All language subtitles for The.Olympic.Elk.1952.WEB-DL.DSNP

NARRATOR: In the northwest corner
of the United States,

jutting out
from the coast of Washington,

the Olympic Peninsula separates
Puget Sound from the Pacific.

Skirting its coastline,

a modern highway joins together
settlements of every size,

from tiny logging camps
to thriving cities.

Across the Sound lies Seattle,

while the surrounding waters
are the shipping lanes

that carry commerce to the Orient.

But despite the bustling activity
on all sides,

the primitive heart of the peninsula
remains untouched by civilization.

Here in this vast, virgin wilderness
live the Olympic elk.

Each spring,
these majestic animals migrate

from their winter home in the lowlands

to their summer grazing grounds
high among the topmost peaks.

In this long and arduous journey
lies another True-Life Adventure.

The Olympic range
is as rugged as any in the world.

Glaciers fill these alpine basins
with permanent ice,

while the surrounding peaks,
crowned by Mount Olympus,

form a barrier against the clouds
that drift in from the sea.

The resulting snowfall
is extremely heavy,

and during the winter months,

deep drifts choke the mountain passes
and cover the upland meadows.

But with the coming of spring,
the annual thaw begins.

By late May, the air is filled
with the sound of rushing water.

At this time of year,

the mountain meadows
are still deserted,

but from June to October,

they'll become the feeding ground,
breeding ground and battleground

of the Olympic elk.

Meanwhile,
the herd is still in winter quarters

in the cloud-filled lowlands.

The rainfall here
averages 150 inches yearly.

No wonder it's called the rain forest.

Of course, with so much water,
everything grows in profusion.

Moss is everywhere.

(BIRDS WARBLING)

Trees grow from trees,
for seeds take root wherever they fall.

When clouds of pollen from the fir trees
drift through the forest,

they mark the passing of spring.

Now instinct reminds the Olympic elk

it's time for their trek
to the high country.

Their departure always follows
the same pattern.

The bulls are the first to leave,

usually about two weeks
before the others.

Sporting their new
velvet-covered antlers,

they're anxious to be on their way.

The cows must delay their departure

until the new calves are strong enough
for the strenuous climb.

The calf is generally born in June.

At first, he's completely helpless.

His only defense is to lie perfectly still
whenever an enemy prowls the forest.

His spotted coat
helps him blend into his surroundings,

but sometimes
camouflage isn't enough.

This time,
the bear is coming much too close.

A pair of kindly neighbors
sound a warning.

(CAWING)

Mother rushes to the rescue.

Deliberately, she draws
the bear's attention to herself

and leads him off on a false trail.

With her superior speed,
she soon leaves the bear far behind.

And when he finally gives up
the hopeless chase,

she returns by a different route.

But of course,
one can't always depend on Mother.

There are times when a fellow
has to stand on his own feet,

even though that's quite a problem.

(BIRD SINGING)

(CHITTERING)

In a matter of days,

these wobbly little legs must be ready
for the long, grueling trek.

He gets plenty of advice
from the sidelines,

(SQUEAKING)

and it seems to be doing some good,

for he gains strength and confidence
with every step.

Well, almost every step.

When the calves are strong enough,
the herd gathers for the trek.

Each calf stays close to its mother,
and each family has a place in line.

The march begins,

and the calves soon learn
they must keep the pace.

Once underway,
nothing can stop the advancing herd

or turn it from its chosen course,

not even a flood-swollen river.

Here the youngsters
are strictly on their own,

and often, in fording
these swift, glacier-fed streams,

tragic accidents occur.

But this time
the crossing is safely made,

and, without pausing to rest,
the herd re-forms and pushes on.

Usually, a few bulls
may be found with this group,

but they're the old men of the herd

and so they just tag along
and let the cows lead the way.

Altogether,
the journey takes about a month,

and the calves stand up
remarkably well

as the herd meets and surmounts
one obstacle after another.

Quick meals are taken along the way,

but pauses are brief
and the overall pace never slackens.

From a respectful distance,
an old enemy keeps tabs on the herd.

The footing on these rockslides
is treacherous,

and there's always a chance

one of the youngsters will break a leg
and be left behind.

The clear, cool waters
of a mountain lake

are too tempting to be ignored.

For one refreshing moment,

all the hardships of the journey
are forgotten.

For most of the herd,
the bath is just a splash and a dip,

but here's one lady who's determined
to make a thorough job of it.

When the bear invites himself
to the party,

the elk decide it's time to leave.

And so he soon has the pool
all to himself.

After his plunge, he likes nothing better
than a brisk rubdown.

Each year,
the elk must find a new route

to their mountain meadows.

It's no easy task,

for across this raw
and rugged wilderness

there are no game trails,
not even a footpath.

Only the mountain goat
is entirely at home.

The calf would like to make friends
with this shaggy stranger in white,

but the goat is much too shy.

He's not interested
in even a passing acquaintance.

And now it's almost journey's end.
The goal is in sight.

With the long trek over,
the herd finds a new burst of energy.

Mothers and youngsters alike
scamper gaily across the snowfield.

A permanent resident up here
is a bright little fellow called a marmot.

The hubbub has brought him
out of his winter hibernation.

He's seen the elks'
homecoming celebration before,

but it's always a good show
and well worth watching

from a safe distance.

The adults are the first to slow down.

Some remember their dignity,
others give up from sheer exhaustion.

The calves, however, will continue
their capering till they drop.

Eventually, even the youngsters
are ready to call it a day,

but then Mother gets her second wind
and the sport begins all over again.

Hearty exercise
means healthy appetites,

and it's a welcome pause when
playtime gives way to nursing time.

Strangely enough, this alpine country
is a wonderland of wildflowers,

and they grow
in the most unexpected places.

Reaching for the sunshine, they simply
push the melting snow aside.

There's nothing delicate
about these hardy specimens.

They thrive on ice water
and sub-freezing temperatures.

Some even persist in blooming

beneath the frigid waters
of the mountain streams.

The melting snow uncovers
whole meadows of lilies, bear grass,

violets growing among the rocks,

Indian paintbrush,
daisies, avalanche lilies

and many others less familiar.

In fact, there are
more than 20 different species here

that may be found nowhere else.

But all this beauty is lost
on the Olympic elk.

On these remote slopes,

they seek only a pleasant pasturage
and seclusion.

During these next few weeks,

the herd will spend most of its time
in grazing.

Between meals, some of the cows
find relief from the summer's heat

on the snow patches that still remain
in the protected basins.

Meanwhile, in their bachelors' quarters
along the high ridges,

the bull elk have preferred
to keep their own company.

Even the arrival of the cows and calves
has left them quite undisturbed.

There's plenty of grass and water here,

and for the moment, at least,
they're completely satisfied.

And so the summer passes
in a life of ease for all.

With the approach of autumn,
the tranquil scene changes,

for now the mating urge
drives the bulls out of seclusion.

There's tension in the air,

and soon the mountains will ring
with their furious bellowing.

The bulls vent their anger
on anything that happens in their path,

and those that haven't already done so

hurriedly clean the velvet
from their antlers.

These are the weapons that will decide
the grim battles of the mating season.

They're solid-boned and needle-sharp.

The younger bulls
engage in training bouts.

But nobody gets hurt,

for at this age,
it's just a good-natured game.

They practice all the fundamentals:

offense, defense,
footwork and balance.

The sound of battle attracts spectators.

To the marmots,
this looks like great sport,

so they decide
to have a go at each other, too.

(SQUEAKING)

(ELK BUGLING)

Suddenly, the fun is over.

Sharp ears have caught
a distant sound.

Spine-tingling, eerie.

The wild bugling of the Olympic elk.

(BUGLING)

Soon the mountains echo and re-echo.

Bulls everywhere pick up the challenge
and hurl back their defiance.

In this way, each bull announces
the end of his bachelorhood.

Now the rounding-up
of the cows begins.

The male will collect
as many wives as he can find.

Then it becomes a problem
of keeping them together

and under his control.

He will start with two or three,

but will try to increase the number
to a dozen or more.

In his skirmishes with other bulls,

he may acquire a whole new batch
or lose those he already has.

To add to his troubles,
most of his wives are the roving kind.

And so, beset
with a growing domestic problem,

he snatches a last hasty lunch.

From now on,
there'll be little time for meals.

This bull has collected
the largest harem of all,

and so far he's holding his own.

He manages to keep his rivals
on the run.

And at the same time,

he skillfully maneuvers his new harem
to a nearby snow patch.

This is his domain to have and to hold.

But that won't be easy.

A bull with too many wives
is asking for trouble,

and this fellow must have 50 or more.

Still, no serious challenger
comes forward,

just a yearling or two,

and they scamper away
at the first threat.

But now,
around the fringe of his snow patch,

other challengers begin to gather.

These outriders range
from ambitious youngsters

to seasoned veterans.

They have one thing in common.
All are without wives.

For situations like this,
the outriders have a definite strategy.

One by one,
they move in to bait the herd bull.

It's their plan
to keep him rushing here and there

until they drive him into a frenzy.

The lord of the snow patch
has a strategy, too,

one of bluff and bluster.

He's hoping desperately
to get rid of his tormentors

without being forced
into actual combat.

If he leaves his harem unprotected,
all is lost, and he knows it.

The wiser heads among the outriders
aren't looking for a finish fight, either.

They know that sooner or later

one of the impulsive youngsters
will tire of the game

and call for a showdown.

And sure enough, here he comes.

Deliberately,
the challenger crosses the line.

The herd bull, realizing
his bluff has been called, moves in.

This is it. The real thing.
A fight to the finish.

Among the outriders,
there's complete satisfaction.

It's all according to plan.

This is what they've been waiting for.

The herd bull is determined
to finish this upstart quickly

and get back to his unprotected wives.

But it's already too late.

The opportunists
are beginning to move in.

While the lord of the snow patch
is busy defending his hide,

the outriders are busy
dividing his harem.

It's a gallant battle,

a youngster's strength
against a veteran's skill.

Suddenly, in a furious struggle,
slashing antlers lock and hold.

Despite their mightiest efforts,
the bulls can't break free.

For the hapless warriors,
it's a desperate situation.

But for the departing harem,
it's not worth even a backward glance.

(BUGLING)

Now the grim battle
can have but one ending.

Unless the bulls can somehow
break the deadlock,

they will both die of starvation.

It's happened here before.

The young challenger
puts everything he has

into one last furious lunge.

Youth and stamina claim the victory.

Exit the vanquished,

sadder, wiser and firmly resolved

that in the future,
he'll be satisfied with fewer wives.

The new champion
learns his lesson, too.

Mournfully,
he surveys an empty snow patch

and discovers that
if valor wins the victories,

discretion wins the wives.

But he'll have no second chance,
at least not this season,

for now winter takes possession
of the high country.

With the excitement
of the mating season over,

the herd begins the long trek
back to winter quarters in the lowlands.

The lonely champion
is the last to leave.

Next year, older and wiser,

he'll leave the fighting
to the impulsive youngsters.

With his departure,

a cycle in the life of the Olympic elk
comes to a close,

and with it
another True-Life Adventure.