Man and the Earth

The Capybara Roundup

28 min

The animals most affected by the tremendous drought plaguing the plains of Venezuela are the chigüires, or capybaras, rodents weighing up to 50 kilograms. Capybaras are part of a relict population that must have been extremely prosperous in South America before the uplift of the Isthmus of Panama allowed modern mammals to enter the isolated sanctuary of South American wildlife. The Man and the Earth crew conducts a study on the zoogeographical history, as well as the ecology and behavior of these fascinating rodents.

The Venezuelan Virgin Jungle

27 min

The largest forest mass on our planet spans the immense Orinoco–Amazon basin. Under a perpetually humid climate, the giants of the jungle grow to heights exceeding 60 meters.

The Yanomami, a People of the Jungle

28 min

In the deciduous jungles lining the banks of the Upper Orinoco and its tributaries lives a Paleo-Indian tribe that has only very recently come into contact with civilization: the Yanomami, one of the few truly free peoples remaining in the world today.

In Search of the Indians of the Upper Orinoco

29 min

Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente and his crew navigate the Orinoco, where they encounter the Yanomami. A people of the Venezuelan jungle who, despite having no knowledge of mathematical laws, build perfect bridges based on their thorough understanding of every type of wood in the jungle. A people of the forest who avoided the great rivers because, according to their traditions, that was where the great dangers lay. An adventure on the banks of the Orinoco River.

The World of the Jaguar

27 min

The largest and most powerful of South American carnivores is the jaguar. Once abundant, the Man and the Earth crew had to travel thousands of kilometers deep into the jungle to discover the last strongholds of this great predator.

The Fierce People

26 min

One of the most distinctive traits of the Yanomami is their warlike behavior.

A Camp in the Virgin Jungle

26 min

After spending a season with the Yanomami, the Man and the Earth crew is guided by some of these indigenous people deeper into the jungle, where the native hunters make camp during their summer nomadic wanderings.

The Giant Otter

26 min

The giant otter, or water dog as it is known in South America, is one of the most beautiful, fascinating, and little-known animals in the world.

The Sacred Mountain

30 min

South of Puerto Ayacucho, the vertical and inviolate mass of Cerro Autana rises, the sacred mountain of the Piaroa people.