1 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:09,960 STEPHEN FRY: 'Everything on our planet is connected... 2 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:15,960 '..to our epic journey around the sun. 3 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,960 'Filmed in more than 60 incredible locations... 4 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:31,960 '..so far, we've shown how animals survive 5 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:33,960 'in an ever-changing landscape. 6 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:47,480 'Now... as we enter the last chapter... 7 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:51,960 '..life braces once more... 8 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:55,960 '..for what the final season can throw at it.' 9 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:01,960 If winter is the great equaliser... 10 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:07,960 ..and spring is for new beginnings... 11 00:01:12,960 --> 00:01:14,960 ..summer a time of plenty... 12 00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:20,960 ..then autumn... 13 00:01:20,960 --> 00:01:23,960 autumn is the season of change. 14 00:01:28,960 --> 00:01:32,160 'For the families we've followed for the last nine months...' 15 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:35,000 THUNDERCLAPS 16 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,480 '..change brings opportunity...' 17 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,960 '..but also huge challenges.' 18 00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:48,960 'For many, the last three months 19 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,960 'of our unique annual journey around the sun 20 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:55,960 'will be their toughest yet. 21 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,000 'It's mid-September. 22 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:36,960 'And the deciduous forests of North America 23 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:41,480 'are staging the season's most iconic spectacle. 24 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,960 'This blaze of colour is a last hurrah 25 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,960 'triggered by a drop in temperature. 26 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,960 'The red pigments help the trees extract the last morsels of energy 27 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,160 'before they shed their leaves. 28 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:08,640 'The forest is preparing to hibernate. 29 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,960 'So, too, are its residents. 30 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:17,960 SQUEAKING 31 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,960 'For a chipmunk, it's the busiest time of year. 32 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,960 'He needs to stockpile enough nuts 33 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:35,960 'to last him through winter. 34 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:43,000 'Most are rotten. 35 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:47,960 'But not all. 36 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,960 'One oak tree is still dropping acorns. 37 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:03,960 'Fresh... 38 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:07,320 '..nutritious... 39 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:10,960 '..and plentiful. 40 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:19,960 'The only problem is... 41 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:24,640 '..they're in enemy territory. 42 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,000 'And chipmunks don't like to share. 43 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:35,960 'He'll need to be sneaky... 44 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:38,960 '..stealthy... 45 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,960 '..and tactical. 46 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:51,800 'Busted! 47 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:58,000 'Territorial males... 48 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:03,800 '..will defend their patch with extraordinary ferocity. 49 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,960 'The little chipmunk puts up a good fight... 50 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:11,960 '..and has some impressive moves... 51 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:26,960 '..but knows when he's beaten. 52 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:32,960 'An injury this late in the year could be risky. 53 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:43,960 'But going into winter with an empty larder could be fatal. 54 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,960 'Time to do or die. 55 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,960 'Finally, the chipmunk forces his rival to retreat 56 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:25,800 'and wins access to the tree. 57 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:31,960 'A determined chipmunk 58 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,960 'can gather 150 nuts a day. 59 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:42,960 'His stash is building up nicely. 60 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:44,960 'With a little more work, 61 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:48,960 'it should be enough to see him through six long months underground. 62 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,640 'As autumn progresses, 63 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,960 'life for those living in the north gets darker, 64 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,960 'colder and much tougher. 65 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,960 'The salmon season is coming to an end. 66 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:26,800 'But this grizzly bear 67 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,960 'is still desperately trying to catch enough fish 68 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,960 'to feed herself and her family. 69 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:40,960 'On average, only one in two cubs survives the first year. 70 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:51,960 'Bears can't stockpile food like chipmunks. 71 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:55,320 'Instead, they must put on enough weight 72 00:07:55,320 --> 00:08:00,320 'to endure five months of hibernation without eating. 73 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:12,960 'If Mum can't provide, her cubs won't make it through.' 74 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:15,960 CRACKLING 75 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:21,960 'A week later, the temperature plummets... 76 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:28,960 '..and the rivers on which she relies for food freeze over. 77 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:34,960 'Hopes of these bears surviving the winter 78 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:37,960 'seem bleaker than ever. 79 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:46,960 'It's -20 in Northern Canada, 80 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,960 'and this bear family is desperate for food. 81 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:59,960 'All the fishing rivers are locked in ice. 82 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:07,960 'But this mum knows one last place. 83 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:18,960 'Here, warmer water seeping through the bedrock 84 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,320 'keeps the river from freezing... 85 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:28,960 '..and offers her one last hope. 86 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:38,160 'As soon as her wet fur is exposed to the freezing air... 87 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,960 '..she becomes an ice bear... 88 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:45,960 '..one of a unique group of grizzlies 89 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,960 'who know the secrets of this isolated river. 90 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,960 'As long as the water keeps flowing... 91 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:23,960 '..Mum keeps fishing... 92 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:29,960 '..up to six weeks later than other bears in the region. 93 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,960 'A little local knowledge 94 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:51,960 'gives her cubs the best chance of surviving the long winter ahead. 95 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:13,960 'As the Northern Hemisphere continues to cool, 96 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:16,960 'hunkering down to hibernate isn't the only option. 97 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:24,640 'Many animals escape the cold by chasing the sun further south. 98 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:32,960 'At this time of year, 99 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,960 'billions of animals are on the move. 100 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:40,800 'From the titanic... 101 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:46,960 '..to the tiny. 102 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:55,960 'This little caterpillar 103 00:11:55,960 --> 00:12:00,160 'may not seem very well-prepared for long-distance travel. 104 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:07,480 'At least not until a miracle happens. 105 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,960 'Squeezed into a tiny cocoon, 106 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:16,640 'his body turns to soup... 107 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,960 '..then slowly begins to reorganise. 108 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:35,960 'A magical transformation... 109 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,800 '..from leaf-eating machine 110 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:44,960 'to migratory marvel. 111 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:49,000 'The monarch butterfly. 112 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:01,960 'His wing muscles may be smaller than a grain of rice, 113 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:06,960 'but incredibly, they'll carry him 2,500 miles 114 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:08,960 'all the way from Maine... 115 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:12,800 '..to Mexico. 116 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:21,960 'Some animals are already enjoying the warmer conditions 117 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:23,960 'south of the border. 118 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,960 'Sardines come here to breed, 119 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:38,960 'gathering in large schools, ready to spawn. 120 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,640 'If they live that long. 121 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:55,960 'A 12 foot-long striped marlin. 122 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:06,960 'When its stripes begin to glow, it means it's ready to attack. 123 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:13,960 'The iridescence confuses the sardines. 124 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:21,800 'To make matters worse, 125 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:24,960 'marlin rarely hunt alone. 126 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:30,640 'One of the fastest fish in the sea, 127 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:34,320 'they can accelerate to 50mph. 128 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:46,960 'They're so fast, 129 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:48,960 'they need a special muscle 130 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:52,960 'to heat their tennis-ball-sized eyeballs 131 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:54,800 'to sharpen their vision 132 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:56,960 'and quicken their reaction times. 133 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:07,960 'The thrashing attracts even more trouble. 134 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:11,960 'Sea lions join the hunt. 135 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,960 'Up above, pelicans strike from the air. 136 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:28,960 'Now the sardines are trapped, 137 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:31,960 'the marlin can clean up. 138 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:01,320 'Swiping their rapier-like bills 139 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:03,960 'helps to pick off fish from the school 140 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:06,960 'and guide them into their mouths. 141 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,960 'Sometimes, they even make a direct hit. 142 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:23,960 'A school of sardines the size of a house 143 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,960 'is demolished in minutes. 144 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:34,960 'A month after the equinox, 145 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:38,960 'the sun's influence has moved far enough below the equator 146 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,800 'for it to be felt deep into the Southern Hemisphere. 147 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:52,320 'Down here, it's warming up.' 148 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:56,960 CHIRPING 149 00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:58,640 'The change in season 150 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,960 'brings relief for the penguin chick.' 151 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:03,160 CHIRPING 152 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:08,960 'But also new challenges. 153 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:15,960 'For ten months, her parents provided all the food she needed. 154 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,960 'But now they've left her... 155 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:22,960 '..for good. 156 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:28,960 'At three feet tall, she may be fully-grown, 157 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:32,960 'but still just a teenager in penguin years. 158 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:39,960 'And going through a bit of an awkward stage. 159 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:46,000 'Down feathers may keep her warm, but they won't keep her dry. 160 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:49,960 'So, before she can join the others at sea, 161 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:53,960 'she needs to lose them for something more mature. 162 00:17:56,960 --> 00:18:00,800 'At least her friends are suffering the same thing.' 163 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:02,000 CAWING 164 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,960 'It's just a phase. 165 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:09,640 'A couple of weeks later, 166 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,960 'all that fluff is replaced with a sleek coat 167 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:15,960 'of tightly-packed, waterproof feathers. 168 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:20,960 'But even a fully-fledged penguin 169 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:22,960 'can be a little ungainly 170 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:24,960 'until it reaches the sea.' 171 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:26,320 CAWING 172 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:31,960 'It's a long walk down to the beach. 173 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:39,960 'Especially when trying to tiptoe past slumbering giants...' 174 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:43,640 GENTLE SNORING 175 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:46,960 '..without waking them.' 176 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:49,960 GENTLE ROAR 177 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:54,640 GURGLING 178 00:18:56,960 --> 00:18:59,960 DEEP SNORTING 179 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:04,960 'A three-tonne elephant seal 180 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:07,960 'could easily crush the little penguin.' 181 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:13,960 GROWLING 182 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:15,000 PENGUIN CAWS 183 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:17,160 GROWLING 184 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:19,480 GROWLING 185 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:28,960 GROWLING 186 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:31,960 'Thankfully, just a lot of hot air. 187 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:42,960 'But she now faces her toughest challenge yet... 188 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:47,960 '..to head out to sea and the unknown. 189 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,960 'Killer whales patrol Marion Island. 190 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:24,960 'And fledglings make especially easy targets. 191 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:30,960 'If this little penguin is to avoid starvation... 192 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:35,960 '..sooner or later, she'll have to take the plunge. 193 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:45,160 'At this time of year, 194 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:48,640 'the sun's rays are at their most direct 195 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:50,960 'over Southern Africa. 196 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:54,960 'Here, the dry season 197 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:57,960 'has reached maximum intensity.' 198 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:14,960 LOW GROWLING 199 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:19,960 'At nine months old... 200 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:25,960 '..the most important lesson this young elephant needs to learn 201 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,960 'is how to keep cool. 202 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:36,320 'Dirt works as sunblock. 203 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,960 'He's experienced dry weather before. 204 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:49,960 'But this is a drought. 205 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:56,960 'Our changing climate 206 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:00,960 'means that rainfall has become more unpredictable. 207 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:09,960 'Elephants normally drink 200 litres of water every day, 208 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:11,960 'enough to fill a bathtub. 209 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:25,960 'Now they must dig deep 210 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:27,960 'just to get a mouthful. 211 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:35,960 'It's not enough. 212 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:42,960 'The calf's two-year-old cousin is struggling. 213 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:52,640 'If he can't catch up with the rest of the herd... 214 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:57,800 '..he'll become a target. 215 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:15,960 'The rains that the elephants so desperately need 216 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:20,960 'are still 2,000 miles away in the Northern Hemisphere.' 217 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:28,960 THUNDER RUMBLES 218 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:34,960 'For the last four months, 219 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:39,960 'Northeast India has been the wettest place on Earth.' 220 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:43,160 SCREECHING 221 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,960 'Water is a life-giver. 222 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:58,960 'But months of monsoon can really drag on. 223 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:09,800 'When the skies finally clear... 224 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:12,960 '..new visitors arrive. 225 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,480 'This Amur falcon 226 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:21,960 'has flown a staggering 2,000 miles from Russia. 227 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:27,960 'Halfway on her mammoth migration to South Africa, 228 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:31,960 'this is the perfect place for a pit stop. 229 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:41,960 'Just after the rains, termites take to the air. 230 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:02,960 'Amur falcons are usually solitary. 231 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:09,960 'But here, they gather in hundreds of thousands 232 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:11,960 'for this flying feast.' 233 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:12,960 CHIRPING 234 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:25,960 'It's the greatest gathering of birds of prey 235 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:28,960 'found anywhere on Earth. 236 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:49,480 'By the end of October, 237 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:52,960 'the sun's intensity has moved further south, 238 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:57,320 'pulling the tropical rain band that was lodged over India 239 00:25:57,320 --> 00:26:01,960 'across the equator and into the Southern Hemisphere.' 240 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:05,800 THUNDER RUMBLES 241 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:10,960 'Eventually, the rains fall 242 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:12,960 'on a tiny island 243 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:14,960 'in the middle of the Indian Ocean... 244 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:25,960 '..waking its most famous residents. 245 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:29,960 'Red crabs. 246 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:35,960 '40 million of them. 247 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:43,960 'They're all heading down to the beach to spawn... 248 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:47,160 '..clogging up the roads, 249 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:50,000 'bringing the island to a standstill. 250 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,160 'They wait for months underground 251 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:57,320 'for the rains to arrive. 252 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:00,160 'Now it's humid enough 253 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:01,960 'to breathe in the open air. 254 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:10,320 'But when the sun re-emerges 255 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:12,480 'and begins to dry the forest... 256 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:15,960 '..the race is on. 257 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:22,480 'They need to reach the sea 258 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:24,640 'before they dehydrate. 259 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:35,960 'The females that have mated, like this one, 260 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:37,960 'carry a precious load. 261 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,640 'Tens of thousands of tiny eggs. 262 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:47,960 'But many never survive the journey. 263 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:53,960 'Coconut crabs are ten times her size... 264 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:59,960 '..and they hunt red crabs. 265 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:10,960 'And not all of the island's roads are closed. 266 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:29,960 'She's made it. 267 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:34,960 'But before she can release her eggs into the sea, 268 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:37,960 'she must wait for the tide to turn. 269 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:42,960 'Right now, it's still coming in. 270 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:49,960 'A few hours later, 271 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:52,960 'conditions are perfect. 272 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:55,960 'Now joined by a crowd, 273 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:58,320 'she enters the shallows. 274 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:04,960 'Her eggs hatch on contact with water. 275 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:09,960 'And with a little shake, 276 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:13,960 'she casts her tiny babies out to sea 277 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:16,640 'on the outgoing tide. 278 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:27,960 'The same tropical rain band that passes over Christmas Island 279 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:32,960 'is now rolling further down into Southern Africa. 280 00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:35,960 'For the elephant herd, 281 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:38,960 'it can't come soon enough. 282 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:43,960 'It's now desperately dry. 283 00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:48,960 'But they sense change in the air. 284 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,960 'Using their trunks like a nasal periscope, 285 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:56,320 'they can sense water 12 miles away.' 286 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:57,960 THUNDERCLAP 287 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:02,960 THUNDER RUMBLES 288 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:06,960 'Nightfall brings respite from the heat.' 289 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:12,960 TRUMPETING 290 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:15,960 'But elephants have poor night vision. 291 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:25,320 'Using the latest camera technology, however... 292 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:30,960 '..we can see in the dark... 293 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:39,960 '..much like the lions.' 294 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:47,960 TRUMPETING 295 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:50,960 'The calf knows to stay close. 296 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:58,800 'But some can't keep up. 297 00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:02,480 'The weakened cousin and his mother 298 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:04,640 'are lost in the dark.' 299 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:16,320 TRUMPETING 300 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:18,160 ROARING 301 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:22,320 TRUMPETING 302 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:26,960 TRUMPETING 303 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:34,960 SQUEALING 304 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:36,480 TRUMPETING 305 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:46,960 'Oblivious to what's happening behind them, 306 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:50,960 'the yearling and the rest of the herd move on.' 307 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:55,960 TRUMPETING 308 00:31:57,960 --> 00:31:59,960 TRUMPETING 309 00:31:59,960 --> 00:32:02,160 SNARLING 310 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:05,640 'She won't leave her baby.' 311 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:14,960 GROWLING 312 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:18,960 'Her only hope is to guide him away. 313 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:23,960 'But she's totally outnumbered.' 314 00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:27,960 TRUMPETING 315 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:33,960 SQUEALING 316 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:37,960 TRUMPETING 317 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:42,960 TRUMPETING 318 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:46,960 TRUMPETING 319 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:50,000 TRUMPETING 320 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:56,160 'The already weak calf 321 00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:58,960 'is now badly injured. 322 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:01,960 GROWLING 323 00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:06,960 'All the lions need to do is wait. 324 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:25,960 'By morning, 325 00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:29,960 'her calf has stopped breathing.' 326 00:33:57,960 --> 00:33:59,960 GROWLING 327 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:13,960 'Elephants are one of the few animals that grieve.' 328 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:19,960 LOW GROWL 329 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:24,960 'They need time to mourn.' 330 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:40,960 GROWLING 331 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:08,960 TRUMPETING 332 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:56,960 'Calm water in a secluded cove 333 00:35:56,960 --> 00:36:00,960 'seems a good place for the king penguin fledgling 334 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:03,960 'to take her first-ever swim. 335 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:09,960 'But nowhere is totally safe. 336 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:37,960 'She needs to head out to sea 337 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:39,960 'to find food. 338 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:43,800 'It's now or never. 339 00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:56,960 'The sooner she reaches the open ocean, 340 00:36:56,960 --> 00:36:59,960 'the sooner she'll be safe. 341 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:08,800 'Naive to danger...' 342 00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:09,960 SQUEAKING 343 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:13,960 '..her hesitation could be fatal. 344 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:32,960 'Just in time, 345 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:35,960 'the instinct to escape kicks in. 346 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:44,960 'A king penguin can't outpace a killer whale. 347 00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:47,960 'But it can outmanoeuvre it. 348 00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:57,480 'Thanks to her agility, 349 00:37:57,480 --> 00:38:00,160 'she finally reaches deeper waters 350 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:02,960 'and joins the rest of the flock 351 00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:05,960 'to go fishing far out to sea. 352 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:11,960 'She won't return to land 353 00:38:11,960 --> 00:38:14,960 'for a whole year. 354 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:35,000 'The monarch butterfly 355 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:36,960 'is on the final stretch 356 00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:40,960 'of its 2,500-mile journey. 357 00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:44,960 'His destination 358 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:47,000 'is just around the corner. 359 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:05,960 'The fact that something so small, so delicate 360 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:07,960 'has made it all this way 361 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:10,960 'is nothing short of a miracle.' 362 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:18,000 Just think what this little butterfly 363 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:20,960 has flown through to be here. 364 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:24,640 He's crossed vast deserts, 365 00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:27,960 he's dodged thunderous hailstorms, 366 00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:30,960 he's traversed huge mountain ranges, 367 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:34,960 and crossed quite a few busy highways. 368 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:40,960 'He's not the only one to make it. 369 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:44,960 'Others have found their way here, too.' 370 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:49,960 When you're in a forest on a windy day, 371 00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:51,960 you can hear the rustle of leaves, and at first, 372 00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:53,960 your ears tell you that's what you're hearing now. 373 00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:56,960 But no, it's the flutter of wings. 374 00:39:56,960 --> 00:40:01,480 Millions and millions of pairs of wings. 375 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:20,320 'They gather here in this one high-altitude forest 376 00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:21,960 'in Central Mexico 377 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:25,960 'to escape the freezing temperatures in the north 378 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:28,960 'and find sun nearer the equator.' 379 00:40:31,960 --> 00:40:34,640 We know they use the sun for navigation, 380 00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:36,800 but perhaps the most remarkable thing of all 381 00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:40,800 is how they know to come here, to these trees. 382 00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:43,960 Why these trees, of all the trees, 383 00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:46,960 of all the forests in all Mexico? 384 00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:51,960 And not one single one of these butterflies 385 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:55,480 has ever been here before. 386 00:40:57,960 --> 00:41:01,960 'These forests are filled with monarchs every year, 387 00:41:01,960 --> 00:41:05,960 'but each butterfly only lives for a few months. 388 00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:11,960 'With no knowledge passed down between individuals, 389 00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:16,960 'it's only some kind of miraculous, in-built impulse 390 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:19,960 'that drives them all south here to Mexico.' 391 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:25,960 He likes me. 392 00:41:26,960 --> 00:41:30,480 What should I call you? Monarch of All You Survey. 393 00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:34,800 Or I should call you Stephen, 394 00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:36,960 after King Stephen, the monarch, 395 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:39,000 who didn't reign for very long. 396 00:41:40,960 --> 00:41:42,960 God, you're so beautifully-made. 397 00:41:42,960 --> 00:41:45,800 There's no part of you that isn't perfect. 398 00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:48,640 Can't say the same about me. 399 00:41:51,160 --> 00:41:53,960 The other thing which they didn't warn me about... 400 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:57,480 Goodbye. 401 00:41:57,480 --> 00:42:00,960 ..is that, like all living creatures, 402 00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:01,960 they do excrete. 403 00:42:01,960 --> 00:42:05,960 They urinate, and you feel little drops on your head. 404 00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:08,960 I got one on my lip. I couldn't help, and I thought, 405 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:10,960 "I'll taste monarch butterfly pee." 406 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:13,960 It is very, very bitter. 407 00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:15,960 Deeply unpleasant. 408 00:42:15,960 --> 00:42:17,960 Nasty. 409 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:20,960 Otherwise, lovely animals. 410 00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:48,960 'As the Earth nears the end of its epic journey around the sun... 411 00:42:49,960 --> 00:42:51,960 '..it's remarkable to think 412 00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:54,960 'that giant cosmic forces play a role 413 00:42:54,960 --> 00:42:56,960 'in the tiny decisions 414 00:42:56,960 --> 00:43:00,480 'that these little butterflies make every day. 415 00:43:11,960 --> 00:43:15,160 'It's the same for all life on Earth.' 416 00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:17,320 THUNDER RUMBLES 417 00:43:18,960 --> 00:43:20,960 'In Zimbabwe, the band of rain 418 00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:23,960 'that has been pulled south by the sun 419 00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:25,960 'eventually arrives. 420 00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:33,960 'The elephants can spread out, 421 00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:37,800 'finding water holes free from predators. 422 00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:47,960 'In Canada, 423 00:43:47,960 --> 00:43:49,960 'the colder, shorter days 424 00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:52,960 'drive the chipmunk into hiding. 425 00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:04,160 'On an incoming tide, 426 00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:08,960 'the crab babies have returned in their billions. 427 00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:12,960 'Just in time for Christmas. 428 00:44:19,800 --> 00:44:22,960 'And in the sub-Antarctic, the king penguin 429 00:44:22,960 --> 00:44:26,960 'will one day return to the same beach she was born on 430 00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:29,960 'to start a family of her own.' 431 00:44:35,640 --> 00:44:39,960 Our annual journey around the sun is what unites us all 432 00:44:39,960 --> 00:44:44,320 and creates the incredible diversity on our planet, 433 00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:47,960 and great natural wonders like this. 434 00:44:50,640 --> 00:44:53,960 So as another year draws to a close, 435 00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:56,960 it's hard to know what the future holds 436 00:44:56,960 --> 00:44:58,960 in these changing times. 437 00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:01,960 But if one has had the privilege 438 00:45:01,960 --> 00:45:05,960 of witnessing this magical wonder, 439 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:08,960 then one knows that we have to cherish it. 440 00:45:10,960 --> 00:45:13,960 There can be surely no more spectacular way 441 00:45:13,960 --> 00:45:18,960 to end a year on planet Earth. 442 00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:33,160 Subtitles by accessibility@itv.com