National Geographic: Spitting Mad - Wild Camel of the Andes
- Year:
- 1997
- 70 Views
In remote corners of South America
lives a feisty animal,
the elegant camel-like guanaco.
You've got to be taught to survive here,
especially if you're a male guanaco.
In the southern Andes Mountains,
fierce blizzards and crippling cold
threaten to freeze you to death.
This is the home of the mountain lion
known here by the Inca name, puma.
It's strong and powerful predator.
If the puma does kill you,
a long list of animals
will gladly dine on your remains
from little gray foxes
And you can't even trust your own kind.
If the cold or the cats don't kill you,
rivals for your territory will
certainly try.
But without a territory,
you can't get a female to breed.
So a male guanaco's life
is filled with conflict.
Supremacy is the objective,
physical violence the method,
females the prize.
So if you're a male guanaco,
tough isn't enough.
You also have to be spitting mad.
Born of volcanic fire,
carved by ice and wind,
the famous granite towers of Paine
are the crowning glory of the world's
longest mountain chain-the Andes.
This is Southern Chile's Torres del
Paine National Park
the ice-cap of Antarctica.
And just over the mountains
is the Pacific Ocean
a birthplace of storms.
So this land is battered by some
of the fiercest winds on earth.
To survive here,
you need to be a very special animal
one that is adaptable,
well-organized, alert,
and above all tough the guanaco.
And they certainly are well adapted
having thick, soft coats
for protection against the cold.
Wild ancestors of the
domesticated Ilama,
their fleece was much admired
by the Inca civilization,
providing warmth and wealth.
But a warm coat is not enough.
A male guanaco
starts adult life homeless and alone,
and to by successful,
he has to win a territory and breed.
So he must communicate
with potential mates-and rivals.
A raised tail and lowered ears
mean aggression.
And the elaborate language
makes intentions clear.
The ear flagging, the spitting,
the raucous screams
means a battle for territory
is in the making.
The war dance confirms
they will fight.
And the final exchange of insults
starts the conflict.
they try to intimidate each other
with a show of strength.
If that doesn't work,
it's grid - iron mayhem.
These fierce fights are dangerous
and could lead to broken bones
- even death.
But in the world of the guanaco,
territory is everything.
The rival must be driven
right out of the territory.
The males are fighting
for this prime real estate,
a lush area with ample food and water.
And by winning this territory,
the victor is able to attract females
an absolute necessity
if he's to breed successfully.
His aggressive defense
means the females of his family group
can feed without hassle
from other males.
Guanacos graze carefully,
and their soft,
to the delicate turf.
These is safety in numbers, too
- many pairs of eyes and ears
provide protection from predators,
and in this landscape,
predators can hide almost anywhere.
The male deeps a sharp lookout
for danger
- especially pumas,
Pumas are a serious threat to survival
for thirsty guanacos.
They are powerful predators,
six feet of lethal muscle,
capable of pulling down
prey eight times their weight.
is a difficult sharp-eyed target.
If they're seen,
pumas won't waste energy
with further hunting.
with a far-reaching cry.
These powerful cats spend most of
their days grooming and resting
in preparation
for nights of hunting...
...and she'll need plenty of rest.
For spring is the busy season
in the southern Andes,
a time of movement
and great migrations.
And she hunts an inspiring wilderness,
the Torres del Paine National Park,
home to the Andean condor.
One of the world's largest birds,
the condor's ten-foot wing span
looks big even
in this mighty landscape,
as they cruise the wild skies
in search of carrion.
Spring is the time
when guanacos give birth.
So still-born calves or after-births
will be a welcome source of food.
Young guanacos called chulengos
are vulnerable.
And because there is safety in numbers,
females synchronize births.
Over about two weeks,
nearly 500 chulengos will be born.
So when one mother does it,
they must all do it.
It is no wonder that spring is
considered the high season
in these wild mountains,
and the young guanacos are eager
to become part of the celebration.
The most precocious chulengos
are walking and nursing
within half an hour.
And they must all become mobile
will carry them-and quickly
- for the danger of puma attack
is never far away,
the cats watching from some lofty crag
with hungry eyes.
But even big cats don't have it easy.
is less cover for pumas on the prowl.
And even chulengos are
deceptively quick on their feet.
Fast or not, they are in mortal danger,
for they are the pumas favorite prey.
Even where there is little cover,
pumas are masters of invisibility,
stalking their intended victims
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"National Geographic: Spitting Mad - Wild Camel of the Andes" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/national_geographic:_spitting_mad_-_wild_camel_of_the_andes_14566>.
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