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AnimalsTranscript
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00:163rd of May, 1893.
00:19My friend, welcome to the Carpathians.
00:23I am anxiously expecting you.
00:26I trust your journey from London has been a happy one.
00:30And that you will enjoy your stay in my beautiful land.
00:37With these words, an unknown Irish writer
00:40introduced one of the most famous characters in Western culture.
00:45A character so compelling,
00:48his obscure homeland has become a household name around the globe.
00:53Today, this remote land is one of Europe's last wild frontiers.
01:07Home to vast mountain ranges, where wolves and wild cats roam.
01:14To pristine rivers and ancient forests, where Europe's great bears still run free.
01:25While Dracula was a figment of Bram Stoker's imagination,
01:29there is a place called Transylvania.
01:33Shhh.
01:34Shhh.
01:35Shhh.
01:36Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:06Transylvania lies in central Romania, on the far south-eastern edge of Europe.
02:31Shielded from the world by the majestic Carpathian mountains and in the 20th century by a hard communist regime, Transylvania is to this day a wild and wonderful land.
02:54A place where the great predators of Europe still have room to roam.
03:01Like the lynx. Hardly ever glimpsed by human eyes, it is a true phantom of the forest.
03:21High in the Carpathians, winter is on the wane.
03:31Record temperatures have left little snow on the mountains.
03:42A final flurry falls somewhere between sleet and rain.
03:52After months of darkness, some big beasts are on the move.
03:57Transylvania is home to almost half of Europe's brown bears, and they haven't fed for five or six months.
04:10These are lean times. Everyone is hungry.
04:18For the great predators of Transylvania, spring can't come soon enough.
04:31In the high country, some heat from our life-giving star finally punches through.
04:48The mountains burst into life.
04:51The mountains burst into life.
04:52After feeding up for a few weeks, this male's mind is turning to other matters.
05:13There are healthy genes to be passed on.
05:19But first, he must deal with the competition.
05:22The fighting can go on for weeks.
05:35And gives the females a chance to see who's made of the right stuff.
06:04Fighting off rivals is a tiring business.
06:07But wooing a disinterested female is another level of pain altogether.
06:13She's just not in the mood.
06:33She's just not in the mood.
06:38She's also ה�.
06:39She's not in the mood.
06:40She's not in the mood.
06:45She's not in the mood.
06:49She's not as in the mood.
06:52It's not all OK.
06:54But eming is the only way of entering through them.
07:01Both may mate many times with different partners.
07:22It's an exhausting business.
07:31All winter long, some powerful spirits have been missing from villages across Transylvania.
07:50But then, a day comes in early spring when the lost souls return.
08:01White storks are revered in Transylvania, bringing good luck and fertility to those who treat them well.
08:13It takes the storks seven weeks to fly the 7,000 miles from their winter grounds in southern Africa.
08:22A little rest is in order, and there's no rush.
08:26Village life in Transylvania runs to its own relaxed rhythm.
08:42The male storks arrive first to check all is clear.
08:48It also allows him time for some house maintenance before the boss makes an appearance.
08:55She is still flying north.
09:01She is still flying north.
09:01It plays a lot before the boss.
09:19When she does finally appear, they're just delighted to see each other.
09:49Storks may live for 20 years or more, and they mate for life.
09:56It's a powerful bond.
09:59.
10:19History hangs heavy in Transylvania.
10:24Germans, Turks, Romanians, all have fought and died over this land.
10:36800 years ago, the horsemen of Mongolia, the Tatars, laid waste to the countryside.
10:44.
10:49Some local villagers made a last stand on this hill.
10:54They're dead, buried all around this summit.
10:58.
11:03Because Tata Hill is left alone, every summer it explodes with wildflowers.
11:10.
11:15Modern agriculture wipes almost all before it.
11:20But Transylvania still offers small windows into the past.
11:28.
11:29Her surviving wildflower meadows are world famous for their diversity and complexity.
11:35.
11:45.
11:46The keys to their survival, traditional farming without chemical fertilizers or poisons.
11:53.
11:54And harvesting maybe once in the year.
11:58.
12:03Transylvania's traditional meadows are one of Europe's great natural treasures.
12:11.
12:16Almost 200 different kinds of butterflies are found in Romania.
12:21.
12:26Most will live for only three or four weeks.
12:29.
12:30A tiny window to enjoy the wildflowers and the summer sun.
12:35.
12:40.
12:42Where there are bees in Transylvania, often not far away, are bee eaters.
12:50.
12:51These spectacular creatures appear from the south in early May.
12:56.
12:57And settle in for a busy summer of bee eating.
13:01.
13:03The bees may be dead, but they're still dangerous.
13:07.
13:08With a strategic squeeze, the birds remove the stings.
13:12.
13:13.
13:14And expel the venom.
13:15.
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14:46On the longest days of the year, journey into Transylvania's meadows and you just might meet
14:53some fairies.
14:54.
14:57Sancien is a ritual that goes back to pagan times, the village girls bestowing magical
15:06powers on the wildflowers.
15:22Children dies hard in Transylvania. Thousands of years on, the girls still weave their floral
15:30crowns to celebrate summer and the gift of life.
15:47The eve of Sancien is when the heavens open and spirits roam free.
15:56Fires are lit to ward off the evil ones.
16:09On this night, the 23rd of June, the gates to the other world are wide open.
16:18Dracul means dragon or devil, and a 15th century warlord, Vlad Dracul, is widely regarded as
16:37the inspiration for the legendary vampire.
16:46Bran Castle is often touted as Vlad's lair.
16:53But Vlad barely visited Bran, if at all.
17:01Forty miles to the south is Targovist, where Vlad established his court.
17:08His other nickname was Vlad the Impaler, as he would skewer his enemies on wooden stakes, alive.
17:22He had 20,000 Turks impaled outside Targovist.
17:29The skies filled with their dying screams and departing souls.
17:37Then, as now, religion was a backdrop for bloodshed and war.
17:58Across Transylvania, churches were often fortified with high walls and battlements.
18:09500 years on, many still provide shelter for some of the other great characters in the story of Dracula.
18:31Transylvania is a wonderland for bats.
18:5326 different kinds make their homes here.
18:58And this is one of the most successful, the greater mouse-eared bat.
19:08Come summertime, they often search out church towers, spending the daylight hours gathered in tight bundles for companionship.
19:24But as dusk falls across Transylvania, the bats start to come alive.
19:30It's time to go hunting.
19:42One of the largest bats in Europe, greater mouse-eareds, are ferocious predators.
19:49And Transylvania's wild woods and meadows are still full of prey.
19:55Unlike many, these bats don't use sonar to locate their prey.
20:07Instead, their ears are hypersensitive to any tiny sounds from insects on the move.
20:14Once these huge ears lock on, their unfortunate prey has little chance.
20:31Then they're able to set up.
20:32There are no signs for them to kill them as well.
20:36I want them to kill them.
20:41I want them to kill you.
20:42Then they browsers bring them to fight.
20:44And these bats directly go away.
20:45They're like, ready, not enough.
20:47I want them.
20:49You're like, I want them.
20:50I want them to kill you.
20:52I want them to kill you.
20:54Don't let them know.
20:55I want them to kill you.
20:56I want them to kill you.
20:58And I want them to kill you.
21:01But keep very still,
21:05and you might just survive to see another night in the forest.
21:18While churches make handy summer shelters,
21:21caves are critical sanctuaries for Transylvania's baths.
21:27And Romania is riddled with caves, more than 12,000 in all.
21:35In winter, they are the perfect hibernation hideaways.
21:45Fifteen years ago, in western Transylvania,
21:48a large chamber was discovered
21:51with a very different kind of natural treasure.
21:57Charcoal drawings more than 30,000 years old.
22:05On one wall, the two-horned head of a rhinoceros.
22:09On another, the faint outline of a giant,
22:16a horned beast that was critical to these early human hunters.
22:21Millions roamed the continent.
22:31But for the next 30,000 years,
22:36the slaughter of these giants never stopped.
22:39Until a century ago, when just 54 survived.
22:54But from these ashes, a minor miracle has unfolded.
22:58Today, European bison are back in Transylvania.
23:07Across Europe, from Bulgaria to Belarus,
23:11the bison are coming home to the wild.
23:14the wild.
23:23Introduced by local conservationists,
23:26there are now over 200 in Romania.
23:34Today, their quiet presence brings vital new life
23:38to these ancient forests.
23:40Lynx are opportunistic hunters.
24:03They like surprise to be on their side.
24:06Chamois may be very wary,
24:18but it's often someone else who raises the alarm.
24:21the alarm.
24:44One of the iconic sounds of summer.
24:46There is nothing quite like a hoopoe.
24:58With their glorious plumage and unmistakable calls,
25:02hoopoe's bring their unique presence to Transylvania
25:06at this time of year.
25:07Hoopoe's usually nest in holes in the ground,
25:19or in hollow trees.
25:29This is the last of the brood.
25:32His siblings have already left the nest.
25:35He's on his own.
25:38Which has its advantages.
25:42The parents have no one else to feed.
25:44The parents have no one else to feed.
25:45But he still has some lessons to learn.
25:57Prey won't always stay still just waiting to be eaten.
25:58But he still has some lessons to learn.
26:10Prey won't always stay still just waiting to be eaten.
26:24It's almost time for his maiden flight and those wing muscles have to be in good shape.
26:54He soon learns that life is very different on the outside.
26:59Mum won't always tolerate this constant begging.
27:07School is down in the meadow where the hunting and feeding lessons continue.
27:13But that big bill is a tricky weapon to master.
27:20There's no way to go.
27:27I'm going to go.
27:29I'm going to go.
27:31I'm going to go.
27:35The Cubs
27:57Barely five months old, the cubs were born in their mother's den back in the dark days of midwinter.
28:05Fed on their mother's rich milk, they're growing stronger and bolder.
28:22Someday their fighting skills will be put to good use.
28:26But first, they must practice.
28:35For the next two years, the cubs are completely dependent on their mother.
28:53As they learn all they need for their future lives in the forest.
28:59In Viscri, the stork parents have a healthy brood to care for.
29:09Four large chicks now share the nest.
29:19From hatching, the young storks won't leave this tiny space for two or three months.
29:26For mum and dad, it's a full-time job to keep them fed and watered.
29:44Transylvania's traditional farms are a critical reason they fly from Africa to raise their families here.
30:04Storks aren't fussy. They'll eat just about everything.
30:13The pickings are stored in their gut for the family waiting at home.
30:20Dinner is not an elegant affair.
30:36Nothing seems to satisfy these youngsters.
30:43Trapped in their nest, the chicks have no access to water, except what comes out of their parents' mouths.
30:53From just after sunrise, mum and dad keep up a relentless routine.
31:08Until late afternoon, when they finally take a break.
31:38The chicks can mine themselves until another day dawns.
32:08The story of modern humans in Transylvania goes back at least 40,000 years.
32:23Here in the Carpathians were found some of the oldest bones of our direct ancestors ever discovered in Europe.
32:33These pioneers faced high mountains and almost limitless forests.
32:42But there were some islands in this ocean of trees.
32:46Vast herds of bison, deer and oroch carved out open meadows which over time evolved their own unique family of trees and meadow plants.
33:08Transylvania is home to some of the only remnants of these ancient pastures.
33:18The first farmers continued to use the meadows and hold back the encroaching woodlands.
33:37But giant oaks were left unharmed, as their acorns were often welcome food for the animals.
33:49Some of these oaks are 800 years old.
33:55Today, farming with a light touch is still needed to preserve these unique forest clearings.
34:06The old and dead oak trees support a bonanza of tiny lives.
34:15And one of the most spectacular insects on the planet.
34:27With jaws almost as long as his body, this stag beetle is in a hurry.
34:33He has spent five years underground as a juvenile.
34:38And now, as an adult, will only live for a few weeks.
34:43He must find a female.
34:46And fast.
34:48This male has got lucky.
34:53A female in a cosy crevice.
34:57But there are plenty of other males about.
35:00This is not going to be easy.
35:03Those great jaws swing into action.
35:15His rival may be down, but he's certainly not out.
35:31And another interloper joins the fray.
35:43It's a full-on beetle battle.
35:50Rivals dealt with, he heads back to mate with the waiting female.
35:56She may live for a few months more, but his days are numbered.
36:03His massive jaws mean he can't feed properly.
36:08And though he may have the energy to mate a few more times,
36:13he will not live to see this summer out.
36:17As weeks go by, the bear family are constantly on the move.
36:36The cubs never stray too far from mum.
36:45And for good reason.
36:51They're in constant danger.
36:54Other bears are the problem.
36:59Mature males will kill cubs on sight, hoping to bring the mother back in heat,
37:06so they can mate with her.
37:08Any sign of danger, the cubs are up in the trees.
37:14While she stands guard with the youngest.
37:33When the coast does clear, there's the tricky business of getting back down.
37:50Until strong enough to defend themselves, the cubs' lives will depend on mum
38:10and her skills at keeping them fed and safe from harm.
38:15But right now, danger is the last thing on their minds.
38:40There is another new kid on the block in Transylvania.
39:09Though mostly active at night, you can't miss the tell-tale signs of their presence.
39:26Once found throughout Europe, beavers were ruthlessly hunted.
39:36It's 200 years since the last native beaver was reported in Transylvania.
39:41But today, some natural migration and a reintroduction program has brought them back.
39:51Beaver dams form new ponds for all kinds of aquatic life and slow down the rivers, reducing floods.
40:09Engineering marbles creating whole new worlds of life.
40:28In Viscri, the stork chicks are almost three months old and very keen to leave their tiny home.
40:55Every day, their wing muscles grow stronger.
41:02Soon, they face the biggest leap of their lives.
41:12And finally, the moment comes.
41:18Flying is hard enough, but many challenges, both big and small, await in this crooked new world.
41:31In just a few short weeks, the stork family will sense a chill in the air.
41:49And their new wings will carry the trick south across two continents.
41:56In autumn, Transylvania puts on her finest show.
42:25She is home to some of the largest stretches of ancient forest in Europe.
42:36But there is the shadow of logging and development, as most of the wild woods are unprotected.
42:48Pressure is growing for a huge new national park in the Fagarash Mountains to preserve these priceless natural treasures.
43:03All the people who have the last few months of the long run of the fields are in the air.
43:06In the air, they are not able to select this space.
43:08But this is a good way to live in the air.
43:09There are many other places, the sky will be seen in this space.
43:10What does this mean?
43:11But this is something that will be found in the air.
43:12It is something that is very difficult.
43:13I am not able to need to know the air to put them in the air.
43:14And this is something that makes them feel alive.
43:15It is something that will be used to the air.
43:16I am not able to be able to take the air to the air.
43:17The air is not able to be able to see a chill in the air.
43:19For Transylvania's bears, autumn is a critical time.
43:39They will soon head into their dens for the winter.
43:44To survive five or six months without food,
43:49they must build up their fat reserves.
44:04Autumn is often the time the bears come into closest contact with humans.
44:11For the people of Transylvania are master fruit growers.
44:15Plums are a speciality and used to distil a favourite liquor, palinka.
44:25But someone else is also a fan of ripe, juicy plums.
44:29They'll risk a raid on the nearest orchard.
44:35Come the quiet of evening, they'll risk a raid on the nearest orchard.
44:40Now, when they're there, they're all tortured.
44:43Mmm.
44:43Mmm.
44:44These cubs are now eight months old
45:11and sturdy enough to be given a little more freedom by their mother.
45:19The cubs will soon face their first winter sleep
45:22and with nights drawing in, this is a very welcome feast.
45:41The temperatures are falling.
45:56Slowly but surely, winter wraps its cloak over Transylvania.
46:04The temperatures are falling.
46:10Slowly but surely, winter wraps its cloak over Transylvania.
46:17So thick is the fur of a bison that almost no heat escapes their bodies
46:34and the snow forms a protective shell.
46:38In the forest, deep snow can make progress difficult
46:49and the hunters are constantly on the move.
46:57The apex predator in these woods is the wolf.
47:01Transylvania is thought to be home to more wolves than anywhere in Europe,
47:10but no one really knows how many there are.
47:17For these are incredibly shy and elusive creatures
47:22who stay well away from their only predator, man.
47:31Their presence in these mountains is priceless.
47:36Transylvania is also home to one of nature's greatest survivors.
47:58Dinner may be under a thick layer of snow,
48:01but that's not going to stop a red fox.
48:06I don't think so.
48:11Another thing she reading properly
48:27is asking for a different action!
48:29A lese of an island is also sleeping.
48:34The lone warrior of these wild lands is the lynx.
48:47Covering vast distances on their eternal quest for food,
48:54lynx spend most of their lives on their own.
48:58But come late winter, they need to find their own kind.
49:05Mature males leave scent marks throughout their territory.
49:16And this female is on their trail.
49:20Only fertile for a few days of the year, her time with the male is brief.
49:39For in the woods she has two lively kits, and they take up most of her time and energy.
49:54Almost a year old, they're still dependent on her, but will soon leave to carve a life of
50:10their own somewhere in the great forests of Transylvania.
50:15Today's Europe has fewer and fewer of these wild sanctuaries.
50:30Places where the solitary lynx can roam free, or the great bears can find a home.
50:43Transylvania is one of Europe's last wild wonderlands,
50:53with some of the greatest forests on the continent,
50:58half of its bears, some of the largest packs of wolves.
51:04In the human imagination, there is nowhere like it, a magical world of warlords and vampires.
51:21For thousands of years, the people of Transylvania have lived alongside their wild neighbours.
51:34When the bears rise from their winter dens, they come back to a land where many people still care.
51:51In Transylvania, the land beyond the forest,
51:59the spirit of the wild still runs free.
52:08The spirit of the wild still runs free.
52:16The spirit of the wild still runs free.
52:22The spirit of the wild still runs free.
52:45Oh, my God.