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Terra.Anatolia
  • 4 hours ago
Transcript
00:00...are hidden.
00:04Deep within one of the world's largest forests...
00:09...creatures hammer out a living...
00:12...through all four seasons.
00:16But when autumn arrives, the pressure is on.
00:25From Norway...
00:27...across Sweden...
00:28...and into Finland.
00:31Discover where the wild things really live...
00:35...and what they must do...
00:37...when winter...
00:39...is coming.
00:40The tiger forest of Scandinavia.
00:41You're looking at the largest forest in Europe.
00:50The tiger forest of Scandinavia.
01:00You're looking at the largest forest in Europe.
01:04The tiger stretches from the fjords of Norway's coast...
01:05...all the way east to Finland's border with Russia...
01:07...and beyond to Siberia.
01:08If you want to get a better look...
01:09...at what's under the white...
01:10...wait for the big melt.
01:11...the big melt.
01:12Now...
01:13...the creatures...
01:14...of the world...
01:15...of the world...
01:16...of the world...
01:17...of the world...
01:18...come alive.
01:19Now...
01:20...come alive.
01:21Spring...
01:22...is the most...
01:23...is the most...
01:24...under the white...
01:25...wait...
01:26...for the big melt.
01:27Now...
01:28...the creatures...
01:29...of the taiga...
01:30...come alive.
01:39Now...
01:40...the creatures...
01:41...of the taiga...
01:42...come alive.
01:49Spring...
01:50...is the busy season...
01:52...then summertime...
01:55...and the living...
01:56...is easy.
02:00But come autumn...
02:01...life...
02:02...gets desperate.
02:08Now...
02:09...the earth's clock...
02:10...ticks like a time bomb...
02:12...for creatures...
02:13...who must rush...
02:14...to prepare...
02:15...for the coming cold.
02:18It's a tough time...
02:19...for roe deer.
02:21They are prime...
02:22...targets.
02:23The season for love...
02:25...is over.
02:26Now...
02:27...it's about...
02:28...putting on weight...
02:29...for winter.
02:30And roe deer...
02:32...are at the top...
02:33...of the predator menu.
02:34One...
02:44...who's fallen...
02:45...to the bottom...
02:46...of a cliff...
02:47...attracts attention.
02:48Lynx...
03:01...are the largest...
03:02...cats...
03:03...in Europe.
03:04Their name...
03:05...is a Greek word...
03:06...meaning...
03:07...to shine...
03:08...likely...
03:09...a reference...
03:10...to their reflective...
03:11...cat eyes.
03:12For most of their lives...
03:18...they are loners...
03:19...but not this big female...
03:22...not...
03:23...right now.
03:24She checks...
03:27...that the coast...
03:28...is clear.
03:32Then...
03:33...enter...
03:34...her kitten.
03:46Six...
03:47...or seven months old...
03:48...and growing quickly.
04:03She waits...
04:04...while mum...
04:05...gets her fill...
04:06...until...
04:07...she takes a break.
04:08A brave magpie...
04:14...sneaks in...
04:15...to steal a bite.
04:20It's the season...
04:21...for taking risks.
04:26But the young lynx...
04:27...is not having it.
04:35The magpie...
04:36...will have to wait.
04:42Autumn signals...
04:43...a big change...
04:44...for the colts...
04:45...of these cats.
04:48They say...
04:49...a leopard...
04:50...can't change...
04:51...its spots...
04:52...but a lynx...
04:53...can...
04:54...and does.
04:56It's one of the ways...
04:57...they prepare for winter.
05:00Their spots...
05:01...are starting to fade...
05:03...and by the time...
05:04...autumn ends...
05:05...barely visible.
05:10It's a practical...
05:11...fashion change.
05:12It gives them...
05:13...the best hunting...
05:14...camouflage...
05:15...for the season.
05:25Hidden figures...
05:26...making the most...
05:27...of the light...
05:28...before winter hits...
05:29...and blending...
05:31...into their...
05:32...very special home...
05:33...the taiga...
05:35...forest.
05:42The term...
05:43...taiga...
05:44...is a Russian word.
05:45It means...
05:46...land...
05:47...of sticks.
05:48...and beneath...
05:49...evergreen canopy...
05:50...you can see why.
05:51These woods...
05:52...start...
05:53...as sparse patches...
05:54...in the colder north...
05:55...where trees...
05:56...struggle...
05:57...to battle...
05:58...the cold.
05:59...but farther south...
06:00...the forest...
06:01...thickens...
06:02...into a year-round...
06:03...carpet...
06:04...of green.
06:05...this...
06:06...is where wild...
06:07...things live...
06:08...and in one...
06:09...special part...
06:10...of it...
06:11...they thrive.
06:12...the taiga...
06:13...stretches across the top...
06:14...of Scandinavia...
06:15...and continues...
06:16...into Russia...
06:17...for a total...
06:18...of more than...
06:19...6,000 miles...
06:20...a political...
06:21...pullet...
06:22...to a long...
06:23...carpet...
06:24...of green.
06:25This...
06:26...is where...
06:27...wild...
06:28...things live...
06:29...and in one...
06:30...special part...
06:31...of it...
06:32...they thrive.
06:34...the taiga...
06:37...stretches across...
06:38...the top...
06:39...of Scandinavia...
06:40...and continues...
06:41...into Russia...
06:42...for a total...
06:43...of more than...
06:44...6,000 miles.
06:45A political...
06:47...no-man's land...
06:48...on Finland's...
06:49...eastern border...
06:50...is protected.
06:52And this...
06:53...is a hot spot...
06:55...for some...
06:56...of the most...
06:57...iconic creatures...
06:59...of the taiga.
07:04Scandinavia...
07:05...is well known...
07:06...for herds...
07:07...of reindeer...
07:08...that inhabit...
07:09...the barren Arctic.
07:10But the forests...
07:13...of Finland...
07:14...also have...
07:15...their own...
07:16...special subspecies.
07:21Forest reindeer...
07:22...have longer legs...
07:23...than their...
07:24...nothern cousins...
07:25...and they are...
07:26...rare beasts...
07:27...once thought...
07:28...extinct.
07:29They are well protected...
07:32...among the trees...
07:33...and have learned...
07:34...to live...
07:35...on the greenery here...
07:36...and right now...
07:37...on the sprouting...
07:38...mushrooms...
07:39...mushrooms...
07:40...of autumn...
07:41...forest reindeer...
07:42...travel in...
07:43...smaller...
07:44...easy-to-hide...
07:45...groups.
07:46...it's a smart tactic...
07:49...but not foolproof...
07:50...especially...
07:51...with bears...
07:52...around.
07:53...once...
07:54...brown...
07:55...brown...
07:56...bears...
07:57...roamed...
07:58...all...
07:59...over...
08:00...Europe...
08:01...now...
08:02...they are mostly...
08:03...limited to Russia...
08:04...the Czech Republic...
08:05...area...
08:08...and...
08:11...scandinavia...
08:12...Finland...
08:13...has more...
08:14...than...
08:15...1200...
08:16...bears...
08:17...Sweden...
08:18...some...
08:19...three...
08:20...eater...
08:21...two...
08:23...mark...
08:24...and...
08:25...Scandinavia.
08:27Finland has more than 1,200 bears, Sweden some 3,000.
08:38Eurasian brown bears like their alone time.
08:43Having a stranger wander by can mean a showdown.
08:57This spot in Finland's tiger forest may not be big enough for two brown bears.
09:17Both trying to bulk up for winter.
09:27Size matters.
09:48This hefty guy downs plants, shoots and berries.
09:54A full-grown bear may hit 1,000 pounds and stand over eight feet tall.
10:06Ravens aren't invited to the feast either.
10:22But they do play a crucial role in the taiga.
10:38In Norse mythology, two ravens are the eyes of the god Odin.
10:47In the forests of Scandinavia, they are the eyes for many creatures.
10:52A congregation like this often means something good is going down.
11:02They've farmed food.
11:05For ravens, dead animals like this boar are the most important food group.
11:15It's tough pickings for a beak.
11:20They need some help getting to the good stuff.
11:24These clever creatures sound the alarm.
11:28It may be a warning that danger is near.
11:37Or a call that deliberately attracts the danger to carve up the meat.
11:43Either way, some muscle moves in.
11:47The large brown bear comes to stake a claim.
12:08He'll happily eat 90 pounds a day to prepare for the coming winter.
12:14He rolls the carcass over to find the best and softest bits.
12:39The desperation that comes with autumn is too much for the second bear.
12:44He takes a risk and moves in again.
12:56The taiga forest of Finland's no man's land is a hot spot for big predators.
13:02Sometimes they fight.
13:06But this time, with a pressure of winter just around the corner, they take a table for two.
13:21This dead animal is a valuable resource.
13:25And all the commotion attracts other forest dwellers.
13:37A pack of wolves moves in across the landscape.
13:42But only one takes the bold step forward.
13:46In this part of Finland, interactions between bears and wolves are common.
13:59And you never know who will come out on top.
14:05If it's a pack, the wolves may win the day.
14:15It depends on who's the fiercest and the most desperate.
14:20A fight over food may be worth risking an injury that could prove fatal in the wild.
14:36After a long day waiting for dibs on a carcass, the wolf finally gets his chance for a scrap.
15:06But this is not a one-day match.
15:17More like a five-day test.
15:28And now there are new players on the field.
15:36Golden eagles dig in while the coast is clear.
15:52While white-tailed eagles take a different approach.
15:55They watch as ravens do all the hard work of picking.
16:04Then chase them down until they drop the meat.
16:25This pecking order is clear for the birds.
16:44And a wolf hoping for seconds has a lot to contend with.
16:50The battles continue until every scrap is in a jaw or a claw.
17:15And a wolf.
17:16And a wolf.
17:25Autumn also kicks off a frenzy of forest activity for those who are mostly vegetarian.
17:45Red squirrels have ear tufts.
17:50This one will soon shed hers and grow fresh fur that will keep her ears warm when the temperatures again drop.
18:02And she must stock up on acorns.
18:04She eats some, but also stashes as many as she can in secret locations.
18:11If she doesn't hide her cash well enough, it will be stolen by another squirrel.
18:34Maybe a bear or even a bird.
18:45What comes next is an incredible life and death game of hide and seek.
18:51What comes next?
18:52What comes next?
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19:01What comes next?
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19:11What comes next?
19:12What comes next?
19:13What comes next?
19:14The red squirrel has lost another cache of acorns to a feathered thief.
19:32Without her winter food supply, this red squirrel won't survive.
19:48She must try again and work extra hard to keep it hidden.
19:59And she can't stash too much.
20:06In winter, this red squirrel will use her roadmap-like memory and keen sense of smell to find these
20:13acorns again under the snow.
20:17Her other duty is to build a nest called a dray.
20:22It could be in a hole in a tree or against a trunk or branches.
20:29But squirrels don't hibernate, so it's important that the dray be insulated.
20:38The current marking defines her territory, but she may soon allow other squirrels in to
20:44share her nest and increase its warmth in winter.
20:58The lush green of these forests allows creatures like roe deer to hide from predators.
21:09For the sake of the herd, they must stay alert.
21:19The danger appears as a red flash.
21:32A pair of foxes.
21:37Red foxes have the largest distribution around the globe of any land mammal other than humans.
21:47These two are a couple.
21:49They'll stay together through winter and prepare for pups in early spring.
22:05They prefer to live in a mix of forest and grasslands, making this area of Scandinavia a perfect home.
22:16They can retreat here to the shelter of the woods when they need to.
22:22And hunt in the fields for mice, rabbits and wolves.
22:30Just before sunrise is a favorite time to search for a quiet breakfast.
22:38But maybe not today.
22:40There's danger nearby.
22:50Autumn in Finland's tiger forest.
22:54An interloper stops a fox in its tracks and breaks the morning calm.
23:04Wolverines are usually solitary creatures, and they are nature's all-terrain vehicles.
23:16He can lope through these woods and is just as at home making tracks over ice and through the snow.
23:27And his search for forest food isn't restricted to the ground.
23:35His grip is secure thanks to his famously long and strong claws.
23:45This is a rare glimpse of a superhero hunter at work.
23:47He may travel as far as 15 miles today looking for food.
24:01And his home range may be as big as 600 square miles.
24:11He will chow down some plants or berries as he goes.
24:16But mostly he has meat on his mind.
24:19And lots of it.
24:21Hence their scientific name, which means glutton.
24:30If Wolverines have one weakness, it's speed.
24:35He's slower than most of his prey.
24:38He makes up for it with ferocity.
24:42In winter, they've been known to enter dens to kill hibernating animals.
24:49In the warmer months, they tend to hunt by ambush.
24:55Hiding in trees or behind rocks until the right time.
25:00Once they make a kill, they have the strength to pull much more than their own body weight.
25:08Anything they can't eat on the spot, they will stash for another day.
25:18Only one other animal in the tiger forest can match the Wolverine's reputation for toughness.
25:29And they have the numbers.
25:37A pair of badgers nestles down in the no man's land of Finland.
25:44When the sun is up, they typically rest in their dens.
25:48The diggings outside hint at how elaborate the tunnels and dens are below.
25:56The very name badger is from the French word meaning digger.
26:03There may be more than 20 badgers behind them.
26:08All content to bunk up in the one den.
26:15But only these two are up for a morning stroll.
26:19Perhaps a visit to the latrine.
26:22That also helps mark the group's territory.
26:25They use a large scent gland by their tail for the same thing.
26:33Badgers can identify individuals in their group based on the scent they spread on plants and on their bedding.
26:46They don't hibernate, but as autumn rolls on, they spend more and more time snuggled inside.
27:02While they prep by digging in, others prepare for winter by building up.
27:10The Eurasian beaver is one of the largest rodents in the world.
27:33This couple is busy building a winter lodge and gathering enough food to get them through the season.
27:39They depend on Finland's tiger forest and eat twigs and the bark from large branches.
27:53They gnaw so much that their teeth must grow rapidly to keep up with the wear and tear.
28:00If they stop chewing, their chumpers will gain an inch in length every five months.
28:07The forest is food and the water is safety from predators.
28:15So they create a dam to extend their waterways into the woods.
28:21The dam will also stop their supplies from washing downstream.
28:30Their wide tails help them like a rudder to navigate, and their webbed feet motor them along.
28:40A gland secretes of oil that waterproofs their fur, and they spread it around by grooming themselves.
28:55You can never get enough of a good scratch.
29:02And just a bit more.
29:07That dam building will have to wait.
29:14These two are a couple for life, and will typically have two to four kids by the end of spring.
29:29Both parents will help care for their young, and the number of tree workers may increase by five or six beavers with each litter.
29:41At least here, they have room to grow.
29:46As industrious as these beavers may be, they've got nothing from other timber workers who rely solely on Finland's tiger forest.
30:03Around three quarters of Finland is woods.
30:10Trees in the country support nature and drive the economy.
30:17Eighty-eight percent of the forest is maintained for market.
30:30Finland is one of the world's largest producers of pulp, paper, and cardboard.
30:39The industry employs 160,000 people.
30:44But at the forest level, the autumn harvest is an operation for machines.
31:09They cut and strip trees in seconds.
31:14They cut and strip trees in seconds.
31:39There's no evenly spaced planting of the woods here.
31:49Workers grow pine, spruce, and birch to mimic nature, and they allow trees to mature for at least 60 years, sometimes twice that.
32:02It's well studied, carefully managed, and sustainable.
32:07Some years, foresters add 30% more trees than are lost to harvesting.
32:14There are more forest reserves in Finland now than at any time in the last 100 years.
32:29Most of it on thousands of small family-owned plots.
32:34These logs are trucked to trains, and from here they will be transported directly to a mill by rail.
32:59This is the longest log train in Finland.
33:09But even what you see here in this rail yard is just a small fraction of the total.
33:16If you took all the trees Finland is growing commercially, and built a 14-foot high wall, one foot wide, it could circle the globe 40 times.
33:37Where the tiger forest ends in the south, Helsinki rises.
33:54Finland's capital sits on more than 300 islands, and it's the world's northernmost metropolitan area with more than a million people.
34:06It's also a city with a wild side.
34:11In green pockets of forest throughout the city, the nightlife is in a world of its own.
34:18After dark is when one of the strangest creatures of Finland's tiger forest comes out to forage.
34:28Raccoon dogs are an odd mix, a true canine, but they can't bark, and some experts place them in the raccoon family.
34:42Raccoon dogs are an invasive species here, originally brought from East Asia to breed for fur.
34:51Now they roam free and are often found in forested areas by fresh water.
35:03These two are mating pets.
35:06They'll hibernate together and stay close for a year or so.
35:12Before they part ways, the male will bring his mate food in the latter stages of a pregnancy, and help watch over their pups.
35:23But that's all in the future.
35:26Right now, they search for frogs, snakes, or lizards.
35:31Shellfish is good, and even scraps left by a fisherman.
35:37Their nocturnal scavenging habits help them build up some fat for the coming winter.
35:56All the creatures of the tiger forest do what they can to prepare for winter.
36:04They bulk up on food, and for some of the biggest animals here, it's also mating season.
36:15Autumn brings on the moose rat.
36:18This is when males fight for the right to females.
36:22They have prepared all summer, growing antlers that can weigh up to 70 pounds.
36:31But that's not guaranteed to impress the girls.
36:41This female charges.
36:44It's moose for buzz-off buster.
36:51The reason?
36:53Her nearby calf is still too young to fend for itself.
36:57So she'll wait a year before having another.
37:01Late autumn.
37:14The snow starts to hit the top of the peaks throughout Scandinavia.
37:20From the fjords of Norway.
37:28To the fields of Finland.
37:30The surrounding forest brings out its autumn best.
37:36About 20% of the trees in the taiga change color.
37:41The fall harvest.
37:51It's a signal to man and nature alike.
37:56Winter is just weeks away.
38:02Brace yourself.
38:11You can hear some forest dwellers working extra hard.
38:23Long before you see them.
38:35Woodpeckers rely on the forest here in a unique way.
38:41They'll peck out a nest.
38:44But mostly, they want the grubs under the bark.
38:53Insects and larvae are all these birds eat.
38:59A special membrane covers his eyes to protect him from flying pieces of bark as he hammers in.
39:06And the bone structure in his head is able to absorb 99.7% of each impact.
39:24The short bursts of pecking generate heat, forcing him to pause often to cool down.
39:30He also has an extra long tongue for whipping out his food.
39:44And all this work does the tree a great service.
39:45Helping to rid it of harmful, wood-boring insects.
39:46The creatures of the taiga have done everything they can to get ready for the cold and snow.
39:47And all this work does the tree a great service.
39:50And all this work does the tree a great service.
39:51And all this work does the tree a great service.
39:54Helping to rid it of harmful, wood-boring insects.
40:00The creatures of the taiga have done everything they can to get ready for the cold and snow.
40:16Now, time's up.
40:21Winter is here.
40:23Europe's largest forest turns white.
40:35If you haven't done enough yet to prepare for this, it's too late.
40:42The woodpeckers keep pecking.
40:46No southern migration for these guys.
40:49They just have to dig deeper to grab their grub.
40:56The lynx's coat is now thicker and turning whiter.
41:01Camouflage against the snow.
41:04Their large padded paws ensure that they are deadly silent as they continue to stalk their prey.
41:12The wolf pack stays together all winter.
41:18Their fur, too, has grown thick to protect them from the cold.
41:23But these canines rely on other hunting tactics.
41:28By working together, they are able to outrun their prey over long distances.
41:34If your name's on the wolf menu, there's hard times ahead.
41:41Roe deer find it difficult to run through thick snow.
41:46And now, it's much harder work for them to dig down and find grass and lichen to eat.
41:53Moose have the same challenge, and they are looking a lot less stately.
42:00The giant racks, male moose grew all summer, have fallen to the ground.
42:09Their heads are now as much as 70 pounds lighter.
42:15All their resources now go to surviving the winter.
42:20The hair on their bodies is made of hollow fibers.
42:27Strands trap air on the inside, which warms up from body heat and insulates them from the cold like a thermos.
42:35Their eyesight is poor, but their hearing is excellent.
42:46They keep an ear out for danger while they follow their noses to the lichen growing on the trees of the taiga forest.
42:53Even in the depths of winter, the taiga provides.
43:04As much as three feet of snow may fall this season.
43:09And that will be the ultimate test for the wild things of this forest.
43:17The winners will get to see another spring.
43:21The losers will perish.
43:24Did they store enough fat?
43:29Stash enough food?
43:32Dig it deep enough then?
43:35Or build a winter proof shelter?
43:40The results can only be tallied in spring.
43:45But the test really began in autumn.
43:53As it does every year in the wild forests of Scandinavia.
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