All language subtitles for MV5BOGYyODhiY

(wind whistling)

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(solemn music)

- [Narrator] The peaks
of the Tatra Mountains

Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

reach high into the clouds.

They form part of the
Carpathian mountain range,

which stretches across much
of Central and Eastern Europe.

The snowy pinnacles tower above Slovakia,

dominating the small country.

It's a little known and pristine landscape

in the very heart of Europe.

(solemn music)

(wind whistling)

The Tatra Mountains
form a dramatic backdrop

along the northern edge of Slovakia.

(birds chirping)

Once, vast herds of bison and wild oxen

would have grazed on these hillsides,

creating the lush and open grasslands.

Today, domestic animals
have taken their place.

(ominous music)

Sheep have lost many of
their natural instincts,

and make easy prey.

(sheep bells chiming)

(dog barking)
(sheep bleating)

The Slovakian farmer
depends on his sheep dogs

to protect his flocks.

(dog barking)

(ominous music)
(birds chirping)

Around 800 brown bears
live in these mountains.

They are very shy, and rarely
come into contact with people.

(sheep bleating)

But with sheep and bears
often living side by side,

attacks on grazing
flocks are not uncommon.

Hunters are legally allowed

to take 70 to 80 bears each year,

and some are calling for
this number to be increased.

There are casualties on both sides.

(dramatic music)

A golden eagle circles
above, looking for a meal.

It's not after the sheep.

The short, open grass provides
an ideal hunting terrain

for the large raptor.

Sharp, rugged cliffs rise dramatically

from the forested slopes
in the Western Carpathians.

This spectacular landscape

also provides a perfect breeding
habitat for golden eagles.

(wind whistling)

(birds chirping)

A ledge on the steep rock face

ensures that the young chick
is safe from predators.

(birds chirping)

As usual, there's mouse on the menu.

(birds chirping)

The Carpathian Mountains
are rich in wildlife,

but some animals only make
an appearance at dusk.

(birds chirping)

The badger.

(birds chirping)

And the lynx.

(birds chirping)

Around 1500 of the shy cats

are thought to live in these mountains.

(birds chirping)

Emerging from its burrow,

the badger's first priority is
answering the call of nature.

(birds chirping)

It digs special latrines
for the daily toilet.

(birds chirping)

The forest is alive with the sounds

of its countless inhabitants.

(badgers churring)

The quiet churring is from two badgers

engrossed in the most intimate of acts,

(birds chirping)

Should their union prove fruitful,

she will give birth to young a year later.

The fertilized eggs will
remain dormant within her

until the following spring.

(birds chirping)

(solemn music)

Slovakia lies within the heart of Europe,

bordered by five countries,

Poland, Ukraine, Hungary,

Austria, and the Czech Republic.

The Carpathian Mountains stretch in an arc

from east to west,

and many of its peaks are
adorned with the ruins

of medieval castles.

Spissky Castle dates
back to the 12th century.

It's a World Heritage Site today,

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

and home to the European ground squirrel.

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

(cymbal rolls)

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

The endangered squirrel is only found

in the short, open grasslands
of Central and Eastern Europe.

The castle grounds provide it

with a plentiful supply of
fresh shoots and flowers.

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

The great rose chafer
beetle is another rarity

that's found refuge in
the flowering meadow.

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

The summer months are a
time of plenty for all,

with an abundance of
leaves, seeds, and flowers.

The squirrels waste little time.

They need to double their weight now

to survive the long winter.

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

Ground squirrels live in colonies,

but each individual has
its own underground burrow.

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

And there's also no
shortage of fresh bedding

at this time of year.

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

(dramatic music)

At the first sign of danger,

the squirrels head for the
safety of their burrows.

It pays not to stray too
far from the entrance.

Squirrels are regularly on
the menu for birds of prey.

Spissky's massive castle walls

enclose an area of 50,000 square meters,

making it one of the largest
medieval castles in Europe.

The dolomite rock on
which this fortress sits

has an ancient history.

The earliest settlements
date back 40,000 years

to Neanderthal man.

(dramatic music)

And the first hill fort was
built here by Celtic tribes

in the fifth century BC.

Today, the ruins of the
900-year-old medieval castle

perch high upon the dolomite hill,

providing a refuge for
numerous plants and animals.

(chiming music)

The Morava River marks the boundary

with neighboring Austria.

Its vast floodplain

has created one of the largest
flooded meadows in Europe,

a rare and valuable habitat.

Within the wet grasslands,

imperial eagles are nesting
high up in the canopies

of the few remaining trees.

Here, they have an unobstructed
view of their surroundings.

The flooded grasslands have
remained largely undisturbed,

and allow a number of rare and
endangered plants to survive.

(somber music)
(birds chirping)

The solitary clematis,
unlike its climbing cousins,

has its feet firmly planted on the ground.

It thrives in the wet
and nutrient-poor soil,

opening its purple, bell-shaped
flowers to face the sun.

(somber music)

With little interference from man,

nature has created a
spectacular display of color.

(birds chirping)

The rich meadows also
attract in numerous birds.

Egrets and storks are
after the frogs and insects

hiding within the long grass.

(birds chirping)

High above, a pair of imperial
eagles are keeping watch.

They have chicks in a nest nearby.

(birds chirping)

The imperial eagle is so rare in Europe

that it is threatened with extinction,

but in the Carpathian Basin,

the population is on the increase.

(wind whistling)

With Austria to the right
and Slovakia to the left,

the Morava River winds its
way past Devinska Kobyla,

the most westerly peak in
the Carpathian Mountains.

The dry, sandy slopes
provide ideal nesting sites

for European bee-eaters.

(birds chirping)

Devinska Kobyla is one of the
warmest places in Slovakia,

and the bee-eaters are
getting ready to breed.

(birds chirping)

Each pair first has to
excavate a breeding burrow

in the cliff face.

(birds chirping)

And there's plenty of
competition for the best spots.

(birds chirping)

The baked sand is loosened
with sharp jabs of the beak,

but it can take two to three weeks

before the meter-long tunnel is complete.

(birds chirping)

Human excavations have
revealed hidden treasures

on the sandy slopes,

over 300 fossil animals deposited
some 15 million years ago.

(birds chirping)

(frantic music)

And many more still live here today.

The doodlebug, or antlion,
digs a pit in the loose sand

by shoveling in concentric circles.

(frantic music)

The finished pits are ingenious sand traps

for catching insect prey.

(birds chirping)

A sea of yellow flowers
covers the dry, sunny slopes.

(birds chirping)

The yellow pheasant's eye is
a rare and endangered plant,

but here in Devinska Kobyla,
it grows in abundance.

(birds chirping)

Originally from the steppes of Eurasia,

the pheasant's eye
likes it warm and sunny.

(birds chirping)

The bright yellow flowers,
angled towards the sun,

attract numerous insect pollinators.

(birds chirping)

Dry grass slopes rise
above a vast floodplain.

Two very different habitats side by side,

yet both rich in wildlife
in their own way.

(birds chirping)

Numerous wildflowers
thrive on the sandy hills.

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

The flowers of the white swallow-wort

produce a sweet nectar
that appeals to ants.

(birds chirping)
(insects chattering)

(tense music)

But to reach the sugary prize,

the ants have to navigate
across a minefield.

(birds chirping)
(insects chattering)

The antlion's carefully
constructed pit has a deadly slope

that makes it near impossible
for its victim to escape.

(tense music)
(insects chattering)

A shower of sand further
hampers a getaway.

(insects chattering)

The ant desperately tries to cling

to the collapsing sides of the pit.

(insects chattering)

Powerful jaws grab their quarry,

(tense music)
(insects chattering)

and beat the victim to death.

(insects chattering)

The prey is dragged underground,

and the trap set for the next victim.

(insects chattering)

Hundreds of antlions
live on the sandy slopes

of Devinska Kobyla,

an invisible army of
underground predators.

(insects chattering)

But the ferocious killers

are only the juveniles of the species.

After two years underground,

the larva transforms into a flying insect,

resembling a dragonfly.

(birds chirping)
(insects chattering)

The newly hatched adult
quickly climbs up a grass stem

and pumps up its wings before they harden.

(insects chattering)

(birds chirping)

It will wait until dusk

before flying off in search of a mate.

(birds chirping)
(insects chattering)

The bee-eaters are now well
into their breeding season.

Deep within the burrows, the
young chicks have hatched.

(birds chirping)
(insects chattering)

The parents have a busy month ahead,

providing a constant supply of insects

for the growing youngsters.

(birds chirping)
(insects chattering)

(eerie music)

The adult antlion also
has its work cut out.

In the next three to four weeks,

it has to find a mate and
deposit its eggs in the sand

before it dies.

(insects chattering)

(birds chirping)

(thunder rumbling)

(birds chirping)

A storm is brewing over the floodplain.

(thunder rumbling)
(birds chirping)

(mysterious music)

An army of mosquitoes
rises from the meadows,

instinctively staying close to the ground

to avoid the worst of the weather.

(tense music)

(moves into tranquil music)

Swallows take advantage of
the rich supply of food,

flying low to pick the tiny insects

from between the grasses.

(tranquil music)

(thunder rumbling)

(wind rushing)

The Morava River is fed by
waters from Austria, Slovakia,

and the Czech Republic,
where it has its source.

Long periods of rain or the
sudden influx of meltwater

can cause the river
levels to rise rapidly,

sometimes overnight.

(birds chirping)

The regular flooding of the land

is what many of the rare
species living here depend on.

Just beyond the capital of Bratislava,

the Morava River flows
around a rocky outcrop

and joins the River Danube.

Strategically positioned on
the cliffs is Devin Castle,

another of Slovakia's ancient forts.

From here, the Danube
flows slowly and sluggishly

through a vast and fertile floodplain.

Once this was part of the
great Eurasian steppes

that stretched all the way
across Europe and Asia.

Today, most of it has been
turned into agricultural land.

But some of the grassland
residents still manage to survive

in the changed landscape.

(birds chirping)

The great bustard, the heaviest
flying bird in the world.

(birds chirping)

The bustard once depended

on shoots and seeds of the steppes.

Now it feeds on grasses cultivated by man,

corn, and cereals.

(birds chirping)

It seems to have adapted well
to an agricultural landscape.

(birds chirping)

Even so, the shy birds are
sensitive to disturbance,

and have declined in numbers
during the last century.

(birds chirping)

As farming has intensified,

the population in Slovakia has
fallen from over 2,000 birds

to just a handful.

(birds chirping)

The brown hare was similarly once found

in the steppe grasslands.

(birds chirping)

The adaptable animals clearly
also thrive on cultivated land

and continue to live in
their thousands here.

(birds chirping)

While hares breed prolifically
in this manmade habitat,

the bustard is less resilient.

It avoids areas with much human activity,

and its nests are frequently destroyed

by agricultural machinery.

(tractor rumbles)

Within the vast tracts of farmland,

there are still remnants
of natural vegetation

that provide an oasis for wildlife.

(somber music)

Small reed beds crisscrossed
by water channels

and fringed by willows.

The stagnant water is home
to some unusual creatures.

The curiously named weatherfish,

a gigantic water beetle,

and a rare crested newt found
only in the Danube basin.

(somber music)

But the most remarkable of all
is a small, unassuming fish,

the European mudminnow.

It lives in still, shallow water,

where few other fish can survive.

The female deposits a
handful of sticky eggs

on water plants near the bottom,

and fans them to ensure they
have a steady supply of oxygen.

(somber music)

She guards her eggs aggressively,

allowing nothing within reach.

(water burbling)

(birds chirping)
(toads calling)

Haunting calls echo over the still water.

(toads calling)

Fire-bellied toads.

Their loud, melodic calls
are aimed at the females,

evidently with little success.

They've been calling all day.

(toads calling)
(birds chirping)

The bright orange belly is
a warning sign to predators.

This mouthful is poisonous.

The mudminnow's eggs have hatched,

and the tiny fry are
already hunting water fleas.

(water burbling)

The minnow is a specialist,

adapted to life in stagnant, murky water.

But the loss of its natural habitats,

like these shallow ditches,
threaten its survival.

(toads calling)
(birds chirping)

The Eastern Slovak Lowland

is part of the Great Hungarian Plain,

a mosaic of grasslands,
marshes, and swamp forests.

This is a place where
time has stood still,

and many villages are still embedded

within vast swathes of meadow.

It's the ideal habitat for an iconic bird.

(bells chiming)
(birds chirping)

(somber music)

Zemplinske Hradiste is also
known as the Stork Village.

It's home to the largest colony
of white storks in Slovakia,

with over 20 breeding pairs.

The birds happily build
their bundle of twigs

on man-made structures,

and electricity pylons
seem to be a favorite.

(somber music)

Storks will reuse their old nests,

and some have been continuously inhabited

for hundreds of years.

(birds chirping)

Raising young on electricity pylons

is not without its hazards,

but in this village,
the masts are special.

They don't carry electricity.

(birds chirping)

The council has erected over 20 masts

specially fitted with circular platforms

to accommodate the nests.

This ensures that the
birds can breed safely,

and the village's power
supply is not at risk.

(birds chirping)

Storks are not the only large birds

breeding in the Slovak Lowlands.

A colony of spoonbills
have built their nests

within a marshy reed bed.

It's the only breeding site
for spoonbills in Slovakia,

and it's another man-made habitat.

In the 1970s, a series of fishponds

was built in the Senne depression.

They attract thousands of waterbirds,

including the iconic spoonbills.

(insects buzzing)

(birds chirping)

The spoonbills search for
small fish or crustaceans,

probing in the turbid water

with their highly specialized bills.

(birds chirping)

(gentle music)

Today, the Senne wetlands
are used both by fish farmers

and wild birds.

They are surrounded by
marshes and meadows,

and form part of a large nature reserve.

Heading northwards, the
Carpathian Mountains

start to dominate the landscape once more.

Here, they are also known
as the Wooded Carpathians,

and retain remnants of ancient forests

interspersed with lush meadows.

(birds chirping)

Red-backed shrikes are hunting for insects

in the flowering meadows,

to feed their young fledglings.

(birds chirping)

There is a plentiful supply
of food at this time of year,

and the youngsters will not go hungry.

(birds chirping)

Meadows with lone standing
trees are much in demand.

The hoopoe needs both insect prey

and nest holes to raise its young.

(birds chirping)

The young chick is nearly
ready to leave the nest,

but will still need feeding for some time.

Both parents fly back and forth,

bringing in the juicy morsels.

(birds chirping)

This chick is so large,

it doesn't need the safety of a tree hole.

It's the young of a lesser spotted eagle,

which has built its nest
near the forest edge.

(birds chirping)

The specialized hunter seeks
out a high vantage point

and will sit for hours
watching its surroundings

with eagle eyes.

It feeds on small birds and mammals,

even frogs and reptiles,

and can spot its prey from
a few hundred meters away.

(birds chirping)

The eagle has few enemies,

but white storks are after the same prey,

and don't always want to share.

(dramatic music)
(birds chirping)

It's the stork that decides to give way.

(dramatic music)

The eagle has spotted
something in the grass below.

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

(dramatic chord)

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

She's caught a large vole.

It will make a sizable meal for her chick.

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

Shortly after taking to the air,

she transfers the prey to her talons,

to carry back to the nest.

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

With a little persuasion,
the meal goes down whole.

(birds chirping)

The rich grasslands of Eastern Slovakia

are also home to a shaggy giant.

(birds chirping)

European bison.

The large grazers were once
found all over lowland Europe,

but by the 20th century,

they'd been hunted to
extinction in the wild.

(birds chirping)

In 2004, a few animals were re-introduced

to Poloniny National Park in Slovakia.

Today, this herd numbers
around 20 animals,

with a further 300 living
in the Polish Carpathians.

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

The Eastern Carpathians are
one of the few areas in Europe

where bison roam freely once again.

(solemn music)

The far eastern corner of Slovakia

not only boasts rare animals,

it's also known for the vast areas

of ancient beech and pine,

remnants of the primeval forests

that once covered much of Europe.

(birds chirping)

Fallen trees are left
to decompose naturally,

providing food for many insects.

(birds chirping)

(insect buzzing)

The rare Rosalia longhorn beetle

lives almost exclusively
on dead beech trees.

(birds chirping)

After mating, the eggs are
deposited in bark crevices

so that the larvae can
develop in the decaying wood.

In managed woodlands,

these beetles have little
chance of survival.

(birds chirping)

With its striking colors
and long antennae,

the longhorn is one of the
most eye-catching of beetles.

(birds chirping)

Slovakia's ancient forests
also hold other rare treasures.

(birds chirping)

(playful music)

The dainty purple flowers of
a primula, the Alpine bells.

(birds chirping)
(insects buzzing)

This elegant little flower
grows only in the mountains

of Southern and Eastern Europe,

thriving on the dappled forest floor.

(playful music)

(birds chirping)

Further to the west,
near the Polish border,

the snowy peaks of the
Tatra Mountains reappear.

(solemn music)

Today they are protected
as a national park,

the oldest and largest in Slovakia.

The Tatra National Park
was established in 1949

as the first of its kind in the country.

Five years later,

the Polish side of the mountains
received a similar status.

(solemn music)

These are the highest
peaks in the Carpathians.

25 of them are over 2,500 meters high.

And yet the entire range is no
more than 27 kilometers long,

making it one of the smallest
mountain ranges in the world.

(somber music)

Tatra chamois live high
up on the mountain slopes.

(thunder rumbling)

They're found nowhere else in the world

and number just over 1,000 individuals.

(thunder rumbling)

A salt lick has attracted
the animals to this cave.

(thunder crashes)

It also offers them
protection from the storm.

(thunder crashes)

Mountain weather can change
dramatically within minutes.

The Tatras form a great barrier

along the northern edge of Slovakia,

causing rainclouds to pile up.

(thunder rumbling)

(thunder crashes)

They dump nearly 2,000 millimeters of rain

onto the forested slopes.

Any more, and they would literally

be turned into rainforests.

(boars squealing)

The plants and animals that
live here are used to the rain.

(rain splashing)

(thunder rumbling)

The wet forests at the foot of the Tatras

are also home to some rare
and unusual creatures.

Some are found only in
the Carpathian Mountains.

(melancholy music)

The Carpathian blue slug.

It searches for fungi to feed on

among the dead wood and leaf litter.

The Tatra National Park is a last refuge

for creatures that are found
nowhere else in the world.

Other species also flourish,

and occur in larger numbers
than most other parts of Europe.

(birds chirping)

The Carpathian red deer is
one of the largest in Europe.

It shares the forest with wild boar.

(birds chirping)

The stag can weigh up to 500 kilos,

and rivals the American
elk, or wapiti, in size.

(birds chirping)

(boars grunting)

The female is considerably smaller.

(birds chirping)

Brown bears were once
found all across Europe,

but today, the Carpathians
are one of the few places left

with a healthy population.

(boar grunting)
(birds chirping)

Over 8,000 brown bears live here today.

They are big and strong
enough to kill a wild boar,

but they prefer to feed on
plants or scavenge on carcasses.

(birds chirping)

(boars grunting)

The large mammals live quite peacefully

alongside each other.

(birds chirping)

(bear grunts)

(birds chirping)

A storm is building up
again over the Tatras.

40% of the rainfall each
year is in the summer months.

The weather changes by the hour,

sunshine and rain close
on each other's heels.

(wind rushing)

(birds chirping)

(somber music)

And at night, the
dazzling display of nature

at its most powerful.

(thunder rumbling)

The Tatra night sky is
particularly dark and spectacular,

with few settlements and
little light pollution.

The stars appear in their full glory.

(somber music)

(water lapping)

(wind rushing)

As summer gives way to
the colors of autumn,

change is in the air.

Temperatures drop, and
the Tatras are shrouded

in early morning mist.

(birds chirping)

(ominous drumming)

(stags grunting)

It's the rutting season for fallow deer.

(stags grunting)

A red fox seems unperturbed
by all the noise.

(stags grunting)

The stags are eager to
display their new antlers,

(tense music)

and test their strength on rival males.

It's all to impress the females.

(stags grunting)

The large antlers are shed
and regrown every year,

each time growing in
size as the stag matures.

(stag grunts)

By the 11th year, the
antlers are in their prime,

but it's not just the antlers
that are used to impress.

The stags also woo the
ladies with their calls.

(stag grunts)

(tense music)

For three to four weeks,

the rutting arena is filled with males

strutting their stuff.

(birds chirping)

By the end of the season,
the stags will be exhausted,

their mission accomplished.

(stag grunts)

The autumn days can still
bring plenty of clear skies

and golden sunshine.

They cast a magical glow
over a unique landscape.

(peaceful music)

As the trees finally shed
the last of their leaves,

the forest is ready for
the onset of winter.

(moves into lively music)

Slovakia's rich and varied wildlife

is the result of a unique
landscape with ancient forests,

lowland floodplains, and vast grasslands

stretching towards the
iconic Tatra Mountains.

(lively music)

(wind rushing)