01x06 - Florida

[bunniefuu]

[narrator] Florida,

home to the Everglades.

A wild expanse

of almost two million acres of wetlands.

Isolated among the grassy waters

stands a fishing shack,

the backdrop

for two very different animals

whose stories are destined to cross.

[cawing]

A raven.

A sleek bird with beautiful,

black, glossy feathers.

Behind this polished appearance,

the raven possesses intellect

as well as beauty.

Lately, the raven's been keeping an eye

on this fishing shack,

tracking the movements of a human owner,

their habits, and their routine.

He knows when the coast will be clear.

[caws]

Ravens are quirky characters,

and this one is keen to explore.

His eyesight, however,

isn't as sharp as his mind.

He can't see well in the dark.

But this bird is a problem solver,

and he has the perfect solution.

As smart as a chimpanzee,

ravens frequently use their brains

to exploit the riches of others,

especially humans.

And this person has many treasures

hidden away,

safely out of reach.

But for the raven,

this is a test of his wits.

[caws]

And he does what ravens do best:

he improvises.

Ravens are one of only a few animals

known to use tools.

Armed with their superior intellect,

they're fast and adaptable learners.

And this raven has developed a talent

for working out

exactly how to get what he wants.

[caws]

Shaping the Everglades is a gigantic,

slow-moving freshwater river,

spanning 60 miles wide and 100 miles long.

The water is also home

to an assortment of wildlife.

Unlike the raven, some animals

strive for a simple existence.

After a busy night exploring,

this brown rat is traveling home to rest.

Each night, she swims from bank to bank

to see what she can forage.

Just like humans,

not all rats are natural swimmers.

Those rats who have mastered the art

can swim over a mile in one go.

With her small frame and streamlined body,

she's a natural,

moving effortlessly through the water.

This is a familiar and safe route.

Not many predators can follow her

through these narrow tunnels.

It was her swimming agility

which brought her

to this hidden route to her home.

A light at the end of the tunnel

signifies her final hurdle.

One that relies on her ability

to hold her breath

and stay submerged

for up to three minutes.

A rather unconventional way

of entering her home in the fishing shack.

Now soaked to the bone,

she carries an extra 5% of her mass

in water weight.

If her fur stays wet for too long,

she's at risk of hypothermia.

Using the equivalent

of nature's hair dryer to dry off,

she adopts an alternative approach.

Vigorously shaking her body

back and forth 18 times per second,

she experiences forces up to 20 Gs

as she performs

a high-speed twist and shake.

It's an efficient,

if not slightly messy, approach.

Within just four seconds,

she's removed 70% of the water droplets.

Unbeknown to the rat, however,

there's a trespasser inside her home.

And the normal serenity of the shack

is swiftly broken.

[caws]

The presence of the rat

irritates the raven.

He could easily k*ll this rodent,

but he has other ideas.

[caws]

Ravens are one of the few bird species

who like to play.

And the rat is the unfortunate victim

of its game

and her tail is a tempting target.

Fleeing this terrifying predator,

the rat seeks sanctuary where she can.

[cawing]

This game is a little one-sided.

The raven uses its sharp beak

to poke and probe.

But the rat's size and agility

just give her the edge

in this unusual terrain.

She seizes her opportunity

and makes a dash for it.

She squeezes through a one-inch gap,

leaving the raven still pecking.

[caws]

Distracted by the chase,

the raven has lost track of time.

The fisherman arrives back at the shack,

seeking shelter from the midday sun.

But for some, the heat of the sun's rays

are welcome to warm cold blood.

Originally introduced to southern Florida

by humans,

green iguanas

have invaded the Everglades,

and these giant lizards

have a voracious appetite.

The fisherman returns from a long

but successful day on the water.

He is unaware of the raven's game

that's still taking place in the shack.

[squeaks]

-[floorboard creaks]

-[caws]

The noise of the fisherman

alerts the raven.

Realizing the human has returned,

the game with the rat

is no longer of interest to him,

as the raven spots

a more appealing opportunity outside.

[caws]

Luckily, the pause in the chase

allows the rat to escape to her bed.

For the raven,

it seems there are bigger fish to fry.

With no teeth to chew its food,

the raven pecks at the fish,

swallowing the smaller,

more manageable pieces.

Capable of smelling food

from a mile away,

the smell of fish entices the rat

from its hiding place.

Similar to ravens,

rats are not choosy about what they eat.

There's more than enough food here

for both of them.

Though still wary of the raven,

the rat hopes this distraction

will allow her to break cover

and grab a quick bite unnoticed.

But the beady-eyed raven

hasn't learned the art of sharing.

[cawing]

Woken by the commotion of the raven,

this sensitive lizard doesn't hesitate.

Its instinctive reaction is to run.

In a flash, it's gone.

Ravens can learn

to either like or dislike a person

depending on how they're treated.

And they never forget a face.

[cawing]

Get out of here! Go!

Now the rat can finally rest.

Both the rat and the raven

are blissfully unaware

of the new danger

being constructed outside.

Humans also hold grudges,

and the raven's actions have consequences.

[cage rattles]

[raven cawing]

A distressing sound

brings the rat out of a deep sleep.

Trapped and outsmarted

by the fisherman,

the raven calls for help.

A social animal, the rat can sense

the raven's distress.

Unnerved by the calls for help,

her instinct draws her to the raven.

Arriving to see the trapped bird,

a sense of empathy washes over the rat.

She approaches cautiously.

She has not forgotten

the raven's torment from yesterday.

But her sense of compassion

overrides her concern.

Equipped with super strong teeth,

rats are adept at chewing

through concrete, glass, and even metal.

Although not quite as clever as the raven,

rats are super smart.

Unsure of when the fisherman will return,

the rat works as quickly as she can

to gnaw through the rope.

[squeaks]

The raven is puzzled by the rat's actions,

but grateful nonetheless.

The fisherman is returning

from an early-morning outing.

The raven warns the rat.

The Everglades are home to many animals.

The American alligator

is a keystone species,

crucial to the health and well-being

of the ecosystem.

But some animals aren't always welcome.

An exotic species introduced by humans,

the Burmese python doesn't

naturally belong in the Everglades.

Despite this fact,

it has everything it requires

to multiply and dominate

these delicate waterways.

An intense odor

is coming through the pipes.

It can smell a rat.

Although the Burmese python

is one of the largest snakes in the world,

they're surprisingly agile climbers.

To shift their heavy, elongated frame,

specialized muscles under their belly

propel them forward.

Continuously flicking its forked tongue,

it analyzes its surroundings.

The snake can taste chemical trails

in the air left behind by passing prey.

Instead of adopting an ambush attack,

it elects to stalk its unsuspecting prey

slowly and silently.

Able to open its mouth

five times wider than its own head,

the rat is an easy meal for the python.

Using heat-sensitive pits

lined along its upper lip,

the python possesses infrared vision.

This allows it to detect warm things.

The fisherman has grown up

on the Everglades,

and he still honors the good old days.

A single transparent plastic bag

half-filled with water and five coins

hangs near the window of the shack.

Sunlight passing through the bag

acts like a prism,

scattering light in all directions.

The idea is that it dazzles

and confuses flies, keeping them away.

But it might not just be flies

that get confused.

The python has the advantage

of not only seeing the rat,

but also feeling it.

Detecting the heat signature

emitted as far as three feet away

the rodent appears illuminated.

The python slithers ever closer.

Its target lies dead ahead.

The raven notices the snake

and calls out to warn the rat.

[caws]

But it's no use.

The loud munching of the rat

has blocked out the raven's call.

Time for more drastic action.

[tapping]

The snake's hearing is sensitive

only to low frequency sounds,

and so it remains unperturbed

by the raven's tapping.

[caws]

Fixating on its victim,

it retracts its body

into the strike position.

The hanging water bag

has gradually heated in the sun.

Now the snake senses two warm targets.

Any small movement from either

will trigger

the snake's predatory instinct to strike.

[raven cawing]

The raven's sudden appearance

has foiled the python's ambush.

[caws]

Usually the cryptic nature of these snakes

makes them hard to detect in the grass,

but in the shack, there's nowhere to hide.

Expertly catching the snake,

the fisherman plans to take it far away.

The rat retreats to the safety

and protection of her home.

Once classed as America's

last and impenetrable frontier,

the mixture of heavy rainfall

and plentiful sunshine gives life

to this rich and green landscape.

The waters and the banks of the Everglades

provide humans with endless opportunities.

After an exhaustingly long day

on the water,

the fisherman's work isn't done yet.

He sets about preparing and maintaining

his much-loved equipment,

working late into the early hours

of the morning.

Such delicate work

requires a lot of focus.

But, as the saying goes,

you shouldn't burn the candle

at both ends.

[man snoring gently]

The rat never passes on an opportunity

to fuel up,

and she quickly collects the crumbs

dropped by the fisherman.

The noise of the whistling kettle

draws the attention of the rat,

who anxiously watches

as a gust of wind through the open window

ignites a disaster.

Unaware of the catastrophe

spreading around him,

the fisherman slips into a deeper sleep.

[snores loudly]

The rat realizes she must act fast

if she's to save her home.

[clatters]

The rat's actions fall on deaf ears.

[caws]

[caws]

[continues cawing]

The raven calls loudly.

[continues snoring]

It appears

to be trying to help the fisherman.

The raven is not giving up.

This situation calls

for more drastic measures.

[caws]

Time to get physical.

The fisherman has woken

to an alarming spectacle.

[kettle whistling]

Fires are common in the Everglades,

and luckily he is well-prepared

for such an emergency.

The heroic efforts

of both the rat and the raven

meant the fire didn't get a chance

to cause too much damage.

The human has cheated death,

and he has the rat and the raven to thank.

But the rat is left without a home.

She must find a new place

to rest her weary head.

Troubled by the fire,

the fisherman seeks solace on the water.

Collecting his equipment,

he sets off on his boat to clear his mind.

Concerned about where the fisherman

is taking the rat,

the raven follows closely behind

from the air.

The fisherman has an unexpected stowaway,

but luckily for the rat,

she comes

from a long line of seafaring ancestors.

As the boat engine stops,

he sets up his fishing equipment.

The rat owes a lot to the fisherman.

The shack has provided a shelter

for her and any future offspring.

All over the Everglades,

animals do what they must to survive.

In a delicate ecosystem such as this,

a balance

between predator and prey is critical.

Through their trials and tribulations,

the rat and the raven have developed

a mutual respect and understanding

for one another.

These two lonely souls

have formed an unlikely bond,

proving that no matter where you're from

or who you are,

it's your actions that truly define you.

The once great rivalry

that existed between them

has transformed

into an even greater friendship.

Now, with the support of one another,

anything is possible.