A colourful variety of animals
lives in our forests. Some are very familiar to us ... Others less so. Everyone thinks they know
one particular animal. Only a few ever get to see it! But how do badgers really live? If we take a closer
look, we have to reconsider previous conceptions! As of March, the sun
gets stronger from day to day. But it's still
quiet in the forest. Most animals sleep through the
winter to save energy. But a few paw prints in the snow are proof that the burrow
is still inhabited. The tenants spend the cold months
in their cosy den and at most, only leave it sporadically. The badger's hearts still beat
as usual, but the metabolism is greatly reduced. The large martens
now rely exclusively on their fat reserves. Contrary to their reputation,
badgers are not grumpy old hermits, no! They are actually
extremely social creatures. Most family members really enjoy
a good cuddle. Outside, at last, temperatures are
rising and the forest awakens to new life. The wild boar lost no time and
already began with family planning during the winter. They usually give birth
in the spring. The two-week-old piglets are in
their best playing age. From running to brawling -
everything they need for adulthood is trained as early as possible. The youngsters already resemble
little battering rams. Later in life, this is how they
will fight their rivals for supremacy during the
mating season. Brawling is thirsty work. The mobile milk bar is just what
the doctor ordered. Each of the offspring are
allocated a certain teat. This is frequented
as often as possible - until mother
has had enough. But now the little ones
are also interested in solid food. Perhaps the wild
boar family contributed to this transformation. Wild garlic seeds are distributed
by soil residues on animal paws. Within a few days, the seeds
sprout and spread their typical garlic scent. After around three weeks,
the white blooms disappear again, when the leaves
of the surrounding foliage prevent the sun
from reaching them. For one forest dweller,
moonrise marks the end of a long period under ground. For the very first time in
several weeks, a female badger finally leaves her sett. Carefully, she checks whether the
coast is clear. She cannot see very well with her
relatively small eyes and so places her trust in her hearing
and especially in her nose. Her sense of smell is up to 800
times finer than that of humans. The sow uses her nose in search of
food too - and this is now absolutely vital. She has lost about one third of
her weight and must regain her strength as soon as possible. What's that? Nothing to worry about. A Boreal Owl is hoping to
lure his female into his nest. He chose the abandoned Black
Woodpecker hole a couple of weeks ago. Barely the size of blackbirds,
the owls are unable to carve out their own holes and,
as mere tenants, are dependent on the woodpeckers. The female replies ... But is not yet ready to come in. The birds mate with different
partners every year and must first establish a bond with
one another. Proudly presenting the nest is one
aspect of the courtship ritual. At least she has
ventured somewhat closer. Will she accept the hole? Well, she has remained in the
immediate vicinity, which is a good sign! How is a hungry badger supposed to
have enough to eat, when there are only a few snails
and insects on the menu? The owl succeeds at last! His partner agrees to check
out his hole. And feels: "You chose well"! Nothing more stands in the
way of their family planning. But now, their day,
or rather night, closes with the dawn. In the meantime, spring
has spread itself out over the entire forest. The female badgers burrow is well
hidden in a small clearing. Only a couple of holes
in the ground are visible from the outside. Her basement flat, complete with
its five entrances, is relatively
small for a badger's sett. After her nocturnal excursion,
she sets off in the ensuing early hours in search of
some tasty titbits. She has a lot
of catching up to do. In daylight, the timid sow is
even more cautious, until she finally dares to go out. She can't stay away for long - and
there's good reason for that. She has left two
cubs behind in her sett. Her offspring are now
nine weeks old. They were not yet filmed
out of consideration for the young family. The mother returns after just
a few minutes. The youngsters use the opportunity
to fortify themselves. Unlike wild boars, the young drink
from all teats, always heading for the one they deem
best at the time. A full stomach makes you tired. Badgers have real late developers
and are suckled for more than three months. Nocturnal foraging plus two greedy
pups take their toll: thoroughly exhausted,
the mother falls asleep. One of her young
decides to explore the great big world outside. Young badgers are only very
rarely seen outside. Usually, they haven't learnt to
walk until they are eight or nine weeks old. Rather turn back? Curiosity is stronger than fear. The attentive mother immediately
notices that something is wrong. As if she were a
tracker dog, she picks up her little one's scent. A helpless pup like this
is easy prey for foxes, hawks and larger owls. The mother is painfully aware of this. She finds the cheeky escapee and
grabs him by the scruff of the neck. In truth, he can be thankful that
his doting mother found him in time. Meanwhile, other forest dwellers
have also given birth. The crested tit literally has
its beak full, trying to feed its brood with protein-
rich insect larvae. Like the Boreal Owl, it depends on
all the trees and abandoned woodpecker holes to breed. A swarm of insects is just as
indispensable for the bird world as a woodpecker. But just four weeks,
woodpecker chicks learn how to catch insects with
their long, sticky tongues. Other next tenants of the skilful
carpenters include Blue Tits. Before long, the young woodpecker
will leave the hole. His pigeon-size parents now only
feed him at the entrance. Its future depends heavily on
whether it can find sufficient older trees as a breeding ground. Even on the lower floors,
several animals are dependent on deadwood. The timid and rare wildcat has
established a nursery in an old, unused woodpile. She lures her young outside. They are now four weeks
old and should now leave their hiding place. Initially, however, just a play
under the attentive eye of the mother. Despite their
youthful clumsiness, they are fighting spirit
is already evident. This tussling is
half game, half earnest. Unlike badgers, wildcats are not
family animals, which becomes apparent even at an early stage. The mother lures her kitten back
into the safety of the woodpile before returning to the hunt. The rather long courtship of the
Boreal Owl couple has at last proved successful. One chick has already hatched. Because the owls
begin hatching immediately after laying their eggs, the young hatch
in a row - which is typical for owls. The larder is well-stocked. This is a job for the male,
while his partner takes care of the feeding and warming
of the young. Despite the stocks, the male
supplies the female with almost every catch he makes. This behavioural
pattern makes sense. Should the weather turn bad,
the abundance of mice could become history. The Owls live almost entirely
on small rodents. The young badgers are no longer
infants and copy their mother by rummaging through the
leaves for food. Once they reach
roughly three months, they regularly explore the
immediate surroundings of the sett. The mother still has
them all on her radar. This bond will remain for
quite some time. Like most other social animals of
their age, the young badgers like to play and interact
with one another. Suddenly, an uninvited
visitor arrives. The mother recognises
the scent immediately. But the neighbours should steer
clear of one another. Although there are occasions when
a fox and a badger share a den together. In Europe, this almost resulted in
the complete extermination of badgers when their burrows were
fumigated in the fight against rabies. Until vaccination baits were laid
out for foxes. These cubs a developing quickly
when comparing them with young badgers. They were able to walk after four
weeks and now, two weeks later, they can move around at speed. Quarrels with siblings are
on the daily agenda. Fox cubs develop their
personalities at an early age: Some are cheeky and brave,
others slightly more reserved. But they too voluntarily head for
the security of the den when mother decides to go hunting. This little wild cats are now two
months old and still dependent on their mother's milk. During the following three weeks
they will be gradually weaned and at the same time develop
into little carnivores. What could be more
special than the healthy litter? Wild cats especially like
to inhabit large, contiguous areas of forest, which are now
unfortunately often dissipated by roads or settlements. In countries like Germany,
with just 6.000 animals, wildcats are critically endangered
and may not be hunted. To raise four cubs is no
mean feat for the single mother. Wildcats are loners, and the
fathers rarely, if at all, participate in the upbringing
of their offspring. But just how social
badgers can be, is aptly illustrated in a
nearby territory. We have heard that in the past,
badgers were considered to be grumpy old hermits, hidden
away in the seclusion of their setts. But the truth is often the exact
opposite: With enough space and decent food availability they are
extremely social and sometimes even form clans. Apart from an adult boar, most of
the animals are females and young animals from different
years of birth. Young male badgers are obliged to
leave the ancestral territory after one year. Close family ties exist
between the animals. When they get up, for example,
they not only groom themselves, but help one another to rid
themselves of dirt and parasites in their fur. Badgers mark each other
with an anal gland secretion. Each animal has its own,
discernible scent and the mixture of all of them provides
them with a unique family smell. In this way, they can easily
distinguish between family members and intruders. Their three-centimetre-long claws
are not just handy when digging, but also make fantastic combs. The old saying "Business before
pleasure" certainly holds sway with badgers, as they love to
play after grooming themselves. This too, is a much quieter affair
than that of the fox family. The Boreal Owls are now four weeks
old and no longer in need of mother's warmth. Now she can go hunting
and feed the young again herself. The male now also has more
time in which to be just himself. Throughout the entire
breeding season, the two partners repeatedly assure one another that
all is well by exchanging their contact sounds. The facial disk, which is typical
of several owls, functions as an amplifier - and helps provide
their excellent hearing. In the meantime, the clan
is in search of food. A badger is more of a gatherer
than a hunter and uses his nose to rummage through the soil for
all things edible. In the spring, they
dig for earthworms and in the arid summers,
they prefer insects, larvae and the occasional mouse. Typical omnivores. A few days later and one
of the chicks has left home. The other one is adamant
not to be left alone. It's a typical owl trait,
that chicks leave the nest before they can fly. Yet still they are fed
by their parents for at least another three weeks. One final check -
before check out. None of the
birds will return here. One particular bird is settled by
the waters of the forest. The Black Stork. Unlike its white relative,
the Black Stork avoids settlements and prefers the peace that
sprawling forests provide. A very different kind of animal
that also feels at home in moist, deciduous forests,
prefers the opposite. The young fire salamander requires
prickly moss to repelling its old skin. During this period, it has
to be particularly careful, as it momentarily produces less
poisonous skin secretion with which to keep its enemies at bay. In some European regions,
this animal's population is endangered for a completely
different reason: if infected by it, a fungus
introduced from Asia can cause a salamander's death. Not only amphibians are aware of
how to rid themselves of predators with poison. The red thimble
is extremely poisonous. The consumption of a mere
two or three leaves is almost certainly fatal. Yet, curiously, its nectar is an
indispensable food source for both bumblebees and honeybees. On hotter days, wild boar herds
delight in gathering in small, forest ponds. This ostensibly social ritual
allows the animals to cool off and search for water plants at
the same time. The powerful canine teeth of the
boar serve both as digging tools and ferocious weapons. Mud baths are an essential
part of a boar's body care. When dry, the mud falls off,
carrying parasites with it. In midsummer, male black-tailed
skimmers stake out their territories. Able to surpass speeds
of 40 kilometres per hour, Dragonflies are doubtless the
world's fastest insects. The little ones from spring are now
hardly recognisable. They have lost their striped
camouflage entirely and now look like miniature versions
of the adults. They are still very playful,
which helps them train for later life. The adults now urge everyone to
leave - an invitation not everyone appears to comply with. Unlike wild boars,
badgers maintain their striped markings throughout their lives. What appears striking during the
day, blends together at night in the interplay of
light and shadow. In the first months, after leaving
the sett, the young animals follow the adults. Inquisitively, they let the oldies
show them how and where they can find food. Learning by imitating. One usually only sees the entire
family together in broad daylight in the summer,
with its long days. Now they would have far too little
time to find anything to eat. In midsummer, the water fume is in
full bloom - an important source of food for butterflies. Clever honeybees take this
opportunity once again to collect pollen. Meanwhile, the young cats are 12
weeks old and are increasingly developing into real "Wild"-cats. Playtime has now taken on more
aggressive features - there is hardly anything reminiscent of
sibling love left. Young, domestic cats usually get
on with one another, which is not only due to the
fact they are pets. They are simply not descendants of
European wildcats, but are rather of the North African
wildcat variety. The mother still remains
close by her offspring when they are outside. Sometimes, the little ones even
direct their wild temperament at her. It's here that she decides
enough is enough. And unmistakeably shows her cheeky
upstarts just how far they can go. Suddenly, a neighbour arrives. As badgers are
predominantly nocturnal, the two rarely meet. Although the martens could pose a
threat to the very young wild kittens, there is no
reason to worry, as they have no chance of getting past
the watchful mother. While most forest animals have
their young literally "out of the woods", stag beetles are just
at the threshold of their family planning measures. The huge antlers that distinguish
a male beetle from a female are necessary for him to be
able to out manoeuvre his rivals. This fellow here seems to have
already done so and has won over the object of his desire. The female will dutifully lay the
fertilised eggs in the soil on the roots of dead trees. The larvae feed on
the deadwood until they become formidable beetles themselves,
after around five to eight years. Then they will enjoy a very short
life in full splendour ... For about a month. At last, the female can escape the
clutches of the male and fulfil her duties. The male has nothing more
to do other than to search for other females. But he should definitely take care
not to come too close to badgers. Just like the woodlice. They play a vital role in the
mutual forest household, as they decompose old wood. All kinds of creepy crawlies can
be found here - a treasure trove for the young male. But not all is
tasty or digestible. Badgers should keep well
away from these wood decomposers. Some centipedes are poisonous and
can even prove fatal for animals the size of a badger. Every rotting tree stump is a
veritable supermarket - stocked with a multitude
of insects and their larvae. Our ravenous friend arrives too
late at this deer carcass. Other scavengers before him have
left absolutely nothing. The badger, a 5-star opportunist
at mealtimes, would have loved a few meaty morsels. But bare bones -
what a disappointment. Yet still the carcass remains
interesting - there are bound to be a few maggots
or so in the vicinity. And now, in late summer, a much
more abundant food source is is available to him: Fallen fruit in the orchards. This young boar feels magically
attracted to the fruit. He had to leave his clan as the
dominant male no longer tolerated him and now he has
to take care of himself. When looking for a new territory,
the quality of the food supply obviously plays a decisive role. Depending on the time of year,
badger menus can either contain meat or they are vegetarian. The marten can
be incredibly skilful. It's typical of many predators to
retreat to a hideout with their prey - and badgers simply feel
less safe in the daylight. Due to their
high fructose content, apples are ideal for the badger, enabling him
to build up a decent fat depot for the winter. The wildcat's
woodpile appears abandoned. High up in the treetops,
the mother is enjoying a well-earned respite from the
past exhausting months. She has slipped away from
her children, hoping to encourage them to go their own ways. From on high, she can observe
her family falling apart. Her children are no
longer in need of her. Understandably, the kittens
hesitate to leave their mother and their siblings. The journey into the
unknown is a difficult one. But then -
there's no stopping them! Each kitten heads in
a different direction in search of new territories. At most, they will only
ever meet again by coincidence. The mother's strategy worked. Like all wildcats, her climbing
skills are excellent and she has no problem negotiating the 10
metres in height difference. The mother returns home just one
more time to satisfy herself that all have left. The cat has done all that was
asked of her and in doing so, made a huge contribution to
an endangered species. When her offspring manage to avoid
large predators such as lynx or wolf and keep away from roads,
they can look forward to a lifespan of some
seven to 10 years. Badgers are forever
renovating and expanding. The master miners are able to
extend their burrows for more than 30 metres and can dig to
depths of up to five metres. Without working up a hint
of sweat, they can move several cubic metres of
loose soil, thereby creating entire hilly landscapes. The conversion also serves to keep
the sett clean, as badgers are very hygienic animals. They even construct their own
toilets outside their burrows. Some of these structures are still
in use after several generations - some are said to be
more than a hundred years old. Autumn gradually moves into
the badger territories. The mother also has a lot to do. Long sleepers
prefer sleeping softly. The sow builds a cosy bed
out of leaves, hay and dry moss. This can take several hours. A little help from the kids? No way! Ready! Autumn is the time when many
mushrooms form fruiting bodies to distribute their spores. Squirrels are not too keen
on them, but forests offer them more than enough food. Most trees also produce their
seeds at this time. In the coming weeks,
the squirrel is busy stockpiling tasty morsels. Choosing suitable territory is
therefore absolutely crucial. An acorn in its paws, a spruce
cone on its back - what more can a squirrel ask for? All of the creatures of the forest
look forward to the peak season of a given plant. From squirrels to wild boar to
badgers - for them, in so-called mast years like this one,
it virtually rains big, fat, nourishing acorns in abundance. It's a very special event that
only takes place every few years. And it's just the
right time for the mother. Winter is coming and she
needs every calorie. In the past, pigs used to be
driven into the forest to fatten up on acorns. But this goal is also pursued
by other animals. Because acorns are veritable
energy bombs, which is why the sow grabs as many as she can. Badgers are different to hamsters
and squirrels inasmuch as they don't store food. In short: Their fat layers decide
ultimately over life and death. The acorn mast is replaced by another spectacle
in the late autumn ... When the last leaves fall,
wild boars begin to get a little hot under the collar. It's time for the mating season. With near violent
chewing movements, the males produce foam in their mouths with
which they mark trees and bushes. Wild boars check time and again
whether the sow are in heat and even mark them
with their pheromone-rich saliva. The foam is designed to keep
rivals at a distance. But when two of equal
strength meet, a fight ensues. Now is the moment of truth - how well did they
practice ramming as youngsters? Arguments are soon settled and the
winner has the females all to himself again. In the meantime, he has to
recover, as he still has some fairly exhausting
situations to face. In an intact wild boar herd,
almost all of the females are on heat simultaneously. Peace has returned to
the badger's sett. The little family has retired
to the comfort of the lower floor bedroom. Here they will spend
the coming months fast asleep until next spring, when they will
once again prove just how they really are:
neither reclusive nor grumpy - rather intelligent omnivores,
skilful master builders and social family animals.
