AMAZON: The Rainforest the World Is Losing — Full Documentary

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: For the first time in history, the Amazon is emitting more carbon dioxide than it can absorb. Our lungs are starting to burn. Are you prepared to stand by and watch as the last tree falls? [00:00:30] Speaker ?: Are you prepared to stand by and watch as the last tree falls? Are you prepared to stand by and watch as the last tree falls? Are you prepared to stand by and watch as the last tree falls? Are you prepared to stand by and watch as the last tree? [00:01:07] Speaker 1: Few people know that millions of years ago, the Amazon was nothing like it is today. When the supercontinent Gondwana broke apart, separating South America and Africa, the early Amazon River actually flowed in reverse. It didn't flow into the Atlantic Ocean, but westward, straight towards the Pacific Ocean. But then, about 15 million years ago, tectonic plates collided with tremendous force, pushing the Andes Mountains upwards. Suddenly, a colossal wall rose up in the west, blocking the river's only outlet to the open sea. The Amazon was then not a forest, but a vast inland sea. Water from the Andes Peaks with no outlet accumulated and deposited silt over millions of years. This mineral-rich silt laid the nutritional foundation for a later plant empire. About 10 million years ago, water pressure prevailed. The river broke through the barrier in the east, pivoted 180 degrees, and began its great journey to the Atlantic Ocean as it flows today. This pivot not only created the world's longest river, but also triggered an unprecedented biological boom. The first seeds sprouted from the fertile Andean alluvial soil, creating the green labyrinth we now call the Amazon. The Amazon is a colossal, relentless biological machine. A single ancient tree there can sweat out up to a thousand liters of water per day. Now multiply that number by nearly 400 billion trees, and you'll see a miracle happen. Every day, the Amazon pumps 20 billion tons of water vapor into the atmosphere. This is even greater than the flow of water from the Amazon river itself into the ocean. Scientists call this the "Flying Rivers". This enormous stream of water vapor travels thousands of miles, bringing rain to distant fields in Argentina and Uruguay, and regulating rainfall across the entire South American continent. Without this pump, much of South America would be a barren desert. While humanity grapples with climate change, the Amazon has quietly been carrying out its mission for millions of years. It absorbs approximately 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually annually. Imagine it as a giant filter, trapping carbon within the trees and soil, preventing the earth from burning up. The Amazon doesn't just breathe for itself. It's purifying the air for every breath you take, whether you're in New York or London. By covering the land from the harsh sunlight and constantly evaporating water, the Amazon keeps the temperature of the entire region stable. It acts like a giant air conditioner, reducing the planet's heat. If this machine were unplugged, the heat bomb would explode and no country would escape the consequences. But what would happen if this machine were disassembled into individual components, for short-term gain? Before human arrival, the Amazon was the most complex urban center on the planet. Not horizontally, but vertically. From the Kapok trees reaching 60 meters high, like skyscrapers, to the dark, damp understory of the forest, where life begins from decay. Here, every square meter is home to thousands of creatures, many of which we haven't even had a chance to name yet. Look at the giant water lilies, with their three meter diameter, strong enough to support a child. Or the Brazil nut tree, a creature that can only survive in the absolute wild. The Amazon is a treasure trove of medicinal plants, the source of more than 25% of modern medicines. Every branch, every blade of grass here, is a sophisticated chemical formula that nature has spent millions of years refining. In this kingdom, the jaguar is the soul, the ghost of the jungle, with a bite so powerful it can pierce even a turtle's shell. Beneath the muddy, silt-laden river, pink dolphins, creatures straight out of legend, frolic freely. The Amazon is never silent. It's an endless symphony of monkey howls, echoing for five kilometers, macaws tearing through the air, and the rustling of millions of insects, weaving the world's most enduring food web. And in that paradise, humans are present, but not as invaders. Indigenous tribes like the Yanomami and Kayapo have lived here for thousands of years as guardians. They understand the language of the forest. They take only what they need. For them, the forest is not a resource to be exploited. It is mother, their ancestor, their soul. An absolute balance, until the outside world finds its way in. For centuries, the Amazon has been a source of fascination for humanity, known as El Dorado, the legendary city of gold. But the truth is even more astonishing than the legend. The Amazon is not just gold. It's the largest remaining land-based resource treasure on our planet. This innate wealth has made it a magnet for greed and ambition. Rare and valuable timber species like mahogany and teak are green gold for the global market. Next is medical knowledge. 25% of modern western medicines contain extracts from Amazonian plants. From cancer treatments to high blood pressure medications. In the pharmaceutical industry, it's an untapped diamond mine of biotechnology. Deep beneath the mud lies the world's largest open-pit iron ore reserves, along with bauxite, nickel and especially gold. In regions like Ecuador and Peru, beneath the rainforests lie vast pockets of oil and natural gas. The Amazon river system also holds boundless hydroelectric potential. For countries thirsty for energy and raw materials, the Amazon is an inexhaustible resource bank. As the global population reaches 8 billion, the demand for food becomes an overwhelming pressure. In the Amazon rainforest, millions of hectares of the Amazon rainforest are seen as ideal empty land for expanding cattle farming and soybean cultivation globally. And the Amazon becomes the only place on earth that can satisfy this enormous hunger. It's not just about money, but also about the ambition to conquer nature. But what is the price to unlock this treasure, causes and consequences? [00:12:33] Speaker ?: Amazon's collapse didn't begin with complex projects. [00:12:46] Speaker 1: Amazon's collapse didn't begin with complex projects, it began with a brutal and ruthless method: body clearing. First, they cut down the small trees and bulldozers felled centuries-old giants. And when everything was dry under the sun, they lit the fuse. A sea of fire would engulf all life, transforming the planet's most complex ecosystem into a flat, black, barren surface. The sole objective was to create space for thousands of hectares of pasture land. You might think that simply stopping livestock would allow the forest to grow back? Wrong. Millions of hooves pounding the soil every day compacted the land, and with the loss of vegetation cover, the soil quickly became barren and hard as concrete. Here, forest seeds had no chance of germinating. Humans transformed a diverse paradise into a grass desert. Inside the bodies of livestock lies a terrifying greenhouse gas factory. Their manure and digestion release enormous amounts of methane. Methane is 28 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. We are burning forests, the carbon-absorbing machinery, to replace them with the most powerful carbon-emitting organisms. A crazy trade-off that the global climate is paying. Brazil is currently the world's leading beef exporter. This means that a fraction of every steak or burger we consume could be the price paid for the permanent destruction of a section of the Amazon rainforest. We are slowly eating away at our own future. If livestock farming is a slaughter-by-fire then agriculture is an invasion by machinery. [00:15:15] Speaker ?: If livestock farming is a slaughter-by-fire then agriculture is an invasion-by-machinery. If livestock farming is a slaughter-by-fire then agriculture is an invasion-by-machinery. [00:15:29] Speaker 1: Humans use heavy machinery to completely flatten what remains of the old-growth forest. The goal is to transform a multi-layered multi-species ecosystem into vast monoculture fields stretching to the horizon. Here humans allow only one species to survive: soybeans. Scientists call these the green deserts. From above they appear lush but in reality they are a biologically dead zone. Millions of years of evolution of thousands of plant and animal species have been wiped out, replaced only by genetically identical soybean plants. To maintain these enormous fields, millions of tons of chemical fertilizers and extremely potent pesticides are poured in. But in the Amazon, the rain never stops. The torrential tropical rains quickly wash away these chemicals, pushing them deep into the groundwater and flowing directly into the Amazon River's tributaries, killing countless fish and aquatic life. The clean water sources of local tribes are now poisoned by pesticides from upstream farms. Fish are disappearing or becoming infected with disease. Strange diseases, deformities and debilitation are gradually wiping out indigenous communities trees that are unable to withstand the poison of the modern world. More than 70% of this soybean is not used to feed humans. It is processed into feed for cattle and pigs on industrial farms around the world. The loggers don't flatten everything immediately. [00:18:10] Speaker ?: The loggers don't flatten everything immediately. [00:18:12] Speaker 1: They practice what they call selective logging. They only target valuable trees hundreds of years old. To take away just one valuable tree trunk, the loggers have to use bulldozers to cut through the forest core, creating illegal transport routes. When a giant falls, it doesn't go alone. According to scientists, to bring down one large tree, they often damage or destroy up to 30 smaller trees around it. Each cut of the chainsaw is a chain reaction of destruction, spreading throughout the area. The Amazon survives thanks to its dense canopy, which keeps the area below moist and cool. But logging has created deadly gaps. Direct sunlight can now penetrate to the lower layers. Moisture disappears and the undergrowth becomes as dry as straw. The Amazon has become a powder keg, ready to erupt with a single spark. These ancient trees are nature's luxury apartment buildings. They are home to thousands of orchid species, nests for some of the world's rarest eagles, and shelters for countless unstudied insect species. When an ancient tree disappears, an entire miniature universe loses its home forever. When an ancient tree disappears, an ancient tree disappears, an ancient tree disappears, an ancient tree disappears. In our world, roads represent connection and progress, but in the Amazon, they are deadly scars. To develop the economy, the government has carved thousands of kilometers of highways through the heart of the forest. These stretches of asphalt are like knives stabbing into the heart of the forest, opening the door for loggers, miners, and criminal gangs to penetrate lands that have been inviolable for millions of years. Observe from space and you'll see a terrifying phenomenon called the herringbone effect. The main highway is just the starting point. From there, people and loggers will arbitrarily carve thousands of illegal side roads, encroaching deep into the forest to seize land. Once the main highway appears, 95% of the destroyed forest area will be within 50 kilometers of that road. A road that is only a few dozen meters wide to us is an insurmountable wall for wildlife. The Amazon is being torn apart into millions of tiny pieces, imprisoning creatures in their own home. Unable to move to find food or mates, the gene pool is depleted, and large animals like jaguars will gradually spiral towards extinction. We call this infrastructure development, but for nature it is the destruction of the very foundations of life. [00:22:55] Speaker ?: That is the Amazon's most enduring curse. [00:23:12] Speaker 1: Gold, that is the Amazon's most enduring curse. To find those tiny gold nuggets, humans have used the most violent methods against nature. They use high-pressure water jets to blast river banks, collapsing geological structures millions of years old to extract the mud. Open-pit gold mines spring up like cancerous ulcers, where the jungle is stripped bare to its very core. To extract gold from the rocks, illegal miners use mercury, one of the most toxic metals on the planet. Mercury clings to the gold, but the excess is dumped directly into the Amazon river. Every year, tons of mercury seep into the water, creating a chemical massacre invisible to the naked eye. This poison doesn't disappear, it enters the food chain, from small fish to humans. The direct victims are the indigenous tribes. Mercury destroys the nervous system, causing birth defects and severe brain damage. The children born here are bearing the brunt of the greed of people they've never met. In these mining areas, the concept of recovery is unthinkable. Mercury-contaminated land becomes dead zones. No forest seeds can sprout here. No living things can survive. We are trading a few grams of gold for chemical graveyards that will last for centuries. In theory, hydropower is a clean energy source. To generate electricity, the lifelines of the old growth forest are blocked by massive concrete walls. Thousands of square kilometers of pristine forest are submerged under artificial reservoirs, turning biodiverse valleys into giant underwater garbage dumps. When forests are flooded, trees die and decompose in an oxygen-deficient environment. The hydroelectric reservoirs in the Amazon are not clean. They are essentially gas bombs, silently warming our planet every day. Many Amazonian fish species migrate thousands of kilometers upstream to spawn. These dams are death traps that cut off their survival journey. When fish cannot migrate, their populations decline drastically, leading to the collapse of the entire underwater food chain and depriving millions of indigenous people along the river of their primary protein source. Fertile silt is blocked behind concrete walls, depleting the land downstream. The natural cycles of floods and droughts are disrupted, turning once-rich lands into barren wastelands. Every time we flip a light switch somewhere in the Amazon, a river may have stopped flowing, a forest may have stopped flowing, a forest may have been submerged, a forest may have been submerged, and an ecosystem may have been lost forever. [00:28:04] Speaker ?: While chainsaws and fires are visible enemies, a silent killer is suffocating the Amazon from thousands of miles away. [00:28:18] Speaker 1: Global climate change, a consequence of our all-encompassing industrial lifestyles, is creating a scorching heat wave engulfing the planet's lungs. Global climate change, a consequence of our all-encompassing industrial lifestyles, is creating a scorching heat wave engulfing the planet's lungs. The Amazon is no longer facing mud-cutting forces, but rather, the changing atmosphere itself. We knew the Amazon naturally produced its own rain, but as global temperatures rise, this cycle is disrupted. Tropical rains, once as regular as a heartbeat, are now erratic. The forest no longer has enough moisture to sustain life. The planet's greatest water pump is rusting and ceasing to function, turning once lush green forests into arid lands. The most devastating consequence is what scientists call the "dieback" phenomenon. When droughts persist, ancient trees die en masse. Once it crosses a critical point, the rainforest will collapse and turn into a dry savannah. This is an irreversible process of self-destruction. The Amazon, we know, is disappearing, giving way to a barren wasteland. The Amazon was once a savior, absorbing 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually. But now, due to climate change causing mass tree deaths and frequent wildfires, the Amazon is gradually transforming from a carbon sink into a carbon emitter. Instead of cooling the earth, the forest is being forced to accelerate global warming. Our lungs are not only stopping filtering air, they are beginning to release toxins. In the Amazon, wildfires are almost never a natural phenomenon. Tropical rainforests are too wet to spontaneously combust. The raging fires you see on the news are actually a weapon. Humans deliberately start fires during the dry season to clear up what chainsaws have left behind, a cheap and quick way to illegally seize forest land. Fire doesn't just burn trees, it burns away evidence of crime. Every time a fire breaks out, it's a massacre. Unlike fast-moving creatures, billions of tiny animals, slow sloths or reptiles have no escape route. They are burned alive in their own homes. A heartbreaking statistic shows that billions of forest creatures are instantly annihilated each fire season. What nature took millions of years to evolve is reduced to ashes overnight. The toxic smoke carrying ash and carbon suffocates the lungs of millions of people in the region. The rate of respiratory illnesses in children skyrockets. The Amazon is burning and human breaths are stifled with each blaze. Think Amazon is too far away? Remember that fateful afternoon in Sao Paulo, a city more than 2,700 kilometers from the Amazon. At midday, the sky suddenly darkened like night. It wasn't an eclipse, it was the smoke from the Amazon howling. When the forest burns, its darkness can engulf even the busiest cities. In the Amazon, there's a classic criminal scene. [00:33:32] Speaker ?: If you're not, it's a matter of fact. If you're not, it's an eclipse, it's an eclipse. If you're not, it's an eclipse, it's an eclipse. If you're not, it's an eclipse, it's an eclipse. If you're not, it's an eclipse. If you're not, it's an eclipse. If you're not, it's an eclipse. If you're not, it's an eclipse. If you're not, it's an eclipse. If you're not, it's an eclipse. [00:33:58] Speaker 1: In the Amazon, there's a classic criminal term, grillagem. This is the art of land grabbing, using forged documents. Criminal gangs use violence to drive indigenous people from their ancestral lands, then destroy the forests to assert ownership. To legitimize their actions, they forge land ownership documents from decades ago, employing sophisticated techniques, such as placing crickets in boxes, to make the papers appear old and credible. The Amazon has become a graveyard for those who dare to defend it. These land grabbing gangs don't hesitate to use guns to eliminate anyone who stands in their way. Environmental activists and indigenous leaders are hunted down and assassinated in their own homes. Indigenously governed lands are the most effective barriers against deforestation. When criminal gangs use violence to drive them away, we lose not only people, but also the most sustainable model of forest protection. communities that have lived in harmony with the forest for thousands of years are being wiped out, giving way to the inhuman destruction of greed. Today, the law sometimes loses to the law of the jungle. Illegal encroachment is turning the world's green lungs into a 21st century wild west. [00:36:09] Speaker ?: So, why is the Amazon so easily exploited? [00:36:31] Speaker 1: The answer lies in the corridors of power. When patrol budgets are cut, when environmental protection agencies are stripped of their authority, the Amazon's last line of defense crumbles. The guardians are tied down, leaving a vast, unguarded space, turning the forest into a feast for those seeking to profit. When penalties for environmental crimes are reduced to mere formalities, and the risk of being caught is lower than ever, deforestation becomes a highly profitable business. Even more heartbreaking, areas of illegally occupied forest are frequently pardoned and legalized under new policies. When deforestation yields millions of dollars in profits from beef, soybeans, and gold, while the cost to the law is negligible, the wave of destruction will never stop. Poor governance is not just a loophole, it's an open invitation for corporations and criminal gangs to ruthlessly plunder the Amazon without fear. poor governance is not just a problem. When managers turn their backs on nature for short-term growth figures, they are signing a death warrant for the planet's lungs. The Amazon is disappearing because we have allowed it to disappear. [00:38:24] Speaker ?: Poor governance is not just a part of the ocean, but it's not just a part of the ocean. [00:38:42] Speaker 1: The symphony of the Amazon, once the loudest, most vibrant orchestra on earth, is fading into a haunting silence. We are witnessing the birth of the empty forest syndrome. From a satellite, the canopy might still look green, but on the ground, the heartbeat is gone. This is the reality of deforestation, a forest that looks alive, but is biologically hollow. The greatest tragedy for Amazonian wildlife today is fragmentation. Because of the fishbone roads and massive soy plantations we discussed, the forest has been hacked into tiny, isolated islands. For a predator like the jaguar, which requires up to 40 square miles of territory to hunt and mate, these fragments are golden cages. They are trapped. When animals cannot move between forest patches, they suffer from genetic bottlenecks, inbreeding and eventually local extinction. A road that takes us 10 minutes to drive creates a barrier that a monkey or a sloth may never cross in a lifetime. In the rivers, the pink river dolphins and giant otters are being systematically poisoned. The mercury from illegal gold mining doesn't just stay in the water, it bioaccumulates. It moves from the silt to the fish and from the fish to the predators, causing neurological collapse and reproductive failure. On land, the massive use of pesticides in soy farming creates toxic borders. Birds and insects that venture near the plantations are wiped out by chemicals they never evolved to handle. Perhaps the most invisible yet catastrophic impact is the loss of the gardeners of the forest. Animals like the tapir, the spider monkey and the toucan are not just residents, they are the lungs maintenance crew. They are the primary seed dispersers. Many of the largest, most carbon-dense trees in the Amazon have seeds so large, that only these specific animals can eat and replant them through their waste. When we lose the animals, we lose the forest's ability to heal itself. Without the tapir to carry seeds miles away or the monkeys to drop fruit into new clearings, the forest loses its diversity. The massive hardwood trees are slowly replaced by smaller, fast growing, lightweight trees that store far less carbon. The fauna is the glue holding the climate machine together. By silencing the animals, we are essentially cutting the brake lines of a car speeding toward a cliff. Today, the Amazonian wildlife exists in a state of permanent trauma. They are fleeing fires they cannot outrun, drinking water that burns their insides, and calling out to mates that are trapped behind fences of soy and wire. We aren't just losing species, we are losing the very workers, who keep the Earth's life support system running. A silent forest is a dying forest. The tragedy of the Amazon is not merely an environmental disaster, it is a slow-motion cultural genocide. For over 10,000 years, the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, the Yanomami, the Kayapo, the Munduruku, have lived as a vital organ of the forest. They didn't just inhabit the land, they co-evolved with it. But today, these guardians of the forest find themselves in the crosshairs of global greed. As illegal miners, Garimperos, flood the territory, they bring more than just machines, they bring death. Diseases like the flu, measles, and COVID-19, to which many uncontacted tribes have no immunity, have wiped out entire villages. Those who survive must contend with the mercury we discussed earlier. It has turned their life-giving rivers into veins of poison. In many Yanomami villages, children are born with neurological damage, and the fish, their primary protein source, is too toxic to eat. Their supermarket and pharmacy are being burned down, leaving behind a legacy of malnutrition and despair. Armed militias and land invaders use violence to seize ancestral territories, often with the silent complicity of weak policies. When a tribal elder dies from a preventable disease or a land grabber's bullet, a library of ancient knowledge burns with them. Language, medicinal secrets, and thousands of years of sustainable wisdom are being erased from the human record. But the indigenous peoples of the Amazon are not passive victims. They are fighting back with a breathtaking blend of ancient courage and modern technology. This is the era of the digital warrior. In a stunning display of adaptation, tribal youth are now using drones and satellite imagery to patrol their borders. They map illegal logging camps and mining pits from the air, sending coordinates to international authorities and NGOs to bypass corrupt local officials. They have formed the guardians of the forest volunteer patrols that risk their lives to dismantle illegal camps and seize chainsaws. On the global stage, their leaders have traded bows and arrows for microphones and legal briefs. They are traveling to the United Nations and COP climate summits, reminding the world that while we debate carbon credits, they are bleeding for the trees. They are also building a standing forest economy, proving that harvesting acai, Brazil nuts, and sustainable cocoa provides more long-term wealth than cattle ever could. They are fighting a war on two fronts: a physical war for their land and a digital war for our attention. They understand a truth that we have forgotten; the forest and the people are one. If the guardians fall, the Amazon falls, and if the Amazon falls, we all go with it. [00:48:15] Speaker ?: It is the only thing that we have to do. [00:48:32] Speaker 1: Driven by systemic poverty and land scarcity in other regions, millions of people have migrated into the heart of the Amazon, seeking a new beginning. [00:48:45] Speaker ?: The world is the only thing that we have to do. The world is the only thing that we have to do. [00:48:46] Speaker 1: The world is the only thing that we have to do. The world is the only thing that we have to do. The world is the only thing that we have to do. The world is the only thing that we have to do. The world is the only thing that we have to do. The world is the only thing that we have to do. [00:48:58] Speaker ?: The world is the only thing that we have to do. [00:49:00] Speaker 1: The world is the only thing that we have to do. The world is the only thing that we have to do. The world is the only thing that we have to do. The world is the only thing that we have to do. The world is the only thing that we have to do. The world is the only thing that we have to do. To build homes, schools and markets, the forest is not just cleared, it is obliterated. This unplanned urbanization brings a silent, toxic tide. Most of these frontier towns were never built to handle this many people. They lack even the most basic sewage or waste management systems. As a result, the pristine tributaries of the Amazon have been turned into open-air landfills. Raw sewage and mountains of urban plastic waste flow directly into the veins of the rainforest, poisoning the very water that sustains the people and the fish. In these remote urban centers, the demand for bush meat and firewood has reached an unsustainable fever pitch. Around these urban hubs we are seeing local extinction zones. The wildlife that once balanced the ecosystem have been hunted to near extinction to feed the city. The trees that provided shade and oxygen are chopped down for charcoal to heat homes. This human footprint is shattering the delicate food chains of the forest, leaving behind what scientists call a hollow forest. [00:51:01] Speaker ?: The forest of the forest is a forest, leaving behind what scientists call a hollow forest. The forest of the forest is a forest, leaving behind what scientists call a hollow forest. The forest of the forest is a forest, leaving behind what scientists call a hollow forest. [00:51:20] Speaker 1: For centuries, the myth of El Dorado, the fabled city of gold, drove explorers to risk everything in the heart of the Amazon. When they returned empty-handed, they concluded that the rainforest was an inhospitable wasteland, far too harsh to have ever supported a major civilization. However, they weren't lacking effort, they were lacking the right tools. The jungle had simply swallowed the ruins, reclaiming the land so completely that history became invisible. To uncover the truth, we didn't need axes, we needed light. This is where LiDAR, light detection and ranging, changed everything. This cutting-edge technology works by firing billions of laser pulses from aircraft down to the forest floor. By measuring the exact time it takes for these pulses to bounce back, scientists can generate incredibly precise 3D maps of the terrain. In an instant, LiDAR can digitally strip away the thickest canopy, revealing architectural secrets that have been cloaked for over five centuries. Instead of a pristine wilderness, researchers have uncovered sophisticated urban centers, featuring intricate canal systems, massive reservoirs and grand plazas. In the Upano Valley, evidence has emerged of cities dating back 2,500 years, with population densities that rivaled those of Roman-era London. These discoveries shatter the old narrative of an untouched Amazon. Instead, they reveal a managed Garden of Eden that once thrived with millions of inhabitants. The most profound evidence of this ancient ingenuity lies right beneath the surface in the form of Terra Preta. This exceptionally fertile dark Earth was an anthropogenic creation, engineered by ancient people who mixed charcoal, manure and bone into the soil. Thousands of years later, these nutrient-rich deposits remain, continuing to fuel the rainforest's vibrant growth. The most profound evidence of this ancient world, the most profound evidence of the world, the most profound evidence of the world. [00:54:20] Speaker ?: The most profound evidence of this ancient world, the most profound evidence of the world. The most profound evidence of this ancient world, the most profound evidence of the world. The most profound evidence of this ancient world, the most profound evidence of the world. The most profound evidence of this ancient world, the most profound evidence of the world. The most profound evidence of this ancient world, the most profound evidence of the world. The most profound evidence of this ancient world, the most profound evidence of the world. The most profound evidence of this ancient world, the most profound evidence of the world. The most profound evidence of this ancient world, the most profound evidence of the world. The most profound evidence of this world, the most profound evidence of the world. [00:54:38] Speaker 1: The most profound evidence of this ancient world, the most profound evidence of the world. Saving this gargantuan ecosystem is perhaps the greatest challenge of our century. And it requires a multi-front assault on the status quo. To save the world's lungs, we must transform how we value life over profit. The first and most effective measure is indigenous sovereignty. Scientific data consistently proves that the healthiest parts of the Amazon are those legally owned and managed by indigenous tribes. To save the forest, we must protect the protectors. This means international pressure on governments to grant legal land titles to indigenous communities and providing them with the resources to defend their borders. When the people who call the forest mother have the legal power to say no to a chainsaw, the trees stay standing. Secondly, we must replace the extractive economy with a standing forest bioeconomy. We have to prove that a tree is worth more alive than dead. By investing in sustainable industries like wild-harvested acai, Brazil nuts, rubber and high-value medicinal research, we create an economy where local communities can thrive without cutting down a single branch. We need to stop subsidizing beef and soy on deforested land and start subsidizing the regenerators. Thirdly, we need radical transparency in global supply chains. As consumers, Amazon is on our dinner plates and in our shopping carts. We must demand deforestation-free certification for every piece of leather, every ounce of beef and every gram of soy we consume. Global corporations must be held accountable through AI-driven satellite monitoring that tracks a product from a specific farm in the Amazon to a supermarket shelf in New York or London. If the market for blood beef vanishes, the incentive to burn the forest vanishes with it. Finally, we must move from mere conservation to massive reforestation. Using assisted natural regeneration and drone-assisted seeding, we can reconnect the fragmented fishbone patches we've created. We need to build biodiversity corridors that allow jaguars and tapas to move and mate once again. Saving the Amazon is not a charity project. It is an act of self-preservation. It is the ultimate test of human intelligence and our ability to cooperate as a species. Every dollar donated to a reputable Amazon fund, every petition signed, and every consciousness And every conscious choice to eat less meat is a vote for a breathing planet. We are the first generation to truly understand the scale of the destruction. And we are the last generation with the chance to stop it. The forest is waiting. The world is watching. It's time to choose life. [00:59:01] Speaker ?: The forest is a place to stop it. [00:59:02] Speaker 1: The forest is a place on this planet where every square meter you set foot in could be a trap. And every breath you take carries the scent of the most brutal survival. Behind that green lung lies a green hell. Here, sunlight is a luxury. 98% of the light is blocked by the canopy, leaving below a world of eternal darkness, where mold, bacteria, and stealthy predators reign supreme. What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can't see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can't see? [01:00:09] Speaker ?: What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can't see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? [01:00:24] Speaker 1: What lurks beneath the canopy that satellites can see? Look at these numbers. These numbers, 2.1 million square miles, is equivalent to over 5.5 million square kilometers. To give you a better idea, the Amazon is so vast that if it were a country, it would be the ninth largest in the world. It's not just a forest. It's a gigantic biological operating system running to sustain life on the entire planet. The Amazon boasts over 390 billion tree trunks, belonging to 16,000 different species. Each tree trunk is a super-efficient carbon-filtering machine. Amidst global warming, the Amazon acts as a central air conditioner. It absorbs billions of tons of carbon dioxide each year, preventing the collapse of the atmosphere. But more importantly, the Amazon creates its own weather. Through a process called transpiration, this forest pumps 20 billion tons of water into the atmosphere every day. These flying rivers travel through the air, bringing rain across South America, and influencing rainfall as far as North America and Europe. If the Amazon stops breathing, the world will stop breathing. But the price to maintain this lung is a trade-off. To survive and protect this green treasure, nature has equipped it with some of the most terrifying biological weapons on the planet. If the jungle is the body, then this river is the Aorta. A water monster 4,400 miles long. Did you know? The Amazon carries one-fifth of the world's total fresh water. Every second, it discharges 200,000 cubic meters of water into the Atlantic Ocean. That's enough to fill 80 Olympic swimming pools in the blink of an eye. Its thrust is so strong that it dilutes the salinity of the seawater more than 100 miles from its mouth. Here, a strange phenomenon occurs, the intersection of two worlds. On one side is the Rio Negro, cold and slow, carrying acid from decaying leaves. On the other side is the Solymoes, warm and aggressive, full of silt. They refuse to mix, creating a clear natural boundary right on the surface of the water. This is where even the most experienced divers shudder, because beneath that boundary lie extremely unpredictable counter currents. The Amazon riverbed is up to 100 meters deep in places, equivalent to a 30-story building submerged underwater. At that depth, light doesn't exist. Visibility is zero. You're standing in a world where humans are completely blind, but it's a paradise for predators who use electrical impulses and vibration sensors to hunt. The Amazon pink dolphin. The indigenous people call it Encantado, the Enchanted One. [01:06:03] Speaker ?: It's a paradise for sure. [01:06:06] Speaker 1: Legend says that on festival nights, the pink dolphin transforms into a nimble man, dressed in white and wearing a hat to cover the breathing holes on the top of his head, seducing young girls before disappearing beneath the river at dawn. In the Amazon, people don't hunt pink dolphins, they fear them. They have a unique body structure adapted to the submerged forest. Their cervical vertebrae are not fused, allowing them to flexibly rotate their heads to squeeze through the narrow crevices of ancient tree roots. They use a powerful obstacle-locating system to see through thick mud, detecting the heartbeat of prey even when they can't see anything. Get acquainted with the Kandiru, also known as the vampire fish. It won't kill you instantly, but it delivers a pain you'll wish you were never born for. This parasitic creature hunts by seeking out the water flowing from the gills of fish, then using its sharp spines to pin itself down and suck blood from the inside. But tragedy strikes when it mistakes: human urine for the water flowing from the fish's gills. Once inside the human body through the urinary tract, its spines make removal impossible without surgery. You think otters are cute creatures. In the Amazon, they are Lobo do Rio, river wolves. Up to 1.8 meters long and possessing the intelligence of a pack hunter, these giant otters are one of the few species without natural predators in this river system. Just look at how they coordinate. While one faints ahead, others attack from behind. Even the Cayman crocodile, the ruler of the swamp, is intimidated by the ferocity and persistence of the river wolf pack. They don't just defend their territory, they hunt down anything that encroaches. There's a reason the anaconda is nicknamed "the ghost". You could be standing right next to it, just a few steps away. But you'll never know. Until it's too late. This is the heaviest snake in the world. It doesn't need venom. Its weapon is pure muscle mass. Weighing up to 250 kilograms, each time it coils around its prey, it creates a thousand pound pressure, cutting off blood flow and stopping the opponent's heart in seconds. It doesn't eat you. It crushes you. On land, it seems slow and clumsy, but underwater, it's a stealthy killer. Thanks to its heat-sensing organs and the ability to hold its breath for more than 10 minutes, the anaconda can wait for hours beneath the river's surface. When the prey is most vulnerable, its bite is so quick that it's invisible to the naked eye, and death comes from beneath the murky water. [01:10:39] Speaker ?: When the prey is most vulnerable to the naked eye, and death comes from below to the naked eye, and death comes from above to the naked eye, and death comes from above to the naked eye. When the prey is most vulnerable to the naked eye. [01:11:00] Speaker 1: Forget what you know about the murky and dangerous Amazon. Not far downstream, on the Tapajos River, lies a place known as the Amazon's Caribbean. The symbol of this land is Love Island, but this is a fleeting beauty. It only appears during the dry season, from August to December, when the river's water level recedes, revealing pristine white quartz sandbanks. During the rainy season, this entire paradise disappears completely beneath the water, awaiting a new cycle of rebirth. Unlike the sediment-laden Solimoes, or the acidic Rio Negro, the Tapajos River flows through ancient bedrock, and is filtered by layers of fine sand. The result is a pure, crystal-clear stream, a stark contrast to the rest of the Amazon River system. Here, abundant sunlight is essential for survival, but it also turns every creature into an open target. To survive at this altitude, Amazonian primates have had to evolve in some of the most bizarre ways on the planet. Before you is the marmoset monkey, the world's smallest monkey. About the size of a banana. Its secret weapon is its sharp incisors, which it uses to bore holes in tree trunks, creating resin wells. It spends its entire life guarding these wells, and feeding on the energy-rich tree sap. Because of its tiny size, its enemies are not only jaguars, but also tree snakes, and even large eagles. For the marmoset, every day is a life-or-death game of hide-and-seek. If you wake up in the Amazon and hear this sound, you might think you're facing a prehistoric monster. But in reality, it's the greeting of the howler monkey, the animal with the loudest voice of all land mammals. Thanks to a specially evolved hyoid bone in their throat that acts like a loudspeaker, their howls can travel up to five kilometers through the protected rainforest. Instead of fighting with claws, howler monkeys choose to torture the ears of their opponents to keep their families safe. In the more secluded corners of the middle layer, you might encounter the white-faced Saki monkey. With a bizarre appearance, as if wearing a Japanese no-theatrical mask, they are one of the most mysterious primates in the Amazon. They are called flying monkeys because of their ability to perform incredible leaps to escape predators. Unlike the noisy howler monkeys, Saki monkeys are masters of silence. They eat hard nuts that other species ignore, making themselves an independent and elusive link in this complex ecological network. [01:15:31] Speaker ?: But up in this canopy, primates aren't the only ones possessing extraordinary abilities. [01:15:48] Speaker 1: Here, dazzling beauty often comes with dark secrets, and silence can be a sign of an impending massacre. Macaws aren't just beautiful parrots. They're also symbols of loyalty. They mate for life, and often fly in close pairs. But why do they congregate on muddy cliffs? It's a survival secret. The clay helps them neutralize toxins from the berries they eat daily. A perfect natural detoxification system. They may look dazzling, but the more conspicuous they are, the smarter you have to be to avoid becoming a target. The toucan's beak is a third the length of its body, yet incredibly light due to its hollow honeycomb-like structure. It's not just for picking fruit or regulating body temperature like an air conditioner. Toucans also have a little known dark side. They are ruthless nest-robbing predators. Their beaks are the perfect tool for plucking eggs and devouring the chicks of other species. And here is the creature that every Amazonian animal looks up to in terror. The harpy eagle. With a wingspan of up to 2 meters and legs as thick as an adult's wrist, it's no ordinary bird. It's a prehistoric monster. Look at these talons. They are 12 centimeters long. Larger than the claws of a grizzly bear. Its grip could crush the skull of a howler monkey in a single grab. The harpy doesn't circle around hunting for prey. It lurks in the foliage like a ghost, observing the heartbeat of its prey before launching a dive at 80 kilometers per hour through the narrowest crevices of the jungle. In this kingdom, the harpy is the definition of death from the sky. When it appeared, the entire jungle held its breath. Part 4: The Dark Forest, Where Death Lies. [01:18:57] Speaker ?: End. It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". [01:19:20] Speaker 1: It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". It's called "Yaguara". 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Yet deep in Peru's Mayantuyaku region, there is a river called "Shanay-Timpishka", meaning "boiling by the heat of the sun". And it really is. With temperatures capable of boiling any living thing in an instant, "Shanay-Timpishka" is the deadliest river on the planet. If you fall into it, the water will enter your lungs, your bloodstream, and cook your internal organs from the inside out before you can even cry for help. Rainwater from the Andes seeps deep through geological fissures, coming into direct contact with the extreme temperatures from the Earth's core. The pressure and temperature turn it into a boiling stream, finding its way up the Amazon through fault lines. "Shanay-Timpishka" is like a leaking arterial overflowing with the planet's heat. While science is busy deciphering geological faults, the locals have revered this river for thousands of years. For them, the boiling water is the breath of the gods, a place of healing but also of punishment. They know how to live with it, using the steam for healing and the boiling water for cooking, while maintaining an absolute distance of reverence. For centuries, explorers risked their lives searching for El Dorado, the legendary city of gold. They failed and concluded that the Amazon was too harsh for any major civilization to survive. But they were wrong, they found nothing simply because the forest had swallowed all traces. To see the truth, we need light. Light detection and ranging. This technology sends billions of laser pulses down to the ground and measures the time it takes them to return. The result is an incredibly detailed 3D map, allowing scientists to clear entire forests in an instant to see what has been hidden for 500 years. Complex cities with canal systems, reservoirs and enormous plazas. In the Upano Valley, we have found cities dating back 2,500 years, with a population density comparable to Roman London. The Amazon is not a pristine nature untouched by human footprints. It was once a Garden of Eden, managed by millions of inhabitants. The clearest evidence of the wisdom of the ancient Amazons lies right beneath our feet: Terra Preta. This is a super-fertile soil created by humans by mixing charcoal, dung and animal bones. Thousands of years later, these fertile scars remain, allowing the rainforest to thrive more than ever before. [01:35:26] Speaker ?: In the Amazon, there are over a 100 tribes that still live in complete isolation. They live in complete isolation. They live in complete isolation. In the Amazon, there are over a hundred tribes that still live in complete isolation. In the Amazon, there are over 100 tribes that still live in complete isolation. In the Amazon, there are over 100 tribes that still live in complete isolation. In the Amazon, there are over 100 tribes that still live in complete isolation. [01:35:47] Speaker 1: They are the last people on Earth who have never known the internet, telephones or the existence of the modern world outside. Their isolation is not a sign of backwardness, but a fortress of survival. However, that fortress is extremely fragile. For them, a common cold from a foreigner is not just a disease, it is a biological weapon. Because they lack immunity against modern pathogens, a single accidental exposure could wipe out an entire tribe in weeks. They live on the brink of extinction every time an intruder enters. These people possess a treasure trove of knowledge about medicine, biology and survival that modern science will take hundreds of years to decipher. They know the names of thousands of plant species. They can hear the footsteps of a jaguar from kilometers away. Respecting their right to privacy is the only way to protect their lives. Every drone photograph, every reckless expedition is a crime against this peace. They don't need the internet. They don't need our help. All they need is their land and absolute respect for their privacy. [01:37:40] Speaker ?: They don't need it. [01:38:00] Speaker 1: Deep within the green labyrinth, a colossal metropolis suddenly emerges. Manaus is no ordinary city. It is an illusion built on the ambition and immense wealth of a period known as the Rubber Rush. At the end of the 19th century, the world craved the Amazon's rubber as much as it craved gold. Manaus became one of the richest cities in the world. It was called the Paris of the tropics. The rubber tycoons were so rich that they sent their clothes to Europe for laundry and lit the streets with electricity before many cities in America could do so. The most dazzling symbol of this extravagance is the Amazonas theatre. The marble columns were brought from Italy, the roof tiles from France and the cast iron from Scotland. Every brick, every chandelier was transported by ship across the Atlantic and upstream over 1600 kilometers in the Amazon, just to serve opera performances amidst the roaring jungle. The rubber boom ended as abruptly as it began when the seeds were stolen to Asia, leaving Manaus in a state of quietude for decades. But today, Manaus has been reborn as a modern special economic zone, an irreplaceable gateway for anyone wishing to penetrate the heart of the Amazon. [01:39:53] Speaker ?: A waterfall twice the height of the Empire State Building, cascading down into the heart of a dense jungle, remained complete. A waterfall twice the height of the Empire State Building, cascading down into the heart of a dense jungle, remained completely unknown to the world. A waterfall twice the height of the Empire State Building, cascading down into the heart of a dense jungle, remained completely unknown to the world until 2005. A waterfall twice the height of the Empire State Building, cascading down into the heart of a dense jungle, remained completely unknown to the world until 2005. [01:40:15] Speaker 1: A waterfall twice the height of the Empire State Building, cascading down into the heart of a dense jungle, remained completely unknown to the world until 2005. This is Gokta one of the tallest waterfalls on the planet, a giant that successfully hid itself for thousands of years. At 771 meters high, Gokta stands among the greatest waterfalls in South America. The water here doesn't rush down like a monster, instead it soars through the air, turning into a mist before reaching the second tier. Legend has it that at the foot of the falls resides a beautiful blonde mermaid, guarding a giant pot of gold and a divine python. Anyone who dares approach the falls will be enchanted by her and dragged down into the abyss. This curse is so powerful that for generations, no one dared guide foreigners to this place. It wasn't until Stefan's Yermendorf ventured into this forest region that Gokta emerged from the shadows of legends and entered the world map. [01:41:52] Speaker ?: In the Serrana de la Macarena region of Colombia, there exists a river known as the "River of Five Colors". In the Serrana de la Macarena region of Colombia, there exists a river known as the "River of Five Colors". In the Serrana de la Macarena region of Colombia, there exists a river known as the "River of Five Colors". Cano Cristales. Cano Cristales. In the Serrana de la Macarena region of Colombia, there exists a river known as the "River of Five Colors". Cano Cristales. Cano Cristales. Cano Cristales. In the Serrana de la Macarena region of Colombia, there exists a river known as the "River of Five Colors". Cano Cristales. Cano Cristales. [01:42:15] Speaker 1: In the Serrana de la Macarena region of Colombia, there exists a river known as the "River of Five Colors". Cano Cristales. This vibrant red color doesn't come from rocks or water. Cano Cristales. It comes from a unique aquatic plant, Macarena clavigura. This plant is extremely selective. It only thrives here, where the perfect combination of sunlight intensity, water flow and minerals from the ancient sandstone bedrock is present. When the conditions are right, it blooms, transforming the river into a living oil painting. It only displays its most brilliant colors for a few short months each year. At other times, it's just an ordinary river. This "right people, right time" makes it one of the most challenging and coveted destinations for true adventurers. For decades, the Macarena region was a base for armed groups, making Cano Cristales an untouchable area. Today, with peace restored, the river is not only a natural wonder, but also a symbol of Colombia's rebirth. It is so strictly protected that you are not allowed to use sunscreen or insect repellent when entering the water in order to keep the red daffodils alive. [01:44:10] Speaker ?: It is one of the most challenging islands in the world. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas in the world. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas in the world. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:44:30] Speaker 1: It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:44:42] Speaker ?: It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:44:54] Speaker 1: It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:44:56] Speaker ?: It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:44:59] Speaker 1: It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:45:04] Speaker ?: It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:45:08] Speaker 1: It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:45:27] Speaker ?: It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:45:31] Speaker 1: It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:45:38] Speaker ?: It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:45:40] Speaker 1: It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:45:55] Speaker ?: It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:45:57] Speaker 1: It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:46:09] Speaker ?: It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. It's one of the most challenging areas. [01:46:24] Speaker 1: It's one of the most challenging areas. This is not just a jungle. This is the dwelling place of the Tipui. The oldest geological formations on the planet. Islands in the sky. Completely isolated from the world below. The crown jewel of Kanaima. Angel Falls. At an astonishing height of 979 meters. It is the world's tallest free falling waterfall. The water here doesn't just flow. It dances in the air. From the summit of Ayantepui. The water takes seconds to reach the ground. Creating a perpetual column of spray. That envelops the valley below. Like a fairy tale silk ribbon. To the indigenous Paimon people. [01:47:24] Speaker ?: They call it. Demon Mountain. Legend says. That the flat summit. Is home to sacred. [01:47:29] Speaker 1: And powerful spirits. [01:47:30] Speaker ?: For thousands of years. [01:47:30] Speaker 1: No Paimon. Has dared to set foot. On the summit. Of the Te Pui. [01:47:34] Speaker ?: For fear of encountering. [01:47:36] Speaker 1: The Mawaricha. [01:47:37] Speaker ?: Entities. That protect the purity of this land. It is this fearful reverence. That has kept Kanaima intact. [01:47:37] Speaker 1: As it was in the early days of earth. As it was in the early days of earth. It is this fearful reverence. [01:47:40] Speaker ?: It is this fearful reverence. That has kept Kanaima intact. [01:47:40] Speaker 1: As it was in the early days of earth. As it was in the early days of earth. [01:47:42] Speaker ?: The billions of years of years. The thousands of years. [01:47:44] Speaker 1: The thousands of years. For thousands of years. No Paimon. Has dared to set foot. On the summit. Of the Te Pui. For fear of encountering. The Mawaricha. Entities. That protect the purity. Of this land. It is this fearful reverence. That has kept Kanaima intact. As it was. In the early days of earth. The billions of years. Of isolation. Atop the Te Pui. Have created a unique. Evolutionary laboratory. Each table mountain. Is a distinct. Ecosystem. An evolutionary. Oasis. Completely cut off. From the rest. Of the Amazon. Roraima isn't a mountain. Formed by the collision. Of tectonic plates. [01:48:56] Speaker ?: It's the remnant. [01:48:57] Speaker 1: Of a vast. Plateau. Eroded. Over billions. Of years. Standing on the summit. Of Roraima. You're not just. Standing on rocks. You're standing. On one of the first. Pieces. Of the earth's crust. The earth's crust. [01:49:14] Speaker ?: The earth's crust. It's an evolutionary laboratory. Completely isolated. [01:49:17] Speaker 1: From the world below. The earth's crust. The earth's crust. It's an evolutionary laboratory. Completely isolated. From the world below. Because of its isolation. By sheer cliffs. Life. On Roraima. Has evolved. Along a unique path. 35% of the plant. And animal species here. Can't be found. Anywhere else. On the planet. A land where the most bizarre creatures. Still reign supreme. On this mountain top. Beauty and harshness. Intertwine. Crystal clear valleys. Pristine lakes. And mist. Blanket the area. 24 hours a day. But beware. The weather here changes. In a matter of seconds. A storm could strike. Transforming this paradise. Into a cold. Misty labyrinth of rocks. Where you could get lost forever. Roraima. Roraima is a testament. To nature's enduring nature. In the face of human. Inevitability. It stands there. Silent. And majestic. Holding the secrets. Of earth's dawn. [01:50:56] Speaker ?: There's a heartbreaking truth. The most dangerous predator. In the Amazon. In the Amazon. Is humanity. Itself. Every minute. An area of forest. Is wiped out forever. The Amazon. The Amazon. [01:51:05] Speaker 1: Is bleeding. [01:51:06] Speaker ?: And these scars. [01:51:06] Speaker 1: May never heal. Scientists warn. Of a tipping point. [01:51:09] Speaker ?: Where the Amazon. No longer has enough trees. [01:51:09] Speaker 1: To produce. To produce. [01:51:11] Speaker ?: The most dangerous predator. [01:51:11] Speaker 1: In the Amazon. The most dangerous predator. [01:51:13] Speaker ?: In the Amazon. In the Amazon. [01:51:14] Speaker 1: Is humanity. Itself. Every minute. An area of forest. forever. The Amazon is bleeding and these scars may never heal. Scientists warn of a tipping point where the Amazon no longer has enough trees to produce its own rain. At that point, the green lungs will turn into a barren savannah and the old growth forest is responding. When we encroach too deeply into its dark corners, we are awakening pathogens, viruses that have been imprisoned for millions of years. The Amazon's revenge isn't with claws but with the very collapse of the eco-system that sustains humanity. [01:52:19] Speaker ?: The Amazon has existed for 55 million years. It doesn't need us to survive, but we need it to breathe. The Amazon is dangerous because it wasn't created to serve humans. It's a separate kingdom with its own laws. [01:52:33] Speaker 1: The Amazon is dangerous because it wasn't created to serve humans. It's a separate kingdom with its own laws. We are merely visitors. The Amazon is dangerous because it wasn't created to serve humans. It's a separate kingdom with its own laws. We are merely visitors. And how we treat this host will determine the future of our own children and grandchildren. If you had to choose, would you have the courage to survive 24 hours in the heart of the Amazon? Leave a comment below. Thank you for staying with me until these final moments. If you had to choose, would you have the courage to survive 24 hours in the heart of the Amazon? Leave a comment below. Thank you for staying with me until these final moments. We'll see you next time.