Japan: Islands of Extremes - Wildest Islands - Go Wild

Japan is a land of wildly diverse environments from snow-covered mountains to steamy and animals have adapted to survive in the mall [Music] this is home to Wildlife found nowhere else on Earth [Music] residents are found here in Japan's islands of extremes [Music] [Music] [Music] Japan consists of around 7 000 islands in the Northwest Pacific Ocean they stretch for over 2 400 kilometers and Encompass a huge range of climates everything from Frozen Seas to Lush forests to sweltering mangoes [Music] the islands sit above three of the world's seven tectonic plates as a result Japan is one of the planet's most geologically unstable areas [Music] experience over 1 000 earthquakes a year and tsunamis can strike with devastating effects four-fifths of the land is covered by mountains forged by violent geological upheaval [Music] among them around 180 volcanoes over a third of which are [Music] the islands are home to a vast array of Wildlife found nowhere else on Earth animals have adapted to survive in the multitude of different environments often turning adversity to their advantage [Music] nowhere is this more evident than in the heart of central Japan I is a mountainous region in the middle of Honshu one of Japan's four main islands Jago kudani means hell's Valley and in the depths of winter it seems an app description foreign water bubbles and boils and sulfuric steam filters ominously through the valley floor heavy snow blankets the ground for four months of the year it looks bleak and inhospitable [Music] but one particular animal thrives in Hell's Valley and explodes it to the floor oh Japanese macaques or snow monkeys are among Japan's most mythologized animals and the most adaptable [Music] macaques live throughout Japan although more at home in the subtropical forests of the Southern Islands they Venture into colder climbs too apart from humans they're the only primates that can live this far north dense layers of fur allow them to survive temperatures as low as -14 degrees Centigrade [Music] macaques can move their fingers with human-like dexterity and have sophisticated hand-eye coordination laughs [Music] in Hell's Valley it's vital it means they can skillfully rummage through thick snow for any traces of food [Music] life here is grueling but one feature makes living in Hell's Valley worthwhile [Music] Hot Springs where the water is a blissful 40 degrees Centigrade [Music] warm volcanic pools called onsense offer relief from The Savage cold Onsen water is believed to have healing powers because of its high mineral content the pools are the perfect place to relax and unwind grooming helps keep coats untangled and free of fleas [Music] it also helps maintain the bonds vital in macaque Society macaques have a strict chain of command each group is ruled by a dominant alpha male and female and the pools aren't open to all dominant males are quick to react to any sign of defiance only high-ranking females and young monkeys are allowed to bathe the alpha male vets all entrants and this subordinate is bathing where he shouldn't be oh the Intruder learns the rules the hard way this is a lesson he won't forget as night approaches the temperature tumbles The Troop leaves the warm Waters and slowly winds its way back into the forest they'll survive the night huddled together in the trees come Sunrise they'll make their way back to the pools the climate in Northern Honshu tests the macaque's tolerance to cold to the Limit conditions further north are too extreme even for the world's most adaptable primate [Music] in the depths of winter Hokkaido Japan's northernmost Island feels The Savage bite of Siberian cold [Music] Arctic winds whip the land and temperatures plunged to -30 degrees [Music] the shiritoko peninsula in Northern Hokkaido borders the coldest sea in East Asia the Sea of ox [Music] during winter it becomes almost completely covered with ice the ice originates in Eastern Russia and is pulled South by ocean currents in early winter ice around the Shearer took up an insulin can reach three kilometers wide and 50 kilometers long [Music] the same time cold currents arrive from the north warm currents arrive from the south as they Collide the number of Plankton explodes [Music] huge shores of fish come here to feed these Waters become some of the richest fishing grounds in the world and they attract some of Nature's Most skillful Hunters a third of the world's population of Stellar Sea Eagles migrate here from Russia every winter foreign [Music] Eagles are among the largest eagles in the world in full flight their wingspan reaches two and a half meters [Music] slowly circling the ice razor sharp eyes scan the sea for any signs of prey flicker of movement is all it takes [Music] [Applause] but catching a fish does not guarantee a meal there were jealous eyes everywhere up to 2 000 sea eagles gather here and competition is fierce among these normally solitary Birds thank you fights over food are coming and can be bloody [Music] [Music] eventually the hunter prevails and after the effort it took to keep hold of its Church the eagle seems hungrier than ever Stella sea eagles aren't the only Birds of Prey to visit shiratoku in winter Whitetail Sea Eagles come here too [Music] in many places white-tailed Eagles have little competition but here they can place second fiddle foreign fights over food Stella sea eagles are often Victorious for an ancient tribe who live in Hokkaido the Stella Sea Eagle is honored as the god of the Eagles the ainu have lived here for thousands of years as hunter-gatherers they are totally in tune with their surroundings this ensures that they can survive the harshest of winters [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] the ainu people have a deep reverence for nature and there is one creature they regard as the god of the marshes the red crowned crane [Music] they are the largest birds in Japan and are known as tanchu which means Red Mountain Hokkaido is home to one of the world's two large breeding groups of red crowned cranes the other lives in northeastern China and Russia [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Applause] I know say the cranes are dressed in clothes from heaven and they put their looks to good use when searching for a mate a young male sets his eyes on a potential partner and the best way to impress her is with a dramatic courtship dance foreign [Music] [Applause] likes what she sees and shows her acceptance by mirroring his nose [Applause] Red Crown cranes can live for more than 50 years and they pair for life as more courting couples join The Fray they reinforce their bombs with loud calls [Music] their cries can be heard up to three kilometers away [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] more cranes arrive all the time and the dancing seems to be contagious [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign ERS celebrate this special event by performing their own dance the Dutch imitates the bird's movements it's seen as a way of warding off evil spirits [Music] as night approaches the cranes Gather in a river grouping together helps deter predators and in Winter the water is warmer than the air as night draws in they take it in turn to sleep so at least one bird is always on watch Savage winter conditions make survival difficult even for hokkaido's hardiest creatures [Music] some are forced to come out of hiding to forage like one of Japan's most distinctive animals Japanese Sarah celebrated in ancient stories for being peaceful creatures that protect the forest some people say they have the legs of a goat the body of the deer and the fur of a wolf [Music] Japanese Sarah only found on Honshu and two other Japanese Islands [Music] they usually live alone and unlike most animals forage for food both night and day [Music] this loner will try to endure winter on any leaves and shoots it can find as the sun sets the weak won't survive the cold in hokkaido's Winter wilderness opportunists are always ready to take advantage of others misfortune [Music] early morning and the northern red foxes on the prowl to the ainu the red fox is the God of cunning and not to be trusted [Music] if hunters kill one it's said they tie its mouth shut to prevent its Spirit escaping [Music] loud scores alert the scavenger to a possible jackpot a Seeker deal has failed to survive the night the fox has no trouble in claiming its prize from a flock of crows razor sharp teeth make light work of the Frozen carcass Squad [Music] it's March in Hokkaido and winter finally draws to a close changes in the air as spring arrives [Music] temperatures climb and the pack ice surrounding the Shira Toko Peninsula begins to break up [Music] the cracking ice is a signal for Stellar sea eagles to take flight after four months of feeding and fighting they start the long journey back to their breeding grounds in Eastern Russia [Music] melting ice is also the cue for another visitor to leave foreign [Music] [Applause] s gained their name from their deep honking call [Applause] [Music] they are the noisiest Swans in the world especially when they're preparing to migrate ten thousand have spent winter in Hokkaido to escape the severe weather in their Siberian home hokkaido's warm volcanic Waters bring relief from the cold and ensure the visitors a constant supply of food throughout winter [Music] as the temperatures rise swans take to the air [Music] foreign [Music] as they leave for their nesting grounds in Siberia some Japanese people say the swans carry winter on their wings [Music] Spring's arrival is heralded by a sea of color as cherry trees burst into life [Music] annual cherry blossom known as Sakura is one of Japan's most celebrated events pink and white tide sweeps across the country thank you start in the far Southern Islands in January and reaches Hokkaido towards the end of April [Music] wherever the blossoms appear their beauty is short-lived within weeks of blooming the flowers vanish 950 kilometers south of Hokkaido or the northern Japanese Alps [Music] as temperatures climb snow melt feeds the rivers flowing down from the mountains [Music] this is a time of rebirth [Music] spawning fish Herald a busy time for one of Japan's hardest working Birds and practiced in Central Honshu for over 1300 years it's called usho fishing and it's an industry like no other afternoon an usho fisherman prepares his team [Music] a flock of highly trained sea Commerce [Music] each bird is carefully examined to make sure it's healthy gently feeling the bird's throat tests its health and helps keep it calm [Music] once all the comments have been checked they're let outside to relax [Music] foreign [Music] but don't they looked after so well many lived twice as long as cormorants in the wild but they need to earn their bed and board [Music] late afternoon and several birds are carried down river in special baskets by the fishermen who train them thank you [Music] each one is given a last careful check [Music] as the Sun starts to set soon it will be time for the cormorants to earn their keep [Music] before the trip begins in earnest different fishing Crews gather on the beach they discuss which section of the river each boat will fish and decide on a plan of action for the night ahead Roots agreed and plotted now the hard work can begin [Music] each bird is carefully tethered special hemp rope tied around their throats prevents them from swallowing any fish they catch [Music] as the usual prepare to leave fires are lit in Iron baskets and hung in front of the boats they light the way and make it easier for the cormorants the Flames draw Shoals of trout-like fish called Ayu to the surface [Applause] now the cormorants go to work they Dart beneath the surface as the fishermen fight to keep their tethers untangled [Music] for expert fishing birds like cormorants this is easy work each bird can hold up to six fish in its color when they're full they hold on board and their catch discouraged on Deck okay some can catch up to 60 fish foreign [Music] delicacy and their beak marks or a Hallmark of quality as the cormorant's work draws to a close in honshu's Southern Alps another night Hunter stirs [Music] a creature which has remained unchanged for nearly 30 million years [Music] it's a Japanese giant salamander the world's largest amphibian they can grow to nearly two meters long [Music] [Applause] giant salamanders don't have gills and need to live in flowing Rivers heavy folds of skin increase their body surface so they can absorb more oxygen from the water [Music] a man-made tunnel makes a perfect Den for a male but it needs to stay alert and on guard a rival male wants to den it's a big mistake salamanders are highly territorial [Applause] [Music] all right the trespasser gets away relatively lightly some fights utter the death the male has good reason to be extra defensive a female has laid a clutch of eggs which he's fertilized until they hatch he will protect them at all costs but the sudden burst of energy is seriously sapped his strength he needs to feed although they have poor eyesight salamanders are skillful Hunters special sensors detect minute changes in water pressure like the kind made by a passing fish [Music] with an explosive burst of energy prey is dispatched with a sudden snap [Music] with no competition from other large predators giant salamanders have free reign of the mountain Rivers but with their habitats being destroyed as forests are cut down to make wafer industry they may need to evolve if they're to survive [Music] further south one species has been forced to evolve or face the possibility of being destroyed by a powerful foe at these Buddhist temple Gardens in southern Honshu spring brings a flurry of activity a colony of Japanese honeybees has taken over the garden hives workers scour the gardens for food to feed the thousands of new arrivals The Hive bristles with energy and it's an irresistible Target to the honeybees ancient rival a Japanese hornet Hornets also have young to feed and this scout has found a major source of food the honeybees hive [Music] The Hornet is five times the size of its prey and the Venom from its sting is so potent it can dissolve human flesh just a few Hornets could decimate the colony in a matter of hours it's an opportunity too good to miss [Music] first The Hornet's scent marks is fined for others to follow [Music] the honeybees reply in kind fan pheromones through the air to alert the colony to Danger treat The Hornet makes its move [Music] seizing the bee in its jaws it starts to feed but all Is Not What It Seems [Music] as if On Cue the bees Strike Back [Music] Japanese honeybees have a unique and grisly defense tactic up to 500 bees form a ball their vibrating bodies heated core to 47 degrees Centigrade slowly The Hornet overheats the bee's secret weapon is a greater tolerance to heat than their enemy just two degrees makes the difference between life and death The Invader is roasted alive the bees remove the scent Mark so other Hornets can't follow the Scout's steps soon there's no Trace left of it at all for Japanese honeybees heat is a weapon in Japan's extreme South it's a way of life Okinawa is a group of around 160 Islands in southern Japan including the remote island of idiomati Sunkist up are a world apart from the rest of the country as summer arrives the temperature climbs to over 30 degrees [Music] idiomote is the second largest island in Okinawa dubbed the Galapagos of the East subtropical forests waterfalls and mangroves dominate the land a host of rare animals and plants live in the lush jungle covering more than 90 percent of the island [Music] thank you and the Island's Giants Tower above them all sakushima sapan trees [Music] standing 18 meters tall this is the largest Sapp Pantry in Okinawa its huge buttress Roots fan out like tentacles over the forest floor they're designed to soak up minerals from the surface of the soil and anchor the huge tree in place to some of irimoti's residents the Island's Maze of trees and Roots is vital to Everyday Life the nakama river is one of several Crossing irimota Island on route to the Sea freshwater meets salt water and helps nurture exotic Mangrove forests the forests Thrive thanks to the powerful curricio current which ferries warm Waters to Japan's Southern Islands the current keeps the Seas at a minimum of 20 degrees centigrade allowing mangroves to flourish further north than normal foreign this is home to a vast array of fish amphibians and birds and one species is especially aptly named mud creepers this is one of the largest Gatherings of snails in the world up to 150 can live in one square meter [Music] mud creepers can survive without food for up to four months but when they are hungry the mangroves provide all they need [Music] adults are drawn to the smell released by damaged leaves meal times are long and leisurely affairs young mud creepers don't grow the teeth they need to break down leaves until they're adults so slowly sift the sand for leftovers [Music] the mangroves a fertile hunting grounds for many creatures [Music] and a paradise for opportunists hermit crabs need to keep up sizing their shells as their bodies grow [Music] when the ideal home comes on the market the rush to grab it can be fierce [Music] irimotes mangroves team with many different species of probe [Music] fiddler crabs try to attract a mate by frantically waving their oversized claws [Music] while Soldier crabs march on mass as they rush to dodge the tide and find food [Music] crabs and mud creepers aerate the sand as they feed and are vital to the life cycle of the mangroves [Music] but there's one Japanese creature whose eating habits set it apart from the rest of the animal kingdom 925 kilometers north of idiomote on the tiny island of kushima a scientific discovery has been made it involves the animals which can survive in all but the most extreme of Japan's many environments Japanese macaques Kashima is home to around 80 macaques and unlike Hokkaido snow monkeys they don't need thick winter coats for this troop it's staying cool which is the challenge especially at the height of summer when temperatures climb to 28 degrees the macaques visit the beach to enjoy the breeze and there's another reason too [Music] macaques like humans don't like eating sand with their food and the troop on kushima island have come up with a solution [Music] they wash what they eat first [Music] sand free meals taste a lot better they use their human-like hands to thoroughly clean what they want to eat [Music] some even like to season their food with salt water and dip between each bite foreign [Music] it's a straightforward task and one which is captivated scientists for decades [Music] the macaque's habit of cleaning their food has not come through genetics but by watching and copying others [Music] it's one of the greatest examples of learned behavior ever seen in the animal kingdom and scientists Feed The Troop so they can study their behavior [Music] [Music] young macaques learn the ropes by watching adults and normally mastered the technique by the time they're two and a half now [Music] until then infants grab what they can although adults always get first refusal but such a wealth of food draws other attention too an army of bugs on the hunt for scraps [Music] see Slaters are king-sized relatives of the woodloves they can grow to three centimeters long and they perform a useful task by gorging on the mess left behind by overzealous macaques they help keep the beach clean Meal Time over it's time to relax cheek pouches bloated with food grooming is now the order of the day no other animal has adapted to Japan's many environments quite like the macaque not only do they endure freezing cold by using hot springs they pass down special skills to make the most of any feeding opportunities [Music] macaques don't just survive they Thrive whatever comes their way [Music] stretching over 2 400 kilometers the Japanese Islands Encompass a vast range of climates and conditions and animals have adapted to them all wildlife flourishes in everything from Frozen mountains to sweltering jungles [Music] home to some of the hardiest species on Earth many found nowhere else in the world [Music] and all have found the secret to survival [Music] the islands of extremes [Music] [Music] [Music] thank you [Music]

Channel: Go Wild

Views: 237,371

Keywords: orf universum, documentary, blue chip, natural history, secrets of nature, planet earth, wildlife, free documentary, watch full documentary, nature films, wildlife films, go wild, nature, natura

Id: nkz2woiPbdg

Length: 52min 3sec (3123 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 15 2023