Tiny Creatures (2020) s01e03 Episode Script
Minnesota
1
[narrator] Minnesota,
home to the Twin Cities
and over 10,000 lakes.
Among this mosaic
of natural havens and cityscapes
exist vast, green urban spaces
often used as tranquil backdrops
for leisurely activities.
But this lush, green landscape
is also home
to some very unusual characters.
A mixture of undulating grassy hills,
dense woodlands, sandy bunkers,
and freshwater lakes,
golf courses stand as an oasis of green
amid human habitation.
And it's not just humans
who are enticed by these open spaces.
Many wild animals
can't resist their appeal.
This unsightly hole
wasn't the golfer's intended target.
This rabbit hole
seems to go on indefinitely.
To the golfer's surprise,
the ball seems to have a mind of its own.
[hissing]
A warning.
[hissing continues]
Whatever's down there,
the message is received loud and clear.
In no hurry to find out what it is,
that's one ball
this golfer can live without.
Disgruntled by this disturbance,
the creature knows
exactly where to put the ball.
That's another one to add to the pile.
At nine inches tall,
with comically long legs,
it's a burrowing owl,
one of the smallest owls in North America.
[chirps]
Satisfied with a job well done,
he retreats inside
his subterranean home.
And this particular burrowing owl
lives alone.
And the longer he stays on his own,
the more antisocial he has become.
It's morning,
and time for him to find breakfast.
In the right conditions, burrowing owls
can co-exist alongside people.
While this can place them in harm's way,
it can also provide
untold opportunities.
Every golf course needs
round-the-clock maintenance.
With so many easy pickings
at their disposal,
urban animals can't resist
raiding human dwellings.
And this greenskeeper's hut
is no exception.
Yet it's a curious place
for the owl to visit.
But he knows
exactly what he's looking for
trash.
While burrowing owls
consume many things,
including small mammals and insects,
trash isn't one of them.
And yet strangely,
he rummages inside the bags,
grabbing at scraps of food
and any interesting objects he can find,
and he returns to his tunnel.
Although they can fly,
these terrestrial animals are more suited
to life on the ground
and prefer to travel on foot.
He drops the piece of litter
outside his own burrow.
A curious behavior,
and one he seems compelled to repeat.
For some reason,
this animal's intention
is to build a collection
of old food and inedible objects
right outside his home.
[chirps]
Not very hygienic,
but there is method to his madness,
and he reveals for the first time
his cunning strategy.
The smell of rotting debris is there
to attract attention.
Flies swarm around the waste.
He's devised
a personalized dining service,
delivered straight to his front door.
It's a clever solution
to risking life and limb
out on the golfing green.
Why go out when food can come to you?
These items are also there
for another purpose:
to advertise a clear message to others.
"This burrow is taken. Keep out."
He retreats to his nest just in time,
for he knows that above ground,
the sprinklers start
at the same time each day.
Content, he goes to sleep.
[engine whirs, stops]
A loud rumble above
announces the next morning.
The greenskeeper
cannot allow the golf course
to become cluttered with trash.
The owl eagerly exits the tunnel
to find out what delicacies
he has waiting for his breakfast.
But he's disheartened to find
his collection has been cleared away.
[chirps]
[squawks]
As if to add insult to injury,
it's another stray ball.
[chirps]
That's the last straw.
[owl squawking]
The golfer believes he's hit
a hole in one.
Yes!
As they drive away,
the owl isn't finished yet.
[squawks]
To further show his annoyance,
he kicks soil onto the pristine green.
Such unruly behavior
could have him evicted.
That's it. The greenskeeper is tired
of cleaning up after the owl.
As a last resort,
he's brought along a professional
to assist him
in the cleanup operation:
a ferret.
An inquisitive and lively creature,
it's eager
to start hunting down its target.
This carnivore is trained to flush out
anything hiding underground.
The ferret relies on its incredible
sense of smell to locate the owl.
Its sleek body allows it
to quickly slip effortlessly
down the passageways at great speed.
It's hot on the owl's tail
but danger lurks around every corner.
But he's no match for the sharp beak
of this common snapping turtle.
[owl hissing]
Now that the ferret can see the owl,
it intensifies its efforts,
but he's held back by the tangled roots.
With his harness caught,
his struggling is seriously damaging
the integrity of the tunnel system.
The owl can't hang around.
He's in serious trouble.
[ferret squeaks]
These old subterranean systems
have been weakened
by the animals' commotion.
[ferret squeaks]
[owl chirps]
Now any slight movement above
could spell disaster.
[chirping frantically]
This disaster, however,
has given the owl a lifeline.
Unharmed, the ferret is unable
to break through the mound of earth
that divides them.
It has no choice but to turn back.
Having lost sight of the owl,
the ferret heads out of the tunnel
empty-handed.
[chirps]
The owl is forced to take
an unfamiliar path.
He pauses to survey his new surroundings.
[squawks]
Stretched out before him
are tall, dense swaths of grass.
Any golfer unfortunate enough
to mishit beyond the fairway
into these long grasses
will have little luck
in finding their ball again.
While the owl prefers shorter grass
to keep a lookout for danger,
left uncut, these patches are home
to a variety of insects.
Like other owls,
his eyes are fixated into position,
so he must move his head
to focus his gaze onto his prey.
If it's small enough
to catch and eat it, he will.
A good first attempt,
but he was thwarted by the long grass.
Any of these insects
would be a welcome meal.
For too long, he's relied on capturing
food attracted to his doorstep
and his hunting technique
is a little rusty.
A more profitable animal
catches his attention.
It's an American five-lined skink,
basking in the sun.
A brightly-striped reptile
with a talent for speed,
it gets a head start on the owl.
These traveled pathways
allow the owl
to race as fast as he can after his prey.
To escape, the skink darts for shelter.
This confined space
could give the owl the upper hand.
Inside the core of the rotten tree,
it's cooler, darker.
There's an uneasy feeling in the air.
The owl looks around for the skink.
He hasn't noticed something sinister
is hiding in the dark
watching the owl's every move.
[chirps]
The tension is broken by the lizard.
The owl bumbles outside
to resume its chase.
A lucky escape for now.
[screeches]
He gets a good position on the skink.
[squawks]
Fed up and irritated,
the owl can't do anything around here
without being interrupted.
Frustrated and annoyed,
he gives up hunting for the day.
[chirps]
With little luck catching insects
in the meadow,
the owl returns to collect more trash.
The tried-and-tested methods never fail.
However, this time he isn't alone.
The greenskeeper is back,
fixing one of the golf carts.
He must tread carefully.
[chirps]
[chirps]
The owl knows something isn't right.
[squeaks]
[chirps]
[chirps]
This time,
there are no tunnels to save the owl.
All of a sudden, the ferret turns tail
and quickly goes back to its kennel.
Having tracked the owl
from the fallen tree,
it's a young red fox,
here to dine on fresh meat.
He must be quick.
The owl's natural instinct
is to run and hide underground.
[growls]
[squawks]
This barrier isn't going
to hold the fox for long.
[squawks]
Pausing to catch his breath,
it's clear the owl isn't safe
aboveground.
Too big to fit down the owl's burrow,
the fox tracks him from above.
[chirps]
With extremely keen hearing,
the fox can pick up low frequency sounds
from below the surface.
Detecting the quietest movement,
it pauses to listen.
[growls softly]
It hears an opportunity.
As he arrives at the burrow exit,
all sounds from belowground cease.
But the fox is an expert
in cunning and stealth.
He hides from view and patiently waits
for the owl to emerge.
Uncertain of where the fox may be,
the owl keeps quiet.
It's become an ultimate test of patience
between predator and prey.
It's essential
the owl times his move perfectly.
If he puts a foot wrong,
he'll be fox food.
[whimpers]
In the chaos of an unprovoked attack,
the fox has taken its eye off the ball,
and the owl seizes its opportunity.
He needs to make sure this predator
will never return.
But the fox is confused.
Its prey never stands its ground.
[chirps]
The owl used its know-how
to outwit the fox,
and it leaves
with its tail between its legs.
Yet the owl's celebrations
are short-lived.
In his absence, one of the tunnels
has been blocked by a mound of earth.
Taking an alternative route,
he finds another exit blocked.
The greenskeeper has resorted
to devastating tactics:
filling in the burrows and tunnels
to trap the owl.
Without the use of his tunnels,
he's uncertain of what to do now.
He finds himself in unfamiliar territory.
The greenskeeper has caught
the final prize.
Carefully, the keeper releases the owl
into an alien landscape.
Situated on the edge of the golf course,
the keeper has been hard at work
establishing a new home for the owl.
Free from golfers, pesky foxes,
and other unwanted intrusions.
[chirping]
Although it's not home,
it feels strangely familiar.
He's greeted with a glorious vision
a female burrowing owl.
He wastes no time
in trying to impress her.
Collecting the first gift he can find
he hastily offers her a juicy cricket.
Once they decide to pair up,
burrowing owls often stay together.
A social animal by nature,
he was never meant to live alone.
[squawks]
And they're not the only ones here:
an established, protected colony of owls,
and a fresh start.
These owls
are just some of the fortunate ones.
As human-dominated landscapes
continue to spread,
species like the burrowing owl
are increasingly edged out
of their wild homes.
With a little planning,
urbanized environments
can present a future
where both people and wild animals
can co-exist and flourish.
Ecosystems are not built on a single
organism alone.
All beings must learn to coexist
in this forever-changing landscape.
In a few weeks' time,
these owls must escape
the cold grip of winter
and head south to warmer climates.
By spring, they'll return to raise
the next generation of burrowing owls.
They face a long journey ahead.
[chirps]
Yet this owl
has a new perspective on life,
because for the first time,
he will not face it alone.
[narrator] Minnesota,
home to the Twin Cities
and over 10,000 lakes.
Among this mosaic
of natural havens and cityscapes
exist vast, green urban spaces
often used as tranquil backdrops
for leisurely activities.
But this lush, green landscape
is also home
to some very unusual characters.
A mixture of undulating grassy hills,
dense woodlands, sandy bunkers,
and freshwater lakes,
golf courses stand as an oasis of green
amid human habitation.
And it's not just humans
who are enticed by these open spaces.
Many wild animals
can't resist their appeal.
This unsightly hole
wasn't the golfer's intended target.
This rabbit hole
seems to go on indefinitely.
To the golfer's surprise,
the ball seems to have a mind of its own.
[hissing]
A warning.
[hissing continues]
Whatever's down there,
the message is received loud and clear.
In no hurry to find out what it is,
that's one ball
this golfer can live without.
Disgruntled by this disturbance,
the creature knows
exactly where to put the ball.
That's another one to add to the pile.
At nine inches tall,
with comically long legs,
it's a burrowing owl,
one of the smallest owls in North America.
[chirps]
Satisfied with a job well done,
he retreats inside
his subterranean home.
And this particular burrowing owl
lives alone.
And the longer he stays on his own,
the more antisocial he has become.
It's morning,
and time for him to find breakfast.
In the right conditions, burrowing owls
can co-exist alongside people.
While this can place them in harm's way,
it can also provide
untold opportunities.
Every golf course needs
round-the-clock maintenance.
With so many easy pickings
at their disposal,
urban animals can't resist
raiding human dwellings.
And this greenskeeper's hut
is no exception.
Yet it's a curious place
for the owl to visit.
But he knows
exactly what he's looking for
trash.
While burrowing owls
consume many things,
including small mammals and insects,
trash isn't one of them.
And yet strangely,
he rummages inside the bags,
grabbing at scraps of food
and any interesting objects he can find,
and he returns to his tunnel.
Although they can fly,
these terrestrial animals are more suited
to life on the ground
and prefer to travel on foot.
He drops the piece of litter
outside his own burrow.
A curious behavior,
and one he seems compelled to repeat.
For some reason,
this animal's intention
is to build a collection
of old food and inedible objects
right outside his home.
[chirps]
Not very hygienic,
but there is method to his madness,
and he reveals for the first time
his cunning strategy.
The smell of rotting debris is there
to attract attention.
Flies swarm around the waste.
He's devised
a personalized dining service,
delivered straight to his front door.
It's a clever solution
to risking life and limb
out on the golfing green.
Why go out when food can come to you?
These items are also there
for another purpose:
to advertise a clear message to others.
"This burrow is taken. Keep out."
He retreats to his nest just in time,
for he knows that above ground,
the sprinklers start
at the same time each day.
Content, he goes to sleep.
[engine whirs, stops]
A loud rumble above
announces the next morning.
The greenskeeper
cannot allow the golf course
to become cluttered with trash.
The owl eagerly exits the tunnel
to find out what delicacies
he has waiting for his breakfast.
But he's disheartened to find
his collection has been cleared away.
[chirps]
[squawks]
As if to add insult to injury,
it's another stray ball.
[chirps]
That's the last straw.
[owl squawking]
The golfer believes he's hit
a hole in one.
Yes!
As they drive away,
the owl isn't finished yet.
[squawks]
To further show his annoyance,
he kicks soil onto the pristine green.
Such unruly behavior
could have him evicted.
That's it. The greenskeeper is tired
of cleaning up after the owl.
As a last resort,
he's brought along a professional
to assist him
in the cleanup operation:
a ferret.
An inquisitive and lively creature,
it's eager
to start hunting down its target.
This carnivore is trained to flush out
anything hiding underground.
The ferret relies on its incredible
sense of smell to locate the owl.
Its sleek body allows it
to quickly slip effortlessly
down the passageways at great speed.
It's hot on the owl's tail
but danger lurks around every corner.
But he's no match for the sharp beak
of this common snapping turtle.
[owl hissing]
Now that the ferret can see the owl,
it intensifies its efforts,
but he's held back by the tangled roots.
With his harness caught,
his struggling is seriously damaging
the integrity of the tunnel system.
The owl can't hang around.
He's in serious trouble.
[ferret squeaks]
These old subterranean systems
have been weakened
by the animals' commotion.
[ferret squeaks]
[owl chirps]
Now any slight movement above
could spell disaster.
[chirping frantically]
This disaster, however,
has given the owl a lifeline.
Unharmed, the ferret is unable
to break through the mound of earth
that divides them.
It has no choice but to turn back.
Having lost sight of the owl,
the ferret heads out of the tunnel
empty-handed.
[chirps]
The owl is forced to take
an unfamiliar path.
He pauses to survey his new surroundings.
[squawks]
Stretched out before him
are tall, dense swaths of grass.
Any golfer unfortunate enough
to mishit beyond the fairway
into these long grasses
will have little luck
in finding their ball again.
While the owl prefers shorter grass
to keep a lookout for danger,
left uncut, these patches are home
to a variety of insects.
Like other owls,
his eyes are fixated into position,
so he must move his head
to focus his gaze onto his prey.
If it's small enough
to catch and eat it, he will.
A good first attempt,
but he was thwarted by the long grass.
Any of these insects
would be a welcome meal.
For too long, he's relied on capturing
food attracted to his doorstep
and his hunting technique
is a little rusty.
A more profitable animal
catches his attention.
It's an American five-lined skink,
basking in the sun.
A brightly-striped reptile
with a talent for speed,
it gets a head start on the owl.
These traveled pathways
allow the owl
to race as fast as he can after his prey.
To escape, the skink darts for shelter.
This confined space
could give the owl the upper hand.
Inside the core of the rotten tree,
it's cooler, darker.
There's an uneasy feeling in the air.
The owl looks around for the skink.
He hasn't noticed something sinister
is hiding in the dark
watching the owl's every move.
[chirps]
The tension is broken by the lizard.
The owl bumbles outside
to resume its chase.
A lucky escape for now.
[screeches]
He gets a good position on the skink.
[squawks]
Fed up and irritated,
the owl can't do anything around here
without being interrupted.
Frustrated and annoyed,
he gives up hunting for the day.
[chirps]
With little luck catching insects
in the meadow,
the owl returns to collect more trash.
The tried-and-tested methods never fail.
However, this time he isn't alone.
The greenskeeper is back,
fixing one of the golf carts.
He must tread carefully.
[chirps]
[chirps]
The owl knows something isn't right.
[squeaks]
[chirps]
[chirps]
This time,
there are no tunnels to save the owl.
All of a sudden, the ferret turns tail
and quickly goes back to its kennel.
Having tracked the owl
from the fallen tree,
it's a young red fox,
here to dine on fresh meat.
He must be quick.
The owl's natural instinct
is to run and hide underground.
[growls]
[squawks]
This barrier isn't going
to hold the fox for long.
[squawks]
Pausing to catch his breath,
it's clear the owl isn't safe
aboveground.
Too big to fit down the owl's burrow,
the fox tracks him from above.
[chirps]
With extremely keen hearing,
the fox can pick up low frequency sounds
from below the surface.
Detecting the quietest movement,
it pauses to listen.
[growls softly]
It hears an opportunity.
As he arrives at the burrow exit,
all sounds from belowground cease.
But the fox is an expert
in cunning and stealth.
He hides from view and patiently waits
for the owl to emerge.
Uncertain of where the fox may be,
the owl keeps quiet.
It's become an ultimate test of patience
between predator and prey.
It's essential
the owl times his move perfectly.
If he puts a foot wrong,
he'll be fox food.
[whimpers]
In the chaos of an unprovoked attack,
the fox has taken its eye off the ball,
and the owl seizes its opportunity.
He needs to make sure this predator
will never return.
But the fox is confused.
Its prey never stands its ground.
[chirps]
The owl used its know-how
to outwit the fox,
and it leaves
with its tail between its legs.
Yet the owl's celebrations
are short-lived.
In his absence, one of the tunnels
has been blocked by a mound of earth.
Taking an alternative route,
he finds another exit blocked.
The greenskeeper has resorted
to devastating tactics:
filling in the burrows and tunnels
to trap the owl.
Without the use of his tunnels,
he's uncertain of what to do now.
He finds himself in unfamiliar territory.
The greenskeeper has caught
the final prize.
Carefully, the keeper releases the owl
into an alien landscape.
Situated on the edge of the golf course,
the keeper has been hard at work
establishing a new home for the owl.
Free from golfers, pesky foxes,
and other unwanted intrusions.
[chirping]
Although it's not home,
it feels strangely familiar.
He's greeted with a glorious vision
a female burrowing owl.
He wastes no time
in trying to impress her.
Collecting the first gift he can find
he hastily offers her a juicy cricket.
Once they decide to pair up,
burrowing owls often stay together.
A social animal by nature,
he was never meant to live alone.
[squawks]
And they're not the only ones here:
an established, protected colony of owls,
and a fresh start.
These owls
are just some of the fortunate ones.
As human-dominated landscapes
continue to spread,
species like the burrowing owl
are increasingly edged out
of their wild homes.
With a little planning,
urbanized environments
can present a future
where both people and wild animals
can co-exist and flourish.
Ecosystems are not built on a single
organism alone.
All beings must learn to coexist
in this forever-changing landscape.
In a few weeks' time,
these owls must escape
the cold grip of winter
and head south to warmer climates.
By spring, they'll return to raise
the next generation of burrowing owls.
They face a long journey ahead.
[chirps]
Yet this owl
has a new perspective on life,
because for the first time,
he will not face it alone.