All language subtitles for Wild France PBS Nature Special 720p HDTV EN Sub_Subtitles01.ENG

NARRATOR: It's an old country

with a long history of
refined civilization.

Yet, deep in the countryside
of France,

wild creatures
are stirring.

Wilderness is making a comeback

in a drama unfolding
all across Europe --

and France plays
a large part in the story.

Creatures once on the verge
of extinction

are being granted the space
and tolerance

to find their way back.

Eagles, otters,

badgers, and bats --

even the great predators --

are regaining their
old hunting grounds.

From Paris to Provence,
to the Pyrenees,

it's the rise of
a new republic.

It has style,
it has elegance,

and a very French flair
for the wild.

NARRATOR: Just outside Paris

lies the great estate of
Chateau Fontainebleau --

for centuries, the playground of
the noble kings of France.

Generations have driven hounds
through this ancient forest.

Their dogs have scoured
the thick undergrowth

and rocky outcrops
a thousand times

hoping to catch a scent of prey.

The forest of Fontainebleau,

full of oaks, pine,
and beech trees,

has always been home to
wild things --

and the hunters' quarry.

Magnificent red deer.

These two ten-point stags
are seven years old

and have been together
all their lives.

It's not uncommon for stags
to form partnerships,

but these particular two
have become

almost inseparable.

They work as allies,

warning each other
of danger...

and sharing food,

such as tender ivy

or willow leaves.

In the hot weather
they will linger in water

to keep cool and to get rid of
annoying midges.

It's rare for
these two fast friends

to be out of
each other's sight.

They know their territory
very well

and have a network of trails

to follow.

This comes in handy
should they need to escape from

hunting dogs.

There are hundreds of red deer
in Fontainebleau.

They have no natural predators,

so they are fair game
for hunters.

When they sense danger,

they will flee
as fast as possible.

Their long legs
give them an advantage

as they plunge into
the river water

and out of sight.

[Dogs barking]

The water also helps
to dilute their scent,

which dogs can trace
for hours.

These two stags

will spend the winter, spring
and summer together...

But when autumn arrives
it's a different story.

Their antlers have lost
their velvety texture,

their coats have grown
and darkened.

[Bellowing]

They are now
full of testosterone

and can only think of
one thing --

the female deer,
or "hinds."

They mingle with
the females

to get their scent.

In turn, their bellows
excite the females

and help to stimulate
their ovulation.

[Bellowing]

From this moment,
there will be no more sharing

between the males.

There can only be
one winner.

This is a battle

without compromise.

It will only end
when one of the males

backs down
and surrenders.

The hinds can only watch
and wait.

[Bellowing]

Finally,
the cry of victory.

The females
gather around

their triumphant hero.

[Bellowing]

The champion will stay with
his harem for about a month,

fighting off any male who tries
to enter his territory.

But then,
when the mating season is over,

all will change once again.

Battles will be forgotten,

and the two stags
of Fontainebleau

will once again become
inseparable friends.

Leaving the historic
outskirts of Paris,

we journey south, to the most
famous mountain range in Europe,

the Alps.

Well known for its ski resorts
and stunning scenery,

there is also plenty of
rugged room for wildlife.

This is Ecrins National Park.

From the top of snowy glaciers,
water rushes down,

forming icy,
fast-flowing rivers.

Within the lower torrents

is a small bird with
unique abilities.

The dipper feeds on

insect larvae that live
in the river beds.

Despite the freezing
temperatures

it dives deep into
the glacial water.

Using its wings to swim,

it can reach depths of
six feet

and remain there for
about fifteen seconds.

It will do this over and over,
day after day,

in order to feed

its insatiable young.

Moving up to
the high altitude

pastures of these mountains,

there is an animal that lives
below ground

in a deep system
of underground burrows.

These are alpine marmots.

They come up to
the surface

to play, mate, and feed.

They are social creatures

and live in
small family groups.

Alpine marmots
used to be widely hunted

due to the belief that their fat
would ease rheumatism

when rubbed on the skin.

In some areas of France,

they have been successfully
re-introduced

and are now beginning

to flourish again.

Marmots are
highly defensive animals

and have developed
a kind of

collective surveillance system.

Sentinels take turns
to guard their territory.

With a range of different calls

they can warn others of
any potential danger.

[Chirping]

There's good reason --

the legendary
golden eagle.

The marmots' warning system
has to be good,

as the eagle is indeed
a fearsome predator.

Eagles have existed here for
hundreds of thousands of years,

far longer than
any human settlers.

They have built their homes

in the highest parts of
the mountains.

To protect their nests they can
be fiercely territorial.

If another eagle gets too close
they will fight --

sometimes to the death.

The eagle rules the skies,

but they are not alone
at the summit...

Amazingly, these nimble chamois
thrive on

a vertical existence.

Farther south, in the peaks of
the Verdon canyon,

a small creature can be found

that seems almost immune to
the laws of gravity...

[Bird calls in distance]

The wall creeper,

known locally as
the butterfly bird.

Arnaud Petit

and Stephanie Bodet
share a passion

with this small bird
for terrifying heights.

They are champion
European climbers.

They brave

the sheer and frightening
cliff faces

inspired by a glimpse of these
undaunted little rock climbers.

The butterfly bird
has large feet

with solid curved claws...

which enable it to stand
with perfect balance.

It gets its name because of
the way it scales the cliffs,

by fluttering
its colorful wings.

Its wide wings

enable it to take advantage of
the rising currents

to effortlessly reach
great heights.

Considerably more effort
is required by the climbers,

and occasionally

their balance is not
quite as perfect.

[Stephanie gasps]

Arnaud and Stephanie
share the nesting choice

of the butterfly bird.

They pitch their porta-ledge

into the side of the cliff,

high above
the huge emptiness below.

Sleeping at such a great height

is like being suspended
momentarily out of time.

Turning north,
we head past the Alps

to reach a low mountain chain
on the French-German border...

the Vosges Mountains.

Fed by waterfalls,

a rich, green,
magical forest thrives.

Beech, oak, spruce, and pine
grow here in abundance,

each vying to be the biggest.

And like a storybook,

it's a forest that holds
quite a cast of

interesting characters.

On any spring morning,

the woods are
full of birdsong

and the comings and goings of
its most energetic resident.

The Badger.

Her life is organized
with great precision.

She wakes up at 7:00,

takes care of a little business
behind the big tree at 7:05,

breakfast at 7:10,

a quick bath at 7:15,

followed by a tour of
the property until 8:00.

Although her schedule
doesn't usually change much,

she has an important project

that is going to
disturb her routine.

[Labored breathing]

It's mating season.

She's already picked up
the scent of an eligible male,

and with that in mind,

it's time to look for a suitable
home for a family.

Like any respectable badger,

she needs a home
with one main entrance

and several secondary exits.

More important however is
finding the right terrain...

and so, digging begins.

This won't do --
better look elsewhere.

[Animal cries]
Oops!

And here looks just right.

A high ceiling,
visible beams --

a fox has already done
a good part of the work.

This will be just fine.

Our Badger knows
there are several males

that live on
the other side of the lake.

What's important

is to avoid a fickle,
unfaithful one.

Some males might leave the
moment the youngsters are born.

Hmm, this one
smells interesting.

Where is he?

With noses to the ground,

it's still a challenge
to find each other

in all the rocky nooks
and crannies.

Then, there he is...

With successful
introductions over,

it's time to go home.

There's a little confusion,
but our badger knows the way.

Now, the couple can get to work
on their family home.

They'll have to take dig out
a lot of earth

to create galleries
on several levels.

Soon, five young badgers
will be waking up at 7:00 am,

doing their business at 7:05,

breakfast at 7:10,
baths at 7:15...

As a busy summer
comes to a close,

high overhead, flocks of geese
begin their journey

to southern climes
to spend the winter.

Crossing the Vosges,

they fly over the fertile
plains of Alsace.

[Goose honks]

It's an ancient route --
over picturesque towns

and farms, that were settled
long ago in these rolling hills.

The geese have medieval
landmarks to guide them.

But mostly, they have
a remarkable homing instinct

that brings them back to
the same area year after year,

even when their
migration takes them

halfway around the world.

The youngsters take advantage of
their parents' slipstream.

The whole family
flies in formation

as if part of
an aerial platoon.

This saves them all energy,

and that helps them cover
almost 200 miles a day.

But youngsters don't always have
the patience for long trips.

One young female has
an independent streak.

Instead of saving energy,

she spends her time
doing acrobatics, playing,

and daydreaming.

Her constant lagging behind
and falling out of formation

is wreaking havoc
within the group.

But she finally falls in line

when the family spots a perfect
place to land for the night.

They always look for water,
stopping to rest in marshlands,

by rivers or by lakes.

Come dawn, they will have to
wait for the cold fog to lift

before taking to
the air again.

True to her independent nature,

the young rebel has
strayed off on her own

to explore the surroundings.

[Geese calling]

But as the morning clears,
she hears the family

calling for takeoff.

She scrambles to get there.

Just in time.

She needs to pay more attention
to where they're going.

Next year,
she and all her siblings

will be making this
journey alone.

As the geese head south,

we head west to a region near
the Atlantic Ocean

called Poitou-Charentes.

It's home to one of the largest
wetlands in France,

known as the Poitevin Marsh.

Here, sea water
meets fresh water.

In a place that's
half water, half land,

wildlife flourishes.

In the spring,
it is teeming with new life.

And spring for one creature here

is a time of incredible
transformation.

The dragonfly.

This small larva

has spent more than a year
under the water.

Tonight it will undergo
an amazing metamorphosis.

It appears to inflate

its new body
so that it can

break out of its old skin.

Its new feet emerge,

but the dragonfly
can't use them yet

as they're still
too soft.

It must wait
for them to harden.

In this position,

it's vulnerable.

Falling now

would be certain death.

Not far from the dragonfly's
precarious perch,

another new birth
is about to happen.

These are
greater horseshoe bats,

a protected species
across Europe.

The bats will often roost

in old, unused buildings
in the late spring and summer,

going out after sunset
to hunt and feed.

This is a maternity roost,

and it's time for
the new babies to be born.

For this female
the contractions have begun.

The head appears first.

The mother begins by
cleaning her new born.

She licks it and frees its ears,
which were stuck to its head.

Once the baby is free,

it immediately begins to suckle

and will do so for
the first month of its life.

The mother wraps her wings

around her precious bundle,

protecting it
from any danger.

Back on the moonlit water,

the dragonfly's feet
are at last hard enough.

Finally, it can shed the
trappings of its former self.

Now, its soft and intricate
wings slowly unfurl.

Early morning has arrived

and the transformation
is complete.

Four independent wings

on a perfectly
aerodynamic body.

The small larva that came out of
the water last night

has become one of the most
sophisticated flying creatures

in the world.

Soon, it will find a partner

and the cycle will
begin again.

The Poitevin Marsh
is a fascinating area.

It was once completely
covered with wetlands

and full of insects.

Around the 10th century,

monks started the process of
drying up the swamps.

They built dams
to stop the water rising,

and dug canals
to evacuate rainwater

and to free up
the fertile soil.

The land could then be used
for agriculture.

But down through
the centuries,

some areas have

remained untouched.

Many species of birds
come to nest here.

Within this wetlands

there's a hidden forest which
serves as a nursery

for a colony of herons.

These fledglings
are three weeks old

and are constantly hungry.

One of the three youngsters
stands back

while the other two devour

everything their mother
regurgitates.

Usually both parents will help
feed the offspring,

but here the male
has disappeared.

The mother has to work twice as
hard to feed her young.

She will fly up to 20 miles

hunting for food
in the swamps.

Competition for fishing spots
can be fierce.

Competition within the nest
is just as fierce.

The two strongest chicks
have united against

the weakest
and smallest.

He can only eat the leftovers.

The problem is,
there aren't any.

A single parent

cannot possibly feed
all three.

Instinctively, they attack
their little brother,

in what is a struggle
for survival.

The weakest of the three
will die

so that that the other two
can live.

The laws of nature
can often seem cruel.

Moving back to
the south of France,

there is an area known as
the Cévennes,

a maze of mountains,
deep valleys,

and winding rivers.

The river water descending
from these granite mountains

has carved out the distinctive
contours of this stunning area.

Over time,

the water has dug out canyons
hundreds of feet deep.

In the cliffs of these
spectacular canyons

there is
an extraordinary animal,

the griffon vulture.

Until recent years,

vultures had almost
completely disappeared.

Successful re-introduction
programs have dramatically

increased the number of
these formidable birds.

Vultures live in colonies
and they work together

to scavenge for food.

It's 6:00 in the morning
and the sun hasn't as yet

penetrated the depths
of the canyons.

Without the sun to warm the air

and make it rise,
the vultures do not fly.

They may be hungry, but there's
no question of moving yet.

At last,

the air can carry them.

Like an air squadron,
dozens of vultures

fill the sky.

The warm currents

help them gain height.

As part of their
scavenging strategy,

they divide up
the territory.

The large birds fly
several miles,

scanning every inch of
their land,

yet never losing sight of
the other vultures.

If one of them spots something,
it immediately dives down.

The other vultures
haven't seen it,

but they've noticed that
one of them is absent.

This means there is something
to eat down below.

In a matter of seconds

the entire colony gathers
at the feast.

The work of one
benefits all.

Each bird can now
return to its nest

with a share of the spoils
for its youngsters.

Vultures eat rotting carcasses,

helping to prevent
the spread of disease,

cleansing the wilderness.

The return of these imposing
birds across this region

is widely celebrated.

To the north of
the Cévennes mountain range

is a region called
the Lozère.

The mountains of the Lozère
are home to an insect

which is unique to this area --
a black bee.

It is only thanks to
intensive conservation efforts

that the pure breed
of this bee

can still be found here.

The bees sally forth

using scent to locate

a source of nectar.

These flower loving insects
are workaholics,

and they all
work together.

When a successful forager

returns to the hive, it passes
the scent of the flowers

to its nest mates to help them
find the same patch of blossoms.

Through a series of dances,
it indicates

the direction, distance,
and even the quantity

of pollen available.

But every bee has to earn

the right to forage.

It starts out as a cleaner,
a nursemaid,

and then a builder,

before finally being promoted
to nectar gatherer.

Then, after only thirty days,

it will fall to the ground,
struck down by exhaustion.

Its short life is dedicated to
the good of the hive

and the all-important production
of golden honey.

Lozère is the source of
many rivers,

the most famous of which
is the river Tarn.

In the spring, the Tarn is at
its most powerful,

with exciting,
fast flowing torrents.

Within this river is a creature

which is beginning to make
a comeback in France.

The otter.

With its streamlined body,

the otter is a skillful
submarine predator.

It has powerful
webbed feet,

and whiskers
that help it detect

the slightest movement of
any underwater prey.

The otters' stretch of the river
runs for 25 miles.

Otters are a threatened species
across Europe,

but with the help of
protection laws

and the improvement of
water quality,

there is evidence that

their numbers are
gradually recovering.

Not everyone in the river
is enthusiastic about this.

Otters have healthy appetites.

But a healthy river
with a vibrant predator

is good for everyone
in the end.

A hundred miles off
the southeastern coast of France

in the Mediterranean Sea
lies the island of Corsica.

Two-thirds of this majestic
island is made up of mountains

which form one single chain
along its entire length.

And a peninsula
on its west coast

has been set aside as
the Scandola Nature Reserve.

It's famous for

its high red cliffs
that rise 3,000 feet

out of the sea,

and its almost
inaccessible

islets and coves.

Scandola is one of the oldest
reserves in France

and a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.

It's been strictly protected

in order to return the area
to its natural state.

The sea conceals
another

extraordinary landscape.

Scandola Reserve

guards one of
the Mediterranean's

most important ecosystems.

It's a favorite spawning ground

for many kinds of fish.

The eggs laid here
are carried by the current

outside the limits
of the reserve

and help nurture

all the neighboring
marine life.

And it's the home of
a once endangered fish --

the grouper.

The grouper would normally live
on the sea floor

at depths of up to
a thousand feet,

but here, it can be seen
much closer to the surface.

Groupers are born female,

but by the age of sixteen,
they change sex to become male.

As part of their courtship,
the males change color

as a means of seduction.

Gatherings of groupers are
returning to the Mediterranean,

all made possible

by the protection of
Scandola Reserve.

Close to the reserve is a beach

where fresh water
joins the sea --

the Fango Delta.

In these natural ponds,

there lives a creature
that has existed

for millions of years --

the turtle.

Although found in
many different places,

the European pond turtle

is under threat from
water pollution

and habitat destruction.

Its numbers
have been declining.

Here, though,
it appears to be flourishing.

As a cold-blooded reptile,

it needs a dose of solar energy
to warm up.

But this shy species
will dive right back into water

if disturbed.

Here, it hunts for
fish, insects, or mollusks.

It is the mating season,
and the courtship technique

of the turtle
is a curious one.

The male approaches
the female suddenly...

pinning her in place,

biting her face and neck
as they mate.

If he's not careful,
the technique can inflict

serious injuries

on the female.

It's brutal,
and she struggles not to drown,

but somehow, they manage to
continue the line.

[Buzzing]

Moving inland towards
the center of Corsica,

the terrain is full of
dense, thorny bushes.

To survive in this
prickly environment,

you need a very
thick skin.

The king of this terrain

is the wild boar.

Most wild boars

live in close knit groups
of around twenty.

They're mostly families of
females and their young.

Females will normally have
between four and eight babies

and they are
very protective mothers.

Boars are scavengers

and eat almost anything
they come across,

including grass, nuts,

roots, even small reptiles.

During the mating season,

large solitary males will travel
across the countryside

in search of female groups.

They are capable of covering
several miles

of varied and difficult terrain
every day.

This breeding strategy

tests their strength
and endurance.

It helps to maintain
a strong population,

not just here on the island
of Corsica,

but across
the whole of France.

Heading north,
we return to the mainland,

where the rising mountains meet
the warm Mediterranean weather.

[Thunder crashing]

In the foothills of the Alps,

the deep forest can be
a scary place for little ones.

It's early spring,

and these two wolf cubs
are just three weeks old.

It's the first time they have
ventured out of their dark den

to see their surroundings.

They will need to learn

who is friend and who is foe
in their forest home.

As daylight comes,
there's a whole new world

above their den to explore.

But the cubs are afraid.

Their parents return
to check on them.

The pups are cared for
by all members of the pack,

but their mother is
the most important to them.

[Whimpering, grunting]

Wolves were hunted almost to
extinction in France

in the 1930s.

Now, a protected species,

and their numbers
are on the rise.

By winter, the small cubs
will be almost fully grown

and ready to travel
with the pack

into a returning wilderness.

Our journey comes to an end
in the west, in the Pyrenees,

a mountain stronghold
between France and Spain.

High in this tilted terrain,

the brown bear
is also making a comeback.

By the 1930s,
these fearsome bears

were all but gone
from the French landscape.

Now, a small number
have been

re-introduced
into these mountains.

Here, bears find
a seasonal abundance

of wild foods

as they roam
their old haunts.

[Bear grunting]

They will eat insects,

berries, plants,

and fish --
helping to restore a world

that was slipping away.

Bears, wolves,

vultures, and otters --
these are more than

wonderful animals,
more than mere symbols.

These are creatures

that make a place whole.

They bring back
a natural balance.

And they are helping France
find its way

to living with the wild.

To learn more about what you've
seen on this "Nature" program,

visit pbs.org.