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The Pantanal wetlands, mostly in western central Brazil but extending into Bolivia and Paraguay, flood up to 80% about half of the year, due to tropical rain torrents and even more water descending form the Andes highlands, supporting an extremely rich wildlife, mainly fish and its predators, infested with caymans, with a jaguar subspecies double its cousins' size. May animals migrate or perish when the rivers shrink and large areas turn desert-dry.....
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AnimalsTranscript
00:12In the heart of South America, a vast wild expanse, the world's largest wetland, but
00:28this is no ordinary swamp.
00:37Every year it's drowned by immense floods, then parched by severe drought.
00:51Yet while people struggle to cope, the Pantanal hosts some of the greatest gatherings of animals
00:56on the planet.
01:01It's the only place on the continent to rival Africa for its spectacular wildlife.
01:09A land of extremes that produces a profusion of life.
01:27A land of extremes.
01:37It's the only place on the planet.
02:01early explorers thought it was a vast inland sea in reality the Pantanal is a huge inland
02:13Delta its name means swamp but this is a place with two distinct personalities for six months
02:23it's wet with up to 80% submerged by floods the rest of the year it's dry with little rain
02:36and
02:36soaring temperatures the floodwaters drop and the Pantanal reverts to parched Savannah at the very
02:47center of South America the Pantanal is a giant basin the size of Britain the vast majority lies
02:54in Brazil the rest in Bolivia and Paraguay the Pantanal starts where the continent's central
03:06plateau comes to a halt the plateau drops into a series of canyons the bridal veil falls plunge 80
03:23meters off the edge it's September midway through the dry season and there's barely enough water to reach
03:36the bottom white-eyed parakeets have spent the night roosting in the sandstone walls they're preparing
03:44for a long day in the dusty surrounds and queue for an invigorating shower one couple at a time
03:55while the parakeets freshen up larger relatives gather above them like most parrots blue-winged macaws
04:03pair for life what seems like squabbling is their way of cementing their bond before they fly off to forage
04:23a pair of red and green macaws shares the canyon
04:33among the heaviest parrots in the world they need plenty of food their long narrow wings will power
04:40them 100 kilometer round trip to find it many of the streams and rivers that carve through central
04:50Brazil find their way here before tumbling into the Pantanal below a giant patchwork of forests savannahs
05:01and swamps tilts gently south so its northern reaches are the first to dry out shrinking pools provide
05:27little protection for the regions water-loving reptiles and vulnerable wildlife is an irresistible lure to
05:37large predators this is the jaguar's kingdom at over 100 kilograms it's one of the heaviest cats in the
05:58world only tigers and lions are bigger its name means the beast that kills in one bound and at this
06:18time of
06:18year its prey seems well within range but caiman know just how to evade the jaguar will have plenty more
06:33opportunities abundant caiman are just one reason why the Pantanal's jaguars are twice the size of jaguars
06:40elsewhere in Latin America Europeans first came to the Pantanal in search of gold failing to find El Dorado they
06:53settled on farming now 95% of the Pantanal is owned by ranchers up to 8 million cattle graze here
07:12there's high demand from fast food restaurants across the world in parts of the Pantanal cattle make up a third
07:22of
07:22the jaguar's prey fueling the predator's growth come nightfall Sebastiao can only hope his animals are the lucky ones
07:49the cowboys and their cattle have changed the face of the Pantanal to make space for grazing trees are removed
07:58but the cattle's presence has unexpected benefits for other animals
08:07one is the hyacinth macaw the largest parrot on the planet it feeds almost exclusively on palm nuts and it
08:23prefers those whose husks have already been digested by cattle
08:30even dehusked these are particularly hard nuts to crack
08:37so hard that a third of all the hyacinth muscles are concentrated in its head to power its monstrous mandibles
08:47but brute strength is not enough as well as its beak the highly intelligent parrot uses its hand-like feet
08:56dextrous tongue and awesome brainpower to eke out the nutritious kernels hidden inside
09:08three-quarters of all hyacinth macaws live in the Pantanal they thrive only where there are plenty of palm nuts
09:15and plenty of cattle to help prepare them
09:29every cattle pasture has a waterhole as the dry season tightens its grip strange noises emanate from within
09:43caiman are forced together in these dwindling pools
09:48being so tightly packed provokes primal instincts
09:57the grunt of a single female sparks the chorus
10:02the males respond with infrasonic booms powerful enough to make the water dance
10:12they're establishing a hierarchy
10:17the bigger the male the more impressive the display
10:25when it comes to mating the females will know who to pick
10:34for much of the year the caiman hunt under cover of darkness
10:40but now with praise stranded in increasingly shallow water
10:44fishing is easy
11:12as the sun rises the caiman come out to bask
11:16as the sun rises the caiman come out to bask
11:18they must raise their body temperature to 30 degrees to better digest their breakfast
11:27as many as 35 million caiman locian
11:31in densities of up to 150 per square kilometer
11:35in densities of up to 150 per square kilometer
11:36the biggest concentration of reptiles on the planet
11:42the pantenal would seem to be a caiman paradise
11:46but the temperature soon soars to over 40 degrees
11:49and biting flies find chinks in the reptiles armor
12:05the insects force them to retreat
12:15the warming water in the pantenal's pools gradually gives up its oxygen
12:20water leaving trapped fish desperate for breath
12:27birds fly in from far and wide to join the feast
12:31wood storks working in teams probe for prey with beaks and feet
12:49jabberoo storks work alone using sight as well as touch to double their chances
12:55they care little about passing caiman
12:59they just need to catch as many fish as possible
13:07at this time of year they'll work as long as there's light to fish by
13:12as they've got a nest full of giant chicks to feed
13:19jabberoo's come inside their breeding with this seasonal bounty
13:26usually they'll rear just two chicks four signals a particularly dry year
13:34it's a big commitment for the hard-working parents
13:56as well as ferrying fish they need to keep an eye on the nest
14:03such a large precarious platform needs constant rebuilding
14:09especially as noisy neighbors seem intent on dismantling it
14:16monk parakeets have moved in downstairs
14:21their squabbling doesn't give the stalks much peace
14:27but at least the mother jabberoo leaves her young in a well alarmed home
14:43the water is not just evaporating it's slowly oozing south
14:49four months after the last serious rain the pantanal is still releasing water into a network of mighty rivers
15:02the largest of these survive even the driest months of the year
15:07creating an ever reliable reservoir of food as well as water
15:13a few people live permanently in the pantanal along with the cowboys
15:19there are small communities of fishermen who ply the rivers year round
15:25gonzaga is setting out in search of monsters
15:30these rivers hold giants in their depths
15:34but catching them is no easy feat
15:47the pantanal is a haven for one of gonzaga's biggest rivals
15:52the giant river otter
16:02the giant otters live in groups
16:07and hunt in packs
16:09earning their nickname river wolves
16:16in open water their targets have room to maneuver
16:21even working together the otters miss more than they hit
16:28but closer to the water hyacinth at the river's edge the otters soon get lucky
16:39they may hunt together but they eat alone
16:44they're voracious feeders devouring up to five kilos a day
16:49anything from fish and birds
16:51to anacondas and even caiman
17:00gonzaga too is homing in on the water hyacinths
17:04he's careful to stay away from the river bank
17:08when he was younger gonzaga watched as his brother was attacked by a hungry jaguar
17:14he was lucky to escape with his life
17:19and he was lucky to escape with his life
17:22gonzaga works fast
17:26soon filling his boat with lungfish and other species
17:30but they're just baked for the giant he's after
17:41the fishing party the dominant male and last year's young returns to the den
17:47the focus of otter family life
17:55the breeding female is standing guard
17:58looking after this year's cubs
18:04she's worried for their safety
18:07and decides it's time to move home
18:10unable to swim the young cubs must be dragged into the muddy waters
18:23predators lurk nearby
18:37the older siblings decide the caiman are too close for comfort
18:42the
18:59coordinated lunges are enough to see off the dangerous foe
19:08their nemesis dispatched the whole family turns its attention back to the move
19:13carrying the cubs one by one
19:20they've already excavated a new den moving in doesn't take long
19:29responsibility over and fueled by a belly full of fish
19:33it's time to play
19:49the game of tag is disrupted by yet more food
19:54a meter long swamp eel is quite a feast
20:03giant river otters have long been hunted for their fur
20:07and as competition for fishermen
20:10by the mid-20th century 3 000 a year were being killed in brazil
20:17today there could be just a thousand left across all of south america
20:23here in the pantanal they're bouncing back
20:27this remote swamp is one of their last refuges
20:39as the dry season nears its peak yellow rumped caciques are in the mood to mate
20:47a female has arrived at the colony and is threading the foundations for this year's nest
20:57her presence provokes a frenzy
21:04an eager male has secured a prominent position to dazzle her with his talents
21:13each colony boasts a unique mix of up to seven songs
21:22the male must belt out each of the female's favorites to win this fiercely contested treetop talent show
21:32the winner takes it all mating with up to 30 partners no prizes for coming second
21:53the pantanal's overgrown river banks are perfect for jaguars
21:58so
22:08water to drink shade from the sun and a platform from which to spy prey
22:24almost perfect but there's no respite and the wretched flies
22:39these narrow riverside forests make up just two percent of the pantanal
22:45but they're hugely important
22:48they're natural highways making the pantanal a melting part of south american wildlife
23:01tufted capuchins have used these corridors to spread south from the amazon
23:07they live in small family groups led by a dominant male
23:1650 percent larger than the females he calls the shots around here
23:35the capuchins are so wary of eagles that even a harmless vulture sends them scurrying down from the canopy
23:55there's a strict hierarchy within the group a submissive grimace should keep this one's superiors happy
24:05once the politics are sorted out it's back to foraging
24:14capuchins eat anything that moves and much that doesn't
24:21the most productive areas are along the riverbank
24:25but wary of caiman the diminutive monkeys dare not venture too close to the edge
24:40the pickings are slim at this time of year the tufted capuchin's versatility and these ribbon-like forests
24:47have made them the most widespread monkeys in south america
25:03capybaras
25:04at up to 75 kilograms the world's largest rodents have a more considered approach to life
25:13they spend the hottest part of the day lazing on the riverbanks
25:24though they seem immune to caiman they're at the top of the jaguar's menu
25:31they're at the top of the day
25:32each family protects its own patch
25:36territorial duties fall on the dominant male
25:42who obsessively marks the boundaries with his distinctive scent
25:51parental care is left to the females
26:05at the first sign of danger the capybaras know just what to do
26:19the river is the perfect emergency exit
26:27jaguars have little success hunting by day
26:30better to wait until after dark
26:44with dark feathers soaking up the heat of the midday sun
26:47black vultures are in desperate need of a dip
26:57the sweltering scavengers have an innate fear of the river
27:01and anything in it
27:04but birds don't have sweat glands
27:07so the searing heat forces them to take the plunge
27:25once they've chilled out and dried off
27:28the vultures will be ready to take to the thermals once more
27:49it's barely rained in four months
27:52and the pantenales water level has fallen three meters already
27:57along the river banks strange holes appear
28:01dug not by birds but by fish
28:05excavating safe refuges as the waters dropped
28:16black-collared hawks are on the lookout for oxygen starved prey
28:29on bends in the river sand banks are exposed
28:34green iguanas prospect for places to bury their eggs
28:41the soft sand is ideal
28:47and the river access just perfect
28:53black skimmers have taken over a whole beach
28:59the adults usually fish at night
29:03but right now they have hungry mouths to feed
29:06so they're working a double shift
29:09the breeding season is in full flow
29:15nests are simple scrapes in the sand
29:19the adults can't stay away for long
29:22they must shelter their chicks from the blazing sun
29:31the clock is ticking the skimmers will have to fledge within two months
29:36when the rains will return
29:40and the river level will rise again
29:48gonzaga has waited until dusk to set his hooks
29:52any earlier and piranhas would demolish his bait
29:58he'll come back before the moon rises and the piranhas return
30:29a pintado
30:31or tiger catfish they can grow to a monstrous 25 kilograms this is just a
30:41youngster at least 5,000 tons of fish are pulled out of the Pantanal each year
30:50catfish are declining in number and size but fishing has sustained people here
30:56for longer than anyone can remember around 8,000 years ago bands of Native
31:14Americans first arrived in the Pantanal they found a plentiful hunting ground
31:27today few native communities remain most wiped out by the diseases and weapons of
31:33European conquistadors but the fringes of the Pantanal at the last stronghold of
31:40the bororo only a thousand are left the bororo may have embraced modern clothing
31:50but they still hold on to their most important traditions
31:59Brudwi an elder from the village of Santa Teresa leads the fishing team
32:06it's a two-day process and starts with harvesting palm funds
32:13getting the right length and strength is crucial the bororo method is a finely tuned technique
32:27once they've gathered the raw materials the men take it in turns to weave a giant sieve
32:38next they build the dam the villagers have chosen the location carefully this tributary hasn't been fished in over a
32:46year
32:49the elders are intent on getting every detail just right
32:56sons and grandsons look on soaking up the traditions of their forefathers
33:02skills like these are what make them bororo
33:13building the dam takes all day they won't finish it until the morning
33:30with a買召ced mountain
33:32to get the hang of the idols of the kent
33:32to get the sick people
33:32but they begin to enjoy the fire
33:38and their families of the kent
33:38and their families of the kent
33:39and their families of the kent
33:48the borrower appeal to the spirits to bring them luck they can only fish this
33:54way in the dry season they know the weather will break within weeks
34:05the clues are in the night sky
34:11the positions of constellations signal the rains are coming
34:39day two of the borrower fishing trip while the older men put the finishing touches to the
34:45damn the youngsters gather upstream they've collected vines which the borrower called timbo
34:55the name means poison men women and children must extract its active ingredient and flush it downstream
35:06so they pound the vines to a pulp the poison known by scientists as rotor known prevents
35:16fish from taking up oxygen they become dizzy and the young of the raro poised to pounce
35:36the confused fish go with the flow and are ushered on their way downstream
35:46the front of poison water moves inextricably towards the dam
35:51the village elders wait patiently for the hard-earned catch to arrive
36:18it takes five hours for the first weakened fish to be sucked into the trap
36:24it takes five hours for the first time
36:25the village chief are set to sweep in any stragglers
36:31within minutes more bigger fish arrive
36:36tasty pirapatanga and dorado amongst them
36:43soon more hands are needed to pin down the slippery catch
36:55within an hour over a hundred fish have been caught the poison is harmless to humans and will soon break
37:03down in the river
37:05the borrower the borrower will be feasting tonight
37:12and they're not the only ones
37:16a hungry jaguar can operate in almost total darkness
37:25its saucer-like eyes use just a sixth of the light required by humans
37:34cows too have great night vision inherited from wild ancestors
37:42but they have neither the speed nor the agility to escape south america's top predator
37:56drawn to one of the few remaining pools
37:59drawn to one of the few remaining pools
37:59this cow would have made an easy target
38:15black vultures can spot a carcass from several kilometers away
38:20where one homes in the rest follow
38:29the jaguar
38:30the jaguar has tried to stash a feast away from prying eyes
38:36but her efforts are in vain
38:43the carcass could last several days
38:47but only if she can keep the competition at bay
38:56her need is greater than normal
39:04two hungry cubs are depending on her
39:07one of the most important things
39:12jaguars take the blame
39:13for most cattle deaths in the Pantanal
39:16even though drought and disease kill four times as many
39:22as a result jaguars have been hunted for centuries
39:27even though killing them is now illegal
39:29most ranchers still won't tolerate the big cats on their land
39:47by october
39:49the Pantanal's residents are increasingly desperate for water
40:05coates
40:06close relatives of raccoons
40:09females live in large bands
40:11and spend 90% of their waking hours looking for food
40:21they seek out the shrinking pools
40:23where they can probe soft mud with sensitive snouts
40:34but the simple act of drinking is a nerve-wracking affair
40:40any pool in the Pantanal is bound to hold a caiman or two
40:47some take courage from their friends
40:51others are less certain
41:00in the end
41:01thirst overcomes caution
41:21by November the dry season is at its peak
41:28stranded fish are doomed
41:35families have came and abandoned the disappearing pools
41:41they travel up to nine kilometers in search of water
41:49those that don't find the rivers won't see out the dry season
41:58even the capybaras forsake their territories and gang together looking for food
42:08these are desperate times
42:18daily temperatures soar towards 50 degrees in the shade
42:25for some it's too much
42:37but for nature's undertakers the height of the dry season is a time of plenty
42:52in December the weather breaks
42:58the desiccated landscape is about to undergo an incredible transformation
43:05over the next six months a meter of rain will fall on the Pantanal
43:11but the water level will rise by up to five meters
43:14thanks to the huge volume of water flowing in from the north
43:20the river soon burst their banks
43:27as the floods take over pools and lakes join together
43:32and surviving fish are released from their confinement
43:36many of the Pantanal's 400 or so species head upstream
43:40to traditional breeding grounds
43:43in a migration known as the Pirakema
43:51deeper faster water makes life harder for the fish eaters
44:06the cowboys corral their herds to higher ground
44:15the parched land soaks up huge quantities of water
44:26but within weeks the ground is saturated and 80% is flooded
44:34but the next few months the Pantanal is abandoned to its wild inhabitants
44:53the Pantanal that has been so dry is transformed into a water world once more
45:02its swollen rivers funnel south
45:05joining the Paraguay river
45:08then merge with the Paraná
45:10the second longest river in South America
45:17together they drain a fifth of the entire continent
45:23one of the tributaries passes through Foz de Iguazú
45:35the mightiest waterfalls in the Americas
45:38the mightiest waterfalls in the Americas
45:47shaped like a giant horseshoe
45:50they're a series of 275 falls
45:58dropping 80 meters into a narrow chasm
46:07nearly three kilometers across the Iguazú Falls
46:11are wider than the Victoria Falls
46:13and dwarf Niagara
46:23in the wet season up to 12,800 cubic meters flow over the edge every second
46:3318,000 Olympic swimming pools every hour
46:36the river
46:51black vultures gather
46:54they know that anything swept over the edge will be dashed on the rocks below
47:01An easy meal, on tap.
47:14Huge flocks of great dusky swifts swirl through the mist.
47:22They've come to breed.
47:27But they have a problem.
47:32The lush forests that cloak the falls are full of thieves.
47:45Toucans, specialist nest raiders.
47:52And coates.
47:55They'll eat anything they can find.
47:57But eggs are a particularly valuable prize.
48:01Bands patrol every level of the forest.
48:04The swifts have come up with an extraordinary solution.
48:24As dusk descends, they fly ever closer to the falls.
48:30Looking for a chance to penetrate the thundering curtain of water.
48:47Once they've made it to the slippery cliff face, their long claws enable them to cling on.
48:56Then they clamber towards their nests.
48:59Precious eggs, safely deposited out of danger's reach.
49:16All of the rivers from the Pantanal eventually flow into the Rio Plata, creating the second largest river basin on
49:23earth.
49:25The Pantanal plays a crucial role in controlling this massive volume of water, acting like a giant sponge.
49:34During the wet season, it works as a natural break, preventing flash floods from hitting southern Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
49:45And during the dry, it becomes a vital reservoir, slowly releasing its contents.
49:59The Pantanal's riches have drawn people and animals from far and wide.
50:04Rare species have found refuge and splendid isolation for much of the year.
50:14Many have flourished, finding ways to thrive, despite the annual cycle of boom and bust.
50:24Humans, too, have learned to exploit the Pantanal's resources.
50:34But they've never tamed this wild frontier.
50:40And permanent settlement is largely impossible.
50:46The climate's extremes have kept people at bay, leading to a natural abundance unparalleled on the continent.
51:01And it's not just numbers.
51:03The Pantanal's complex mix of swamps, forests, grasslands, and waterways provides homes for an incredible diversity of animals.
51:13The result is a wild haven at the heart of South America.
51:18There it is a wild基地?
51:32In this episode is made possible.
51:32The point is part of South America.
51:39And I can support South America.
51:39In this episode of South America.
52:00Transcription by CastingWords
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