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00:01:18On the map of North America, the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains roughly divide the continent into three parts.
00:01:26Before civilization made its mark on the land, all the territory east of the Great River was virgin forest and
00:01:33rolling meadow.
00:01:35West of the Rockies lay pine woods, rugged peaks and barren desert.
00:01:39And down the middle of the continent stretched a broad treeless plain, the American Prairie.
00:01:46Through all this vast area flowed a network of streams and rivers, making it an immense grassland, green and flourishing.
00:02:01On this sea of grass, the pioneers launched their white-topped prairie schooners.
00:02:08Their destination was Oregon, and the route they followed took them across the entire width of the trackless plain.
00:02:19Under broad blue skies, they pushed off toward the far horizon, into the great unknown.
00:02:26It was an incredible journey where distances were measured in months instead of miles.
00:02:33Now and again, a timeless landmark would rise abruptly to break the monotony of the prairie scene.
00:02:39Such was Courthouse Rock.
00:02:44Against the evening sky, the silhouette of Chimney Rock was unmistakable.
00:03:00But between the scattered guideposts, there was always the prairie, days of prairie, weeks of prairie.
00:03:11Then, after two months of weary travel, Scotts Bluff, 500 miles from home.
00:03:18Yet the journey was just beginning.
00:03:21The sight of a prairie river cutting through the grassland was always a welcome relief.
00:03:25Here, the pioneer and his trail-worn oxen refreshed themselves in the silvery waters.
00:03:40A thousand miles out stood Independence Rock.
00:03:45This was the halfway mark.
00:03:47The point of no return.
00:03:50Another in the long succession of milestones was Devil's Gate.
00:03:55Beyond, the Continental Divide.
00:03:57And beyond that, Oregon and Journey's End.
00:04:01Here and there, deep grooved in the face of the prairie, some of the old wagon trails still remain to
00:04:07mark the passing of an era.
00:04:16But long before the wagon trains rolled west toward the setting sun, it was the red man who claimed this
00:04:22vast domain as his own.
00:04:24To him, it was a land of plenty.
00:04:27And in his primitive way, he kept a record of the abundance nature gave him.
00:04:32He tells of Tatanka, the buffalo, who roamed the prairie in numbers beyond counting, providing hides for his teepee, meat
00:04:40for his campfire, sinew for his bow.
00:04:43And of the fleet Tahintia Sandla, the antelope, and Kichihuaboos, the rabbit.
00:04:48He speaks of the little dog who barks, the prairie dog, his friend and neighbor.
00:04:55And there was a legion of others, furred and feathered.
00:04:58Some the Indian held in awe and reverence, and some he hunted to survive.
00:05:03For this was his paradise to use as he chose, his happy hunting ground created on earth.
00:05:11But all this was only yesterday.
00:05:13There was an earlier time, a time without record or remembrance, when nature alone held dominion over the prairie realm.
00:05:22Of the teeming millions of wild creatures that thrived in that bygone day, only a few scattered remnants survived.
00:05:30Still it's enough for us to gain a glimpse of the past, and for a little while in this true
00:05:35-life adventure,
00:05:36recreate the wondrous pageant that was nature's prayer.
00:05:47It's a day in early spring, and high above the grassland along the ancient flyways,
00:05:52the homecoming birds wheel and turn in a processional of the sky.
00:05:58It's a day in early spring.
00:05:59It's a day in early spring.
00:06:09It's a day in early spring.
00:06:14It's a day in early spring.
00:06:15It's a day in early spring.
00:06:15It's a day in early spring.
00:06:15It's a day in early spring.
00:06:17It's a day in early spring.
00:06:18It's a day in early spring.
00:06:21It's a day in early spring.
00:19:51Le test de la bonne bonne mère.
00:20:02C'est incroyable.
00:20:05Je me demande comment il y a une heure pour finir.
00:20:10Oh, c'est quelle c'est que c'est-ce que c'est-ce.
00:20:14Et donc, avec un peu de coopération avec la mère, il y a une première journée.
00:20:25Sous-titrage Société Radio-Canada
00:21:00Vanishing, too, from the prairie scene are the great herds of pronghorn antelope that once made the grassland their home.
00:21:14Native to the American plain, the pronghorn can be found nowhere else.
00:21:26Raceful, agile, fleet of foot, they can outrun the fastest horse.
00:21:32Music.
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00:22:01To protect himself from the relentless advance of civilization, the bighorn sheep literally took to the hills.
00:22:08Music.
00:22:12When he deserted his ancestral range on the prairie, he developed an uncanny skill in adapting himself to his new
00:22:18home.
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00:22:24The bighorn is a true mountaineer.
00:22:27Even the lambs seem to defy gravity as they scale the surest cliffs.
00:22:31Music.
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00:22:59Here in his rocky outpost on the continental divide, the bighorn sheep makes his last stand.
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00:23:13This inaccessible high country is the final stronghold of another vanishing species, the mountain lion.
00:23:20Music.
00:23:20He plays an unexpected but legitimate part in the prairie pageant, for there was a time when he roamed far
00:23:25and wide over the plain.
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00:23:29Now he's the wanderer of the hills, never staying long in any one place.
00:23:34And sometimes the range of a single animal will cover several hundred square miles.
00:23:38Music.
00:23:42He has many names, puma, panther, catamount, cougar.
00:23:47But the more common name, mountain lion, perhaps fits him best.
00:23:52Music.
00:23:55In some localities he wears the brand of outlaw.
00:23:58But nature labels no creature either good or bad.
00:24:02To her all are equal and must be given an equal chance to survive.
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00:24:14The cat family faces the same problems as all the others.
00:24:17Self-preservation and protection of the young.
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00:24:36The den offers only temporary shelter to the kittens for their born nomads and soon forsake their birthplace to follow
00:24:43the mother on her travels.
00:24:45The female, devoted to her young, rarely leaves them unguarded.
00:24:50But now and then she must make a hunting trip to provide the family with food.
00:24:55Music.
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00:24:57The mature lion is a marvel of coordination and power.
00:25:01Two hundred pounds of sinew and muscle.
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00:25:10Here is animal grace unsurpassed.
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00:25:23In spite of her prowess however, the mountain lion must work hard at her role of family provider.
00:25:29Nothing comes easy, even for her.
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00:25:35The mountain lion kills for one reason, that she and her young may live.
00:25:39And a deer, passing through her territory, must reckon with her need.
00:25:44Music.
00:25:56The deer, sensing this is dangerous ground, treads lightly.
00:26:01The cat always tries to move in close, so the chase will be short.
00:26:05Music.
00:26:17Now the deer catches the scent, but for a split second hesitates.
00:26:22A fatal mistake.
00:26:23For the lions enclose the final ground with amazing speed.
00:26:27Music.
00:26:30To the kittens watching nearby, this is an object lesson in the technique of the hunt.
00:26:36Music.
00:26:47Some day they must learn to do this for themselves.
00:26:51Music.
00:26:58And now that the youngsters have begun their training period, mother will spend much of
00:27:02her time schooling them in the art of survival.
00:27:05Music.
00:27:06Here she makes them understand that dinner is waiting, and leads them toward the kill.
00:27:10Music.
00:27:26Since mountain lions have no permanent home, the family will settle near the food supply for
00:27:31for as long as it lasts, and then move on.
00:27:48When all have had their fill, the mother cat covers the remainder, saving it for another meal.
00:27:53For the lion is by no means a bloodthirsty marauder.
00:27:56As long as there is food at hand, she will not kill again.
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00:28:14Kittens are kittens, whatever the kind, and young mountain lions have all the usual traits
00:28:19of the cat family.
00:28:22Often times, during school hours, mother will call recess to let them have their moments of
00:28:27play.
00:28:37Naturally, one of their favorite pastimes is tree climbing.
00:28:40Music.
00:28:55Mother leaps to the rescue.
00:28:59But just a shake-up.
00:29:01No harm done.
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00:29:10Until the kittens lose their spots, their badge of babyhood, mother will continue to
00:29:15fuss and worry over them.
00:29:24But the time comes when mother cuts the apron strings and the youngsters are put on their
00:29:29own.
00:29:30The newfound freedom often begins with a frolic.
00:29:33Music.
00:29:47Actually, they are entering the most trying period of their lives.
00:29:50for they soon discover that food, any food, isn't easy to come by.
00:30:01Like all cats, they have an inborn distaste for water.
00:30:06Music.
00:30:07But a fish dinner isn't to be sneezed at.
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00:30:15So they wade right in.
00:30:17Luckily, they have picked the spawning season.
00:30:19And as the fish work their way through the shallows, the young anglers manage to snag a meal.
00:30:24Music.
00:30:40In the art of hunting, these youngsters still have much to learn.
00:30:44Music.
00:30:45At this stage of the game, they'll chase anything, even a squirrel.
00:30:49Music.
00:30:55Now it obviously takes a good cat to out climb a squirrel on his home grounds.
00:31:01Music.
00:31:04In fact, it takes much better cats than these to even stay in a tree.
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00:31:45Like some tawny ghost, the mountain lion patrols her range.
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00:31:50In all the wild, no other creature moves with such silent grace.
00:31:54Her keen sense of sight and smell keep her sharply aware of all that surrounds her.
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00:32:06Now, directly in her path, a newborn fawn lies hidden.
00:32:09Music.
00:32:26Sensing his peril, he knows by instinct he must lie perfectly still.
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00:32:32And nature has given him another defense.
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00:32:35His spotted coat is a natural camouflage that makes him almost invisible in the thick foliage.
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00:34:04In nature, breathless moments and narrow escapes are all part of the daily routine.
00:34:09Sometimes there are tragic endings.
00:34:12But just as often there's a happy reunion and danger past is soon forgotten.
00:34:24In contrast to the many footloose animals that wander far and wide over the plain,
00:34:28the prairie dogs are permanent settlers, the original homesteaders.
00:34:33They build whole cities underground.
00:34:36And every spot of newly turned earth means another family residence.
00:34:39Music.
00:34:42Once these subterranean towns honeycombed the plain for hundreds of square miles.
00:34:46And the population was counted in the millions.
00:34:50Music.
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00:34:50Cousin of the ground squirrel, these little rodents have a dog-like habit of barking.
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00:35:01Thus the name Prairie Dog.
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00:35:13With each family, the maintenance of the underground home is a matter of constant concern.
00:35:18They practically never stop digging, but are forever building new burrows or repairing old ones.
00:35:35In their diligence, there's always a design, for each project is carefully planned.
00:35:41A major item is the flood-proof dike that surrounds each entrance.
00:35:45This protective collar of earth is quite an engineering feat, where a fellow has to use his head.
00:35:55Tamping the dirt firmly in place gives it strength and permanence.
00:36:06Music.
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00:36:33Then there's grass to be gathered, lining for the underground bedrooms.
00:36:37For there's no denying that a Prairie Dog loves his comfort.
00:36:44Music.
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00:36:47This is his home and his haven.
00:36:49Protection from his enemies, refuge from the rigors of winter.
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00:36:55Here his young are born.
00:36:56And sometimes the nursery gets a little crowded.
00:36:59Still there's always a quiet corner, where little sleepy heads can catch their forty wings.
00:37:19By this time, however, most of the youngsters have heard Spring's alarm clock, and are bubbling over with animal energy.
00:37:26Music.
00:37:31About six weeks old now, they've yet to see the strange world upstairs, and they're curious.
00:37:39The burrow is a maze of complicated passageways, intersections, entrances, and exits.
00:37:45Music.
00:37:45It practically takes a Prairie Dog road map to find one's way around.
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00:38:00Dead end.
00:38:01Well, back to the crossroads.
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00:38:12Hey, Mom.
00:38:12Which way is up?
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00:41:02And from one day to another, the prairie dog never knows who they will be.
00:41:07Today, it's a family of burrowing owls.
00:41:17They've moved into the community to take over an abandoned burrow.
00:41:22Here, in this ready-made lodging, they raise their young.
00:41:31As fledglings, the owls are still earthbound, so this becomes a sort of proving ground where they spend hours learning
00:41:37to fly.
00:42:02Sometimes it's a question whether the premises were truly abandoned by the original owner.
00:42:25It's the age-old argument of the homesteaders versus the claim jumpers.
00:42:47So far, it's a standoff, but when Mother Owl arrives, the issue is settled once and for all, in favor
00:42:53of squatters' rights.
00:43:02Along with the burrowing owls comes another intruder, the rattlesnake.
00:43:10All creatures seem to fear the rattler instinctively, and young as they are, the owl sense he's not to be
00:43:16trusted.
00:43:45The birds are real.
00:43:46Les deux morts sont assez safe,
00:43:47car le snake préfère un diad de rodents,
00:43:50un gopher ou un petit peu de prairie.
00:43:57C'est une mère qui garde une bonne attention à la brood.
00:44:02Si le reptile se passe trop loin,
00:44:04elle tient à le faire.
00:44:46Out here in the open, the rattler is on borrowed time.
00:44:49He can't stand too much direct sun.
00:44:52Soon he's forced to call it quits and look for shade.
00:45:00And whenever he moves in, another prairie dog is dispossessed.
00:45:32Favourite prey of the rattlesnake is the pocket gopher.
00:45:36To protect himself, the little rodent rarely travels on the surface of the ground,
00:45:40but feels much safer when he's dug in.
00:45:50The young prairie dogs aren't aware that he's a chronic worrier
00:45:53and try to strike up an acquaintance.
00:45:59They soon discover he's decidedly antisocial.
00:46:26Once the tunnel entrance is properly plugged, he's free to go below.
00:46:30But this time he loses his bearings and blunders into the prairie dog tunnel.
00:46:36I say, don't remember digging this?
00:46:47When the tenant on the floor below discovers his roof is leaking dirt,
00:46:51he starts to tidy up.
00:47:12Easy, though, partner. These are private diggings.
00:47:20It's the unhappy fate of the prairie dog to be forever plagued with just about everything
00:47:25that walks or flies, creeps or crawls.
00:47:29Indeed, he's become a vanishing species
00:47:32simply because so many predators make a career of pursuing him.
00:47:46Worst of all is the black-footed ferret.
00:47:49A relative of the weasel,
00:47:50this is another species fast disappearing from the American scene.
00:48:04Nature designed this animal for hunting underground.
00:48:08Thus, he's a particular threat to prairie dogs.
00:48:13He can follow the twists and turns of even the most elaborate burrow
00:48:17with no trouble at all.
00:48:23Still, the chase is always a guessing game,
00:48:26with every crossroad another dilemma.
00:48:35Sometimes, when the quarry heads for the attic,
00:48:37his pursuer decides to look in the cellar.
00:48:51And in the confusion,
00:48:52the frantic ferret is apt to find himself
00:48:54right back where he started from.
00:49:04Among the prairie dwellers,
00:49:05the coyote stands out as a figure familiar to all.
00:49:10Theirs is a rugged life,
00:49:12especially for a mother.
00:49:15Providing food for her young is a full-time job.
00:49:23For the pups,
00:49:24the problems of the hunt are of small concern.
00:49:27They let mother do the worrying
00:49:28while they pass the day in odd coyote contests,
00:49:31such as who can sit on the ants the longest.
00:49:51Of course, all this exercise
00:49:53leads to bigger and better appetites,
00:49:55and mother is continually forced
00:49:57to redouble her efforts in the field.
00:50:00The coyote hunts mostly small rodents,
00:50:03including prairie dogs.
00:50:05It takes some doing, however,
00:50:06to break through their elaborate alarm system.
00:50:20It isn't often that a prairie dog
00:50:22is taken by surprise.
00:50:39These near misses are an old story to the coyote.
00:50:43But with all her patience,
00:50:45she's quick to take advantage of any opportunity.
00:50:48And sometimes, quite by accident,
00:50:50the badger becomes her accomplice.
00:50:53This is the female badger,
00:50:55and she, too,
00:50:56is a persistent hunter of prairie dog.
00:51:05Powerful in build,
00:51:06with feet designed for digging,
00:51:08she could make short work
00:51:09of a burrow with one exit.
00:51:10So the far-sighted prairie dog
00:51:12always provides his home
00:51:14with several exits.
00:51:20While the badger is devoting
00:51:22her efforts to one hole,
00:51:23the prairie dog's apt to be
00:51:24calmly watching from another.
00:51:27But too much self-confidence
00:51:29can be dangerous.
00:51:32Now the coyote's strategy pays off.
00:51:47Still, cornering a prairie dog
00:51:49and catching him
00:51:49are two different things.
00:51:52Moreover, the rodent's razor-sharp teeth
00:51:54are formidable weapons,
00:51:56enough to make even a coyote paws.
00:51:59He may be small in size,
00:52:01but there's no limit to his courage,
00:52:03especially when it's a fight for life.
00:52:07The coyote tries to outmaneuver him,
00:52:09catch him from behind,
00:52:11but the wily prairie dog
00:52:12always faces the danger.
00:52:41The coyote in hyperbossed
00:53:03Sous-titrage Société Radio-Canada
00:53:33Given half a start, she'll even take on a jackrabbit.
00:54:23Finally, with further pursuit sheer folly, the coyote gives up the chase.
00:54:28But this was one miss too many, even for a coyote.
00:54:32And when she happens upon an ancient enemy, she's in a proper mood for trouble.
00:54:37Members of the dog family share an intense dislike for reptiles, and the coyote's no exception.
00:54:43She considers the elimination of a rattlesnake both a duty and a pleasure.
00:54:53The snake is quick, but he can't see movement directly behind his head.
00:54:58The coyote keeps darting in, aiming for the blind spot.
00:55:17Then one quick short snap, and it's over.
00:55:22Still, there's no use taking chances, so she adds a few more nips into Flip, just for good measure.
00:55:36Meanwhile, the badger's still hard at work trying to dig out that pesky prairie dog.
00:55:45By this time, she's attracted quite a group of spectators.
00:55:54Now it looks like the digging crew's going to be doubled.
00:55:57But the newcomer proves to be a moonstruck male, bent more on romance than hard work.
00:56:04One look at this burrowing beauty is all he needs.
00:56:07He falls in love, head over heels.
00:56:12To take her mind off her work, he invites her for a stroll.
00:56:15She quickly agrees.
00:56:18After all, you can dig for prairie dogs any day.
00:56:25And now for the prairie dogs comes a rare moment.
00:56:29Peace and quiet settles over their home on the range.
00:56:32It's a time for rejoicing.
00:57:02On the sidelines, the prairie falcon seems to have an ear for music.
00:57:07Or maybe it's an eye for a meal.
00:57:26In any case, when he takes to the air, the concert's automatically over.
00:57:31Now it's down the hatch, everybody.
00:57:33This bird means business.
00:57:37On silent wings, the falcon hovers, waiting.
00:57:45And sure enough, there's always somebody just a little more curious than cautious.
00:58:01All right, mister, just try that once more.
00:58:03Doop!
00:58:04Doop!
00:58:06Doop!
00:58:07Doop!
00:58:26Doop!
00:58:28Sous-titrage Société Radio-Canada
00:59:09This bothersome habit not only flattens his protective dike, sometimes it nearly flattens the prairie dog.
00:59:44Finally, the prairie dog loses all patience and determines to drive the monsters out by force.
01:00:10When this fails, he resorts to a war of words.
01:00:21But it's no use. You just can't insult a buffalo.
01:00:28In nature's range wars, the prairie dog is so often a contender, he rarely gets a chance to be a
01:00:33spectator.
01:00:34But in midsummer, during the buffalo mating season, he has a ringside seat for the heavyweight battle of the bulls.
01:01:05Two tons of bone and muscle meet head-on.
01:01:19The objective here is to catch an opponent on the downhill slant, then hurl him to the ground and gore
01:01:24him.
01:01:38This is the age-old struggle for survival on an epic scale.
01:01:42And now nature supplies a fitting accompaniment.
01:01:53The sound of the summer storm is the one thing that strikes terror into the heart of the buffalo.
01:02:23Lightning latches the parched plain.
01:02:25The prairie, like a giant tinderbox, bursts into a roaring flame.
01:02:29the mantelbox, bursts into a riot of corrosive
01:05:51Then, throughout the colony, wherever a family has failed to make a dike, the water attacks the unprotected homes.
01:06:24It's a hard decision to make, leaving the old homestead, but they have no choice.
01:06:30Nature has decreed a change. They must build their homes somewhere else.
01:06:47Some of the diehards need a lot of convincing, but eventually, wetter and wiser, they strike out for higher ground.
01:07:28And so on nature's prairie, everything has its place, even catastrophe and disaster.
01:07:34And the raging flood is as much a part of her mysterious plan as the wind and the grass, and
01:07:41the howling of the coyotes at a prairie moon.
01:07:55In the high country that lies along the fringe of the prairie, strange sound ricochets from peak to peak
01:08:03And signals the last act in nature's drama.
01:08:06It's the rutting season of the bighorn sheep.
01:08:10Here on these wintry slopes occur the strangest of all mating combats.
01:08:14The resonant rhapsody of the battering rams.
01:08:18The resonant rhapsody of the battering rams.
01:08:25The resonant rhapsody of the battering rhapsody of the domino and the
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