All language subtitles for Europes New Wild Series 1 3of4 The Land of the Snow and Ice 1080p

-Europe...

a continent renowned
for its spectacular cities

and civilizations.

But this is a surprisingly
wild land,

with over 10 million
square kilometers

of diverse natural habitat,

stretching from the northernmost
reaches of the Arctic...

to the crystal clear waters
of the Mediterranean Sea.

And across this
extraordinary continent,

an epic transformation
is under way

as the wild heart of Europe
is unleashed once more.

♪♪

People are supporting
the natural world.

-Let's go to the nest
and see how the chick is.

-Species are being reintroduced.

-It's not sleeping very well,
so we have to be really fast.

-And nature itself
is bouncing back.

[ Bellowing ]

The circle of life
is being reforged

as the wild returns to Europe.

♪♪

But in the northernmost region,
extreme conditions

mean a constant battle
for survival.

And to protect one species'
ancient migratory route,

people and wildlife
must work together

to regain their grip
on the land of snow and ice.

♪♪

♪♪

-Lapland...

a vast...

isolated...

and unforgiving land.

Located in the extreme
north of Europe,

much of this iconic landscape
lies within the Arctic Circle,

spanning Norway, Sweden,
Finland and Russia.

♪♪

As winter begins to loosen
its grip,

sunlight returns to Lapland
after a month of near-darkness.

♪♪

But for the animals that brave
the cold,

adapting to
the conditions is key.

♪♪

Yet one creature thrives
in these Arctic conditions.

Equipped
with exceptional hearing,

a snow-covered landscape
is perfect

for this finely tuned hunter.

The hawk owl uses the muted
silence of the snowy forest

to its advantage.

♪♪

♪♪

Lemmings remain active
through winter,

burrowing underneath the snow
to find food.

But this hungry rodent

cannot avoid the detection
of the hawk owl's super senses.

As the lemming rummages...

the hawk owl locks in
on the sound.

Its ears are so finely tuned

that they can detect prey
under a foot of snow.

And specialized feathers make
for an almost silent approach.

The strike is precise
and lethal.

Owls aren't the only creatures

that have toughed it out here
all winter.

♪♪

And one is a true icon
of Arctic survival.

♪♪

Built for the cold,

this reindeer forages
for food beneath the snow.

A dense woolly undercoat
keeps the reindeer warm,

while hollow hairs in the outer
layer trap the heat,

providing them
with excellent insulation.

They may be perfectly adapted
to the Arctic conditions,

but with so many mouths to feet,

not all survive
these winter months.

And in the Arctic food chain,

a reindeer carcass provides alifeline for Lapland scavengers.

Like the wolverine.

In winter, most wolverines
survive by hunting

or scavenging reindeer,

which they locate with
their powerful sense of smell.

A fat-rich reindeer carcass is afeast for this stocky carnivore.

But they won't eat it all
in one go.

By carrying off and burying
chunks of the carcass,

this lucky find
could sustain him for months.

In the meantime,
Lapland's other scavengers

make use of the leftovers...

day and night.

♪♪

Even bears get in on the action.

Despite the Arctic landscape,

more than 3,000 brown bears
thrive here.

For the massive mammals,

a reindeer carcass
is a calorie bonanza

and the perfect midnight snack.

[ Bird squawks ]

But this seemingly idyllic
habitat is under threat.

♪♪

Much of Lapland's wilderness
has been altered.

♪♪

In its mountains,

rivers...

and old-growth forests.

♪♪

...pristine habitat
has been lost.

♪♪

A demand for natural resources

has disrupted
many natural systems.

♪♪

And Lapland's
most iconic animals

have been pushed
to the edge of extinction...

including
the mysterious Arctic fox.

♪♪

Its brilliant white fur made it
a target for hunters.

By the 20th century,
an Arctic fox's hide

was worth as much as
a year's wages in Scandinavia.

♪♪

As a result of hunting,
the fox population plummeted

to as few as 50 individuals.

But today, there's hope
for Europe's Arctic fox.

♪♪

The Norwegian Arctic Fox
Breeding Programme

is bringing the animals
back from the brink.

Today three litters of the
critically endangered foxes

are being prepared
for release into the wild.

For the mission to succeed,

the team have a narrow window
of opportunity.

And at nine months old,

these juveniles are now
at the critical age.

Releasing them at the end
of winter

gives the foxes
the best chance of survival.

Each of the 19 foxes must be
packed onto sleds...

and secured.

In this terrain, stress and
injury are very real threats.

But as they prepare to set off
for the release site,

high in the Norwegian mountains,
bad weather sets in.

A sudden blizzard whips up
the snow,

limiting visibility
and slowing down the mission.

♪♪

Kilometers from the mountains,

the release may have to be
aborted.

♪♪

♪♪

Just halfway
to the release site,

with the weather showing
no sign of letting up,

the team stops to make
a critical decision

about the fate of the foxes.

♪♪

The extreme weather could leave
the team stranded

on the mountain for days.

♪♪

But returning to base would mean
missing this golden opportunity

to release the foxes
when their chances of survival

are at the highest.

Wind chill is making it feel
like minus 20 degrees Celsius,

as well as whipping up
near white-out conditions.

♪♪

Despite the extreme weather,

the team decide to push on
through the wind and snow.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

Against the odds, they arrive
at the release site

with a few hours
of daylight to spare.

This artificial den is
the foxes' temporary home

until they're ready
to strike out on their own.

♪♪

One by one, the pups
are released into the shelter.

♪♪

♪♪

Siblings are kept together

to minimize
the stress of the release.

[ Pups squeaking ]

♪♪

♪♪

The pups are left to adjust
and acclimatize

before the den is reopened
and the foxes are finally free.

♪♪

It doesn't take long for one pup
to get a taste of freedom.

♪♪

Temperatures are below
minus 20 degrees Celsius,

but with the warmest pelt
of any Arctic species

the pups don't seem to mind.

♪♪

♪♪

Thanks to the dedication ofthe Norwegian Breeding Programme

and continued conservation
in Sweden,

there are now 300 Arctic foxes
in the wild,

six times the number
that once existed.

These pups will spend
the rest of the winter together

before striking out alone
to extend the blood lines

of one of Europe's
rarest species.

♪♪

[ Pups yipping ]

♪♪

As spring finally awakens,
Lapland begins to heat up.

♪♪

♪♪

The warming rays of the sun soon
transform the wintry landscape

and beckon a new chapter

for one of its most famous
residents.

♪♪

Reindeer seek refuge in the
forest during the long winter.

Trees offer shelter
from the elements

and limit the buildup of snow,

allowing the animals to dig out
and eat the vegetation beneath.

♪♪

But the onset of spring signals

the start of one
of Earth's great migrations.

♪♪

Having toughed out the winter
months in the forest,

the herd will now travel
hundreds of kilometers north

towards the Scandinavian
Mountains.

to arrive in time for summer,
where fresh vegetation

will help them
restock their fat reserves.

The migration will be
exhausting and dangerous,

and there will be little food
along the way.

♪♪

Fortunately, the reindeer
have an ancient alliance.

♪♪

[ Indistinct conversations ]

The Sami.

♪♪

They are northern Europe's
last indigenous people,

occupying the region
they call Sapmi.

As reindeer herders, they use
every part of their animals

for food and clothing.

♪♪

Tied to the herd's annual
migration,

the Sami may have adopted
some modern machinery,

but they also rely
on their ancestral knowledge

to master Lapland's
harsh conditions.

♪♪

They can read the landscape
and their reindeer,

keeping them safe
from predators.

♪♪

Now that climate change
and human activity

is affecting the reindeers'
migrational route,

it's often down to the herders

to decide the best time
to commence the journey.

♪♪

For this herd of over 1000
reindeer,

conditions in the forest
and beyond

must be just right
before they set out.

The success of the migration
depends on it.

More than half of the herd
is pregnant

and due to calf
in the next month.

Their destination
in the mountains

will provide the females with
the perfect birthing grounds

and plenty of
nutrient-rich food.

But herder Leif-Anders Blind

must wait for
the right conditions

to start the journey.

While they remain in the forest,

the herd must be kept in check.

Today the Sami take advantage
of modern technology,

like GPS...

and snowmobiles

to corral their reindeer.

♪♪

But they are still reliant
on man's best friend.

♪♪

Four-year-old Jaygo was born
and bred for the job.

-[ Whistles ]

♪♪

-His innate herding nature makes
him the perfect Sami companion.

♪♪

♪♪

Having started working with
reindeer at just a year old,

Jaygo is now at one
with the herd.

♪♪

Working in tandem, the man anddog team guide their reindeer...

...to the best feeding
grounds in the thawing forest.

♪♪

Together Leif and Jaygo
make sure

that the herd is at
a constant state of readiness.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

For the time being,
all they can do is wait

and hope for conditions
to change.

♪♪

♪♪

Finally
the early spring sunshine

has begun to melt
the top layer of snow.

And overnight it has refrozen
into a hard crust.

An easy surface
for migrating reindeer

and one that won't
sap their energy.

♪♪

Now is the time to get
the migration under way.

But shifting the massive herd
is no easy task.

♪♪

It takes manpower, supplies,

snowmobiles...

-[ Whistles ]
-...and of course,

man's best friend.

The migration will take the Sami
and the reindeer

a grueling 240 kilometers from
their winter grounds in Ektrask

to summer pastures high
in the Scandinavian Mountains.

Traveling through dense forests
is slow going,

so the Sami guide their reindeer
onto a natural roadway...

of ice.

A network of frozen rivers
and lakes

connects much
of the migration route,

making it easy for reindeer
to cover ground quickly.

♪♪

♪♪

Their hairy hooves give thereindeer a good grip on the ice.

But still,
covering 16 kilometers a day

is a huge effort
for pregnant reindeer.

♪♪

After a day of trekking
the frozen river,

the herd
are desperate for food.

Before night falls,

Leif-Anders guides his reindeer
to a sheltered area

where they can feed and rest.

♪♪

With spring only just awakening,
there's little food.

But reindeer are specialists
in winter foraging.

Under the snow and on the trees,
there's a feast to be had.

Lichen.

Consisting of more
than 80% carbohydrates,

very few species can digest it.

But the reindeer's gut contains
a large fermentation chamber,

housing billions of bacteria
which secrete special enzymes

that can break down the lichen.

♪♪

Also known as reindeer moss,

it is one of the few food
sources reindeer rely on.

♪♪

♪♪

With millions of hectares of
forest in Lapland,

this food should be everywhere.

But Lapland's trees have been
vanishing,

and the lichen that supports
the reindeers' migration

has also been wiped out.

Lapland has beenravaged by the logging industry.

♪♪

Since the timber boom
of the 19th century,

much of the region's woodlands
have been harvested.

♪♪

It's had a huge impact
on the ecosystem.

♪♪

♪♪

And the lichen.

-[ Speaking native language ]

-Even in the best conditions,

lichen grows at just
5 millimeters each year.

A lack of food is one of the
main reasons

that global reindeer numbers

have halved in the last
two decades.

Losing a key species would
impact the entire ecosystem.

♪♪

♪♪

But there is hope in Lapland.

On the migratory route
of the remaining reindeer,

an organization called
Rewilding Sweden

is on a mission to help nature
and the Sami herders

around a World Heritage Site
called Laponia.

In this area of forest,
mountains and wetlands,

logging is totally forbidden.

Now Rewilding Sweden is planning
to get this pristine region

expanded to protect the
surrounding habitats.

♪♪

This expansion of
the World Heritage Site

will also protect the
reindeers'
precious lichen supplies...

and will give a boost to
a natural network.

Trees may seem like
solitary plants,

but they are in
constant communication

through what is called
the "woodwide web."

Beneath the surface,
a web of fungi and bacteria

are plugged
into the tree's roots.

Trees provide the fungi
with sugars

and in return receive
vital nutrients.

This complex network even
allows trees

to share resources
between each other.

♪♪

Old-growth trees act like hubs,

sending excess carbon
and other goodies to seedlings

and any struggling neighbors,helping the whole forest thrive.

But clear-cut logging,

especially in old-growth
forests,

is destroying
this natural network.

Without older hub
trees available

to support younger trees,

even unlogged forest
is degraded.

So the more old-growth forests
are protected,

the stronger the woodwide web
will be.

♪♪

While the forest
and lichen recovers,

Leif-Anders must use
artificial feed

to keep his pregnant
reindeer fed.

It's expensive for the Sami,
but it's the only way

the herd will make it
to their birthing grounds.

♪♪

Over the years, the road
to the mountains

has become increasingly tough.

♪♪

As a result, this traditional
form of reindeer husbandry

is becoming a lost art.

♪♪

♪♪

Only 10% of the Sami population

are sticking to the ancient
herding way of life.

♪♪

Modern methods are effective,

but keeping the migration
on track

in such an extreme environment
is not without its added costs.

♪♪

And now that there are less
natural lichen grazing sites,

food bills have
dramatically increased.

♪♪

Many can no longer make a living
from reindeer husbandry.

♪♪

♪♪

But for those that do,
getting their precious herd

to the mountains
means everything.

With full bellies,

the herd are ready
for another day of traveling.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

Following Leif-Ander's lead,

the herd head
towards the frozen river.

♪♪

♪♪

However, each step they take

is being watched
by a supreme hunter.

The Eurasian lynx is more
than capable

of taking down
a full-grown reindeer.

♪♪

Solitary by nature,
the silent hunter will take up

to four of the fat rich mammals
in a single month.

♪♪

Fortunately for the reindeer,

their Sami guardians
are close by.

The lynx will not attackwhile they remain with the herd.

But the herd faces greater
dangers from climate change.

♪♪

♪♪

In early spring, Lapland's
rivers usually remain frozen.

Yet with each passing day,

the warmer spring temperatures
thaw the icy pathway.

♪♪

♪♪

The Sami have been using
frozen rivers

as a reindeer walkway
for thousands of years.

♪♪

♪♪

However, many of these waterways
have been impacted by man,

making them extremely dangerous.

At the turn of the 19th century,

the timber industry
in Sweden boomed.

Before, there had been a minimal
human impact

on the country's woodland.

But soon, almost all forests
were encompassed

by the growing timber demands
of industrialized Europe.

Rivers were altered by
logging companies

to support
the transportation of logs,

making them narrower,
straighter and faster flowing.

♪♪

Now modern-day threats to rivers

come in the form
of hydroelectricity.

♪♪

Both industries have distorted
Lapland's rivers...

♪♪

...making layers
of ice unstable.

♪♪

Walking reindeer across
the dangerous surface

of these altered rivers
is simply too risky.

♪♪

Only three main rivers
in Lapland

remain suitable for reindeer.

Leif-Anders and his herd

migrate across
the free-flowing Vindel River.

♪♪

Even here, life on the ice
requires detailed planning.

♪♪

♪♪

Leif-Anders may have a deep
understanding of the river,

but running into a dangerous
crack in the ice is inevitable.

Finding a way aroundwould add days to the migration.

The herd must face
this challenge head on.

With many of the reindeer
so close to giving birth,

Leif must get them to the
mountains in the next few days.

But he can't force his herd
to take the plunge.

♪♪

He needs one of his prizedreindeer to take the initiative.

♪♪

Once one brave leader
plunges into the icy waters,

the rest follow.

♪♪

Thanks to their air-filled fur,

the reindeer
are relatively buoyant

and their coats repel water,
keeping them dry.

♪♪

♪♪

[ Dog barking ]

The Sami and their reindeer are
not the only ones

that rely on the rivers.

Lapland also hosts
an epic aquatic migration.

Far in the Atlantic
and Baltic Sea,

salmon undertake a long journey
into the freshwater rivers

to spawn their next generation.

To help the migrating salmon,

Sweden's Reborn Project

is working to restore the
region's important waterways.

♪♪

In the past, logging companies
removed rocks

from Sweden's rivers,

increasing the current and
making it easier to float logs.

♪♪

Now the Reborn team
are putting boulders

back into the great waterways,

stemming the flow

and creating
a more natural river.

-Nature, it's really
forgiving, actually,

if you just want to give it
a helping hand.

♪♪

When you are able to set
the natural processes,

nature will take over
and fill in all the gaps.

♪♪

-Teams are working around
the clock

to re-wild over
190 kilometers of river,

with more than 2,000
spawning grounds

being prepared
for the ocean visitors.

The journey that awaits
Lapland's waiting salmon

is one of nature's most
intense feats of endurance.

On land, reindeer
across the region

are reaching the final leg
of the migration.

Sami herder Leif-Anders
has followed his massive herd

to the edge
of their birthing grounds.

The females are all just days
away from giving birth,

so the herd must get back
on the road

to complete the final leg
of the journey.

♪♪

The reindeers' innate
migratory instinct

gets things
moving at first light.

♪♪

♪♪

But not everyone is in sync
with the migration.

♪♪

♪♪

The reindeer aim to give birth
at the end of the migration,

but sometimes a calf
arrives too soon.

♪♪

Born just a few days too early,
this calf has been abandoned.

Its mother's instinct
to continue the migration

was just too great.

♪♪

Surviving on its own in the wild
would be almost impossible.

Fortunately the newborn reindeer
is given a second chance.

The calf needs its mother's
fat-rich milk to survive,

but with no idea
who its mother is,

this abandoned newborn
will need to be hand-reared.

♪♪

♪♪

Without its mother,
the tiny reindeer

will never be part of the herd.

But now it has an adopted home.
It can live a happy life.

For the rest of the herd,

their journey
is almost complete.

Leif-Ander's reindeer arrive
in the foothills

of the Scandinavian Mountains.

♪♪

For a brief moment,

the herd must clash
with the modern world.

♪♪

This final leg of the migration
requires a short stint

on a man-made road.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

The herd soon returns
to the forest.

♪♪

From here, the weary migrators
will walk the final kilometers

to their summer grounds,
unaccompanied by the Sami.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

As the herd close in
on their destination,

trees give way to mountains.

♪♪

This new landscape heralds theend of the grueling migration...

♪♪

...and the beginning
of new life.

♪♪

To have safety in numbers,

reindeer synchronize
their birthing,

with 80% of the pregnant females

set to have their calves
within the next week.

♪♪

♪♪

As the snow melts, it reveals
what the reindeer

traveled here for.

♪♪

A mountainside feast.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

Far away from the feeding
reindeer,

Lapland plays host to
an even bigger migration,

which faces
its own unique challenges.

♪♪

♪♪

Baltic and Atlantic salmonbegin a mass exodus from the sea

as summer commences.

After a few years feeding in
the expansive Atlantic Ocean,

the fish must return
to their freshwater origins.

♪♪

Their homing instinct is
so strong that the migrators

can navigate thousands
of kilometers

from the open ocean...

♪♪

...to the exact stream
of their own birth.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

The salmon's epic migration
is also a lifeline

to other species,

with many preparing to greet
the ocean visitors,

especially those that can feed
on the fish's precious eggs.

Back on solid land, another one
of Lapland's wild migrations

is coming to an end.

The reindeer are already reaping
the rewards

of their long migration.

Melting snow reveals a banquet
of lichen and grass,

with yet more
nutritious vegetation

to come in
the summer months ahead.

For some, the completion
of their migration

has triggered
the most precious of moments.

As females take themselves away
from the main herd,

it means only one thing --

they are ready to give birth.

♪♪

A single calf is
a mother's reward

for the arduous journey
to the mountains.

♪♪

It only takes the newborn a
few moments to get to its feet.

♪♪

♪♪

Life on the go starts early
for reindeer.

The calf's first few steps
are shaky.

But after just a few hours,
a newborn reindeer

is capable
of out-running a human.

♪♪

♪♪

The new mothers and calves
are not alone on the mountain.

Around half of the herd have
given birth on the same day.

♪♪

♪♪

This unique synchronization
ensures more calves survive.

For the reindeer,
safety comes in numbers.

Lapland's rivers are also the
final leg of an epic migration

for Europe's salmon run.

After one to five yearsmaturing in the seas and oceans,

salmon enter rivers
with one single purpose.

♪♪

To spawn the next generation.

♪♪

Even in the most pristine
of waterways,

the upstream journey is brutal.

Their entire life in the ocean
has been in preparation

for this energy-sapping journey.

Such is their dedication
to the cause,

salmon cease eating
during their upstream battle.

All their energy is reserved
for the largest of obstacles.

♪♪

With extreme power
and endurance,

salmon take to the air
to overcome steep climbs.

♪♪

♪♪

Before the salmon arrive,

conservation and rewilding teams
have been hard at work

creating the spawning beds
for the weary salmon.

Fierce currents of rivers

deformed by logging
and hydropower

have washed away
many of the stone beds

that salmon need
to lay their eggs in.

So teams meticulously place
gravel into the river,

with the goal of creating more
than 2,000 new spawning sites

for the salmon
to lay their eggs.

♪♪

♪♪

All of the hard work gives
the salmon the perfect habitat

to spawn thousands of eggs.

After years in the ocean,

the weary fish
have now spent months

in the freshwater environment
for this one moment.

♪♪

This mass spawning is exactly
what many of Lapland's

wild residents
have been waiting for.

♪♪

Dippers use specially adapted
wing muscles

to fly underwater
to grab the nutritious eggs.

Goosanders also make diving
sorties for the annual gifts.

♪♪

But with each female salmon
laying thousands of eggs,

many will survive.

With nothing but their
nutritious yolk sac for food,

the developing salmon
take months

to finally reach
the moment of truth.

♪♪

Their chance of surviving
in the wild is small,

but with rewilding breathing
life back into their home,

they now have a fighting chance.

-To bring back the lifeto the river, you can really see

the huge effect
of what's coming.

We have done something good
for the future.

-The two very different
migrations

of the reindeer and salmon

have come to represent
the success and challenges

rewilding faces in Europe's
northernmost point.

♪♪

Continued rewilding work
will protect

the migrational
corridors of both species,

as well as many others.

Now the future of Lapland's
wild heart

lives on in the next generation,

growing in Europe's new wild.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

-To order "Europe's New Wild"
on DVD,

visit ShopPBS
or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS.

Also available
on Amazon Prime Video.

♪♪

♪♪