Beautiful Planet - The Variety of Wild Life in the Andes

[Music] 60 million years ago the formidable forces of nature created the longest mountain chain on the planet the Andes all the elements of nature are present here [Music] in the shadow of the mighty Andes the unique nature Paradise is formed bizarre and yet imposingly beautiful [Music] however varied the landscape is it is always influenced by this one mountain range [Music] all forms of life find a natural habitat here [Music] [Applause] [Music] Tierra del Fuego the southernmost end of the world like huge Gods these foothills of the Andes Rise Up from the ocean it appears as if they're watching in silence over life in this untamed land [Music] countless rivers and fjords cross the archipelago-like lifelines [Applause] it's the breeding season and food is in short supply the black crowned night heron is forced to hunt for food during the day too the wind it is the indisputable lord of the island of Tierra del Fuego up to 100 meters per hour it races across the countryside only a few isolated south-facing Bays defy its constant assault [Music] but for the Magellan Goose it is a paradise [Music] grasses herbs and water as far as the eye can see it's not surprising that these geese are some of the most populous inhabitants of the Tierra del Fuego as other guanacos the so-called camels of the Andes [Music] Palo Carlos searches for building material for its nest thank you [Music] the long creepers and soft parasitic plants offer it plenty of choice [Music] they flourish in the constantly humid climate they cover the trees like moldy spider webs lending the sparse forests a fairy tale yet strangely sad appearance in conditions of extraordinary deprivation Ferdinand Magellan once navigated these Straits between Tierra del Fuego and the coast of South America today a comfortable car fairy Plies back and forth across the eponymous Magellan streets [Music] the road to the Patagonian Coast is seemingly endless [Music] the rusty remains of an Old Lighthouse awaken the Curiosity of this young Patagonian Fox [Music] the bush land here at the coast as an ideal playground that prepares him for the severities of life a good sparring partner is never far away [Music] these young adults practice their hunting skills playfully the Argentinian gray fox is a noted Hunter [Music] these two are siblings that have recently been abandoned by their mother hahaha now they're taking their first steps together towards independence [Music] the next exercise is to find some food each one of them will catch the first rodent or bird [Music] soon they will each go their own way as loners they will be Rivals if they meet again [Music] thank you the dwarf armadillo is mainly nocturnal it makes shallow caves in the Sandy Coastal soil and spends its days there asleep [Music] either hunger or the energetic foxes must have flushed this one out and now it's foraging for food a grasshopper snack might make up for missing its daytime nap the foxes go off in search of new adventures [Music] foreign [Music] meeting calls Echo across the Patagonian Coast September is the meeting season for magellanic penguins each pair keeps a Beady eye on its burrow the male sticks doggedly to his lady's side but just before she's about to lay her eggs closer inspection of the burrow takes top priority foreign he's chosen will be approved of and he sticks to what he does best he puts back his head and calls [Music] he loudly lays his claim to both burrow and mate [Music] during the breeding season penguins are strictly monogamous one guards The Nest while the other goes fishing [Music] their hunting grounds could be up to 500 kilometers away [Music] commuting relationships like this need strong ties [Music] with head held high the Penguins Master the rather difficult Trek to the ocean [Music] well most of the time [Music] a black and white troop Waddles about before heading into the breakers [Music] they seem driven to hurry by hunger [Music] once they get to the water magellanic penguins are in their element they plunge head first into the swells I think [Music] the Sea of Patagonia is rough meter-high waves gather and smash against the shore but personal hygiene rituals come first let's finally demonstrate their Grace when swimming they dive to around 90 meters to catch their favorite diet of fish squid and krill thank you they can be out hunting for hours or even days only when they're full do they return to dry land knowing that it could be a very long time before their next meal [Music] this penguin farewell is almost tender come on the happy twosome doesn't last long the hungry partner soon makes its way to the Open Sea an unusual Encounter of a Patagonian nature Coastal Bush proved irresistible to the guanaco juicy grass is scarce in the steps foreign [Music] 's rears hunt for seeds plants and insects here Riaz and guanacos often live in close proximity a combination of the sharp eyes of the flightless birds and the guanacos finely tuned sense of smell are an excellent early warning system that is often beneficial to the Penguins too foreign [Music] [Music] after some three months the penguin chicks lose their fluffy down after they've molted the young birds grow a coat of waterproof feathers and can Venture into the sea the coastal stretch is covered by millions of feathers testimony to a successful breeding season [Music] a colony of South American sea lions they're far away and pose no direct threat to the penguin colony [Music] the baby sea lions take to the water soon after birth [Music] they learn the all-important skills of swimming in the sheltered shallows It's Not Unusual to find colonies of over a hundred animals it's no easy task finding your mum in a crowd like this just like any other babies the first thing they do is cry as loudly as possible when they're very young sea lion pups can only bleat or squeal [Music] the mother's calls and her scent lead the pup back to the safety of her presence [Music] while the mother is out hunting the pups are looked after in a kind of kindergarten [Music] penguins are a rare delicacy generally sea lions live off fish Crustaceans or squid foreign [Music] the rich fishing grounds off the coast of Patagonia are an ideal habitat [Music] good waves plentiful fish and a sheltered Beach a veritable sea lion Paradise foreign [Music] the peaks of the Torres Del paena mountains seem to Glow a luminescent red they form the Majestic center of the national park in southern Chile translated that means the towers of the blue heavens and rightly so their striking Granite Peaks saw almost three thousand meters into the skies foreign valleys are home to grazing guanacos local India law says that the mountains are their Shepherd watching over them constantly with eyes of stone [Music] guanacas are the wild cousins of the Llama the essential companions to the Andean peoples they live in small family herds the alpha male keeps a Vigilant eye on his little group [Music] their thick coat and tasty meat has always made these new world camels a favorite Target for hunters so much so that they have become virtually extinct in many parts of South America [Music] but today in the Torres Del paena National Park they have nothing to fear and their numbers are increasing steadily [Music] there is no other animal as closely associated with this landscape as the guanaco foreign could almost call it the king of the Andes [Music] if it were not for this creature the largest vulture in the world the Andean condor lord of the Skies seemingly weightless it Glides on the updrafts high above the mountain peaks [Music] with a wingspan of over three meters it will allow itself to drift like that at Heights of up to seven kilometers [Music] the remains of this guanaco no longer interest the scavenger they've obviously been lying here for too long [Music] the guanacos have adapted to the harsh conditions of life in the mountains like all camelids guanacos ruminate their food to make the tough Grass more digestible [Music] the mighty Granite Massif of the pioneer mountains indicate how formidable the forces were that millions of years ago created the range of fold mountains that is the Andes foreign the Peaks are often veiled by dense cloud [Music] and are only revealed when powerful winds blow the cloud away [Music] in the high altitudes of the Andes the nights are often clear the moon and stars seem almost within reach [Music] in the early hours of Daybreak the famous silhouette of Mount Fitzroy is revealed in all its Glory [Music] at its feet lies the largest freshwater Reservoir in South America the Campo de yellow Sur this huge ice field lies on the border between Chile and Argentina each day the enormous ice mass of the perito Moreno Glacier creeps forward about a meter [Music] until it reaches the Lago Argentino the biggest freshwater lake in Patagonia at the glacier's 60 meter high Edge large pieces break off continuously and plunge into the lake foreign [Music] cross the highlands of the Andes to Chile the road winds and curves through the mountains [Music] and through dense rainforest ending up in a fantastic place between the Western slopes of the Andes and the Chilean Coast lies the valdivian rainforest the dense green Wilderness seems almost Enchanted it is home to almost as many species as a tropical rainforest and some of its flora and fauna may be found nowhere else in the world [Music] in the cool damp climate Lush vegetal cover flourishes absorbing the frequent rainfall like a sponge [Music] when it isn't raining clouds of steam envelop the Treetops the skeins of mist rise like ghosts from the depths of the forest [Music] whoever does not know the Chilean forest does not know the planet Road Chilean poet and Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda in one of his works [Music] and indeed the Valdivia and rainforest is truly unique in its mysterious Beauty fed by the moisture in the air the plants and the Earth little Brooks are transformed into rushing waterfalls there are over 700 species of plant that can only be found in this spot on earth the Valdivia rainforest is one of the few rainforests outside the tropics but even this paradise is in danger much of the forest has already been cleared and Mankind is advancing on the rest oblivious of this austral parakeets indulge in their cool daily shower to groom their plumage in Europe you would mostly see them in aviaries here they can enjoy unbounded freedom [Music] these massive old trees house many unusual inhabitants [Music] carapace of this Darwin's Beetle Shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow thank you it uses its big mandibles to fight off its rivals [Music] the stronger Beetle winds and rightly so according to the theory of its eponym Charles Darwin one of the main features of the valdivian rainforest is its unusual trees foreign trees for instance can live up to 2 000 years they're among the oldest trees on Earth here in the shadow of the Andes is where they originated although they are grown all over the world as ornamental plants the Andean fur or monkey puzzle tree as it's also called is resilient its Twigs are covered with hard leaves each one sporting a thorn at the end it's this resistance that makes it popular with gardeners just like the fuchsia which grows in its shade the araucaria's thick bark protects it from fire and Heat despite the damp climate this is important as the habitat here is under constant threat from volcanic eruptions foreign typical of the Andes countless volcanoes such as the glacier-covered villarica are still active today [Music] from the Valdivia rainforest we continue to the north of Chile The Greenery disappears and is replaced by Wasteland there are parts of the Atacama Desert where no rain has fallen since they began recording the weather next to a wonderful phenomenon life-giving moisture is carried into this arid desert [Music] come on Chaka the coastal fog it arises when the warm air rising from the land meets the cold Waters of the Humboldt current The Damp air is then carried in Land by the wind and is precipitated onto plants in fine Pearls of moisture [Music] especially in ridged areas of the Coastland this has formed subtropical Cloud forests exotic plants thrive in all their beauty although it virtually never rains [Music] foreign [Music] switch the fog can not reach vegetation is much sparser [Music] two gray-hooded parakeets billing intimately an agreeable bonding ritual [Music] instead of forests and Bush undemanding columnar cactuses and succulents abound here burrowing owls plumage Blends in with its surroundings almost perfectly [Music] the camouflage allows it to spot its prey unobserved I dare you [Music] it usually takes only a few Wing beats to grab the little rodent but this time he misses [Music] burrowing owls nest and live on the ground [Music] their Burrows are about a meter deep and are often inhabited by several pairs of owls at a time the inhospitable coast the road leads further into the central plateau of the Andes at over four thousand meters above sea level lies an even more extreme landscape the geyser field of the altazio volcano even in the darkest night you can still make out the vapor like the harbingers of Hell the geysers spew out their hot contents into the icy air things it's minus 20 degrees centigrade here but the water emerging from the geysers and the underground Hot Springs can be up to 100 degrees hot the territory couldn't be more hostile but nonetheless of formidable Beauty and even here life abounds [Music] punya stays close to its mother's side as she hunts for food along the Stony edges of the hot springs [Music] the viconia's fur is thicker than that of the guanaco and protects it from the icy cold [Music] in these extreme climatic conditions humans are much more ruthlessly exposed the Andean Plateau also features salt water lagoons that can form the backdrop to some unusual balletic performances a chili and Flamingo rotates gracefully on its own axis but it will happily perform a padadur with an Andean Flamingo [Music] its rhythmical steps churn up the mud at the bottom of the lake and with it the microorganisms that it feeds on [Music] their bills have fine gill-like structures that act like a sieve filtering the salt water which flows back out of the bills the microorganisms stay behind nutritious salt crabs and algae are their staple diet and they can even drink the saline water too [Music] despite their delicate appearance flamingos were extremely Hardy even the cold climate in the Andes doesn't harm these winged dances foreign the southwestern part of the plateau is extremely arid outside the rainy season the salar de or uni the world's largest Salt Flat is a white crystalline desert with precious Treasures white gold there's up to 10 million tons here huge columnar cacti dot the isolated Rocky islands in the middle of this uninhabitable Terrain [Music] the salt is up to 30 meters thick even the heaviest Vehicles can cross the seemingly endless salt flats in safety 4x4s are best suited to withstand the rigors of the arduous path across the Andes the Stoney Road Demands a great deal from the vehicles to the east of the mountain range lies the Argentinian Pampas endless grass steps convey a sense of Solitude another meeting with the Patagonian Fox the mara looks like a guinea pig on stilts in a tribute to its long legs and ears it's also called the Patagonian hair [Music] to Argentina [Music] thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music] Mara breeding pairs Stay Together For Life unusual for mammals [Music] the fighting fox has already sensed their presence but thirst can sometimes be more urgent than caution maras normally stay in the shelter of the undergrowth wary of their enemies [Music] but even when they're drinking they're constantly vigilant flee at the first sign of an approaching enemy [Music] all that the fox can do is find easier prey foreign [Music] for a while the Patagonian hair is safe [Music] is back to nibbling the grasses herbs and bushes of the Pampas it grabs the chance to have a quick nap [Music] foreign like prickly statues the cacti Tower upwards giving the landscape here in the shadow of the Andes a distinctive Skyline [Music] further to the north of Argentina the bizarre rock formations look almost like modern sculpture but no mortal hand could have carved anything more beautiful in stone than the wind water and Sun have created here over the centuries [Music] [Music] in the south of Brazil right in the heart of South America it often takes wooden planks to make any progress laid over the mud underneath they lead to the largest Marshland on Earth the punt on Earth the yakari Cayman can stay Motionless in the water for hours at a time it looks dangerous and it is [Music] fish fowl or even its own species the Cayman will eat anything if it's the right size but a fully grown capybara is just a little on the large side for him capybara Master of the grasses in the guarani language fibaras are the largest rodents in the world the vegetarian has webbed toes enabling it to forage in the water for food as well [Music] the young stay with their mother for around four months after that they have to fend for themselves the pantanal is a veritable Garden of Eden for them [Music] but even the most dangerous predators can't relax if there's a nuisance spent on a mission unimpressed the butterfly is harvesting minerals from the tear fluid and nostrils of the Cayman thank you [Music] Caymans are the pantanal's most frequent Hunter [Music] the waters are abundant in fish but also home to strange creatures like the endangered giant otter [Music] this section of the swamp is his territory foreign [Music] otter can grow up to 1.8 meters long and even the Caymans leave them alone head up it charts its course and then takes a deep breath for the next time [Music] it can stay underwater for several minutes as it closes its mouth and nostrils carefully [Music] foreign even though not every dive is successful a fully grown giant otter needs up to four kilograms of food every day no problem in this territory in the pantanal there's a plentiful supply of fish the white or cream-colored flag at biota's throat is distinctive every animal has different markings that identify it like a fingerprint from the other otters the animal's impressive size means it has few natural enemies but man's pre-dilection for its thick glossy Pelt has almost led to its Extinction foreign the giant otter is now only found in the pantanal and in a few other places in Brazil and Peru the abundance of fish attracts more than just the otters cormorants are highly specialized at fishing but this fish isn't going to give up without a fight foreign but there's no Escape for it and the rest of its species the jabiro was the symbolic creature of the pantanal it Wades on its long legs through the water and stabs its prey with its beak like lightning [Applause] it's not only fishing for itself there are four hungry beaks waiting for it back at stalk headquarters a nest with a view is how this big stalk prefers to live greedily its Offspring fall on the eagerly awaited food [Music] dabiru's stay with their mate all their lives and the nest is also meant to last an entire jabiru lifetime foreign [Music] for all kinds of birds [Music] there's the chestnut here at arakari and parrots [Music] there's calling and singing everywhere [Music] when the chorus of the day subsides [Music] [Music] the next morning the concert strikes up again [Music] pause romp around in the trees they're among the last of their species only three thousand of them are left now all here in the pantheon [Music] there is no parrot on Earth as large as these macaws their preferred perches in palm trees as they love eating Palm nuts deftly they crack the hard shells with their powerful beaks [Music] like the jabiru the Hyacinth Macaw also stays with its partner for life the bill of the giant toucan can grow up to 20 centimeters in length it can pick even the smallest fruit off the cecropia tree the rivers and lakes in the pantanal are fed by the Paraguay River it's part of the same river system as The Iguazu foreign [Music] as it unleashes its powers in a dramatic nature spectacle the biggest waterfall on the planet [Music] Auto plummet some 82 meters down the iguasu falls [Music] foreign [Music] waterfall is surrounded by flourishing dense rainforest it's a perfect spot for the black Belcher like scruffy black clad Undertakers they perch on the rocks or in trees instead of going hunting themselves these scavengers wait for their prey to come to them [Music] the Shady Bunch has positioned itself strategically [Music] and waits okay careless animals regularly fall into the flood waters of The Iguazu and are swept over the edge of the waterfall to the pool below only a fool would ignore a free meal [Music] deep in the nearby Forest leaf cutting ants are busily living up to their name capuchin monkeys are also scouting the area [Music] they move nimbly amongst the tree trunks Limbs and smaller branches constantly on the lookout for anything edible their long tails help them hold on balance and also grasp things these monkeys are held to be highly intelligent [Music] they're certainly very successful at finding food they use stones to dig out roots and crack nuts this makes them one of the very few species that use tools [Music] foreign [Music] that could be a tasty insect under any leaf [Music] [Applause] [Music] they have a widely varied diet from seeds to fruit and even small vertebrates capuchin monkeys are omnivores like human beings [Applause] [Music] the South American Karate or Brazilian Aardvark doesn't turn his nose up at anything edible either using its long snout it plows through the undergrowth of the forest floor like a fine sensor the snout leads it to Hidden Delicacies [Music] the karate spends most of its time on the ground where there is plenty of food it will Retreat to the protective foliage of the trees only to sleep or to mate [Music] The Roaring of the iguasu waterfall is omnipresent the powerful forces of the water gather here and make their way downwards in Mighty Cascades through the rocky Terrain after deserts rainforests steps and Glaciers they are the impressive high point of the multifaceted nature Paradise in the shadow of the Andes [Music] they are a dramatic demonstration of the wonders of creation at its most awe-inspiring [Music] the wild faces of South America [Applause] [Music] [Music] foreign [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music]

Channel: Free High-Quality Documentaries

Views: 358,137

Keywords: Free High-Quality Documentaries, HD, Full HD, Quality, Patagonia, glaciers, volcanos, hot springs, geysers, salt lakes, Tierra del Fuego, South America, fire, ice, coldness, heat, Bolivia, Peru, Altiplano

Id: YQZj4njpB9k

Length: 52min 11sec (3131 seconds)

Published: Fri Dec 23 2022