Original subtitles

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ANNOUNCER: WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL YOU KNOW YOU'RE

WATCHING TELEVISION THAT'S EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL.THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: I'M DYLAN DREYER.

TODAY WE'RE ON AN EPIC JOURNEY THROUGH THE

WILDERNESS OF WESTERN GERMANY.

WE'LL FOLLOW THE LEGENDARY WUPPER RIVER AS IT TWISTS

AND TURNS THROUGH THE ENCHANTED FORESTS AT THE

HEART OF EUROPE.

FROM THE RIVER START TO FINISH,

THROUGH EVERY SEASON, WE'LL DISCOVER THE MAGIC

PLANTS, THE TOWERING CASTLES AND THE AMAZING

ANIMALS THAT CALL THIS RIVER HOME.

AND WE'LL COME FACE-TO-FACE WITH

SURPRISES LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

THE JOURNEY STARTS RIGHT NOW.

♪ MUSIC ♪

DYLAN: GERMANY IS ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL

NATIONS IN HISTORY.

IT'S HOME TO SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST IMPORTANT

ARTISTS, PHILOSOPHERS AND SCIENTISTS.

TODAY IT'S THE ECONOMIC CENTER OF EUROPE AND A

LEADER IN TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.

BUT THERE ARE MANY OTHER TREASURES TUCKED AWAY IN

THE HILLS AND FORESTS OF GERMANY.

OUR JOURNEY TAKES US INTO THE ENCHANTED WILDERNESS

OF THIS ANCIENT REALM WHERE NATURAL WONDERS WAIT

TO BE DISCOVERED.

WELCOME TO THE BERGISCHES LAND IN THE HEART OF

WESTERN GERMANY.

THIS IS THE HOME TO A REMARKABLE RIVER,

A RIVER THAT SEEMS TO HAVE MORE IN COMMON WITH THE

AMAZON BASIN IN SOUTH AMERICA THAN THE CHILLY

CLIMATES OF EUROPE.

IT'S CALLED THE WUPPER AND IT BRINGS LIFE TO

INNUMERABLE FANTASTIC SPECIES BOTH IN AND OUT OF

THE WATER.

THE WUPPER RIVER IS A PULSING ARTERY OF WEST

GERMANY.

TODAY THE MUENGSTENER BRIDGE AND WUPPERTAL

MONORAIL CARRY PEOPLE ACROSS.

BUT IN THE MIDDLE AGES IT WAS THE DUKES OF BERG IN

THE CASTLE SCHLOSS BERG WHO KEPT WATCHFUL EYES ON

THE RIVER.

IN THE 13TH CENTURY THE CRYSTAL-CLEAR RIVER WATERS

WERE A PLENTIFUL SOURCE OF TASTY FISH LIKE TROUT AND

SALMON.

THE DUKES OF BERG ALSO BELIEVED THE RIVER WAS A

SOURCE OF GREAT MAGIC.

ACCORDING TO LEGEND A GNOME KING PLUNGED HIS

STAFF INTO SOIL NEAR THE SOUTHERN REGION OF

SAUERLAND.

THE STAFF RIPPED OPEN A HOLE IN THE EARTH AND

RUSHING WATER SPRANG FORTH FROM THE DEEP UNDERGROUND.

AND STILL TODAY ALL ALONG ITS BANKS ARE MANY

COLORFUL AND ENCHANTING SPECIES.

AS SPRING BREAKS THE PREGNANT EUROPEAN FIRE

SALAMANDERS COME OUT OF THEIR WINTER HIDING

PLACES.

THIS FEMALE HAS FOUND A SUITABLE PLACE TO GIVE

BIRTH TO HER LARVAE.

AS SOON AS THEY HIT COLD WATER THE BABIES ARE

INDEPENDENT.

AFTER A FEW MONTHS SPENT LIVING IN THE RIVER THE

LARVAE WILL GROW INTO YOUNG SALAMANDERS AND

LEAVE THE STREAMS.

THE STRIPED SALAMANDERS FEEL PARTICULARLY AT HOME

ON THE SOFT, MOSSY CUSHIONS IN THE DAMP,

COOL WOODS THAT LINE THE WUPPER.

HERE ON THE UPLAND MOOR NEAR BURLINGHAUSEN IS THE

SOURCE OF THE WUPPER; A VERITABLE REFUGE FOR RARE

PLANTS AND ANIMALS.

WITH ITS COLORFUL FLORA AND FAUNA THE CRADLE OF

THE WUPPER IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WETLAND

HABITATS IN THE BERGISCHES LAND.

AND IT'S EVEN A NATURE CONSERVATION AREA.

THE COLD WATER WITH ITS HIGH OXYGEN CONTENT IS

PACKED WITH INSECT LARVAE AND WATER FLEAS;

IDEAL FEEDING CONDITIONS FOR THE GREAT CRESTED

NEWT.

THE BEGINNING OF MAY IS ALSO THE BREEDING SEASON.

SPRING FEVER AFFECTS FROGS,

DRAGONFLIES AND GRASS SNAKES.

THE SWAMP WOODS CLOSE TO THE RIVER ARE WHAT THESE

SNAKES REALLY RELISH.

LATER ON IN THE SUMMER THE FEMALES WILL LAY UP TO 50

SOFT-SHELLED EGGS IN THE MUDDY SOIL.

THE HEAT GENERATED BY DECOMPOSITION IS ENOUGH TO

HATCH THE EGGS AFTER AROUND ONE AND A HALF

MONTHS.

FURTHER DOWNSTREAM LIES THE BREEDING GROUND FOR A

PAIR OF KINGFISHERS.

THIS GENTLEMAN'S LADY FRIEND HAS APPEARED FROM

INSIDE THE NESTING HOLE.

HE AIMS TO MAKE HER HAPPY.

A LITTLE PRESENT HELPS TO CEMENT THEIR RELATIONSHIP.

HE HOLDS THE FISH IN SUCH A WAY THAT SHE CAN TAKE IT

BY THE HEAD FIRST.

HE SEEMS TO HAVE DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT.

IN THE NESTING HOLE THE CHICKS ARE CALLING BECAUSE

THEY'RE HUNGRY.

AND THE NEXT COURSE IS ON ITS WAY.

DOWN HERE BELOWGROUND THE CHICKS ARE SAFE FROM MOST

PREDATORS.

THIS IS ONE OF THE RAINIEST PARTS OF GERMANY.

HERE IN THE UPPER REACHES THE WUPPER IS CALLED THE

VIPPER.

IN SOME PARTS OF THE REGION AVERAGE ANNUAL

RAINFALL CAN BE 370 GALLONS PER SQUARE YARD;

POSSIBLY A RECORD IN GERMANY.

NOW THE PEACEFUL, HILLY REGION BECOMES A RAGING

TORRENT.

THIS LITTLE BIRD IS CALLED THE WHITE-THROATED DIPPER.

VIPPER DIPPERS ARE THE ONLY INDIGENOUS SONG BIRDS

THAT HUNT THEIR PREY ON THE BED OF A RIVER.

DIPPERS CRISS-CROSS THE RIVER PARTY SWIMMING,

PARTLY WALKING.

THEY DISAPPEAR AND THEN SUDDENLY APPEAR AGAIN

SOMEWHERE ELSE.

THE SQUIRREL-TAILED DOOR MOUSE WASTES NO TIME IN

DISCOVERING THE RICH CHOICE OF FRESH FRUIT

CLOSE TO THE RIVER.

AS AN ACCOMPLISHED CLIMBER,

HE WILL DEVOUR ALMOST ANYTHING FROM BARK AND

LEAVES TO EGGS AND FLEDGLINGS.

BUT A RIPE APPLE IS A REAL DELICACY.

OVER A CENTURY AGO DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION THE WUPPER RIVER QUICKLY

BECAME CONTAMINATED BY FACTORIES AND CITY SEWAGE.

EVEN AS LATE AS THE 1980'S THE RIVER WAS HEAVILY

POLLUTED.

BUT THANKS TO COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT,

INVESTMENT AND GOVERNMENT ACTION THE WUPPER RIVER IS

RETURNING TO ITS FORMER GLORY.

WILDLIFE THAT ABANDONED THE RIVER LONG AGO IS

THRIVING HERE ONCE AGAIN AND THE RESULTS ARE

BREATHTAKING.

COMING UP NEXT, WE'LL MEET A FAMILY OF FOX PUPS

EXPLORING THE WUPPER RIVER FOR THE FIRST TIME.

STAY TUNED, JOURNEY WILL BE RIGHT BACK.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

♪ MUSIC ♪

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO JOURNEY,

I'M DYLAN DREYER.

OUR TRIP DOWN THE ANCIENT WUPPER RIVER IN WESTERN

GERMANY CONTINUES.

IT'S THE FINAL DAYS OF SEPTEMBER AND THE AIR IS

GROWING COOLER.

AS AUTUMN LEAVES CHANGE FROM GREEN TO GOLD,

THE ANIMALS ALONG THE RIVER SOAK UP THE FINAL

WEEKS OF SUMMER WARMTH BEFORE THE GRUELING

EUROPEAN WINTER BEGINS.

IN THE WOODS AROUND THE WUPPER RIVER RESIDENTS ARE

HIGHLY ACTIVE.

THERE IS MUCH TO DO ALONG THE RIVERBANKS FOR THE

WILD BOAR.

BODY CONTACT IS IN DEMAND DURING A SIESTA.

IF YOU ROLL AROUND IN THE MUD YOUR SKIN IS LIKELY TO

ITCH SOMETIMES.

BUT THE PLENTIFUL SUPPLY OF ACORNS,

BEECH NUTS AND OTHER TIDBITS IN THE MARSHY

GROUND ARE EVIDENTLY WORTH SUCH MINOR DISCOMFORT.

CLOSE TO THE BANK SOMETHING IS MOVING.

A NEAT CUT WITH THE EGG TOOTH AND THE YOUNG GRASS

SNAKE IS ABLE TO LEAVE THE LEATHERY SHELL OF HIS EGG.

IN THE LAST FEW DAYS OF SEPTEMBER THE PUFF BALL

AND OTHER MUSHROOMS ARE BUSY SPREADING THEIR

SPORES.

EVERYWHERE MUSHROOMS ARE THRUSTING THEIR HEADS

UPWARDS.

WHAT LOOKS LIKE WITCHES EGGS BECOMES STINKHORN

MUSHROOMS.

THE MOUSE-EARED BATS HAVE MADE AN ABANDONED MINE

FROM THE 19TH CENTURY THEIR UPSIDE DOWN HOME.

IN THIS FROST-FREE SUBTERRANEAN RETREAT THE

TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY REMAIN VIRTUALLY CONSTANT;

IDEAL WINTER QUARTERS.

OUTSIDE ON THE OTHER HAND MOISTURE IS CAUSING A

MYSTICAL METAMORPHOSIS.

THE SUDDEN DROP IN TEMPERATURE IS FORCING

MANY TO SEEK REFUGE UNDER THE CRYSTALLINE CANOPY IN

A SILENT WINTERY WORLD.

FOR MOST OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE WOODS

HARD TIMES ARE APPROACHING.

A RED FOX OUT HUNTING MICE.

ITS FINE SENSES LOCATE THE NEXT MEAL UNDER THE SNOW.

IF A COMPETITOR APPROACHES ON THE FOX'S TERRITORY

THERE'S TROUBLE.

THE RULES ARE WELL-DEFINED.

AS THE VICTOR, HE TAKES WHAT IS NOW HIS,

EVEN THOUGH IT'S A POOR REWARD.

TO AVOID THE DEEP SNOW THIS SECRETIVE ANIMAL

SWINGS FROM TREE TO TREE IN SEARCH OF FOOD.

RACCOONS ORIGINATED IN NORTH AMERICA BUT HAVE

BECOME FIRMLY ESTABLISHED IN THE BERGISCHES LAND.

AS AN OMNIVORE THIS NEWCOMER IS NOT VERY

CHOOSEY, BUT HE DOES ENJOY A NICE TROUT.

ONE YEAR BLENDS INTO THE NEXT,

THE WINTER RELEASES ITS HOLD.

SLOWLY BUT SURELY THE COUNTRYSIDE BRINGS FORTH

NEW LIFE.

DON'T GO AWAY, OUR ADVENTURE DOWN THE

ENCHANTED WUPPER RIVER WILL RETURN RIGHT AFTER

THIS.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

♪ MUSIC ♪

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO JOURNEY,

I'M DYLAN DRYER.

WINTER IS ENDING ALONG THE WUPPER RIVER IN WESTERN

GERMANY, SPRING IS IN BLOOM AND A NEW GENERATION

OF ANIMALS WELCOMES A NEW YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME.

ON THE FIRST WARM DAY AFTER WINTER A PAIR OF

GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKERS APPEARS.

WHILE HE BUSIES HIMSELF WITH BUILDING A HOME,

SHE DEMOLISHES A ROTTEN BRANCH IN HER SEARCH FOR

HIDDEN INSECTS.

WE ARE NOW AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH,

THE WEDDING SEASON FOR COMMON FROGS.

COMMON FROGS SPAWN EARLIER THAN ALL THE OTHER

AMPHIBIANS.

THE FEMALE WILL LAY UP TO 4,500 EGGS

IN ONE OR TWO GELATINOUS MASSES.

SPRING AWAKENS IN THE WATER MEADOWS AROUND THE

WUPPER.

AS THE SUN WARMS THE COUNTRYSIDE A FEELING OF

OPTIMISM TAKES HOLD OF THE RIVER.

THESE FOX CUBS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED OUTSIDE THEIR DEN.

THEY ARE MADE TO STAY IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF

THE PARENTS.

BUT THEY STILL HAVE GREAT FUN.

THE SPOTTED WOODPECKER PARENTS HAVE THEIR BEAKS

FULL KEEPING THEIR YOUNG FED.

HIGH UP IN THE BEECH TREE YOUNG BLACK WOODPECKERS

ARE WAITING FOR THEIR BREAKFAST.

MOM DELIVERS ON TIME.

A BARN OWL CROSSES THE WUPPER WHICH HAS BY NOW

REACHED IMPRESSIVE DIMENSIONS.

IT MEANDERS SNAKE-LIKE BETWEEN THE HILLS AND

THROUGH THE BERGISCHES LAND.

THE SUBMERGED WORLD OF THE WUPPER IS A MYSTIC ONE.

THE UNDISPUTED LORD OF THE WATER IS A GHOSTLY GIANT;

A 3-FOOT EUROPEAN CATFISH.

THESE PREDATORS CAN REACH A LENGTH OF 9 FEET.

THIS PARTICULAR CARING FATHER IS KEEPING A

WATCHFUL EYE ON THE SPAWN.

THIS IS A MYSTERIOUS, SINISTER WORLD,

A PLACE THAT CATFISH LOVE.

THE THICK VEGETATION PROVIDES EXCELLENT COVER.

IN THE WOODS BESIDE THE BANK THE FOX CUBS HAVE

SNEAKED OUT OF THE DEN TO PLAY.

THEIR MOTHER IS OBVIOUSLY AWAY.

AS LONG AS THEY ARE STILL SMALL THEY WILL COME OUT

DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS.

IT'S HARDLY POSSIBLE TO PLAY AROUND IN THE

RESTRICTING DEN.

HIDE AND SEEK IS REALLY FUN DURING THE DAYTIME.

AFTER 10 MONTHS THIS AFTERNOON PLAY WILL CEASE,

THEN THEY WILL BE ADULTS AND HAVE OTHER CONCERNS.

BUT BEFORE THEY TRANSFORM INTO STRICTLY NOCTURNAL

PREDATORS THE YOUNG CUBS ARE THOROUGHLY ENJOYING A

LIFE WITHOUT RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE

SUNNY WOODS BY THE WUPPER.

DON'T GO AWAY, JOURNEY WILL BE RIGHT BACK.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

♪ MUSIC ♪

DYLAN: OUR JOURNEY CONTINUES ACROSS THE

MUNGSTEN BRIDGE, THE HIGHEST RAILWAY BRIDGE IN

GERMANY.

AT TIMES THIS 5,000-TON TOWER OF STEEL CLIMBS MORE

THAN 350 FEET ABOVE THE WUPPER RIVER.

ALTHOUGH IT'S UNDERGONE MANY RENOVATIONS OVER THE

YEARS, THE BRIDGE WAS COMPLETED IN 1897 AND

STANDS AS A MASTERPIECE OF VICTORIAN ERA ENGINEERING.

AS DARKNESS FALLS THIS COLOSSAL STEEL

CONSTRUCTION BECOMES THE STAGE FOR A MYSTIC BUT

BEAUTIFUL ACTIVITY.

THIS IS WHEN THE NOCTURNAL SPIRITS IN THE NEIGHBORING

ROCKY WALLS OF THE WUPPER VALLEY WAKE UP.

AROUND THE WUPPER THERE ARE 10 TO 15 DIFFERENT

SPECIES OF BATS.

UP IN THE RAFTERS OF A NEARBY BARN THERE IS

NERVOUS EXPECTANCY.

FEMALE MOUSE-EARED BATS READY TO GIVE BIRTH.

A BABY MOUSE-EARED BAT APPEARS IN THE DARKNESS

FOR THE FIRST TIME.

INITIALLY BABY BATS ARE BLIND,

BUT STILL STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD TIGHT.

HEAVILY MOIST NIGHTS ARE GOOD FOR EELS.

THE LOW DAM ACROSS THE RIVER PREVENTS THEM FROM

GETTING TO THE UPPER REACHES.

BUT FOR THE EEL THIS IS NOT AN OBSTACLE AS LONG AS

THE MEADOWS ON THE BANK ARE WET ENOUGH.

IT GLIDES SMOOTHLY AROUND SUCH OBSTACLES OVER LAND.

BY DAYBREAK THOUGH IT OUGHT TO BE BACK IN THE

WATER, OTHERWISE THE EARLY HERON CATCHES THE EEL.

NOW WE TAKE OUR LEAVE OF THE BRIDGE.

CLOSE TO THE CASTLE SCHLOSS BERG THE WUPPER

SHOWS ITS ORIGINAL NATURE.

THE FAST-FLOWING WATER IS RICH IN OXYGEN LIKE IT WAS

IN THE MIDDLE AGES AS THE DUKES OF BERG WATCH

SUSPICIOUSLY FROM THE HIGH WALLS OF THE CASTLE TO

GUARD THEIR WELL-STOCKED RIVER.

BALKHAUSER KOTTEN CAN LOOK BACK OVER A 500-YEAR

HERITAGE.

THIS CUTLERY OF BLADES WORKSHOP,

NOW A MUSEUM, DEMONSTRATES TODAY HOW THE WORLD-FAMOUS

BLADES FROM SOLINGEN WERE GROUND USING WATER POWER.

THIS IS THE LAST OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH THE

KNIFE GRINDING THAT SHAPED THE BERGISCHES REGION IN

REAL LIFE.

THE LEGENDARY WUPPER RIVER IS A PULSING ARTERY OF

WEST GERMANY.

AFTER CENTURIES OF POLLUTION THE RETURN OF

TROUT, SALMON AND EVEN EELS TO THE WUPPER RIVER

IS A TESTAMENT TO WHAT CONSERVATION AND

MANAGEMENT CAN ACCOMPLISH IN THE FACE OF SEEMINGLY

INSURMOUNTABLE ODDS.

THE WUPPER TODAY IS HOME TO SO MANY AMAZING SPECIES

IT'S EARNED ITS NICKNAME; THE AMAZON OF GERMANY.

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS TRIP THROUGH THE WILD

LANDS OF EUROPE.

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, SAFE TRAVELS.

♪ CREDITS ♪

♪ CREDITS ♪