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00:00It is Europe's largest wilderness, untamed rivers, mountain ranges with mystical rock
00:27formations and inaccessible forests, the home of the wolf, wolverine and brown bear,
00:38Russia's border with Asia, the Urals.
01:03At Europe's most easterly edge, far beyond Moscow, a range of mountains extend more than
01:102,000 kilometres from the Arctic tundra to the steppes of Kazakhstan.
01:22The Ural Mountains are the dividing line between two continents, Europe and Asia.
01:34The end of winter.
01:38Every year, the Urals are the scene of a very special animal migration, moose on their way
01:45to fresh pastures.
01:47The many rivers on the way are dangerous obstacles.
01:59Moose often migrate in groups.
02:05Most head south, but some move to the eastern, more sheltered side of the mountains.
02:11Now, in spring, they're returning.
02:19While one young moose takes on some sustenance, others plunge bravely into the cold stream.
02:27Moose are naturally good swimmers, but the strong current is treacherous and claims lives every year.
02:40Harsh winters and scarcity of food accounts for many more deaths, however.
02:46One of the main reasons why the majority of moose put themselves through the exhausting
02:51trek every year.
02:58The youngster has grazed enough and now hastily follows sibling and mother across the river.
03:04It must on no account lose sight of them.
03:10At last, the safety of the far bank.
03:19The moose cover up to 300 kilometers on their way.
03:26The plains and foothills of the northern Urals.
03:51This is where the tiger begins.
03:57Spruce and pine trees characterize the forest of the northern hemisphere.
04:04Soon, the spring will finally rid the tiger and swamps of frost.
04:20The first sign is the black grouse's courtship display.
04:31The handsome male artfully circles the plain female.
04:36Often, dozens of males perform in a kind of arena, but here, the cock has no rivals.
04:43But danger threatens from elsewhere.
04:46A wolverine is on the prowl and wolverines love poultry.
04:57The predator will have to go elsewhere for his lunch.
05:15Fishing is now irreversibly underway.
05:19Meltwater flows in all directions and fills the rivers to the brim.
05:25The first insects crawl out of the crevices.
05:30Seed bugs sunbathe and at once begin mating.
05:33They have no time to lose.
05:36The spring here is short and still she needs some gentle persuasion.
05:52The act of mating can take up to 24 hours and going one's separate ways afterwards
05:58presents problems.
06:21With the snow melt, the Ural rivers have been transformed into raging torrents.
06:33One last moose hurriedly leaves its winter quarters.
06:39One more river crossing and it's back in its own territory.
06:48Nevertheless, the late comer is in danger.
06:55Meltwater has made the crossing unpredictable.
07:02Time and again, moose drown after being carried away by the current.
07:09An opportunity for predators.
07:11A wolf senses its chance.
07:21This brown bear overpowered a weakened moose a few days ago and is now returning to its
07:27prey.
07:42Bears bury their catch to hide it from ravens, seagulls and other thieves.
07:55The wolf has been following the bear for some time now, hoping to get lucky.
08:04Slowly the owner unearths its booty.
08:23Eventually a portion is uncovered.
08:33A test of patience for the wolf, who then falls asleep.
08:45Cautiously, the male wolf approaches.
08:59Together they have a better chance of tricking the bear.
09:13But how will it react?
09:22Indignantly it chases the intruders away.
09:30No sharing today.
09:43The catchment area of the Urals is a vast wilderness twice the size of Germany.
09:52Here there is not only forest as far as the eye can see, but also huge moors and swamplands.
10:04Late April, spawning season for the moor frogs.
10:08The males are now dressed in blue and vie for the attention of the females.
10:18Stumbling into the frog's pond unawares can lead to all sorts of confusion and mistaken
10:24identity.
10:26In their frenzy the male frogs will jump on anything that moves, including toads.
10:44The stately brown bear drinks, but does not eat, for a good reason.
10:54Like the moor frogs, it has only one thing in mind, females looking to mate.
11:10If it wants to produce offspring, the bear needs to mate a few times with the female,
11:17whose evolution only begins after such stimulation.
11:21Then they get serious.
11:23The couple will stay together for about two weeks before parting again.
11:43Once the ovum is fertilized, something very special happens.
11:48The reproductive process stops until the start of the bear's hibernation.
11:55Then the development continues at a rapid pace.
11:59After only six to twelve weeks, the cubs are born inside the winter lair.
12:10The bear's mating period is anything but peaceful.
12:26On the western slopes of the Northern Urals stretches Europe's largest primeval forest.
12:33Its artery is the Pechora River, with its many tributaries.
12:41The source of the Pechora is a very mysterious place high up in the mountains, Manpupanyong,
12:50the little mountain of the gods.
12:54The rocky columns are the site of the legend of the seven strong men, the brothers of a
13:02beautiful girl coveted by a rich bad man.
13:06They fled with their sister into the mountains when the suitor turned violent.
13:12The brothers fought bitterly against the superior numbers of their pursuers.
13:17When the girl prayed for a miracle, she and her brothers were turned to stone, and their
13:22attackers fled in terror.
13:24The beautiful sister at the front, the eldest brother at the back, and the six younger ones
13:31on the left.
13:32Manpupanyong is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
13:33Manpupanyong is a natural wonder.
14:04With a very special atmosphere, especially at night.
14:11The time of the hunters.
14:16A Ural owl.
14:21Today the dish of the day is frog.
14:38The owl has two chicks.
14:51The parents are kept busy.
14:53The chicks can't stop eating.
14:59A grass frog is swallowed whole.
15:15The chicks are five weeks old.
15:18Time to leave the nest.
15:28They can't fly yet, but their wings are just as useful for climbing.
15:49From now on, the parents will feed the youngster outside the nest, if it finds a suitable perch.
15:58First steps in a new world.
16:21In the northern Urals, the headwaters of the Pechora River are home to an almost extinct
16:27species.
16:35The European mink.
16:41It's early June and the female is pregnant.
16:48High time to line the birth nest.
16:55Up at the Seven Brothers, a storm is brewing.
17:07Dramatic changes in weather are the order of the day here.
17:16The rain is not critical for the rock formations, as quartzite slate doesn't dissolve easily.
17:25All around them, the limestone has long been washed away.
17:41With its heavy, warm fur, the brown bear is equally unperturbed by the change in the weather.
17:48The
18:00rain stops again, as abruptly as it started.
18:06The tiger dwellers are used to it, even the young Ural owl.
18:26The mink's time has come.
18:31A precious addition to the small population is born and the umbilical cord immediately
18:38severed.
18:44The female is exhausted.
19:02There's more than one baby crawling around in her fur.
19:13A stranger close by the den.
19:18The situation has to be investigated at once.
19:26She's given birth to five young.
19:34Both chicks of the Ural owl have now left the nest.
19:48The vole is devoured hastily.
19:55Three meals per chick per day are the minimum.
19:59Plenty of work for the parents.
20:15A large bull moose has scented something.
20:22It's a female moose, unlikely to be interested in the male yet, as the mating season doesn't
20:29begin until the autumn.
20:41The female moose is not alone.
20:52The mother suckles the calf up to eight times a day, which requires about three litres of
20:58milk.
21:05That's enough for today.
21:14The bull tastes the air.
21:17The female has aroused his interest.
21:22She however gives him the cold shoulder, preferring to do her toilet.
21:31The calf is already trying bark and lichen, which will later be its main food.
21:43Summer in the Urals.
21:50A hand-shaped rock called Lyokis projects from the Illich River in a nature reserve
21:57that has since 1995 been part of the Virgin Kome Forest's UNESCO World Heritage Site.
22:11The mother mink is now permanently on the go, hunting to feed her young.
22:30They're now about five weeks old.
22:37Their eyes are open and they eagerly await their share of the prey.
22:56With one well-aimed bite, she paralyzes the roach and puts it to one side.
23:05Trained excessively for many years for their fur in Russia and Europe, today the European
23:11mink is mostly threatened by its farmed American cousin.
23:16Bred in large numbers, escapees are now displacing the native species.
23:34Not every dive by the mink is successful, and so the offspring have to make do with
23:39just the one fish for now.
23:58Further along the stream, a wolverine has made its larder beneath a root.
24:03The remains of a reindeer are awaiting storage.
24:07A Siberian jay takes advantage of the situation to take a look inside.
24:15Hard fare.
24:17For the wolverine, no problem.
24:19Its powerful jaws will crack almost anything.
24:23The animal can also digest bones.
24:36The mink has no time to rest.
24:39Her young don't care whether the food is solid or liquid.
24:42The main thing is it's edible.
24:53Then, while the mother is suckling, one of her babies makes itself scarce.
25:02Leaving the watchful eye of the mother is a risky business.
25:09Inside, the mink stimulates her baby's digestion by licking their stomachs, and only now notices
25:19that one is missing.
25:23It seems this is not the first time the nest contains only two young.
25:36Then the mystery is solved.
25:39The mother is in the middle of moving to another den.
25:45The youngster is supposed to follow, all just a safety precaution.
26:10Up on the little mountain of the gods, the rocks withstand the weather as they have done
26:25for thousands of years.
26:28The bizarre cracks rise 50 meters into the evening sky.
26:44Late summer in the southern Urals.
26:49The Bielaje, the White River, in the Schulgan Tash Nature Reserve, created in 1986.
26:59One of the animals for which the reserve was created is at first glance inconspicuous,
27:05a rare species of wild bee.
27:18Aktyam and Anis have known the reserve since its founding.
27:29The park management have put them in charge of the bees.
27:35Beekeeping has a long tradition in this area.
27:42The two men cultivate around 40 beehives of the rare Buzjan honeybee that occurs only
27:49in the Urals.
27:55Hollowed out tree trunks with landing areas are hung in pine or lime trees as breeding
28:02aids.
28:05A brown bear marks its territory by rubbing its fur against the tree and catching loose
28:12hairs in the bark.
28:30Other bears will now know that this animal was here.
28:38This is now its beehive, even though it's a tick too bulky to climb the trunk.
29:03The bee rangers usually come from families with a long beekeeping tradition.
29:09Aktyam learned it from his father.
29:18The beehives are fairly isolated and often kilometres apart.
29:23The two brothers are in the saddle for days at a time.
29:33A bear mother with her cubs is unable to resist the scent.
29:40A dangerous undertaking in the male's territory.
29:47For the cubs, climbing is child's play.
29:51High up in the trees, they're out of harm's way.
30:03But now danger threatens from above.
30:07Two hundred kilos of beehive falling on her would create a serious headache.
30:17As all baby animals, bear cubs are playful and curious.
30:28Riding on the beehive, however, is fairly daring.
30:49Much to someone else's joy.
30:52The male bear.
30:57But the bees are less happy about the situation.
31:03Which is why the bear approaches the angry colony with the utmost respect.
31:16But the scent of honey is just too tempting.
31:30The consequences are immediate and painful, especially for the bear's sensitive snout.
31:52Aktyam and Anis have almost reached their destination.
31:59What will they find?
32:13At the edge of the forest stands the remotest tree with a bee colony.
32:19The bears have not been here yet.
32:32Climbing is an essential skill for a Bashkirian beekeeper.
32:37The brothers will begin with the annual harvest here and then work their way from hive to
32:43hive back to the village.
32:45The cost of protecting the bees is covered by selling the honey.
32:53Smoke is supposed to reduce the bees' tendency to sting.
32:57What it doesn't do is calm them down.
33:02Any minute now, Aktyam will need his beekeeper's hat when all hell breaks loose.
33:12The reason why smoke is so effective.
33:16To the bees, it imitates a forest fire, with the result that their stings remain sheathed.
33:23The brothers hope for 10 to 15 kilos of honey per tree.
33:35In Moscow, the rare Buzyan honey can fetch top prices of up to 210 euros per kilo.
33:50The bees are very resilient against cold and highly productive.
33:55They make the most of the short two to three weeks of lime blossom.
34:03The brothers, Aktyam and Anis, leave enough honey for the bees to withstand the coming
34:08winter.
34:18A happy ending, at least for the bears.
34:28The family seems not as sensitive as the big male.
34:34There will be plenty of honey and, most importantly, the bee larvae.
34:49A great loss for Aktyam and Anis.
34:51But as rangers, they also have a duty to protect the bears.
34:59Shulgin Tash, a paradise not only for bees.
35:21The landscape in the southern Ural region is characterized by huge tracts of birch forest.
35:37Weeping birches and downy birches, in close company with aspens.
35:45Particularly in hollows and swamps, river terraces and less steep mountainsides, the
35:51birches grow close together.
36:03Further east, the Siberian steppes begin.
36:15The border between Europe and Asia is clearly visible.
36:21The south-easterly foothills of the Urals show both faces.
36:30To the west, there is still densely forested European taiga.
36:35To the east, Asian mountain steppes.
36:39All at once, the vegetation changes.
37:09Autumn in the southern Urals.
37:18Maple, lime and birch now shed their golden leaves.
37:31Daytime for moose.
37:40A four-year-old bull gets too close to an elder colleague, whose impressive gallop has
37:54the desired effect.
38:03Fights between moose are rare.
38:06Usually, a threatening gesture is enough.
38:18The Asian part of the southern Urals.
38:23The Ural River is home to a strange, almost mythological animal.
38:33The Russian Desmond.
38:43The semi-aquatic mole is sociable and lives on the riverbank in burrows with underwater
38:49entrances.
38:54The striking whiskers on the trunk-like snout are a clue to its functional blindness.
39:01Like its terrestrial relative, their eyes are very weak, but they are excellent divers.
39:09Today, Russian Desmonds only exist in the drainage areas of the Volga, Don and Ural
39:17rivers.
39:18With a population of between 1 and 200, they're almost extinct in the Urals.
39:25The majority of the remaining 25,000 live on the East European plain around the Volga.
39:35The Desmond lives on fish and amphibians, as well as raking up the riverbed in search
39:40of insects and crabs.
39:46Or snails.
39:48With its two oversized upper teeth, it chops open their shells.
40:02The Desmonds have been successful both in the water and on land.
40:09The great ram's horn snail melts in its mouth, as it were.
40:16The other Desmond can only hope there'll be something left over.
40:22This is the first footage ever captured of wild Russian Desmonds.
40:32Reinvigorated, they return to the burrow.
40:36At the end of a long passage, a cozy nest of moths awaits.
40:50The first snows of the year.
40:53Soon, the moose will have to look for fresh feeding grounds again.
41:13A sudden cold spell sends the temperature plummeting to under minus 30 degrees centigrade.
41:21This causes trees to burst, a rare acoustic experience.
41:32The moose get quarrelsome.
41:39A kick from one of their sharp hooves can be extremely painful.
42:07Two other rivals get hot under the collar.
42:18The disagreement does not go unnoticed.
42:32A sudden cold spell has taken the bear by surprise.
42:37Maybe it can catch a moose before finding its winter quarters.
42:44But it is pointless.
42:55With their long legs, the moose can reach solid ground much faster than the short-legged
43:01bear.
43:13More than a dozen moose have already assembled for the migration.
43:23This bear, however, will catch none of them, cumbersome as it is at this time of year.
43:41For the next seven months, snow and cold will have the country in their grip.
44:01Not until the rivers thaw in April and the taiga resumes its song will Europe's largest
44:08wilderness return to life, the Eurus.