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00:01This is The Americas.
00:04An extraordinary journey across Earth's great supercontinent.
00:09The widest variety of life on the planet.
00:15The untold story of a unique wonderland.
00:23This time on The Americas.
00:30The Andes.
00:35A spectacular sky world.
00:39And the longest mountain range in the Americas.
00:46Forged by fire and ice.
00:51It's a world of unrivaled beauty.
00:55But here, life must battle to survive.
01:00In the most perilous places imaginable.
01:05The planet's driest deserts.
01:09Frozen peaks.
01:11And strange magical forests in the clouds.
01:14Every animal.
01:16Must triumph.
01:18In life.
01:19Lived.
01:20Truly.
01:22On the edge.
01:24The Andes is the spine of South America.
01:28Running from the southern tip of this supercontinent.
01:29It stretches five and a half thousand miles.
01:33Forming the high peaks of Bolivia and Peru.
01:36Before pushing north toward the equator.
01:38Into the heart of the tropics.
01:40Where the mountains of Ecuador.
01:42Can seem like looking back in time.
01:43Sheer cliffs.
01:44And deep gorges.
01:45Are cloaked in forests.
01:46Are cloaked in forests.
01:47Here, giant igoron trees.
01:48From the peaks of Bolivia and Peru.
01:49From the peaks of Bolivia and Peru.
01:50Before pushing north toward the equator.
01:51Into the heart of the tropics.
01:53Where the mountains of Ecuador.
01:54Can seem like looking back in time.
01:55Sheer cliffs.
01:56And deep gorges.
01:57Are cloaked in forests.
01:58Here, giant igoron trees.
02:00Draped in bromeliads.
02:01Are fruiting.
02:02And that's exactly what one family.
02:03Has been waiting for.
02:04Hiding over a thousand feet.
02:05Above the forest.
02:06A spectacled bear.
02:07Here, giant igoron trees, draped in bromeliads, are fruiting.
02:20And that's exactly what one family has been waiting for.
02:28Hiding over a thousand feet above the forest, a spectacled bear mom.
02:33These bears are the rarest in the Americas, and the inspiration for Paddington.
02:46Mom, known by scientists as Silvestre, is nursing her three-month-old twins, Yoyo and
02:55Irene, secluded in their tiny nest.
03:02The towering cliffs have kept them safe from predators.
03:07But now, the family must leave.
03:13Mom's milk is running out.
03:16They need the fruit, nearly half a mile below.
03:25The sky-high rock face that protected them is about to become their biggest challenge.
03:33The most dangerous journey of their lives begins.
03:42Tracked using her collar, scientists know Silvestre has made this descent before.
04:01But it's the first time for the Cubs.
04:19Yoyo and Irene will need to follow their mother closely.
04:30One misplaced step could be a disaster.
04:38A moment of reassurance from mom.
05:01She knows the hardest part is yet to come.
05:17Irene takes a wrong turn.
05:21She has lost sight of mom.
05:25And at the worst possible moment.
05:28She has lost sight of mom.
05:42She has lost sight of mom.
05:47She has lost sight of mom.
05:50She has lost sight of mom.
06:02Yoyo has made it down okay.
06:12And so has Irene.
06:18The worst seems behind them.
06:21But there's no time to rest.
06:32Silvestre is bringing them to the very same fruit tree that she returns to every year.
06:41Plants and fruit like this can make up over 90% of a spectacled bear's diet.
07:02And the Cubs are not holding back.
07:21Spectacled bears navigate these mountains by having a detailed mental map of their world.
07:28The Cubs can stay with mom for over two years to build a map of their own.
07:34One day, with luck, Irene will be able to lead her own Cubs down the same cliffs.
07:41It all seems so easy now, but the Cubs have just undertaken a death-defying start to life.
07:55In the mountains of the Andes, all life is pushed to the limit.
08:08These remarkable high-rise forests hide other extraordinary secrets.
08:16Rising to 10,000 feet, these peaks trap moist air from the Amazon, creating a mysterious cloud forest.
08:25Here, nature is at its most magical.
08:32Curiously-shaped flowers shine out like beacons, signaling they have energy-rich nectar inside.
08:44If they can entice a visitor, they will be pollinated.
08:53Usually bugs do that job, but these forests are too cold for many of them.
08:59So instead, it's done by a spectacular animal so small and fast, they're almost impossible to capture on camera.
09:11Hummingbirds.
09:13Most, not much bigger than your thumb.
09:17In fact, the Andes is home to more species of hummingbirds than anywhere else on Earth.
09:26Feisty and agile, they'll fight to be the first in line for a drink of nectar.
09:34And shimmering wings that can beat over 80 times a second.
09:49The Andes has thousands of remote valleys like these.
09:53But just one, in Peru, is the home to an almost mythical hummingbird.
10:00Hardly ever seen in the open.
10:10He is a marvelous spatula tail.
10:14One of just 500 or so left on Earth.
10:19Deforestation has meant their habitat is disappearing.
10:26Only males have these extravagant tail feathers, which have just one purpose.
10:33To attract a female.
10:37He's keeping them in top condition.
10:48For the performance of his life.
10:55An audience has arrived.
10:59But this is not who he wants.
11:04Rivals.
11:09Every male around, even stumpy-tailed youngsters, have turned up to fight to control this exclusive courtship area.
11:24He's not the only one who wants the limelight.
11:27He's not the only one who wants the limelight.
11:31He's not the only one who wants the limelight.
11:32He's not the only one who wants the limelight.
11:38And this is the only one who wants the limelight.
11:41Fighting off so many is exhausting, he really should refuel, but that's going to have to
11:57wait.
11:58A female marvelous Spaduletail is here.
12:10Now the show can begin.
12:16He'll be judged on the length of his tail feathers and the quality of his performance.
12:28She's interested.
12:43Time to take his display to the next level.
12:49And now, it's all about stamina.
13:00In this thin mountain air, he's got to dig deep.
13:07It's a critical moment, both for him and the future of the species.
13:14If he wins her over, together they will produce the next generation.
13:28And at last, she accepts his invitation.
13:43A sign of hope for this remarkable hummingbird.
13:56Throughout the Andes, the land itself can feel alive.
14:06And in a way, it is, with an eruption occurring every few years.
14:13Immense earth forces forged these mountains, leaving a legacy of over 200 active volcanoes.
14:24more than anywhere else in the Americas.
14:32For 40 million years, they've pushed higher and higher.
14:36And in a few places, an eerie ice world has formed at the peaks, home to a true marvel of nature.
14:53The Andes is so high that 99% of the world's tropical glaciers are found here.
15:02The largest is in southern Peru.
15:08It's certainly cold, but at an altitude of 18,000 feet, ultraviolet radiation is very intense.
15:19So, when the sun shines, the ground heats to a jaw-dropping 111 degrees Fahrenheit,
15:27transforming ice world to sauna in the blink of an eye.
15:35It's the last place to expect to find a frog.
15:43Marbled, four-eyed frogs live at the highest altitude of any frog on Earth.
15:51Every year, females must breed in pools formed by glacial meltwater.
15:57But their world is changing.
15:59The glacier is retreating further up the mountains.
16:06Each year, she climbs higher, enduring hotter days, but also colder nights.
16:20And that's become a real problem.
16:24The temperature is dropping fast.
16:34She needs to find shelter.
16:39But as her muscles chill, they are starting to seize up.
16:46The deeper underground, the safer she'll be.
16:51But a clear sky means extreme cold is on its way.
17:04On these nights, the ice is relentless.
17:16Its reach stretches far beneath the surface.
17:21It's reach stretches far beneath the surface.
17:28Her journey looks to be over.
17:53She is frozen solid.
18:02As the world warms up, something strange happens beneath the surface.
18:22These marbled, four-eyed frogs living in the highest reaches of the Andes have evolved a remarkable talent.
18:38Almost beyond belief.
18:42And never filmed before.
18:45They can freeze solid and come back from the dead every single day.
18:54The only frog in the world that can do this.
19:10She drives forward once more.
19:23The frog that cheats death every night is ready to continue her journey and, with luck, meet a new mate.
19:37This frog may be a miracle worker, but its future is not certain.
19:54The glaciers on which it and so many other animals depend are in trouble.
20:06They're shrinking due to a global rise in temperature.
20:11Over the last 50 years, the neighboring Cori Calis Glacier has halved in size.
20:17At the current rate, it will disappear entirely in just 30 more years.
20:25Which could be a disaster, not just for the four-eyed frogs, but for all life in these mountains.
20:37As water from the sky-high glaciers of the Andes cascades down the steep slopes, it creates a unique network of 100,000 rivers.
20:48Water that is crucial both for wildlife and for millions of people.
21:00Most of these rivers are ice cold.
21:04But this one, in Argentina, is near boiling.
21:10Superheated by geothermal activity deep underground.
21:16What, in their right mind, would live in these dangerous waters?
21:22A torrent duck, not just any duck, but a super duck.
21:31He comes fully equipped with heat-resistant feathers, armor-plated leg skin, and built-in protective goggles, a third eyelid.
21:45This specialist gear means he can survive a daily temperature range of minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit above water, to plus 122 degrees underwater.
21:59All to reach a sumptuous buffet.
22:03These superheated waters are a hothouse for growing fly lava in the thousands.
22:16Delicious and nutritious for a duck, especially one with a family.
22:28These baby super ducks must find their own food from day one.
22:36Luckily, they are equipped for extreme swimming, too.
22:42Tail feathers develop early to act as a rudder, and huge feet provide propulsion.
22:51Bounty feathers trap air to keep them insulated and afloat.
22:58They already have superhero swagger, but their buoyant down has, well, a downside.
23:14Where the water is deep, those delicious bugs are out of reach.
23:20They need to find shallower feeding grounds.
23:34But as the family heads downstream, things get dangerous.
23:46Their parents lead the way.
23:51The ducklings can't yet fly.
23:53They will have to swim for it, in these deadly, scalding waters.
24:01Only a third survive to adulthood.
24:08Where they make their jump, decides their fate.
24:13As this chick's about to find out.
24:34As this chick's about to find out.
24:46The parents try to keep tabs on each of the chicks.
24:53But in these raging waters.
24:59That's not always possible.
25:05As this chick's about to find out.
25:15As the chick scrambles out, he must quickly look for another route to get back to his family.
25:20Now, it's all or nothing.
25:36All or nothing.
25:58His airfield feathers pull him to the surface.
26:04Saved by their superpowers, the whole family has reached the shallow feeding ground.
26:11A bug buffet, now within reach for all.
26:18If you've got what it takes, this wild river, born of fire and ice, can be a kind of paradise.
26:27For a duck.
26:33Traveling south, the Andes spread to their widest point.
26:38Here, the highest peaks block moisture from both the Amazon and the Pacific.
26:43Which helps create a desert like no other.
26:48The Atacama.
26:52The driest place on Earth.
26:56So arid that NASA uses it to test equipment destined for Mars.
27:03But in exceptional years, a miracle of nature changes everything.
27:14Maybe once a decade, a storm front from the west can have enough power to reach around the mountains.
27:31And bring salvation.
27:34Torrential rain.
27:40Summoning one of the rarest wonders in nature.
27:47What is known as a super bloom.
27:55Billions of seeds that have been sleeping in the sand, some for more than ten years.
28:01Can finally burst into life.
28:13This new world draws strange creatures from beyond the desert.
28:19Coruru, a mountain rodent, seldom seen on the surface.
28:27A giant caterpillar-hunting wasp brings food to her young.
28:38And like the rest, a family of burrowing owls packs a whole lifetime into these few weeks of plenty.
28:49Because as fast as the super bloom emerges,
28:56It's reclaimed by the desert.
28:59And life begins the long wait for water once more.
29:08Just to the north is Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat on Earth.
29:17When the rains reach here, another brief wonder of nature is created.
29:29A giant mirror, larger than Yellowstone, set beneath the clearest skies on Earth.
29:44Here, we look into deep space, for answers light years away.
29:52While an exquisite vision of the universe comes to our feet.
30:02But it too, doesn't last long.
30:11And soon, all that remains is a salt crust.
30:16The world utterly hostile to life.
30:22And yet, for some, it's home.
30:28A salt flat lizard.
30:44A young male, on the lookout for a territory.
30:55There's no time to waste.
31:17An oasis?
31:21No.
31:22This water is full of salt.
31:27He can't drink it, but these brine flies can.
31:34Converting it into fresh water, inside their bodies.
31:41It's a perfect combo meal, a drink, with a side of flies.
31:52But for a rookie, this is going to take some practice.
32:02200 flies contain just a thimble of water.
32:08He's sure got his work cut out.
32:11Almost there.
32:23Nailed it.
32:28Could life get any better?
32:46Maybe it can.
33:09It's a female salt flat lizard, wafting a powerful, seductive scent into the air.
33:25What young flycatcher could resist?
33:35But all is not as it seems.
33:44Another male.
33:47She will only mate with the strongest males.
33:52Dominant enough to hold the precious waterfront territories.
33:58And she wants to see what the young flycatcher is made of.
34:12She's set him up.
34:17It's trial by combat.
34:37Overpowered, and now in deeper trouble than he knows.
34:44Every inch of the water's edge is controlled by paired-up power couples who won't share.
34:55Retreat, this is only option.
35:23He's not ready to take on the big males right now.
35:41But he is alive and has learned valuable lessons.
35:50Well, maybe.
36:00Reaching the highest point in our whole America's journey, we ascend to over 19,000 feet, where
36:08the salt flats become salt lakes.
36:14Each one a unique, toxic cocktail of metals, minerals, and microorganisms.
36:25The most extraordinary of all is Laguna, Colorado.
36:31A hellscape where morning ice has a daily battle with the strongest UV radiation on Earth.
36:39More than double that of Death Valley.
36:47It takes a special kind of toughness to survive here.
36:58But once a year, this lake becomes the setting for the greatest party in the Andes.
37:14Although not everyone is invited.
37:24Right now, this world of extremes plays host to James' flamingos.
37:35They gather here from across the Andes in the thousands, hoping to find a mate.
37:50Males and females might appear almost identical, but they know the difference.
38:06They all want to look their best, and the pinker, the better.
38:20The secrets to their success?
38:22Tough-skinned, long legs, letting them wade through the caustic lake.
38:32And a unique bill that filters out microscopic life from the toxic water.
38:40Eating this food turns their feathers pinker, making them more desirable.
38:47But life is about to get more complicated as the Laguna becomes Flamingo Central.
38:55Chilean and Andean flamingos are flying in too.
39:01They're both much bigger, but a lot less graceful.
39:16Crowds begin to build to 40,000 strong.
39:21And then, on an unseen cue, a dance-off begins.
39:35The smaller Jameses are in danger of being pushed out before it even begins.
39:40Over four feet tall, the Chileans can strut in the deep water, while the enigmatic Andeans rumba by the smoke machine.
39:59But at last, the Jameses get their groove on, too.
40:06A tango at the top of the world.
40:12These courtship dances last for weeks.
40:27One by one, lovers unite, as eventually they find a mate.
40:42A mate.
40:54But until then, the dance continues.
41:00The greatest show in the greatest mountain range in the Americas.
41:07Instead, the first time being on the galaxy.
41:19Notice the transition.
41:23The fog is where we're dying.
41:29Transcription by CastingWords
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