- 2 days ago
Autumn, explores the critical transition when changing seasonal cues force wildlife to fiercely compete for resources and race to prepare for winter...
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AnimalsTranscript
00:05Everything on our planet is connected to our epic journey around the Sun.
00:20Filmed in more than 60 incredible locations.
00:26So far, we've shown how animals survive in an ever-changing landscape.
00:42Now, as we enter the last chapter, life braces once more
00:50for what the final season can throw at it.
00:57If winter is the great equalizer,
01:04and spring is for new beginnings,
01:12summer the time of plenty,
01:18then autumn. Autumn is the season of change.
01:27For the families we've followed for the last nine months,
01:34change brings opportunity.
01:38But also, huge challenges.
01:45For many, the last three months of our unique annual journey around the Sun
01:52will be their toughest yet.
01:55I can't.
01:55Jane?
02:14Also, the future of our friends are going to be the last five months,
02:15We are going to be the last two months.
02:16We are going to be the last two weeks.
02:25The next estrelation of the Sun
02:29It's mid-September, and the deciduous forests of North America are staging the season's
02:38most iconic spectacle.
02:44This blaze of color is a last hurrah triggered by a drop in temperature.
02:52The red pigments help the trees extract the last morsels of energy before they shed their
03:00leaves.
03:04The forest is preparing to hibernate.
03:12So too are its residents.
03:22For a chipmunk, it's the busiest time of year.
03:30He needs to stockpile enough nuts to last him through winter.
03:40Most are rotten, but not all.
03:51One oak tree is still dropping acorns, fresh, nutritious, and plentiful.
04:17Only problem is, they're in enemy territory.
04:24And chipmunks don't like to share.
04:32You'll need to be sneaky, stealthy, and tactical.
04:49Busted.
04:56Territorial males will defend their patch with extraordinary ferocity.
05:04The little chipmunk puts up a good fight and has some impressive moves.
05:23But knows when he's beaten.
05:28An injury this late in the year could be risky.
05:38But going into winter with an empty larder could be fatal.
05:47Time to do or die.
06:11Time to do or die.
06:18Finally, the chipmunk forces his rival to retreat
06:22and wins access to the tree.
06:29A determined chipmunk can gather 150 nuts a day.
06:39His stash is building up nicely.
06:42With a little more work, it should be enough
06:45to see him through six long months underground.
06:55As autumn progresses, life for those living in the north
07:00gets darker, colder, and much tougher.
07:18The salmon season is coming to an end, but this grizzly bear is still desperately trying
07:28to catch enough fish to feed herself and her family.
07:34On average, only one in two cubs survives the first year.
07:46Bears can't stockpile food like chipmunks.
07:52Instead, they must put on enough weight to endure five months of hibernation without eating.
08:07If mum can't provide, her cubs won't make it through.
08:17A week later, the temperature plummets, and the rivers on which she relies for food freeze over.
08:30It's minus 20 in northern Canada.
08:31Hopes of these bears surviving the winter seem bleaker than ever.
08:41It's minus 20 in northern Canada.
08:46And this bear family is desperate for food.
08:55All the fishing rivers are locked in ice.
09:04But this mum knows one last place.
09:15Here, warmer water seeping through the bedrock keeps the river from freezing.
09:24And offers her one last hope.
09:33As soon as her wet fur is exposed to the freezing air, she becomes an ice bear.
09:43One of a unique group of grizzlies who know the secrets of this isolated river.
10:17As long as the water keeps flowing, mum keeps fishing.
10:26Up to six weeks later than other bears in the region.
10:43A little local knowledge gives her cubs the best chance of surviving the long winter ahead.
11:09As the northern hemisphere continues to cool, hunkering down to hibernate isn't the only option.
11:17Many animals escape the cold by chasing the sun further south.
11:30At this time of year, billions of animals are on the move.
11:37From the Titanic.
11:45To the tiny.
11:53This little caterpillar may not seem very well prepared for long distance travel.
12:01At least, not until a miracle happens.
12:11Squeezed into a tiny cocoon, his body turns to soup.
12:17Then slowly begins to reorganize.
12:31A magical transformation.
12:37From leaf-eating machine to migratory marvel.
12:46The monarch butterfly.
12:57His wing muscles may be smaller than a grain of rice.
13:01But incredibly, they'll carry him two and a half thousand miles.
13:06All the way from Maine.
13:10To Mexico.
13:17Some animals are already enjoying the warmer conditions south of the border.
13:31Sardines come here to breed.
13:34Gathering in large schools ready to spawn.
13:42If they live that long.
13:44If they live that long.
13:50A twelve foot long striped marlin.
13:59When its stripes begin to glow.
14:02When its stripes begin to glow.
14:03It means it's ready to attack.
14:09The iridescence confuses the sardines.
14:18To make matters worse.
14:21Marlin rarely hunt alone.
14:26One of the fastest fish in the sea.
14:29They can accelerate to 50 miles per hour.
14:44They're so fast, they need a special muscle to heat their tennis ball sized eyeballs.
14:52To sharpen their vision.
14:54And quicken their reaction times.
15:03The thrashing attracts even more trouble.
15:08Sea lions join the hunt.
15:18Up above, pelicans strike from the air.
15:26Now the sardines are trapped.
15:28The marlin can clean up.
15:31Spoon up a cart.
15:58Swiping their rapier-like bills helps to peek off fish from the school
16:03and guide them into their mouths.
16:12Sometimes they even make a direct hit.
16:19A school of sardines the size of a house is demolished in minutes.
16:31A month after the equinox, the sun's influence has moved far enough below the equator for
16:38it to be felt deep into the southern hemisphere.
16:48Down here, it's warming up.
16:55The change in season brings relief for the penguin chick.
17:05But also new challenges.
17:10For ten months, her parents provided all the food she needed.
17:16But now, they've left her for good.
17:25At three feet tall, she may be fully grown, but still just a teenager in penguin years.
17:34And going through a bit of an awkward stage.
17:41Down feathers may keep her warm, but they won't keep her dry.
17:46So before she can join the others at sea, she needs to lose them for something more mature.
17:56At least her friends are suffering the same thing.
18:05It's just a phase.
18:07A couple of weeks later, all that fluff is replaced with a sleek coat of tightly packed, waterproof feathers.
18:17But even a fully fledged penguin can be a little ungainly until it reaches the sea.
18:28It's a long walk down to the beach.
18:34Especially when trying to tiptoe past slumbering giants.
18:43Without waking them.
19:01A three-ton elephant seal could easily crush the little penguin.
19:28Thankfully, just a lot of hot air.
19:39But she now faces her toughest challenge yet.
19:43To head out to sea and the unknown.
20:14Killer whales patrol Marion Island.
20:19And fledglings make especially easy targets.
20:27If this little penguin is to avoid starvation,
20:32sooner or later, she'll have to take the plunge.
20:43At this time of year, the sun's rays are at their most direct over southern Africa.
20:51Here, the dry season has reached maximum intensity.
21:17At nine months old, the most important lesson this young elephant needs to learn is how to keep it alive.
21:27To keep cool.
21:33Dirt works as sunblock.
21:40He's experienced dry weather before.
21:46But this is a drought.
21:53Our changing climate means that rainfall has become more unpredictable.
22:04Elephants normally drink 200 liters of water every day.
22:09Enough to fill a bathtub.
22:22Now, they must dig deep just to get a mouthful.
22:27Now, they must dig deep just to get a mouthful.
22:40One is struggling.
22:48If he can't catch up with the rest of the herd,
22:53he'll become a target.
23:10The rains that the elephants so desperately need are still 2,000 miles away in the northern hemisphere.
23:32For the last four months,
23:35North-East India has been the wettest place on Earth.
23:45Water is a life-giver.
23:52But months of monsoon can really drag on.
24:05When the sky is finally clear,
24:10new visitors arrive.
24:14This Amur Falcon has flown a staggering 2,000 miles from Russia.
24:24Halfway on her mammoth migration to South Africa,
24:28this is the perfect place for a pit stop.
24:36Just after the rains, termites take to the air.
24:58Amur Falcon's are usually solitary.
25:04But here, they gather in hundreds of thousands for this flying feast.
25:21It's the greatest gathering of birds of prey found anywhere on Earth.
25:46By the end of October, the sun's intensity has moved further south,
25:52pulling the tropical rain band that was lodged over India across the equator.
25:58and into the southern hemisphere.
26:08Eventually, the rains fall on a tiny island in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
26:20Waking its most famous residence.
26:26Red crabs.
26:3240 million of them.
26:39They're all heading down to the beach to spawn.
26:44Clogging up the roads, bringing the island to a standstill.
26:51They wait for months underground for the rains to arrive.
26:57Now, it's humid enough to breathe in the open air.
27:07But when the sun re-emerges and begins to dry the forest,
27:12the race is on.
27:19They need to reach the sea before they dehydrate.
27:32The females that have mated, like this one, carry a precious load.
27:37Tens of thousands of tiny eggs.
27:43But many never survive the journey.
27:50Coconut crabs are ten times her size.
27:56And they hunt red crabs.
28:04And not all of the island's roads are closed.
28:10They hunt red crabs.
28:28She's made it.
28:30But before she can release her eggs into the sea,
28:35she must wait for the tiger to turn.
28:39Right now, it's still coming in.
28:47A few hours later, conditions are perfect.
28:53Now, joined by a crowd, she enters the shallows.
29:00Her eggs hatch on contact with water.
29:06And, with a little shake,
29:09she casts her tiny babies out to sea
29:13on the outgoing tide.
29:22The same tropical rain band that passes over Christmas Island
29:27is now rolling further down into southern Africa.
29:33For the elephant herd, it can't come soon enough.
29:40It's now desperately dry.
29:44But they sense change in the air.
29:49Using their trunks like a nasal periscope,
29:52they can sense water 12 miles away.
30:03Nightfall brings respite from the heat.
30:12But elephants have poor night vision.
30:15They can't come soon.
30:17They can't come soon.
30:21They can't come soon.
30:22Using the latest camera technology, however,
30:27we can see in the dark.
30:36Much like the lions.
30:46The calf knows to stay close.
30:51The calf knows to stay close.
30:54But some can't keep up.
30:59The weakened cousin and his mother are lost in the dark.
31:25Oh, God.
31:43Oblivious to what's happening behind them,
31:46the yearling and the rest of the herd move on.
32:01She won't leave her baby.
32:14Her only hope is to guide him away.
32:19But she's totally outnumbered.
32:52The already weak calf is now badly injured.
33:02All the lions need to do is wait.
33:23By morning, her calf has stopped breathing.
33:29What's happening?
33:53What's happening?
34:08Elephants are one of the few animals that grieve.
34:19They need time to mourn.
34:49They need time to mourn.
35:10They need time to mourn.
35:34The End
35:52Calm water in a secluded cove
35:56seems a good place for the king penguin fledgling
36:00to take her first ever swim.
36:06But nowhere is totally safe.
36:35She needs to head out to sea to find food.
36:40It's now or never.
36:53The sooner she reaches the open ocean, the sooner she'll be safe.
37:05Naive to danger, her hesitation could be fatal.
37:30Just in time, the instinct to escape kicks in.
37:39A king penguin can't outpace a killer whale, but it can outmaneuver it.
37:55Thanks to her agility, she finally reaches deeper waters
37:59and joins the rest of the flock to go fishing far out to sea.
38:08She won't return to land for a whole year.
38:32The monarch butterfly is on the final stretch of its two and a half thousand mile journey.
38:42His destination is just around the corner.
39:01The fact that something so small, so delicate, has made it all this way is nothing short of a miracle.
39:14Just think what this little butterfly has flown through to be here.
39:20He's crossed vast deserts, he's dodged thunderous hailstorms,
39:27he's traversed huge mountain ranges, and crossed quite a few busy highways.
39:37He's not the only one to make it.
39:40Others have found their way here, too.
39:47He's not the only one to make it, he's not the only one to make it, but he's not the
39:47only one to make it.
39:47When you're in the forest on a windy day, you can hear the rustle of leaves,
39:50and at first, your ears tell you that's what you're hearing now,
39:54but no, it's the flutter of whales, millions and millions of pairs of whales.
40:16They gather here in this one high-altitude forest in central Mexico
40:21to escape the freezing temperatures in the north and find sun nearer the equator.
40:31We know they use the sun for navigation, but perhaps the most remarkable thing of all
40:36is how they know to come here, to these trees.
40:39Why, these trees, of all the trees, of all the forests in all Mexico, and not one single one
40:49of these butterflies has ever been here before.
40:56These forests are filled with monarchs every year, but each butterfly only lives for a few months.
41:07With no knowledge passed down between individuals, it's only some kind of miraculous inbuilt impulse
41:15that drives them all south, here, to Mexico.
41:24He likes me.
41:26What should I call you?
41:28Monarch of all you survey.
41:32Oh, well, I should call you Stephen, after King Stephen, the monarch.
41:36It didn't rain for very long.
41:40God, you're so beautifully made.
41:42There's no part of you that isn't perfect.
41:46You can't say the same about me.
41:50The other thing, which they didn't warn me about, goodbye, is that, like all living creatures,
42:00they do excrete.
42:01They urinate, and you feel little drops on your head.
42:05I've got one on my lip.
42:06I couldn't help it.
42:07I thought, I'll taste monarch butterfly pea.
42:10It is very, very bitter.
42:13Deeply unpleasant.
42:15Nasty.
42:17Otherwise, lovely animals.
42:43As the earth nears the end of its epic journey around the sun,
42:49it's remarkable to think that giant cosmic forces play a role in the tiny decisions that these little butterflies make
42:58every day.
43:11It's the same for all life on earth.
43:18In Zimbabwe, the band of rain that has been pulled south by the sun eventually arrives.
43:30The elephants can spread out, finding water holes free from predators.
43:45In Canada, the colder, shorter days drive the chipmunk into hiding.
44:01On an incoming tide, the crab babies have returned in their billions.
44:09Just in time for Christmas.
44:18And in the sub-Antarctic, the king penguin will one day return to the same beach she was born on,
44:26to start a family of her own.
44:34Our annual journey around the sun is what unites us all, and creates the incredible diversity on our planet.
44:44And great natural wonders like this.
44:49So, as another year draws to a close, it's hard to know what the future holds in these changing times.
44:58But, if one has had the privilege of witnessing this magical wonder, then one knows that we have to cherish
45:08it.
45:10There can be surely no more spectacular way to end a year on planet Earth.
45:45So, until then, it's closed.
45:47You