1 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,200 The equator. 2 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:45,120 It runs across these scorched plains of East Africa. 3 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:52,640 This is as far from the poles as you can get. 4 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,400 But ice and snow are here too... 5 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:04,280 ..up in the mountains. 6 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:22,280 Every continent on Earth has such high snowfields. 7 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:40,800 And each has its own community of animals that have adapted 8 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:46,440 in their own way to the crushing conditions that come with the cold. 9 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:16,160 Dawn in East Africa, 10 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:19,760 on the high slopes of Mount Kenya... 11 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:21,640 ..4,000 metres up. 12 00:02:21,640 --> 00:02:23,600 WIND WHISTLES 13 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:29,920 The temperature is just beginning to creep above freezing. 14 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,440 It's hardly the place where you would expect to find 15 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:37,440 a cold-blooded reptile. 16 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,200 But there is one that lives up here - 17 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,840 the high-casqued chameleon. 18 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,640 This female has survived the night's freezing temperatures 19 00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:53,560 by allowing both her metabolism 20 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:57,240 and her heart rate to drop significantly. 21 00:02:59,640 --> 00:03:03,880 Now, in the morning, she needs to eat. 22 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:13,320 But it's so cold, she can't move her legs. 23 00:03:19,920 --> 00:03:23,960 Her spring-loaded tongue, however, still works. 24 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:47,560 As the sun rises higher in the sky, frozen land begins to thaw... 25 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,720 ..and the giant lobelias spread their leaves 26 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:55,040 to soak up the sunshine. 27 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:08,840 With her body temperature still only five degrees Celsius, 28 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:12,560 the chameleon becomes more mobile... 29 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:16,160 ..and climbs up to bask in the sun. 30 00:04:23,280 --> 00:04:25,720 Her skin darkens... 31 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,600 ..enabling her to absorb the sun's heat more quickly. 32 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,080 She is pregnant, 33 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:39,120 and soon her temperature reaches 20 degrees Celsius, 34 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:44,200 which gives her the energy she needs to give birth. 35 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,840 Most chameleon species lay eggs, 36 00:04:56,840 --> 00:05:00,960 but here it's too cold for an egg to develop in the open... 37 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:06,520 ..so she produces live young. 38 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,800 It takes just an hour for her to give birth 39 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,400 to six baby chameleons. 40 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:33,000 One of the advantages of life on the frozen peaks 41 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,600 is that there are fewer predators here... 42 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,960 ..and less competition for food. 43 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,760 But there's a reason why comparatively few reptiles 44 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:48,840 live in the high mountains. 45 00:05:50,840 --> 00:05:55,120 As the sun sets, the temperature falls to below zero 46 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:57,520 in a matter of minutes. 47 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,240 The babies must act fast. 48 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:23,560 To escape the nightly freeze, 49 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:27,000 they need the cover of thick vegetation. 50 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,720 A young chameleon caught out in the cold 51 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:41,080 will quickly lose its ability to move 52 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:43,960 and may well die. 53 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:00,520 Most, however, react instinctively 54 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,640 and find shelter as quickly as they can. 55 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,400 Peaks on the equator, such as Mount Kenya, 56 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:34,440 are frost bound for only a few hours each night. 57 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:40,280 But north of the equator, 58 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,560 in the 750-mile long European Alps, 59 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,400 the cold endures for months. 60 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:05,080 The high mountains are continuously frozen for half the year. 61 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:17,920 A testing time for the Alps' greatest aerial predator. 62 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,600 The golden eagle. 63 00:08:35,680 --> 00:08:40,160 In winter, there is just enough prey up here, dead or alive, 64 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:42,000 to sustain them. 65 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:49,960 But when spring arrives, the mountains are transformed. 66 00:09:06,680 --> 00:09:11,760 For a male and his lifelong partner... 67 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,760 ..the need to find food is urgent. 68 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:21,440 They have a three-week-old chick. 69 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:29,600 It needs to be fed several times a day. 70 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:37,520 To do that, both parents have to hunt. 71 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,200 Yet, even in spring, 72 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,920 few animals live up here in the high mountains, 73 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:53,760 and finding prey is not easy. 74 00:09:58,680 --> 00:10:02,080 But chamois, a kind of mountain goat, 75 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:05,080 are here, and they are giving birth. 76 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:11,560 One of their kids can weigh as much as an eagle. 77 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:16,560 When eagles hunt as a pair, 78 00:10:16,560 --> 00:10:19,160 they co-ordinate their approach. 79 00:10:26,680 --> 00:10:28,920 One stoops... 80 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:34,200 ..reaching a speed of over 150mph. 81 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:49,560 Its attack scatters the herd... 82 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:56,600 ..and that makes it easier for the other to select a target. 83 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,320 A successful catch. 84 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,200 It could still be alive... 85 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:40,840 ..so the eagle carries it away, high over the gorge... 86 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:46,120 ..and then... 87 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:49,960 ..deliberately drops it. 88 00:12:02,560 --> 00:12:05,800 The impact will kill it instantly. 89 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:26,520 INSECT BUZZES 90 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:48,040 A chick can eat up to a third of its own body weight in a day. 91 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:53,960 CHICK CHIRPS 92 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:56,640 Parents can't afford to rest for long. 93 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:02,280 Taking advantage of the long summer days, 94 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:05,520 eagles hunt ceaselessly. 95 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:21,280 Day in... 96 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:23,880 ..day out. 97 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:32,720 After eight weeks, a chick is almost fully grown. 98 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:34,560 CHICK SQUAWKS 99 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:47,720 And then, as summer comes to an end, 100 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:52,440 the pressure on parents to feed their chicks disappears. 101 00:13:56,560 --> 00:13:59,680 Their young have flown the nest. 102 00:14:04,560 --> 00:14:07,400 WIND HOWLS 103 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:09,720 And just in time. 104 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:15,000 The worsening weather signals that the leaner times of winter 105 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:16,880 are on their way. 106 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:23,600 Finding prey has now got much harder. 107 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:33,080 The young chamois have also grown up. 108 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:45,240 A juvenile now weighs almost five times as much as an eagle. 109 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:56,280 Animals of this size are no longer easy prey for the birds. 110 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:02,880 They barely flinch under attack. 111 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:25,480 But it's dangerous for a chamois to stray close to a cliff edge. 112 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:30,160 The eagles seize their chance. 113 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:49,240 Got it. 114 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:55,160 The eagle drags the chamois towards the edge. 115 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,720 It's an extremely risky move. 116 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:07,160 If the eagle breaks a wing, it will be fatal. 117 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:59,960 A kill this size will feed a pair for days. 118 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,520 This is when they must build up the fat reserves 119 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:08,920 that they will need to sustain themselves 120 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:12,040 through the lean months that lie ahead. 121 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:23,840 Winters in the Alps are daunting. 122 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:28,040 But in other mountain ranges, the challenges are even harder. 123 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:40,160 In the Far East, warm, wet winds blow in across the Sea of Japan. 124 00:17:44,120 --> 00:17:47,520 As they meet the 3,000-metre high Japanese Alps, 125 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,080 they're forced upwards. 126 00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:00,600 As the moist air rises, it freezes... 127 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:12,040 ..and the water droplets they carry turn into snow. 128 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:22,640 No two snow crystals are exactly the same. 129 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:27,200 WIND GUSTS 130 00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:32,480 In the mountains of Japan, 13 metres of snow 131 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:35,000 can fall in just a few months. 132 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:39,680 It's the snowiest place on Earth. 133 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:50,280 To survive here, an animal needs all the help it can get. 134 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:00,840 In winter, Japanese macaques 135 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:05,960 can live at altitudes of up to 1,500 metres... 136 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:09,520 ..higher than almost any other primate. 137 00:19:11,360 --> 00:19:14,680 But here, the warm volcanic pools 138 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:16,920 are always ready and waiting. 139 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:23,760 A nice hot bath lowers stress hormones for them, 140 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:26,000 just as it does for us. 141 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:39,640 Admission to this spa, however, is tightly controlled. 142 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:50,960 The high-ranking females dictate who is allowed in... 143 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:54,240 MACAQUE CALLS 144 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:58,880 ..and who will be left out in the cold. 145 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,520 This three-year-old male has recently been 146 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:16,760 expelled from his troop. 147 00:20:24,360 --> 00:20:26,520 He's hungry. 148 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:29,560 Macaques are largely vegetarian. 149 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:34,120 In the winter, when food of any kind is scarce, 150 00:20:34,120 --> 00:20:37,440 they will tackle anything remotely edible. 151 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:42,920 However, a lone young male is unlikely to survive much longer 152 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,240 unless he can find a way of keeping warm. 153 00:21:03,120 --> 00:21:06,640 And to do so, he may have to travel through 154 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:09,360 up to 50 miles of empty forest. 155 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:19,040 Bare hands and feet can become painfully cold. 156 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:27,000 Rubbing them helps restore the circulation. 157 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:32,320 Frostbite could be fatal. 158 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:54,960 Young male macaques are most likely to die 159 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:58,840 in their first winter than at any other time. 160 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:05,640 MACAQUE CALLS 161 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:12,440 But just like him, here is another young male outcast. 162 00:22:38,120 --> 00:22:42,040 Offering to groom is a standard way of establishing 163 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:45,440 a friendly relationship among macaques. 164 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:54,400 And the stranger's warm embrace is very welcome. 165 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:03,520 By huddling together, they shield each other from the snow, 166 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:06,800 and both their temperatures rise... 167 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:08,200 ..just a little. 168 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:16,760 This could be enough to save the lives of both of them. 169 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,120 WIND GUSTS 170 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:34,320 Snow on lower mountain slopes can be a major challenge 171 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:37,240 for any of the animals that live there. 172 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:46,920 On the high peaks, however, really heavy snowfalls can be lethal. 173 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:53,320 The Rockies in North America. 174 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:04,680 They rise to heights of over 4,400 metres. 175 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:11,640 In the winter, the winds blowing across the high summits 176 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:16,320 can create snowy overhangs - cornices - up to ten metres thick 177 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:18,640 and weighing many tonnes. 178 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:20,640 CREAKING 179 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:23,360 In the spring, as the temperatures rise, 180 00:24:23,360 --> 00:24:26,840 the cornices may become unstable... 181 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:30,920 CREAKING INTENSIFIES 182 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:33,320 ..and that can be catastrophic. 183 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:45,720 Avalanche. 184 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:54,600 As it tumbles downwards, 185 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:58,720 it accelerates to speeds of 100mph or more. 186 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:11,640 Only a racer drone camera can follow its course. 187 00:25:36,120 --> 00:25:41,000 In just two minutes, up to a million tonnes of snow 188 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:43,600 hurtle down the mountainside. 189 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:03,760 Avalanches can be hugely destructive, 190 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:07,560 and climate change is making them more and more unpredictable. 191 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:31,600 In the South Pacific, on the islands of New Zealand, 192 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:35,840 one highly intelligent creature has learned how to take advantage 193 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:39,240 of the volatile nature of mountains. 194 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:56,320 The kea. 195 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:01,720 A species of parrot. 196 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:12,400 It's the only one of its family that can live above the snowline, 197 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:18,040 and the only one that actively looks for meat. 198 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,960 The carcass of a mountain goat. 199 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:31,160 This adult male kea has a razor-sharp beak... 200 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:36,880 ..which is well suited for butchery. 201 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:46,200 Flesh rich in calories will help him through the winter. 202 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:47,720 HIGH-PITCHED CALL 203 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:53,800 But he doesn't have it for himself for long. 204 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,720 A gang of juvenile keas. 205 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:03,520 HIGH-PITCHED CALLS 206 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:06,600 KEA SQUAWKS 207 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:24,480 These younger keas shadow the older, more experienced adults... 208 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,920 ..to learn the tricks of mountain survival... 209 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:36,640 ..and where to find food. 210 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,760 But while waiting their turn... 211 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,880 ..there's time to play. 212 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:12,520 There's a benefit to this apparently carefree behaviour. 213 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:15,280 It helps establish long-lasting relationships 214 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:17,720 between the youngsters... 215 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:22,640 ..and even defuses tension... 216 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:34,560 ..so that when one kea finds a rare but substantial meal... 217 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:37,240 ..it often willingly shares it. 218 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:49,520 And that is very important behaviour, particularly in winter, 219 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:51,800 when food is so scarce. 220 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:06,200 In larger mountain chains, the quest for food 221 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:09,080 can become even more demanding. 222 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:13,760 The Andes in South America. 223 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:16,360 The longest range on Earth. 224 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:23,520 It stretches for over 4,500 miles down towards the Antarctic. 225 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:36,120 At its southernmost end, the sun remains so low in the sky 226 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:38,400 that it brings little warmth 227 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:42,200 and temperatures regularly drop below freezing. 228 00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:59,640 In winter, the land is shrouded in darkness 229 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:01,840 for almost 15 hours a day. 230 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:11,880 Here, a predator has to hunt when it's so dark 231 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:17,600 that only a thermal camera can make its activities visible to our eyes. 232 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:21,800 The puma. 233 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:35,400 This one-year-old female faces a daunting prospect. 234 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:41,720 She has just left her mother and become independent 235 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:44,560 at the most demanding time of the year... 236 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:49,440 ..when prey is at its most scarce. 237 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:58,840 The only substantial targets are a kind of llama. 238 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:01,920 Guanaco. 239 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:12,680 An adult stands 1.5 metres tall and is twice the puma's weight. 240 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:21,760 This female, however, has one advantage - 241 00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:24,440 excellent night-vision. 242 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:32,400 If the youngster can get within five metres of a guanaco, 243 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:35,320 she has a chance of success. 244 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:49,520 But the guanaco do have a very acute sense of smell... 245 00:32:57,160 --> 00:32:59,480 ..and excellent hearing. 246 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:10,280 After six hours of patient stalking from downwind... 247 00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:17,600 ..the puma is finally within striking distance. 248 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:25,840 GUANACOS CALL 249 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:50,720 A wasted opportunity. 250 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:15,520 Three failed attempts in one night 251 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:18,080 have drained her reserves. 252 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:31,120 Her inexperience is leaving her close to starvation. 253 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:38,440 PUMA SNUFFLES Another faint scent. 254 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:48,400 But it's leading this youngster into the territory of another puma. 255 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:56,840 Her neighbour, a female, is older and more experienced than she is... 256 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:01,200 ..and has already made a successful kill. 257 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:06,920 The younger female must approach with caution. 258 00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:11,960 Adult pumas are solitary by nature... 259 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:15,160 PUMA GROWLS 260 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:18,080 ..and don't normally welcome rivals. 261 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:22,520 PUMAS SNARL 262 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:33,640 She falls back in a gesture of submission. 263 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:41,760 PUMA CHOMPS 264 00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:48,120 But if she doesn't eat within the next few days, 265 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:50,520 she's unlikely to survive. 266 00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:59,920 The larger female is now no longer actively feeding... 267 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:04,360 ..so she makes another approach. 268 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:18,200 PUMA SNARLS 269 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:24,480 PUMA GROWLS 270 00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:37,040 PUMA CHOMPS 271 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:43,520 At last, the owner ignores her. 272 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:53,560 Pumas are the only solitary big cat 273 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:56,440 known to share a meal with a neighbour. 274 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:07,560 Maybe the young puma, with the help of its neighbour, 275 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:10,800 will, after all, survive her first winter. 276 00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:15,920 And maybe the older cat one day 277 00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:19,520 will be in need of a favour returned. 278 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:33,920 The lower slopes of the Andes are harsh. 279 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:42,080 But climb higher, and the mountains become otherworldly. 280 00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:52,400 Their altitude prevents rain clouds from blowing in from the east... 281 00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:58,160 ..whilst another lower range, nearer the west coast, 282 00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:01,440 prevents rain coming in from the Pacific Ocean. 283 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:05,920 This creates, between them, one of the driest 284 00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:09,280 high-altitude deserts on Earth... 285 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:11,520 ..the Atacama. 286 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:17,600 There is, nonetheless, a lake here - 287 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:20,880 a volcanic one that is filled with extremely salty water 288 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:22,600 from underground. 289 00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:28,360 And this attracts flamingos. 290 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:32,960 FLAMINGOS SQUAWK 291 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:38,160 They come here each summer. 292 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:43,040 And here they nest and raise their young, 293 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:46,360 taking advantage of the lake's plentiful algae. 294 00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:54,040 But with the arrival of winter, 295 00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:57,360 temperatures at night drop to below freezing... 296 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:06,760 ..conditions that even these hardy birds cannot endure for long. 297 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:13,040 The adults start to leave and head for warmer temperatures 298 00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:15,440 lower down the mountain. 299 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:43,400 But they leave behind their four-month-old chicks, 300 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:45,560 which are old enough to feed themselves 301 00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:48,240 but not yet strong enough to fly. 302 00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:58,040 With each passing night, temperatures continue to fall. 303 00:40:06,240 --> 00:40:12,520 And then, one morning, after a particularly cold night, 304 00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:16,840 the chicks find themselves surrounded by ice. 305 00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:27,760 Huddling together allows some to preserve precious body heat. 306 00:40:30,240 --> 00:40:33,520 But those on the outside 307 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:35,960 are left even more exposed. 308 00:40:40,040 --> 00:40:44,360 And some have already succumbed to the freezing conditions. 309 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:50,800 The salty ice is now so cold 310 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:53,360 that it congeals on the chicks' feathers. 311 00:40:55,880 --> 00:41:00,760 Weighed down, their chances of flying are even more remote. 312 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:11,720 Now 40mph winds whip across the lake, 313 00:41:11,720 --> 00:41:14,560 driving down temperatures even further. 314 00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:38,480 Yet this very wind that could kill them 315 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:40,960 might just be their saviour. 316 00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:48,000 The youngsters turn to face it. 317 00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:56,600 If they can catch it just right, it could give them 318 00:41:56,600 --> 00:42:00,040 the lift they need to take their very first flight. 319 00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:31,560 For those encumbered with heavy loads of ice... 320 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:34,360 ..the struggle is almost too much. 321 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:52,640 Freedom at last. 322 00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:09,880 Many animals that live amongst the frozen peaks 323 00:43:09,880 --> 00:43:13,680 have over thousands of years become adapted 324 00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:18,040 to meet the challenges of a high-altitude existence. 325 00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:26,200 But now their world is changing 326 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:29,000 because of global warming. 327 00:43:37,520 --> 00:43:41,400 Ice that has remained frozen deep within mountain glaciers 328 00:43:41,400 --> 00:43:44,000 is starting to melt... 329 00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:54,800 ..accelerating their movement. 330 00:44:21,840 --> 00:44:25,320 Over the three years that it took to film this series, 331 00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:30,960 the Quelccaya Ice Cap, 5,500m up in the Peruvian Andes, 332 00:44:30,960 --> 00:44:34,840 has receded by a staggering 60 metres. 333 00:44:39,480 --> 00:44:43,240 In Europe, some alpine glaciers are now shrinking 334 00:44:43,240 --> 00:44:46,040 by 100 metres a year. 335 00:44:56,400 --> 00:45:00,400 One of them - the Sankt Annafirn Glacier, in Switzerland - 336 00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:02,880 has almost completely disappeared. 337 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:08,840 Most of the others are expected to have followed it 338 00:45:08,840 --> 00:45:11,160 by the turn of the century. 339 00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:29,320 The warming of the frozen slopes could threaten the life of perhaps 340 00:45:29,320 --> 00:45:32,320 the most famous mountain resident of all. 341 00:45:38,680 --> 00:45:42,480 Hidden within the bamboo forests of western China... 342 00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:49,640 ..is a hot and bothered male giant panda. 343 00:45:49,640 --> 00:45:52,000 PANDA PANTS 344 00:45:58,960 --> 00:46:03,560 He has spent the winter sheltering lower down the valley. 345 00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:08,080 Now it's early summer, 346 00:46:08,080 --> 00:46:11,520 and his thick coat that protected him throughout the winter 347 00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:14,720 has become very uncomfortable. 348 00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:22,480 He needs to reach the cold of the higher slopes. 349 00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:27,280 But before he can start the ascent, 350 00:46:27,280 --> 00:46:31,000 he needs a good meal to give him the necessary energy. 351 00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:50,840 Giant pandas eat almost nothing except bamboo. 352 00:46:54,440 --> 00:46:57,960 But bamboo is so low in calories 353 00:46:57,960 --> 00:47:01,680 that he needs to spend ten hours a day eating. 354 00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:08,400 With breakfast over... 355 00:47:10,720 --> 00:47:13,640 ..he begins his climb to higher ground. 356 00:47:27,080 --> 00:47:30,520 But in no time at all... 357 00:47:32,160 --> 00:47:34,400 ..he's hungry again. 358 00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:47,240 This is going to be a long journey. 359 00:47:54,960 --> 00:47:59,840 And it may be an even longer one in the near future. 360 00:48:02,720 --> 00:48:07,520 As climate change raises the temperature in these mountains, 361 00:48:07,520 --> 00:48:11,440 giant pandas may well need to climb higher and higher 362 00:48:11,440 --> 00:48:14,400 to find cooler conditions. 363 00:48:21,960 --> 00:48:25,560 But the cold-loving bamboo they most favour 364 00:48:25,560 --> 00:48:28,640 cannot move so easily... 365 00:48:30,280 --> 00:48:35,320 ..and may disappear from the warmer lower slopes altogether. 366 00:48:43,560 --> 00:48:48,520 So far, these snow-covered peaks continue to provide 367 00:48:48,520 --> 00:48:52,440 this male with enough space to feed and find a mate. 368 00:48:55,200 --> 00:49:00,920 so, he scent-marks his territory panda-style - 369 00:49:00,920 --> 00:49:03,440 with a handstand. 370 00:49:07,720 --> 00:49:10,520 It may well be that in the next few decades 371 00:49:10,520 --> 00:49:13,320 the mountains of the world will warm. 372 00:49:17,400 --> 00:49:21,640 Should that happen, many species will inevitably disappear. 373 00:49:27,760 --> 00:49:32,120 But we should never forget the versatility and endurance 374 00:49:32,120 --> 00:49:35,880 of the animals that have succeeded in colonising... 375 00:49:37,680 --> 00:49:41,440 ..these icy islands in the sky. 376 00:50:00,320 --> 00:50:04,360 In the frozen peaks, the team's greatest challenge 377 00:50:04,360 --> 00:50:09,360 was to film a successful puma hunt at night for the first time. 378 00:50:14,320 --> 00:50:18,560 The crew travelled to Patagonia in the depths of winter 379 00:50:18,560 --> 00:50:23,120 to Torres del Paine, home to over 200 pumas, 380 00:50:23,120 --> 00:50:25,920 the highest density on Earth. 381 00:50:30,120 --> 00:50:32,960 Still, to find them in this remote wilderness 382 00:50:32,960 --> 00:50:35,400 greater than the size of London, 383 00:50:35,400 --> 00:50:39,240 they joined the local puma expert, Diego Araya, 384 00:50:39,240 --> 00:50:43,840 who has over 20 years' experience of tracking these big cats. 385 00:50:43,840 --> 00:50:46,640 This is something completely new for us, 386 00:50:46,640 --> 00:50:50,400 because we've never been actually in pitch-black following cats. 387 00:50:50,400 --> 00:50:53,800 And being able to keep up with it on foot 388 00:50:53,800 --> 00:50:57,280 I think is going to be an incredible task. 389 00:50:58,480 --> 00:51:01,400 This far south, at the tip of South America, 390 00:51:01,400 --> 00:51:04,320 winter only gives them nine hours of daylight 391 00:51:04,320 --> 00:51:07,440 to find the pumas before night descends. 392 00:51:11,680 --> 00:51:16,280 But it's not long until they are treated to a surprise encounter. 393 00:51:18,080 --> 00:51:20,840 Definitely, we are not part of the menu, huh? 394 00:51:22,120 --> 00:51:25,440 Getting this close to a wild puma is a rare privilege 395 00:51:25,440 --> 00:51:28,000 for camerawoman Helen Hobin. 396 00:51:29,600 --> 00:51:33,520 It's very surreal, actually, being in real life and seeing one. 397 00:51:35,760 --> 00:51:39,960 By day, these well-studied pumas are approachable. 398 00:51:43,760 --> 00:51:47,480 But as dusk descends, they pick up the pace 399 00:51:47,480 --> 00:51:50,080 as they switch to hunting mode. 400 00:51:52,600 --> 00:51:55,520 We're just going into the pitch-black pretty soon, 401 00:51:55,520 --> 00:51:59,080 and we have to rely on thermal the rest of the night. 402 00:51:59,080 --> 00:52:02,720 Armed with a state-of-the-art thermal-imaging camera 403 00:52:02,720 --> 00:52:05,960 and spotting scopes, they attempt to follow 404 00:52:05,960 --> 00:52:08,640 the puma in the pitch-black. 405 00:52:08,640 --> 00:52:11,280 The cats are moving so fast at the moment, 406 00:52:11,280 --> 00:52:13,720 and they can cover miles. 407 00:52:13,720 --> 00:52:16,960 It's quite hard to keep up, with all of our equipment, 408 00:52:16,960 --> 00:52:19,520 and not really being able to see where you're going. 409 00:52:24,920 --> 00:52:29,960 A few hours later, and the pumas have given them the runaround. 410 00:52:29,960 --> 00:52:32,240 You see a heat signal on the hill? 411 00:52:33,640 --> 00:52:35,480 RADIO: Do you see her? 412 00:52:35,480 --> 00:52:37,680 Yeah, I think we've got eyes on them. 413 00:52:37,680 --> 00:52:40,480 Where is she? Among the guanaco. 414 00:52:44,080 --> 00:52:48,240 I feel like we had a puma that we all lost, somehow. 415 00:52:49,680 --> 00:52:51,880 But I'm pretty sure we've been standing here 416 00:52:51,880 --> 00:52:54,360 staring at a bush with a hare in it. 417 00:52:59,040 --> 00:53:03,680 As weeks pass, the crew experience the full force 418 00:53:03,680 --> 00:53:05,600 of the Patagonian winter - 419 00:53:05,600 --> 00:53:10,360 100mph gusts of wind and blizzard conditions. 420 00:53:10,360 --> 00:53:13,080 It's just one thing after another at the moment. 421 00:53:18,120 --> 00:53:20,520 Finally, with a break in the weather, 422 00:53:20,520 --> 00:53:23,080 their persistence pays off. 423 00:53:23,080 --> 00:53:25,400 The situation is that we found a puma 424 00:53:25,400 --> 00:53:27,680 and there's a group of guanacos. 425 00:53:27,680 --> 00:53:30,920 This could be the break the team need and offer them 426 00:53:30,920 --> 00:53:34,120 the opportunity to film a night hunt. 427 00:53:35,400 --> 00:53:40,840 To optimise their chances, Helen launches her secret weapon. 428 00:53:43,720 --> 00:53:48,160 A thermal camera drone that will act as their eyes in the sky... 429 00:53:49,800 --> 00:53:53,240 ..guiding the ground crew to within 20 metres 430 00:53:53,240 --> 00:53:55,080 of the hunting big cat. 431 00:53:57,040 --> 00:53:59,520 It's pitch black, there's a puma. 432 00:54:01,400 --> 00:54:04,000 It's a little bit unnerving. 433 00:54:10,840 --> 00:54:13,120 She's off, she's moving. 434 00:54:17,400 --> 00:54:19,880 She was so close to that one just there. 435 00:54:19,880 --> 00:54:22,920 She just didn't quite reach it. It was like that close. 436 00:54:24,480 --> 00:54:26,240 Super frustrating, 437 00:54:26,240 --> 00:54:29,400 because now we get to walk many more miles. 438 00:54:31,040 --> 00:54:35,040 Over the coming nights, the team continues to follow the young puma 439 00:54:35,040 --> 00:54:37,720 as she attempts hunt after hunt. 440 00:54:38,960 --> 00:54:41,000 HELEN: It's just a roller-coaster all the time. 441 00:54:41,000 --> 00:54:43,640 Something looks like it's going to happen, your adrenaline gets 442 00:54:43,640 --> 00:54:46,200 pumping, trying to get the shot, and then just... 443 00:54:49,320 --> 00:54:52,080 Lost count of how many failed attempts. 444 00:54:53,640 --> 00:54:55,280 Too many. 445 00:55:00,520 --> 00:55:04,320 With only a week left to film a successful night hunt, 446 00:55:04,320 --> 00:55:07,400 the pressure is mounting on the crew. 447 00:55:07,400 --> 00:55:11,840 We're still struggling to get the key behaviour we're looking for. 448 00:55:15,320 --> 00:55:19,360 But then the young female does something truly remarkable. 449 00:55:21,640 --> 00:55:24,320 WHISPERS: She didn't manage to make a kill, but she came across 450 00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:27,120 another cat that has, and she's been slowly over the course of the last - 451 00:55:27,120 --> 00:55:29,600 I don't know how long, I think it's been hours - 452 00:55:29,600 --> 00:55:31,600 creeping towards her, really submissively, 453 00:55:31,600 --> 00:55:34,120 trying to ask for a bit of food. 454 00:55:37,920 --> 00:55:40,960 It's quite the experience when you're standing 455 00:55:40,960 --> 00:55:43,160 in their proximity and you can't see them 456 00:55:43,160 --> 00:55:45,840 but you can just hear the crunching of the bones. 457 00:55:48,480 --> 00:55:50,680 It's just so amazing to see. 458 00:55:50,680 --> 00:55:53,720 You can hear it echoing all around as well when they growl. 459 00:55:53,720 --> 00:55:56,120 LOW GROWL Ooh! 460 00:56:00,240 --> 00:56:05,160 Until recently, pumas were considered solitary animals, 461 00:56:05,160 --> 00:56:08,240 but the crew's success with the thermal camera 462 00:56:08,240 --> 00:56:12,800 reveals two unrelated cats sharing the same kill at night. 463 00:56:16,560 --> 00:56:21,760 DIEGO: You realise how far they are from solitary individuals. 464 00:56:21,760 --> 00:56:24,400 This is like a fellowship of creatures 465 00:56:24,400 --> 00:56:27,000 living in the same territory. 466 00:56:29,480 --> 00:56:33,360 New technology has shed light on the surprising survival 467 00:56:33,360 --> 00:56:36,200 strategy of the Andean puma. 468 00:56:40,440 --> 00:56:43,280 Just one of the many mysterious animals 469 00:56:43,280 --> 00:56:47,440 that inhabit our planet's remote frozen peaks. 470 00:56:55,000 --> 00:56:59,400 Next time, Antarctica... 471 00:56:59,400 --> 00:57:02,400 ..the most hostile frozen world of all. 472 00:57:04,840 --> 00:57:08,640 Its life finds a way not just to survive... 473 00:57:11,640 --> 00:57:13,240 ..but thrive... 474 00:57:15,200 --> 00:57:19,160 ..in some of the greatest concentrations of life on Earth. 475 00:57:22,080 --> 00:57:25,560 The Open University has produced a poster exploring how animals 476 00:57:25,560 --> 00:57:28,360 adapt to life in the world's coldest environments. 477 00:57:28,360 --> 00:57:34,600 To order your free copy, please call 0300 303 0553, 478 00:57:34,600 --> 00:57:39,560 or go to bbc.co.uk/frozenplanet2 479 00:57:39,560 --> 00:57:41,720 and follow the links to the Open University.