There are wildlands where nature still conceals
some of her most beautiful secrets. The Alps. A colossal mass of rock,
1,300 kilometers long. Hundreds of 3,000 meter peaks hold millions
of cubic meters of ice within. Steep slopes. Patches of rock exposed to the winds. Air that is truly low on oxygen. How have living creatures adapted
to these extreme conditions in this world
where winter lasts eight months, where the temperatures
can plummet to minus 40 degrees? How are they able to mate. Raise their young. Conquer new territories Cover vast distances? How do they withstand
these brutal conditions? From the highest mountain peaks
to the deepest valleys. These are the astonishing stories of animals at one
with the violence of the elements. An epic voyage
in the last sanctuary in Europe. This is Italy, the Dolomites. This rock is an ancient coral reef. It was pushed out of the sea
millions of years ago. Petrified coral at 3,000 meters. Winter is almost over. There is nothing to eat. Many animals are weak. This young deer is looking
for any food he can find. This is the worst time of the year. A she-wolf is on the hunt. However, she is not alone. She has her family all around her. She-wolf leads the pack with her mate,
her alpha male. This young deer isn't easy prey,
but She-wolf has a plan. On her signal, the action can begin. This young deer has never seen a wolf,
but he knows what he has to do. It's in his genes. He has a trick to escape. He draws them right into his herd. That's exactly what She-wolf had planned. Now, she can identify
the easiest prey, a sick deer. This young deer was able
to escape the wolves by sacrificing one of his own. A very effective response to wolf attacks. Not the most glorious strategy perhaps,
but it does have an advantage. It removes sick deer
and stops the spread of disease. That is the wolf's role
in the natural world. At this time of year,
deer gather in large herds. More ears to hear any dangers. More eyes to see them coming. To battle against the cold, they put certain parts of their body
into hibernation and lower their heart rate. Conserving energy is the key to survival
in these glacial conditions. This wolf pack has just captured its prey
with a minimum of effort. This is their first meal in days. Excited by the food, the eldest son tests the limits
of the family hierarchy. He challenges his father, the alpha male. He must follow the rules. Parents eat before their cubs. However, the son does not want to obey. He must wait his turn just like the others. Wolves only have
one competitor in the Alps. Brown bears. This one smelled
fresh meat from miles away and he's hungry. Alpha is in no mood to back off. Normally, he would have retreated like She-wolf. Today, Alpha wants to show his offspring
that he's still in charge. Alpha wants to stop the bear from eating and harass him until he leaves. Brown bears aren't afraid of wolves. He's the strongest and he knows it. Alpha is no longer able to lead. Immediately,
all eyes turn to the other son. Everyone submits to the new leader but not she-wolf. She will not abandon
her lifelong companion. When wolves find a partner,
the bond is for life. In the Alps, finding food in the winter
is a daily challenge. To manage it, some animals have come up
with rather surprising strategies. This is the Gran Paradiso Massif. There is hunger in the valley. Most of the trees have been stripped. No more fruit, no more seeds, and the insects are hidden under the bark. To avoid dying of starvation, some small birds have come up
with a very clever technique. They gather in groups of several species. They start by looking
for an unexplored tree. Whoever finds one alerts the others. Now, they can all take their positions
on that day's tree. At the top, is the crossbill. They keep a lookout. Below them, willow tits break pine cones
to extract the nuts. Lower down on the branches,
crested tits, and tree creepers, search for the tiny spiders
hiding under the lichen. At the bottom, coal tits and blue tits, are getting excited
about a butterfly larva. All these different species have found
a very effective way of feeding themselves by helping one another. At the first sign of danger,
they warn each other. When they are fed,
they can return to their individual nests to protect themselves
against the harsh conditions. A snowstorm. It quickly becomes brutally cold. A few hours of this can be lethal. What protection do they have? Some have specially adapted coats. They are capable of withstanding
temperatures of minus 50 degrees. Some prefer to spend
the winter underground. They maintain their body temperature
at four degrees. Their heart beats once a minute,
and above all, they sleep for a long time. A very long time. Except when they're cold. Marmots know that the more of them
they are, the easier it is to stay warm. To have a lot of marmots,
you need to have a family. This brings us to another challenge
in the high mountains, how to find a mate when spring arrives. Some have found a rather unusual way, mountain speed dating. This is the Beaufortain Massif. Once a year there's a gathering here, on a precise date known only by the population
of European common frogs. After nine months of deep sleep, this young male has just woken up
with an irresistible urge, to find a mate. This bachelor knows exactly
where he needs to go. A peat bog three kilometers away. Why is he in such a hurry? Where he's going, there will only be one female
for every five males. Everyone's going there at the same time, so only the first to arrive
will find a partner. A female. The idea is to grab her
and not let her go. Oh, it's a male. This is it, we're here. A melted spot in the middle of the ice. Look at that beauty. Those golden eyes. That brown skin. She's the one. He's sure of it. Now she must accept him on her back. The secret is to show off
your smooth moves. She's moving too much. Now, the problem is this gang of suitors who will stop at nothing
to steal his sweetheart. It might be better to look elsewhere. Here, can he cut in? The young male
will not find a mate this year, and yet he is not defeated. In a place full of eggs,
he is able to spread his sperm by himself. He will have offspring,
and that is the most important thing. Common frogs do not live in pairs. They couple up for one week a year
and then go their separate ways. As the snow melts,
the season of birth begins. Suddenly, throughout the landscape, delicate, defenseless creatures
are brought into the world. To protect their little ones, parents make
inaccessible homes in the trees. They dig impenetrable dens underground. They build nests on the sheer cliff faces. For those that live on open ground,
there is no refuge. Their young are vulnerable everywhere. This is the Ecrins National Park. Here, the Ibex have developed
a collective surveillance system. This is an adult female. She is on duty for her community. This young ibex has just been born. He is not the only one. All the births have taken place
in the last few days. The matriarch's job
is to look out for the baby snatcher. The golden eagle. Female ibex keep watch in groups
over the herd's young. A kind of high-altitude nursery. The alarm is raised. Too fast. Despite their dedication,
the females regularly lose little ones. During the warmer months,
the males settle higher up. Raising the young isn't their thing. They prefer doing nothing really, apart from
scratching their back with their horn. While the male works tirelessly,
the females move on to another activity. Educating their young. A young kid and his mother
have set off on a journey, one that will lead them
to a scarcely believable feat. For the last 50 years, all the mothers in this region
have led their young on a two-day march to carry out what appears to be
an initiation ceremony. The young kid is learning the mountain and is enthralled
by the agility of his feet. The incredible grip of his hooves. He tests his abilities
and cannot see their limit. However, he has no idea what is in store. He follows his mother
with total confidence. The kid suddenly realizes
that he is standing above a sheer drop. What are they doing here? They are on the dam at Lake Cingino. A wall 50 meters high. The kid doesn't know it yet, but he is a master of balance. Why did his mother bring him here? To reach the mineral salts
that seep through the dam. The kid has conquered his fear,
and now he can copy his mother and taste
the succulent nectar of the rock. Their concave hooves act like ultra-powerful,
non-slip shock absorbers, suckers that stick to the rock face. Their sense of balance
is an evolutionary marvel. Little Ibex has just learned something
that will be essential to his survival. He will return here every year
to maintain his health. All the mothers here have passed on
this knowledge to their young since the dam has existed. For the kid, it's the beginning
of his passage into adulthood. In a few months,
at the beginning of autumn, he will be weaned and ready
to leave his mother for the winter. He will go with the males, and when his horns have grown, he will be able
to scratch his back with them like a proper adult. The education of offspring
is a huge challenge in the high mountains. The main obligation is the length of time, just four months to teach them
to look after themselves before winter. Most parents spend considerable time
and energy on this task. What about their young? Do they give the same
back to their parents? Do the young look after their elders
when they are less fit and healthy? Thanks to advances in knowledge,
the veil is slowly being lifted on a world whose richness
we could scarcely have imagined. The world of trees. In the great beech forests of the Alps, we have recently uncovered
a story of parents and their children that only exists in fables. The story of the immortal tree stump. Hidden under moss,
this tree stump is all that remains of a giant tree
that fell more than 500 years ago. It must surely have died by now, but it hasn't. However, it has no more leaves
to capture the sun's energy. How is it still alive? Science has uncovered the answer. The surrounding trees have decided to help and keep it alive. They give it food. Who are these kind trees? First, is the inner circle. The direct descendants of the stump. They grew from its fruits. Further out are its grandchildren
and great-grandchildren. There are even trees
that aren't from the same family, nor even the same species. They all form
a support network to feed it. Why have they protected it from death? A useless old stump. Perhaps they care about it. Affection from one tree to another. The story of this immortal tree stump
opens our eyes to an unexpected world. Why do trees help each other? One tree on its own cannot protect itself
against the cold and the wind. It can't conserve the water it needs
nor fight off attacks by parasites, but a forest can. The trees depend on one another. Together they can live for hundreds,
even thousands of years. They bring benefits to a considerable number
of living creatures. They act as homes, food stalls, shelters, and restaurants. This generosity is the fruit of one of nature's
most extraordinary forces. The solidarity between trees. With these model parents
and incredible children, we might start believing in an ideal world where everyone treats
each other with kindness. That is not the case. Some parents do nothing for their young
but manage completely fine. Let's take a look
at the absolute worst of them. His name is Blue. Behind the facade
of a pretty inoffensive butterfly lies the greatest
con artist on the mountain. To start off with, he has good intentions. Seduction starts with coupling up. Once she has been fertilized, the mother seeks out
the purple flower of the Burnet. She deposits her egg
and abandons her little one, who becomes a caterpillar. Who will feed and protect it? Now, begins the great con trick
of the baby Blue. Operation Scent Disguise. He takes the scent of an ant larva. This is it. Intrigued by the scent,
a worker ant investigates. What is this young ant larva doing here? Back to the anthill, quick! The trick has worked. The shortsighted ant
brings the baby back to the nursery. Now the ants feed the trickster by mouth, day after day, month after month,
throughout the whole winter. The baby turns white and grows big. The ants don't even notice
the gigantic size of this larva. In spring, the metamorphosis occurs and on the crucial day
the baby leaves his cocoon. The scent disguise immediately vanishes. He only has seconds before the ants turn
and cut him into pieces, so he gets out quickly. He unfurls his wings and that's it. The imposter
can finally become a butterfly. There are those that take advantage
of the work of others, like Blue. There are those who sacrifice everything
for the collective, like the ants. There are those who fly solo
and take whatever falls at their feet, like bears. Even if it itches. What is the best strategy
for surviving in these mountains? To act alone or in a group? Bears are solitary,
but they still help others, like their beloved raspberries,
for example. After digesting them, they disperse their seeds
throughout the mountains in their droppings. They help the raspberries
without realizing it. There are also creatures
with mutual relationships that depend on one another. The next story is barely believable. It is a story of an alliance
between a tree and a bird. The tree is the Swiss pine. It grows right on the limit
of where is possible, beyond 2,000 meters. The hardiest of trees. It can live for hundreds of years but it has a huge problem. Its cones do not open on their own. Their fruits are imprisoned within. This means a Swiss pine
cannot reproduce on its own. This is where the bird comes in. A rather peculiar bird at that. The nutcracker. The nutcracker has
one great passion in life, hoarding. Small ones, medium ones,
rough ones, chubby ones. He knows exactly how many there are
and checks they're all in their place. That one is a medium. Where do they go? There. A little one, it can stay there. A big one, there. That one, on the side. Mid-September is the beginning
of pine nut season. By instinct, the nutcracker heads
to the largest food store in the area. The Bernoises,
one of the highest forests in Europe, home to a community
of centuries-old Swiss pines. At this time of the year,
they produce vast quantities of fruit. This is what the nutcracker is here for. First, to detach the cones. Put them on the block. Then to get to work. His powerful beak is the perfect tool. With surgical precision,
he can extract 200 pine nuts an hour. He stores them behind his tongue. In his crop, he can carry 30 at a time
and store them in a safe place. There is a method for hiding them well. First, dig a hole. Then, bury them deep. No, not that one. One, two, three. What he doesn't realize is that this wood is also a magnet
for all the thieves in the region. They are waiting for the right moment. The nutcracker covers the hole
with a bit of moss and that's it. The nutcracker works relentlessly
from morning to night. He picks, transports, and stashes
100,000 pine nuts in three weeks. As soon as his back is turned,
thieves ransack all his stashes. They rob him
of three-quarters of his fortune. Faced with the theft of his pine nuts,
the nutcracker has a solution. He covers many kilometers
to hide his riches. He even hides them
in the most remote places. The good news is that he forgets
a large number of his hiding places. That's how Swiss pines produce offspring and how they move around. A tree that teams up with a bird
to reproduce. We now know that helping one another
is a powerful force in the natural world. The other force is competition. Until now, it was believed that survival
of the fittest ruled the world but we are beginning to change our minds. Competition is everywhere, but at its most visible
during the mating season. A stag gathers his does. A rival appears
from the neighboring valley. Will the victor take the does? Officially, yes. However, while the two challengers
are busy fighting, a young pacifist begins his courtship. He manages to woo a doe without fighting. With all due respect to the two fighters, the rule that might makes right
isn't always observed. In reality, in more extreme environments, competition is less decisive because it has one great drawback, it uses up a lot of energy. In the mountains, energy is a commodity
one must manage with care. As soon as
the stag's fighting is finished, the ibex rams begin their duels. The issue is the same. The marmots are preparing for sleep. The hares are changing color. One day the great white blanket is back. Winter descends on the world. Those who are not prepared
will not survive. Wolves are among the best-adapted for the grueling life
that is about to begin. Their power comes
from their strong family structure. What happens if it disappears? It's time to return to the story
of the she-wolf and her alpha male. We must go back a year
to the tragic end of She-wolf's winter. That accident marked
the start of an adventure that changed her life in the Alps. She-wolf's companion
has succumbed to his wounds and She-wolf hasn't summoned
the strength to leave his body. Her place in the pack
has already been taken. The absence of the other female has caused
one of her daughters to go into heat. She is ready to have cubs. She is the new alpha female. What will she do? If she returns to her pack,
she will have to confront her daughter. She must leave. Why does she make this choice? It's because she isn't really alone. In a few weeks, she will bring
another litter of cubs into the world. In a wolf pack, only the alpha female
is allowed to reproduce. If she stayed,
her cubs risked being killed at birth. She-wolf was born in these mountains but her instinct is telling her to leave. As far away as possible. To find a new land for her future family. Where to? What lies beyond these mountains? She's yet to find out. She-wolf heads north. To avoid any encounter with other wolves,
she takes a route along the mountain tops. She-wolf is not the first. Many wolves leave their packs
each year in search of a new life. They travel vast distances. Hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. Scientists can follow their movements
with tracking collars. She-wolf leaves the Dolomites in March
and enters Austria. In a few days,
she crosses several mountain ranges. Then, she turns west toward the Tyrol. She only has three weeks to go. Then, she will give birth. A lone wolf is never really alone. She has many eyes on her. Like the lammergeier. What is this huge bird after? The lammergeier is returning to the Alps
after a century of absence. Like wolves,
they had been wiped out by humans. People saw them
as evil dragons and child killers. Was it the eyes circled in red? The strange beard? With a wingspan of three meters, the largest vulture in Europe
is also the best glider. This male is six years old. He was born in the Mercantour Massif
but left when he was very young. Every year he covers thousands
of kilometers high above the Alps. What is he looking for? For now, he is following She-wolf. Is he waiting for her to die from hunger? When it comes to diet, as you will see, the lammergeier
has quite particular tastes. Now, we know why the lammergeier
is following She-wolf. Her nose. His efforts are finally rewarded. The lammergeier
is not like other vultures. Its diet does not contain flesh or skin. He has his own special recipe. First, he breaks the carcass
into smaller pieces. Then, he takes the chosen morsel
50 meters up in the air, drops it delicately on a protruding rock,
and that's it. Dinner is served. Broken bones. That's all the bearded vulture eats. His stomach contains
the most powerful digestive acid in the living world. He only eats fresh bones,
not old dry ones. She-wolf keeps moving
50 to 60 kilometers a day. From the Zillertal in the Tyrol,
she crosses Austria from east to west. Then, she enters Switzerland
through the Canton Crescent and passes through Saint-Gotthard
and Monte Rosa. She skirts the imposing Matterhorn. In only a few weeks,
she covers more than 1,000 kilometers. She is now in France,
in the Mont-Blanc Massif. She's exhausted
and weakened from the journey. She must find somewhere to rest. She will soon give birth. Wolves give birth in the family's den. Dug by the ancestors
deep under the ground. It lies at the heart of their territory. It is passed down
from generation to generation. She-wolf does not have a territory. She has to find a nice dry spot
with access to fresh water nearby. Halfway up a hill
to see any incoming danger. A hole under an old tree stump. Perfect. She gave birth during the night. A litter of eight cubs. Two of the little ones died at birth. She ate them
so as not to attract other predators. Many other animals
would eat her cubs if they could. Foxes, crows, martens, wild boar. A lynx, the hardest predator
to detect in the mountains. She can smell it, but can't see it. Lynx can lay in wait for hours. It is waiting for her
to leave in search of food. She knows it, but she's hungry. For three weeks she has eaten nothing
but grass and earthworms. If she was still with a pack, she could leave her cubs
with the other females. When the alpha mother gives birth,
her daughters all start producing milk. The lynx is giving up for today, but it could be back at any time and kill her young
with one flash of its claws. She-wolf is trapped and there is
an intrepid explorer in her litter. A nightmare for a lone she-wolf. What about the lynx? Three hungry little ones
are waiting for her too. She's a mother and works
like all other parents in spring. Protecting and feeding her young. In the 20th century, lynx totally disappeared from the Alps. Then, several survivors
were reintroduced in Switzerland. Thankfully, the plan worked. Today, lynx can be found
across the alpine region. The cubs are now two months old. It's time to discover the world
and learn by watching the adults. She-wolf must be careful
not to lose one along the way. Little adventurer is the most dangerous. Led by his curiosity,
he can wander off without warning. Their predatory instincts
are still completely dormant. They will not learn
to hunt before they are a year old. At two months, the cubs are ready
to be weaned off their mother's milk. Their mother gradually reduces the amount and begins to feed them instead
with regurgitated meat. Prey hunted by the pack. None of that is possible for She-wolf. A wolf's education
is a mixture of leniency and limitations. Nothing is out of bounds for a young wolf. He has to have his own experiences and learn to handle
the consequences of his actions. Like learning how to recognize
friends and enemies. She-wolf has found a new den, but there still isn't anything to eat
except for a few insects. This is the most difficult time. She is running out of milk. The more they need,
the less she can provide. They lick her mouth
to make her regurgitate food but her stomach is empty. She's got to find a solution. There's one possibility. Sheep. They are easy to catch. However, if she wants to eat a sheep, she will have to overcome
an old adversary. Humans. The first people to live in the Alps
settled here during the Bronze Age, four thousand years ago. They were shepherds. This was the beginning
of the long battle with the wolves. Today, in order to protect their animals, some people
have decided to kill the wolves. However, there is a man
fighting in a different way. He is a considerable challenger for any wolf
that wants to feed on livestock. This man has chosen
to combat them in his own way. Matthias Korneli. This year, Matthias has agreed to take a flock in the most dangerous
summer pastures in the Alps. To face the wolf packs of Vago. Last year, 35 sheep were killed here. Local farmers
have entrusted him with 650 sheep. They have spent the winter
sheltered in pens, and now they need to eat soft,
tender grass to fatten up and give birth. Matthias' mission
is to take them up to the pasture and protect them
from all dangers for two months. His challenge, to return at the end of the summer
with all the sheep. Something no shepherd
has managed here for years. The wolves are back. She-wolf is waiting for her chance. A single sheep
could feed her cubs for days. The high plateaus of Vago between the
mountain ranges of Albris and Deboli. Lago delle querce is just
behind the pastures assigned to Matthias. To accompany him on his mission, he has a crack team
that he has selected and trained himself. He has two types of dogs. Herding dogs, light and fast, and those that guard the flock,
heavy and powerful. Raga is a female Beauceron. She loves her job
and is by far the most active. She spends her time looking out for sheep
that stray from the flock and guiding them back. She does it all to please Matthias. Leo is a little Pyrenean shepherd,
light and quick, with the heart of a lion. They can count on his vigilance
at all times. He doesn't miss a thing. The elderly Kay is retired. She doesn't work anymore, but everyone still pretends
she's essential to the team. Soon, she won't be able to make
the journey up into the mountains. Matthias is leading his flock
onto the most dangerous ground, where the highest number of attacks
have taken place. This is the Valley of peril. This has a purpose. They must be clear right from the start. Matthias and his dogs are here and they're not afraid. She-wolf has heard the message but she has sensed a greater danger. A wolf pack is close by. They are many and ready to attack. The guard dogs take their positions. Thor takes the higher ground. He watches everything, smells everything, hears everything. Rea goes into the middle of the flock. She is attached to the sheep and mothers them
as if they were her own pups. Mora takes care of the outer areas. Sometimes she ventures far from the flock to leave her scent, mark her territory, and challenge any wolf
that tries to get close. What about Marsden, the young Molossus? He patrols their territory
around the perimeter of the flock. The Wolves work as a team. They observe and surround their prey. The scent of the sheep
whets their appetites. The wolves aren't looking for a fight. They prefer to find food
without running into trouble. If the dogs hold their ground,
the wolves will look elsewhere. The first meeting
will stay in the wolves' memories. They will remember the scents
of Thor, Mora, and Marsden. Next time, they'll pass them by. Matthias and his dogs
guard the flock and protect each other. They act instinctively like a pack thanks to the genes
of their common ancestor. The wolf. This is Matthias' pack. Since he's been doing this job,
he has looked after more than 15,000 sheep and has only lost three of them to wolves. Matthias is never for
or against the wolves. To him, all life is sacred,
even that of the wolf. The wolves are back. He'll handle it. She-wolf hasn't come back. She is still looking for food. At ten weeks old,
Adventure is the most active in the pack. He is drawn to anything that moves. Now, he's on the trail
of a delicious meal. An ibex bone, all for himself. Personalities are forged during play. There are leaders and there are followers. Those that give up easily, and some that never let go. She-wolf continues her journey
in search of more hospitable lands. She crosses the Vago, the Chartreuse Massif,
and reaches La dent de l'Ours. She is looking for a peaceful place
where she can settle down. Today she picked up a urine scent. This is a sign that marks a boundary
that shouldn't be crossed. She-wolf has just entered
the territory of another pack. They are close. Wolves will kill if they spot an intruder, but there is another danger. They are coming up from the valley. There are many of them too. Humans and wolves do not get along. She-wolf knows. It's in her genes. She senses that she must flee. She has reached the end of the road. Behind her,
a mountain riddled with dangers. In front of her, an unknown world. We now know that many wolves
travel across our cities and villages. They move at night. Without making a sound. Since they have returned, the trails of many different wolves
have been studied. They cross anything in their way,
rivers, motorways, and even high-speed railway lines. They take astonishing risks. Nothing can stop them. She-wolf has managed to cross
the Ubaye Valley. She's found a new
and more peaceful territory. No scents of humans. No dogs. It's a land of plenty, with abundant food. She-wolf
has just found a wildlife reserve, the Mercantour National Park, a manmade sanctuary
that protects all species. It is a new territory but there is another presence, the lammergeier. He has returned
to the precise spot where he was born and he has started a family. She-wolf has succeeded
in keeping her six cubs alive and well but winter is coming. She's going to need some help. It's time for her to call out
to other wolves. A wolf's call is so powerful. It can be heard for dozens of kilometers. Tonight, no one hears her. Far away in another valley, a young wolf has heard her calls. They meet in the early hours. She-wolf has traveled 1,300 kilometers. She left the Dolomites in the winter, and crossed almost the entire range
of the Alps all on her own. She gave birth in the Mont Blanc Massif, then turned south,
crossed the Vago, the Ecrins, and settled in the Alps of Haute Provence. Several weeks later,
a camera trap took these images. She-wolf has started a new pack
and now has her own territory. She-wolf's journey
tells an even greater story. Wolves almost disappeared
from Europe in the 20th century. Only a few isolated families
survived in the Italian Alps. Then, in the 1990s,
a few lone wolves, just like She-wolf, began to reconquer the territories
their ancestors had lost. By traveling,
by forming new packs far from home, they gradually repopulated the mountains. Today, they number almost 2,000. Wolves are the symbol
of the regeneration of the Alps. What can we learn from all these stories? What have
all these mountain dwellers taught us? Before answering that,
we must ask the wise elders, those who were there
before the animals and the humans who have lived in the mountains
for millions of years, the plants. How do they survive for months,
covered by snow, in darkness and freezing cold? During their short time in the light, how do they share out
the scarce resources available? Two thousand species
of high-altitude plants live here under the watchful eye of Pascal,
their gardener. They have developed a number of strategies to endure the extreme conditions
of the high mountains. Between one and two thousand meters high,
many of them are engaged in combat. To assert its dominance, the Jacob's Ladder colonizes entire areas
and suffocates its rivals. The yellow rattle latches
on the root of a neighboring plant and draws out its sap to feed itself. The most dreaded of them all,
shaggy hogweed, poisons its neighbors. Here, quite clearly,
the strong eliminate the weak. We assume that's how nature works but that's not entirely true. Up above the clouds,
the rules are different. Up there, where nothing else can grow. When the poverty of the soil is compounded
by extreme climate conditions, the rules change and life reveals
one of its most wondrous secrets. Moss campion is a plant
shaped like a cushion. Inside, the temperature
is ten degrees warmer than outside, a microclimate that allows
several species to take refuge there. Like this blue gentian
that would perish without its help. Each little flower
presses against its neighbor not to kill it,
but to conserve and share water and heat. The strangest of them all
also lives at the highest altitude. The mysterious rock jasmine
and its pleasant honey scent. This one is perhaps a hundred years old. It may appear to be a single plant, but in fact it shelters a multitude
of tiny, invisible creatures. Bacteria, mites,
and insects live as a community with the rock Jasmine. It is itself an entire ecosystem
capable of living completely autonomously. These plants demonstrate
one of the fundamental mechanisms of the natural world. When there is nothing left,
it isn't the strongest that succeed, but those that held one another. The tougher the conditions, the more vital it becomes
to work together. That's the lesson
from the inhabitants of the Alps. Here, they all know it. The female ibex that help each other
look after their kids. The mischievous birds
that gather together to find food. The deer that keep warm
by huddling together. The lammergeier that rely
on wolves to find their bones. The trees that give to their elders. The wolves that sacrifice everything
to protect their power. The Swiss pines that rely
on the nutcracker to sow their seeds. The wolves that overcome
remarkable challenges to share their life with other wolves. The men who rely on their dogs
to watch over their flocks. All of them know
that they are not the strongest. That the mountain
is much more powerful than them. That's why they help each other.
