All language subtitles for The.Wolf.Mountains.2013.1080p.WEBRip.x265-RARBG3_English

[music playing]

NARRATOR: Once there was
a forest as old as time.

Our ancestors believed it
was a miracle to behold.

This was a mysterious
realm so vast,

no one knew where
it began nor ended.

An everlasting sea of
green, stretched up

to the highest mountains.

Crystal waters ran down to
anoint the valleys below.

[music playing]

And where there is
water, there is life.

Billions of creatures
colonize this wild land--

rivers teemed with fish and
the sky was full of birds.

[music playing]

It was honed to the
most formidable beasts

to roam the Earth.

This was Europe millennia ago.

We were once part of this
natural world, but over time,

the wilderness
became our enemy--

to be conquered and exploited.

[music playing]

Today, like the miracle
of old, life slowly

arises from the
ashes in the lands

known as the Wolf Mountains.

[music playing]

This region, on the
borders of Slovakia, Poland

and the Ukraine, is part
of the mountain chain

of the Eastern Carpathians.

Its name dates back
to medieval times

and is taken from one of its
oldest inhabitants, the wolf.

Few humans dare venture here.

This is the kingdom
of predator and prey,

home to a host of
unique wildlife--

animals that control one of
the most complex ecosystems

found in Europe.

The idea of a lost paradise
in the heart of Europe

inspires three
Slovakian filmmakers

to travel to the Wolf Mountains
and discover how nature is

reverting to its former glory.

Their main challenge
is to capture

shots of wildlife behavior
in very difficult terrain.

They hope to film
creatures that were

once on the brink of
extinction, like the bison,

beaver and wolf--

sure signs of a
return to wilderness.

These animals are
elusive, but the team

is determined not to
use artificial means

to attract them.

Over the next two
years, it requires

patience and ingenuity.

The first task is to
catch sight of the largest

surviving herbivore
from the forests

of the ancient past, the bison.

To track them successfully,
they need to wait

for the first snows of winter.

Five decades ago, a small
herd of wisent bison

was reintroduced from
captivity into the Polish part

of the Wolf Mountains.

Their descendants now freely
wander through the forest.

It takes a trek of tens of
kilometers trying to spot them.

Only deep traces left in the
snow reveal their presence.

Although large, the bison
are surprisingly timid

and evade every
attempt to get close.

To see a bison in the wild is
like traveling back in time.

And the dream of discovering
an ancient wilderness

begins to become reality.

[music playing]

These huge beasts were once a
part of our prehistoric lives,

alongside giant auroch rock
cattle and wild horses.

[music playing]

Just like their
ancient relatives,

these large herbivores
live off all kinds of flora

and can radically alter the
environment in which they live.

Living generations of the wild
horse are the hucul horses--

one of the oldest breeds
of native ponies in Europe.

In winter, they eat
shoots beneath the snow.

They particularly relish bark.

This destructive action
kills off the trees,

but creates an open landscape.

As a result, a variety
of meadows and bushes

can begin to flourish,
providing habitats

for thousands of other species.

It is forest management
at its most natural.

After several days,
the team manages to get

even closer to the bison.

This herd now totals
almost 300 animals

and is the biggest
population of bison

across the Carpathian region.

Numbers are still far lower
than in centuries past,

but it's hoped
these will increase

as the herd is left to colonize
new territories further afield.

The team hopes to get
the chance to meet

these primeval beasts elsewhere
on their wilderness trail.

The most secretive and
controversial creature

of this wild country
is its top predator--

the wolf.

To film the natural behavior
of these specters of the forest

requires a huge amount of luck.

At the end of winter,
their presence

is tantalizingly visible.

It's clear evidence
they're alive and well.

But to see them,
let alone film them,

proves at first impossible.

Man's relationship
with the wolf is

as old as with the bison
and the wild horse,

but it was more intimate.

Our ancestors
worshipped the wolf.

They had a lot in common.

They both lived in
close knit groups.

Both chased the
same prey for food.

And both needed similar
skills for hunting.

They became valued companions.

In preparation for a
hunt, the men would sing

in unison to ensure success.

The wolves would howl in chorus.

[wolves howling]

In medieval times,
this relationship

dramatically changed.

And by the beginning
of the 20th century,

wolves were hunted
to near-extinction.

The few packs left retreated
into the shadows of the forests

and learned how to avoid people.

It takes six months before
these legendary animals

are spotted for real.

Two adults and a
young wolf appear

in a small clearing
in the forest

and mark their territory.

Seconds later, they
vanish into thin air.

To increase the odds of
capturing wolves at large,

the team sets up video
traps of key points

where a pack might pass.

During playback, the team
discovers that one wolf has

ventured into beaver terrain.

The trail is irresistible.

[music playing]

Like the bison and
the wolf, the beaver

is another species
that was virtually

eradicated across Europe.

Prehistoric hunters saw beavers
as easily accessible food.

They were numerous
and safe to hunt.

As a result, they were the
protein most often consumed.

In the Middle
Ages, people hunted

beaver for the alleged healing
power of their scent glands.

Beaver was also
believed to be part

fish because of its scaly
tail and webbed feet.

So these parts of its body were
very popular to eat on the days

when meat was forbidden.

As this amounted to
over half the year

and as the human
population grew,

the beavers soon became
a very threatened animal.

Somehow it survived and
is now slowly returning

to its old wilderness habitat.

Here in the Polish part
of the Wolf Mountains,

there are signs of its
extraordinary activities.

Beavers dramatically change
the structure of the small

streams they inhabit.

Thanks to their
voracious feeding habits,

they clear small
pockets of forest

to create open spaces
that attract many plant

species that love the light.

[music playing]

And by building dams, they
create a sophisticated chain

of lakes and wetlands
that within a short time

are brimming with life.

[music playing]

These wetlands also
provide rich feeding

grounds for hunters, like black
storks and numerous birds.

[music playing]

Many other animals reap
the benefit of the beaver's

unique architecture.

Some use their dams as
bridges to cross the water.

Unfortunately for
the beaver, these

act as platforms for a
hungry predator to pounce.

[music playing]

It's clear that wolves are
attracted to this watery area

for food, but only at night.

One evening, the howls
are heard in the distance.

[wolves howling]

As the pack approaches,
the sounds of their cubs

become all too apparent.

[wolves howling]

From the noises, it's certain
they've killed a beaver nearby

for a midnight supper.

Despite hearing a whole
wolf pack during a kill,

the team is no closer to
filming them in action

in this area of forest wetland.

They move up to open
mountain terrain

where the wolves can't hide.

[music playing]

Higher up, the fresh grass
of the Alpine Meadows

attracts a lot of red
and roe deer to feed.

[music playing]

The most vulnerable
are the young

and they must remain
hidden from the wolves.

But here over the summer
months, the deer seem to enjoy

an almost carefree existence.

One roe deer tries to
overcome the lack of action

by picking a fight with
an imaginary enemy.

Even with temptations of
ready meals like these,

there is neither sight nor
sound of the elusive predators.

But there are sounds
of a different kind.

[deer roaring]

It is now late
summer and the start

of the deer rutting season.

The forests resound with
the roars of the stags

and a cacophony of
primeval passion.

[deer roaring]

The stags have to compete
against one another

for the attention of the hinds.

The older, more
experienced males

round up their
conquests into harems

and must defend
them at all costs.

[music playing]

A year has passed
since filming began.

And still, the wolves
remain firmly out of sight.

[music playing]

The team decides
to try their luck

by the banks of a
major river that

runs through the Polish
side of the Wolf Mountains.

Riverine environments
are usually very fertile

and an ideal place
for animals to gather,

but most European rivers are
heavily populated and bordered

by roads.

The very presence of humans
pushes the wildlife away

and the animals are
forced to survive

in less favorable areas.

But there are no humans on
this stretch of the San River.

Only wilderness and
wildlife thrive.

[music playing]

It is a favorite crossing
point for animals

in unusually large numbers.

As so many different
species are attracted

to cross the river
in search of food

and to cool down
in warm weather,

it's possible to film them all
day from sunrise to sunset.

[music playing]

The animals have
no place to hide.

And in only a few
days, more are seen

than over all of last year.

[music playing]

Then, out of nowhere,
a huge brown bear

comes down to the river
for an afternoon bathe.

It is rare to have such an
encounter with one of Europe's

greatest mammals in the wild.

Then some days later, the
team strikes further gold.

A lone wolf appears on the
opposite bank of the river.

[music playing]

Its full belly suggests
it has recently eaten,

and its prey lies nearby.

But it's not long before the
wolf returns to the shadows

of its forest domain.

The largest and most
powerful animals

to frequent this river crossing
make up one of the biggest

bison herds of the region.

They spend most of
the time feeding

in the compact vegetation
of the riverbank.

And they regularly cross
the river in search

of other food to snack on.

They will sometimes stay
in the middle of the river

where they feel safe
for hours at a time.

When the herd ventures up
river, their incredible strength

is tangible.

It seems as if the Earth
trembles beneath their hooves.

[music playing]

Bison herds are composed mainly
of females and their young

and by a few young bulls.

But during mating season, the
older bulls, which can weigh up

to one ton, will join the herd.

The bull follows his
prospective mate everywhere.

He can be surprisingly
gentle in his persuasions.

These older bulls behave
differently to the others

and can't wait to start a fight.

They choose to do this in
dense vegetation out of sight.

One bull comes down to the
river after a violent bout.

It's lucky to escape
with few injuries.

These fights not only
expel weaker opponents,

they can result in death.

Amid all the drama, another
lone wolf is spotted taking

a drink on the opposite bank.

[suspenseful music playing]

Over the next day or so,
there are no further sightings

of any wolves.

But the huge bear returns
to the river for a bathe.

[suspenseful music playing]

After a while, the bear returns,
but it's now almost night.

The river is again
full of animals.

One wild boar is bold
enough to confront the bear.

The bear is wise enough
to beat a hasty retreat.

These brown bears go to the
river to browse for apples

on the old fruit trees.

Normally, bears in Europe are
almost totally vegetarian,

but the biggest bears take every
opportunity to scavenge off

the remains of any wolf kill.

In times past, when
there were many more

herbivores in the forest
and significantly more

fish in the rivers, the
bears mostly ate meat.

As a result, they were even
bigger than they are today.

Salmon and sea
trout once migrated

up and down the San River.

But in the 1950s, all
that came to a halt

with the building of
a dam for human needs.

If these fish return
to these waters,

perhaps the bears could again
be free to catch salmon,

just like their wild
cousins in Alaska.

[music playing]

The abundance of all these
creatures by the San River

is extraordinary, but
life here represents

only a tiny fraction of what
the natural world can sustain.

Without human intervention,
populations of animals

would be far higher, and the
sightings of wolves and bears

far more common.

This small pocket of
pristine wilderness

is a true reflection of
what the natural world could

look like if left to itself.

The only part of
the Wolf Mountains

that is strictly protected is
the Bieszczady National Park,

on the Polish side, but
the areas below the park

have no protection.

This is where all the
animals go in wintertime

and it is open to
human exploitation

for hunting and logging.

There are now no
pristine forests

left on the lower slopes.

The only example of
such an ancient forest

is one very old oak tree
found in the Ukraine.

It's around 1,200 years old.

In those times, bison, giant
auroch boars and wild horses,

now both extinct,
would have grazed

beneath its majestic branches.

But in the higher altitudes,
some of these forests

still remain.

This is one of the most
biodiverse regions in Europe.

One of the most
preserved forests

lies in the Slovak part
of the Wolf Mountains,

the Stuzica nature reserve.

Some trees are as high as 56
meters and as thick as two.

This ecosystem of primeval fir
beech forest support hundreds

of various species,
from birds and insects

to fungi and amphibians,
like the curious salamander.

Dozens of different
birds live here.

There are even eight
kinds of woodpeckers--

almost unheard of in
other European forests.

[birds chirping]

A treecreeper builds a
nest under the peeling

bark of a beech tree.

It's the perfect place to
hide a brood of chicks.

Similarly, a Eurasian
pygmy owl uses

the holes created by a
woodpecker to make its nest.

It's a fearsome predator.

Besides other smaller birds,
it catches rodents as well.

Rare species of owls can also be
found in this primeval forest,

such as the enigmatic Ural owl.

But the forest is the choice
home of the wolf population.

They use the
shadows of the trees

to give them every advantage
to stalk and capture

their prey, usually deer.

[music playing]

The video traps set
up over the summer

eventually reveals
some of the movements

of these rarely seen predators
in their daily search for food.

[music playing]

Winter arrives in the Wolf
Mountains with a vengeance.

Conditions for all
the animals are harsh.

The herbivores, like
the bison and deer,

must go to the valleys
where there is less snow

and food is easier to locate.

Temperatures at night can drop
to below minus 20 degrees.

[music playing]

Animals cross the San River
in their perpetual quest

to find things to eat.

During winter, they must
devise different strategies

to survive.

Some find food underwater,
others from the bark

of snow covered trees.

And for those choosing
the easy option,

there is always
something hopefully

to retrieve beneath the snow.

A family of boars filmed in the
summer returns to the river.

The young have clearly grown.

Only the strongest will survive.

It not only rests on the
ability to find food,

it depends on the physical
condition of all the animals

at the end of autumn.

If they are fit, they
will have a better chance

of surviving another year.

Some will fail to make it.

But the winter has
its advantages.

A carcass provides a rich
meal for other animals

in this wild country.

In the eternal circle
of life and death,

it pays to eat anything
that can be found.

Martens, for example, usually
eat small mammals and birds,

but they also enjoy
fruit in the winter.

[music playing]

This winter is
colder than normal.

Temperatures drop even
further to minus 30 degrees.

The river is frozen solid and
the only place not covered

by a thick layer of snow.

This provides the
wolves with a high way

to capture prey more easily.

Again, there is no
sign of a pack at work,

only the sight of a
solitary wolf disappearing

back into its forest kingdom.

After a few days, the weather
warms and the thaw begins.

The team has spent
500 days in the wild.

And now it's time
for them to return

from the wilderness
of their dreams

and to reflect on
their discoveries.

[music playing]

Here in the Wolf
Mountains, there

are few opportunities to
glimpse the animal that gives

this wild region its name.

Yet this top, but
secretive predator,

reigns supreme over
the rivers, mountains

and forests that make up this
unique and diverse ecosystem.

[music playing]

As animal after animal
is seen emerging

from the mist of the
San River, a vision

of a new European wilderness
begins to take shape.

This is a beautiful
realm, full of life,

and filled with all
manner of creatures,

both great and small.

Giant herbivores
migrate over the land.

Rare mammals stalk its rivers.

Strange beasts
change water flows

and forge a new
habitat, just like they

did in the ancient past.

Generations today
have rarely seen

a real wilderness like this.

Such places belong in
Africa and North America,

but there is little
in Europe to compare.

Now Europeans are beginning
to value the first glimmers

of wildernesses reborn and to
recognize the possibilities

of the future.

But even in the Wolf
Mountains, nature

is not yet free to evolve.

The areas that
are well-protected

are still too small.

If better protection is given
to bigger spaces where nature

can take care of itself,
much more of wilderness life

will thrive.

After centuries of
exploiting nature for gain,

it is time for us to
pay back the debt owed

to the wilderness of our past.

And we might, once
again, be able to look

with respect into the eyes
of our ancient friends.

[music playing]