SBS - Wildest Latin America (2013) Part 5 Andes World in the Clouds. 28/03/2013 19:44:40

Wildest Latin America

Through beautiful photography and the extraordinary stories of the animals and people that live there, this series celebrates Latin America’s most iconic and dramatic locations. It’s taken millions of years for animals to adapt to places as different as the high Andes and the sweltering Amazon; the windblown Patagonian steppe and the swamps of Venezuela. The result is an incredible diversity of species – from army ants to armadillos, jaguars to giant otters. Each has developed a unique way to stay alive; yet each must fit in to a complex jigsaw of life. We reveal the extraordinary behaviors and adaptations that are key to survival and success. People have had far less time to carve out a living, yet with ingenuity and determination, they too have found ways to make the most of what the continent has to offer. Incredible lifestyles continue to this day. We follow individual hunters and fishermen as they demonstrate the skills of their people. And we unveil the strange, sometimes painful rituals that determine the identity of Latin America’s diverse people. Each program ties together the latest revelations about life in this continent of extremes. These stories combine to give a fascinating, exciting and in-depth understanding of Latin America’s most spectacular places.

Part 5: Andes World in the Clouds

The longest chain of mountains in the world at 7200km, the Andes run the length of western South America and dictate the climate for the whole continent. From the northern coasts of Venezuela to the tip of Tierra del Fuego in Chile, they include some of the highest peaks outside the Himalayas. Live volcanoes punctuate the range, and form part of the Pacific Rim of Fire. This episode explores how life has managed to exist in this high altitude world of extremes. Pumas roam the mountain slopes searching for a meal. Condors glide over 5000 metres above them hoping to scavenge a free meal from their leftovers. High altitude cloud forests cling to the steep slopes and carpet a rich world of spectacled bears, colourful birds and unique plants. The jungle also cloaks the deserted mountain cities of ancient and mysterious peoples - long since reclaimed by nature. Yet people still live in the thin air and extreme exposures of the Andes. The Quechua are some of the world’s most adapted peoples. Every day is an uphill struggle

SBS Site