探秘野性赤道（2020）

被辽阔的热带雨林 和广袤的稀树草原割离开
Divided by great tropical forests...
赤道非洲地区 孕育了独特的动物进化和行为
and vast grassland savannas, equatorial Africa is home
to unique animal adaptations and behavior.
冲浪的河马
Hippos that surf.
像草原掠食者一样奔跑的猴子
A monkey that runs like a savannah predator.
几近于人的猿猴
An ape that's almost human.
一个隐秘的森林动物身上承载着
And a hidden forest animal that holds a clue
解开非洲最大谜团之一的钥匙
to one of Africa's biggest mysteries.
这就是你闻所未闻的非洲
This is Africa, but as you've never seen it.
赤道的秘密
非洲
在加蓬的西非海岸
The West African coast of Gabon...
位于赤道附近的一处神秘野性天堂
On the equator is a mysterious, wild paradise.
在海滩上 野牛们正在觅食
On its beaches, forest buffalo look for food.
热带降水将雨林植被冲刷到了沙滩上
Rainforest vegetation is washed out by tropical rains
onto the sandy beaches.
野牛正在寻找红树林中
The buffalo seek mangrove pods,
蕴含大量矿物质的果实
which contain high concentrations of minerals.
但它们没法独占
But they have company.
这是非洲的象征 河马
It's an African icon: the hippopotamus.
加蓬卢安果国家公园的河马 是海滩爱好者
The hippos of Loango National Park in Gabon are beachgoers.
这种行为极为罕见
This behavior is highly unusual.
他们似乎在海浪中悠然自得...
They seem to be at home in the surf.
但实际上却是在漂流迁移
But they're actually on the move.
这些生物学会了利用洋流
These creatures have learned to use ocean currents
在海滩礁石之间往来觅食
to move from one beach lagoon to another in search of food.
熟悉海滩的非洲标志性动物 并非只有河马
It's not the only African icon at home on the beach.
这些大象也有所不同
These elephants are different in other ways too.
直到2010年 科学界才证实
It was only in 2010 that science confirmed
这些大象其实是一种全新的物种
that these elephants were, in fact, a whole new species.
它们被称为非洲森林象
Forest elephants, as they are called, are on average
一般来说 比它们的表亲草原象，矮六十到九十公分左右
two to three feet smaller than their savanna cousins.
加蓬的雨林中 生活着四万五千头森林象
45,000 of them live here in Gabon's forests,
这是他们最后的栖息地之一
one of their last strongholds.
在大象的族群中
In the elephant world,
体型巨大更容易适应严酷干旱的环境
being large confers benefits in harsh dry environments.
赤道雨林
The equatorial rainforests drive the evolution
驱使着动物们发生令人惊奇的进化
of animals in surprising ways.
从加蓬沿着赤道向东进发 就到了刚果盆地的中心地带
Further east along the equator from Gabon
is the heart of the Congo basin...
世界第二大雨林的所在地
home to the second largest rainforest on earth.
在这里 一只极具代表性的猿猴，过着与世隔绝的生活
Here, a seemingly iconic ape lives in complete isolation.
外形神似黑猩猩
It looks like a chimpanzee, but in fact,
但是 由于热带雨林的影响
thanks to the influence of the rainforest,
它们实际上是黑猩猩的近亲 倭猩猩
it's a cousin called the bonobo.
倭猩猩们有独特的粉红色嘴唇
Bonobos are also distinguished by pink lips,
较黑的面部和较长的头部毛发
a darker face, and longer hair on its head.
倭猩猩族群也有所不同
Bonobo societies are different too,
由不爱争夺统治权和地位的雌性统领
run by females who don't compete for dominance or rank.
但最大的不同在于攻击性
But the biggest difference is aggression.
它们更倾向和平共处 不愿发生斗争
就像它们的黑猩猩表亲
They prefer peace, not war, like their chimp cousins.
这都得益于它们的雨林家园
And this is all due to their rainforest home.
在这里 倭猩猩可以获得充足的营养
Here the bonobos have access to immense nutrient-rich environments.
无需为食物竞争
With little need to compete for food...
因此可以在群落中♥共♥同分享战利品
able to share their spoils among the groups.
尽管黑猩猩在非洲赤道地区分布比
Although chimpanzees are widespread across equatorial Africa,
倭猩猩更广
unlike bonobos,
它们还可以在 更干旱的落叶林和草原上生存
they can also live in the drier deciduous forests and grasslands.
但食物愈发稀少
The food they eat is scarcer
为了争夺资源大打出手
so they aggressively compete for it.
黑猩猩部落之间会互相攻击和残杀
And tribes of chimpanzees will attack and kill each other.
它们甚至会杀死群落中较弱的成员
They will even kill a weakened member of their own community.
爱好和平的倭猩猩
The peace-loving bonobos are a unique example
是雨林环境改进动物演化的独特例证
of how the rainforest environment creates adaptations in species.
热带雨林的形成来源于
The tropical rainforests are created by the eight feet of rain
每年2.5米的降水量
that falls here annually.
但是什么导致了非洲赤道地区的 这场洪水泛滥呢?
But what causes this great deluge on equatorial Africa?
从南而来的本格拉寒流
When the cold Benguela ocean current from the south
与从北而来的几内亚暖流汇集
meets the warm Guinea current from the north...
湿润的空气不断在上空凝结
the moist air condenses
为加蓬带来了丰富的降雨
bringing spectacular amounts of rain to the Gabon.
但是再往东 却出现了明显的变化
But travel further eastwards and a distinct change occurs.
雨林让位于稀疏的林地
Rainforests give way to sparse woodlands.
最终变成了大草原
And finally to great savannas.
这在赤道地区极为罕见
This is rare on the equator.
世界其他地方的赤道地区
Most equatorial regions in other parts of the world are wet
都与刚果一样 一片湿润 雨林丛生
and covered in jungles, like the Congo.
但在稀树草原上稀少的降雨
But here on the savanna, the little rain that falls
不足以涵养茂密的森林
isn't enough to sustain vast forests.
这片五百万平方的土地被草原主宰
Grasslands dominate this five million square-mile-sized area.
肯尼亚高地的雨影
It's the rain shadow of the Kenyan highlands
造就了这里干燥的生态系统
that produces this arid ecosystem.
正值十月下旬 最干旱的时候
It's late October, the peak of the dry season.
几个月来滴雨未降
It hasn't rained in months.
只有少数顽强的物种 才能在这种无情的环境中生存下来
Only a few hardy species can endure this unforgiving landscape.
秃鹫乘着强力上升的热流
Vultures ride the powerful rising heat waves.
一望无际的草原 为捕猎带来了清晰的视野
Wide-open plains give them a clear view of prey.
在旱季 大自然的垃圾清理工
In the dry months, nature's garbage collectors
总是十分忙碌
are always in business.
但它们也被盯上了
But they're being watched.
一只非洲母狮在专注地盯着它们
An African lioness has her eyes trained on them.
她知道盘旋的秃鹫们 只会为了一件事落地，那就是食物
She knows that soaring vultures land only for one thing-- food.
甚至草原上的狮子们都会去捡拾腐肉
Even the lions here aren't above scavenging.
尤其是在这个季节
Especially at this time of the year.
这些赤道平原上巨大的猫科动物
These big cats of the equator's plains
捡拾的腐肉 占据了它们一半的食物来源
scavenge as much as half of all their food...
远高于非洲其他地区的狮子们
much higher than lions from other parts of the continent.
当许多动物开始进行迁移 狮群则选择留在草原上
While many animals migrate,the lions remain on the savanna
度过长达四个月的旱季
throughout the four-month-long drought.
汤姆森瞪羚也可能会留下
Thomson's gazelles may stay as well.
狮子对瞪羚的追捕往往以失败告终
Pursuits often end in failure for the lions.
每一次追逐都会消耗宝贵的精力
Each chase saps precious energy.
尤其对于狮子妈妈来说
Especially for mothers.
成年狮子一天需要吃掉约二十斤的肉
An adult must eat around 20 pounds of meat a day.
少于这个量 它们便会陷入挨饿的恶性循环
Any less, and they will get into a spiral of starvation.
漫长的旱季 对于狮子幼崽来说异常的残酷
The long dry season is extremely taxing for the cubs.
据统计 在这个时候，有高达百分之七十的幼崽会死于饥饿
It's believed that up to 70 percent of them may starve to death during this time.
但饥饿不只是幼崽们面临的唯一威胁
But starvation is not the only threat the cubs face.
这只独行的鬣狗 正在寻找易得手的猎物
This lone hyena is on the lookout for an easy meal.
它已深入狮群领地
He's strayed too far into the pride's territory.
但它尚未意识到
But he doesn't know it yet.
离开了族群的帮助 它极可能身陷困境
Without his clan to back him up,he might be in deep trouble.
在赤道大草原上
On the equatorial savanna,
一只独行的鬣狗 无意闯入了狮群的领地
a lone hyena has unwittingly strayed into lion territory.
草原是大型猫科动物 和食腐动物的天堂
The grasslands are a paradise for big cats
and scavengers in search of abundant
这里生活着大量 行动敏捷且伪装良好的猎物
but fast-moving and well-camouflaged prey.
草原还生活着一种 不同寻常的灵长类动物
The savanna is also home to a very unusual primate
它们像野狗和 大型猫科动物一样在草原上行走
that walks the plains like a wild dog or a big cat.
东非狒狒已经适应了 二十五个赤道国家的环境
Olive baboons have adapted to live across 25 equatorial countries.
它们进化出了
They've developed the ability to subsist on grasses
长♥期♥以草为食的能力
for extended periods of time.
这种干燥的环境对
This dry environment is not conducive to most other primates
众多生活在森林里的灵长类动物来说 是没有好处的
who lead arboreal lives.
这种狒狒不是严格的素食主义者
This species of baboon are not strict vegetarians.
它们也会进食肉类
They will consume meat too.
由于在陆地上长♥期♥生活
Spending so much time on the ground,
它们也会像草原上 其他的食肉动物一样抓捕猎物
they hunt for prey like other carnivores on the savanna.
每个水坑和稀树草原都需要雨季补充水源
Every waterhole and grassland savanna requires a rainy season to replenish.
十二月 东非地区终于开始降雨了
In December, rainfall eventually comes to eastern Africa.
印度洋的水蒸气被风吹向东边
Winds bring evaporated water from the Indian Ocean
在塞伦盖蒂大草原上空凝结
to the east, which condenses over the Serengeti.
一部分降雨来自维多利亚湖