Lemming - The Little Giant Of The North

the alpine mountains of scandinavia it's an  unforgiving environment where the harsh winter   creates a seemingly lifeless void of ice and snow  but one small creature beats the arts and every   few years it emerges unexpectedly from under  the snow and becomes a social media sensation the norway lemming might just be the most famous  and misunderstood animal in this part of the world and for all it knows it's a ferocious  rodent with a killer instinct   no doubt in the nordic mountains  the lemming is the little giant then the lemmings are gone seasons  pass without any sign of them   so where do they go and when will they reappear stretching 1 700 kilometers  across norway and sweden   the scandinavian alpine region is a world  created by the glaciers of the last ice age straddling the arctic circle  this is a land defined by   ice and snow where winter  rains for most of the year winter temperatures can  plunge below minus 40 celsius   immobilizing the water by  nature's own sculpting craft harsh enough to impede most life still this is  where we find some of the world's oldest trees   with roots and clones almost 10 000 years old but if life above the snow is a challenge  life beneath is a different story lemmings the norway lemming is a small rodent  that lives only in scandinavia   during winter it feeds on mosses under the snow   and while they're mostly solitary animals winter  circumstances often force them to congregate   under a warming blanket of snow they find  refuge from the weather and potential predators   as tension grows in cramped quarters some  young males get the urge to take a daring hike   in hopes of finding a welcoming  female around the corner   the young male is quick on the  draw and leaves nothing to chance but he soon finds he wasn't invited to the party the lemmings build up their populations quietly  under the snow in some years their numbers can   explode and this is what helped create the  myth about lemmings that lives on unabated just why the lemming population peaks every  fourth year or so is still a bit of a mystery   but when it happens it sets the scene for a  spectacular lemming year in the nordic tundra the raven is ever present in this environment  tolerating the freezing temperatures with ease   the red fox however has  benefited from climate change   expanding its territories from the  forests to the tundra at higher altitudes the red fox's intrusion into this land has  made it a player in the realm of the lemming when the sun returns temperatures rise   while foxes and ravens await the  next chapter in the lemming story uh and this next chapter brings  one more player to the surface the arctic fox having survived here since the ice  age the arctic fox now faces regional extinction there are only three to 400 adult arctic foxes  left in scandinavia subsisting mostly on lemmings   it has suffered from a lack of prey for decades good lemming years have become rare but  hopefully this year will be different but   she won't go hunting just yet it's too dangerous  to be exposed to predators in broad daylight instead she relies on a stash  of lemmings she caught earlier   now hidden in a natural fridge close to her den even in a year with a spar slimming  population her survival chances are good   but for her potential offspring a good  lemming year is a must if she's lucky   as many as a dozen pups can be born and survive in  a bad year with few rodents it can be a total loss   most other animals leave these mountains in the  autumn migrating to the forests at lower altitudes despite the enchanting beauty the tiger  forest can still be a forbidding place reindeer spend the winter here   grazing now means finding the right forest  because their food hangs from the trees lichen lichen is their winter staple but finding  it is no easy feat because it's cold and   the reindeer need to eat a lot the food  is sparse and sometimes hard to reach their hooves are like shovels  that can lay the ground there   and allow the reindeer to  reach the lichen under the snow   for the much taller moose deep snow is no obstacle   feeding on needles and twigs  their food supply is more abundant still it's a trying time for all and they  can face starvation and death at any time in the twilight darkness of the long winter nights   a phantom of the forest benefits  from the spoils of winter the elusive wolverine is a bad  hunter but a very effective scavenger   it will return to this reindeer carcass many times after months of low light the sun climbs  higher in the sky and its signals change deep in the genes of many species  evolving over thousands of years   the light triggers an urge to move  scandinavian reindeer are semi-domesticated   for most of the year they live as wild  animals in the vast expanses of the north but for the spring migration back to the alpine  highlands they are herded by their owners   the sami the indigenous people of the north reindeer husbandry dates back hundreds of years   the knowledge is passed from  generation to generation they follow ancient migration routes over frozen  rivers and lakes for hundreds of kilometers it's a long trek it can take up to two weeks to  reach the mountains and the sami must time the   migration just right early enough so the river ice  is still thick enough to travel on but late enough   so the pastures are bare when they  arrive in the faraway highlands the bonds of winter are finally fully broken when the thor starts the ground is still frozen   water saturates the land creating a patchwork  of streams temporary ponds and wetlands it's a disaster for the confused lemmings   the protective roof of snow is gone exposing  them to predators they're desperate to seek   new shelter but they also must deal  with the water on the flooded tundra on the search for new territory  their movement in the spring   sparked a popular myth that this was a mass exodus   this is most likely not true what people  have seen has been exaggerated of course   they don't intend to kill themselves  this is simply their migratory behavior lemmings on the move need to cross bodies  of water not to commit suicide but just to   get to the other side lemmings are good swimmers  their fur holds a lot of air keeping them buoyant of course some will fail and again this  feeds the myth of the suicidal lemming   having survived one nightmare the lemmings  soon come face to face with another   the long-tailed skewer this master flyer has spent the  winter near the south pole the region   on the other side of the world now it must find nesting ground to  continue its life cycle during a very short   summer period they're out on a scouting flight if  there's enough food which means enough lemmings   they will stay if not they'll depart  and come looking again next year the hunt is on and it's shaping  up to be a good lemming year the red fox is getting wind of this too  and it scours the land in search of food   venturing higher up in the mountains to  areas where it was scarce in the past   this time the long-tailed  skewer is the successful hunter but the skewers are not real raptors they  lack the talons and beaks of birds of prey   devouring a lemming becomes hard work and  the couple teams up to dismember the prey   working together creates a strong bond  before the start of the nesting season thawing is a process lasting weeks  and months well into the summer the rivers run free again becoming  a majestic force of the north moose also migrate back to the highlands   unlike the reindeer that team up with the sami  people they must find their way by themselves the swollen icy rivers look quite threatening the moose use age-old shallow crossings where many   generations of moose have made  it safely to the other side still it's no easy decision they're good swimmers but the strong  current could easily sweep them away safely across they continue the increased water flow of the millions  of creeks running down from the hillsides   sends signals downstream it's an open invitation to fish waiting  to perform their annual upstream migration it's been four years since this  grailing hatched in this small brook   for the first time in its life it returns  to spawn but it will not come alone and   competition for the best territory and the  most fertile females will incite conflict   males arrive first in large numbers  and with their dorsal fins turned red   they signal they are prepared  to attract the females and defend their chosen underwater territory and the battles are quite fierce a few days later the females swim into the area   this is what the males with  the red fins were waiting for the couples look for a bottom substrate where  the females can easily deliver their eggs initially used to flash down a partner the dorsal  fins are then used to brace receptive females   during release of milt and roe   a female can produce as many as twenty thousand  eggs but it will be a few weeks before they hatch   and several more weeks before the offspring  two swim downstream the graylings only stay   here to mate and after only a few days the  adults retreat to the lakes and big rivers so the reindeer is still on the move towards  the alpine meadows but before leaving the birch   forest they use its scant protection  to give birth close to the tree line with predators lurking nearby it's imperative  that the calf gets up on its legs immediately   but it's not that easy once on its feet it can also start settling  reindeer calves are usually single births within a few days the herd must be on the move  again with the small ones floundering around the reindeer follow their instincts as  pastures open up in their higher mountain areas it's hard to believe that the  little giants of these mountains   the lemmings play a significant role in the  lives of the reindeer but they do with the   snow melting away their bustling activity under it  has left unmistakable evidence of their presence the droppings of the ever-hungry rodents  cover large patches of the tundra that's   otherwise poor in nutrients the  added fertilizer will possibly   increase plant growth to the benefit of  the reindeer and other grazing animals finally the reindeer calves have reached  the summer pastures for the first time it's   still early and food is scarce the reindeer must  rely on lichen until green plants start to grow   this is a dangerous time for the calves out  in the open they're in the predator sites for the golden eagle a young calf is easy prey there is safety in the herd  falling behind is a deadly mistake up to 50 of the reindeer calves may die  in the first two months of their lives   the majority of them fall prey to the  different predators that rule this land summer is here north of the arctic  circle the sun shines 24 hours a day now   plants and animals make the most of the short  season especially the busy lemmings whose lifespan   is only about two years they stay active around  the clock grazing as much as they can between   short periods of sleep they don't dig their own  burrows but create cozy nests in cracks and holes soon the reproductive frenzy is in full swing   a female lemming can give birth to  as many as 12 young ones in a brood the babies are born blind and fearless they grow  quickly on the milk provided by their busy mother   the youngsters leave their  nest after only two weeks   and they already reproduce  before they're one month old   conditions are favorable the population grows  quickly and the female can become pregnant again   the next litter could be  due in three to four weeks after the simple diet of mosses through  the winter fresh grass is a real treat with thousands and thousands of nests scattered  over the tundra the population literally explodes and so the story repeats itself in  a good year perhaps with six litters nearby another animal broadcast  its own fox news the message   life is good for the arctic fox this year the female heads out on a hunt the arctic  fox appears in different colour varieties   some like this female are very dark she  will turn as white as snow in the winter   around the den there are obvious signs  that this is a good year for the foxes   the large number of lemmings has given  the arctic fox a chance to reproduce   they have six healthy pups not an  extraordinary number but it's good   for a species that has been on the verge of  extinction in scandinavia for many decades   in a bad lemming year almost all of the  pups may die but for now it looks promising   the den is a burrow with a maze  of tunnels under the ground   the site can be very old with generations  of arctic foxes making it their home   some believe this arctic fox castle may  have been occupied for hundreds of years for the bravest pups it's time  to explore the surroundings oops what's this cold water is  a bit of a surprise for this pub   and worse now he's stuck alone  on the wrong side of the creek but they learn from their mistakes and the pub  finds a safer and drier way back to the den the arctic fox 10 is greener than its surroundings   because the animals fertilize the soil with  their waste and the carcasses of their prey thanks to the masses of lemmings this year  life flourishes on the vast tundra with   plenty of food available the long-tailed  skewer has decided to breed this summer the young have already hatched when a pale brown  color arctic fox cruises the area the chicks could   be in danger the mother signals to the bigger  chick to leave the nest it's safer to hide nearby but the skewer is a fierce fighter and this time the fox loses the battle the youngest one-day-old chick  is still in the nest and the   female quickly covers it against the cold wind the older chick has ventured out into the  surrounding area perhaps the next day his   sibling too will leave the nest and they  will disperse their parents will still feed   them for several weeks in the undergrowth this  behavior can increase their chance of survival this time the mother still wants him back and of course the older chick still prefers  the warm protection on the mama's wing   and to be the first to get  food when it's delivered they feed on lemmings when they're  available but they're not picky   and will devour other small animals  fish insects and even berries at last summer is in full swing  in the scandinavian mountains while the reindeer have migrated up to the tundra   the moose prefer to stay in the wooded  areas where they find plenty of food   in the middle of the summer flowers  blossom and insects are abundant and the lemmings just keep doing  what they always do eat and breed summer temperatures can climb  above a balmy 25 degrees celsius   for the reindeer this is too much and they often  seek cooling shelter on the remaining snow fields   where they also escape mosquitoes the male arctic fox returns to the den   the pups eagerly await his return  growing fast and constantly hungry they beg for food but this  time there's nothing to be had the male seems more annoyed by the attention   this is the result of not  trying harder with the skewers but there is still hope the female returns and her hunting went a lot better  she's got a mouthful of lemmings a good lemming year with successful reproduction  gives this threatened species a new lease of life the male heads out for another try  maybe this time you'll be lucky the pups are almost as big as the  female now and with nasty bites   she warns them that they'll have  to leave the den someday soon lemmings are now emerging everywhere  they seem to occupy every available crack with their perfect camouflage they look  like tiny living rocks on the run and indeed   they are on the move looking for more  available territory and new partners the new generation is out and hungry   they eat a lot the growing lemming population   eventually eats all the food  they need for their survival   available food rather than the abundance of  predators could be the reason for their psychical   appearance and this could be one explanation  for the mythological migration of lemmings but it's not a total myth lemmings do migrate and  moving down to lower elevations near the tree line   gives them a better chance of  survival food is still abundant here   and the first wave of lemmings is already  coming in years when their numbers explode   they can be as many as 150 lemmings in  an area the size of a football pitch with the population density so  high lemmings defend their turf don't mess with a stressed out  pregnant mom this is her territory now this is some of the last true wilderness in europe with most of the land far  away from population centres   the threat to the region is of a different  kind climate change is the new culprit glaciers are retreating leaving land bare  for the first time in thousands of years with the temperature changes the present  tundra will no longer be a barren land   above the tree line forests are already on the  move with tall spruce trees climbing ever higher   and the warmth allows for one special individual  tree to finally reach for the sky it's a single   norway spruce famously known as old chico  it started growing nearly 10 000 years ago   at the end of the ice age over the millennia it  survived by creeping along the ground not sending   a tree shoot above the snow where chilly winds  would kill it clones have covered large areas   with the original root system still intact today  old chico is a monument of changing times to come lemming populations used to peak every four years  today these peaks are fewer and further apart   even slight changes in climate have a  drastic impact on animals living here   some will benefit some will suffer it looks  like the lemming could be in for a rough ride the peak summer season ends in august the reindeer have begun to rut with the  big bull controlling his hiring of females he must defend all flags preventing females from  straying too far and keeping younger balls at bay it's work around the clock and a very exhausting exercise but don't be fooled he's fully  aware of what's going on around him young bulls engage in fighting preparing   themselves to take on the  real heavyweight champion but for now there's no doubt who the champ is here that settled back to business the autumn brings another change to the mountains when the green chlorophyll in the leaves of  deciduous trees breaks down and disappears   the remaining reds and yellows  dominate for a short period of time in peak years with food resources depleted   the lemmings migrate even further down  the slopes and deep into the forests no doubt there is more food for them there   feeding mostly on mosses they will  find grass sage and seeds in abundance but they will soon also  realize they have competitors   wood lemmings a close relative  one of the rodents to contend with this is the queen of lemmings ruling in  the matriarchal society where as many   as 75 of lemmings are females and some of the  females give birth only to females when their   population increases they too can face starvation  which forces them to migrate and under those   circumstances the pressure from invading relatives  is another threat the norway lemmings desperately   try to settle down but this is a strange unknown  world for them everything looks so different what starts out as a friendly  encounter with their cousins   soon turns hostile the much larger norway  lemming could easily kill the wood lemming but such occasions are few and far between now this is different this is an animal that  can kill both the lemmings share this forest   with the brown bear but in the autumn  the bear prepares for hibernation   and is focused on gorging itself on berries   in fact it's so focused he doesn't even notice  there are other much smaller critters around it's been a good year for the norway lemmings  and for the animals that feed on them   but for all the lemmings that came this far  from the tundra this is also the end of the road outside their primary range  they face more predators   more challenges and the forest that  fed them now becomes their graveyard   in lemming years the masses of exhausted  lemmings fall victim to disease   and the dangerous crossing of rivers and lakes maybe it's images like this the fed the  old myth about lemmings committing suicide but the truth is simpler than  that it's just a tough environment   and circumstances take their toll and  the lemming year has come to an end the very few surviving lemmings  now depend on a good winter   with plenty of snow to create the  protective layer of insulation now the days are short with  shadows growing longer and longer   as the region close to the arctic circle  settles in for the long winter night with solar particles hitting the earth's  magnetic field close to the north pole   the solar wind brightens the sky with  the lights of the aurora borealis even if reindeer are semi-domesticated it's  their natural instinct to move that sets off   the migration they stay at higher altitudes as  long as they find food but for their survival   they need to find winter pastures it's another  long migration and the sami families will work   together to bring the herd to safety during the  short daylight hours down to the lowland forests the scandinavian alpine region now looks desolate  and devoid of animals if conditions allow   it can take three to four years until the  lemmings build up their population again   and the stage is set for a new drama the  red fox has become the latest intruder in   the nordic mountain landscape climate  change has opened the door to them   a reindeer carcass becomes an important  source of food for the scavenging red fox   and for the crow who dares to  challenge the fox for the prize a reindeer carcass like this one provides  an extremely rare feeding opportunity   but it doesn't last long now that the  lemmings are gone food abundance is over the red fox must find more to eat  to make it through the brutal winter and now a new battle is playing out the  red fox is challenging its relative which   has reigned supreme on the tundra twice  its size it easily kills an arctic fox maybe outsmarting the red fox on one occasion will  save this particular arctic fox but the reality   of climate change favors the red fox it can now  venture into lands that used to be out of range   it will out compete on all fronts for food taking  over dens and killing arctic foxes and their cubs lemmings must also adapt to the changing climate   and maybe still somewhere under the  blanket of snow the last lemmings survive   humans will not detect their presence  until the next good lemming year but the lemming couldn't care  less about the people above it   in its world it is still the  little giant of the north you

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Keywords: Free High-Quality Documentaries, HD, Full HD, Quality, Norway Lemming, Raven, Red fox, Arctic fox, Reindeer, Moose, Wolverine, Long-tailed skua, Grayling, Golden Eagle, Brown bear, Wood lemming, suicide, Walt Disney, Wild Tales Productions, myth, Scandinavia, cliff, rodent, edge, jump, fall, sea

Id: rMJpytDpn0w

Length: 49min 39sec (2979 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 04 2022