Original subtitles

(wind whistling)

Downloaded from YTS.MX

(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)