在雨季， During the wet season,
澳大利亚北部大部分地区成为热带季节性湿地 most of northern Australia becomes a tropical seasonal wetland.
这些巨大的沼泽支撑着 These vast swamps support
世界上最大的喜鹊鹅繁殖地 the world's largest breeding colony of magpie geese.
它们还为顶级捕食者提供栖息地- They also provide a habitat for the Top End's top predator -
史前咸水鳄鱼 the prehistoric saltwater crocodile.
如果你觉得这名盔甲精良的战士个头很大， If you think this well-armoured warrior is big,
再给它几十年时间长大 just give him a few more decades to pump himself up
在队伍中崛起 and rise through the ranks.
当它成为这里的老板鳄鱼时，已经超过5米长了 By the time he's the boss croc around here, he'll be well over 5m long.
咸水鳄鱼， Saltwater crocodiles,
或者在澳大利亚被亲切地称为湾鳄， or salties as they're affectionately known in Australia,
世界上最大的爬行动物 are the world's largest living reptiles.
最大的超过6米 The biggest in captivity today is over 6m...
重量刚刚超过一吨 and weighs just over a tonne.
咸水鳄鱼实际上从未停止生长 Saltwater crocodiles never actually stop growing
它们可以活70年 and they can live for 70 years.
它们曾经被猎杀以获取皮肤和肉，现在在澳大利亚受到保护， Once hunted for their skin and meat, they are now protected in Australia,
至少可以说，整个北方的数量都是健康的 and populations throughout the north are healthy, to say the least.
仅仅在北领地， In the Northern Territory alone,
据估计至少有10万条湾鳄 there are estimated to be at least 100,000 salties
潜伏在水面之下，随时准备捕杀猎物 lurking just beneath the surface, ever ready to take down prey.
几乎不可能不害怕这些易被抓住的生物 It's almost impossible not to fear these prehensile creatures.
它们在同等程度上赢得了我们的尊重 But they command in equal measure our respect.
数百万年的进化 Millions of years of evolution
把它们变成了终极的湿地捕食者 have finetuned them into the ultimate wetland predator.
它们眼睛的向前方向 The forward orientation of their eyes
让它们能够熟练地判断毫无戒备的猎物的距离 allows them to expertly judge the distance of unsuspecting prey.
第三层透明眼睑意味着 And a third transparent eyelid means
它们在水下也能看到上面的景象 they can see as well underwater as above.
它们可以将心率降低到每分钟几次 They can slow their heartrate down to a couple of beats per minute...
一种非常像禅宗的技巧，帮助它们在水下屏住呼吸 a very Zen-like skill that helps them to hold their breath underwater
多达一个小时 for up to an hour.
湾鳄的下颚有64-68颗匕首状的牙齿 A saltie's jaws contain 64-68 dagger-like teeth...
咬合力可以和大白鲨媲美 with a bite force to rival that of a great white shark.
它们的下颚还有一个额外的关节 Their jaws contain an additional joint
这有助于分散它们强大的咬合力 that helps to spread the full force of their powerful bites
所以它们不会在攻击过程中失去咬力 so they don't lose their grip in the middle of an attack.
鳄鱼不会咀嚼，但会摆布猎物 Crocodiles cannot chew, but will manipulate their prey
在吞咽之前将其移近喉咙后部。 to move it closer to the back of their throats before swallowing.
保持与咸水鳄鱼的距离才是最安全的 The safest way to encounter saltwater crocodiles is from a distance.
野生动物导游，经验丰富 Wildlife guides are experienced
清楚知道什么时候适合拍摄特写镜头 in knowing exactly when it's appropriate to move in for a close-up
最好是慢慢后退 and when it's better to slowly back away.
如何想更近距离， For a closer encounter still,
考虑和这些臭名昭著的捕食者一起游泳 consider swimming with these notorious maneaters.
必须确保你有这样的笼子保护， But make sure you're well protected by a cage such as this,
否则你就有被活活吃掉的危险 or you'll risk being eaten alive.
湾鳄是地球上最大的爬行动物捕食者 Salties are the largest reptilian predators on the planet.
但即便是它们也不够大和有力 But even they lack the size and strength
去打倒这只巨大的野兽 to take down this gargantuan beast.
水牛肩达1.8米， Water buffalos grow to 1.8m at the shoulder,
并且有宽达2米的致命角 and have lethal horns up to 2m wide.
一条小牛对鳄鱼来说是公平的游戏， A young one would be fair game for a croc,
但一旦它们长大，它们就几乎无敌了 but once they reach their adult size, they are pretty much invincible.
水牛不是澳大利亚本地的 Water buffalo are not native to Australia.
它们是在19世纪由定居者从亚洲引进的 They were introduced from Asia by settlers in the 1800s...
带它们来这里是为了确保他们有可靠的肉类来源 who brought them here to ensure they had a reliable source of meat.
然后，慢慢地，但肯定地，它们接管了季节性湿地， Then, slowly but surely, they took over the seasonal wetland,
整个景观的特征都被改变了 and the entire character of this landscape was altered.
它们践踏植被，侵蚀土壤 They trampled vegetation, eroded the soils...
形成了很深的渠道，干扰了水质 created deep channels and interfered with the quality of the water.
它们打滚的习惯把水弄的浑浊不堪， Their habit of wallowing muddied the water,
使某些水生植物和鱼类难以生存 making it difficult for certain aquatic plants and fish to survive.
随着栖息地退化， As they degraded the habitat,
它们扰乱了鹊鹅和鳄鱼的筑巢活动 they disrupted the nesting activity of magpie geese and crocodiles.
因此，即使是这些通常多产的物种也受到了损害 So even these normally prolific species were compromised.
在它们统治的鼎盛时期， At the height of their domination,
大约35万头水牛在这个国家的边远地区游荡， some 350,000 buffalos roamed the nation's Top End,
扑杀现在已经大大减少了它们的数量 but culling has now reduced their population considerably.
在卡卡杜国家公园，它们的数量只有几百只 Here in Kakadu National Park, they number in the low hundreds.
这很讽刺 It's ironic
这些令人印象深刻的动物需要在澳大利亚得到控制 that these impressive animals need to be kept in check in Australia...
因为在亚洲的本土，它们是一个处于危险中的物种 for in their native homelands across Asia they are a species at risk.
没有自然保护区和国家公园的保护 Without the protection afforded by nature reserves and national parks
印度、尼泊尔和泰国 in India, Nepal and Thailand...
它们在野外的生存将完全受到威胁 their survival in the wild would be completely compromised.
......
而且可以使用某种形式的船或陆地掩体 And with access to some form of boat or land-based hide...
观鸟者可以尽情享受一天 birdwatchers can have a field day
增加直观各种苍鹭和鹤 adding sightings of various species of herons and cranes
它们没完没了的清单 to their endless checklists.
所有涉水鸟都有细长的腿 All wading birds have long thin legs
帮助它们在深水中觅食 that help them to forage in deep water.
长而灵活的脚趾有助于平衡 And long agile toes that aid their balance
当它们脚下的地面不稳定时 when the ground beneath them is unstable.
许多涉水鸟有长长的喙， Many wading birds have long bills,
根据它们如何狩猎和吃什么来塑形 shaped according to how they hunt and what they eat.
一个为涉水者量身定制的特殊场所 One special place tailor made for waders
是南非伊甸园鸟类保护区 is the Birds of Eden sanctuary in South Africa.
占地数公顷的巨大圆湖 A huge dome covering several hectares
为这里的鸟类提供一定程度的保护 affords the birds here a measure of protection
还有飞行的自由 and yet the freedom to fly.
穿过围场 A walkway through the enclosure
可以轻松观看非洲最具标志性的涉水鸟类 makes it easy to view some of Africa's most iconic wading birds.
包括这些美丽而得名的琵鹭 Including these magnificent and aptly named spoonbills.
游客在这里能遇到的最壮观的物种之一 One of the more spectacular species visitors can encounter here
朱鹮，它的栖息地在半个世界之外 is the scarlet ibis, whose native habitat is half a world away.
在野外看到这些美丽的鸟 To see these beautiful birds in the wild
你需要去委内瑞拉的洛斯利亚诺斯 you'll need to head to Los Llanos, in Venezuela.
广阔的平原、河流和沼泽景观 A vast landscape of plains, rivers and swamps
从安第斯山脉延伸到加勒比海 stretching from the Andean mountains to the Caribbean Sea...
洛斯利亚诺斯为一群奇怪的动物提供了庇护所 Los Llanos provides sanctuary to a strange collection of animals.
翅膀上有爪子的原始鸟类 Primeval birds with claws on their wings.
绵羊大小的啮齿动物 Rodents the size of sheep.
还有五个人长的蛇 And snakes the length of five people.
洛斯利亚诺斯的总面积超过500000平方公里 In total, Los Llanos covers over 500,000 square kilometres.
半年多以来， For more than half the year,
这些平原几乎没有降雨 these plains receive almost no rainfall at all
在干旱下发出嘶嘶声 and sizzle under drought conditions.
但是当下雨的时候，就会完全改变景观 But when the rains fall, they totally transform the landscape.
长满草的平原----当地的牛仔，或Llaneros，在那里上朝， The grassy plains - where the local cowboys, or Llaneros, hold court,
在马背上驱赶牛 rounding up their cattle on horseback -
被水淹没 become inundated with water.
洛斯利亚诺斯变成了湿地仙境 Los Llanos becomes a wetland wonderland.
这是委内瑞拉最大的野生动物宝库， It's Venezuela's greatest treasury of wildlife,
它的动物是大自然的王冠上的珍宝 and its animals are some of nature's crown jewels.
信不信由你，这只水豚是一种豚鼠 Believe it or not, this capybara is a kind of guinea pig...
但它比地球上所有其它啮齿动物都高 but it towers over every other rodent on the planet.
尽管水豚体型可怕，但它们是温和的动物， Despite their fearsome size, capybaras are gentle creatures,
它们大部分时间都在吃草或打盹 spending most of their time grazing or napping.
它们很适应在水中生活 They're well adapted to living in water.
事实上，它们甚至有蹼足， In fact, they even have webbed feet,
它们的眼睛、耳朵和鼻孔都在头顶附近 and their eyes, ears and nostrils are all near the top of their heads
这样它们就可以把身体藏在水下 so they can hide their bulk underwater.
显然，水豚肉味道很好 Apparently,capybara meat tastes delicious.
因此，16世纪来到这里的西班牙殖民者 So much so, the Spanish colonialists who arrived here in 1500s
向天主教会上诉 appealed to the Catholic Church
把水豚归为鱼 to have the capybara classified as a fish
这样它们就可以在周五吃了 so they could eat it on Fridays
以及其它需要遵守宗教禁食的场合 and other occasions when religious fasting needed to be observed.
尽管水豚显然是哺乳动物， Despite the fact that capybaras are quite clearly mammals,
教会承认了这一论点 the Church conceded to the argument
这是一种有蹼足的动物，主要生活在水中 that an animal with webbed feet that lives mostly in the water
可以称为鱼 could be called a fish.
另一只超大的动物 Another oversized animal
经常出现在洛斯利亚诺斯的沼泽回水区 that frequents the swampy backwaters of Los Llanos
是巨大的绿色蟒蛇，世界上最大的蛇 is the giant green anaconda, the largest snake in the world.
近距离观察这些巨大的爬行动物 Just seeing one of these huge reptiles up close
刺激肾上腺素 gets the adrenaline going.
所以请为这些科学家们想一想 So spare a thought for these scientists
科学家们负责从田野中捕获蟒蛇 charged with extracting boas from the field
以便更仔细地研究它们 in order to study them more closely.
尽管这些蛇看起来很吓人，但它们并不有毒 Despite their intimidating looks,these snakes are not venomous.
它们通过缠绕住猎物狩猎 They hunt by coiling themselves around prey
挤压直到窒息 and squeezing until it's asphyxiated.
有史以来最大的水蟒 The largest anaconda ever measured
它的长度刚刚超过8.5米，周长1米 was just over 8.5m long with a 1m girth.
这个小得多， This one is considerably smaller,
但对于这些科学家来说，仍有少数几个问题需要解决， but still a handful for these scientists to contend with,
当它们试图收集和记录 as they attempt to collect and record
这些数据将帮助它们确定其增长率和整体健康状况 data that will help them to determine its growth rate and overall health.
魔幻音乐 (MAGICAL MUSIC)
另一个非同寻常的地方 Another extraordinary place
去体验南美洲最好的湿地动物 to encounter the best of South America's wetland animals
是潘塔纳尔湿地 is the Pantanal.
事实上，它是世界上最大的热带湿地 Indeed, it's the largest tropical wetland in the world...
到处都是湖泊、瀑布和清澈的河流 awash with lakes, waterfalls and crystal-clear rivers.
占地181000平方公里 Covering a daunting 181,000 square kilometres...
这里是野生动物最集中的地方之一 it contains one of the highest concentrations of wildlife
--在陆地上 on the continent.
美洲豹在联合国教科文组织世界遗产中的分布在巴西 The jaguar's share of this UNESCO World Heritage site is in Brazil.
也是探索其惊人生物多样性的关键入口 And a key access point for exploring some of its amazing biodiversity
是狐鲣 is Bonito.
短途跋涉带领动物爱好者穿越丛林 A short trek leads animal lovers through the jungle
里约热内卢-达-普拉塔 that lines the Rio da Prata.
在这里可能会遇到水豚 It's possible to encounter capybaras here.
如果你真的幸运的话，犰狳和貘 And if you're really lucky, armadillos and tapirs.
尽管它们看起来像猪 Despite their pig-like looks...
貘与马和犀牛关系密切 tapirs are closely related to horses and rhinos.
美洲豹位于食物链的顶端 Jaguars sit at the top of the food chain here...
尽管它们是优秀的游泳运动员， and despite the fact that they are excellent swimmers,
没必要担心这里会发生意外 there's no need to fear an unexpected encounter here.
水是如此清澈，你可以看到它们从几英里外涌来 The water is so clear, you'd see them coming for miles.
然而，你会在水面下看到， What you will see below the surface of the water, however,
会把你彻底吹走 will completely blow you away.
一个漩涡般的橘尖鱼 A swirl of orange-tipped fish.
整个经历都是超现实的 The whole experience is quite surreal.
知道这一点令人振奋 And it's heartening to know
一个如此原始的地方仍然存在于野外 that a place this pristine still exists in the wild.
潘塔纳尔湿地确实是一个非凡的湿地， The Pantanal is truly a remarkable wetland,
但它远不是世界上这一地区最著名的生态区 but it's far from the most well-known eco region in this part of the world.
这一荣誉属于南美洲最具标志性的河流亚马逊河 That honour belongs to the Amazon, South America's most iconic river.
它全长近6500公里，蜿蜒穿越七个国家 Nearly 6,500km long, it snakes its way across seven countries.
亚马逊两岸的雨林 The rainforests on either side of the Amazon...
拥有比地球上任何其它地方更丰富的生命 hold a greater diversity of life than any other place on Earth.
世界上20%的氧气是由亚马逊的植物制造的 20% of the world's oxygen is made by the plants of the Amazon.
这里不同动物的数量是惊人的 And the number of different animals here is simply phenomenal.
数百种哺乳动物 Hundreds of mammals...
成千上万的鸟和鱼 thousands of birds and fish...
还有数以百万计的令人毛骨悚然的昆虫 and millions of creepy-crawly insects.
雨季，亚马逊河泛滥 During the wet season, the Amazon floods
河流的宽度也在扩大 and the width of the river expands.
在一些地方，它可能超过190公里宽 In some places, it can be over 190km wide.
亚马逊最神奇的生物之一 One of the most amazing creatures of the Amazon
在水下度过一生 spends its life underwater.
多亏了好莱坞的恐怖电影重量级人物， And thanks to Hollywood's horror movie heavyweights,
它的声誉受到了不公平的玷污 its reputation is unfairly tarnished.
科学家们对整个好莱坞神话提出质疑 Scientists dispute the whole Hollywood myth
一群食人鱼可以在几秒钟内吞食一个人 that a school of piranha can devour a person in a matter of seconds.
它们相信需要300-500条小鱼 They believe it would take 300-500 of the tiny fish
五分钟就可以吃掉一个成年的人 a good five minutes to consume a fully grown human.
真的吗，为什么这么大惊小怪？ So really, why all the fuss?
潜藏在水下的凤眼莲，长到将近3米长 Lurking beneath the water hyacinths, growing to nearly 3m long...
海牛是亚马逊最大的动物之一 the manatee is one of the Amazon's largest animals.
出了名的害羞， Notoriously shy,
即使是专家导游也会认为自己很幸运能看到一个 even expert guides would count themselves lucky to see one.
幸运的是全世界的动物爱好者， Fortunately for animal lovers the world over,
秘鲁有一个救援中心 there's a rescue centre in Peru
这里100%保证能看到这些奇怪的生物 where sightings of these curious creatures are 100% guaranteed.
亚马逊海牛是世界上仅有的四种海牛之一 The Amazonian manatee is one of only four manatee species in the world.
它比其它海牛稍微瘦一点， It's slightly slimmer than the other manatees,
与加勒比海和非洲的表亲不同， and unlike its Caribbean and African cousins,
脚蹼上没有钉子 has no nails on its flippers.
海牛有时被称为海洋的牛，是温和的动物 Sometimes called sea cows, manatees are gentle creatures.
它们是食草动物，在野外只吃两种植物- They are herbivores that only eat two types of plant in the wild -
水浮莲和风信子 water lettuce and hyacinth.
每只300多公斤的动物 With each 300-plus kilo animal
每天需要消耗8%体重的植物， needing to consume 8% of its body weight every day,
它们肯定把沙拉条弄坏了 they sure put a dent in the salad bar.
为了帮助它们应对所有的咀嚼， To help them contend with all that chewing,
海牛有非常独特的牙齿 manatees have quite unique teeth.
它们是唯一的哺乳动物 They're the only mammals
不断更换磨损的臼齿 that constantly replace their worn-out molars
下颌后部长出了新牙齿， with new teeth that grow at the back of their jaw,
需要时继续前进 moving forward when needed.
海牛曾经生活在整个亚马逊河流域 Manatees once lived throughout the Amazon basin...
但由于对它们的肉和油的高需求， but thanks to high demand for their meat and oil,
这些可爱的生物正在严重减少 these lovely creatures are in serious decline.
但经过细致的人为干预， But with careful human intervention,
亚马逊海牛的数量正在缓慢恢复 the Amazonian manatee population is slowly recovering.
北美的湿地与亚马逊形成了鲜明的对比 North America's wetland is a complete contrast to the Amazon.
它几乎没有树 It has very few trees
被一条缓慢流动的河流所控制 and is dominated by one slow-flowing river...
将近80公里宽 nearly 80km wide.
它们称之为大沼泽地， They call it the Everglades,
它占据了美国佛罗里达州南端的大部分地区 and it takes up most of the southern tip of Florida, in the USA.
很容易看出原因 It's easy to see why
这是浅水和草原的独特结合 this unique combination of shallow water and prairie
通常被称为草之河 is often called a river of grass.
它也是西印度群岛海牛的家园， It too is home to a manatee, the West Indian species,
亚马逊流域的一个较大的亲戚 a larger relative of the Amazonian one.
不仅有可能在水下遇到佛罗里达州的海牛- It's not only possible to encounter Florida's manatees underwater -
在国王湾野生动物保护区，它受到了积极的鼓励 here in the Kings Bay Wildlife Refuge, it's actively encouraged.
这些温柔的巨人令人着迷的观看 These gentle giants are mesmerising to watch...
在人类面前感到好奇和舒适 curious and comfortable in the presence of humans.
冬天水晶河里有更多的海牛， There are more manatees here in the Crystal River during winter,
由于大多数在夏天迁徙， as most migrate in the summer,
远至墨西哥或马萨诸塞州 travelling as far as Mexico or Massachusetts.
离美国南部海岸的新奥尔良市不远， Not far from the city of New Orleans, on the southern coast of America,
路易斯安那州的沼泽地 are the swamplands of Louisiana...
充满机遇的湿地 a wetland brimming with opportunities
遇到该州的顶级捕食者，美洲短吻鳄 to encounter the state's top predator, the American alligator.
鳄鱼没有咸水鳄鱼大 Alligators are not as big as saltwater crocodiles
但它们仍然有很多原始爬行动物要对付， but they're still a lot of primeval reptile to contend with,
长到4米长 growing up to 4m long.
不用说， Needless to say,
路易斯安那州的每个人都以合理的态度对待它们 everyone in Louisiana treats them with a healthy respect.
短吻鳄是装备精良的顶级捕食者， Alligators are well-armed apex predators,
喜欢吃鱼、蛇和小型哺乳动物 with a preference for eating fish, snakes and small mammals.
机会主义的成年鳄鱼也会去吃腐肉， An opportunist, an adult gator will also go for carrion,
有时是宠物狗，有时是它们的双腿主人 the occasional pet dog and sometimes their two-legged masters.
到了20世纪中期，它们被猎杀到了灭绝的边缘 By the mid 1900s, they'd been hunted to the brink of extinction.
但有效的保护，再加上栖息地保护， But effective protection, coupled with habitat preservation,
对鳄鱼产品的需求减少， and a reduced demand for alligator products,
使物种得以恢复 have allowed the species to recover.
野生短吻鳄种群 The wild alligator population
现在估计超过100万，而且还在增长 is now estimated to be over a million and growing.
东非大裂谷，地球上的一系列裂缝， The Great Rift Valley, a series of cracks in the earth,
最终威胁，要把整个大陆拆散， threatening, in time, to pull the continent apart,
最为人所知的是人类进化的地方 is best known as the place where mankind was thought to have evolved.
但我们人类只是一个为自己建立家园的物种 But we humans are just one species to have made a home for ourselves
在世界上这个壮丽的地方 in this magnificent part of the world
充满了湿地的神奇 awash with the wonder of wetlands.
大裂谷的许多大壕沟现在都有湖泊， Many of the Rift's great trenches now contain lakes,
这些湖泊是避风港 and these lakes are a haven
野生动物的惊人集中 for an astonishing concentration of wildlife.
肯尼亚的奈瓦沙湖是最容易到达的湖之一， Lake Naivasha, in Kenya, is one of the easiest to get to,
距离首都内罗毕（肯尼亚首都）仅100公里 a mere 100km from the capital, Nairobi.
你在这里最可能遇到的动物 The animals you're most likely to encounter here
至少可以说是令人印象深刻 are impressive to say the least.
这个巨大的居民需要水和草才能生存， This giant resident needs both water and grass to survive,
所以它在奈瓦沙安顿了下来 so it's settled in well to Naivasha.
河马一天可以吃到体重的1.5倍 The hippopotamus can eat 1.5 times its body weight in a single day.
当你考虑 And when you consider
成年雄性体重约3.5吨， that a full-grown male weighs around 3.5 tonnes,
这显然是很多食物 that's clearly a lot of food.
奈瓦沙湖周围的河马 The hippos around Lake Naivasha
主要享用沼泽边缘的纸莎草 feast mainly on the papyrus grasses fringing the swamps.
为了生存，它们每天至少要花五个小时吃饭 They have to spend at least five hours a day eating just to survive.
但它们通常在晚上这样做 But they generally do this at night.
到了白天，河马会在水中消磨时间 By day, hippos tend to while away the hours cooling off in the water...
或者在阴凉处休息，尽量避开阳光 or resting in the shade, trying to keep out of the sun.
河马没有汗腺，所以它们很快就会过热 Hippos do not have sweat glands, so they can overheat quite quickly.
如果长时间暴露在空气中，它们厚厚的皮肤会开裂 Their thick skin can crack if it's exposed to the air for too long.
然而幸运的是，它们分泌出一种特殊的油 Fortunately, however, they secrete a special oil
保护自己免受太阳有害射线的伤害 to protect themselves from the sun's harmful rays.
尽管红色令人担忧，它不含任何血液 Despite its alarming red colour, it doesn't contain any blood.
它形成一种涂料，使河马的皮肤保持湿润 It forms a kind of varnish that keeps the hippos' skin moist.
它还可以作为抗生素，有效地治愈感染 It also acts as an antibiotic, and heals infections effectively.
河马的体型令人望而生畏， The hippos' proportions are daunting,
但很难越过那张令人惊叹的大嘴 but it's hard to get past that remarkable jaw-dropping mouth.
雄性的獠牙可以长到50厘米 Tusks in a male can get to 50cm long.
虽然它们确实会逐渐磨损，但它们从未停止生长 And while they do wear down, they never actually stop growing.
雄性河马打可怕的仗 Male hippos fight terrible battles
当涉及到赢得配偶权时 when it comes to winning the right to mate.
雌性会极力保护它们的幼崽 Females will fiercely protect their young.
而且雄性很有领土感， And males are very territorial,
因此，任何遭遇都需要保持安全距离 so any encounter needs to be from a safe distance.
河马造成的死亡人数最多 Hippos cause the most human fatalities
在非洲所有的动物中， of all the animals in Africa,
要时刻保持警惕 so visitors to Lake Naivasha need to remain vigilant at all times.
尽管它们热爱土地， Despite their land-loving ways,
河马的近亲是鲸鱼 a hippo's closest living relatives are whales.
当它们被淹没时，耳朵和鼻孔完全关闭， Their ears and nostrils close completely when they're submerged,
它们在水下有一种奇怪的听觉方式 and they have a strange way of hearing underwater
这和海豚很相似 that's similar to that of a dolphin.
它们用下颚来拾取声音， They use their lower jaws to pick up sounds,
然后通过脂肪组织传播到它们的耳朵 which are then transmitted to their ears via fatty tissue.
随着大裂谷的野生栖息地不断减少， As wild habitats throughout the Great Rift Valley continue to diminish,
河马的数量继续下降 hippo numbers continue to fall.
但至少就目前而言，保护措施似乎正在发挥作用 But for the time being, at least, protection appears to be working
对于那些选择奈瓦沙作为家的幸运儿 for those lucky enough to have chosen Naivasha as their home.
（有趣的音乐） (INTRIGUING MUSIC)
距奈瓦沙湖两小时车程 Two hours' drive from Lake Naivasha
是地球上最危险的湿地之一 is one of the most hostile wetlands on earth...
纳库鲁湖 Lake Nakuru.
这里的水腐蚀性很强，会灼伤人的皮肤 The water here is so caustic it could burn human skin.
苏打湖（碱湖）中含有大量的盐和矿物质 The soda lake contains so many salts and minerals
它排斥大多数非洲动物 it repels most of Africa's animals.
但有一种生物在这里茁壮成长 But one creature positively thrives here.
超过150万只火烈鸟生活在纳库鲁湖及其周围 Over 1.5 million flamingos live in and around Lake Nakuru.
它们完全适应了 They're perfectly adapted
生存在对大多数人来说，都是致命的条件 to survive conditions that would prove fatal to most.
它们腿上坚硬的鳞片状皮肤可以防止灼伤 Tough scaly skin on their legs prevents them from burning.
它们的头部有特殊的腺体 They have special glands in their heads
在它们喝水的时候去除水中的盐， to remove salt from the water when they're drinking,
然后通过鼻腔排出 which then drains out through their nasal cavities.
它们以蓝藻为食，蓝藻是一种在这里大量生长的粉红色浮游生物 They eat cyanobacteria, an organism that grows here in vast pink drifts.
这是一种剧毒生物 It's a highly toxic creature
这会破坏较小动物的肝脏和神经系统 that would destroy the liver and nervous systems of lesser animals.
但火烈鸟可以津津有味地吃 But the flamingo can eat it with gusto.
它对火烈鸟唯一可见的影响 The only visible effect it seems to have on the flamingos
这在它们的羽毛上很明显 is evident in their feathers.
所有这些粉红色的海藻，都是它们闪闪发光的颜色的原因 All that pink algae is the cause of their scintillating colour.
火烈鸟通过将喙在水中翻转来进食 Flamingos feed by sweeping their bill upside down through the water.
内部的过滤器捕捉漂浮在水中和泥浆中的微小藻类 Filters within catch the microscopic algae floating in the water and mud.
火烈鸟可以飞得很快，飞得很远 Flamingos can fly fast and travel far...
高达1500公里 up to 1,500km.
所以有人想知道 So one wonders
为什么它们会选择这样一个充满敌意的生态位 why they would've chosen such a hostile niche for themselves
为第一生存地 in the first place.
当然是世界其它地方的火烈鸟 Certainly flamingos in other parts of the world
已经定居在不那么极端的地方 have settled into less extreme places
并且很好地适应了挑战性较小的生活方式 and adapted well to less challenging lifestyles.
但为了适应这种特别有毒的环境， But in adapting to this particularly toxic environment,
非洲的火烈鸟发现自己几乎没有竞争对手 Africa's flamingos find themselves with very little competition
以及防止捕食者的措施 and a measure of protection from predators.
当鬣狗、豺狼或老鹰试图攻击时， When hyenas, jackals or eagles attempt an attack,
火烈鸟需要做的就是涉入腐蚀性的水中以保持安全 all a flamingo need do is wade into the caustic water to stay safe.
非洲最著名的湿地 Africa's most famous wetland
躺在沙漠中央… lies in the middle of the desert...
就在它周围的土地开始干涸的时候，它开始泛滥 and it floods just as the land around it begins to dry up.
这是奥卡万戈三角洲 This is the Okavango Delta...
博茨瓦纳北部的一大片水域 a massive body of water in northern Botswana.
每年充满它的水 The water that fills it each year
来自安哥拉高原的季节性降雨， comes from seasonal rains in the highlands of Angola,
最终淹没了15000平方公里的土地 ultimately flooding 15,000 square kilometres of land.
看到这片风景和所有从空中被吸引过来的动物 Seeing this landscape and all the animals drawn to it from the air
这是一次难忘的经历 is an unforgettable experience.
三角洲是世界各地动物的救星 The delta is a lifesaver for animals from far and wide...
500多种鸟类的季节性栖息地 a seasonal home to over 500 different bird species...
300种哺乳动物、爬行动物和无数昆虫 300 mammals and reptiles and countless insects.
但最令人印象深刻的是 But the most impressive to see on the move
是那些从平原来到这片湿地绿洲的人 are those that have come to this wetland oasis from the plains...
成群结队的斑马、黑斑羚、长颈鹿和大象 great herds of zebra and impala, giraffes and elephants.
这是一个动态的环境 This is a dynamic environment.
每年，湿地的布局都不同， Every year, the layout of the wetland is different,
多亏了一系列的压力 thanks to a range of pressures.
沉积物和植被堵塞了某些渠道， Sediment and vegetation block certain channels,
而地震活动和河马的运动 while seismic activity and movements of hippos
打开全新的 open up completely new ones.
最终奥卡万戈三角洲消失了， Eventually the Okavango Delta peters out,
随着水蒸发到热带空气中 with the water evaporating into the tropical air
或者沉入干渴的沙漠 or sinking into the thirsty desert sands.
奥卡万戈并不是博茨瓦纳唯一的湿地 The Okavango is not the only wetland in Botswana
爱水动物聚集的地方 where water-loving animals congregate.
这个了不起的国家 This remarkable country
有17%的土地用于野生动物保护 has 17% of its land devoted to wildlife protection.
但它的第一个国家公园是 乔贝（博茨瓦纳共和国地名） But its very first national park was Chobe.
位于博茨瓦纳东北部的乔贝河周围的土地， The land around the Chobe River, in north-eastern Botswana,
自1968年以来一直是野生动物的天堂 has been a haven for wildlife since 1968.
数十年不懈的保护 Decades of tireless conservation
让乔贝建立了一个名副其实的野生动物动物园- have allowed Chobe to build a veritable menagerie of wild animals -
包括非洲最大的大象种群，12万只 including the largest elephant population in Africa, 120,000 strong.
接近这些了不起的动物 Getting close to these remarkable animals
是一种有力的、肯定生命的体验 is a powerful, life-affirming experience...
尤其是在旱季，在4月到10月之间， especially during the dry season, between April and October,
当它们倾向于聚集在乔贝河边时 when they tend to congregate along the Chobe River.
非洲象是地球上最大的陆地动物 African elephants are the largest land animals on earth.
一头成年公象肩高4米，重6吨 A full-grown bull can be 4m tall at the shoulder and weigh 6 tonnes.
公象往往过着半孤独的生活， Bull elephants tend to lead semi-solitary lives,
独自游荡或在松散的单身群体中游荡 wandering alone or in loose-knit bachelor herds.
如果你遇到一大群不同年龄和大小的大象， If you encounter a large herd of elephants of all ages and sizes,
它们可能都是雌性和它们的幼崽 they're probably all females and their young.
雌象将在这样的群中度过一生， Female elephants will spend their entire lives in herds such as these,
像一个大家庭一样生活- living as one big extended family -
母亲、祖母、阿姨和姐妹 mothers, grandmothers, aunts and sisters
再加上各种各样的后代 plus an assortment of their offspring.
当婴儿出生时， When a baby is born,
每一个象群成员都将帮助饲养这头小象 every member of a herd will help to raise the young elephant.
雌象一次只能带一头小象， Female elephants will only carry one calf at a time,
由于每次怀孕持续将近两年， and since each pregnancy lasts for nearly two years,
它们一生中可能只产四次小象 they will likely only calve four times in their lives.
幼象不是完全独立的 Young calves are not fully independent
直到它们13或14岁左右， until they are around 13 or 14 years old,
并达到20岁左右时最大 and reach their full size around 20.
雄性和雌性都有象牙， Both males and females have tusks,
这是寻求生存的主要工具 a major tool in their quest for survival.
每根象牙都是一颗生长过度的门牙 Each tusk is an overgrown incisor...
但与人类牙齿不同的是，它们从不停止生长 but unlike human teeth, they never stop growing.
非洲象的另一个突出特征是它们的躯干 Another standout feature of African elephants is their trunks.
它们包含10万块肌肉和肌腱，可以伸展到3米 They contain 100,000 muscles and tendons, and can stretch out to 3m.
手指状的躯干尖端可以完成微妙的任务 The finger-like tip of the trunk can perform delicate tasks
比如摘一个浆果或者选择一片多汁的叶子 like picking a berry or selecting a single juicy leaf.
这些巨大的动物是食草动物， These massive animals are herbivores,
因此，除非它们感到受到威胁，否则它们对攻击人类没有兴趣 so they have no interest in attacking humans unless they feel threatened.
草和叶子不包含大量的营养 Grass and leaves do not contain a huge amount of nutrition...
所以一头大象每天需要吃掉100公斤以上才能存活 so an elephant needs to eat over 100 kilos a day to stay alive.
它们还需要喝多达200升的水 They also need to drink up to 200 litres of water.
尽管大象体型庞大，但它们能游泳 Despite their bulk, elephants are able to swim.
它们也可以用鼻子作为通气管在河底行走 They can also walk on river bottoms using their trunks as snorkels.
这些巨大的耳朵还有听力以外的用途 Those enormous ears also have a range of uses beyond hearing.
它们是优良的冷却装置 They are excellent cooling devices...
也是一种重要的沟通方式 and an important means of communication.
众所周知，拍打耳朵意味着攻击或喜悦， Flapping ears are known to signify aggression or joy,
视情况而定 depending on the circumstances.
大象有惊人的听力 Elephants have amazing hearing.
它们可以在10公里外听到声音 They can pick up sounds from 10km away.
大脑比人类大三四倍， With a brain three or four times bigger than a human,
大象能够进行智能通信， elephants are capable of intelligent communication,
众所周知，它们有着非凡的记忆力 and are known to have exceptional memories.
它们还表现出一系列复杂的情绪， They also show a complex range of emotions,
表达同情、喜悦和悲伤 expressing compassion, joy and grief.
大象的悲伤能力有据可查 The elephant's capacity for sadness is well documented.
它们以一种非常人性化的方式哀悼失去亲人 They are known to mourn the loss of a loved one in a very human-like way.
难怪我们发现这些巨大的动物如此迷人和可爱 Small wonder we find these huge animals so fascinating and endearing.
澳大利亚最大的湖泊通常完全没有水 Australia's largest lake usually contains no water at all.
大多数时候， Most of the time,
它只是一个闪闪发光的盐锅，远到目之所不及 it's just a shimmering saltpan stretching as far as the eye can see.
当水流进（澳洲的}艾湖 When water does trickle into Lake Eyre,
或者当地原住民所知的皇家祖鲁， or Kati Thanda as it's known to the local aboriginal people,
它来自澳大利亚中部沙漠的河流 it comes from the rivers of Australia's central deserts.
这里的雨水只够偶尔填满湖水， It only rains sufficiently here to fill the lake occasionally,
也许每八年一次 perhaps once every eight years.
即使是在水桶下降时，水的行为也有点不稳定 Even when it buckets down, the water behaves somewhat erratically.
流入皇家祖鲁盆地的河道 The channels feeding into the Kati Thanda basin
当它们向下游移动时，减少它们的流量 decrease their flow as they move downstream.
这片土地的平坦性和在其上方流过的热空气 The flat nature of the land and the hot air that passes above it
共同导致水流扩散或蒸发 conspire to force the flow to either spread out or evaporate.
任何真正到达湖中的水往往都很咸 Any water that actually reaches the lake tends to be very salty.
湖床是澳大利亚的最低点，低于海平面15米 The lake bed is the lowest point in Australia, 15m below sea level.
所以当下雨的时候，皇家祖鲁完全改变了 So when rain falls, Kati Thanda is totally transformed.
澳大利亚中部广阔的洪泛平原变成了湿地， Central Australia's vast floodplains turn into wetlands,
充满活力 brimming with life.
新闻在自然界传播得很快， News travels fast in the natural world,
尤其是周围有食物的时候 especially when there's food around.
通常生活在海边的鸟 Birds normally found living by the seaside
突然降临澳大利亚中部 suddenly descend on central Australia.
鹈鹕成群结队地来到这里 Pelicans arrive in their tens of thousands.
澳大利亚鹈鹕的翼展接近3.5米 The Australian pelican has a wingspan of nearly 3.5m.
正如你所料，它们是令人印象深刻的旅行者 And as you might expect, they're impressive travellers.
它们能飞上几千米的高空 They can soar thousands of metres into the sky
在空中停留24小时 and stay airborne for 24 hours.
30到50000对 Between 30 and 50,000 pairs
会来利用这一瞬间的内陆赏金 will arrive to take advantage of this instant inland bounty.
很多鸟会飞到半个澳大利亚， Many will have flown halfway across Australia,
所以毫无疑问它们饿了 so there's no doubting they're hungry.
鹈鹕的嘴能装13升水， Pelicans can fit 13 litres of water in their bills,
但在这里，它们对鱼更感兴趣， but here, they're more interested in fish,
以奇特的海龟或青蛙为补充 supplemented by the odd turtle or frog.
它们是胃口大的大鸟 They're big birds with big appetites.
一旦加油， And once they're refuelled,
这是交配和筑巢的重要事项 it's on to the important business of mating and nesting.
难以置信的是，科学家们现在相信 Incredibly, scientists now believe
鹈鹕小鸟从卵内到与父母交流 that pelican chicks communicate with their parents from inside the egg...
指示它们何时太热或太冷 indicating when they're too hot or too cold...
在这种严酷的环境中，这对孵化存活至关重要 which in this harsh landscape could be crucial to surviving incubation.
蛋里的小鸟也一直在听 The chicks in their eggs have also been listening to
父母发出的独特声音 the unique sound emitted by their parents.
当破壳而出时，小鸟会立刻认出它们， When they emerge, they recognise them straight away,
尽管它们外表一致 despite their uniform appearance.
孵化发生在35天后， Hatching happens after 35 days,
父母都照顾孩子 and both parents take care of their young.
整个鹈鹕群落 The entire pelican community
有助于小鸟的健康， contributes to the wellbeing of the chicks,
把它们关在喧闹的育儿室里 corralling them into boisterous creches.
父母可以离开去寻找食物 Parents can leave to find food
知道它们的后代受到很好的照顾 knowing their offspring are well taken care of.
小鸟需要快速成长 Chicks need to grow fast.
它们需要开始上飞行课 They need to start their flying lessons
当它们只有三个月大的时候 when they're only three months old.
皇家祖鲁湖不会长久存在， Kati Thanda will not remain a lake for long,
当它干涸的时候， and when it dries out,
年轻的鹈鹕必须准备好进行1500公里的旅程 the young pelicans must be ready to make the 1,500km journey
回到海岸 back to the coast.
位于澳大利亚东南部， Nestled in the southeast of Australia,
大奥特韦斯国家公园 the Great Otways National Park
是一块镶嵌在山脉和大海之间的钻石 is a diamond of land wedged between the mountains and the sea
墨尔本以西200公里 200km west of Melbourne.
它为澳大利亚一些最奇怪的动物提供了避风港 It provides a haven for some of Australia's strangest animals.
一种肉食性野兽，性情凶猛，斑点明显 A carnivorous beast with a fierce nature and striking spots.
一只尖尖的蚂蚁吃着奇怪的球 A spiky ant-eating ball of weirdness
舌头有身体一半长 with a tongue half as long as its body.
还有这个在主要水道巡逻的奇怪生物 And this strange creature patrolling the main waterways.
一种害羞、神秘的动物，脚后跟上有毒刺， A shy, secretive animal with venomous spurs on its heels,
像鸭子一样的喙和比水獭厚的毛皮大衣 a bill like a duck, and a fur coat that's thicker than an otter's.
它的存在归功于哺乳动物和鸟类的进化 It owes its existence to the evolution of mammals and birds
当它们在2.8亿年前开始分离时 as they began to diverge 280 million years ago.
但是在许多种产卵哺乳动物中， But of the many species of egg-laying mammals, or monotremes,
那时候发展起来的， that developed at that time,
现在澳大利亚只剩下两种----针鼹和鸭嘴兽 only two now remain in Australia - the echidna and the platypus.
它们用奇怪的喙在水下挖食物， They use their bizarre bills to dig for food underwater,
从河床上挖出贝类、蠕虫、泥土和砾石 scooping up shellfish and worms, mud and gravel from the riverbed.
它们把所有东西都放在特殊的颊囊里 They store everything in special cheek pouches
直到它们回到水面吃东西 until they return to the surface to eat.
没有牙齿的好处， Without the benefit of teeth,
鸭嘴兽很好地利用了它收集的砾石 a platypus makes good use of the gravel it's collected
帮助研磨它找到的食物 to help grind the food it has found.
这变得越来越困难 It is becoming increasingly difficult
在野外遇到害羞的动物，如鸭嘴兽 to encounter shy animals, such as the platypus, in the wild.
河獭在北美的情况要好一点 River otters are faring a little better in North America.
但是亚洲小爪水獭 But the Asian small-clawed otter
现在在其分布范围内的许多地区局部灭绝 is now locally extinct in many areas of its range.
幸运的是，这些水生哺乳动物在圈养中繁殖良好， Fortuitously, these aquatic mammals breed well in captivity,
积极鼓励接触 where encounters are actively encouraged.
而世界各地的动物园 While zoos all over the world
尽最大努力提供丰富的游客体验 do their best to provide enriching visitor experiences...
到目前为止，这是观察任何湿地动物最令人满意的方式 by far the most satisfying way to observe any wetland animal
在它的自然栖息地 is in its natural habitat...
按照大自然的意图生活 living as nature intended...
在地球上一些最引人注目的地方 in some of the most remarkable places on earth.
在陆地和深水之间 Lying between dry land and deep water...
丰富的植物生命继续茁壮成长， the profusion of plant life that continues to thrive,
在重视保护和确保保护的地方 where conservation is valued and protection has been assured...
将继续支持和庇护 will continue to support and shelter
一艘由真正非凡的动物组成的水上方舟 a watery ark of truly extraordinary animals.
英语字幕 Ai-media.tv 机翻粗校chenym Captioned by Ai-media.tv