巨兽（2023）

巨型的动物 鲜活的传说
Giant animals, living legends.
神奇的生物
Fantastic creatures.
这些就是自然界中的大型动物
These are nature's big beasts.
但从它们的视角去体验这个世界
But experience the world from their perspective,
你会发现当大块头并非易事
and you'll see it's not easy being huge.
动物的体型越大 风险就越大
The larger the animal, the higher the stakes
其冒险旅程也就更具有史诗色彩
and the more epic the adventure.
气温经常低于40度
With temperatures regularly 40 below,
在北极生存似乎是不可能的
survival in the Arctic would seem impossible.
(旁白 汤姆希德斯顿)
除非是只巨兽
Unless you're a giant.
动物体型越大 热量储存得就越好
The bigger the animal, the better it retains heat.
所以保暖并不是北极熊面临的最大挑战
So staying warm is not a polar bear's greatest challenge.
寻找食物才是
It's finding food.
要找到足够多的食物 来维系它那227公斤的身体
Enough to sustain her 500-pound body...
还能让它的两只幼崽茁壮成长
and to keep her two cubs growing strong.
当夏天来临 海冰消退
When summer comes and the sea ice retreats,
这位全心全意的母亲要想让家人活下去
this devoted mother will face difficult decisions
就得面临艰难的抉择
if she is to keep her family alive.
《北极熊》
这个陆地上最大的捕食者 每周都得捕获一只海豹
The largest predator to walk the earth needs to catch a seal every week.
春季 它知道去哪里寻找猎物
During spring, she knows where to find them.
它只需有耐心即可
All she needs to do is be patient.
还要选对换气口
And pick the right breathing hole.
但它身披10厘米厚的脂肪来保暖
But with a four-inch blanket of fat to keep her warm,
可以坐等晚餐送上嘴边
she waits for dinner to come to her.
这里虽然荒凉
It may be barren out here,
但在冰面之下
but beneath the ice,
冰冷、丰饶的海水孕育了很多种生命
cold, fertile waters support lots of life.
这是一条重达900公斤的格陵兰睡鲨
A one-ton Greenland shark.
它的寿命可长达400年
It can live for 400 years
是唯一能够常年生存于北极的鲨鱼
and is the only shark that survives in the Arctic year-round.
但海里还有更大的巨兽
But there are even bigger giants in the sea.
这是一头雄海象 和一辆汽车一样大
A male walrus, as large as a car...
它的食物全部来自海底
gets all his food from the seafloor.
它用嘴喷水 搅动沙子
He stirs up the sand by squirting water from his mouth.
用400根敏感的胡须感触猎物
Feels for his prey with 400 delicate whiskers.
然后它一天可以吸食25公斤的 软体动物、甲壳纲动物
Then, he sucks up 55 pounds of mollusks, crustaceans
和虫子
and worms a day.
海象可以下潜至61米深的海底
Walruses can dive to 200 feet to reach the bottom.
但每20分钟就得浮到水面去换气
But every 20 minutes they must surface to breathe.
这些两栖动物有三分之一的时间 是在水面之上度过的
These amphibious animals spend a third of their time out of the water.
但它们在陆地上非常笨重 所以会尽量待在冰面的边缘
But they're so cumbersome on land they try to stay close to the edge of the ice.
15厘米厚的脂肪 能让它们在最恶劣的天气中保暖
Six inches of blubber keeps them warm even against the worst weather.
在北极 暴风雪随时都会降临
In the Arctic, storms and blizzards can strike at anytime.
凛冽的寒风扫过冰冻的海洋 和没有树的大地
They whip across the frozen ocean and batter the treeless terrain.
麝香牛在春季严酷的天气中抱团取暖
Musk oxen stay snug in severe spring weather.
幸好它有隔热“内衣”
Thanks to an insulating underlayer
和一件由1米长的蓬乱长毛做的“大衣”
and an overcoat of 3-foot long shaggy hair.
但这些360公斤重的野兽不得不靠搜刮
But these 800-pound beasts have to scrape by
埋在雪下的苔藓和地衣为生
on moss and lichen buried beneath the snow.
公牛拼命保持着健壮
The males are struggling to stay strong,
但它们必须很快准备好 为争夺交♥配♥权而战了
but soon they must be ready to fight for breeding rights.
谢天谢地 天气即将转暖
Thankfully, change is coming.
当夏天来临 北极会发生变化
When summer sets in, the Arctic transforms.
愈发强烈的阳光让新鲜的草场露了出来
Strengthening sun reveals fresh grazing.
但麝香牛准备饱餐的同时
But just as the musk oxen prepare to feast,
依赖冰生存的巨兽
the giants who rely on ice
正目睹着自己的世界分崩离析
are watching their world fall apart.
冰川断裂
Glaciers calve.
一千六百万平方公里的冰冻海面破碎
Six million square miles of frozen sea break up.
随着气候变暖
And with a warming climate,
它的融化时间比过去更早 速度更快
it's melting faster and earlier than before.
对北极熊来说 冰变少了就意味着要多游泳
Less ice means more swimming for a polar bear.
厚厚的皮毛打湿后 隔热效果就不好了
Once wet, that thick coat doesn't insulate so well.
至少它可以把冰面当成一块 巨大的浴巾来擦干身体
At least she can use the ice as a giant bath mat.
它中空、含有空气的毛 把水排向吸水性更好的雪
Her hollow, air-trapping hairs shed water to the more absorbent snow.
身子被打湿没什么大不了的
Getting wet is no big deal.
但养活一家子越来越难了
But feeding the family is getting harder.
在换气口旁等待已经没用了
No use waiting for breathing holes anymore.
海豹可以在任何地方浮出水面 所以它不得不主动出击
Seals can pop up anywhere, so she has to hunt them down.
北极熊的饮食 是所有动物中脂肪含量最高的
Polar bears have the fattiest diet of any animal.
这只髯海豹非常肥美 够它消化好几天
This bearded seal is so blubbery, it could last her days.
这是好事 因为现在捕猎难度大幅度提高了
Just as well. Because now they're much harder to catch.
它悄悄地在水中潜行
She keeps a low profile by stalking in the water.
它的最后一击需要在冰面上进行
For the final attack, she needs to get back onto the ice.
但冰太薄了 破坏了出其不意的效果
But it's so thin, it ruins the surprise.
在每年的这个时节 捕猎成功率不到10%
At this time of year, fewer than one in ten hunts are successful.
这头公熊运气比较好
This male has had more luck.
它吃饱了 变得几乎没有威胁
While well-fed, he poses little threat.
但随着冰面的缩小 北极熊被迫向彼此靠拢
But as the ice shrinks, bears are forced even closer together.
有时大公熊会猎杀同类吃
Sometimes big males kill and eat their own kind.
该回到熊崽身边了
Time to get back to the cubs.
它有巨大的脂肪储量 可以一连三个月不吃一顿饱餐
With huge fat reserves, she could go three months without a full meal.
但哺育幼崽时不行
But not when nursing her young.
目前 它超浓的熊奶 是幼崽唯一的食物来源
Right now, her extra-rich milk is their only source of food.
如果运气一直欠佳
And if her luck doesn't change,
它很快就会断奶了
soon she'll have no more to give.
海象妈妈也在努力喂养自己的巨型宝宝
Walrus mothers also work hard to support their big babies.
幼崽一出生的体重就和一个成年男子一样
A calf is born the weight of a full-grown man
而且必须通过每天喝8升奶
and must put on 11 pounds every week...
来保证每周增重5公斤
by drinking two gallons of milk a day.
海象妈妈在海里喂奶
Mum suckles in the sea...
因为很难找到离开水的地方
because space out of the water is at a premium.
到了夏天 一千八百公斤重的海象很难找到
Come summer, two-ton walruses struggle to find ice
能够承受住其体重的厚冰
where it's thick enough to haul out.
这个岛是它们最喜欢的聚食场 附近唯一的陆地
This island is the only land close to their favorite feeding grounds.
开始变得拥挤不堪
And it's getting crowded.
海象宝宝很有可能被挤死
Being crushed is a real risk for a baby.
另一个选项只能是游去海岸
The only other option is to swim to the coast.
这旅途对于幼崽来说太长了
It's too long a journey for a young pup.
但很多雄性成年海象已经朝着陆地出发了
But many adult males are already heading for land.
随着冰面的裂开 新的机会出现了
As the ice breaks apart, new opportunities open up.
独角鲸顶着3米长的角 沿着裂缝来到之前冰冻的海岸
Ten-foot tusked narwhals follow channels to reach previously frozen shores.
夏季的迁徙动物开始陆续到来
Summer migrants are beginning to arrive.
在整个北极
And all across the Arctic,
数以百万计的海鸟来到悬崖上筑巢
millions of seabirds come to nest on the cliffs.
在内陆 麝香牛充分利用这短暂的夏天
Further inland, the musk oxen make the most of the short summer.
它们大吃特吃新鲜植被
Gorging on fresh vegetation
并脱去长毛来避暑
and shedding fur to avoid getting too hot.
母牛在准备交♥配♥
The females are preparing to breed...
而公牛则在准备打架
while the males are preparing for battle.
最强大的公牛会赢得 和牛群中所有母牛交♥配♥的权利
The most powerful will win access to all the females in the herd.
今年出现了一位新的挑战者
This year, there's a new contender on the scene.
它准备挑战处于统治地位的公牛
And he's getting ready to go head-to-head with the dominant bull.
夏天对于所有北极巨兽都是个挑战
Summer is a challenging time for all Arctic giants.
但北极熊幼崽还是能找到时间嬉闹
But polar bear cubs still find time to play.
假装挖掘巢穴
Digging into pretend dens...
和冰块海豹搏斗都是不错的练习
and wrestling ice cube seals is good practice.
但它们要真正抓到一只还差得远
But they're nowhere near catching one for real.
捕猎对妈妈来说可不是儿戏
Hunting is no game for Mum.
努力了几个小时后
After hours of trying...
依然一无所获
still no luck.
现在它必须回到幼崽身边
And now she needs to get back to her cubs.
一头雄性北极熊
A male.
体型是它的两倍 靠得太近 到了危险的地步
Twice her size, and coming too close for comfort.
熊妈妈不会冒险
Mum's not taking any risks.
幸运的是 它另有打算
Fortunately, he has other plans.
虽然大部分北极熊随着海冰向北漂移
While most polar bears drift north with the sea ice...
有些也会前往海岸
some head for shore.
北极熊长着30厘米的蹼爪 并有一层脂肪来帮助漂浮