1
00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:11,960
STEPHEN FRY: 'The sun.

2
00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:17,640
'15 million degrees Celsius
at its core.

3
00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,800
'Too close,

4
00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:20,960
'and you burn.

5
00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:23,960
'Too far...

6
00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:26,960
'..you freeze.

7
00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,160
'But at just the right distance,

8
00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:31,960
'you get this.

9
00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:37,960
'A living, breathing world.

10
00:00:41,480 --> 00:00:44,640
'No other planet
in the known universe

11
00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:49,320
'experiences seasons
like our planet, Earth.'

12
00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:51,960
By the beginning of March,

13
00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:55,000
we in the north
are turning towards the sun...

14
00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:00,960
'..and winter snow begins to melt.

15
00:01:04,960 --> 00:01:06,960
'Just a little at first.

16
00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,960
'Then more and more.'

17
00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:22,960
Until the flow of water
becomes truly staggering.

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00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:30,960
Every year, the returning sun

19
00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:34,960
melts over ten million square miles
of snow

20
00:01:34,960 --> 00:01:36,960
in the Northern Hemisphere.

21
00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:42,640
'Allowing the land to reawaken...

22
00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:44,960
BIRDS TWEET

23
00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:46,960
'..and bringing new life.

24
00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:54,960
'While in the Southern Hemisphere,
life braces itself

25
00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:56,960
'for far tougher times ahead.

26
00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,960
'In more than 60 locations
across the globe,

27
00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:07,960
'we follow the world's
most spectacular animals...

28
00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:12,960
'..and reveal the struggles...

29
00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:17,000
'..and opportunities

30
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,480
'of spring.

31
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'The most magical part
of our journey around the sun.

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00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:00,960
'This is going to be
an extraordinary day.

33
00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:06,960
'No matter where you are
in the world...

34
00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,960
'..there will be
12 hours of daylight...

35
00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:17,960
'..and 12 hours of darkness.

36
00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,960
'The spring equinox has arrived.

37
00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,960
'Incredibly, there is one animal

38
00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:34,960
'that can detect
this unique celestial moment.

39
00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:47,960
'A leatherback turtle.

40
00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,960
'She has a translucent spot
on her head

41
00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,320
'that acts like a skylight,

42
00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:00,960
'letting light
shine through her skull,

43
00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,960
'directly onto her brain.

44
00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,960
'And now, after two decades
of wandering the oceans,

45
00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:13,960
'it compels her to return
to the beach where she hatched...

46
00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:20,960
'..and lay eggs of her own.

47
00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,320
'As graceful as they are in water,

48
00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,960
'leatherbacks are poorly-adapted
for moving on land.

49
00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:55,160
'The largest turtles in the world,

50
00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:56,960
'over a half a tonne,

51
00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:59,960
'and as a big as a two-seater sofa.

52
00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:09,960
'Every inch
is won by extreme labour.

53
00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,160
'It's going to be a tough night.

54
00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,960
'Her eggs are very sensitive
to temperature.

55
00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:44,960
'To prevent them from overheating,
she must dig deep.

56
00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:58,000
'Finally, after more than an hour,
her nest is ready.

57
00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:14,960
'She lays around 80 eggs...

58
00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,960
'..each slightly bigger
than a golf ball.

59
00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:25,320
'Now safely buried,

60
00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:27,960
'they will hatch in two months.

61
00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,960
'But she won't be here
to see her babies emerge.

62
00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:49,960
'Exhausted,
she must recoup her energy

63
00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,960
'by going to feed
in the richest part of the ocean...

64
00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:59,960
'..which now lies
thousands of miles north.

65
00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:07,480
'As the sun moves further over
the Northern Hemisphere,

66
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'days now become longer than nights.

67
00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:22,960
'And light fuels growth.

68
00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,800
'The land bursts with colour.

69
00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:39,640
'And surprisingly,

70
00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:43,000
'some of the most spectacular
spring blooms of all

71
00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,960
'are found right in the middle
of the desert.

72
00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:50,960
'Since December,

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00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:54,960
'day length here
has increased by two hours.

74
00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,960
'The solar energy reaching
the ground has almost doubled.

75
00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:04,960
'And with the Earth still moist
from winter rains,

76
00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:07,960
'conditions for growth are perfect.

77
00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,960
'And now these nectar-laden flowers

78
00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:17,960
'attract new life from miles around.

79
00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:27,960
'Including one of the most beautiful
birds in the desert.

80
00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:41,960
'A male Costa's hummingbird...

81
00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,960
'..preparing for
his busiest time of the year.

82
00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:58,960
'Without nectar, he would die
of starvation within a few hours.

83
00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,960
'Hummingbirds have the fastest
metabolisms of any animal.

84
00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:16,800
'His tiny heart
beats more than ten times a second.

85
00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:23,960
'And just a few yards away

86
00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:27,960
'is someone
that can make it beat faster still.

87
00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:34,960
'A female Costa's hummingbird.

88
00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,160
'She may look a little drab...

89
00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:44,960
'..but she is
the object of his desire.

90
00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:49,640
''The only problem is,

91
00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:55,960
'despite his fancy feathers,
she doesn't appear to fancy him.'

92
00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:56,960
TWEETING

93
00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:01,960
'Thankfully,
he has a trick up his sleeve.

94
00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:06,960
'One of nature's most extraordinary
courtship displays.

95
00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:18,960
'Best admired with a full frontal.

96
00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:34,960
'Positioned at just the right angle
to the sun...

97
00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,960
'..with feathers splayed...

98
00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,160
'..he is absolutely dazzling.

99
00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,960
'Having a purple octopus
waved in your face

100
00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:52,000
'might not be your thing,

101
00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:56,960
'but the perfection of his plumage
shows his quality.

102
00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:00,960
'And it works for her.'

103
00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:02,960
TWEETING

104
00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:10,320
'In just over a month,

105
00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:15,960
'her chicks will have hatched,
grown up and flown the nest.

106
00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:27,480
'Spring comes early in the desert,
and it doesn't last long.

107
00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:34,160
'But further up
in the Northern Hemisphere,

108
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'it's only just begun.

109
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'The greatest baby boom on Earth
is still to come.

110
00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,960
'In the north,
spring is now taking hold.

111
00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:57,960
'The strengthening sun

112
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'fuels billions of tonnes
of new plant growth.

113
00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:08,960
'It sends a pulse of energy
coursing through the food chain,

114
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'triggering an enormous baby boom.

115
00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,960
'A surge of easy-to-catch prey

116
00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:22,960
'makes this the ideal time

117
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'for hunters
to raise their families, too.

118
00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:33,960
'But closer to the equator,

119
00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,480
'predators aren't having it so easy.

120
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'East Africa,

121
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'home to the planet's
greatest population

122
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'of large carnivores.

123
00:12:57,960 --> 00:12:59,960
'Five months ago,

124
00:12:59,960 --> 00:13:02,960
'this landscape
was a predator's paradise.

125
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'A million wildebeest.

126
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'300,000 zebras.

127
00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:15,960
'And 200,000 gazelles.

128
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'Nearly all gone.

129
00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:26,960
'And the great migration
won't return until summer.

130
00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,320
'Now, only the locals remain.

131
00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,960
'Experienced and wary.

132
00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:50,960
'Spring can be a tough time
for a cheetah mum.

133
00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:56,960
'Her two six-month-old cubs
need to be fed every day

134
00:13:56,960 --> 00:13:59,000
'or they'll begin to starve.

135
00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:09,640
'But she must pick her moment...

136
00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,960
'..conserve her energy.

137
00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:21,960
'The cubs have a different agenda.

138
00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:29,320
'Playing is how they learn which
animals are impossible to catch.

139
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SNORTING

140
00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:36,480
'And which ones fight back.

141
00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:41,960
HOWLING

142
00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:46,960
'With practice,
they will be able to accelerate

143
00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:48,960
'faster than most sports cars...

144
00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:54,960
'..and reach speeds of up to 65mph.

145
00:14:57,960 --> 00:14:59,960
'But not yet.

146
00:14:59,960 --> 00:15:03,160
'Right now,
they're just being a pain in the...

147
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GROWLS

148
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'..tail.

149
00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:17,160
'Enough with the play.

150
00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:22,960
'It's time to go to work.

151
00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:39,640
'As far as we know,

152
00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:42,960
'cheetahs are the fastest
land animals to have ever existed.

153
00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,960
'They can execute turns

154
00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:04,960
'at speeds that would break the legs
of other animals.

155
00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,960
'But like
any high-performance athlete,

156
00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:35,320
'success or failure is separated
by the tiniest of margins.

157
00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,160
'The hunter's dinner
is never guaranteed...

158
00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:45,480
'..especially at this time of year.

159
00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:50,960
'In many ways,
the prey have it easier.

160
00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:55,960
'Their food grows everywhere.

161
00:16:55,960 --> 00:17:00,960
'But it is dependent
on one crucial resource.

162
00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:03,160
THUNDERCLAP

163
00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:05,960
'Water.

164
00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:13,960
'Since winter,
the tropical rain band

165
00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:16,960
'has been steadily moving up
the continent...

166
00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:18,960
THUNDER RUMBLES

167
00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:23,960
'..forming wherever the sun shines
hottest on the Earth's surface.

168
00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,000
'It brings life
to the dry lands of Africa.

169
00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:32,640
'But as the rains move north...

170
00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:35,960
'..further south...

171
00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:39,960
'..conditions are becoming critical.

172
00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:04,960
'The water holes are shrinking...

173
00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:07,960
'..getting crowded...

174
00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,960
'..and more dangerous.

175
00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:25,960
'Even the elephants are vulnerable.

176
00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:30,960
'Especially the youngsters.

177
00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:42,960
'The old matriarch leader
of this group

178
00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:44,960
'knows it's time to move on.

179
00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:51,960
'She has made many journeys
in search of water

180
00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:53,960
'in her 50 years,

181
00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:56,960
'and can even remember routes made

182
00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:00,160
'during extreme droughts
decades ago.

183
00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:05,960
'And now this four-month-old baby

184
00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:10,960
'must learn the way
as he begins his first migration.

185
00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:18,960
'Indeed, much of
an elephant's behaviour is learned.

186
00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:25,960
'From birth to adulthood,
their brains almost triple in size,

187
00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:29,960
'the greatest increase
of any animal apart from us.

188
00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:35,160
'The good times are over.

189
00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:41,960
'Ahead, only a thirsty,
gruelling march.'

190
00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:49,960
TWEETING

191
00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,960
'The red-billed quelea
are also heading off.

192
00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:01,960
'They follow the rains
and the pulse of fresh grass seed.

193
00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,960
'And they do so in their millions.

194
00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,160
'The most abundant wild bird
in the world.

195
00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:20,960
'The key to their success
is a super-fast breeding cycle,

196
00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:24,960
'little more than three weeks
from laying eggs to chicks flying.

197
00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:29,960
'Ready to leave
when conditions get tough.

198
00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,960
'Not everyone has that option.

199
00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:45,960
'In the far south,
the darkness is creeping in.

200
00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,960
'The sun sinking lower.

201
00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:54,960
'The land growing colder.

202
00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,160
'This four-month-old
king penguin chick

203
00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:09,960
'is stuck here.

204
00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:14,960
'She won't be ready
to leave the island

205
00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:16,960
'for another eight months.

206
00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:22,960
'So she must prepare
for the coming cold.

207
00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:29,800
'Since hatching, she's grown
from a tiny, naked chick,

208
00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,800
'weighing less than 250g,

209
00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:37,960
'into this plump, downy youngster
of nearly 12 kilos.

210
00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:45,960
'Just as well - it's the coldest day
of the year so far.

211
00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:52,960
'And something new and strange
is happening.'

212
00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:57,960
CHIRPING

213
00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,960
'Curiosity gets the better of her.

214
00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:45,960
'The nasty side of town.

215
00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:50,960
'The source
of all this flying fluff?

216
00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:53,960
'Not snow.

217
00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:58,960
'Manky, moulting macaroni penguins.

218
00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:17,320
'And there's something else here.

219
00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:20,960
'Monsters.

220
00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:25,640
'These are giant petrels.

221
00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,960
'Three feet tall,
and as heavy as a Christmas turkey.

222
00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:39,960
'The stress of moulting
makes some macaronis weak.

223
00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:45,800
'But if you show weakness here...

224
00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:50,960
'..there is no mercy.'

225
00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:52,320
SQUAWKING

226
00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:16,960
'Giant petrels
don't miss any opportunity.

227
00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:26,960
'Against these relentless killers,
a chick doesn't stand a chance.

228
00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,960
'And she's just been spotted.

229
00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:45,640
'When a giant petrel
sizes you up like this,

230
00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:49,960
'it's time to get out of here.

231
00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:57,800
'Her nemesis is coming for her.'

232
00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:06,960
HONKING

233
00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:35,640
'But the giant petrel
has underestimated the kings.

234
00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:45,960
'Twice as big as the macaronis,
they can stand up to this bully.

235
00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:51,960
HONKING

236
00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:02,640
'It's all too much
for the giant petrel.

237
00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:11,480
'Finally, the chick can relax.

238
00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:16,960
'But not too much.

239
00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:19,960
'Soon, her parents
will be gone for weeks,

240
00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:22,960
'even months, on end.

241
00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,480
'As the water gets colder,

242
00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:27,960
'the ocean currents shift

243
00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:30,960
'and feeding areas
move further away.

244
00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:35,960
'She will grow hungrier, weaker...

245
00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:40,160
'..and she'll be alone.

246
00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,800
'While conditions in the south
grow harsher...

247
00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:58,960
'..the Northern Hemisphere
is in the full flush of spring.

248
00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:13,960
'And here,
in this seasonal rainforest,

249
00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:17,960
'the fresh growth
feeds all kinds of animals.

250
00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:26,320
'Including one of the most striking
monkeys on the planet.

251
00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:53,960
'Red-shanked doucs.

252
00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:02,960
'Timed with the burst of
fresh spring leaves and flowers,

253
00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:06,960
'these doucs are having
a baby boom of their own.

254
00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:12,960
'Only four years old,

255
00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:16,000
'this is the youngest mum
in the community.

256
00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:21,960
'And this is her first baby.

257
00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:25,960
'Just days old.

258
00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:38,960
'Right now,
it's a worrying time for Mum.

259
00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:43,480
'Newborns make easy targets...

260
00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:47,960
'..for all kinds of predators.

261
00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:18,640
'But too much protection
can be stifling.

262
00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:25,960
'He needs to learn key skills,

263
00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:29,960
'like how to move
through the forest.

264
00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:40,480
'Doucs make some of
the longest leaps of all monkeys,

265
00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:43,160
'frequently exceeding ten metres.

266
00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:50,960
'You can't do this
without a lot of practice.

267
00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:58,960
'Sometimes, a mum has to let go.

268
00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:15,960
'We see spring as a time of relief
after a long winter.

269
00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:22,960
'Yet for many animals,
this is a time of great stress.

270
00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:31,960
'Never will their babies
be more needy and more vulnerable.

271
00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:35,960
'And never will parents
have to be more vigilant.

272
00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:42,960
'But all a mum can do
is take it one day at a time.

273
00:30:57,960 --> 00:30:59,960
'At least she's bringing up baby

274
00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:02,960
'in the relative comfort
of the tropics.

275
00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:06,960
'A little further north,
just beyond the Himalayas,

276
00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:09,960
'it's a different story.

277
00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:25,000
'The Tibetan Plateau.

278
00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:30,960
'Covering nearly
a million square miles,

279
00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:35,960
'and averaging
over 4,000 metres high,

280
00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:40,480
'it's the largest
and highest plateau in the world.

281
00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:46,960
'With little more than
half the oxygen at sea level,

282
00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:49,960
'the air leaves you gasping.

283
00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:55,960
'Winter temperatures can plummet
to minus 20 degrees Celsius.

284
00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:02,960
'Not many animals
have adapted to life up here.

285
00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:08,960
'This is one of the few.

286
00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:12,320
'A Tibetan fox.

287
00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:17,000
'A mere 2.5 million years

288
00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:20,960
'set it apart from our red fox.

289
00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:25,160
'Yet it's enough to have evolved
an extraordinarily wide gape.

290
00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:38,160
'An adaptation for a diet consisting
almost entirely of these animals.

291
00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:39,960
CHITTERING

292
00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:45,960
'Thanks to a surge
of spring breeding,

293
00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:48,960
'plateau pika are everywhere.

294
00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:53,960
'But they have
hundreds of boltholes.

295
00:32:59,960 --> 00:33:01,960
'To catch one, you have to be...

296
00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:06,960
'..patient.'

297
00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:16,960
SQUEAKING

298
00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:19,960
SQUEAKING

299
00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:31,160
SQUEAKING

300
00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:44,960
SQUEAKING

301
00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:58,800
'A lot of work
for such a small snack.

302
00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:03,160
'And she's not even going to eat it.

303
00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:11,960
'It's for her three
eight-week-old cubs.

304
00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:20,960
'In fox families,

305
00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:24,960
'fathers usually stick around
to help.

306
00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:30,960
'But Dad hasn't been seen for weeks.

307
00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:40,960
'Up here, conditions are so harsh,
lives are often cut short.

308
00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:46,960
'Keeping the family fed
is now a real struggle.

309
00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:57,960
'By the time the cubs are up...

310
00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,640
'..Mum's already out hunting.

311
00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:08,960
'All this play is hungry work.

312
00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:14,960
'But for some reason,

313
00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:17,480
'breakfast is late.

314
00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:27,960
'Constantly sprinting after prey

315
00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:30,960
'over potholed ground

316
00:35:30,960 --> 00:35:32,960
'has taken its toll.

317
00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:42,960
'An injury as serious as this
could stop her hunting.

318
00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:52,000
'And that means starvation
for the whole family.'

319
00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:00,960
THUNDER RUMBLES

320
00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:02,960
RAIN PATTERS

321
00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:16,160
'Though clearly in pain,
Mum is off hunting again.

322
00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:25,800
'With cubs to feed,
she has no choice.

323
00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:37,640
'But sometimes, adversity brings out
the best in you.

324
00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:13,320
'She's found her A-game.

325
00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:27,960
'Perhaps her luck is returning.

326
00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:39,960
'Thanks to Mum's
extraordinary determination,

327
00:37:39,960 --> 00:37:43,800
'the cubs
should keep growing strong.

328
00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:47,000
'With so many mouths to feed,

329
00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:51,960
'spring can be
the most challenging time of year.

330
00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:06,480
'This cheetah mum...

331
00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:10,960
'..desperately needs
a change in fortune.

332
00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:43,480
'No matter how hard she tries...

333
00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:49,960
'..it always ends in frustration.

334
00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:54,800
'Mum is exhausted.

335
00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:57,960
'She can't afford any more failures.

336
00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:10,000
'Hyenas will kill cheetah cubs.

337
00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:17,960
'They're too big to beat in a fight.

338
00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:23,320
'The whole family
has to be very careful.

339
00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:27,960
'All she can do

340
00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:32,960
'is stay by her cubs
and hope the danger passes.

341
00:39:41,960 --> 00:39:45,960
'The threat from lions and hyenas
is constant.

342
00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:49,160
'But she can't hide forever.

343
00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:52,480
'Her family needs to eat.

344
00:39:57,960 --> 00:40:00,960
'A male impala.

345
00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:07,960
'Cheetahs usually avoid
such large, heavily-armed prey.

346
00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:12,960
'The risk of injury
is just too high.

347
00:40:17,960 --> 00:40:20,800
'But not for this mum.'

348
00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:05,960
GROWLING

349
00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:19,960
'For the first time,
her cubs actually help.

350
00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:38,960
'Around 80% of cheetah cubs here

351
00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:41,960
'succumb to predators or starvation

352
00:41:41,960 --> 00:41:44,960
'before the reach
their first birthday.

353
00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:50,160
'Her cubs
still have a long way to go...

354
00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:53,960
'..but with every kill,

355
00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:56,960
'every passing day,

356
00:41:56,960 --> 00:41:59,960
'their chances improve.

357
00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:17,960
'Spring in the north
is drawing to an end.

358
00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:22,960
'But here, on this beach,

359
00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:26,960
'it still has one final wonder
to offer.

360
00:42:48,960 --> 00:42:50,960
'For eight weeks...

361
00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:53,640
'..the leatherback eggs

362
00:42:53,640 --> 00:42:56,960
'have been gently incubated
by the sun.

363
00:42:59,960 --> 00:43:04,160
'Now the baby turtles
are beginning their own journey.

364
00:43:06,160 --> 00:43:10,480
'But everything will depend on
the next few minutes.

365
00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:23,960
'Black vultures
have been waiting for this moment.

366
00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:51,480
'Their mum's sacrifice,

367
00:43:51,480 --> 00:43:53,960
'her toil on the beach,

368
00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:55,960
'may come to nothing.

369
00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:05,000
'But if this hatchling
can make it to the sea,

370
00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:09,480
'the odds of reaching adulthood
rise dramatically.

371
00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:34,960
'He's passed his first trial.

372
00:44:36,960 --> 00:44:40,960
'With luck, he may go on
to live for over 50 years...

373
00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:45,960
'..and cover
tens of thousands of miles.'

374
00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:52,960
Within a month,

375
00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:56,960
some of the leatherback turtles
that nested in Trinidad

376
00:44:56,960 --> 00:44:58,960
could have come
as far north as here,

377
00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:01,960
in Iceland, to feed.

378
00:45:03,640 --> 00:45:07,960
'Soon, the sun
will deliver more energy here

379
00:45:07,960 --> 00:45:09,960
'than the hottest part
of the tropics.'

380
00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:14,320
We're about to begin summer.

381
00:45:14,320 --> 00:45:18,000
The hottest, most intense,

382
00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:20,960
and most vibrant part

383
00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:23,960
of our journey around the sun.

384
00:45:25,640 --> 00:45:27,000
'Right across the globe...

385
00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:32,960
'..animals will face
new challenges...

386
00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:37,800
'..and unique opportunities...

387
00:45:38,960 --> 00:45:42,640
'..during the most extreme season

388
00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:44,960
'on planet Earth.'

389
00:45:53,960 --> 00:45:56,960
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