All language subtitles for Wild Israel S01E01 - The Negev Desert (2016) WEB-DL 1080p.ENG

Wild israel takes you
to the most isolated place

In the country:
The negev desert.

Discover a world
few have ever seen [hissing],

Where only the toughest
can survive the brutal heat

And deadly cold.

Learn the survival secrets
of the hunters

And the hunted, as they struggle

Through a year in the negev.

In israel,
history is everywhere.

Religion and cultures have
intersected over the centuries.

But the country is less known
for its fascinating

Wildlife and terrain.

[birds chirping]

Explore an israel most
people never see.

[chirping]

From snowy peaks,
to the world's lowest sea.

From mediterranean beaches
to lush waterfalls.

And from colorful coral reefs

To green mountains and
ancient desert landscapes.

And one of the most
incredible places of all

Is a part of the country where
survival is a real challenge

Spanning an area about the size
of the state of connecticut,

The negev desert envelops
the southern half of israel.

While there are some towns,
villages and nomadic tribes,

The negev is not densely
populated by humans.

However, wildlife is everywhere.

Government laws protect these
animals from being hunted,

But they still have to protect
themselves from each other

And from the desert itself.

Defying a barren landscape,
freezing winters

And searing summers.

Constantly on the prowl
for food and water,

Their survival is little
short of a miracle.

What are their secrets?

How have they adapted
to the negev?

Welcome to one year in the life

Of this remote
and magical region.

Summer in the negev
brings extreme conditions.

Temperatures can rise to 113
degrees fahrenheit during the da

And drop to 50 fahrenheit
at night.

To learn more about
this secret battleground,

Rangers from the nature
and parks authority

Have installed cameras
throughout the region.

Their photos reveal
a startling world,

Rarely seen by outsiders,

Especially when so many
are active only at night.

[camera shutter clicks]

The arabian wolf is one of the
smallest wolves in the world.

Evolved to survive the negev.

Its thin wiry frame
requires fewer calories.

Its large ears help
release body heat.

[howling in distance] in the
summer, its fur grows short.

They are more active at night
when the negev cools down.

This minimizes their
loss of body fluids.

And because food is so scarce,

These wolves need to live in
small, more sustainable packs.

[howling]

This family has dug its burrow

On the jordanian
side of the border.

Every night the parents
leave their cubs

And roam in search of food,

Ignoring minefields
and barbed wire...

Crossing the border
into the negev.

[rustling]

With enough luck and skill,
wolves can take down

A desert hare, birds,
even a dorcas gazelle.

But a large proportion
of their food

Is comprises of the carcasses
of domestic animals,

Fruit and vegetables
from hothouses and fields.

And they have learnt
the art of disguise.

Wolves will cover themselves

In the pungent smell
of carcasses.

This trick hides
their predator smell.

[howling in distance]

After a successful night,

Wolves bury any excess foo
for the difficult days ahead.

[hooting]

While adults hunt,
the cubs stay close

To the den's entrance.

They spend the long
waiting hours at play,

Developing the skills they
will need as desert hunters.

Tonight they practice
hunting insects.

[crickets chirping]

Adult partners enjoy a warm
and close relationship.

[howling in distance,
crickets chirping]

They rub and caress
and maintain constant

Physical contact.

Their relationship lasts
for many years.

[howling in distance]

[howling]

Every night, the pack
declares its presence

With a symphony of calls

[howling]

[howling in distance, howling]

After an active night
the pack's territory

Is marked again with urine;
each member of the pack adds

His individual urine mark
to the boundary.

Before the sun rises the wolves
disappear into their dens...

Making the struggle
for survival a little easier

For other animals.

[rustling] this family of
porcupines lives in burrows

That are about 6 feet deep.

[rustling] they sleep
during the day,

But when darkness falls they
set out to dig for plant corms

And bulbs that provide
food and water.

At 37 pound, this is the
biggest rodent in all asia.

Porcupines rely on
their sharp spines

To fend off predators,

Surviving another
night in the negev.

The porcupines take shelter
in their burrows

To hide away for one more day.

At the peak of mount negev,
this is makhtesh ramon.

It's a vast crater

That measures 25 miles
long, 1600 feet deep.

In summer time, the temperature
an reach 113 degrees fahrenheit.

In winter, it can plummet
to 28 degrees fahrenheit.

The makhtesh is a valley
surrounded by cliffs;

Weathering and erosion have
exposed the ancient

Rock layers, revealing
colorful sandstone cliffs,

Volcanic hills
and wide channels.

Yet even here,
these cliffs and channels

Teem with wildlife.

[birds chirping]

Three different
species of hedgehog

Inhabit the negev desert.

They spend the cool nights

And early morning
hours hunting insects,

Scorpions and even snakes.

And each has made it to israel
from a different continent.

Originating in asia,
the long-eared hedgehog

Is like a living radar station,

Able to pick up
minute vibrations

Made by tiny creatures
crawling through the sand.

Sometimes the struggle
for survival does not involve

A predator or the terrain.

Here two long-eared hedgehogs

Fight for ownership
of the burrow.

Each extra minute
in the scorching sun

May cost them dearly,

And the only important thing now

Is to escape to the cool burrow.

The desert hedgehog
originating from africa

Is well-adapted
to the deadly negev:

Its long legs create distance
from the hot soil,

And enable it to run
long distances

With surprising speed.

In the summer
it is active at night

And avoids the daytime heat.

During the cold winter it
hibernates underground,

And emerges in the spring.

The common hedgehog
that originates in europe

Also lives in the negev.

The female hedgehog nurses
and rears her cubs

In a weedy burrow.

They're born about
the same size as a walnut,

Blind and already spiny.

Fortunately for their mother,

The spines are still
soft at birth

Within a few days
their eyes open

And their spines harden.

Within 6 weeks, they will have
to venture out by themselves

Into the desert and face
all the dangers lying in wait.

Another creature caught
in the struggle for survival

Is the fat sand rat.

Sand rats dig their
burrows among the roots

Of a large saltbush.

It's now the peak of summer
and water is scarce.

It manages to survive
only with the fluids

In the saltbush leaves and
feeding on the bush itself.

Each rat has a territory
that includes a network

Of underground burrows
and scattered saltbushes

Above ground.

The rat is diurnal, eating
in the early morning.

When full, it gathers
saltbush leaves

And takes them down
to its burrow.

[rustling] it needs to roam
across its territory

Gathering food without
becoming food itself

For predators like this falcon.

[rattling] it hovers mid-air
waiting to dive

But this time
the little rodent escapes

Into his protected burrow.

Only during the mating season
do two partners meet;

After mating the male
returns to his burrow,

Leaving the female
to rear the cubs alone.

Native to israel,
the caracal is deadly enough

To command the top
of the food chain.

Like a sophisticated
hunting machine,

The female caracal sets out,
slowly stalking her prey.

She catches a large rodent
in the sandy channel.

But the search for food
in the desert is never-ending.

In the afternoon she ambushes
birds that come to drink water.

[sloshing]

[wings flapping]

[sloshing]

[gnawing]

The hunt is successful,
and once she is full,

The female caracal
calls her kitten,

Who patiently waits
in a rocky hideout

The kitten is threatened
by birds of prey

And other predators
throughout his childhood;

His mother will keep him alive
until it's his turn

To make his way alone.

The pool of water
is a hub of activity.

When the hunters depart
[wings flapping].

And now the hunted can dare
to take their place.

These are chukars
and sand partridges.

Once they are sure
that danger has passed,

They approach, camouflaged
like desert stones.

Families of chukars
and sand partridges

Cannot afford to linger here.
The risks are too great.

The chukar chicks are
led by their father,

Even though they are
almost the same size.

Sand partridges teach
their chicks where to find

The rare water sources
in the desert.

[chirping]

But surviving in the desert
is not only a matter

Of finding water,
food or shelter [pattering].

It's also means staying
and fighting back together.

[birds chirping]

In the negev, some smaller
animals have developed

Communal defense strategies.

Nestling in acacia trees,
the arabian babblers

Live in small flocks where
an interesting dynamic

Comes into play.
[birds chirping]

A leader who wants
to consolidate his status

Does not threaten or impose
his dominance by force.

Instead, he helps and provides
for the entire flock.

[birds chirping] for instance,

He volunteers to stand
guard from a high branch,

Exposing himself to danger.

[birds chirping]

Using sharp shrieks he warns
of approaching predators.

Thanks to him the entire
flock manage to escape

To the acacia thicket.

[birds chirping]

The leader displays
his strength and courage

By feeding others.

[wings flapping, chirping]

And the female?

She seems to prefer him
over other males

Who invest less in the group.

Only the dominant pair breeds.

Thus the bird which makes
the greatest contributions

To the community is more
likely to have offspring.

The turquoise-colored eggs
must be incubated and covered

At all times to hide them
from predators.

[twittering]

All group members pitch in,
protecting and caring

For the offspring,
which are not theirs.

[twittering] this community
has fixed rituals:

At sunrise, they conduct
a morning dance

That demonstrates their bond.

They squeeze between
each other and clean feathers

In a ceremony of closeness
and connection.

[twittering]

Volunteering for the community
is particularly noticeable

At times of danger [chirping].

A palestine saw-scaled viper
threatens the babblers' area.

All members of the group
surround the poisonous snake,

And the dominant
babblers attack it

Even if it means
risking their own lives.

[chirping]

The viper is particularly
dangerous for small birds

Like babblers
because it is active

During both night and day.

This time the babblers
win the battle,

But they're not always so lucky.

[rustling, chirping]

The ability to fly is their
greatest defense.

For some other animals,
being grounded

Does not automatically
mean a death sentence.

Out here in the negev,
the animals active

During the daytime need to be
able to escape their predators

And endure the punishing heat.

The negev is home to herds
of dorcas and acacia gazelles.

These animals can reach speeds
of up to 50 miles an hour.

Their survival here lies,
in part,

With these acacia trees.

The acacia's sweet
flowers and seed pods

Provide an important
dietary supplement.

Each morning the gazelle
feeds on flowers

That fell during the night.

The dorcas gazelle obtains
all the fluids it needs

From the leaves.

[birds chirping]

Light-footed and fast,
the gazelle is well-adapted

To the wide desert plains.

Its sand-colored coat
provides essential camouflage.

At times, it almost seems
to vanish into thin air.

In the past, large
herds lived here.

Proof of this lies in ancient
hunting structures

Known as "desert kites".

The kites are built from
two low stone walls

That forced the animals
to run into a trap.

A desert kite was always
located in a strategic position

On the herd's foraging route.

In a hunting attack,
the frightened gazelles

Run the length
of the stone walls

Straight into
the trap a deep pit.

Researchers digging around
desert kites have also found

Animal bones much larger
than gazelles,

Such as the asiatic wild ass,
a member of the horse family,

To this day, still untamed
by humans [braying].

The wild ass can
weigh up to 440 pounds.

Sustaining that kind of weight
in the desert heat

Requires it to drink every day
and this compels it

To travel huge spans in order
to find watering holes.

The wild ass has an increased
sweating mechanism,

And during the daytime heat it
climbs the mountain peaks,

Where winds help
to cool its wet body.

In the afternoon wild ass from
throughout the negev highlands

Gather at the waterhole,
camouflaged and almost unseen.

Females with foals, young males,

And strong territorial males
that come alone.

All converge cautiously,
fearing to approach the water.

A hunting ground for predators.

The gathering at the water
hole provides an opportunity

To measure social status
and to find a mate.

[braying]

A young wild ass
becomes aggressive

To confirm his status
in the group.

Another begins a wild
insistent chase after a female.

If she's not in heat,
she will keep running

Until he gives up.

The females do not
usually accept courters

At the crowded water hole;

They prefer mating
in the open landscape

With the dominant male who
has scared off the competition.

The pregnancy lasts 11 months

And the foal stays with
its mother for an entire year.

[braying, stomping]

Relationships within a herd are
not permanent or long-term.

And the herd membership
changes constantly.

But there is still affection
and intimacy here.

This adult female has a collar
as part of a research study.

Until 1927, asiatic
wild ass lived throughout

Middle eastern deserts.

However due to
extensive hunting,

They currently face
world-wide extinction.

In 1968, 11 asiatic wild asses,

Originally from iran
and turkmenistan,

Were brought
to become a contained

Breeding nucleus
in the negev [braying].

The breeding nucleus
was highly successful

And generated a large
wild ass population.

A few dozen were
released into the wild,

Survived, bred, and became
this large herd,

Numbering some
250 asiatic wild ass.

The sky fills
with autumn clouds,

But there's no guarantee
the rains will come soon.

The animals face a constant
battle to endure and prevail.

[birds chirping] they've seen
no rain for the last 12 months.

And so does the
varied plant life.

These sternbergia and
meadow-saffron flower early.

[birds chirping] they are
perennials, feeding from

Their bulbs or corms, food
storage organs below ground.

[birds chirping] this allows
them to survive

Where other plants would die.

But these plants are still
desperate for rain.

[thunders]

Luckily, this year,
the rain arrives just in time.

The entire desert
sighs with relief.

[rain drops] but within
a few hours,

So much rain falls, the desert
soil cannot absorb it all.

Layers of clay prevent the rain
from seeping in deep.

The soil is sealed after
just a few drops.

Now the water
accumulates quickly

And begins to wash away the
foam of the arid loose soil.

This is the best time in the
desert. Everybody is happy.

Among these rocks
hides a small plant

With unique survival skills,
asteriscus hierochunticus.

This plant covers its seeds
right after flowering.

Only a strong rain can
soften the special covering

That opens up to the water.

The seeds can wait
and survive for years

For a rain heavy enough to
wake them from their slumber.

When the asteriscus
seeds germinate,

Little yellow flowers appear
next to the dry mother plant.

[birds chirping]

Fall and winter are very short
in the negev desert.

For two months, the area
experiences rain and floods,

Sometimes snow
high in the mountains.

But these short seasons
are crucial,

As they provide desert life
with essential water

In the hotter seasons to come.

And then, the season of renewal.

[birds chirping]

In a rain soaked negev,
spring can bloom suddenly,

Throwing the desert
into a brief celebration

Of colors and smells.

[buzzing]

The period of bounty
is very short.

The desert animals
seize every moment.

The plants hurry to complete
their life cycles

Before the summer heat.

They flower in a spectacular
range of colors,

Inviting insects that
in return pollinate them.

[buzzing]

Red tulips adorn the mountains,
taking in the morning dew,

Their bulbs buried deep
in the rock crevices,

Where the water supply
lasts longer.

On the peaks of the
negev highlands grows

The desert rhubarb
producing leaves

That reach 3 feet in diameter!

[thunders]

The rhubarb is called
'the self-watering plant'.

Each raindrop falling
on its enormous leaf

Is channeled down
to the root system,

Providing it with
16 times more water

Than all the rain
splashing around it.

So this broad-leaved plant
can survive in the desert,

Enjoying growing conditions
typical of a wet climate.

Temperatures start rising.

The soil starts to lose
its moisture.

In the river valleys
of the negev highlands

Grow magnificent
atlantic pistacio trees,

Hundreds of years old.

[birds chirping] their roots
sink deep into the soil

To reach precious water.

The tree's appearance
changes during the year.

In the dry summer it is green,

In autumn its leaves turn red,

And in winter, when
the desert turns green,

It sheds its leaves
and stands bare

Until the following spring.

These ancient trees are a relic

From a colder and wetter
bygone era.

It has survived almost
a 1000 years

Because it is considered
sacred by bedouins,

Who never cut it down for fire.

Now, the desert
becomes an oasis,

Attracting a wide
array of bird life

Drawn to the short
sudden abundance

Of greenery and insects.

In the spring the male
macqueen's bustard

Perform elaborate
dancing ceremonies.

The female watches the males
from her hiding place

And chooses her partner
for the mating season.

[birds chirping]

Each year the male returns
to the same dancing stage,

And tries again
to impress the females.

This is the rare
cream-colored courser.

The courser uses
this moment of bounty

To rear its chicks on the
riverbed vegetation.

When the summer comes they
will be mature enough

To try and survive on their own.

The cream-colored courser
flies well,

But if there is no danger
around, it prefers to run.

[birds chirping] also fighting
for food and space

In the negev is another bird,
the temminck's horned lark.

[birds chirping]

It can move quickly,
and when it needs to,

Freezes in place, blending in
with the desert stone.

[birds chirping]

In early summer the males
define and defend

Their nesting territory,
standing and singing

On shrubs and stones.

And eventually the females
join their chosen mates.

Springtime signals a vast
northward migration

By storks leaving africa
for their nesting areas

In europe and asia.

On their long journey they
pass over the negev.

Most of them hurry by,
ignoring the flowering desert,

But some stop for a short rest
in fields and on mountains,

Hungrily snapping up insects,
reptiles and rodents.

The stork's annual journey
is a huge feat,

Leaving germany in the autumn,
wintering in africa,

And flying back to germany.

Some are injured on the way.
The flock does not wait.

Here, a solitary stork
is left behind.

Its broken leg may prevent it
from completing its migration.

A tragedy for the stork.

A welcome sight
for a hungry predator.

This family of red foxes
is highly dependent

On finding the carcasses
of these migrating birds.

They live in a dune,
within a multi-branched

Network of burrows.

The red fox is one
of four species of foxes

That live in the negev.

Thanks to the wet winter
and abundant food,

All seven cubs have
survived so far.

They spend their days playing
at the den's entrance,

Running and leaping
in the relative coolness.

Their games are
not just for fun.

Learning to make
those same leaps

Will be useful for hunting
and mating rituals,

All just months away
for these cubs.

As darkness falls the mother
comes for a quick visit.

She's been gone for hours.
Her cubs are ravenous.

The suckling is quick,
and the seven youngsters

Are no longer satisfied
with their milk ration.

The cubs' hunger
sends both parents

On nighttime hunting trips.

The young still don't leave
the dens' entrances,

And wait impatiently for their
parents and their food.

At first light the female fox
found a fresh carcass

Of a desert hare left by
a pharaoh eagle-owl.

[hooting] it's not
easy to give up,

But the fox is a real threat
and the owl is forced

To abandon its catch.

Its chicks waiting
hungrily in the rock

Will not get this meal.
[hooting]

The female fox hurries
to the maze of burrows.

This morning
all seven of her cubs

Will go to sleep fed
and satisfied.

The mother has won
another day in the negev

For her young family.
She can never know

If it will be their last.

[hooting]

Spring in the negev provides
a welcome feeding ground

For the nubian ibex.

At only a few days old
these kids

Are already frolicking happily.

At first light the young
enjoy friendly horn fights.

The young females
also join the play fighting.

But in the negev,
even during play,

The threat of death
is ever present.

On a nearby cliff a pair
of bonelli's eagles

Loom dangerously [screeching].

These eagles are quick
enough, strong enough

To steal a young ibex kid,
so the young must stay

With the herd for the
first weeks of life.

Not far from the eagles, nests
a pair of brown-necked ravens.

[croaking]

They harass the eagles
and annoy them.

These parents are
distracting the eagles

From the chicks in the nest.

In the heat of the day
the ibex leads her young kid

To the spring.

They leap down the cliff steps
to the shade and water.

Without thinking twice, the
mother leaps over the last gap.

For the kid, this is
an unpassable chasm.

He doesn't dare leap after her

And looks for another way
with growing anxiety.

If he can't get to his mother
his fate might be sealed.

A young, solitary ibex kid is
easy prey for bonelli's eagles,

And even if he survives
the daylight hours,

He's no match for the nocturnal
predators - hyenas and wolves.

There is no other way.
His mother calls him

From the depths of the canyon.

He did it!

His leaping and climbing skills
will improve within days.

In the meantime he rushes
to safety by his mother's side.

The rising temperatures
and dry water holes

Drive the ibex to the springs.

Ibex require a daily
supply of drinking water

And there are few desert springs

With a year-round permanent,
stable water supply.

And in the negev,
water can be found

In the most unlikely places.

Ein avdat is one of the largest
and most important

Permanent springs.

On the ridge near the spring

A magnificent nabatean city
was built over 2000 years ago,

The city of avdat,
whose inhabitants

Drank from the same
spring's waters.

The water holes and springs
are desert lifelines

That provide food and shelter
for many desert birds.

They flock to the water
to drink and bathe.

[birds chirping] some are
native to the negev,

Like the hill sparrows, desert
finches and trumpeter finches.

Others like the namaqua dove
come from africa.

This is the most
northern place it lives.

Another bird able to survive
here is the rock martin.

It collects mud from the
river channel in its beak

And builds its nest
in the canyon's crevices,

Not far from water.

The chicks grow in a padded,
comfortable mud house.

Higher up the cliffs live
bigger tougher neighbors.

On the rocky ledges
of the ein avdat cliffs,

Migrating annually from africa
is the egyptian vulture

Which shares the negev cliffs
with the griffon vulture,

A permanent resident.

They glide above the ridges
looking for carrion.

Griffon vultures are
partners for life.

They share incubation of the
solitary egg for two months;

When the chick hatches it
receives devoted parental care.

Even after leaving the nest
it returns to demand food

From its parents until
the next egg is laid.

But there are limits
even to motherly love.

When this young vulture
tries to return to the nest,

Its mother is too busy
caring for a new chick.

This young vulture must
search for his food alone now,

A mission that has become
harder in recent years.

Development in the negev
has severely harmed

Griffon vultures.

They face extinction
due to urban expansion,

Dwindling open landscapes,
and a lack of food.

From a population of hundreds,
now only a few dozen remain.

To support the population
that nests in the region,

Nature reserve rangers
have set up

A number of feeding stations.

Each vulture fights aggressively

For its place and its meal.

To keep an eye on their
battle to survive,

Most vultures are tagged
for research and monitoring.

As always, the negev
makes no promises.

Every animal lives day to day.

Compared to the larger,
deadlier vulture,

The smaller humble sandgrouse
enjoys a far stronger

Chance of surviving.

In the negev there are
five species of sandgrouse.

They come to the water
at fixed hours.

Some species immediately
after sunrise,

Others just before sunset.

For many years researchers
didn't understand

How they nested in the most
arid regions devoid of water,

Or how the chicks survived
the terrible drought

When their parents fed
them only dry seeds.

Continuous monitoring
solved the amazing riddle:

The male sandgrouse
has a special covering

Of chest feathers that
functions like a sponge.

The male flies tens of
miles from the nest

To a water source
and absorbs water

In his chest feathers, and
then flies back to the nest.

The chicks poke their beak
into his chest feathers

And drink the water as if he
was a flying water bottle.

Sandgrouse are the
preferred gamebird

Throughout the middle east,
but in israel they are

Fully protected
like all wild animals.

Great efforts are made to
preserve wildlife in israel.

In 1968, the nature
and parks authority

Created the yotvata wildlife
reserve in the negev,

A desert center for conserving
and nurturing species

On the brink of extinction.

The wildlife reserve also
protects other desert animals

From outside israel,
such as the addax

And the sahara oryx from africa.

In the open area
of the wildlife reserve

Is a breeding nucleus
of arabian oryx

That lived previously
in israel and arabia

And is currently under threat
of worldwide extinction.

In the spring dozens of
young oryx were born.

Dr. Roni king selects the oryx
that he must tranquilize

Before the intended
release to nature.

He shoots the selected oryx
with a tranquilizing arrow.

Its horns are sharp
and dangerous

And it is treated
with due caution.

The rangers attach a radio
transmitter to the oryx's neck

In order to monitor its
integration and acclimation

To the free herd in
the negev landscape.

The young oryx are brought
to the acclimation pen,

From where they will be
released to nature,

Join the herd and run free
in the negev landscape.

About a hundred
oryx already live

And reproduce in the negev.

For the winners
in this battleground,

Summer comes again.

The males once again
prepare for mating season.

An entire year has
passed in the negev.

Freezing nights
and burning days,

Scarce food and water,
and unforgiving predators.

But time and nature do not stop.

The young wolves
go hunting by themselves.

Herds of animals start
to roam in search of water.

All want to survive another
year in the negev.

It is the only home they know.