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(crickets chirping)
(light music)
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Landscapes of bewitching beauty.
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Unique.
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Species rich.
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Exemplary.
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Because something extraordinary is happening here.
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These natural habitats remain in tact
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only because humans intervene and shape them.
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A new pact with nature.
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(light music)
(crickets chirping)
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(upbeat polka music)
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The Swiss Alps,
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one of the most impressive landscapes in the world.
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For many, this is pure nature.
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And there is indeed a great diversity
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of animals and plants in the Alps.
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In summer, the alpine meadows are transformed
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into a species rich sea of flowers.
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(bright music)
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But few people know that the mountain pastures
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are a man-made paradise.
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Without grazing, this would all be forest.
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Farmers have been driving their livestock
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up to the mountain pastures for centuries
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and it's that that has created this mosaic
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of meadows, forests and rock.
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But this age-old tradition could disappear
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and with it, the alpine pastures
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because there are fewer and fewer herdsman
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and mountain farmers.
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The Swiss have recognized the danger.
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Can they succeed in preserving the diversity
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of the mountain landscape?
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(bright music)
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Grison is the biggest of Switzerland's cantons.
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For centuries, this region of the heart of the Alps
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was considered poor.
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The people here had to use
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the highland as well as the lowland areas
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to meet the needs of their herds.
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Nowadays, Grison is a favorite holiday destination
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and a region in which the landscape
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looks like it does in the publicity.
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(dogs barking)
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But there still is hard work.
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In summer, animals and people live 2,000 meters up
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far away from the nearest village.
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Many Swiss people no longer want to do this work.
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So many shepherds, men and women, come from abroad.
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Like Lean Jabali.
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Lean's been working in Switzerland for over 10 years.
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She grew up in Jordan and Sweden.
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This summer, she's up on the Corn de Stelles Alp,
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not far from Kua,
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in charge of nearly 900 sheep and eight dogs.
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(mumbling)
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Her working day begins just after dawn.
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First, she checks that all is well with her animals.
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Despite the large number, she knows each sheep individually
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and notices immediately if something's wrong.
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(Lean mumbling)
(sheep baaing)
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What Lean does used to be part
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of every day life in Switzerland.
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Nowadays, it's getting harder and harder to find shepherds.
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The solitude up here puts a lot of people off.
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I love being alone with the animals.
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I love nature.
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And I find it so interesting,
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the movements of the animals, the sheep and the dogs.
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I'm my own boss up here somehow.
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I decide what I want to do during the day more or less.
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I mean, some things I have to do, of course.
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The freedom up here, the routine of this job,
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gives me freedom.
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(yells)
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Hey.
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(yells)
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The sheep have their own routine.
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Their job for the day is eating.
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(sheep baaing)
(bells tinkling)
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For hundreds of years, the farmers have had their animals
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taken up to the high pastures
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and tended in the summer months.
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It's called summering.
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Lean is completely alone up here.
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If a sheep needs medical attention, she knows what to do.
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Turn the animal on its back and it keeps still.
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The nearest vet is a long way away.
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This time, it's just a small wound
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which Lean can treat with ointment.
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What's hard is when you have sick animals,
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for example, or you have to kill an animal,
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to put an animal to sleep,
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because it's too sick, it's not going to survive.
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But it's a part of the job and you have to take it
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but it's hard to do that.
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It is.
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The Corn de Stelles Alp is big.
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Up to 1,200 sheep can graze here.
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This summer, it's around 900.
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As in many alp pastures in the region,
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the numbers are slowly declining.
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In the past, all the sheep belonged to the farmers
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in the nearby villages in the valley.
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Now, though, a lot of alps are also taking in sheep
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boarded out from other regions
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because more and more sheep farmers
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are going out of business.
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(playful music)
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That's not always because of economic necessity.
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Life in Switzerland has changed.
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In many villages these days,
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tourism is far more important than agriculture.
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Many young people are moving to the cities
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and a lot of farmers have no one to take over.
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Arno Casty has kept sheep for over 50 years.
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He took over the farm from his parents and grandparents.
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Now he's over 80
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and still goes into the barn every day.
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He can't imagine living without his animals.
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In summer, there's not a lot to do down here in the valley.
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Most of the sheep are grazing up on the alp with Lean.
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Just a few lambs are left down here.
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(lamb baaing)
(bells tinkling)
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Arno's children have chosen different careers,
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so he'll probably be the last sheep farmer in the family.
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(Arno talking in foreign language)
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The young people don't want to be tied down.
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They've got sports and other activities.
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Haymaking and everything, the work has to be done
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and it doesn't bring in much these days, it's true.
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It would be better to hand on the small business.
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That would be good.
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Otherwise, you just have to stop.
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Everything comes to an end, after all.
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(Arno speaking in foreign language)
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Small operations like his especially
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also have economic difficulties.
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When farmers like Arno Casty give up,
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that makes itself felt up in the mountains.
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The harsh life of the past has left its mark in the Alps.
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And down the centuries have brought immense wealth
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to the mountains.
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A wealth of habitats, plants and animals.
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This diversity is threatened
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if animals no longer graze here.
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(light music)
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Reto Elmer has been observing the changes for years.
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He's an expert in plant cultivation at Planterhof,
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a state-run farming consultancy.
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In summer, he's often out and about in the mountains,
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checking the condition of the meadows and pastureland.
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(speaking in foreign language)
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Here we can see clearly
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the different stages of under usage.
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First, the mat grass is grazed less
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and spreads more and more,
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followed by heather and juniper, which also spread.
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And finally, we have a solid area of juniper
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and that's completely lost to grazing of course.
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Reto Elmer is seeing how bushes and forests
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are increasingly replacing flower meadows.
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Up to a thousand hectares are disappearing every year
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in the Swiss Alps.
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It's an insidious process.
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Once the encroachment has started,
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it sparks a viscous circle.
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Cows and other animals avoid these areas
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and the bushes and trees take over
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more of the Alp pastureland.
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(upbeat music)
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For some time now,
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a special assault force is being deployed,
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Grison striped goats.
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Every three days, they're moved to a new location.
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And then they set about what other grazing animals spurn.
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Green alders, for example.
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The state is backing the project
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because keeping goats is expensive and time-consuming.
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Movable fences are needed and a goat herd
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must always be there, which all costs money.
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No plants can survive this sort of onslaught for long.
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The goats even cope with branches as thick as an arm.
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They're as effective as chainsaws
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and they don't need petrol, just bushes and young trees.
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(man speaking in foreign language)
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The problem with sides and chainsaws
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is that the shrubs carry on growing,
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especially the alder.
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Cut it down and it comes back twice as strong,
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leave them more strength.
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It just strengthens roots, we've tried it.
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The most effective method is the goats.
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Then the bushes slowly die off.
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The goats will have plenty to do
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in years to come.
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They can slow down bush encroachment,
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but they can't stop it completely.
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(bright music)
(bells tinkling)
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The best way is to prevent encroachment in the first place,
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but for that, the meadows need to be grazed by livestock,
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which takes money and effort.
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(sheep baaing)
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To stop the sheep from falling
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or spreading out all over the huge area,
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Lean regularly has to set up fences,
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a strenuous task in this steep terrain.
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When one area has been grazed,
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the shepherd and her animals move on.
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In midsummer, they're constantly moving up.
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The animals have so many rights in Switzerland
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and that I really like.
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I think that's why I ended up in Switzerland.
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And they really look to the nature,
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which I also find very important.
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It's not only about the animals,
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it's about the whole picture.
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It's how everything goes together that's important.
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(bell dings)
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Catering for the shepherds
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also involves cost and effort.
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The nearest supermarket is a long way away.
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At the start of summer, all their provisions are delivered
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to the alp by helicopter.
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Afterwards, the only fresh food
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is what visitors bring with them.
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With one exception: fresh goat's milk.
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That's literally waiting on the doorstep every day.
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Once she's looked after the animals,
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Lean allows herself a break.
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The hut is a home and her office.
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There's paperwork to be done even up here.
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Lean has to keep the field journal.
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Everything is precisely recorded,
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weather, animal illness or medicines she has to administer.
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The shepherd's life reminds Lean
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of her young years in Jordan.
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A lot of her relatives worked as shepherds.
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Another reason why she loves her time on the alp.
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Many say that I'm stuck up here the whole summer.
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But for me, it's the opposite.
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When I'm down in the valley in winter, I'm stuck.
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When I'm up here in summer, I'm free.
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(upbeat Polka music)
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But not many people feel like Lean these days.
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It's harder and harder to find shepherds
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able and willing to put in the hard work.
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These two are also migrant workers
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and come from Austria.
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For many years, they've worked every summer in Switzerland.
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(cow bells clammer)
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The shepherds also need paying,
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but farming in the mountains brings in very little money.
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That's why in Switzerland, the state is heavily engaged.
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It's investing a lot of money
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to preserve biodiversity and ancient traditions.
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By early July, Reto Elmer from Planterhof,
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the state consultancy institute,
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is up in the mountains every day.
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He's mapping rare plants.
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(camera shutter clicks)
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Like rampion,
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kidney vetch,
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alpine thyme
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and campanula.
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00:17:48,410 --> 00:17:52,513
These plants show that the meadow ecosystem is in tact here.
267
00:17:55,535 --> 00:17:56,368
(Reto speaking in foreign language)
268
00:17:56,368 --> 00:17:58,780
All these flowers, the colors and the scents,
269
00:17:58,780 --> 00:18:00,380
that's something very beautiful.
270
00:18:02,541 --> 00:18:05,041
(horn sounds)
271
00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:09,810
When Reto Elmer certifies
272
00:18:09,810 --> 00:18:12,560
the high species diversity here,
273
00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:15,570
it means hard cash for the farmers.
274
00:18:15,570 --> 00:18:19,510
He takes out a six meter diameter circle on the alp.
275
00:18:19,510 --> 00:18:24,510
He needs to find at least six of 25 selected alpine flowers
276
00:18:24,580 --> 00:18:26,543
known as indicator plants.
277
00:18:30,810 --> 00:18:33,840
Every hectare that meets this requirement
278
00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:36,593
qualifies for a sum of money as a subsidy.
279
00:18:42,350 --> 00:18:44,340
The farmers are paid the equivalent
280
00:18:44,340 --> 00:18:47,420
of about 130 euros per hectare,
281
00:18:47,420 --> 00:18:50,793
provided that the species diversity is large enough.
282
00:18:52,790 --> 00:18:54,173
Here, everything's fine.
283
00:19:03,590 --> 00:19:04,423
(Reto speaks in foreign language)
284
00:19:04,423 --> 00:19:06,340
The quality is very, very good.
285
00:19:06,340 --> 00:19:07,330
On this test area,
286
00:19:07,330 --> 00:19:09,930
we found at least 12 of these indicator plants.
287
00:19:09,930 --> 00:19:11,430
It's a very fine location.
288
00:19:11,430 --> 00:19:13,303
The quality is extremely good.
289
00:19:17,460 --> 00:19:20,430
It seems contradictory that cows
290
00:19:20,430 --> 00:19:24,513
eating plants and flowers preserve the biodiversity.
291
00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:32,670
Grazing animals prevent certain species from taking over
292
00:19:32,670 --> 00:19:37,033
and the growth of grasses is even stimulated by grazing.
293
00:19:41,710 --> 00:19:44,500
Over time, grasses and grass eaters
294
00:19:44,500 --> 00:19:46,553
have adapted to one another.
295
00:19:48,397 --> 00:19:49,230
(Reto speaks in foreign language)
296
00:19:49,230 --> 00:19:50,780
Grazing is essential for ensuring
297
00:19:50,780 --> 00:19:53,410
the species richness is preserved.
298
00:19:53,410 --> 00:19:56,620
If there's less grazing, dwarf shrubs gradually move in
299
00:19:56,620 --> 00:19:58,453
and suppress this great diversity.
300
00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:05,490
Without government subsidies,
301
00:20:05,490 --> 00:20:07,820
it often wouldn't be worthwhile these days
302
00:20:07,820 --> 00:20:10,930
taking livestock up into the mountains.
303
00:20:10,930 --> 00:20:15,100
In addition to the biodiversity bonus, there are subsidies
304
00:20:15,100 --> 00:20:18,720
known as summering contributions for each alp,
305
00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:21,453
with which, for example, the shepherds can be paid.
306
00:20:24,827 --> 00:20:28,744
(speaking in foreign language)
307
00:20:35,750 --> 00:20:39,930
The state invests around 150 million euros a year
308
00:20:39,930 --> 00:20:43,440
to promote grazing and biodiversity.
309
00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:46,720
This outlay is already showing good results
310
00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,833
for the mountain pastures and for the farmers.
311
00:20:52,900 --> 00:20:54,540
But for a few years now,
312
00:20:54,540 --> 00:20:56,600
the sheep farmers have been contending
313
00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,373
with a new challenge: wolves.
314
00:21:01,970 --> 00:21:05,743
Missing for nearly 400 years, they're back again.
315
00:21:09,690 --> 00:21:12,560
Jan Boner is the livestock protection commissioner
316
00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:14,083
for the Canton of Grison.
317
00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:17,100
Today, he's on his way to Lean
318
00:21:17,100 --> 00:21:19,200
because the Corn de Stelles Alp
319
00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:21,883
is in the middle of the territory of a wolf pack.
320
00:21:23,300 --> 00:21:27,000
Abusive prey also add to the species diversity
321
00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:30,653
and at the same time are controversial among the locals.
322
00:21:31,987 --> 00:21:36,987
(light music)
(cowbells clammer)
323
00:21:39,030 --> 00:21:41,300
The farmers and shepherds especially
324
00:21:41,300 --> 00:21:43,303
are worried about their animals.
325
00:21:46,570 --> 00:21:49,500
The number of wolves is growing every year
326
00:21:49,500 --> 00:21:52,973
and increasingly often they snatch grazing livestock.
327
00:21:59,490 --> 00:22:02,480
That's a big problem for the sheep farmers.
328
00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:04,553
It's Jan Boner's job to help them.
329
00:22:14,877 --> 00:22:16,850
(sheep baaing)
330
00:22:16,850 --> 00:22:19,960
Six herd protection dogs live among the sheep
331
00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,940
on the Corn de Stelles Alp, day and night
332
00:22:22,940 --> 00:22:23,970
and look after them
333
00:22:27,700 --> 00:22:29,570
in addition to the herding dogs
334
00:22:29,570 --> 00:22:32,063
who live close together with the shepherds.
335
00:22:35,770 --> 00:22:37,990
The protection dogs, in contrast,
336
00:22:37,990 --> 00:22:40,560
aren't much interested in humans.
337
00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:42,193
Their families are the sheep.
338
00:22:46,890 --> 00:22:49,830
Jan Boner trains dogs and takes care
339
00:22:49,830 --> 00:22:51,810
that they're from good stock,
340
00:22:51,810 --> 00:22:54,607
like the dogs that Lean works with.
341
00:22:54,607 --> 00:22:56,857
(mumbling)
342
00:23:09,700 --> 00:23:12,850
Herd protection dogs have a demanding job.
343
00:23:12,850 --> 00:23:16,680
They need to learn to distinguish between friend and foe,
344
00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:18,063
which isn't so easy.
345
00:23:22,360 --> 00:23:24,520
The alp may be remote,
346
00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:26,910
but it's not only wolves who visit.
347
00:23:26,910 --> 00:23:30,573
Sometimes hikers come by with dogs.
348
00:23:33,787 --> 00:23:38,037
(Jan speaking in foreign language)
349
00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:42,690
Baryvan is still young
350
00:23:42,690 --> 00:23:45,600
and is in the middle of her training.
351
00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:49,540
Jan Boner and Lean Jabali are working towards the test
352
00:23:49,540 --> 00:23:52,223
that every herd protection dog has to take.
353
00:23:53,620 --> 00:23:56,960
Over the next 10 days, a collar with a transmitter
354
00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:59,563
will record all the dog's movements.
355
00:24:00,660 --> 00:24:03,820
The outlay for the dog training is great,
356
00:24:03,820 --> 00:24:05,933
as are their responsibilities.
357
00:24:07,257 --> 00:24:11,560
(Jan speaking in foreign language)
358
00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:13,780
Baryvan is a female and Italian
359
00:24:13,780 --> 00:24:15,600
herd protection dog.
360
00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:18,310
Her job is to drive the wolves away,
361
00:24:18,310 --> 00:24:21,680
kill them, market them or whatever.
362
00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:24,370
Tourists she has to leave alone.
363
00:24:24,370 --> 00:24:27,350
So she needs to get on well with people.
364
00:24:27,350 --> 00:24:29,730
We also test the relationship with the sheep.
365
00:24:29,730 --> 00:24:32,573
The dog has to show a sense of responsibility for them.
366
00:24:33,448 --> 00:24:34,920
That's the basic training.
367
00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:36,730
Beyond the herd, we also examine
368
00:24:36,730 --> 00:24:39,750
the dog's own stability and self-confidence.
369
00:24:39,750 --> 00:24:42,260
It's exposed to optical and acoustic signals
370
00:24:42,260 --> 00:24:43,660
to see if it freaks out
371
00:24:43,660 --> 00:24:45,710
and how long it takes to calm down again.
372
00:24:47,545 --> 00:24:52,545
(upbeat music)
(dogs barking)
373
00:24:54,980 --> 00:24:57,200
The deterrent effect works.
374
00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:59,530
When there are protection dogs with the sheep,
375
00:24:59,530 --> 00:25:01,650
wolves look for other prey.
376
00:25:01,650 --> 00:25:02,713
Deer, for example.
377
00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:12,953
But protection can never be 100%.
378
00:25:13,810 --> 00:25:16,530
In wolf territory, sheep farmers have to expect
379
00:25:16,530 --> 00:25:19,013
that they'll lose animals from time to time.
380
00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:24,830
I lost 10 sheep
381
00:25:27,340 --> 00:25:28,640
because of the wolf.
382
00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:31,010
Yeah, he's back.
383
00:25:31,010 --> 00:25:32,140
It's a fact.
384
00:25:32,140 --> 00:25:35,580
And I think I just have to do what I can
385
00:25:35,580 --> 00:25:37,373
to protect the sheep.
386
00:25:38,429 --> 00:25:41,012
(dogs barking)
387
00:25:44,031 --> 00:25:46,580
(sheep baaing)
388
00:25:46,580 --> 00:25:47,840
That includes herding the sheep
389
00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:49,460
together at night,
390
00:25:49,460 --> 00:25:52,793
for which she is dependent on her two herding dogs.
391
00:25:54,885 --> 00:25:57,302
(Lean yells)
392
00:25:58,630 --> 00:26:01,223
She trained her dog Sia herself.
393
00:26:02,100 --> 00:26:04,140
Her I trust, yes, 100%
394
00:26:04,140 --> 00:26:07,970
because she sees also danger.
395
00:26:07,970 --> 00:26:12,970
So she does not just bring the sheep or push the sheep.
396
00:26:13,170 --> 00:26:15,290
When she sees that there's a cliff,
397
00:26:15,290 --> 00:26:17,200
she waits and she takes it easy.
398
00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:18,710
So her, I can really trust
399
00:26:18,710 --> 00:26:21,847
'cause she thinks for herself as well.
400
00:26:21,847 --> 00:26:24,430
(bright music)
401
00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:28,760
Lean has to round up nearly 900 sheep
402
00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:30,910
into the nighttime fold.
403
00:26:30,910 --> 00:26:34,003
It takes one to two hours every night.
404
00:26:42,740 --> 00:26:47,160
Human and animals are a well-coordinated team.
405
00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:50,143
For the herding dogs, it's the high point of the day.
406
00:26:56,610 --> 00:26:59,130
Border collies and other herding races
407
00:26:59,130 --> 00:27:02,070
are especially bred for this work.
408
00:27:02,070 --> 00:27:03,830
People have been setting them to work
409
00:27:03,830 --> 00:27:05,860
in the fields for centuries.
410
00:27:05,860 --> 00:27:08,133
Herding and tending is in their blood.
411
00:27:09,957 --> 00:27:14,957
(sheep baaing)
(dogs barking)
412
00:27:19,990 --> 00:27:24,220
In the past when there weren't yet any wolves in Grison,
413
00:27:24,220 --> 00:27:25,970
the sheep were allowed to wander free
414
00:27:25,970 --> 00:27:27,850
in the meadows at night.
415
00:27:27,850 --> 00:27:30,100
A lot of sheep farmers even left their sheep
416
00:27:30,100 --> 00:27:32,900
in the mountains without shepherds.
417
00:27:32,900 --> 00:27:36,000
The Corn de Stelles Alp, where Lean works,
418
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,980
also managed without shepherds for some years.
419
00:27:38,980 --> 00:27:40,700
Unthinkable today.
420
00:27:40,700 --> 00:27:42,433
The losses will be too big.
421
00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:57,030
The herd protection dogs stay overnight with the sheep,
422
00:27:57,030 --> 00:28:01,670
guarding by shepherds, her protection dogs and by penning.
423
00:28:01,670 --> 00:28:05,243
Nothing more can be done to keep the sheep safe from wolves.
424
00:28:07,580 --> 00:28:10,733
I also have animals that die from steinschlag,
425
00:28:12,700 --> 00:28:16,430
that fall down, that are sick
426
00:28:16,430 --> 00:28:18,300
and it's also nature.
427
00:28:18,300 --> 00:28:22,090
And those cases are much more
428
00:28:22,090 --> 00:28:25,163
than the ones who get killed from the wolf.
429
00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:30,330
Wolves are not the biggest problem,
430
00:28:30,330 --> 00:28:33,453
but they have made alpine grazing more demanding.
431
00:28:36,770 --> 00:28:39,670
Farmers have been grazing their livestock in the Swiss Alps
432
00:28:39,670 --> 00:28:41,830
for many hundreds of years
433
00:28:41,830 --> 00:28:43,130
and for most of that time,
434
00:28:43,130 --> 00:28:45,620
there were wolves here as well.
435
00:28:45,620 --> 00:28:47,520
It's just that humans have forgotten
436
00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:49,523
how to deal with the predators.
437
00:28:57,640 --> 00:28:59,330
There's not all that much to eat
438
00:28:59,330 --> 00:29:03,210
in the grazing areas of the alps, so in some regions,
439
00:29:03,210 --> 00:29:06,550
the sheep have to be moved on in midsummer,
440
00:29:06,550 --> 00:29:10,623
as with this herd, about 50 kilometers away from Lean.
441
00:29:16,470 --> 00:29:17,840
At the beginning of July,
442
00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:20,340
the first area is grazed out
443
00:29:20,340 --> 00:29:23,080
and the shepherds drive around 500 sheep
444
00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:25,843
to another alp near the Austrian border.
445
00:29:29,450 --> 00:29:31,960
They have a long trek ahead of them.
446
00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:34,303
It'll take them a good eight hours.
447
00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:47,100
It takes a lot of effort and a vet has to be present.
448
00:29:47,100 --> 00:29:50,593
The shepherds and all the sheep farmers also take part.
449
00:29:53,175 --> 00:29:58,175
(sheep baaing)
(bells tinkling)
450
00:29:59,544 --> 00:30:01,590
(man yelling)
451
00:30:01,590 --> 00:30:03,850
They make a stop over at the Gruescher Alp farm
452
00:30:03,850 --> 00:30:05,540
for a health check,
453
00:30:05,540 --> 00:30:08,010
a chance for the farmers to take another close look
454
00:30:08,010 --> 00:30:08,860
at their animals.
455
00:30:15,450 --> 00:30:19,440
Jan Boner is responsible for organizing the move.
456
00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,313
He keeps some sheep himself as a sideline.
457
00:30:23,150 --> 00:30:26,520
All the animals are put through a disinfection bath.
458
00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:28,770
This protects against foot rot,
459
00:30:28,770 --> 00:30:32,053
a dangerous and infectious inflammation of the hooves.
460
00:30:33,230 --> 00:30:35,813
A good opportunity to count the sheep.
461
00:30:41,605 --> 00:30:42,438
(Jan speaking in foreign language)
462
00:30:42,438 --> 00:30:44,080
All there, down to the last one,
463
00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:45,630
thanks not just to the good weather,
464
00:30:45,630 --> 00:30:47,470
but also to the shepherds.
465
00:30:47,470 --> 00:30:48,520
We're really pleased.
466
00:30:49,848 --> 00:30:51,848
(sheep baaing)
467
00:30:51,848 --> 00:30:54,070
(men talking in foreign language)
468
00:30:54,070 --> 00:30:56,750
Some new arrivals need registering
469
00:30:56,750 --> 00:30:58,573
and are treated for worms.
470
00:31:10,710 --> 00:31:12,960
Finally, they set off again.
471
00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:15,993
They'll be on route for another five hours at least.
472
00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:31,420
It's uphilL towards the Zuelschlu Peak.
473
00:31:31,420 --> 00:31:35,950
The new grazing area is nearly 2,400 meters up.
474
00:31:35,950 --> 00:31:40,220
It's a stressful move for both humans and animals,
475
00:31:40,220 --> 00:31:42,170
but then they'll have nearly three months
476
00:31:42,170 --> 00:31:43,233
of peace and quiet.
477
00:31:44,592 --> 00:31:47,509
(slow polka music)
478
00:31:51,490 --> 00:31:53,360
Most of the sheep in Grison
479
00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:56,990
are kept for lambs, meat and wool,
480
00:31:56,990 --> 00:32:00,690
but that no longer brings in much of a return.
481
00:32:00,690 --> 00:32:03,410
So up on the Borden Alp in Langwies,
482
00:32:03,410 --> 00:32:05,313
they're looking for alternatives.
483
00:32:08,770 --> 00:32:13,200
David Zippert also keeps sheep, but for milk.
484
00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:14,730
His family has been farming
485
00:32:14,730 --> 00:32:18,260
the local alpine pastures for 400 years.
486
00:32:18,260 --> 00:32:21,130
He wants to keep up the old traditions
487
00:32:21,130 --> 00:32:23,070
and is there for looking for new ways
488
00:32:23,070 --> 00:32:24,713
to market his products.
489
00:32:27,630 --> 00:32:31,550
David Zippert would like to be at least partly independent
490
00:32:31,550 --> 00:32:33,440
of government subsidies,
491
00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:35,910
so he's come up with new ideas.
492
00:32:35,910 --> 00:32:39,113
Every summer, he takes his family up into the mountains.
493
00:32:43,367 --> 00:32:47,175
(David speaks in foreign language)
494
00:32:47,175 --> 00:32:49,550
What I like best is the beauty of nature.
495
00:32:49,550 --> 00:32:51,147
Every day in the mountains with the animals
496
00:32:51,147 --> 00:32:54,610
and the plant life, that gives me a lot of strength.
497
00:32:54,610 --> 00:32:57,340
And of course, it's great to work together as a family,
498
00:32:57,340 --> 00:33:00,580
with my wife and often the children join in.
499
00:33:00,580 --> 00:33:02,760
That's by no means standard.
500
00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:04,843
Impossible in many occupations.
501
00:33:08,883 --> 00:33:11,466
(upbeat music)
502
00:33:14,790 --> 00:33:17,270
Every evening, he milks his sheep.
503
00:33:17,270 --> 00:33:19,450
That's rare in Grison.
504
00:33:19,450 --> 00:33:21,863
Sheep's cheese is not traditional here.
505
00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:35,540
David Zippert wants to secure new sources of income
506
00:33:35,540 --> 00:33:39,033
in case the state cuts back its support at some point.
507
00:33:47,690 --> 00:33:48,893
Next, please.
508
00:33:50,100 --> 00:33:53,000
The sheep are milked for around five months,
509
00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:55,690
then they're services by the ram.
510
00:33:55,690 --> 00:33:58,943
Until then, they produce about a liter of milk a day.
511
00:34:04,380 --> 00:34:07,070
The milk is processed immediately.
512
00:34:07,070 --> 00:34:10,280
David travels down to the valley at least twice a week
513
00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:14,483
to his own dairy where he produces organic sheep's cheese.
514
00:34:21,240 --> 00:34:23,980
Production takes about half a day.
515
00:34:23,980 --> 00:34:27,803
All handmade, and therefore labor-intensive.
516
00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:38,080
The finished cheese is put in the maturing chamber
517
00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:41,013
and after four or five days, can then be wrapped.
518
00:34:43,430 --> 00:34:46,270
The Zipperts supply village shops and restaurants
519
00:34:46,270 --> 00:34:47,780
in the region.
520
00:34:47,780 --> 00:34:50,280
The sheep's cheese business is doing well,
521
00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:52,893
but they couldn't support themselves from it alone.
522
00:34:57,643 --> 00:35:00,560
(David speaks in foreign language)
523
00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:01,710
For our business,
524
00:35:01,710 --> 00:35:03,610
the direct payments from the state
525
00:35:03,610 --> 00:35:05,553
are an important part of the turnover.
526
00:35:08,630 --> 00:35:11,173
Farming all the land is a lot of work,
527
00:35:12,610 --> 00:35:14,920
especially when you produce hay,
528
00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:17,110
partly on steep slopes.
529
00:35:17,110 --> 00:35:20,383
That would not be viable through product sales alone.
530
00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:28,390
David is also pursuing unusual paths
531
00:35:28,390 --> 00:35:30,890
as far as grazing is concerned.
532
00:35:30,890 --> 00:35:35,090
He also has ponies, horses and donkeys up on the alp,
533
00:35:35,090 --> 00:35:36,683
alternating with the sheep.
534
00:35:38,330 --> 00:35:41,160
That's also supported by the state.
535
00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:43,550
It's very good for the biodiversity
536
00:35:43,550 --> 00:35:45,600
and condition of the meadows
537
00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:48,623
because the animals graze on different plants.
538
00:35:50,817 --> 00:35:54,021
(David speaks in foreign language)
539
00:35:54,021 --> 00:35:55,970
The dry grass here forms tussets
540
00:35:55,970 --> 00:35:57,703
that the sheep don't like eating.
541
00:35:59,230 --> 00:36:02,470
But donkeys and horses are happy to eat it
542
00:36:02,470 --> 00:36:05,830
and in addition, if you keep these animals in the meadows,
543
00:36:05,830 --> 00:36:07,720
it ensures that a balanced mixture
544
00:36:07,720 --> 00:36:10,660
of weeds, grasses and flowers is maintained.
545
00:36:13,794 --> 00:36:16,794
(light polka music)
546
00:36:18,700 --> 00:36:20,650
Maintaining the alpine landscape
547
00:36:20,650 --> 00:36:22,250
can be achieved both through
548
00:36:22,250 --> 00:36:25,363
old traditions and new approaches.
549
00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:32,840
Nevertheless, the way the alps are worked
550
00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:36,090
has changed very little in centuries.
551
00:36:36,090 --> 00:36:38,613
It's nature that sets the pace up here.
552
00:36:48,700 --> 00:36:51,290
Summer is coming to its close.
553
00:36:51,290 --> 00:36:53,970
It's already quite cold in the mountains.
554
00:36:53,970 --> 00:36:55,843
Soon, the first snow will come.
555
00:36:57,192 --> 00:36:59,000
At the end of September, Lean is getting ready
556
00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:01,223
to drive the sheep down the mountain.
557
00:37:02,957 --> 00:37:07,570
(dogs barking)
(Lean yelling)
558
00:37:07,570 --> 00:37:10,660
She spent a good four months with the animals
559
00:37:10,660 --> 00:37:14,880
up in the mountains.
(Lean yelling)
560
00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:18,320
Now she has to take the 900 sheep entrusted to her
561
00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:20,820
safely down into the valley.
562
00:37:20,820 --> 00:37:24,436
The descent is the culmination of the year.
563
00:37:24,436 --> 00:37:27,519
(upbeat polka music)
564
00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:47,260
The rock tunnel is a bottleneck along the way,
565
00:37:47,260 --> 00:37:49,810
but as soon as the first sheep are through,
566
00:37:49,810 --> 00:37:51,557
the rest of the herd follow.
567
00:38:12,517 --> 00:38:14,450
There's another 10 kilometers to go
568
00:38:14,450 --> 00:38:17,440
and around a thousand meters in altitude
569
00:38:17,440 --> 00:38:18,673
down to the village.
570
00:38:43,570 --> 00:38:46,130
The sheep have to be kept moving
571
00:38:46,130 --> 00:38:48,830
not too fast and not too slow.
572
00:38:48,830 --> 00:38:52,710
The right pace is important for the herd to keep together.
573
00:38:52,710 --> 00:38:54,840
Krisjon Elny is responsible
574
00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:56,493
for everything running smoothly.
575
00:38:57,695 --> 00:39:00,195
(men yelling)
576
00:39:08,980 --> 00:39:11,923
A brief stop for the herd to come together again.
577
00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:41,780
When the paths get wider,
578
00:39:41,780 --> 00:39:46,600
individual sheep keep breaking away and if things go wrong,
579
00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:49,350
hundreds of others can quickly follow.
580
00:39:49,350 --> 00:39:53,500
So it's vital that no group heads off in the wrong direction
581
00:39:53,500 --> 00:39:56,033
and, for example, disappears into the forest.
582
00:39:57,710 --> 00:40:00,010
Lean is responsible for ensuring
583
00:40:00,010 --> 00:40:02,180
that no sheep gets lost.
584
00:40:02,180 --> 00:40:04,793
Without her dogs, she wouldn't stand a chance.
585
00:40:06,053 --> 00:40:07,350
(Lean yelling)
586
00:40:07,350 --> 00:40:09,870
The herding dogs will cover the whole distance
587
00:40:09,870 --> 00:40:12,023
several times over today.
588
00:40:35,670 --> 00:40:37,080
Everyone's relieved
589
00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:39,940
that the weather's playing along this year.
590
00:40:39,940 --> 00:40:43,930
Often, they're overtaken by rain or snow by this time.
591
00:40:43,930 --> 00:40:45,650
That's not only unpleasant,
592
00:40:45,650 --> 00:40:48,170
but makes the descent even more dangerous
593
00:40:48,170 --> 00:40:49,423
than it already is.
594
00:41:00,970 --> 00:41:03,770
Not much further now down to the valley.
595
00:41:03,770 --> 00:41:06,960
They've taken about two and a half hours so far
596
00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:09,703
and descended a good thousand meters in altitude.
597
00:41:31,450 --> 00:41:33,810
Kyle Elny's sheep barn.
598
00:41:33,810 --> 00:41:35,733
This is where most of the sheep live.
599
00:41:37,696 --> 00:41:42,696
(sheep baaing)
(bells clammer)
600
00:41:54,670 --> 00:41:56,720
One of the herd protection dogs
601
00:41:56,720 --> 00:42:00,390
has clearly suffered from the hardships of the descent.
602
00:42:00,390 --> 00:42:04,530
He's already 10 years old and ready for retirement.
603
00:42:04,530 --> 00:42:07,413
Next year, he'll stay down below in the valley.
604
00:42:08,466 --> 00:42:10,966
(dog panting)
605
00:42:15,100 --> 00:42:18,480
Some of the animals still have a way to go.
606
00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:20,630
A sophisticated sleuth system
607
00:42:20,630 --> 00:42:23,300
divides them into smaller groups
608
00:42:23,300 --> 00:42:25,633
so that each farmer can take his sheep home.
609
00:42:35,249 --> 00:42:38,416
(metal gates clammer)
610
00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:52,840
Arno Casty who's over 80
611
00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:55,990
has also come along to take delivery of his sheep,
612
00:42:55,990 --> 00:42:58,250
maybe for the last time.
613
00:42:58,250 --> 00:43:01,933
He's probably going to give up keeping sheep soon.
614
00:43:02,900 --> 00:43:07,900
(mumbling)
(child jabbering)
615
00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:11,860
His granddaughter and daughter have come with him.
616
00:43:11,860 --> 00:43:15,373
They want to experience Arno's world one more time.
617
00:43:19,220 --> 00:43:21,650
Lean is happy that she's brought the sheep
618
00:43:21,650 --> 00:43:23,193
safety down to the valley.
619
00:43:24,030 --> 00:43:26,920
The season is coming to an end for her.
620
00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:30,510
One more signature and the responsibility for the animals
621
00:43:30,510 --> 00:43:32,073
is back with their owners.
622
00:43:35,349 --> 00:43:38,182
(men calling out)
623
00:43:46,590 --> 00:43:50,520
They all have a special relationship to their animals.
624
00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:54,320
The older ones who have known a completely different world
625
00:43:54,320 --> 00:43:57,563
and the younger ones who are making their own way in life.
626
00:43:58,890 --> 00:44:03,170
State subsidies are helping to maintain alpine farming,
627
00:44:03,170 --> 00:44:06,493
but the farmers want to give their work added value.
628
00:44:08,270 --> 00:44:10,250
With wool, for instance.
629
00:44:10,250 --> 00:44:11,450
In autumn and spring,
630
00:44:11,450 --> 00:44:14,463
professional shearers go from village to village.
631
00:44:21,580 --> 00:44:24,960
The right grip and the sheep holds still
632
00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:27,343
so there are hardly any injuries.
633
00:44:36,710 --> 00:44:40,320
The shearers need two to five minutes per sheep,
634
00:44:40,320 --> 00:44:43,203
resulting in up to four kilograms of wool.
635
00:44:48,750 --> 00:44:51,060
It's hard to believe 10 years ago
636
00:44:51,060 --> 00:44:53,970
this wool was practically worthless,
637
00:44:53,970 --> 00:44:56,910
but the sheep have to be sheared in any case.
638
00:44:56,910 --> 00:45:01,370
Many farmers simply threw the wool away or burned it.
639
00:45:01,370 --> 00:45:04,280
A natural product for the waste bin
640
00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:06,713
because there were just no buyers for it.
641
00:45:20,250 --> 00:45:22,380
What looks soft and fluffy
642
00:45:22,380 --> 00:45:25,270
is actually unpleasant to the skin.
643
00:45:25,270 --> 00:45:30,060
The fleece of alpine sheep is relatively short and scratchy.
644
00:45:30,060 --> 00:45:32,383
Very different, say, from merino wool.
645
00:45:33,920 --> 00:45:35,390
The Swiss stand no chance
646
00:45:35,390 --> 00:45:38,090
against the competition from New Zealand,
647
00:45:38,090 --> 00:45:40,270
but thanks to a clever sales idea,
648
00:45:40,270 --> 00:45:41,943
the situation is improving.
649
00:45:55,600 --> 00:45:59,100
The farmers still don't make a lot of money from their wool,
650
00:45:59,100 --> 00:46:01,570
but there are now takers.
651
00:46:01,570 --> 00:46:04,420
They're not just marketing the product itself,
652
00:46:04,420 --> 00:46:07,660
but also advertising everything connected with it:
653
00:46:07,660 --> 00:46:11,200
the countryside, tradition and a lifestyle.
654
00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:13,623
And slowly, the price of wool is rising.
655
00:46:32,630 --> 00:46:35,680
Instead of throwing the wool away or burning it,
656
00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:39,070
the farmers now take it to collection points.
657
00:46:39,070 --> 00:46:42,500
The biggest customer is the Swiss Wool Company.
658
00:46:42,500 --> 00:46:46,270
It collects almost half of Switzerland's wool.
659
00:46:46,270 --> 00:46:48,830
They accept everything the farmers bring them
660
00:46:48,830 --> 00:46:50,503
and pay cash in hand.
661
00:46:58,540 --> 00:47:02,150
The idea behind Swiss wool is working out.
662
00:47:02,150 --> 00:47:04,970
A lot of customers, especially in Switzerland,
663
00:47:04,970 --> 00:47:08,593
are willing to pay a bit more for the guaranteed origin.
664
00:47:10,890 --> 00:47:14,360
The original Swiss wool is processed not in Switzerland,
665
00:47:14,360 --> 00:47:17,453
but in Germany, in Dinkelsbühl near Stuttgart.
666
00:47:18,430 --> 00:47:22,400
After washing it, it weighs half of what it did before.
667
00:47:22,400 --> 00:47:26,413
They produce around 200 tons of Swiss wool here every year.
668
00:47:29,436 --> 00:47:30,269
(Friedrich speaking in foreign language)
669
00:47:30,269 --> 00:47:32,440
It's typically for mattresses.
670
00:47:32,440 --> 00:47:34,630
We call it B quality.
671
00:47:34,630 --> 00:47:36,150
A is for clothing.
672
00:47:36,150 --> 00:47:38,220
It's being processed now.
673
00:47:38,220 --> 00:47:40,080
We load it on the truck tonight
674
00:47:40,080 --> 00:47:43,423
and tomorrow it'll be in Switzerland at the mattress makers.
675
00:47:47,860 --> 00:47:50,130
The Swiss wool label was established
676
00:47:50,130 --> 00:47:52,260
around 10 years ago.
677
00:47:52,260 --> 00:47:54,830
More and more products have been introduced
678
00:47:54,830 --> 00:47:59,340
for quilts, felt, luden cloths and jacket padding.
679
00:47:59,340 --> 00:48:02,730
Even for fleece and insulating material.
680
00:48:02,730 --> 00:48:06,653
The label, grown in Switzerland, is a selling point.
681
00:48:12,570 --> 00:48:15,900
The alpine farmers benefit from Swiss wool
682
00:48:15,900 --> 00:48:18,100
as does the environment.
683
00:48:18,100 --> 00:48:20,570
There are no long transport routes
684
00:48:20,570 --> 00:48:21,810
and in lots of cases,
685
00:48:21,810 --> 00:48:25,743
wool and fleece is even replacing manmade fiber products.
686
00:48:29,555 --> 00:48:32,055
(light music)
687
00:48:34,610 --> 00:48:37,720
In Grison, winter has set in.
688
00:48:37,720 --> 00:48:40,430
A few months ago, sheep, cows and goats
689
00:48:40,430 --> 00:48:42,870
were still grazing here.
690
00:48:42,870 --> 00:48:44,883
The alps are hardly recognizable.
691
00:48:45,780 --> 00:48:47,370
Up to three meters of snow
692
00:48:47,370 --> 00:48:49,070
are not uncommon at this altitude.
693
00:48:59,381 --> 00:49:01,798
(bell rings)
694
00:49:11,850 --> 00:49:15,660
The sheep spend the cold winter months in the barn
695
00:49:15,660 --> 00:49:17,890
and live off the hay that the farmers made
696
00:49:17,890 --> 00:49:19,193
in summer in the valley.
697
00:49:21,570 --> 00:49:24,080
In winter, too, the herd protection dogs
698
00:49:24,080 --> 00:49:26,290
are always with the sheep.
699
00:49:26,290 --> 00:49:29,100
That's no problem is a big barn like this,
700
00:49:29,100 --> 00:49:31,250
but for farmers with only a few sheep,
701
00:49:31,250 --> 00:49:34,440
it can be difficult to accommodate the dogs.
702
00:49:34,440 --> 00:49:38,320
For all the farmers, the running costs for food and vets
703
00:49:38,320 --> 00:49:40,933
are paid for once again by the state.
704
00:49:43,645 --> 00:49:46,228
(sheep baaing)
705
00:49:48,720 --> 00:49:50,560
Sheep farmer Kyle Enly
706
00:49:50,560 --> 00:49:53,650
and her protection consultant Jan Boner
707
00:49:53,650 --> 00:49:55,440
are checking the animals.
708
00:49:55,440 --> 00:49:57,580
Their work never stops.
709
00:49:57,580 --> 00:49:59,423
Soon it will be the lambing season.
710
00:50:00,572 --> 00:50:03,655
(upbeat polka music)
711
00:50:06,360 --> 00:50:09,403
Everyone's waiting for the snow to melt.
712
00:50:17,740 --> 00:50:20,660
The landscape that the Swiss are so proud of
713
00:50:20,660 --> 00:50:23,390
cannot be taken for granted.
714
00:50:23,390 --> 00:50:27,570
It will only be preserved if cows, sheep and goats
715
00:50:27,570 --> 00:50:29,193
continue to graze here.
716
00:50:30,160 --> 00:50:32,460
If there are people like Lean,
717
00:50:32,460 --> 00:50:33,880
willing to live with the animals
718
00:50:33,880 --> 00:50:35,633
on the alp for months on end,
719
00:50:38,140 --> 00:50:42,233
if the Swiss continue to finance landscape conservation,
720
00:50:45,080 --> 00:50:47,750
then Switzerland will remain a model
721
00:50:47,750 --> 00:50:49,813
for other mountain regions.
722
00:50:54,441 --> 00:50:59,441
(sheep baaing)
(bells tinkling)
52192
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