An intimate and classic journey through this wild country. We witness magical moments of nature, from a cougar mother playing tenderly with her cubs to the rare desert flowering, where different animals take advantage of the opportunity the flowers give them. From Vampire Bats to Blue Whales we see a small sample of the enormous natural beauty of this country.
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TravelTranscript
00:00 (birds chirping)
00:02 (thunder rumbling)
00:09 (thunder rumbling)
00:16 (eerie music)
00:19 (thunder rumbling)
00:22 (birds chirping)
00:24 (thunder rumbling)
00:34 (eerie music)
00:36 - Chile.
00:41 There are few places on the planet
00:48 with such dramatic contrasts.
00:50 Throughout the 4,500 kilometers
00:58 that separate the frozen austral flatland
01:01 from the desert plains of the north,
01:03 nature brings together these dissimilar environments
01:08 and breathes life into each and every one of them
01:12 in a way that only nature can.
01:16 (eerie music)
01:18 There is much diversity here,
01:31 a diversity that even the long-term residents
01:34 of this area know little about,
01:36 let alone anyone living on the other side of the world.
01:40 (eerie music)
01:43 From the highest summit of the Andes Mountains
02:03 to the cool, rich waters of the Pacific Ocean,
02:07 (eerie music)
02:10 these are unique places
02:14 where the most unlikely plants and animals live.
02:16 Many of them exist nowhere else on Earth.
02:26 (thunder rumbling)
02:35 Each fighting to survive in the remote landscapes
02:38 of this very special country.
02:40 (thunder rumbling)
03:04 (eerie music)
03:07 Autumn.
03:10 Another cold dawn in Patagonia.
03:34 Herds of guanacos are the first to rise
03:37 and roam these bushy Patagonian hillsides.
03:40 At the foothills of the masif and the towers
03:44 which give name to this landscape,
03:46 guanacos by the hundreds feed here
03:50 in Torres del Paine National Park.
03:53 Their current numbers might impress,
03:57 but they are in fact a mere fraction
04:01 in comparison to the hundreds of thousands
04:03 that roamed these landscapes a hundred years ago.
04:06 They were hunted by settlers for food,
04:15 their pelt, and were simply killed
04:17 as they competed for space with their introduced cattle.
04:21 Today, guanacos find their only true haven here,
04:27 within the borders of this national park.
04:31 But another animal even more persecuted
04:34 than the guanaco itself has also survived here.
04:38 The puma.
04:42 Within the safety of rocks and crevices,
04:58 pumas spend most of the day sleeping
05:00 and basking in faint warm sun rays.
05:03 But it is also here where she has decided
05:08 to perform one of the most noble and difficult of chores
05:11 in the animal kingdom,
05:13 which will guarantee the survival of her species,
05:15 the raising of her cubs.
05:19 (gentle music)
05:22 Pumas reproduce every two to three years.
05:36 The size of their brood will depend on many factors,
05:39 such as climate and of course, food supply.
05:42 (gentle music)
05:45 (gentle music)
05:47 (gentle music)
05:50 (gentle music)
05:53 (gentle music)
05:55 (gentle music)
06:06 (gentle music)
06:11 (gentle music)
06:21 (gentle music)
06:23 (gentle music)
06:28 Not all is work for these large cats,
06:41 as they spend a good deal of time
06:43 playing with their young cubs.
06:50 A game that is not only their entertainment,
06:53 but also one of survival.
06:55 A game that will help in developing instincts,
06:58 so they too can eventually stalk their own prey
07:01 and confront the dangers that lie ahead of them,
07:04 away from the protection of their mother.
07:06 (gentle music)
07:10 (gentle music)
07:19 (gentle music)
07:22 Although they can be found along the entire length
07:29 of the American continent,
07:31 it is within the boundaries of Torres del Paine
07:34 that we find a special place for Pumas.
07:37 A place that allows us to witness directly
07:39 some of the most intimate moments
07:41 in the lives of these big felines.
07:48 Reaching maturity is a difficult chore,
07:50 and it's possible that none of them will survive.
07:53 When the time comes for their mother to leave,
08:01 each cub must follow their own independent path
08:04 in search of their own territory.
08:06 Hunt and fend for themselves,
08:10 and find a mate which may lie beyond the protection
08:13 and confines of the park.
08:16 In lands where they must also confront
08:18 new challenges and dangers.
08:20 Outside the park, natural prey is scarce,
08:28 so Pumas find themselves having to hunt domestic cattle.
08:31 For this reason, they are persecuted and hunted,
08:35 even though the Pumas are protected by law.
08:37 (gentle music)
08:41 (cattle mooing)
08:44 These are the first images of Pumas nursing in the wild.
09:01 (cattle mooing)
09:05 (gentle music)
09:08 (gentle music)
09:10 (gentle music)
09:13 (gentle music)
09:16 (gentle music)
09:45 In Patagonia, it's not just fields of grass and prairies.
09:49 Towards the Pacific, landscapes, plants,
09:53 and animals are widely different.
09:56 We find ourselves in the domains
10:04 of the astral fjords and channels.
10:06 The water between the Guadalquiz Archipelago
10:12 and the islands of Chiloé is known to be
10:15 some of the richest on the planet.
10:17 Thanks to the combined effect of the Earth's rotation,
10:25 winds, and cold currents, abundant nutrients
10:29 are brought to the marine surface.
10:31 It is here that it mixes with the waters brought down
10:34 from the high mountain peaks.
10:36 It is also here, in these extremely rich waters,
10:43 where the largest animal to have ever lived on the planet
10:46 has found its home.
10:47 The blue whale.
11:01 But this is no ordinary blue whale,
11:09 as recent discoveries have found that the blue whales
11:12 that live and feed here are an isolated population.
11:15 They even have their own vocalization,
11:18 a dialect that scientists have called the Chilean dialect.
11:22 The whales that we observe on the coasts of Chile,
11:30 Peru, and Ecuador may possibly be
11:32 an entirely new subspecies,
11:35 unique and different to other blue whales
11:38 that inhabit other oceans on the planet.
11:40 [music playing]
11:44 Myelinoptera musculoschilensis.
11:52 [music playing]
12:09 Although it sounds very strange to our own ears,
12:13 this is the dialect that differentiates it
12:15 from other blue whale subspecies.
12:17 [music playing]
12:20 Similar to the sound produced by a ship's motor,
12:23 this is the dialect of the Chilean blue whale.
12:25 [music playing]
12:29 [whale sounds]
12:32 [whale sounds]
12:36 [whale sounds]
12:53 [music playing]
12:56 Different or not, these whales have lived here
13:07 for hundreds of years, feeding on crustaceans
13:10 and other small invertebrates that live
13:13 in these nutrient-rich waters.
13:14 [music playing]
13:18 [whale sounds]
13:21 These invertebrates are known as zooplankton.
13:30 When they feed on phytoplankton,
13:32 they release a natural chemical that
13:34 is an irresistible seductive for one
13:37 of the least known creatures that
13:38 inhabits these mythical waters.
13:40 [music playing]
13:44 [whale sounds]
13:48 They are known as Pincoia storm petrel,
14:00 and they were recently discovered by science.
14:04 These are the first recorded images
14:06 of this small ocean bird.
14:07 [music playing]
14:12 [whale sounds]
14:15 Together with albatross, petrels, and shearwaters,
14:21 the Pincoia possess one of the most developed
14:24 senses of smell known in the marine aviary kingdom.
14:27 [music playing]
14:30 From as far as a few kilometers,
14:40 the Pincoia is the first to detect
14:42 the scent produced by plankton, and is the first
14:45 to arrive to feed on it.
14:47 [music playing]
14:50 Delicately dancing over the water,
14:55 these birds utilize their colored toe web membranes
14:58 to attract the tiny crustaceans and other minute marine
15:02 animals.
15:02 [music playing]
15:07 [whale sounds]
15:10 This is, without doubt, one of the most
15:24 beautiful Chilean natural history events
15:26 that one can observe.
15:27 [music playing]
15:32 [whale sounds]
15:35 The Pacific waters that mold the coast of Chile
15:46 is home to the largest animal that humans have ever known.
15:49 [whale sounds]
15:52 It is also home to the smallest marine mammal in the world.
15:55 [whale sounds]
16:00 [music playing]
16:03 The southern marine otter lives its entire life
16:06 around these coastal rocky shores.
16:08 [music playing]
16:11 Here, amongst protected rocks, they
16:18 rest beneath the warm sun rays of this desert coast,
16:21 just as this male is doing.
16:23 [music playing]
16:25 These small marine otters live exclusively
16:28 feeding within these cold, rich waters.
16:30 [music playing]
16:33 [waves crashing]
16:37 They dive each time for less than two minutes
16:45 in search of crustaceans that hide within the kelp
16:48 forest and rocks below.
16:49 [wind blowing]
16:54 [music playing]
16:57 After capturing its prey, they seldom
17:13 make it to shore before they begin enjoying their feast.
17:16 [music playing]
17:20 [thunder]
17:23 [music playing]
17:27 [rain falling]
17:30 [music playing]
17:53 When it has finished eating, it will take in a breath of air
17:57 and dive once again in search of yet another meal.
18:00 [music playing]
18:03 In the meantime, his partner is also
18:10 concerned about keeping her fur in tip-top shape.
18:13 [music playing]
18:18 [waves crashing]
18:21 [music playing]
18:24 [waves crashing]
18:27 [music playing]
18:32 [music playing]
18:35 But she also has another objective.
18:59 To prepare her den for the little ones that will soon
19:01 arrive during the summer.
19:03 [waves crashing]
19:06 On the coast of the Atacama Desert,
19:16 there are a number of small and isolated uninhabited islands
19:20 that form one of the richest marine ecosystems
19:22 found anywhere in the world.
19:24 [wind blowing]
19:28 [wind blowing]
19:31 These islands are not just the home to innumerable birds
19:36 and marine animals.
19:36 [birds chirping]
19:40 Without doubt, one of its least known residents
19:43 does not depend directly on the ocean for its survival.
19:46 [waves crashing]
19:49 During the day, it takes refuge among the darkest crevices
19:57 within these caves.
20:00 Surrounded by myths and legends, this creature
20:02 has become one of the least comprehended
20:04 animals in the natural world.
20:06 [music playing]
20:09 The vampire bat.
20:17 [music playing]
20:21 [music playing]
20:24 Although the Pugin, as it is locally known in Chile,
20:32 is far from being a demonic deity,
20:34 it does, however, feed exclusively on blood.
20:37 [music playing]
20:41 In fact, this behavior was discovered
20:44 by the English naturalist Charles Darwin
20:46 and his assistant when they visited
20:48 the coast of the Chilean desert in 1835,
20:52 a discovery that was greatly doubted
20:54 by the skeptical scientific community of their time.
20:56 [music playing]
21:00 Different to other bat species with elaborate social habits,
21:03 the Pugin lives in small groups.
21:06 [music playing]
21:10 [music playing]
21:13 Using their hind legs, they hang from cave ceilings,
21:22 forming small clusters for protection and rest,
21:27 as males, females, and juveniles huddle together
21:31 within the most protected parts of the cave.
21:33 [music playing]
21:37 [music playing]
21:41 With the arrival of the night, they
21:46 head out in search of a meal, which
21:48 consists primarily of the blood of marine birds and mammals
21:52 that live near the colony.
21:53 [music playing]
21:56 Today, their population is in decline.
22:03 Many die in fires that are set on purpose
22:05 inside their caves as they sleep during the day.
22:08 [music playing]
22:11 Unless we have an immediate change of attitude
22:18 towards this key species, then their future
22:22 will be in question.
22:23 [music playing]
22:26 The Roman Cassi tree is without doubt
22:34 one of the most common trees of central Chile.
22:38 These are tightly related to trees that
22:40 exist in the African savanna.
22:42 [birds chirping]
22:44 They grow in arid ecosystems, where
22:47 at the end of every summer, its flowers
22:49 produce hundreds of seed pods.
22:51 [birds chirping]
22:54 The shell of these pods is very hard,
22:56 making it almost impossible for small animals to crack them.
23:01 No other wild animal can reach these pods,
23:04 high up in the trees.
23:05 [birds chirping]
23:08 There is, of course, one animal with this exception.
23:12 And it is one of the most common inhabitants of this habitat.
23:15 [birds chirping]
23:18 [music playing]
23:21 The common degu is one of the most curious and interesting
23:29 animals in Chile.
23:30 [music playing]
23:34 This rodent, unlike others, is diurnal and highly social.
23:39 They live in burrows that form small colonies.
23:41 [music playing]
23:44 During the hottest season of the year,
23:49 they leave their burrows early in the morning
23:52 to avoid extreme heat during their feeding time.
23:56 They search for seeds and other vegetable remains that
23:59 are found mostly on the ground.
24:00 [music playing]
24:04 [birds chirping]
24:08 Others climb small bushes to eat plants
24:13 and the most tender of foliage.
24:14 [music playing]
24:17 They battle birds for small seeds.
24:26 [music playing]
24:31 [birds chirping]
24:34 [music playing]
24:36 This is a female, one of the eldest in the colony.
24:40 And she has a very unusual technique for finding a meal.
24:43 [music playing]
24:47 In fact, she will not move away from the shade
24:52 that the bushes provide by casting a shadow
24:55 over the entrance to her burrow.
24:58 Here, she will simply lie and wait,
25:02 waiting with the patience that only a long life of experience
25:05 can teach.
25:06 [music playing]
25:09 Many hours of waiting may pass whilst the young degus run,
25:16 play, and groom themselves.
25:18 [music playing]
25:22 [birds chirping]
25:25 [music playing]
25:28 [music playing]
25:32 [music playing]
25:34 The summer heat makes its presence felt.
25:36 [music playing]
25:40 [wind blowing]
25:42 [birds chirping]
25:46 [horses galloping]
25:47 Few dare to leave the shade provided by their bush.
25:51 While she continues to wait patiently.
25:54 [birds chirping]
25:57 [music playing]
26:00 [thunder]
26:01 [birds chirping]
26:04 [music playing]
26:07 [thunder]
26:08 [birds chirping]
26:11 [music playing]
26:14 [music playing]
26:18 An Andean fox.
26:19 [music playing]
26:22 [birds chirping]
26:25 [music playing]
26:28 [thunder]
26:29 [birds chirping]
26:32 [music playing]
26:35 [birds chirping]
26:38 [birds chirping]
26:42 But this one has other plans.
26:43 [music playing]
26:46 [birds chirping]
26:49 [music playing]
26:52 [birds chirping]
26:55 [music playing]
26:58 [birds chirping]
27:01 [birds chirping]
27:04 When the danger has passed, the female
27:06 returns to her eternal wait.
27:08 [birds chirping]
27:11 But what has this female been waiting for so patiently?
27:15 [music playing]
27:18 [wind blowing]
27:19 Wind.
27:20 [birds chirping]
27:23 [thunder]
27:26 [music playing]
27:29 [birds chirping]
27:32 [thunder]
27:33 [birds chirping]
27:36 [thunder]
27:37 For months, the pods have remained
27:39 on the branches of the Roman cassie tree.
27:42 But sooner or later, the pods will fall.
27:44 [music playing]
27:47 She runs quickly to pick up this pod
27:49 and takes it into the deepest portions of her burrow.
27:52 [music playing]
27:55 [birds chirping]
27:58 She repeats this over and over as much as possible,
28:02 securing food for herself as well as
28:04 for other members of her colony, ensuring a food supply
28:08 during times of scarcity.
28:09 [music playing]
28:12 [wind blowing]
28:15 [music playing]
28:18 [wind blowing]
28:21 [thunder]
28:24 [wind blowing]
28:27 [thunder]
28:30 [wind blowing]
28:33 This is the Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world.
28:38 [wind blowing]
28:41 Yet even here, not all is death and desolation.
28:45 [wind blowing]
28:48 Centennial cactus of strange shapes survive all around--
28:52 [wind blowing]
28:55 [wind blowing]
28:57 --as well as the scarce desert guanacos that also discover
29:03 ways to endure on little water.
29:05 [water sloshing]
29:08 [wind blowing]
29:09 They find vegetation as nutrients
29:12 to keep them hydrated and fed.
29:14 [wind blowing]
29:17 [wind blowing]
29:20 [music playing]
29:22 Yet many of them do not survive this harsh environment.
29:26 [music playing]
29:29 [wind blowing]
29:31 But how do these plants and animals
29:33 survive in this, the driest desert in the world?
29:36 [music playing]
29:39 Here, on the Pacific Ocean, we find the answer.
29:44 [music playing]
29:47 [wind blowing]
29:50 [music playing]
29:53 Each night, the desert temperature drops,
29:55 and the warm air accumulated over the ocean during the day
29:59 is released.
30:00 [music playing]
30:03 [wind blowing]
30:06 [music playing]
30:09 This produces the common chaka, a dense fog charged
30:16 with humidity that moves toward dry land,
30:20 giving all plants and animals that live there
30:22 literally a breath of humid air.
30:26 [music playing]
30:29 [wind blowing]
30:32 [music playing]
30:35 [wind blowing]
30:37 As the first sun rays appear, and the desert heat
30:41 begin to battle it out.
30:43 [music playing]
30:46 [wind blowing]
30:49 [music playing]
30:52 [wind blowing]
30:55 [music playing]
30:58 [wind blowing]
31:01 [music playing]
31:04 [wind blowing]
31:07 [music playing]
31:10 [wind blowing]
31:13 [music playing]
31:16 [wind blowing]
31:19 [music playing]
31:22 [wind blowing]
31:24 As quickly as it arrived, the thick fog
31:27 relinquishes its gains to the heat of the sun.
31:31 [music playing]
31:34 [wind blowing]
31:37 [music playing]
31:40 Yet the Atacama Desert still holds
31:42 one of the most notable secrets of the animal world.
31:46 [music playing]
31:51 Every few years, climatical changes
31:54 produced by the phenomenon called El Niño
31:57 create the perfect balance to produce rain in the desert.
32:03 The desert transforms itself.
32:05 [music playing]
32:08 Firstly, a green blanket covers the desert hills and plains.
32:13 [music playing]
32:19 Later, the flowers.
32:21 [music playing]
32:29 Multicolored fields cover the landscape,
32:31 as if taken from a painting by Monet.
32:34 [music playing]
32:37 [music playing]
32:40 [music playing]
32:43 [music playing]
32:46 (gentle music)
32:49 (gentle music continues)
32:52 (gentle music continues)
32:56 (gentle music continues)
32:59 (gentle music continues)
33:26 (gentle music continues)
33:55 - And here, it's not just the plants that flower.
33:58 Amaryllis, rock purslane, and Chilean trumpet flower
34:03 attract hundreds of species of insects
34:05 and other invertebrates.
34:07 (gentle music)
34:24 These insects supply an invaluable food source
34:27 for all animals that live on the edge of starvation.
34:30 (gentle music)
34:33 (gentle music continues)
34:36 It has been a good year, and these chicks will be fed well.
35:01 (gentle music continues)
35:04 The morning sierra finch,
35:16 one of the most common bird species in Chile,
35:18 fills the desert with its characteristic call.
35:21 (birds chirping)
35:27 (birds chirping)
35:29 (upbeat music)
35:35 It now takes advantage of the abundance of food
35:39 to perform one of the most important chores
35:41 for the survival of its species,
35:43 that of feeding its chicks.
35:46 (upbeat music continues)
35:49 The long cactus spines deliver
35:55 the only effect of protection against predators
35:57 that are found in this desert.
35:59 (upbeat music continues)
36:02 During the fresh early morning hours,
36:15 males and females work tirelessly to feed their chicks.
36:18 (upbeat music continues)
36:22 (upbeat music continues)
36:25 The heat takes over the desert very quickly.
36:48 (gentle music)
36:52 (gentle music continues)
36:54 These chicks, with their delicate bodies
36:56 absent of feathers, take no time
36:59 in feeling the harshness of life in the Atacama Desert.
37:03 In just minutes, sun rays could kill,
37:06 but the mother knows and protects them quickly.
37:10 With her body, she provides them with shade,
37:15 and by raising her legs,
37:17 she allows for a gentle breeze to flow between them,
37:21 lowering the temperature of her nest by a few degrees,
37:24 which allows the chicks to remain cool
37:26 during the hottest parts of the day.
37:28 The heat is intense, and the mother feels
37:33 the suffocating grasp of these temperatures.
37:35 If she fails to find refuge from the sun,
37:40 she too could die in this heat.
37:42 But soon, help arrives.
37:47 (gentle music)
37:50 (gentle music continues)
37:53 As the male takes her place,
37:58 allowing her to leave the nest
38:06 and find a way to lower her own body temperature.
38:08 A magnificent example of parental collaboration
38:14 given to us by nature.
38:16 (gentle music continues)
38:20 Although in plain sight, the desert may look like a garden,
38:24 to the mother, it continues to be an arid desert.
38:29 But the rains that have changed this landscape
38:34 still have one more secret to offer,
38:37 and the mother of these chicks knows it.
38:39 Water.
38:43 (gentle music continues)
38:47 This is the most precious resource for life
38:50 in this harshest of landscapes.
38:52 This water is a treasure that will not only
38:58 be taken advantage of by the morning Sierra fetch,
39:02 but also by countless other birds that inhabit this desert.
39:06 (gentle music continues)
39:09 (gentle music continues)
39:12 (gentle music continues)
39:42 This change in the landscape of these desert lands
39:45 also produces a change in the behavior of the animals.
39:48 (gentle music continues)
40:02 The two-spotted lizard is an insect-eating reptile
40:05 that lives in small sand caves and within rocks.
40:09 (gentle music continues)
40:12 During the first rays of light,
40:14 they leave their burrow and search for food.
40:16 They patrol their territory anxiously,
40:20 paying close attention to every movement between flowers.
40:23 But it is not insects that it is after.
40:34 (gentle music continues)
40:38 It is in search of flowers.
40:44 No one knows the purpose of why the change in their diet.
40:52 Scientists had never described this behavior before.
40:57 This is the first recorded footage
41:00 of these never seen before changes in behavior.
41:03 (gentle music continues)
41:07 Apparently, these flowers are very important to them.
41:14 And they guard them fiercely to the extent
41:20 of not letting other lizards partake in the feast.
41:23 (lizard whistling)
41:28 (lizard roaring)
41:33 (lizard whistling)
41:36 (gentle music continues)
41:39 Do they do this to extract water from the petals, minerals,
41:50 or maybe they just take advantage of the abundance
41:53 of this type of food source?
41:55 Who knows?
41:57 The truth though, is that every desert flowering
42:00 is taken advantage of by this lizard.
42:03 Maybe just to enjoy the flowers,
42:05 albeit in a very different way.
42:08 Although less abundant than in the desert,
42:23 flowers also bloom in the Southern Forest.
42:25 Ammonkhe, the Astroemmrya,
42:29 and the Red Amaryllis grow on the forest floor.
42:33 (gentle music continues)
42:35 Meanwhile, the Field Clavel, the Little Bird,
42:38 and other twines travel up tree trunks and bushes
42:41 in a fast upward paced race towards the sun.
42:44 Without a doubt, Chile's national flower is the jewel
42:50 that crowns this forest of the central south of the country.
42:53 The Chilean Bellflower covers those areas
42:59 where the sun's rays hit timidly,
43:01 crowning the tip of these green vines and red flowers,
43:04 meters above the forest floor,
43:07 and out of arm's reach for those
43:09 that extract this flower illegally.
43:11 In spite of this, the Chilean Bellflower
43:15 and other wild flowers continue to survive across Chile,
43:19 slowly gaining back habitat lost over time to modern man.
43:23 (gentle music continues)
43:29 (water rushing)
43:31 Not only flowers have been lost
43:39 with the destruction of native forests,
43:41 but also the homes of extraordinary small animals.
43:46 Like phantoms, they roam the densest part of these woodlands.
43:50 Most have never had any contact with humans,
43:55 and few people have ever had the opportunity
43:57 to see them in their natural environment.
44:00 (gentle music continues)
44:04 This is a world of small alien creatures,
44:19 all of which are formidable predators.
44:21 Velvet worms are small worms that search for their prey
44:26 underneath fallen leaves and decaying wood.
44:29 On the other hand, the Darwin frog stands guard,
44:37 almost completely still on top of small branches and stones,
44:41 watching for the movement of small invertebrates.
44:44 (birds chirping)
44:48 (gentle music continues)
44:52 There are many creatures that live
45:15 in the temperate forests of the South.
45:18 Most all are difficult to find,
45:20 as they barely leave any signs of their presence.
45:23 The cod cod, the smallest cat in all of the Americas.
45:39 (gentle music continues)
45:43 (birds chirping)
45:46 The smallest deer in all the world
46:08 also lives exclusively within these forests.
46:12 (gentle music continues)
46:14 The Southern poodoo is a solitary creature
46:16 that rarely leaves the cover of trees,
46:19 except occasionally to feed on fresh grass
46:22 or to move from one part of the forest to another.
46:25 Totally still and hiding from view,
46:33 this small doe will not move until its mother returns,
46:37 and she will not approach her young
46:40 until she is sure that there is no danger close by.
46:43 Older animals such as this one are rare to see in nature,
46:53 as they succumb early on to disease, natural predators,
46:57 and with more frequency, the fatal attack by domestic dogs.
47:01 (birds chirping)
47:07 (wind blowing)
47:10 The first rays of light gently bathe the mountains
47:23 and ravines of Patagonia.
47:34 But here, not all animals are active this early in the day.
47:38 Others prefer to sleep under a late morning sun
47:48 after searching for prey at dawn.
47:50 Here, pumas are top predators
47:55 and rule above all other animals in the food chain.
47:57 In no small part, the complete ecosystem's health,
48:03 where many animals and plants live,
48:05 depends directly on the puma's survival.
48:08 Without pumas, the very existence of all other species
48:12 would be in jeopardy.
48:14 She is five years old and has never been a mother.
48:24 Even so, she is one of the dominant females of this area.
48:30 (gentle music)
48:33 She patrols her territory in search of packs of guanacos,
48:36 her preferred prey.
48:38 It is not too difficult to find guanacos here,
48:50 but many hours might pass
48:52 before the conditions are right for a hunt.
48:55 She is a stealthy hunter,
48:57 hiding between grass and rocks,
48:59 becoming invisible to even the sharpest eye.
49:02 Guanacos have 10 times the developed eyesight of man
49:06 and can spot a puma hundreds of meters away.
49:08 (gentle music)
49:26 Dusk arrives and she has yet to make a kill.
49:29 Many days have passed since she last fed.
49:32 A good number of guanacos continue to stay nearby,
49:41 which makes it even more difficult
49:43 for her to remain undetected.
49:45 But she does not give up on stalking her favorite prey.
49:49 Maybe the late afternoon shadows
49:55 will give her the cover she needs to be invisible.
49:57 She needs to be able to get to within a few meters
50:09 to be able to make a kill successfully.
50:11 She will walk for hours, waiting for the perfect moment.
50:24 (dramatic music)
50:27 An unaware guanaco seems like the perfect prey,
50:32 yet the puma must be completely stealth-like
50:35 if it is to succeed.
50:37 A false move and it's over.
50:40 With each passing minute, she is a bit closer.
50:45 A few more meters and her patience will be rewarded.
50:50 (dramatic music)
50:52 This time she was in too much of a rush
50:59 and the guanaco makes its escape.
51:02 Another day without food.
51:06 (gentle music)
51:12 (dramatic music)
51:15 A new sunrise reveals that another puma
51:41 has had a successful hunt.
51:43 A juvenile approaches in search for food.
51:48 He looks nervous as this might not be his kill.
51:59 He is scavenging, taking advantage of his find.
52:03 (gentle music)
52:06 (gentle music)
52:09 He quickly eats what he can before his cover is blown.
52:22 (dramatic music)
52:26 (gentle music)
52:29 Other animals that inhabit the Patagonian hillsides
52:50 do not take long to show up.
52:54 This is a South American gray fox, locally known as Chia.
52:58 Out of all the Chilean foxes,
53:03 it is the best adapted to live in the openness
53:06 of the Patagonian landscape.
53:08 And although they feed on small rodents,
53:10 invertebrates and fruit,
53:12 here a female finds a unique opportunity
53:15 to steal the remains of a major prey,
53:18 which is by all accounts out of her reach.
53:23 She eats as much as possible in as little a time
53:26 and must always remain on high alert
53:29 before the puma returns.
53:31 (gentle music)
53:33 Although it is not uncommon to see foxes scavenging
53:40 on a puma kill, this is not by any means a daily occurrence
53:45 and these foxes will risk all for a free meal.
53:48 They don't like sharing their good fortunes
53:51 with other foxes,
53:53 even when it was not their kill to begin with.
53:56 (gentle music)
53:58 (dramatic music)
54:06 (fox growling)
54:15 (birds chirping)
54:18 Other scavengers begin to arrive and the fox knows this.
54:27 This is why it must feed even faster
54:29 before competition lands from above.
54:31 (dramatic music)
54:36 It astutely hides some meat for a later day
54:39 as these animals never know when they will eat next.
54:42 (dramatic music)
54:45 (fox growling)
54:47 (dramatic music)
54:50 (gentle music)
55:20 The Andean condor,
55:22 one of the largest flying birds of the world,
55:24 detects carrion from many miles away.
55:28 Naturally timid, it doesn't land immediately
55:32 until it is sure to be safe from danger.
55:34 Immature birds are much more impatient
55:42 and are the first to risk landing, followed by the rest.
55:48 In just a few minutes, a group of condors
55:51 is now devouring the remains of this guanaco.
55:53 Undecided older males are the last to arrive.
56:03 (dramatic music)
56:05 (fox growling)
56:11 (dramatic music)
56:14 But this one bird is more concerned
56:20 about presenting its credentials than feeding.
56:23 (fox growling)
56:27 (fox growling)
56:39 (dramatic music)
56:42 After a few hours, little remains.
56:49 With over four pounds of food in their stomachs,
56:54 taking off becomes a little more challenging.
56:57 Yet one by one they take flight,
57:00 catching the upward currents of warm air
57:02 that will allow them to fly to their next stop
57:05 where they will eventually spend the night
57:08 and digest their feast.
57:09 (dramatic music)
57:13 Meanwhile, the pumas have no option
57:35 but to begin the hard task of searching for more prey,
57:38 assuring their own survival
57:41 and that of their extended family.
57:43 (dramatic music)
57:47 (fox growling)
58:14 And this, the still unknown wild chili.
58:18 (dramatic music)
58:21 it's a little bit of a stretch, but it's worth it.
58:23 (dramatic music)
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59:21 (soft music)
59:27 (soft music)
59:29 (electronic music)