,

herd,

or troop

reigns supreme.

These are
the world's great

These are
the world's great

NARRATOR: It's the start
of another long hot summer

in the heart of the southern
United States.

This is the great
Mississippi River Delta,

the southern-most
point

of the line that
once defined

the American
western frontier.

Vast marshes
and swamps

formed by the delta
support a rich

variety of wildlife,

Including one the world's
rarest species,

known as
Père David's deer.

These ruminant mammals
live in large herds

and spend their time grazing
on the grasses

and aquatic plants
of the delta's wetlands.

This particular
species

is known partly for its mix
and match characteristics.

Its head is long and
slender like a horse,

It has large and
spreading hooves,

like an ox
or cow,

allowing it to walk
on the soft ground.

Its tail and body
are similar to a donkey's.

And, of course,
it has antlers,

though they're different
than most deer.

They look like
they're on backwards.

But it's not
just the antlers

that make this species
different.

Currently, David's deer
live only in captivity.

The deer in this herd
are refugees,

Brought here to
Louisiana

to be one of
the cornerstones

in the rebuilding of
an animal empire

on the edge
of extinction.

Evidence suggests
that the species once ranged

throughout Central and
Eastern China.

According
to Chinese myth,

more than
3000 years ago,

a horse, a donkey,
an ox and a deer

vowed
to seek justice

against the tyrannical
King Zhou.

They transformed themselves
into one animal

that combined
their strengths.

The Chinese called it
the milu,

or "sze pu shiang",

which means
"not one of the four".

Famed Chinese
folk hero, Jiang Ziya

then rode this strange
new creature into battle,

and won victory
over the ruthless King.

Having fulfilled
its vow,

the milu settled in
the lower Yangtze River

and became a symbol
of good fortune.

In the centuries
that followed,

Chinese Emperors
believed

that eating
this extraordinary animal

would bring them
everlasting life.

By the late
19th century,

hunting had taken
its toll.

The milu had been slaughtered
to near extinction.

The only
remaining herd

lived in China's
Royal Garden,

property
of the Emperor.

In 1866, a French naturalist,
Father Armand David,

heard about the rare and
mysterious deer.

He had to see them
for himself.

He convinced the Emperor
to send a few deer

back to Europe,

where scientists
named the species:

"Père, meaning Father,
David's deer".

The Emperor
also agreed to send

a few living deer
to be showcased

in European zoos.

Though numbers
were low,

the species seemed
destined to survive

in these
captive settings.

Then,
tragedy struck.

In 1895,
a flood destroyed

China's Imperial
Garden walls.

Most of the deer
escaped.

Starving peasants killed and
ate the fleeing milu.

Just five years later,
during the Boxer Rebellion,

soldiers occupied
the palace

and killed the few deer
that remained.

The empire of the milu
had fallen.

Or had it?

There were still
the few remaining deer

that had been
sent to Europe.

For Père David's deer
to survive,

the species depended
on just six individuals,

whose genes would provide
the building blocks

for a new empire,
far from their native land.

Like the greatest
of the Chinese dynasties,

the British Empire
once ruled

far beyond
the nation's borders.

At the height of
its power,

it held sway over
a quarter of the globe

and one fifth of
the world's population.

Expansive palaces,

great
stately manors

and lush gardens
exist today

as a symbol
of British royalty.

Part of
that symbolism

is an animal with
an empire of its own.

The mute swan.

Recent data suggests
a half million mute swans

live throughout
their native range

from western Europe
through to Western Asia.

There are
at least 22,000

in the United Kingdom
alone.

in the United Kingdom
alone.

in the United Kingdom
alone.

The mute swan is one of
six species of swan.

Like most swans,
it's predominantly white

but can be identified
by the orange trim

and distinctive large knob
on its bill.

It's not
technically mute;

a mute swan
will hiss and grunt,

but its trachea
is a simple straight tube

that goes directly
into the lungs,

instead of the coiled
looping windpipe

that produces the loud
characteristic "honk"

of these
trumpeter swans.

(swans honk)

This makes it
far less vocal

than its closest
relative.

The image
of this creature

has left its impression
throughout history.

From cave drawings
to Russian ballets,

Arthurian legends to
the "the ugly duckling",

these elegant birds
feature prominently

in a variety of
cultures.

Aristotle, Plato
and Socrates,

all wrote that
a swan's singing

peaks as death
approaches,

giving rise to the idea
of the swan song,

or the final
performance.

But being a status symbol
comes with a downside.

The mute swan,

is among the largest
waterfowl on the planet.

Its size,
and royal stature,

made it a popular
main course

for the banquet tables
of medieval Europe.

Beginning in
the 13th century,

mute swans were considered
a valuable food source.

For the next 600 years,
landowners and noblemen

captured and hunted them
across the continent.

By the end of
the 19th century,

the species was all
but eradicated in the wild.

The regal mute swan

was on the verge
of extinction.

For this empire
to avoid

a final swan song
of its own,

it would take an alliance
with none other than

her Majesty,
the Queen of England.

4,300 miles west
across the Atlantic,

Florida was once at
the bottom of a shallow sea.

Florida was once at
the bottom of a shallow sea.

Over hundreds
of thousands of years,

rivers transported
sediment here

from the eroding
Appalachian Mountains.

Eventually,
water levels dropped

and the ocean floor
was exposed,

leaving a thick
layer of sand

surrounding what is now
Naples, Florida.

It's this sand
that makes a perfect home

for one of nature's
expert diggers,

the gopher tortoise.

"Gopherus polyphemus"

is the only
North American tortoise

native to areas east
of the Mississippi River.

Its empire expands across
the southeast United States.

Here in Florida, they can be
found in every county.

Gopher tortoises inhabit
uplands with deep

well-drained
sandy soil

and desert-like
conditions.

Several times a year,
these expert diggers

build burrows
up to 40 feet long

and 10 feet deep.

The burrows are not only
home to the tortoise,

but also used by more
than 350 other species.

Snakes, frogs,
owls and crickets,

all lease
burrow space

for feeding, reproduction,
and protection.

Some live alongside
the tortoises.

Others occupy
abandoned burrows.

Both the gopher tortoise
and its cohabitants

depend on the burrows
for survival.

This makes
the gopher tortoise

a keystone species,

a species critical
to maintain the structure

of its ecosystem.

But that ecosystem
is under siege.

60 million years ago,

23 species of tortoise
lived in North America.

Then came European
settlement.

Loss of habitat

began to take a toll
on the tortoises.

During
the depression,

they were even hunted
as food.

In the years
that followed,

development in
fast growing South Florida

turned tortoise territory
into hotels and housing.

Residents
and tourists

were attracted to
the same sandy soil

that gopher tortoises
use to burrow.

Between 1990 and
2000 alone,

the human population in
the southeast United States

rose by 20%.

By then, the gopher tortoise
population

had fallen to 20%
of its historical high.

In 2007 the State deemed
the species threatened.

This empire is
in need of rebuilding.

To reverse
the decline,

the gopher tortoise
must find a way

to defend
its shrinking territory.

For Louisiana's herd
of Père David's deer,

it was
a long journey,

over many miles
and many decades,

to their adopted home.

By the early 1900s,

the last of China's
deer population

had been killed.

And not a single member
of the species

was left in the wild
anywhere in the world.

5,000 miles away
in England,

the 11th Duke of Bedford
received word

of the animal's extinction
in its native land.

The duke tracked down
the few

that remained
in European zoos

and brought them
under his protection

at his deer park at
Woburn Abbey,

just outside London.

This became
the only home

of a breeding herd
of David's Deer

in the world.

Over the years,
the deer reproduced

and the Woburn
herd grew.

And soon,

there were enough
David's deer

to disperse them
to other zoos

and wildlife sanctuaries
around the world,

like the Global
Wildlife Center,

north of New Orleans,
Louisiana.

Rebuilding an empire

starts with
the right habitat.

David's deer
are social animals.

They stay together
in large herds

and prefer low lying
grasslands

and reed beds,
like coastal marshes

and flood plains.

They spend hours a day
cooling off in shallow water.

And they have
the mysterious habit

of sticking their heads
in the water,

and digging up
the marsh muck,

decorating
their antlers.

Scientists are baffled
by this unusual behavior.

But what is known
is that these antlers

play a key role during
the mating ritual

known as the "rut".

In June, about two months
before the breeding season,

males feed intensively
to build up strength.

They eat grass, reeds
and bushes

found in and around
the wetlands.

At the same time,

females break off
from the larger herd,

and form
small mating harems.

At the start of
the rut,

a stag will rub
his antlers

on trees or shrubs.

It was once
believed this was

to prep the antlers
for fighting.

But recent studies
suggest

it's to mark
their territory.

They rub their scent
to demonstrate

to other bucks
and does

that they're ready
to mate.

When a stag
is ready,

he approaches one of
the groups of females.

But he's not the only
eligible bachelor.

He must establish
dominance,

by force.

by force.

The stag uses
his antlers

to butt heads
with his opponent.

He'll also bite
and even

rise up
on hind legs and box.

When the fight
is over,

the winner
claims the right

to mate with
the harem.

To increase his odds
of reproduction,

he mounts as many
of the does as possible.

For about the next two months,
the stag's focus

is entirely
on mating.

He doesn't even eat,
and loses weight rapidly.

But he's not done
fighting.

He must continue
to defend his harem

from other males.

from other males.

By November,
the rut is complete.

The stag
leaves the harem,

begins to
feed again,

and quickly regains
his weight.

He also sheds
his summer antlers.

Unlike
most other deer,

a second set
sometimes grows in

over the winter
months,

and falls off
a few weeks later.

Scientists believe this second
rack is only possible

due to the amount
of supplemental feeding

the deer get
in captivity.

Meanwhile,
the pregnant females

return to grazing
on the grasslands,

feeding the unborn calves
they now carry.

Breeding within
the confines of the park

has its risks.

A shallow genetic pool
and the spread of disease

can decimate
a captive population.

But David's deer
have no choice.

The survival
of this species

depends on
a new generation

born
into captivity.

Sometime in
the 13th century,

mute swans
became so popular

on the banquet table of
British noblemen,

that the Monarchy
took special interest.

Too many birds were
disappearing from the wild.

A Royal Decree
was sent out,

the owners of swans
were now duty-bound

to mark their
feathered property.

Much like branding cattle,
swan owners

were required
to mark their birds

with signature nicks
in their beaks.

To conserve the population,
any unmarked birds

became property
of the ruling monarch

and could not be hunted
or captured.

Swans were given the title
of "Royal Bird".

Many believe that
if it weren't for this law,

swans would now
be extinct in Britain.

800 years later,
the royal bird is thriving.

Across the country,

swans now flourish
in their preferred habitat,

ponds, estuaries,
and streams.

Even in urban areas
they thrive

in the shallow lakes and
slow-flowing rivers

of parks
and gardens.

Most of Britain's
mute swans

stay in the same
territory all year.

In winter, they're joined
by other migrating mute swans

from further north,

who come looking
for warmer waters.

These calm bodies of water
provide the mute swans

with a venerable
all-you-can eat buffet.

They use their long necks
to dip under the surface

and take mollusks
that cling to vegetation.

They also eat plants,
insects and snails,

small fish,
frogs and worms.

And they'll also graze
on grassy fields.

They'll eat just about
anything to survive.

With an ample
supply of food,

the swans turn their
attention to breeding.

The male and
female birds,

known as the cob
and pen,

will attempt
to mate for life.

However, if one
or the other dies

an adult bird will seek
another mate.

After mating,
the pair works together

to construct
a nest.

It's a huge mound
of dried grasses

and assorted plants
and sticks.

The male supplies
the materials for the nest.

The female builds it.

In the wild, the pair builds
near the water's edge.

From late April
to early May

she'll lay
up to seven eggs

in a single clutch.

Both parents will take part
in incubating them.

For the next month,

they will watch over
their un-hatched brood,

with the hopes that
they will survive long enough

to help preserve
the lineage

in what is now
a thriving empire.

Finding enough
suitable habitat

is crucial for the survival
of any species.

Especially those in need
of rebuilding their population.

The gopher tortoises of
southwest Florida

have a strong preference when
it comes to choosing a home.

The habitat must have
sandy soil for digging.

And it must also have
plenty of food plants,

and open sunny areas
for nesting and basking.

Open canopy woods,

like long leaf pine forests,
are ideal.

But Florida has lost all
but about 4%

of its pine forests,
in the last quarter century

to development.

Simply put, the restoration
of this keystone species

requires
a helping hand.

In response,
starting in the 1970s,

conservationists began
fighting to protect

the gopher tortoise.

State laws
were introduced

outlawing the harvest
and disturbance

of tortoises in
the wild.

And sanctuaries were built
to provide safe havens.

Here at the Christopher Smith
Preserve near Naples,

70 gopher tortoises
make their home

on seven acres of
scrub land.

The Conservancy
of Southwest Florida

protects and maintains
the habitat.

Still, real estate
is at a premium.

And when space
is limited,

territorial battles
are inevitable.

These reptiles
have a reputation

for being slow-moving
and docile.

But when it comes
to defending its home,

a tortoise
can be fierce.

A test of strength
and leverage ensues

with one turtle trying
to flip the other over.

If it succeeds, the loser
gets a death sentence.

A tortoise on its back
is a dead tortoise.

It has no way
to right itself.

Luckily, this conflict
is settled without casualty.

The loser retreats,

in search of another place
to start a home.

Once territory is
established,

gopher tortoises
spend most of their time

burrowing
in the sand,

sometimes digging
several yards deep

in a single day.

They have shovel-like front legs
that help them to dig,

and their back legs
are strong and sturdy.

Each burrow
has a single opening.

They're easy to spot
in the landscape

because of
the characteristic mound

of loose sand
at the entrance,

known as an "apron".

The width of the burrow is
approximately equal

to the length
of the tortoise.

This way, the tortoise is
able to turn around

within the burrow.

Consequently, you can
pretty much tell

the size and age
of the tortoise

based on the width
of his burrow.

The burrow
is an ideal refuge,

a place for its occupant
to hide from predators.

It also remains at a fairly
constant temperature

and humidity
year-round,

offering an escape
from extreme temperatures,

drought and fire.

There's another reason
an open canopy forest

is crucial to
the gopher tortoise.

It's an ideal spot
for its preferred food.

It feeds mainly
on the leaves, stems

and flowers of
slow-growing grasses,

cactus, pawpaw, berries,
and other fruits,

all of which require
abundant sunlight to grow.

The tortoise
doesn't have teeth,

but uses its sharp beak
to tear away foliage,

then pulls the food into
the mouth with its tongue.

From these
herbaceous plants,

the tortoise gets
the nutrients it needs

for a busy day of
burrowing.

It also gets most of its water
from this food.

It rarely needs
to find a drink.

All that greenery
is hard to digest.

So it depends on
worms and bacteria

in the intestines
to break down the plants.

It helps spread the seeds of
these plants with its droppings,

acting as
a kind of gardener

that supports new growth
throughout the habitat.

This dietary process is another
reason the gopher tortoise

is such an important part
of the ecosystem.

Starting in the early spring,
it's time to breed.

During May and June,
females lay

one clutch
of 3-15 eggs,

either in a sandy mound in
front of the burrow,

or in a sunny place
nearby.

The eggs need heat
to incubate.

But being out in the open
poses a risk.

Tortoise eggs
are a favorite snack

for raccoons, foxes,
and snakes.

Hatching a full nest
is rare.

With hungry
predators lurking,

an individual
female tortoise

will be lucky to produce
a successful clutch

once every 10 years.

It's another challenge to
the future of this species.

For the next
three months,

the clutch will be
especially vulnerable.

And the next generation of
tortoises must survive

if this empire
is to have a chance

to continue rebuilding.

Back in southern
Louisiana,

nine months have passed at
the Global Wildlife Center

and this female
Père David's deer

has given birth to
a healthy female fawn.

has given birth to
a healthy female fawn.

Now the future of the empire
is in the hands of the newborn.

Several aunts watch
over the fawn,

also known as
a calf,

in a group called
a 'creche'

Like most species
of deer,

the young doe can be identified
by her spotted coat.

Though little is known about
the species life in the wild,

the spots are
likely a throwback

to their days in
the marshes of China,

serving as camouflage from
predators, like tigers.

Here, while the herd
lives amongst

other animals
in the wildlife center,

it is safely protected
from potential threats.

The doe has a good chance
of a long and healthy life.

And at about
two years of age,

she will reach
sexual maturity

and be eligible to start
a family of her own.

Despite the genetic
bottleneck of the captive herd,

disorders caused by inbreeding
have been rare.

The world's David's deer
population has grown.

So finally in 1986,

it was decided
to reintroduce the species

to its native land.

22 deer were flown from
Woburn Abbey in England

to Beijing, China,

where they were released
into a wildlife sanctuary

in the area of
the Old Imperial Park,

the same place
where they were discovered

over 120 years before.

The transition
was successful,

and the herd
expanded.

To cope with
newest inhabitants,

additional reserves
were set up

in other neighboring
parts of China.

But there was
one more step

to the rebuilding
of this empire,

their return to
the wild.

In a fitting coincidence,
a flood in 1998

allowed a handful of deer
to escape

from a reserve
south of Beijing.

They crossed
the Yangtze River

to settle in
adjacent marshlands,

where they remain
in the wild today.

Lack of
genetic diversity

still remains
a long term concern.

Recently, 16 more deer
were released

to join those in the wild
in Hubei,

With the hope
that the new additions

will boost
the population.

There are now some 3,000
David's deer in China.

While the wild herd
is growing,

most remain in
protected sanctuaries.

Captivity has helped
them bounce back

from the brink of
extinction.

But it is up to
these wild herds

to prove this species

can survive once again
on its own.

Back in the UK,
it's been just over a month

and the mute swan's eggs
have hatched.

Young swans, or cygnets,
come in two colors:

gray and white.

The white are known
as "polish" chicks.

The gray, or
"royal" chicks

eventually turn gray-brown
and then white.

The young cygnets
stay with their parents

for four
or five months,

sometimes riding
on their parents' backs

across
the calm water.

These young chicks
are especially vulnerable.

They need help
foraging for food,

and can't fly until
they're four months old.

Which makes them particularly
attractive to predators.

So swan parents
are very attentive.

By autumn, the cygnets'
plumage is predominantly white,

and it's time
for these young swans

to fend
for themselves.

In about two years,

these young birds
will begin breeding.

these young birds
will begin breeding.

Today, mute swans
are thriving.

In fact,
in North America,

where they were introduced
in the late 1800s,

they are so numerous
and potentially damaging

to their adopted
habitats

that they're culled
in some states.

Here in Britain, even with
their healthy numbers,

they remain protected.

But they're still
illegally poached.

And water pollution
is an ongoing threat.

For now, officials
will continue to monitor

Britain's mute swans,

to ensure that the demise
of the royal bird

is never repeated.

is never repeated.

While Britain's swan population
has successfully bounced back,

and Père David's
deer are on their way,

Florida's gopher tortoises
continue to struggle.

The species' future
lies in the hands

of the few remaining
mating pairs.

For gopher tortoises,

the waiting game
for new hatchlings

is much longer
than it is for swans.

Eggs that escape
hungry predators

hatch in about
90 days,

nearly three times
as long as mute swan eggs.

The sex
of a hatchling

depends on the temperature
of the nest.

The warmer the sand,

the more chance the new
tortoises will be female.

Once hatched,
young gopher tortoises

may share
an adult burrow

or dig a small burrow
of their own.

It's crucial they get to
burrowing as soon as possible.

They're born
with a soft shell,

and are vulnerable to predators
like raccoons, snakes,

black bears, and hawks,
until the shell hardens

at about six to
seven years of age.

Gopher tortoises have a
relatively long life expectancy.

They can live
more than 60 years.

They develop slowly.

Female tortoises
reach adulthood

at 10 to 15 years
of age.

If a tortoise doesn't make it
to breeding age,

it won't have a chance
to preserve its lineage,

and add
to the population.

Those
that do survive

must still find a home
and a mate;

and they don't
have many options.

In contrast to the mute swans
and David's deer,

the gopher tortoise
population remains in decline.

Development continues
to put pressure

on the tortoise habitat.

On average, 1,000
new human residents

move to Florida
each week.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission

requires developers
to relocate tortoises.

But relocation brings
its own set of issues.

Moving sick individuals
to new colonies

can unintentionally
help spread disease.

Attachment to their burrows
also means

that many try to find
their way back home

after being moved.

Others search
for a new habitat,

often drawn to the open,
grassy lanes

next to busy
roadways.

As a result,
road kill

is one of the major
causes of death

for Florida's
tortoises.

And so, the gopher tortoise
population

increasingly depends
on sanctuaries

like the Conservancy
of Southwest Florida.

Fences keep
wandering tortoises

from the busy roads
nearby.

Staff help rescue
and care for those

that may be sick
or injured.

And along with
other conservation groups,

they are doing their best
to give these rare reptiles

a chance to survive,

working to put a stop
to the decline

of this
animal empire.

Few species have
stared extinction in the face,

and lived
to tell the tale.

Père David's deer

and mute swans
can make that claim.

They are the survivors
of the wild kingdom.

For the gopher tortoise
of the southern United States,

the struggle continues.

Threats loom
for all three species.

The rebuilding process
is ongoing.

They must continue to fight
for their very existence

if there is
to be a future

for their

for their
animal empires.

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