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In a time now past,
most Iberian forests looked like this.
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00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:17,600
Even today, in some mountain ranges
in the south of the peninsula,
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00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:22,560
remains of those thick jungles grow,
enveloped in dense mists.
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00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,240
But as a result of tenacious
human action, of the use of livestock,
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00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,800
a new landscape grew up.
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00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:44,200
FOREST OF THE IBERIAN LYNX
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00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,360
Spread out forests
of holm oaks and cork oaks,
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00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:58,680
exclusive to the Iberian peninsula,
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00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:00,920
with an appearance and an activity
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00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:03,280
similar to that
of the African savannahs,
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00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:05,720
where flocks
of domestic livestock
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00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,720
carry out the role
of the great herds of wild ungulates.
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00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:13,600
A unique ecosystem,
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00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:17,840
the result of the sum
of nature and human activity.
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00:02:19,920 --> 00:02:22,760
An old contract of mutual interest,
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00:02:22,920 --> 00:02:26,000
in which the forest is not harmed.
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00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:30,680
And where a large community of predators
search for their food.
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00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:56,480
The axe, the plow and the teeth
of livestock opened these forests.
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00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:00,840
But the thick
surrounding vegetation
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00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,720
hides some of the most valuable species
in the Mediterranean forests.
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00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:09,080
An Iberian lynx,
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00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:13,440
an animal whose sole presence
dignifies the place where it lives.
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00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:18,040
The rolling terrain of the dehesa,
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00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,840
with soft ground, scattered trees
and abundant undergrowth,
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00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:25,360
is the ideal habitat
for mountain rabbits.
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00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:27,280
At the same time,
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00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:32,320
the weight of sustaining
all this ecosystem falls on them.
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00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:35,840
Between raptors
and earthbound carnivores,
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00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:40,280
up to thirty species of predators
have specialized in hunting them.
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00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,120
Pursued, harassed on the ground
and from the air,
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00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:57,200
rabbits have
the weapon of the humble:
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00:03:57,360 --> 00:03:59,520
a high birth rate.
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00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,960
A cavity excavated underground
shelters the litters.
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00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:08,840
Dry and comfortable,
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00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:13,320
it is lined with grasses
and the soft fur from the mother's belly.
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00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,840
The baby rabbits,
separated from the communal warren
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00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:21,960
and far from prying eyes,
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00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:26,040
are shut away during the day
behind a door of earth.
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00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:33,000
Hungry, just a few days old,
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00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,600
the baby rabbits have to grow quickly.
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00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,240
They will soon leave the protection
of their rabbit hole.
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00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:43,680
The mother, prolific,
will get pregnant time and again,
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00:04:43,840 --> 00:04:46,280
up to four or five times a year.
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00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:50,520
More than twenty siblings
will join the family.
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00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,480
Rabbits are the basis of the dehesa.
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00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:09,320
But at times it seems that the dehesa
is falling down on their heads.
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00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,560
A herd of fighting bulls
move across their domain.
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00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,880
Descendents, like all breeds of cattle,
of the aurochs,
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00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:34,760
these animals have been selected
not for their physical characteristics,
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00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,800
but for their aggressive,
resistant behavior.
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00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:47,320
Life in the herd
follows a strict hierarchical order.
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00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,400
There are constant quarrels.
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00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,920
The dominant male
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00:05:56,080 --> 00:06:00,120
scratches to intimidate the others.
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00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:20,240
In their fights,
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00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:24,560
these bulls only know how to charge
head on, with their forehead,
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00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:27,320
without duplicity or cunning.
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00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:30,400
No other animal
charges with such force.
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00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:34,440
The collision
of two enraged masses of 500 kilos
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00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,080
shakes the dehesa
to its foundations.
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00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:11,320
Built as water reserves
for the summer months,
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00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:15,160
the pools
open the forests to other inhabitants.
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00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:19,760
An otter,
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00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:24,240
a mammal that abandoned dry land
to hunt in the water.
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00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:36,040
Agile on the ground,
otters have evolved for aquatic life.
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00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:44,720
With their eyes and nose
at the edge of their flat heads,
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00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:49,120
they can look out at water level
and keep their waterline low.
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00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,760
Immersions are continuous.
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00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:06,000
Capable of holding their breath
for three or four minutes,
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00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:09,760
they rarely dive
without obtaining results.
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00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:38,880
The latest rains bring good news.
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00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:48,480
On the rocky slopes
that surround the dehesa,
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00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,240
new eyes open to life.
74
00:09:03,680 --> 00:09:05,920
Born a few weeks ago,
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00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:08,240
these two Iberian lynx cubs
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00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:11,680
look out on the exterior
for the first time.
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00:09:13,560 --> 00:09:15,480
They have just opened their eyes,
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00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:18,560
still blue
from lack of exposure to the sun,
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00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,840
and curiosity leads them
to the mouth of the den.
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00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:24,640
But they've chosen a bad moment.
81
00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:27,640
Nothing bothers a cat
more than a downpour.
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00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:31,600
Even so, they prefer to get wet
rather than go back to the darkness,
83
00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:35,320
and the mother moves away a few meters
so that her young,
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00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:39,200
feeling themselves alone,
look for shelter under the rocks.
85
00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:05,960
The mother won't go very far.
86
00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:10,720
The cubs are out of sight now
and at this age they are very vulnerable.
87
00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:17,600
At last it stops raining.
88
00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:21,200
The cat comes back
to check on things.
89
00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:26,240
No one at the mouth of the den.
90
00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:36,920
The mother calls with a yelp
and the two cubs come out again.
91
00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:42,320
Then there begins a ceremony
of licks, games and fights:
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00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:46,040
the daily ritual
of any family of cats.
93
00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:43,320
Considered the most threatened
felines on the planet,
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00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,680
the Iberian lynxes
were close to extinction.
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00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:49,440
There was barely
a hundred of them left,
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00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:51,920
prowling freely
through the woodlands.
97
00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,240
But, for once,
action was taken in time,
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00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:57,520
with a very efficient
conservation plan
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00:11:57,680 --> 00:12:00,360
over the course of several years
and, as a result,
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00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:04,040
new litters
are increasingly frequent.
101
00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:20,640
The days grow longer
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00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:25,520
and the sunlight turns into colors
and sounds on the floor of the dehesa.
103
00:12:26,680 --> 00:12:28,440
In the fields of poppies,
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00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:30,320
on the plains of hedge mustard,
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00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:35,840
the buzzing of pollinating bees
creates a vibrant background of sounds.
106
00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:45,200
Even on the plains,
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00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:48,760
animals always
look for the shortest routes.
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00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:51,440
If the landscape tells a story,
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00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:55,080
the marks traced on the ground
by the hooves of ruminants
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00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:57,480
are its lines of text.
111
00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:13,880
Turquoise in a world of liquid crystal.
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00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:18,280
A kingfisher harpoons the waters.
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00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:01,920
The kingfisher's entire body
is a prolongation of its long beak.
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00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:05,960
A hydrodynamic design
that is perfect for diving.
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00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:15,800
The kingfisher
always patrols in crystalline rivers
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00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:19,040
shut away between slopes
and with fallen trunks
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00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:21,360
from which to look down
on the current.
118
00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:27,480
From his vantage point
nothing can hide from him.
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00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:33,520
"Pardillas", and other small fish
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00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:35,960
fall under his viewing angle.
121
00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,360
The kingfisher
can also compensate
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00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:46,320
for the apparent deviation
of the image underwater
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00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:48,440
due to the refraction of light
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00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:51,080
with absolute precision.
125
00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:40,400
The fine season advances
126
00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:44,280
and in the shadier areas
the purple red of the peonies
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00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:49,000
stands out against the subdued
green tones of the undergrowth.
128
00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:55,040
The smell
rather than the color of the peonies
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00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:59,400
attracts pollinating beetles which,
completely covered in pollen,
130
00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:03,760
will scatter the future of these
flowers throughout the dehesa.
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00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:13,680
For many species,
the dehesa is only a hunting ground,
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00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:15,880
a roaming area
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00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:20,080
where it is easier to seek out
and pursue their prey.
134
00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:27,840
But to breed
they choose more protected places,
135
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:31,240
steep slopes, inaccessible rocks.
136
00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:43,400
A pair of Bonelli's eagles
tend to their nest.
137
00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:47,080
Of all the great Iberian eagles,
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00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:49,960
the Bonelli's eagles are the wildest,
139
00:17:50,120 --> 00:17:52,320
the ones that live
in the steepest places.
140
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:57,680
Sedentary, they are closely linked
to the most hidden ledges,
141
00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:02,360
where they easily find platforms
that are difficult to access.
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00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:07,920
Perched in his castle,
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00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:12,480
the Bonelli's eagle doesn't always
have to fly far to find food.
144
00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:18,280
From up here
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00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:22,520
the call of the red-legged partridges
can be heard clearly.
146
00:18:26,360 --> 00:18:30,160
The eagle constantly
patrols his hunting territory.
147
00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:33,160
He is accustomed
to flying close to the peaks,
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00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:35,200
watching both sides.
149
00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:39,640
He glides down the slope,
he avoids the crags.
150
00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:41,640
He searches for the surprise
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00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:46,680
and is always ready to swoop down
on any animal he catches off-guard.
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00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:51,080
In this case,
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00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:55,000
the partridge hasn't realized
what is bearing down on it.
154
00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:05,720
Some of its feathers
fly for the last time.
155
00:19:38,360 --> 00:19:40,160
On their hunting trips,
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00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:44,720
these eagles show us
what a good neighborhood should be.
157
00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:49,960
The still waters of the River Douro,
boxed in between cliffs,
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00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:52,680
mark a border
between two countries,
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00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:56,120
but not the limits
of the eagle's territory.
160
00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:59,840
The Bonelli's eagle
hunts on the Portuguese side,
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00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:01,920
and every day
crosses the line
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00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:05,080
to feed his chicks
on the Spanish side.
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00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:22,400
There are no borders in nature.
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00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:30,160
The black and white wingbeat
of the hoopoe
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00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:32,840
stands out
against the floral carpet.
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00:20:46,360 --> 00:20:50,520
With such wide wings,
there is total wing control.
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00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:52,160
Because of its morphology,
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00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:56,200
the hoopoe isn't prepared
for perching on a vertical trunk,
169
00:20:56,360 --> 00:21:00,240
so it has to make a real effort
to introduce its beak,
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00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:04,000
fine as a needle,
into the chick's throat.
171
00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:27,320
On the sunnier slopes,
on stirred up ground,
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00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:30,400
these plants
with violet flowers grow.
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00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:36,240
Perhaps because
of their sinuous growth,
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00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,200
they are known
as viper's bugloss.
175
00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,320
In the fields of dandelions,
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00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:12,080
it isn't that flowers
that present a danger.
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00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:19,760
That is the function
of the little crab spider,
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00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:22,960
hidden by the colors
of its surroundings.
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00:22:23,120 --> 00:22:25,000
In this case, yellow,
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00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,800
although it can vary
depending on the floral palette.
181
00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:35,320
As if hidden behind a veil,
the spider is invisible to its enemies.
182
00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:39,840
The disproportionate size
of its front legs,
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00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:42,640
the reason
for the comparison with crabs,
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00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:46,560
allows it to trap
proportionately enormous prey.
185
00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:50,640
Functionally,
the crab spider is a trap.
186
00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:54,840
In the sensorial world of insects,
187
00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:56,920
bathed by ultraviolet light,
188
00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:01,680
the arachnid is no more than
a vague form on a field of flowers.
189
00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:35,320
The hunger of one
and the patience of the other
190
00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,560
make the encounter inevitable.
191
00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:45,680
The hunter doesn't spin a web,
192
00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:49,760
but it cultivates patience and
the technique of lying and waiting.
193
00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:55,320
For long hours if necessary,
before the deadly embrace.
194
00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:10,280
The spider closes
its legs over the prisoner
195
00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:12,640
and injects its venom.
196
00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:24,320
The season advances
197
00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:27,720
and the yellow flowers
turn into thistledown,
198
00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:31,760
filaments that float
on the slightest breath of wind.
199
00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:46,120
The tranquility is only apparent.
200
00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:48,960
The cries
from the birds in the forest
201
00:24:49,120 --> 00:24:51,440
indicate that something
is going to happen.
202
00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:59,760
But this rabbit seems to be
the only one who hasn't realized.
203
00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:12,040
The hour of the lynx begins.
204
00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:25,840
Concealed
by the patches on his fur,
205
00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:30,120
the lynx blends in
with the chiaroscuro of the forest.
206
00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:39,960
A thicket of grasses
comes between the hunter and his prey.
207
00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:42,800
There can be no visual contact,
208
00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:47,400
but the lynx's hearing guides him
with the same precision as his sight.
209
00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:03,200
His figure becomes blurred,
210
00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:05,720
beard erect,
211
00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,200
ears pointed forward
212
00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:10,720
but with the crests flattened.
213
00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:14,920
Not a hair of the cat
protrudes above the grasses.
214
00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:23,560
At four or five meters,
the distance of a leap,
215
00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:25,280
the attack is deadly.
216
00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,840
For the rabbit, noise is its downfall.
217
00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:39,240
The rabbit's shrieks serve to warn
its whole community of the danger.
218
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:41,840
Too late.
219
00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,400
Everyone in the forest already knew it.
220
00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:48,240
Except, perhaps, the main protagonist.
221
00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:03,320
A cruel spectacle.
222
00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,880
Large insects and tiny rodents,
all skewered,
223
00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:12,480
impaled like the victims
of a sinister Transylvanian count.
224
00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:18,560
A southern grey shrike
watches from a high perch.
225
00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:24,200
From their appearance,
shrikes seem like little raptors,
226
00:27:24,360 --> 00:27:26,960
the featherweights among birds of prey.
227
00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:31,920
The hooked beak
and its hunting techniques vouch to that.
228
00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:34,960
But there is something missing
in its killing equipment:
229
00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:38,720
strong claws to grasp and tear.
230
00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,960
That is why they use tools
such as the barbs on thorn bushes
231
00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:48,560
like a butcher's block.
232
00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:01,360
All of the shrike's life
takes place among barbs.
233
00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:02,640
Even in the nest,
234
00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:07,160
hidden behind the prickly barrier
of a holm oak's needles.
235
00:28:16,360 --> 00:28:20,080
A ladder snake
scours its hunting territory.
236
00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:25,120
The distant cheeping
of the hungry chicks betrays them.
237
00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:28,840
And although the ophidian's hearing
isn't particularly fine,
238
00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:31,640
the shrike reacts in alarm.
239
00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:39,880
But first, a bit of silence.
240
00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:42,960
Given the proximity
of the snake,
241
00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:47,000
a specific cry and something
like a thump on the ground
242
00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:51,400
alerts the chicks
so that they hide and keep quiet.
243
00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:56,840
Facing the danger alone,
the shrike defies the snake,
244
00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,440
it exposes itself, it provokes it
to distract its attention.
245
00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:23,000
The alarm is over.
246
00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:55,160
A hoarse clamor emerges
from the surface of the water.
247
00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,320
The Iberian water frogs are in heat.
248
00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:05,720
Born exhibitionists,
249
00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:09,400
the males use a trick
to appear more than they are.
250
00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:12,120
By inflating its gular sac
251
00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:16,360
its simple voice echoes
and becomes a hoarse,
252
00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:18,880
broken, defiant croak.
253
00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:59,000
At times the confrontation
ends in a fist fight.
254
00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:02,760
Or rather, a leg fight.
255
00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:13,440
A black stork
wades through the shallow waters
256
00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:15,760
and puts an end to the argument.
257
00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:45,200
With its craw laden,
the stork heads for its nest.
258
00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:02,400
Everything in the black stork
is like the negative of its white relative.
259
00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:05,440
Very scarce,
it flees humanized areas
260
00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:09,120
and it has adapted
so faithfully to its last refuges,
261
00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:13,440
the Mediterranean forests,
that it has become a symbol.
262
00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:19,120
And unlike the white stork,
263
00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:22,840
the black stork is evasive,
almost hermit-like.
264
00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:30,240
Monogamous for life,
265
00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:34,360
the pair usually nest
on river ledges.
266
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:42,360
The rock face is their wall,
the water, their protective moat.
267
00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:55,160
When feeding,
268
00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:59,040
the storks don't show preference
for any of the chicks which,
269
00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:01,920
gathered in a circle,
fish in the nest
270
00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:05,480
for the fish and frogs
regurgitated by their mother.
271
00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:28,160
Under their armor of scales,
272
00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:31,360
some jeweled lizards,
two males and a female,
273
00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:33,280
the latter with the smaller head,
274
00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:36,800
maintain their flirtations
in the sun that warms most.
275
00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:41,440
But an unusual incident
seems to catch their attention.
276
00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:56,800
Two lynx cubs play,
watched by their mother.
277
00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:07,720
At two months,
they are at the so-called fighting stage,
278
00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:09,360
a rebellious childhood
279
00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:13,480
in which fierce fights
alternate with harmless games.
280
00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:21,200
A second family approaches.
281
00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,480
This mother is, in turn,
the daughter of the first lynx.
282
00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:33,720
Between lynxes,
283
00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:38,160
it is normal for mothers and daughters
to share the same breeding grounds.
284
00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:41,800
Not always in good harmony.
285
00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:44,880
Two of the cubs get into a fight,
286
00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:47,440
and the mothers
come over to the rumpus.
287
00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:57,280
Fights between adults are frequent.
288
00:34:59,880 --> 00:35:01,720
Also between cubs.
289
00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:04,320
But what is unusual is this clash
290
00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:08,560
in which large and small fight,
each on their own.
291
00:35:56,720 --> 00:36:00,760
From a bird's eye view,
a dehesa is an excellent hunting ground.
292
00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:05,640
Separated trees,
which allow for very fast flight,
293
00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:08,400
the ground covered
with pasture and brushwood,
294
00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:10,880
where it is difficult to hide.
295
00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:20,080
An Spanish imperial eagle
flies over its domains.
296
00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:43,360
The eagle's nest
297
00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:47,520
occupies the top of an isolated tree
in the middle of the plain.
298
00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:51,720
They fear no one,
they don't have to hide from anyone.
299
00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:55,840
With its craw full,
an eaglet waits.
300
00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:58,320
We can perceive
from the size of its feet
301
00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:01,200
the strength of the future hunter.
302
00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:17,760
In full daylight,
when danger comes from above,
303
00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:20,360
a rabbit is an easy prey.
304
00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:24,280
But on this occasion
it manages to escape.
305
00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:33,280
With its haughty flight
the eagle has discovered another prey.
306
00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:38,560
A wood pigeon
at a watering hole.
307
00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:57,120
Only one in ten attacks
ends in success.
308
00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:02,400
The eagle communicates
the good news to its mate.
309
00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:16,560
The imperial eagle's fortune
310
00:38:16,720 --> 00:38:20,080
has not always matched
the grandeur of its titles.
311
00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:22,400
As happened with the lynx,
312
00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:25,320
the predator
was on the verge of extinction.
313
00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:28,320
Another specialist in hunting rabbits,
314
00:38:28,480 --> 00:38:31,520
it suffered from the collapse
of its main food source
315
00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:35,280
and also from a long campaign
of poisoning in the countryside,
316
00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:39,080
until its population
was reduced to a hundred pairs.
317
00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:44,960
Fortunately, today the imperial eagles
reproduce in a sustainable way
318
00:38:45,120 --> 00:38:48,280
and their silhouettes
are seen again on patrol flights
319
00:38:48,440 --> 00:38:50,480
through the forests of the plain.
320
00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:00,520
The fine season advances,
321
00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:04,480
temperatures rise
and it's time to change clothes.
322
00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:09,560
On ranches and farms
wool shearing begins.
323
00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:57,800
Sheep aren't the only ones
to shed their skin at this time.
324
00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:04,840
In the cork oak groves,
cork stripping has begun.
325
00:40:05,160 --> 00:40:08,600
Another great bird of prey,
the short-toed snake-eagle,
326
00:40:08,760 --> 00:40:12,360
has just arrived on the peninsula
from Africa.
327
00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:32,840
The axe blades squeak
as they bite into the springy surface.
328
00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:42,320
From early on,
in the cool of the morning,
329
00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:46,680
a band of cork workers
are peeling a grove of cork oaks.
330
00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:02,160
When they have finished,
the cork oaks will be left bare,
331
00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:07,000
with the trunks and main branches
an intense orange color,
332
00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:09,680
which will soon darken.
333
00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:13,920
The tree now has
nine years ahead of it
334
00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:16,560
to regenerate its cork bark,
335
00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:19,320
to heal its wounds.
336
00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:27,960
At the height of the mid-summer heat,
when the mountain is a blazing oven,
337
00:41:28,120 --> 00:41:31,760
the short-toed snake-eagles
fly over their hunting ground.
338
00:41:34,960 --> 00:41:37,800
A consummate expert
in the capture of ophidians,
339
00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:41,160
this eagle has found the ideal way
340
00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:45,080
to transport
its long, slippery prey.
341
00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:52,720
In the nest,
on the top of a cork oak,
342
00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:55,840
the only chick
waits for food to arrive.
343
00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:18,160
The short-toed snake-eagles
always swallow their prey head first,
344
00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:19,920
in the direction of the scales.
345
00:42:21,560 --> 00:42:23,560
Given the chick's brief age,
346
00:42:23,720 --> 00:42:27,240
the most likely thing
is that the father brings the food
347
00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:30,320
and the mother prepares it.
348
00:42:32,120 --> 00:42:34,480
In this kind of game of tug o' war,
349
00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:36,440
every precaution is necessary.
350
00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:39,480
The snake,
which comes perfectly rolled up,
351
00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:44,240
emerges against the scales
and could damage the craw.
352
00:42:45,640 --> 00:42:48,360
On occasions,
these average sized eagles,
353
00:42:48,520 --> 00:42:50,400
which can weigh three kilos,
354
00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:54,560
are capable of ingesting snakes
measuring up to a meter and a half.
355
00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:19,640
The eagle's feet
reveal its specialty in hunting.
356
00:43:20,240 --> 00:43:23,960
Long tarsi
protected from venomous bites
357
00:43:24,120 --> 00:43:26,240
by a thick shell of scales,
358
00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:29,760
and short fingers
which close with all their strength
359
00:43:29,920 --> 00:43:32,280
on a prey
with very little diameter.
360
00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:41,360
Meanwhile, the father
continues his low level hunting flight,
361
00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:46,440
inch by inch,
waiting to spot some elusive movement.
362
00:43:53,320 --> 00:43:55,760
The days of heat advance.
363
00:43:55,920 --> 00:43:59,840
The pasture dries up
and the rivers drop, exhausted.
364
00:44:11,720 --> 00:44:13,800
Standing out
against the yellow background,
365
00:44:13,960 --> 00:44:17,480
the dark silhouettes
of this band of prowlers.
366
00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:22,720
Evening falls and a family
of Egyptian mongooses,
367
00:44:22,880 --> 00:44:27,320
the Iberian mongooses,
wake from their long midday siesta.
368
00:44:30,880 --> 00:44:35,520
They are believed to be descended from
animals introduced by Arab colonizers,
369
00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:39,440
given their skill
at hunting rodents and snakes.
370
00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:44,720
Centuries later, with global warming,
it seems as if the Egyptian mongoose
371
00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:49,120
is returning to the arid North African
territories from which it left.
372
00:44:49,720 --> 00:44:53,800
It is, perhaps,
the herald of the bad times ahead.
373
00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:58,720
The whole group
heads for the hunting ground.
374
00:45:03,320 --> 00:45:06,280
They advance together,
always staying low,
375
00:45:06,440 --> 00:45:10,600
body elongated,
ears reduced, snout pointed:
376
00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:14,680
a hunter designed to remain hidden.
377
00:45:37,920 --> 00:45:41,800
But at times
they have to rise up over the horizon.
378
00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:44,880
And something has been discovered.
379
00:45:54,720 --> 00:45:57,800
Pursued by all
and at all hours of the day,
380
00:45:57,960 --> 00:46:00,520
the rodents in the country,
from running so much,
381
00:46:00,680 --> 00:46:03,720
have ended up
opening narrow escape corridors.
382
00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:07,920
But the victim's escape route
is also accessible to the hunter.
383
00:46:20,440 --> 00:46:22,600
The game goes to the mongoose.
384
00:46:25,080 --> 00:46:26,880
All for the family.
385
00:46:41,040 --> 00:46:42,360
Change of guard.
386
00:46:42,520 --> 00:46:47,040
The daytime inhabitants leave room
for the nocturnal prowlers.
387
00:46:49,240 --> 00:46:50,760
A barn owl,
388
00:46:50,920 --> 00:46:54,560
so confident in its skills
that it doesn't even hide,
389
00:46:54,720 --> 00:46:57,280
white against the black night.
390
00:47:02,560 --> 00:47:05,440
Its flapping wings make no sound.
391
00:47:05,600 --> 00:47:09,480
Silence is the setting
where the owl hunts.
392
00:47:10,200 --> 00:47:12,120
Hearing is its principal sense.
393
00:47:13,320 --> 00:47:16,560
Its flight feathers,
lined with a smooth velvet,
394
00:47:16,720 --> 00:47:18,240
beat noiselessly.
395
00:47:22,640 --> 00:47:24,400
This silent flight
396
00:47:24,560 --> 00:47:27,360
has the double purpose
of not alerting anyone
397
00:47:27,520 --> 00:47:29,640
and of allowing it
to hear the slightest rustle,
398
00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:32,880
any creak that betrays a prey.
399
00:47:35,440 --> 00:47:38,960
The owl, literally,
sees through sounds.
400
00:47:49,920 --> 00:47:55,120
The strange face of nocturnal raptors
is really an auricle,
401
00:47:55,520 --> 00:47:57,800
a surface for amplifying
402
00:47:57,960 --> 00:48:01,840
even the slightest murmur
and directing it to the ear.
403
00:48:20,040 --> 00:48:23,120
And these mice
are making a lot of noise.
404
00:48:27,280 --> 00:48:29,120
They are running, rashly,
405
00:48:29,280 --> 00:48:33,160
along the same galleries
where the mongooses run.
406
00:48:34,560 --> 00:48:37,280
This time, they have managed to escape.
407
00:49:01,120 --> 00:49:05,880
Few animals show so clearly
what their intentions are.
408
00:49:11,520 --> 00:49:15,280
The common scorpion
wears its lethal armor.
409
00:49:31,520 --> 00:49:36,120
A field cricket is out of place,
far from its hole in the grass.
410
00:49:36,760 --> 00:49:38,960
And it's on its way
to its downfall.
411
00:50:05,240 --> 00:50:07,240
There is no possible appeal.
412
00:50:07,400 --> 00:50:10,000
Trapped between two pincers,
the pedipalps,
413
00:50:10,160 --> 00:50:14,680
the cricket receives a lethal final blow
that will paralyze it in seconds.
414
00:50:33,560 --> 00:50:38,600
In the dead of night,
a long awaited event takes place.
415
00:50:42,760 --> 00:50:45,920
The adult beetles
of the Cerambyx species
416
00:50:46,080 --> 00:50:49,320
break the final barrier
that kept them enclosed
417
00:50:49,480 --> 00:50:52,480
and they look out on a new darkness.
418
00:50:58,800 --> 00:51:02,920
They have spent over three years
inside the trunk,
419
00:51:03,080 --> 00:51:07,320
in galleries excavated in the wood,
and their hour has finally come.
420
00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:11,160
Also called great capricorn beatles,
421
00:51:11,320 --> 00:51:15,280
in recent decades
they have experienced an explosive growth
422
00:51:15,440 --> 00:51:19,080
and even threaten
the good health of the dehesa.
423
00:51:23,640 --> 00:51:27,560
So this tawny owl
is the best defender of the forest.
424
00:52:04,120 --> 00:52:06,320
A squeal comes from the insect,
425
00:52:06,480 --> 00:52:09,080
an alarm signal
that is already late.
426
00:52:13,920 --> 00:52:17,520
The drilled trunk indicates
both the intensity of the plague
427
00:52:18,600 --> 00:52:22,400
and the need for the existence
of hunters like the tawny owl.
428
00:52:35,360 --> 00:52:37,440
Ill prepared for flight,
429
00:52:37,600 --> 00:52:40,520
the males move barely
a few hundred meters
430
00:52:40,680 --> 00:52:43,520
and climb the trunks
in search of females.
431
00:52:44,280 --> 00:52:47,560
But the encounters
between them are frequent.
432
00:52:49,960 --> 00:52:52,600
With the predictable result.
433
00:52:59,920 --> 00:53:03,480
The fights last
until the cold light of dawn,
434
00:53:03,640 --> 00:53:05,800
the first they see in their lives,
435
00:53:05,960 --> 00:53:08,160
puts an end to the struggle.
436
00:53:37,520 --> 00:53:41,560
On both sides of the border
between the Iberian countries,
437
00:53:41,720 --> 00:53:44,360
the dehesa is a created forest,
438
00:53:44,520 --> 00:53:48,640
a humanized landscape
built over the centuries.
439
00:53:54,400 --> 00:53:57,920
And they have been its main architects.
440
00:53:58,560 --> 00:54:00,480
The migrant merino sheep
441
00:54:00,640 --> 00:54:03,800
that make the double journey
from north to south.
442
00:54:04,280 --> 00:54:07,800
Although a few
are always left along the way.
443
00:54:11,560 --> 00:54:14,080
Via bridges
and other obligatory passing places,
444
00:54:14,240 --> 00:54:20,240
the flocks travel, year after year,
along the old seasonal migration routes.
445
00:54:22,000 --> 00:54:25,400
Like a flood,
they look for river fords,
446
00:54:25,560 --> 00:54:28,080
walk through History,
447
00:54:31,360 --> 00:54:35,520
impose their transit rights
on the new flocks.
448
00:54:45,000 --> 00:54:49,360
And back in the fallow lands and clearings
they have helped to build,
449
00:54:50,400 --> 00:54:52,400
they pay their tribute.
450
00:55:02,040 --> 00:55:06,160
Supported by the thermal currents
and the hot winds from the slope,
451
00:55:06,560 --> 00:55:11,040
the vultures glide over the forests
in search of food.
452
00:55:14,040 --> 00:55:17,320
Eurasian griffon and black vultures
form a network of observers
453
00:55:17,480 --> 00:55:21,640
that prospect the dehesa inch by inch.
454
00:55:27,880 --> 00:55:30,960
Someone more astute
has got in ahead of them.
455
00:55:49,520 --> 00:55:52,040
The red fox defends its position,
456
00:55:52,560 --> 00:55:56,880
but the vultures,
like parachutists in an invasion,
457
00:55:57,440 --> 00:55:59,280
arrive in waves.
458
00:58:21,200 --> 00:58:24,280
In this fight it has been made clear
that the great vulture,
459
00:58:24,440 --> 00:58:27,880
a strict scavenger,
is not gifted for hunting.
460
00:58:28,600 --> 00:58:31,160
It attacks
with its fearsome beak,
461
00:58:31,320 --> 00:58:33,880
capable of ripping apart
the toughest tissues,
462
00:58:34,280 --> 00:58:38,560
but its claws, open so as to alight
on motionless corpses,
463
00:58:38,720 --> 00:58:42,440
can do nothing
against a living adversary.
464
00:59:04,440 --> 00:59:07,080
And after the meal, wash time.
465
00:59:08,040 --> 00:59:11,880
The vultures gather in bathing spots
hidden in the mountains,
466
00:59:12,040 --> 00:59:14,920
secret places
that only they know.
467
00:59:15,800 --> 00:59:18,040
The bath, with water or sand,
468
00:59:18,200 --> 00:59:21,200
is essential for maintaining
their plumage in good condition.
469
00:59:21,640 --> 00:59:26,560
Dirt and shaking displace the feathers
which lose efficiency.
470
00:59:29,080 --> 00:59:35,040
And few birds are dirtier than vultures
after rolling around when scavenging.
471
00:59:42,280 --> 00:59:45,400
In the bath,
the birds are giant sponges
472
00:59:45,560 --> 00:59:48,440
that soak up
dozens of liters of water.
473
00:59:48,800 --> 00:59:51,320
Already heavy
from the food they've ingested,
474
00:59:51,480 --> 00:59:55,600
for hours the vultures
will be incapable of taking flight.
475
01:00:00,280 --> 01:00:02,440
When the ablutions are finished,
476
01:00:02,600 --> 01:00:06,680
they move on to the stage
of deparasitizing and drying.
477
01:00:11,000 --> 01:00:12,320
It's hard to believe,
478
01:00:12,480 --> 01:00:16,520
but after the vultures' bath
the water still harbors life.
479
01:00:17,240 --> 01:00:20,280
Two dragonflies in full reproduction.
480
01:00:20,880 --> 01:00:22,600
In a simultaneous action,
481
01:00:22,760 --> 01:00:27,640
the female deposits the eggs
just beneath the surface.
482
01:00:29,880 --> 01:00:34,040
As if propelled by a spring,
an Iberian water frog attacks.
483
01:00:35,400 --> 01:00:37,520
Too late.
484
01:00:37,680 --> 01:00:41,200
It aims well,
but with too much impetus.
485
01:00:50,960 --> 01:00:55,560
Various investigations
show that amphibians' sense of sight
486
01:00:55,720 --> 01:00:59,560
perceives movement very well,
but colors not so much.
487
01:01:00,720 --> 01:01:03,360
Even so, a second attempt.
488
01:01:36,840 --> 01:01:40,560
The spectacle
attracts a varied audience.
489
01:01:41,240 --> 01:01:45,120
From the bank,
other individuals don't miss a thing.
490
01:01:50,560 --> 01:01:52,840
Neither does this common buzzard.
491
01:02:26,920 --> 01:02:31,240
As a hunter,
the buzzard's surprise factor fails.
492
01:02:48,280 --> 01:02:51,960
Neither of the contenders
is in its environment:
493
01:02:52,120 --> 01:02:57,000
a frog out of the water
is as clumsy as a raptor out of the wind.
494
01:03:51,240 --> 01:03:53,000
The days grow shorter,
495
01:03:53,160 --> 01:03:54,920
the temperature drops.
496
01:03:59,040 --> 01:04:01,680
It's the autumn red deer rut.
497
01:04:20,600 --> 01:04:22,040
During these days
498
01:04:22,200 --> 01:04:25,200
the deer abandon the protection
of the thickly wooded areas
499
01:04:25,360 --> 01:04:27,120
and come out to the clearings.
500
01:04:30,040 --> 01:04:36,320
The hoarse, wild bellows of males on heat
come from every corner of the forests.
501
01:04:44,400 --> 01:04:46,880
The females gather in herds
502
01:04:47,040 --> 01:04:50,360
and watch the exhibitions
of the contenders.
503
01:04:50,520 --> 01:04:53,400
One of them aims for total control.
504
01:04:53,760 --> 01:04:57,680
It runs from one side to the other,
it answers any challenge.
505
01:04:58,440 --> 01:05:02,920
The hoarse, resounding bellows echo
next to the banging
506
01:05:03,080 --> 01:05:07,960
of those who instead of arguing loudly
prefer to argue with head butts.
507
01:06:00,320 --> 01:06:01,920
Like a sheepdog,
508
01:06:02,080 --> 01:06:05,400
the stag pursues
the deer who try to get away
509
01:06:05,560 --> 01:06:10,240
by means of an enveloping movement
from the opposite side to the rest of the herd.
510
01:06:23,280 --> 01:06:26,240
Day after day,
the tension takes its toll.
511
01:06:26,920 --> 01:06:29,040
The large males lose their strength,
512
01:06:29,200 --> 01:06:32,280
their authority
is constantly questioned.
513
01:06:33,520 --> 01:06:35,880
The fights become worse.
514
01:06:36,040 --> 01:06:40,760
The horns are designed
to stop attacks, to divert blows.
515
01:06:41,360 --> 01:06:45,640
But the contenders' necks
are covered with scars.
516
01:07:41,800 --> 01:07:45,560
Injuries, broken horns
and a single victor.
517
01:07:52,080 --> 01:07:54,080
Another rumbling noise
travels through the dehesa,
518
01:07:54,240 --> 01:07:59,200
but this, like an earthquake,
comes from under the ground.
519
01:08:07,800 --> 01:08:10,840
A combined attack
from various fronts
520
01:08:11,000 --> 01:08:13,360
is seriously threatening these forests.
521
01:08:13,880 --> 01:08:16,400
Overall, and imprecisely,
522
01:08:16,560 --> 01:08:20,400
it receives the descriptive name
of "la seca" (the dryness).
523
01:08:22,960 --> 01:08:28,120
We have already seen these holes
in the trunks of holm oaks and cork oaks.
524
01:08:31,560 --> 01:08:36,160
These are the galleries excavated by
the larvae of the cerambyx.
525
01:08:37,920 --> 01:08:39,960
Each one of them eats,
on average,
526
01:08:40,120 --> 01:08:42,520
some 10 grams of wood a month.
527
01:08:42,680 --> 01:08:47,760
They spend three years here
and up to forty can coincide in one trunk.
528
01:08:49,200 --> 01:08:51,440
Associated in normal conditions
529
01:08:51,600 --> 01:08:53,560
with old or weakened trees,
530
01:08:53,720 --> 01:08:56,760
these insects fulfill a function
531
01:08:56,920 --> 01:08:59,760
in the natural regeneration
of the forest.
532
01:08:59,920 --> 01:09:02,480
But now they have become a plague,
533
01:09:02,640 --> 01:09:04,880
their number
is increasing exponentially
534
01:09:05,040 --> 01:09:09,160
and as a result
they weaken the trunk.
535
01:09:19,400 --> 01:09:22,240
But that is only
a part of the problem.
536
01:09:25,040 --> 01:09:27,240
For the trees weakened in this way
537
01:09:27,400 --> 01:09:31,480
the real mortal enemy
is lurking underground.
538
01:09:32,080 --> 01:09:35,040
Holm oaks and cork oaks
suffer from the action of the fungus
539
01:09:35,200 --> 01:09:37,400
"Phytophthora cinnamomi”,
540
01:09:37,840 --> 01:09:42,760
considered one of the most destructive
plant pathogens in the world.
541
01:09:43,320 --> 01:09:45,520
The fungus settles in the roots
542
01:09:45,680 --> 01:09:48,560
and prevents the absorption
of water and nutrients.
543
01:09:48,720 --> 01:09:54,360
The thirsty plants wither,
lose their leaves and end up succumbing.
544
01:09:54,920 --> 01:09:58,880
And all of this in the new framework
created by the climate crisis,
545
01:09:59,040 --> 01:10:02,840
the rise in temperatures
and the increasingly longer droughts,
546
01:10:03,000 --> 01:10:07,240
along with the compaction of the soil
due to an excess stocking rate.
547
01:10:11,960 --> 01:10:15,560
Rather than an illness,
"la seca” is a syndrome,
548
01:10:15,920 --> 01:10:18,760
a silent death
that seriously threatens
549
01:10:18,920 --> 01:10:22,600
the continuity of the dehesas
in the medium term.
550
01:10:35,440 --> 01:10:37,000
But life goes on.
551
01:10:38,400 --> 01:10:42,480
The sweet aroma
of this lentisk attracts wasps,
552
01:10:42,640 --> 01:10:45,760
which in turn
draw the attention of this mantis,
553
01:10:45,920 --> 01:10:49,320
one of the most formidable hunters
in the dehesa.
554
01:10:50,520 --> 01:10:54,600
Dressed to kill,
the mantis follows its prey with its eyes.
555
01:11:15,280 --> 01:11:19,160
When stalking,
the mantis act with lightning speed.
556
01:11:19,600 --> 01:11:21,760
The attack is instantaneous,
557
01:11:22,120 --> 01:11:25,480
it lasts less than a tenth of a second.
558
01:11:33,840 --> 01:11:35,800
Like so many other hunters,
559
01:11:35,960 --> 01:11:39,120
the mantis adopt a camouflage coloring.
560
01:11:39,400 --> 01:11:42,680
A male meets with a receptive female.
561
01:11:54,200 --> 01:11:56,800
A little hesitation
after the landing
562
01:11:56,960 --> 01:11:59,040
and the courtship begins.
563
01:11:59,400 --> 01:12:01,880
The male soon finds the way
564
01:12:02,040 --> 01:12:05,440
and it all takes place
with a tense tranquility.
565
01:12:13,640 --> 01:12:16,200
A dangerous adventure, really,
566
01:12:16,360 --> 01:12:18,880
because the females are cannibals.
567
01:12:21,440 --> 01:12:24,800
The male has made a mistake in relaxing,
568
01:12:24,960 --> 01:12:28,160
because she is bigger
and, in addition,
569
01:12:28,320 --> 01:12:31,800
she needs an extra intake of food
to develop the eggs.
570
01:12:35,280 --> 01:12:39,280
And from above,
the female has won the position.
571
01:12:41,080 --> 01:12:45,080
So much stealth in the approach
should raise suspicions.
572
01:12:45,240 --> 01:12:49,880
The male is on guard
but waits for a new opportunity.
573
01:13:07,080 --> 01:13:08,920
Food and sex.
574
01:13:09,080 --> 01:13:12,200
Two interests
that overlap brutally
575
01:13:12,360 --> 01:13:15,720
in one of every four encounters
between mantis.
576
01:13:23,120 --> 01:13:27,080
After the fierce heat
and the prolonged summer drought,
577
01:13:27,240 --> 01:13:31,640
the first rain fronts
irrigate the land generously.
578
01:13:42,200 --> 01:13:46,560
The gullies,
streams and creeks reappear.
579
01:13:50,400 --> 01:13:53,720
The water
retraces the map of the dehesa.
580
01:13:59,160 --> 01:14:01,800
This is when we clearly understand
581
01:14:01,960 --> 01:14:05,360
the origin and significance
of these forests.
582
01:14:05,520 --> 01:14:07,880
Dehesa comes from "defesa",
583
01:14:08,480 --> 01:14:12,360
a Latin word that describes
winter pasture lands reserved,
584
01:14:12,520 --> 01:14:14,720
"defended", for the flocks.
585
01:14:22,280 --> 01:14:26,040
With the ground soaked,
the mushroom season opens.
586
01:14:53,600 --> 01:14:55,680
The spores from the mushroom caps
587
01:14:55,840 --> 01:14:59,240
spread the aroma of the forest
through the air.
588
01:15:47,200 --> 01:15:50,040
The days pass,
the cold is approaching
589
01:15:50,200 --> 01:15:53,720
and on the horizon
there are signs of bad weather.
590
01:15:57,960 --> 01:16:00,240
It is the period of the "montanera”,
591
01:16:01,160 --> 01:16:04,960
when holm oaks and cork oaks
throw their fruits on the ground...
592
01:16:14,080 --> 01:16:17,040
from where they are scooped up.
593
01:16:29,120 --> 01:16:30,720
With the fall of the acorn,
594
01:16:30,880 --> 01:16:35,040
herds of Iberian pigs
will graze freely in the dehesas.
595
01:16:36,320 --> 01:16:40,520
This animal is a specialist
in transforming acorn into meat.
596
01:16:42,200 --> 01:16:45,440
Each pig can eat
up to 12 kilos a day,
597
01:16:45,600 --> 01:16:48,920
mixed with another
four or five of grass.
598
01:16:51,160 --> 01:16:54,680
Such high productivity
makes the Iberian pig
599
01:16:54,840 --> 01:16:58,880
one of the financial mainstays
of these forests,
600
01:16:59,040 --> 01:17:02,720
created and maintained
for the production of livestock.
601
01:17:10,280 --> 01:17:13,800
The days are short now
and the cold is advancing.
602
01:17:14,560 --> 01:17:16,280
The common cranes arrive.
603
01:17:23,080 --> 01:17:24,760
They come from the north of Europe
604
01:17:24,920 --> 01:17:28,320
and as they fly over the dehesa
they announce the winter.
605
01:17:34,080 --> 01:17:36,680
Many birds, solitary until now,
606
01:17:36,840 --> 01:17:41,280
gather together in great multitudes
to cope better with the cold months.
607
01:17:44,120 --> 01:17:48,640
A vast flock of spotless starlings
gather every evening.
608
01:17:50,680 --> 01:17:52,320
We don't know who guides them,
609
01:17:52,480 --> 01:17:57,040
but the orders are transmitted
with the speed of an electric discharge.
610
01:17:57,840 --> 01:18:00,200
No one collides with anyone.
611
01:19:08,640 --> 01:19:11,040
In the reddish light of dusk,
612
01:19:11,200 --> 01:19:14,800
the cranes head for the place
where they will spend the night.
613
01:19:15,560 --> 01:19:17,320
Deeply distrustful,
614
01:19:17,480 --> 01:19:21,240
they seek out a place to sleep
that combines certain conditions:
615
01:19:21,880 --> 01:19:25,400
a wet area, a lagoon, a reservoir,
616
01:19:25,560 --> 01:19:27,920
or the muddy banks of a river;
617
01:19:28,640 --> 01:19:33,480
always separated from any danger
that might prowl on dry land.
618
01:19:53,040 --> 01:19:56,200
The cranes are right
to take refuge in the water,
619
01:19:56,360 --> 01:19:59,080
because in the darkness
many eyes are watching.
620
01:20:01,200 --> 01:20:03,920
A genet travels its hunting ground.
621
01:20:12,440 --> 01:20:14,840
It meets with a garden dormouse.
622
01:20:20,520 --> 01:20:23,880
Not all dormice sleep in winter.
623
01:20:24,040 --> 01:20:26,400
At least not every year.
624
01:20:27,080 --> 01:20:31,400
The old woodland, with trunks
full of holes and fallen bark,
625
01:20:31,560 --> 01:20:35,680
is a labyrinth for this variation
on the game of cat and mouse.
626
01:20:51,200 --> 01:20:53,160
With different participants,
627
01:20:53,320 --> 01:20:56,760
the same drama
is played out time and again.
628
01:20:58,120 --> 01:21:01,720
The game is now played
between a wood rat
629
01:21:02,680 --> 01:21:04,360
and an eagle owl.
630
01:21:18,400 --> 01:21:20,160
Like the Iberian lynx,
631
01:21:20,320 --> 01:21:23,720
the eagle owl
also breaks up the lines of its head
632
01:21:23,880 --> 01:21:25,600
with a couple of brushes.
633
01:21:26,560 --> 01:21:29,560
They are just feathers,
birds don't have ears,
634
01:21:29,720 --> 01:21:32,760
and we have already seen
how nocturnal raptors
635
01:21:32,920 --> 01:21:35,760
perceive sound
on their facial disc.
636
01:21:41,160 --> 01:21:43,560
Wings full of stealth,
637
01:21:43,720 --> 01:21:47,480
a trail of silence
disappears in the darkness.
638
01:22:03,800 --> 01:22:06,040
The owl has carried out its task.
639
01:22:06,200 --> 01:22:08,440
Without the pressure
from these predators,
640
01:22:08,600 --> 01:22:10,960
the rats would multiply endlessly
641
01:22:11,120 --> 01:22:15,080
and would be a serious problem
for balance in the dehesa.
642
01:22:17,360 --> 01:22:20,320
At dawn
the cranes shake off the night.
643
01:22:22,480 --> 01:22:24,280
Before the sun rises,
644
01:22:24,440 --> 01:22:28,880
at those hours when a faint mist
rises off the sheets of water,
645
01:22:29,440 --> 01:22:34,040
the first ones to set off
drag small groups after them,
646
01:22:34,200 --> 01:22:36,520
in a particular direction.
647
01:22:44,760 --> 01:22:46,640
They won't fly very far.
648
01:22:47,560 --> 01:22:50,960
With the sun now warming the land
and dissipating the mist,
649
01:22:51,440 --> 01:22:54,560
the cranes
spread out over the surroundings.
650
01:22:55,040 --> 01:22:57,200
They explore the fields of acorns,
651
01:22:57,360 --> 01:23:00,240
but the oaks
mature in a staggered way,
652
01:23:00,600 --> 01:23:04,800
so the flocks wander
until they find a good feeding ground.
653
01:23:09,840 --> 01:23:12,680
They seek out the fruits
left behind by the pigs,
654
01:23:12,840 --> 01:23:15,240
they peck at the ground
and, in their way,
655
01:23:15,400 --> 01:23:20,560
also do the agricultural work
necessary to keep the dehesa cleared.
656
01:23:40,200 --> 01:23:44,480
The cranes travel in families and,
recently arrived on the peninsula,
657
01:23:44,640 --> 01:23:49,040
the adults, with black throats,
still stay with the young,
658
01:23:49,200 --> 01:23:53,920
with pale grey throats and still
without the characteristic red patch.
659
01:24:19,840 --> 01:24:23,320
Trumpetings of alarm
and a discreet withdrawal.
660
01:24:27,360 --> 01:24:31,200
Many pairs of eyes
watch the four corners of the forest.
661
01:24:32,960 --> 01:24:36,880
This lynx has no intention
of going unnoticed.
662
01:24:46,640 --> 01:24:51,040
Over a century ago, the common cranes
bred in small numbers in Iberia.
663
01:24:51,720 --> 01:24:54,320
Now they only come here to winter
664
01:24:55,000 --> 01:24:58,160
but, unlike the general tendency in birds,
665
01:24:58,320 --> 01:25:02,160
the populations of these long-legged
creatures have multiplied by ten
666
01:25:02,320 --> 01:25:04,240
in the last half century.
667
01:25:15,080 --> 01:25:20,520
Again the strings of cranes
mark the lines of the horizon in the sky.
668
01:25:23,560 --> 01:25:27,640
The Iberian lynx doesn't need to hide.
His meal isn't going to escape.
669
01:25:27,800 --> 01:25:30,960
The members of the family
gather around.
670
01:25:31,720 --> 01:25:34,000
A son from last spring.
671
01:25:34,440 --> 01:25:35,680
And his mother.
672
01:25:39,920 --> 01:25:42,920
The young lynx maintains a certain
relationship with his father,
673
01:25:43,080 --> 01:25:45,920
from whom he hopes to learn
the secrets of hunting.
674
01:25:46,440 --> 01:25:49,800
Although, on this occasion,
there is little to learn.
675
01:25:58,640 --> 01:26:01,760
Between adults,
relations are more distant.
676
01:26:02,640 --> 01:26:06,440
The lynxes constantly exchange
olfactory signals:
677
01:26:07,320 --> 01:26:08,320
of defiance...
678
01:26:13,040 --> 01:26:17,480
or of contact and recognition
between the mother and her son.
679
01:26:20,200 --> 01:26:22,360
The large male tolerates their presence
680
01:26:22,520 --> 01:26:25,440
but won't allow them to eat
until he finishes.
681
01:26:34,920 --> 01:26:39,600
A primitive urge leads the lynx
to bury the remains of the body,
682
01:26:40,280 --> 01:26:43,920
to mark his ownership
with his smell.
683
01:26:46,080 --> 01:26:49,120
In general
the Iberian lynx don't eat carrion.
684
01:26:49,680 --> 01:26:54,120
They are predators
highly specialized in catching rabbits.
685
01:26:54,840 --> 01:26:56,640
But the viral diseases
686
01:26:56,800 --> 01:27:00,360
which have been decimating
rabbit populations for decades
687
01:27:00,520 --> 01:27:04,720
force the felines to look for
alternative sources of food.
688
01:27:19,960 --> 01:27:23,800
Sated, with the food covered,
the lynx walks off,
689
01:27:24,200 --> 01:27:27,680
but every few inches
he leaves his smell,
690
01:27:28,080 --> 01:27:29,920
the lynx's sign,
691
01:27:30,080 --> 01:27:33,560
before disappearing again
into the undergrowth.
692
01:27:34,840 --> 01:27:37,760
He crosses the clearing calmly,
693
01:27:38,120 --> 01:27:39,680
he exhibits himself.
694
01:27:40,240 --> 01:27:42,760
In his territory
he has no enemies,
695
01:27:42,920 --> 01:27:46,360
in natural conditions
nothing threatens him.
696
01:27:46,760 --> 01:27:52,440
The Iberian lynx's excess of confidence
came close to causing their extinction.
697
01:28:18,400 --> 01:28:21,080
Some high pitched shouts
travel along the river.
698
01:28:21,800 --> 01:28:25,360
Any time of the year
is good for otters to mate.
699
01:28:27,360 --> 01:28:31,480
Like eternal adolescents,
otters play ceaselessly.
700
01:28:33,360 --> 01:28:36,160
Not a single drop of water
wets their skin.
701
01:28:36,320 --> 01:28:39,440
The outer layer of fur
traps the air
702
01:28:39,600 --> 01:28:43,760
and creates a kind of insulation,
like a neoprene suit,
703
01:28:44,160 --> 01:28:48,600
and the inner layer is so thick
that the water never gets through it.
704
01:28:51,360 --> 01:28:54,360
Their vision underwater
is better than in the exterior.
705
01:28:54,520 --> 01:28:56,920
Over short distances, or at night,
706
01:28:57,080 --> 01:29:02,080
the whiskers or vibrissae on their snouts
open up a tactile world to them.
707
01:29:11,920 --> 01:29:15,920
Even while playing,
they continue to mark their territory.
708
01:29:21,800 --> 01:29:24,760
The sand smells of otter.
709
01:29:36,240 --> 01:29:38,320
The otter is a mustelid,
710
01:29:38,800 --> 01:29:42,080
a carnivore
of the family of martens and weasels.
711
01:29:42,440 --> 01:29:44,600
A hunter modeled by water,
712
01:29:44,760 --> 01:29:47,920
which has smoothed its shape,
stylized its profile
713
01:29:48,080 --> 01:29:51,320
and increased the flexibility of its muscles.
714
01:29:52,480 --> 01:29:55,480
The result
is an animal agile on land,
715
01:29:55,640 --> 01:29:58,760
but which in the river
moves like the waves.
716
01:30:09,400 --> 01:30:13,040
With their eyes, ears and muzzle
on the surface
717
01:30:14,080 --> 01:30:16,840
they swim at periscope depth.
718
01:30:17,120 --> 01:30:20,000
And although they can row
with their padded paws,
719
01:30:20,160 --> 01:30:21,640
the main impulse
720
01:30:21,800 --> 01:30:25,400
comes from the undulatory movements
of the body and tail.
721
01:30:25,640 --> 01:30:29,160
Rather than swimming, otters flow.
722
01:30:38,280 --> 01:30:42,200
The Iberian dehesas
have told us many stories.
723
01:30:42,840 --> 01:30:44,520
Some about struggle,
724
01:30:45,080 --> 01:30:49,680
others about cunning,
deception and concealment.
725
01:30:55,680 --> 01:30:57,600
Since time immemorial,
726
01:30:57,920 --> 01:31:01,760
flocks and herds have come here
following routes already old,
727
01:31:01,920 --> 01:31:05,720
to occupy the open forest
that grew up from a pact
728
01:31:05,880 --> 01:31:09,200
between nature and human beings.
729
01:31:12,400 --> 01:31:15,200
But that pact is in danger now.
730
01:31:15,640 --> 01:31:19,960
A threat that can no longer be ignored
is looming over the dehesas.
731
01:31:20,800 --> 01:31:23,000
Plagues and global warming
732
01:31:23,160 --> 01:31:27,320
could transform the extensive groves
of trees into fields of scrubland
733
01:31:27,480 --> 01:31:32,320
or, even worse, open the gates
to the advance of the desert.
734
01:31:38,880 --> 01:31:44,040
A landscape will exist
while there are eyes to contemplate it.
735
01:31:46,160 --> 01:31:49,800
Meanwhile, every year
the wings of the recent arrivals
736
01:31:49,960 --> 01:31:55,120
plow through the skies and new litters
appear at the openings of lairs.
737
01:31:56,640 --> 01:32:00,520
It depends on us that,
every time a rabbit jumps,
738
01:32:00,680 --> 01:32:02,880
a lynx runs after it,
739
01:32:05,840 --> 01:32:09,280
that the tapestry of life
never weakens,
740
01:32:10,280 --> 01:32:12,360
and that the whisper of the wind
741
01:32:12,520 --> 01:32:15,400
brings us more stories
that will extend,
742
01:32:16,080 --> 01:32:17,760
year after year,
743
01:32:18,520 --> 01:32:21,080
the tale of the dehesa.
744
01:34:34,160 --> 01:34:35,880
Translation: D. Mac Closkey
745
01:34:36,160 --> 01:34:37,880
Subtitles: LASERFILM
62437
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