Magic of the Mountains - The Secrets of Nature

[Music] this is a story about a land shaped by natural forces forces far beyond the power and control of man [Music] Tirol was born from a collision of continents a cataclysm that pushed together and piled up things once far apart [Music] the result is a steep world of great variety crowded into a small space this is a land of the third dimension the depth of a valley the height of a ridge its geographical direction its position at the center or the fringe of the Alps its inclination towards the Sun determines whether a bit of Tirol is Harshal mild barren or green bone dry or overflowing with water [Music] firk millennia men have inhabited these rugged mountains and its valleys why have they come here in the first place what drew them into the Alps what is the magic of these mountains [Music] mid-april the eastern and southern slope should already be free of snow for six months the marmots have not been in touch with their neighbors now it's time to catch up when the snow stays longer than in normal years the appetite for grass becomes an urge and it's not the only one [Applause] the tarragon's have only just begun their courtship on the one hand they need deep snow for their sleeping tunnels but they cannot lay eggs before the ground is dry and warm this spring they'll have to wait for their courtship black grouse like to meet on winters last spots of snow but now this snow everywhere so this year the males are still an exclusive club after half a year of fasting hunger forces the marmots to go ahead with something they would not normally do [Music] [Applause] [Music] when one clan member sounds a warning all the marmots will run for cover but now the borough is far a Golden Eagle will attack at a speed of 80 meters per second fluffing a chance like that takes a real rookie the marmots are cautious now an empty stomach or an eagle's claws that's not an easy choice but like many a dilemma this true will sooner or later melt away [Music] [Applause] once Alpine enemies begin to beckon - butterflies crocuses open their chalices and millions of tiny creatures come scurrying towards the Sun Nature is quick to catch up for time lost [Music] day after day the melting snow draws changing patterns on the rocky slopes [Music] and suddenly even the nights are mild for countless generations capercaillie is have gathered in this special place to mate the arrived in early April but all the hems amounted within just two weeks around the beginning of May [Music] the hens will only allow the alpha to mount them when a rival shows up he receives a warning the Cox node of the hens are not loyal to a particular male but to his position center stage that is what they fight for if two males of similar strengths meet on the lek its knives out the fighters aim for the red spot above the eye the bright flash provokes them a young male sees his chance and approaches from the forest both opponents could be injured so badly that even a tenderfoot might get an easy chance nice try but the new alpha won't have it after three years the old alpha has lost his status most likely forever the hens make no bones about changing partners a few days later they begin to lay eggs the high mountains are home to a great diversity of life and for millennia man has been part of it the first humans were attracted by game in spring Roebuck still in their winter coats come up above the Timberline to claim summer territories and establish their ranking among the peaks the Golden Eagle rules the young Eagle is still tolerated in his parents territory but he can no longer expect their support they already busy raising the next generation just one of five young eagles will survive his first winter in early spring while he's still unskilled in hunting he gets by on Avalanche victims most of the carcasses are Shinhwa the young Eagle is not yet familiar with the visitor on two legs trying to lift a complete sham wha that's the self assessment of a teenager even the sharpest optical device is nothing compared to an Eagles naked eye the interest is mutual the two will keep an eye on each other for years to come [Music] the IBEX have spent all winter among the crags now that they are shedding their winter coats they look mangy what will this summer bring man has exploited the resources of these mountains for many centuries and has left his mark but the fate of the Alps inhabitants still depends on the powers of wild nature [Music] right now on a mild and sunny early summer day the out show their smiling pretty side [Music] until mid-june the melting snow in the quarries and Crewe's swells the mountain rivers until a few weeks ago these waters were absolutely silent and soon at the height of summer only a gentle murmur will remain one can only wonder year after year at the changing music the changing colors the ever-changing moons of the scenery [Music] lower down halfway between mountain ridge and valley floor the meadows stand high soon they will be ready for a heyday this Rodya was born less than an hour ago and it's already got two younger siblings since humans have cleared forests and created meadows Rodya have profited from the open cultivated land just like the Hoopoe as a rule a roe deer mother will give birth to twins in the high grass sometimes to a single kid triplets are a rare exceptions while the two younger ones suckle their first milk the firstborn still shaky on its legs sets out to find a hiding place in the high Bronx within moments it's gone invisible to the eagle without sent to the Fox the second sibling finds its own hiding place nearby [Music] the last one is led away by the mother and placed about a hundred yards from the others in this season the entire mountain is a wildlife kindergarten [Music] foxes are born blind they're 9 or 10 weeks old when they first leave their den in daily widening circles they begin to explore a new and unknown realm [Applause] one can even learn from a foreign species for instance that the river bank is not the end of the world when the deer meadow stands in full bloom it will not stand for much longer [Music] even when the hay meadows were still cut by hand it was easy to overlook a baby deer the farmers take great care not to hurt young animals but the perfect camouflage of a kid is quite effective [Music] dear kids do not flee the closer the threat the harder they try to be invisible my location Ivanka clans dear kids must never be touched with bare hands the scent of human sweat would cause the mother to abandon her kid in spite of all precautions some 1,000 casualties were thwarted each year and that's just a fraction of the total tolls dope-fiend lean to positive smell [Music] the safest method to protect young roe deer is this inspecting the entire area on foot before Molly hunters often join in to help the farmers the men suspect a second kid in the grass and they want to find it before the mowing is continued fortunately the mother has already led the third one to safety in the southern alpine valleys where the timber line lies above 2,000 meters roe deer inhabit high altitudes but further north in the limestone Alps the forest ends at 1,600 metres in the limestone mountains flora and fauna are richer this is ideal red deer habitat the antlers are still in velvet they're growing fast now up to two centimeters per day from mid-june onward summer is a time of fattening food is abundant and the stags build up their bodies for the rut in autumn in [Music] the limestone Alps domestic herds are driven directly from the valleys to the high pastures within a few days the cattle spreads out and hardly interferes with the wildlife the older individuals among the Red Deer are familiar with these annual visitors and will not leave their usual grazing areas during summer male and female Red Deer form separate herds and often gray is quite far apart in central Tirol in the high mountains Eagles nests are high above the Timberline but below the vast Green Meadows the egos hunting grounds [Music] Eagles never hunt near their nests the neighboring marmots know this and are not afraid in early May two chicks hatched within a few days both parents hunt and provide food but only the mother delivers the prey to the young two young eagles in one nest both almost fledglings that's unusual summer the lush vegetation period is short in this quasi Arctic climate just three or four months marmots and ibex have to quickly build up their fat reserves to survive the cold part of the year during the summer marmots have to double their bodyweight while caring for their young in this season the Bucks are friendly with each other their fights Ahmir play the Alps are a vast mountain range but nowadays completely undisturbed areas sanctuaries where large wild herds can withdraw are few and far between [Music] such scenes of peaceful Majesty have become rare [Music] to graze and ruminate the animals need long undisturbed periods each day [Music] disturbance means stress and often panic [Music] panics will spread like wildfire from one species to another from one herd to the next such waves of panic can sweep through an entire Valley [Music] [Music] the feeling of freedom among the peaks may be exhilarating but only for people who have no clue what they're doing when they leave recommended flying corridors [Music] [Music] the stressed animals flee downhill into the mountain forest to seek cover [Music] if this happens often the animals will spend much time in the forest with far-reaching consequences a large ungulate population can destroy an entire forest by injuring young shoots or peeling the bark off the trees the mountain forests on tea rolls steep slopes is a vital protection for the farms and villages below even the most elaborate technical constructions cannot replace a healthy forest there's a measure against avalanches and landslides relentlessly the older sibling has been trying to push the younger one out the struggle has taken its toll young Eagles will usually fly by the end of July and now it's early August the Golden Eagle is Tirol state bird but just a century ago it was threatened by extinction today all the breeding territories are occupied today's this bug has been following the Doha round once every one or two hours they have been mating he keeps testing her urine so he won't miss the moment of that ovulation roebucks mark their territory with the secretion from the base of their antlers and from their legs in the high-ups you are not close to the sky you're right in the sky whoever comes up here should take the weather seriously yep homologue three top last panics boutique even Thomas I assure glamour less than an hour ago the sky was blue the hunters are worried and rightly so climbing up here took hours that'll be too long for the way back a dry electric storm above the Timberline is deadly [Music] [Music] rayon and forest may reduce the risk of getting struck by lightning but even so a mountain thunderstorm is extremely dangerous the Roebuck is not phased his big moment has finally come [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] huge volumes of water runoff vast rock surfaces and have thummell through deep ravines the thunder of these rush floods is not the sound of water it's the sound of masses of rock debris that's washed into the valleys [Music] [Music] suddenly is it broke loose the violence has abated a cool clear stillness lies over the land suddenly the air is chilly the last sunray send a magic light but no warmth [Music] even a blind man can feel the snow win the summer is over the grass on the pastures has been eaten or burned by frost the eagle's nest is abandoned [Music] the young eagle has survived the first struggle of his life the next one will be tougher winter is a mighty foe but he's not alone [Music] the enemies by birth have become partners [Music] [Music] mid-september time for one of nature's most exciting spectacles in the High Elves from far and wide the stags wander to the ancient arenas where the females are waiting at the beginning of the rut they're in great shape fighting fit dominant males defend their harems and are ready to fend off any rival this stag is powerful but past his prime at age 13 his antlers already have fewer points the lord of the arena the ends of his antlers form a sweeping crown he keeps his harem together day and night [Music] a brief test of strength is all it takes to decide who will pass on his genes [Music] genes are a hunter's main concern when he takes out an animal the females are fertile for two brief periods lasting a few days each and separated by an 18 day interval these two windows are what all the Stags are waiting for a three-year-old he had better not provoke the big stags but too many of these intruders disturbed the rutting ritual [Music] another intruder an old acquaintance [Music] his slim antlers and his sinewy body tell that he has spent his entire life in the high mountains for him the days of keeping his own harem are over [Music] this individual no longer plays a role in maintaining the population to enable a sure shot the stag must be at the right distance and stand motionless for a few moments and at a good angle a hunter may come up here 10 or maybe 20 times without getting a chance or he may never get one at all the Alpha has shooed the old stag away and saved his life his own life is saved by a strict age quota [Music] the once juicy meadows now look tired some tied actors may now leave the stage but the spectacle isn't over [Music] the night frost shifts the fog from the clear air when the early morning curtain falls the stage itself becomes an actor touching us daily with a fresh sea [Music] early in November the larch trees still haven't shed their golden needles [Music] all the Red Deer females are pregnant now the rutting herds gradually dissolve male and female animals are going their separate ways the Stags now have a haggard look having lost up to 1/4 of their weight only a few weeks remain for recovery before the snow comes to stay the ibex will spend the entire winter up here the animals seem fit and ready for the harsh season even now the sparring of the Bucks is not serious their hierarchy is clear and the rut is still a long way off but among the Shinhwa tensions are mounting the females will keep their kids until next summer at age 4 the young bucks first participate in the rut they stake out their rutting territories with scent marks raising the hair on their backs the Bucks make themselves look bigger [Applause] [Applause] grandstanding wherever you look the wind carries a potent stench the Bucs keep spraying their bodies with urine and sperm this perfume is provocative [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] with kicks and shoves he's trying to cajole the female but she isn't ready the pair needs four to five days and dozens of copulations before the decisive moment comes a female trying to rid herself of a pushy male she's running for our life [Music] the fresh snow and cold weather do not cool the mood of rutting chinois on the country this is the hottest phase of the rut the duel for a female is merciless of the weaker contender better make sure that at least he's the faster one [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] so jog on super elves we're hunting maybe a sport in the Tyrolean Alps it's part of an ongoing coexistence of man and nature technical filters within this local tradition hunters have their place and their mission after the accessions of the rut the chinois are weakened and their resistance against diseases is diminished the scabies could turn into an epidemic it's been known to wipe out populations of chinois and ibex so dear tonight you miss Macias [Music] this caucus is worrisome especially at this time of year with the harshest months still ahead scabies will eat into the living tissue all the way to the bone is this the only victim or will there be more [Music] in the Shinhwa habitat of various extremes add up extreme topography and extremes of precipitation along the northern fringe of the Alps [Music] when the snow piles up higher and higher and cuts off the sham waa from their brazing they descend to a lower level in this weather hunger and exhaustion are serious threats alone in such conditions animals soon read their limits they can only survive as a group because humans have settled along the big rivers cleared the wetland forests and cut off the old migration routes the deer must spend the winter in the mountain forests even here they would not survive without a helping hand the chinois in contrast have always spent the winter in the high mountains they remain fully active and survive even the harshest winter without health only during snowfall do they wander below the Timberline but as soon as the wind blows the snow from the crests they climb back up in this weather experience counts old animals take the lead they always stay alert [Music] [Music] [Music] the feeding places can direct red deer and roe deer to areas where they cause less of damage to the mountain forests Rodya and Red Deer have to be fed separately during the winter months Red Deer need very little food fattening the animals now would be unnatural and unhealthy the deer trust the one human being who feeds them every day or every other day at the same hour the animals are familiar with his scent and his voice the presence of other people would send them into a panic their bodies are now in survival mode heart frequency metabolism and the need for food are drastically reduced in this state any disturbance may cause extreme stress the stag still carry their arms but soon they'll be disused the robots antlers are already in velvet in a few days they will be clean or sharp in early March the first stag shed their antlers the trigger is light the length of day it will now take a hundred and ten days to grow new ones for the red deer the cycle has just begun for the roe deer it's coming full circle all that's missing is the final polish [Music] once the wild herds and the mountain forests have survived the winter [Music] once the rivers begin to flow and the bright spring Sun drives the last shadows from the valleys [Music] once the bright colors of spring returned to the heart of the Alps tea rolls hunters get restive year after year their worries and their joys are driven by the rhythm of these magic mountains [Music] [Music] you

Channel: The Secrets of Nature

Views: 7,301,180

Rating: 4.6124187 out of 5

Keywords: orf universum, documentary, blue chip, natural history, secrets of nature, planet earth, natura, naturaleza, documentales, wildlife, magic of the mountains, tyrol, tirol, Nature Documentary (TV Genre), wildlife documentaries

Id: 9wAft7t8k2c

Length: 50min 16sec (3016 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 20 2015