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A wild, mysterious world.
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00:00:10,763 --> 00:00:13,467
Veiled, impenetrable.
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00:00:21,952 --> 00:00:24,965
A place of legends and wonders.
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00:00:25,835 --> 00:00:28,634
Quiet, isolated.
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00:00:29,312 --> 00:00:31,556
Full of secrets.
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00:00:35,905 --> 00:00:39,815
And this enchanted forest
exists only because of man.
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00:00:45,132 --> 00:00:47,201
The decision to leave the forest alone
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00:00:47,202 --> 00:00:49,121
was a controversial one.
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00:00:49,122 --> 00:00:52,675
Today, its recovery is
seen as a small miracle.
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00:00:59,245 --> 00:01:02,643
Nature has reclaimed lost territory here.
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00:01:04,536 --> 00:01:07,800
This film tells the story of the making
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00:01:07,801 --> 00:01:10,066
of an ancient forest.
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00:01:30,744 --> 00:01:33,207
Nestled between two great mountain ranges
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00:01:33,208 --> 00:01:34,765
in Central Austria,
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00:01:34,766 --> 00:01:38,030
a last remaining great forest wilderness,
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00:01:38,031 --> 00:01:40,414
the Kalkalpen National Park.
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00:01:46,159 --> 00:01:48,719
In these steep gorges and hidden valleys,
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00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:52,832
it is turning into a wild,
primeval alpine forest.
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00:02:11,249 --> 00:02:13,925
Deep in the national park's beech forests,
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00:02:13,926 --> 00:02:16,634
lives a small population of lynx.
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00:02:16,635 --> 00:02:19,073
The only lynx in the Austrian alps.
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00:02:26,513 --> 00:02:29,408
Their story began in 1998.
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A single male lynx wandered
into the national park,
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00:02:34,342 --> 00:02:36,517
and decided to stay.
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00:02:36,518 --> 00:02:38,522
When people realized he was there,
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he quickly became the symbol of the forest.
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00:02:51,216 --> 00:02:53,913
Extreme weather can batter
this steep mountain
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00:02:53,914 --> 00:02:56,767
world night and day.
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00:02:59,482 --> 00:03:01,134
Sudden drops in temperature,
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00:03:01,135 --> 00:03:04,064
storms and heavy rains assault the trees.
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00:03:07,803 --> 00:03:11,445
Floods and landslides
tear into the landscape.
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00:03:21,594 --> 00:03:24,334
For millions of years, these natural forces
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00:03:24,335 --> 00:03:27,166
powered the forest's evolution.
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What looks like destruction and devastation
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00:03:31,514 --> 00:03:36,030
are, in fact, opportunities
to renew the forest.
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00:03:38,886 --> 00:03:41,461
Hastening its return to wilderness.
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00:03:48,368 --> 00:03:51,087
These bare and exposed mountainsides
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00:03:51,088 --> 00:03:53,206
pushed life to its limits.
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00:04:05,841 --> 00:04:09,135
And since they couldn't
escape the forces of nature,
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00:04:09,136 --> 00:04:12,320
trees had to learn to stand their ground.
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00:04:24,303 --> 00:04:27,662
There were trees long before
there were dinosaurs.
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00:04:27,663 --> 00:04:30,969
350 million years of
evolution have made them
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00:04:30,970 --> 00:04:33,929
expert communicators in the wild.
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00:04:47,972 --> 00:04:50,818
The forest is a complex web of organisms
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00:04:50,819 --> 00:04:53,961
relying on cooperation and partnership.
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00:04:57,284 --> 00:04:59,768
Trees have developed their own language,
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00:04:59,769 --> 00:05:01,438
a set of codes.
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00:05:11,694 --> 00:05:14,594
They use them to communicate
with each other,
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00:05:14,595 --> 00:05:16,936
and with their environment.
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00:05:20,771 --> 00:05:24,787
The codes are composed of
chemical scents and pulses.
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00:05:27,791 --> 00:05:30,968
Trees obey a fundamental rule of life,
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they grow and become more powerful.
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00:05:37,614 --> 00:05:41,213
But even giant forest
trees don't live forever.
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00:05:43,886 --> 00:05:46,819
Their death gives life new energy.
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00:05:46,820 --> 00:05:50,639
Scientists have a name
for it, resilience.
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00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,636
The forest regenerates
itself in a continuous
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00:05:53,637 --> 00:05:56,186
cycle of growth and decay.
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00:06:00,219 --> 00:06:03,194
Deadwood is the biggest
single source of growth
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in the Kalkalpen National Park.
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00:06:06,043 --> 00:06:08,836
It has proved vital for bringing new life,
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00:06:08,837 --> 00:06:11,190
and encouraging biodiversity.
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00:06:25,936 --> 00:06:27,456
The white-backed woodpecker is
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00:06:27,457 --> 00:06:30,683
the ancient forest specialist,
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00:06:30,684 --> 00:06:33,765
and one of Europe's rarest birds.
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00:06:33,766 --> 00:06:36,464
Its local name is Hackspett.
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00:06:36,465 --> 00:06:39,546
It spends all day hacking
into old rotting trees
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00:06:39,547 --> 00:06:44,919
with its grooved beak,
reducing them to wood chips.
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00:06:46,032 --> 00:06:48,454
And its rasp-like tongue helps it extract
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00:06:48,455 --> 00:06:50,657
insects and juicy larvae.
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00:07:07,985 --> 00:07:09,765
Chiseling with extreme accuracy,
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00:07:09,766 --> 00:07:11,749
it easily locates larvae.
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00:07:11,750 --> 00:07:15,564
90% of is its blows strike
with pinpoint precision.
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00:07:20,562 --> 00:07:24,038
The giant wood wasp is just as precise.
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00:07:24,039 --> 00:07:28,353
A giant among wasps, almost
five centimeters in length.
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00:07:32,774 --> 00:07:36,485
Using its drill, it penetrates
deep into a dying tree,
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00:07:36,486 --> 00:07:38,517
and deposits its egg.
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00:07:58,448 --> 00:08:00,633
The law of the forest,
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00:08:00,634 --> 00:08:03,231
life begins when a tree dies.
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And so that millions of cubic
meters of deadwood can vanish,
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the forest engages in one of the greatest
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cooperations on Earth
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with fungi.
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00:08:37,243 --> 00:08:40,453
Fungi are the magic
creatures of the forest.
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Apparently, appearing out of nothing.
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00:08:47,943 --> 00:08:50,822
In fact, they live almost
entirely out of sight,
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00:08:50,823 --> 00:08:54,017
decomposing and processing deadwood.
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00:08:57,969 --> 00:09:01,713
They only become visible when fruiting.
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00:09:01,714 --> 00:09:03,409
What we know as a mushroom,
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00:09:03,410 --> 00:09:06,456
exists only for reproduction.
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00:09:08,947 --> 00:09:11,405
And it's soon reabsorbed.
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00:09:19,485 --> 00:09:22,247
The honey agaric reveals only in the fall,
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where its vast networks run.
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00:09:24,927 --> 00:09:28,061
Mycelial cords sprawl through tree trunks
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00:09:28,062 --> 00:09:31,128
providing the blossoms with nutrients.
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00:09:36,073 --> 00:09:38,695
These fragile structures
are some of the largest
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00:09:38,696 --> 00:09:41,549
and oldest living organisms on Earth.
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00:09:46,152 --> 00:09:48,220
This invisible colony may weigh more than
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600 tons, and be 2,400 years old.
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A lynx steals silently on soft paws
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through the Kalkalpen National Park.
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Solitary by nature, this young female
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born last spring, now seeks to establish
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00:10:29,947 --> 00:10:32,070
her own territory.
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00:10:32,071 --> 00:10:35,041
This will be the toughest time of her life.
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00:10:36,156 --> 00:10:38,224
Hunting in unfamiliar terrain,
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00:10:38,225 --> 00:10:40,768
while avoiding other lynxes.
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Till now, she was
inseparable from her mother
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and siblings.
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00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:02,758
Now, she is alone with her instincts.
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00:11:02,759 --> 00:11:05,921
Her survival in the wild is uncertain.
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00:11:15,995 --> 00:11:19,045
The pygmy owl has taken up its territory.
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00:11:19,046 --> 00:11:22,634
It specializes in lightning
attacks on songbirds.
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00:11:27,216 --> 00:11:31,321
At 50 grams, its hardly
bigger than its prey,
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00:11:31,322 --> 00:11:33,578
but its a master hunter.
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The forest floor starts to come alive.
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More and more yellow-backed mice
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emerge from their winter hideout.
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These are true forest
mice, they climb trees,
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and leap ten times their
body length with ease.
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00:12:33,214 --> 00:12:35,804
Lucky for them, because
they are a delicacy for
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practically every forest hunter.
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Mice arouse the killer instinct of any cat.
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And this should be easy prey.
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00:13:24,649 --> 00:13:28,829
A lynx can hear its prey
from 50 meters away.
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00:13:28,830 --> 00:13:32,414
But yellow-backed mice do
more than climb and jump,
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00:13:32,415 --> 00:13:36,121
they're experts at the ancient
game of cat and mouse.
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00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:16,742
Agitated songbirds sound a warning,
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the feared predator has
appeared once again.
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00:14:25,682 --> 00:14:29,453
But today, the tiny owl's
intentions are quite different.
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00:14:32,180 --> 00:14:35,240
It's the mating season,
and the male pygmy owl
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is out to impress a female.
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A direct approach like
that is usually rejected.
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00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:58,073
So, he shows off his tree hole.
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A safe home for offspring
might make a difference.
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00:15:10,526 --> 00:15:12,755
Still she holds back,
136
00:15:12,756 --> 00:15:14,760
but the prospect of a luxury home
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00:15:14,761 --> 00:15:17,422
might just have its attractions.
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00:15:24,073 --> 00:15:27,513
At last, his persistence wins her over.
139
00:16:11,731 --> 00:16:13,885
The first delicate beech leaves
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00:16:13,886 --> 00:16:16,047
appear at the end of April.
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00:16:17,488 --> 00:16:19,717
The forest is in transition.
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It's sunny, calm, and warm.
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Perfect conditions for
a mysterious creature
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00:16:35,551 --> 00:16:37,220
to emerge.
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00:16:48,773 --> 00:16:51,876
For a year, this female Tau Emperor moth
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00:16:51,877 --> 00:16:54,859
lived as a pupa on the forest floor.
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00:16:57,220 --> 00:16:59,125
It's time for a change.
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She will remain here for the next half hour
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pumping blood through her unused veins
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00:17:06,705 --> 00:17:08,866
to unfold her wings.
151
00:17:20,860 --> 00:17:23,430
Elsewhere, highly sensitive antennae
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have already unfurled.
153
00:17:29,681 --> 00:17:31,557
They can detect female pheromones
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from several hundred meters.
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They belong to a male ready to take flight.
156
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Time is of the essence.
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00:17:48,166 --> 00:17:51,259
The lifespan of a Tau Emperor is short.
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00:17:51,260 --> 00:17:53,286
They're embarking on the most important
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00:17:53,287 --> 00:17:55,067
mission of their life,
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00:17:55,068 --> 00:17:57,547
to find a mate and reproduce.
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00:18:15,782 --> 00:18:19,098
After mating, females stop
producing pheromones,
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00:18:19,099 --> 00:18:22,234
but they're still wafting
through the spring air
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00:18:22,235 --> 00:18:24,575
leading the males astray.
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00:18:29,850 --> 00:18:33,152
Meanwhile, the female
starts laying her eggs.
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00:18:43,355 --> 00:18:46,042
The lifecycle of the Tau
Emperor is perfectly
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synchronized with that of the beech tree.
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00:18:53,616 --> 00:18:55,727
After three weeks, the eggs hatch into
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hungry caterpillars.
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They'll only touch the
new, tender beech leaves.
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00:19:28,285 --> 00:19:32,326
The forest is now cloaked
in a dense canopy of green.
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00:19:32,327 --> 00:19:34,481
Nothing grows on the ground,
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except where the sunlight
warms the dead leaves.
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00:19:59,070 --> 00:20:02,489
Trees live out the secrets of their seeds.
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00:20:13,151 --> 00:20:16,381
Their energies are devoted to
growing higher and stronger,
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to the point of indestructibility,
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00:20:26,729 --> 00:20:29,956
and yet they do it in a
socially conscious way.
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00:20:32,020 --> 00:20:34,591
They know when they've
reached their natural limit,
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00:20:34,592 --> 00:20:38,288
and then they give the younger
trees a chance to grow.
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00:20:40,544 --> 00:20:43,252
When a new generation
germinates, the older trees
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00:20:43,253 --> 00:20:45,738
take less nutrient from the soil,
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00:20:45,739 --> 00:20:48,826
and allow the saplings
as much as they need.
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00:21:39,870 --> 00:21:42,674
In the fading light of the setting sun,
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the contours of the forest soften.
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The forest shows another face.
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00:21:58,879 --> 00:22:01,934
It shocks by its brightness.
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Tens of thousands more stars sparkle
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in the night sky of the Kalkalpen
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than almost anywhere else.
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00:22:12,809 --> 00:22:14,898
Because this remote forest is one
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of the few truly dark
places left on our planet.
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On this night, in the depths of the forest,
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a wonderful event has occurred.
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A lynx has given birth to two kittens.
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00:23:21,232 --> 00:23:24,271
Her den, among the roots
of an ancient beech tree,
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is well protected.
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00:23:26,618 --> 00:23:30,265
The past two days have been nonstop work.
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00:23:30,266 --> 00:23:33,123
Even now, she can only leave her newborns
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00:23:33,124 --> 00:23:35,134
for a brief instant.
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00:23:49,477 --> 00:23:51,311
At birth, the kittens are blind,
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and depend on their mother's constant care.
201
00:24:28,305 --> 00:24:30,864
After a few days, they open their eyes,
202
00:24:30,865 --> 00:24:33,495
and begin to explore their surroundings.
203
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At this stage, they're
still easily manageable,
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00:24:40,252 --> 00:24:42,220
but that won't last.
205
00:25:00,529 --> 00:25:04,293
High above, in an abandoned
woodpecker's tree hole,
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00:25:04,294 --> 00:25:07,782
the pygmy owls are busy
with their offspring.
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00:25:07,783 --> 00:25:11,451
Both parents bring fresh
prey as often as possible.
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00:25:11,452 --> 00:25:14,817
Their chicks hunger
appears to be insatiable.
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00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:52,180
Both parents are kept
busy removing waste, too.
210
00:26:02,404 --> 00:26:05,102
In the soft dawn light it's hard to imagine
211
00:26:05,103 --> 00:26:07,264
that a fierce war is under way.
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00:26:11,611 --> 00:26:14,703
For over 150 years this
spruce tree has defied
213
00:26:14,704 --> 00:26:18,128
wind and weather, insects and disease,
214
00:26:18,129 --> 00:26:20,005
but the summer droughts of recent years
215
00:26:20,006 --> 00:26:21,995
have weakened it.
216
00:26:26,395 --> 00:26:28,821
And then, invaders arrive.
217
00:26:30,384 --> 00:26:31,914
Bark beetles.
218
00:26:33,776 --> 00:26:36,378
The spruce tree activates its defenses
219
00:26:36,379 --> 00:26:38,485
by oozing resin.
220
00:26:42,416 --> 00:26:45,622
Just a few beetles attempt
to penetrate the bark.
221
00:27:00,048 --> 00:27:04,228
At first, the tree has the upper hand,
222
00:27:04,229 --> 00:27:07,935
but the beetles attract a
whole army of their number.
223
00:27:10,053 --> 00:27:13,241
Within a few hours, they arrive en masse.
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00:27:13,242 --> 00:27:15,396
The already weakened tree is unable to
225
00:27:15,397 --> 00:27:17,524
withstand the onslaught.
226
00:27:21,082 --> 00:27:24,377
From here on in, everything happens fast.
227
00:27:24,378 --> 00:27:27,235
Beetles multiply beneath the bark,
228
00:27:27,236 --> 00:27:29,262
boring through the pulp they destroy
229
00:27:29,263 --> 00:27:31,534
the tree's vascular system,
230
00:27:31,535 --> 00:27:35,496
and with it, its ability to
transport nutrients and water.
231
00:27:40,750 --> 00:27:43,096
But at the start of the
attack, the tree released
232
00:27:43,097 --> 00:27:45,870
a chemical S.O.S. alerting
neighboring trees
233
00:27:45,871 --> 00:27:47,520
to the invasion.
234
00:27:49,830 --> 00:27:51,941
They immediately ramped up their own
235
00:27:51,942 --> 00:27:54,373
production of resin to gain an advantage
236
00:27:54,374 --> 00:27:55,959
on the invaders.
237
00:28:08,241 --> 00:28:12,055
Affected spruce trees also call
on the beetle's predators.
238
00:28:15,570 --> 00:28:17,841
The three-toed woodpecker is an outstanding
239
00:28:17,842 --> 00:28:19,697
bark beetle hunter.
240
00:28:19,698 --> 00:28:23,408
It can consume 2,000 beetles a day.
241
00:28:23,409 --> 00:28:25,776
The larvae are its favorites.
242
00:28:25,777 --> 00:28:29,078
Especially, when it has
hungry offspring to feed.
243
00:29:01,072 --> 00:29:03,183
It's a prime example of the complex,
244
00:29:03,184 --> 00:29:06,873
delicate balance of life
and death in the forest.
245
00:29:06,874 --> 00:29:08,985
The greater the invasion of bark beetles,
246
00:29:08,986 --> 00:29:12,074
the more three-toed
woodpeckers will breed here.
247
00:29:13,755 --> 00:29:15,962
If the bark beetle infestation drops,
248
00:29:15,963 --> 00:29:19,669
the population of breeding
woodpeckers is also reduced.
249
00:29:30,074 --> 00:29:33,162
Even an ancient forest has its casualties.
250
00:29:47,056 --> 00:29:50,863
Water quickly seeps through
brittle limestone rock.
251
00:29:50,864 --> 00:29:52,857
If a summer drought goes on too long,
252
00:29:52,858 --> 00:29:56,553
trees dehydrate, become
stressed and weaken.
253
00:30:01,242 --> 00:30:04,171
But the forest has a
solution for this, too.
254
00:30:08,336 --> 00:30:13,071
If it gets too dry, the trees
emit molecules into the air.
255
00:30:13,072 --> 00:30:15,343
These molecules have two properties:
256
00:30:15,344 --> 00:30:18,223
they attract water vapor, and
have an adhesive quality
257
00:30:18,224 --> 00:30:20,825
that binds the vapor to them.
258
00:30:20,826 --> 00:30:23,332
Water remains suspended in the atmosphere,
259
00:30:23,333 --> 00:30:26,697
even in the scorching heat of the sun.
260
00:30:40,712 --> 00:30:44,327
Out of nowhere, fog and small clouds form,
261
00:30:44,328 --> 00:30:47,714
they drift across the canopy,
and cover the forest.
262
00:30:58,236 --> 00:31:01,495
The cooling air can no
longer retain the moisture,
263
00:31:03,933 --> 00:31:05,858
and it begins to rain.
264
00:31:44,987 --> 00:31:47,532
During the summer months,
white-backed woodpeckers
265
00:31:47,533 --> 00:31:50,675
spend all day hacking
at rotting beech trees.
266
00:31:55,342 --> 00:31:59,357
Both males and females hunt
for prey almost nonstop.
267
00:32:05,603 --> 00:32:08,317
They now have a family to support.
268
00:32:19,108 --> 00:32:20,749
This rare species of woodpecker
269
00:32:20,750 --> 00:32:22,722
has almost completely
vanished from its home
270
00:32:22,723 --> 00:32:25,208
in the Scandinavian forests.
271
00:32:25,209 --> 00:32:27,483
It only survives here because of the vast
272
00:32:27,484 --> 00:32:29,607
amounts of deadwood.
273
00:32:29,608 --> 00:32:34,380
Without these ancient forests,
it's doomed to extinction.
274
00:33:02,289 --> 00:33:04,400
Their sensitive antennae have brought
275
00:33:04,401 --> 00:33:07,898
Rosalia longicorn beetles from far away
276
00:33:07,899 --> 00:33:10,646
to a clearing in the middle of the forest.
277
00:33:12,272 --> 00:33:14,475
To one particular log.
278
00:33:16,593 --> 00:33:18,774
The males start to duel.
279
00:33:27,249 --> 00:33:30,261
The winner has earned the right to mate.
280
00:34:01,370 --> 00:34:04,921
He was drawn here by the
scent of the female.
281
00:34:04,922 --> 00:34:07,284
After mating, he will die.
282
00:34:11,609 --> 00:34:13,699
The female examines the damp, rotten
283
00:34:13,700 --> 00:34:16,990
underside of the log in
search of suitable cracks.
284
00:34:25,582 --> 00:34:28,771
Here, she will lay her eggs
which will develop into larvae,
285
00:34:28,772 --> 00:34:32,180
which in part will feed a new
generation of woodpeckers.
286
00:34:52,345 --> 00:34:54,463
Midsummer is approaching.
287
00:34:56,026 --> 00:34:59,114
In the dense canopy of the
beech trees, seeds ripen.
288
00:35:00,295 --> 00:35:02,188
Beechnuts.
289
00:35:15,770 --> 00:35:18,254
The young female lynx has survived the most
290
00:35:18,255 --> 00:35:20,814
challenging period of her life.
291
00:35:20,815 --> 00:35:23,363
She has established her own territory,
292
00:35:23,364 --> 00:35:25,940
and learned to fend for herself.
293
00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:23,131
A year ago, this was her home.
294
00:36:25,846 --> 00:36:28,288
Now, her new sisters and
brothers are enjoying
295
00:36:28,289 --> 00:36:30,715
their mother's constant care.
296
00:36:35,309 --> 00:36:38,355
They will be safe with her
until the coming winter.
297
00:37:14,144 --> 00:37:16,353
There have been a number of lynx litters
298
00:37:16,354 --> 00:37:18,700
in Kalkalpen National Park.
299
00:37:18,701 --> 00:37:20,929
The reintroduction of these wildcats
300
00:37:20,930 --> 00:37:23,091
seems to have been a success.
301
00:38:02,476 --> 00:38:05,127
But there's a shadow
hanging over their future.
302
00:38:07,245 --> 00:38:11,793
Inexplicably, male lynx known
as toms, keep disappearing.
303
00:38:15,629 --> 00:38:17,941
For a long time, it was only a suspicion,
304
00:38:17,942 --> 00:38:19,936
but now it has been confirmed.
305
00:38:19,937 --> 00:38:22,325
Poaching is undermining the reintroduction
306
00:38:22,326 --> 00:38:24,528
of lynx into the alps.
307
00:38:27,456 --> 00:38:29,781
If there are too few
males, the lynx population
308
00:38:29,782 --> 00:38:33,253
in the Austrian alps will
succumb to inbreeding.
309
00:39:19,027 --> 00:39:21,554
A giant wood wasp emerges
from the tree tunk
310
00:39:21,555 --> 00:39:23,783
where the female drilled a hole for her egg
311
00:39:23,784 --> 00:39:25,747
two years before.
312
00:39:25,748 --> 00:39:28,110
The lifecycle is now complete.
313
00:39:31,412 --> 00:39:33,539
This wasp was lucky.
314
00:39:38,164 --> 00:39:41,416
On a hot summer's day,
unusual looking insects
315
00:39:41,417 --> 00:39:44,068
buzz around a dying spruce tree.
316
00:39:47,488 --> 00:39:51,622
Giant Ichneumon wasps, Megarhyssa rixator.
317
00:40:00,801 --> 00:40:04,177
The wasp's antennae scan
every millimeter of bark,
318
00:40:05,451 --> 00:40:07,877
for a very specific spot.
319
00:40:21,751 --> 00:40:23,445
She's found it.
320
00:40:23,446 --> 00:40:25,773
Now, Megarhyssa maneuvers her ovipositor
321
00:40:25,774 --> 00:40:29,741
into position, but
it's much too long.
322
00:40:29,742 --> 00:40:33,207
First, it's coiled into a
special flexible pouch
323
00:40:33,208 --> 00:40:35,101
in her abdomen.
324
00:40:55,959 --> 00:40:58,824
Now, the drill is at right
angles to the wood.
325
00:41:05,858 --> 00:41:09,031
She can bore straight through the bark.
326
00:41:15,245 --> 00:41:18,139
With high-tech precision,
she drills towards
327
00:41:18,140 --> 00:41:20,514
the larva of a wood wasp.
328
00:41:26,365 --> 00:41:28,252
The Megarhyssa pierces its body,
329
00:41:28,253 --> 00:41:30,094
and injects her venom.
330
00:41:34,089 --> 00:41:37,795
This won't kill the larva
but paralyzes it forever.
331
00:41:47,892 --> 00:41:51,499
She retracts the ovipositor just a little,
332
00:42:01,286 --> 00:42:04,388
and then lays an egg
directly onto the surface
333
00:42:04,389 --> 00:42:07,178
of the immobilized wood wasp larva.
334
00:42:10,874 --> 00:42:13,049
Her egg turns into a larva that will eat
335
00:42:13,050 --> 00:42:15,659
the paralyzed host bit by bit
336
00:42:21,275 --> 00:42:23,413
until it's ready to emerge.
337
00:42:41,338 --> 00:42:45,898
When tall old trees die, they
complete a forest lifecycle.
338
00:42:48,454 --> 00:42:51,237
Fallen giants give back
their organic material
339
00:42:51,238 --> 00:42:53,626
to the next generation.
340
00:42:53,627 --> 00:42:55,882
A new cycle begins.
341
00:43:14,042 --> 00:43:17,600
The death of summer heralds
another new start,
342
00:43:20,634 --> 00:43:23,199
though it's always hard to believe.
343
00:43:35,045 --> 00:43:39,460
The leaves of deciduous trees
turn yellow, red, and brown.
344
00:43:39,461 --> 00:43:43,049
When the first frost comes,
they're already falling.
345
00:44:14,424 --> 00:44:17,768
But the autumn sun is not
ready to give way to winter.
346
00:44:23,609 --> 00:44:26,538
These are the last hot days in the forest.
347
00:44:37,412 --> 00:44:39,822
Autumn brings excitement to the lives
348
00:44:39,823 --> 00:44:42,185
of the yellow-neck mice.
349
00:44:47,257 --> 00:44:50,122
The beech trees begin to
release their fruits.
350
00:45:02,244 --> 00:45:04,425
It's harvest time.
351
00:45:10,393 --> 00:45:12,504
This year, it's a bumper crop.
352
00:45:12,505 --> 00:45:16,393
A gust of wind brings down
thousands of nourishing seeds.
353
00:46:05,658 --> 00:46:08,665
The mice hide only healthy
beechnuts and ignore
354
00:46:08,666 --> 00:46:11,363
any attacked by parasites.
355
00:46:11,364 --> 00:46:14,739
They must stockpile enough
to survive the whole winter.
356
00:46:29,816 --> 00:46:33,047
Many of the stockpiled nuts go uneaten.
357
00:46:33,048 --> 00:46:35,671
Some may germinate next spring.
358
00:46:35,672 --> 00:46:38,082
So, in their way, the
mice help with the seed
359
00:46:38,083 --> 00:46:40,498
dispersal of the beech tree.
360
00:47:09,153 --> 00:47:11,410
The forest never sleeps.
361
00:47:17,431 --> 00:47:20,456
A lynx walks stealthily through the trees.
362
00:47:21,815 --> 00:47:25,426
Under cover of darkness,
she's returning to her prey.
363
00:47:26,355 --> 00:47:29,309
After catching and feasting
on it the previous day,
364
00:47:29,310 --> 00:47:31,358
she left it well hidden.
365
00:47:31,359 --> 00:47:34,820
Another sign of a lynx
at ease in its habitat.
366
00:47:57,992 --> 00:48:00,718
The Tengmalm's owl hunts only at night
367
00:48:02,174 --> 00:48:03,428
for mice.
368
00:48:04,244 --> 00:48:06,916
And right now, there's no shortage.
369
00:48:19,274 --> 00:48:22,387
Tirelessly, the small rodents
collect as many beechnuts
370
00:48:22,388 --> 00:48:23,994
as possible.
371
00:48:32,736 --> 00:48:35,471
Easy prey for the owl, you'd think.
372
00:48:50,709 --> 00:48:53,435
Yellow-neck mice aren't
the easiest to catch,
373
00:48:54,890 --> 00:48:57,525
but with so many about the owl doesn't
374
00:48:57,526 --> 00:48:59,493
stay hungry for long.
375
00:49:19,626 --> 00:49:21,972
With the arrival of winter,
the merciless struggle
376
00:49:21,973 --> 00:49:24,134
for survival begins again.
377
00:49:27,467 --> 00:49:29,717
In the steep Kalkalpen forests,
378
00:49:29,718 --> 00:49:31,904
the primal forces of nature continue
379
00:49:31,905 --> 00:49:34,688
to transform the environment.
380
00:49:34,689 --> 00:49:36,959
The cycle of life never ceases,
381
00:49:36,960 --> 00:49:39,466
and next spring the forests
of the national park
382
00:49:39,467 --> 00:49:43,855
will be one step closer to
their original wild state.
383
00:49:57,418 --> 00:49:59,859
One of the new litter of
lynx cubs makes his way
384
00:49:59,860 --> 00:50:01,626
alone for the first time.
385
00:50:03,873 --> 00:50:05,727
His mother has taught him all she can
386
00:50:05,728 --> 00:50:08,048
over the past nine months.
387
00:50:12,533 --> 00:50:15,295
Now play time is over, every step he takes
388
00:50:15,296 --> 00:50:18,052
could be a matter of life or death.
389
00:50:20,897 --> 00:50:23,071
Only one in four lynx will survive
390
00:50:23,072 --> 00:50:25,735
its first year in the wilderness.
391
00:50:28,525 --> 00:50:30,635
The odds worsen if you factor in their
392
00:50:30,636 --> 00:50:33,884
deadliest enemy, human trophy hunters.
393
00:50:55,019 --> 00:50:58,847
This picturesque, primal
landscape, and all its inhabitants
394
00:50:58,848 --> 00:51:00,689
are part of our history.
395
00:51:02,101 --> 00:51:03,968
Many of these towering beeches have
396
00:51:03,969 --> 00:51:05,692
been here for centuries.
397
00:51:08,226 --> 00:51:10,806
For most of that time, the steep mountains
398
00:51:10,807 --> 00:51:12,253
protected them,
399
00:51:13,922 --> 00:51:15,809
but those times have changed.
400
00:51:15,810 --> 00:51:17,782
Now, it's up to us to make sure this
401
00:51:17,783 --> 00:51:19,762
magical place survives.
402
00:51:24,109 --> 00:51:28,540
And the best way is
simply to leave it alone.
31035
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