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(dramatic music)
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Nearly twice the size of the United States,
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Russia is the biggest country on Earth.
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(wind howling)
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From the subtropics to the Arctic.
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(water lapping)
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The Atlantic Ocean ... to the Pacific.
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Giant lakes.
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Active volcanoes.
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(dramatic music)
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And endless forests frame the natural treasures of Russia.
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Dramatic carnivores.
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Headbutting Ice Age survivors.
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And endangered birds
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are just a starting point
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as we reveal another side of the country.
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(dramatic music)
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The natural beauty
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hidden in the vast expanses ... of Russia.
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(soft dramatic music)
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(wind howling)
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A land of superlatives,
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Russia covers an incredible 17 million square kilometers.
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It's the biggest of all countries,
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covering one-tenth of the Earth's surface.
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It spans 11 time zones.
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Straddles two continents.
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And its coasts reach three different oceans.
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(birds calling)
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Russia is perhaps best known for its politics,
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weapons, space race and fossil fuels.
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For its huge scale, cold climate and fondness for vodka.
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(soft singing in foreign language)
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But there is another, lesser-known side
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to this vast country.
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Its natural history.
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(soft dramatic music)
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It might have the fifth-largest population on the planet,
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but more than 70% of Russian people inhabit urban areas,
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leaving vast tracts of unspoiled wilderness to explore.
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(soft dramatic music)
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Moving from west to east,
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Hidden Russia reveals its spectacular diversity.
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(gentle flute music)
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Traveling from Scandinavia,
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the transition to Russia is imperceptible.
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Its mixed forests and open plains
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continuing through Karelia.
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(waves crashing)
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(soft flute music)
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(waves crashing)
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(soft music)
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Faint traces in the rock reveal
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the long presence humans have had here.
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But also an ancient connection to nature.
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(soft music)
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Despite the labor involved in a time before tools,
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swans have been etched into the rock.
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(soft music)
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(water lapping)
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(soft music)
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This frozen north of Russia provides a breeding ground
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for elegant Hooper swans.
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(birds honking)
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Winters here are tough.
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(soft music)
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(birds honking)
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To escape the worst of it,
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the regal birds took a vacation to central Europe,
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some traveling thousands of kilometers.
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(birds honking)
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It's still cold here,
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but mild enough for an excited reunion.
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(birds honking)
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The birds pair for life,
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and quickly affirm their bonds to each other.
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And make it clear that Casanovas are not welcome.
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(birds honking)
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Their young from last year are still with them,
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guided through their first migration by their parents.
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(birds honking)
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But now it's time for them to go it alone.
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And the parents angrily carve up
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the lake shores into potential nesting sites.
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(birds honking)
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(water lapping)
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(soft music)
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The Korelia region has plenty of water for swans.
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(soft music)
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There are thousands of lakes,
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including the two biggest in Europe.
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(bird calling)
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Lake Ladoga, and this one, Lake Onega.
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(thunder rumbling)
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Spanning nearly 250 kilometers.
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(thunder rumbling)
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So large that it contains over 1,600 islands.
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(rain falling)
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The small ones provide safe nesting spots
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for the swans, and their neighbors.
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(water lapping)
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(thunder rumbling)
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(water trickling)
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(bird calling)
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Black-throated divers spend winter out at sea.
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(birds calling)
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Returning to clean freshwater lakes to breed.
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(water lapping)
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Divers live up to their name.
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(bird calling)
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Their legs are so far back on their bodies
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that they can barely walk on land.
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And so always nest right on the water's edge,
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something that puts them at risk from predators.
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(light music)
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A bear.
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(light music)
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Enemy Number One to most of the animals of the forest.
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(upbeat dramatic music)
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The divers take to the water.
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(dramatic music)
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Their display intended to draw
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the bear away from their nest.
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Though the bear doesn't seem
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particularly interested in either.
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Many of the region's lakes were once connected.
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(upbeat music)
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During the Ice Age, there was a continuous
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body of water from here to the Baltic.
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(upbeat music)
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Though water levels have receded enough to separate
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the lakes, the region remains boggy,
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with vast wetlands.
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Which to the south gradually give way to the Volga Plateau.
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(upbeat music)
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Vast rolling hills that drain into the Volga,
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the longest river in Europe.
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(upbeat music)
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The forested hills are teeming with wildlife.
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Like red deer, who often browse
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on patches of open grass.
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(upbeat music)
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But stay close enough to the edge of the forest
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to dash for cover.
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(upbeat music)
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(birds singing)
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The treeline can be a dangerous place to hang out.
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(gentle music)
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One of the most secretive and least-seen
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of predators slinks in the shadows.
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The Eurasian lynx.
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But this female isn't hunting.
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She's calling.
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(birds singing)
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She has a secret ... tucked away in the vegetation.
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(birds singing)
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Though the female's territory sits within the much larger
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home range of the male, she's on her own
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when it comes to raising the family.
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(birds singing)
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Her cubs are already a few months old.
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But it will be half a year before she can go off duty,
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leaving them to fend for themselves.
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(birds singing)
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They'll become top hunters in the forest,
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quite capable of bringing down deer
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several times their own size.
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(birds singing)
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But for now, the little ones are content
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trying out their moves on each other.
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(gentle music)
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Moving south, the climate becomes hotter and drier.
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Forest giving way to open, arid grass plains.
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(gentle music)
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In a few tiny pockets of Russia live relics of the Ice Age.
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(gentle music)
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Saiga antelope.
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(birds singing)
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Once ranging across most of Eurasia,
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only a few populations cling on.
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But the animals stay faithful to their habitats,
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constantly on the move, making huge migrations
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in search of fresh grazing.
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Bulbous noses are built-in face masks.
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Traveling in large herds, the moving antelope kick up dust.
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The noses filter this airborne dirt
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before it can choke their lungs.
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In cold winters, they also warm air before it's inhaled,
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helping to prevent heat loss.
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(soft music)
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This is Caucasus, Russia's far south,
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punctuated by the spectacular Caucasus Mountains.
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(soft music)
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The highest peak, Mount Elbrus,
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is a dormant volcano, towering 5,600 meters.
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(soft music)
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The highest peak in Europe
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and the 10th highest in the world.
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(soft music)
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But for their vast size, the Caucasus Mountains are dwarfed
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by an even greater range.
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The Ural Mountains cut Russia in half.
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Its land to the west sits on the continent of Europe.
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But the Urals represent a continental divide,
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with most of Russia on the east in Asia.
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Its southern foothills are little more than desert.
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But they quickly climb.
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These are amongst the oldest mountains on Earth,
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with a 300 million year old birthday coming up.
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(soft music)
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(birds chirping)
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With a span of two and half thousand kilometers,
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it goes through some dramatic changes.
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(birds singing)
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Arid slopes give way to forest.
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Lots of forest.
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(rain falling)
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With such convoluted terrain,
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the region scoured by water,
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in all forms, from tiny trickle
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to raging torrent.
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(rain pelting)
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(soft music)
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The lush environment is paradise to wildlife.
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(gentle music)
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(birds calling)
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An unusual fisherman is drawn to a stream.
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(light music)
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Usually a nighttime muncher of mice and voles,
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the Ural owl turns its talents to a bit of frog catching.
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(light music)
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Fishing is rare for this species,
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but it has hungry chicks to feed
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and so takes whatever it can find.
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(light music)
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The chicks don't seem particularly fussy.
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(light music)
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Ural owls are very faithful monogamists,
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working together to keep up with their demanding youngsters.
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(light music)
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(birds calling)
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It's a three- to four-month-long slog.
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(light music)
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(water flowing)
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There are plenty of unusual riverine predators
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hidden in the wet wilderness of the Urals.
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(light music)
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Hunted for its velvet-like fur,
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this creature is as rare as it is odd.
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(light music)
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And its lifestyle choices make it
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an even rarer sight than the owl.
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This is a Russian desman.
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(light music)
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Also known as the water mole,
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because that is exactly what it is.
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Though they maintain a den under the waterline,
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all entrances are submarine.
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Unlike most moles, desmans are social.
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With a few mucking in together, sharing the den.
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But all of their foraging is done in streams.
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(water lapping)
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Holding their breath for five minutes, they feverishly hunt
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for any small animals they can find.
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Though mole in most respects,
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they do have a few adaptations.
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Webbed feet.
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A long, flattened tail.
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And sensors on the tips of its mobile snouts
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to sniff out aquatic prey.
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(soft music)
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There's another mammal stalking the shallows
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that the desmans might choose to avoid.
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The secretive European mink.
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Hunted mercilessly.
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(light music)
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Outcompeted by introduced species,
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and displaced by development,
279
00:18:42,780 --> 00:18:45,183
this species is critically endangered.
280
00:18:46,024 --> 00:18:48,774
(birds chirping)
281
00:18:52,410 --> 00:18:53,600
(birds calling)
282
00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,253
The fast-flowing streams are a preferred habitat.
283
00:18:57,980 --> 00:19:00,140
They're less likely to freeze up in winter
284
00:19:00,140 --> 00:19:02,573
and make a good site for this female's den.
285
00:19:03,821 --> 00:19:05,380
(water flowing)
286
00:19:05,380 --> 00:19:08,180
Her young were born blind and helpless,
287
00:19:08,180 --> 00:19:11,444
but tripled their weight in just 10 days.
288
00:19:11,444 --> 00:19:13,469
(birds chirping)
289
00:19:13,469 --> 00:19:16,136
(water flowing)
290
00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:23,050
Now they're nearly a month old, and their mother is doing
291
00:19:23,050 --> 00:19:25,443
her best to shift them to a meat diet.
292
00:19:36,885 --> 00:19:39,635
(birds chirping)
293
00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:48,023
She works nonstop to keep the food coming.
294
00:19:49,256 --> 00:19:51,839
(upbeat music)
295
00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:55,610
In another month, she'll be teaching them
296
00:19:55,610 --> 00:19:57,356
to hunt for themselves.
297
00:19:57,356 --> 00:19:59,950
(upbeat music)
298
00:19:59,950 --> 00:20:02,330
These three unique predators are hidden
299
00:20:02,330 --> 00:20:04,360
from the outside world.
300
00:20:04,360 --> 00:20:08,850
Tiny and in a vast forest, making them easy to miss
301
00:20:08,850 --> 00:20:10,350
though well worth looking for.
302
00:20:12,586 --> 00:20:15,169
(gentle music)
303
00:20:19,430 --> 00:20:23,260
But they vanish against the scale of the huge Ural range,
304
00:20:23,260 --> 00:20:25,540
which just goes further and further north
305
00:20:25,540 --> 00:20:28,473
from its desert roots, all the way into the Arctic.
306
00:20:31,500 --> 00:20:34,490
Below the mountains of the north, Russia has a wide belt
307
00:20:34,490 --> 00:20:37,564
of tundra up to 400 kilometers across.
308
00:20:37,564 --> 00:20:39,981
(soft music)
309
00:20:49,360 --> 00:20:50,883
Winters are so tough here,
310
00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:56,290
and the summers so short
311
00:20:56,290 --> 00:20:58,663
that large plants struggle to grow.
312
00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:05,360
Instead, rolling hills where forest is replaced
313
00:21:05,360 --> 00:21:09,110
with mosses, lichens, grass
314
00:21:10,490 --> 00:21:12,504
and miniaturized shrubs.
315
00:21:12,504 --> 00:21:14,921
(soft music)
316
00:21:16,530 --> 00:21:18,290
Ground contains permafrost here
317
00:21:18,290 --> 00:21:21,593
that hasn't melted in tens of thousands of years.
318
00:21:21,593 --> 00:21:24,010
(soft music)
319
00:21:26,340 --> 00:21:29,560
25% of the Earth's surface is permafrost,
320
00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:31,160
and more than half of it's here.
321
00:21:32,257 --> 00:21:34,674
(soft music)
322
00:21:39,100 --> 00:21:41,483
Rising temperatures are causing it to melt,
323
00:21:42,390 --> 00:21:47,390
and as it does, it's exposing clues to its much colder past.
324
00:21:47,580 --> 00:21:49,997
(soft music)
325
00:21:51,660 --> 00:21:54,253
An Ice Age monster, the eroding tusk
326
00:21:54,253 --> 00:21:56,977
of a 40,000-year-old mammoth.
327
00:21:56,977 --> 00:21:59,394
(soft music)
328
00:22:02,820 --> 00:22:05,743
It's not the only relic left behind by the Ice Age.
329
00:22:08,571 --> 00:22:11,154
(wind blowing)
330
00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:15,423
Musk oxen.
331
00:22:18,170 --> 00:22:21,310
Looking like a shaggy buffalo, the impressive beasts
332
00:22:21,310 --> 00:22:23,163
are more closely related to sheep.
333
00:22:24,164 --> 00:22:26,570
(ox snorting)
334
00:22:26,570 --> 00:22:28,943
The hardy creatures weathered a tough winter,
335
00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:32,963
using broad hooves to dig for food in the snow.
336
00:22:37,810 --> 00:22:39,560
And they have thick double-layered coats
337
00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:41,010
to guard against the weather.
338
00:22:42,364 --> 00:22:44,781
(soft music)
339
00:22:48,420 --> 00:22:51,218
Summers are short, but wonderful.
340
00:22:51,218 --> 00:22:53,635
(soft music)
341
00:22:59,820 --> 00:23:02,060
The musk ox are free to enjoy a rich diet
342
00:23:02,060 --> 00:23:03,819
of flowers and fungi.
343
00:23:03,819 --> 00:23:06,236
(soft music)
344
00:23:11,010 --> 00:23:13,633
They can bulk up, ready to face the cold again,
345
00:23:15,310 --> 00:23:17,623
but they have another endurance test first.
346
00:23:20,070 --> 00:23:21,048
The rut.
347
00:23:21,048 --> 00:23:23,720
(ox snorting)
348
00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:27,563
Male musk ox are turbocharged crash helmets on legs.
349
00:23:30,660 --> 00:23:32,023
Like gunslingers at dawn,
350
00:23:33,270 --> 00:23:35,194
each back up 20 paces.
351
00:23:35,194 --> 00:23:38,361
(soft dramatic music)
352
00:23:39,420 --> 00:23:41,266
And then charge.
353
00:23:41,266 --> 00:23:43,200
(dramatic music)
354
00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:45,233
At up to 50 kilometers per hour.
355
00:23:46,229 --> 00:23:48,979
(dramatic music)
356
00:23:56,710 --> 00:23:58,703
They have the impact of a car crash.
357
00:23:59,700 --> 00:24:02,450
(dramatic music)
358
00:24:11,150 --> 00:24:13,280
Their skulls are reinforced.
359
00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:15,290
The bones and horn pad above the brain
360
00:24:15,290 --> 00:24:17,613
are five times thicker than a cycle helmet.
361
00:24:18,924 --> 00:24:22,091
(soft dramatic music)
362
00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:30,423
It's hard-core, but only winners get to mate,
363
00:24:32,310 --> 00:24:34,500
ensuring that only the toughest genes
364
00:24:34,500 --> 00:24:36,350
are passed on to the next generation.
365
00:24:39,354 --> 00:24:40,870
(ox snorting)
366
00:24:40,870 --> 00:24:44,041
In the Arctic, they breed them tough.
367
00:24:44,041 --> 00:24:47,208
(soft dramatic music)
368
00:24:49,500 --> 00:24:51,890
Further north, there's another landscape
369
00:24:51,890 --> 00:24:52,940
that's bleaker still.
370
00:24:58,728 --> 00:25:01,728
Where only the hardiest can survive.
371
00:25:03,860 --> 00:25:05,494
The Russian Arctic.
372
00:25:05,494 --> 00:25:08,661
(soft dramatic music)
373
00:25:11,136 --> 00:25:13,803
(water lapping)
374
00:25:24,674 --> 00:25:27,257
(gentle music)
375
00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:32,150
More than half of the world's Arctic
376
00:25:32,150 --> 00:25:34,361
coastline belongs to Russia.
377
00:25:34,361 --> 00:25:36,944
(gentle music)
378
00:25:41,360 --> 00:25:43,573
This is the realm of the polar bear.
379
00:25:45,730 --> 00:25:47,933
The largest land carnivore.
380
00:25:47,933 --> 00:25:50,516
(gentle music)
381
00:26:04,700 --> 00:26:08,290
The great snow bear can stand more three meters tall
382
00:26:08,290 --> 00:26:11,532
and weigh half as much as a small car.
383
00:26:11,532 --> 00:26:14,730
(water lapping)
384
00:26:14,730 --> 00:26:17,220
Often considered marine mammals,
385
00:26:17,220 --> 00:26:20,330
polar bears are most at home roaming sea ice,
386
00:26:20,330 --> 00:26:22,521
hunting seals and wolves.
387
00:26:22,521 --> 00:26:25,188
(water lapping)
388
00:26:36,052 --> 00:26:38,250
But in summer the ice melts
389
00:26:38,250 --> 00:26:40,250
and the bears are stranded on the beach.
390
00:26:41,659 --> 00:26:44,076
(soft music)
391
00:26:45,710 --> 00:26:48,613
They get hungry and lose weight during summer,
392
00:26:51,650 --> 00:26:53,183
though occasionally get lucky.
393
00:26:54,437 --> 00:26:57,604
(soft dramatic music)
394
00:27:04,290 --> 00:27:07,470
Beluga whales often swim close to the coast,
395
00:27:07,470 --> 00:27:08,943
not just to forage,
396
00:27:13,011 --> 00:27:16,340
but to rub their skin on the rocks in shallow bays
397
00:27:16,340 --> 00:27:18,513
to help rid themselves of parasites.
398
00:27:19,408 --> 00:27:22,690
(soft dramatic music)
399
00:27:22,690 --> 00:27:24,860
And there are other visitors.
400
00:27:24,860 --> 00:27:27,660
Gray whales, from a very rare population
401
00:27:27,660 --> 00:27:31,083
in the western Pacific, migrate into Arctic waters.
402
00:27:32,051 --> 00:27:35,950
(soft dramatic music)
403
00:27:35,950 --> 00:27:38,903
Occasionally, dead animals wash up on the beaches,
404
00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:43,152
a treat for a hungry polar bear.
405
00:27:43,152 --> 00:27:46,319
(soft dramatic music)
406
00:28:06,991 --> 00:28:11,408
This is a landscape where plants struggle to survive.
407
00:28:14,666 --> 00:28:17,497
Only the toughest eke out a living.
408
00:28:17,497 --> 00:28:20,247
(dramatic music)
409
00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:28,387
It's Russia's nature at its harshest.
410
00:28:28,387 --> 00:28:31,554
(soft dramatic music)
411
00:28:34,150 --> 00:28:36,720
But for most of this vast landmass,
412
00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:38,223
conditions are more favorable.
413
00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:46,503
70% is cloaked by forest.
414
00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:49,283
A fifth of all found on our planet.
415
00:28:53,070 --> 00:28:57,053
This is the Taiga, the Russian name for the boreal forest.
416
00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:02,913
It's still temperate and exposed to fierce winters.
417
00:29:06,670 --> 00:29:08,110
But that doesn't stop it supporting
418
00:29:08,110 --> 00:29:10,383
some of the most spectacular wildlife.
419
00:29:12,031 --> 00:29:14,781
(animal howling)
420
00:29:19,230 --> 00:29:21,873
The king of the Taiga is the tiger.
421
00:29:24,270 --> 00:29:28,853
The Siberian tiger, the biggest cat on Earth,
422
00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:32,253
is also one of the rarest.
423
00:29:35,620 --> 00:29:37,973
This is its last stronghold.
424
00:29:42,850 --> 00:29:46,670
The bleakness of winters and the remoteness of nearly 6,000
425
00:29:46,670 --> 00:29:50,343
kilometers of forest have stopped much human development.
426
00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:56,720
Keeping the tigers out of the reach of hunters
427
00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:58,160
that have driven their species' numbers
428
00:29:58,160 --> 00:29:59,623
down to a few thousand.
429
00:30:00,891 --> 00:30:03,641
(snow crunching)
430
00:30:06,689 --> 00:30:09,356
(tiger purring)
431
00:30:11,401 --> 00:30:13,260
(birds chirping)
432
00:30:13,260 --> 00:30:15,900
The stripes in its luxurious fur that made it
433
00:30:15,900 --> 00:30:17,940
so sought-after for fashion,
434
00:30:17,940 --> 00:30:20,633
helps it blend in to the barcode of bare trees.
435
00:30:21,940 --> 00:30:24,690
(snow crunching)
436
00:30:29,259 --> 00:30:32,394
(birds chirping)
437
00:30:32,394 --> 00:30:35,061
(water flowing)
438
00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:39,700
Helping it hunt the other tough giants of the forest,
439
00:30:39,700 --> 00:30:42,393
wild boar and moose.
440
00:30:44,508 --> 00:30:47,091
(gentle music)
441
00:31:02,030 --> 00:31:04,763
The Taiga Forest is one of the world's biggest biomes,
442
00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:09,213
and it stretches across most of Russia.
443
00:31:10,437 --> 00:31:12,500
(upbeat music)
444
00:31:12,500 --> 00:31:15,580
The temperate forest experiences cold winters
445
00:31:15,580 --> 00:31:17,943
and can have permafrost beneath its roots.
446
00:31:21,700 --> 00:31:23,493
But still life proliferates.
447
00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:26,840
Though it's not always easy to spot.
448
00:31:29,111 --> 00:31:32,350
(birds chirping)
449
00:31:32,350 --> 00:31:34,857
(water flowing)
450
00:31:34,857 --> 00:31:37,940
(upbeat light music)
451
00:31:41,340 --> 00:31:45,140
Secretive and primitive deer, the musk deer,
452
00:31:45,140 --> 00:31:48,040
armed not with antlers but tusks,
453
00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:50,434
skulks about in the shadows.
454
00:31:50,434 --> 00:31:53,140
(upbeat light music)
455
00:31:53,140 --> 00:31:56,103
Though probably doesn't need to worry about Asian badger.
456
00:31:58,470 --> 00:32:00,393
A deer is a bit beyond its reach.
457
00:32:02,740 --> 00:32:06,210
Badgers eat almost anything, including rodents,
458
00:32:06,210 --> 00:32:08,054
if they can catch them.
459
00:32:08,054 --> 00:32:11,137
(upbeat light music)
460
00:32:17,401 --> 00:32:19,210
(birds calling)
461
00:32:19,210 --> 00:32:22,350
But preparing for winter, chipmunks are fast enough
462
00:32:22,350 --> 00:32:24,373
to evade most predators.
463
00:32:24,373 --> 00:32:27,456
(upbeat light music)
464
00:32:28,770 --> 00:32:31,000
At breakneck speed, they dash about,
465
00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:33,904
trying to beat each other to the best seeds and nuts.
466
00:32:33,904 --> 00:32:36,404
(light music)
467
00:32:48,802 --> 00:32:51,530
(birds whistling)
468
00:32:51,530 --> 00:32:53,410
Cramming their cheek pouches full
469
00:32:53,410 --> 00:32:55,743
to carry the treasure back to their nests.
470
00:32:56,999 --> 00:33:00,082
(upbeat light music)
471
00:33:18,447 --> 00:33:22,482
A third species of bear enjoys the Russian forest.
472
00:33:22,482 --> 00:33:25,565
(upbeat light music)
473
00:33:29,180 --> 00:33:31,650
Sometimes called a moon bear, because of a white
474
00:33:31,650 --> 00:33:33,630
crescent shape on its chest,
475
00:33:33,630 --> 00:33:36,743
the Asiatic black bear is a true forest dweller.
476
00:33:41,670 --> 00:33:44,990
This female's a single mum and will spend several years
477
00:33:44,990 --> 00:33:47,490
teaching her young to make a living in the forest.
478
00:33:49,106 --> 00:33:51,606
(light music)
479
00:33:52,468 --> 00:33:55,135
(birds singing)
480
00:34:00,190 --> 00:34:03,593
Some predators choose to stay hidden until the light fades.
481
00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:08,847
(soft dramatic music)
482
00:34:15,581 --> 00:34:18,498
(mysterious music)
483
00:34:22,350 --> 00:34:26,840
The biggest owl, and with less than 1,000 individuals,
484
00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:28,003
one of the rarest.
485
00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:34,510
The Blakiston's owl prefers nocturnal forays
486
00:34:34,510 --> 00:34:36,754
to hunt its unusual prey.
487
00:34:36,754 --> 00:34:39,671
(mysterious music)
488
00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:43,590
It's a fishing owl.
489
00:34:43,590 --> 00:34:46,210
(mysterious music)
490
00:34:46,210 --> 00:34:49,793
It has competition for aquatic life, from a raccoon dog.
491
00:34:51,066 --> 00:34:53,983
(mysterious music)
492
00:35:09,508 --> 00:35:11,591
But with a trout secured,
493
00:35:13,810 --> 00:35:16,613
it ferries its catch to its rapidly growing chick.
494
00:35:17,943 --> 00:35:20,860
(mysterious music)
495
00:35:22,890 --> 00:35:25,983
Spooking another resident normally hidden in the canopy.
496
00:35:27,681 --> 00:35:30,680
(mysterious music)
497
00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:31,933
Flying squirrels.
498
00:35:35,460 --> 00:35:39,610
Not true flyers, but gliders, thanks to a membrane
499
00:35:39,610 --> 00:35:42,033
of skin running from wrists to ankles.
500
00:35:46,140 --> 00:35:50,360
They rarely need to descend to the ground, which is lucky.
501
00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:53,943
At night, the forest floor can be a dangerous place.
502
00:35:54,856 --> 00:35:58,140
(dramatic music)
503
00:35:58,140 --> 00:36:01,803
There are only around 100 Amur leopards left on Earth.
504
00:36:02,740 --> 00:36:04,510
(dramatic music)
505
00:36:04,510 --> 00:36:07,733
Almost all of them in the forests of southeast Russia.
506
00:36:10,070 --> 00:36:12,213
They're hardly ever seen or filmed.
507
00:36:13,073 --> 00:36:15,823
(dramatic music)
508
00:36:18,590 --> 00:36:22,420
Decimated by hunting, legal protection might now allow
509
00:36:22,420 --> 00:36:25,403
this cat to creep back through the forests of Russia.
510
00:36:26,771 --> 00:36:29,354
(gentle music)
511
00:36:43,253 --> 00:36:45,920
(water flowing)
512
00:36:47,857 --> 00:36:50,657
The forests of southeastern Russia have another feature.
513
00:36:51,897 --> 00:36:54,564
(water flowing)
514
00:36:57,010 --> 00:37:00,853
At 600 kilometers long, it's not exactly hidden.
515
00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:04,413
This is Lake Baikal,
516
00:37:06,420 --> 00:37:08,773
the biggest body of fresh water on Earth.
517
00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:13,583
It contains 20% of the world's fresh water.
518
00:37:14,681 --> 00:37:17,264
(gentle music)
519
00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:21,623
Russians don't do lakes by half.
520
00:37:23,300 --> 00:37:24,653
This one's the oldest.
521
00:37:27,199 --> 00:37:28,340
(water lapping)
522
00:37:28,340 --> 00:37:30,308
Clearest and deepest.
523
00:37:30,308 --> 00:37:33,210
(gentle music)
524
00:37:33,210 --> 00:37:34,403
A natural wonder.
525
00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,110
And it's getting bigger.
526
00:37:38,110 --> 00:37:39,213
It's a rift valley,
527
00:37:40,540 --> 00:37:43,353
formed as tectonic plates pull apart from each other.
528
00:37:44,950 --> 00:37:47,023
It gains a few centimeters every year.
529
00:37:50,990 --> 00:37:53,020
The phenomenal lake contains several
530
00:37:53,020 --> 00:37:55,070
thousand species of animal,
531
00:37:55,070 --> 00:37:57,693
most of which are found nowhere else on Earth.
532
00:37:58,947 --> 00:38:02,114
(soft dramatic music)
533
00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:14,170
It even has its own species of seal.
534
00:38:19,643 --> 00:38:22,393
(seals groaning)
535
00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:29,950
Seals are usually saltwater marine mammals
536
00:38:29,950 --> 00:38:31,343
that live along the coasts.
537
00:38:32,289 --> 00:38:34,956
(seals howling)
538
00:38:35,890 --> 00:38:37,740
Quite how they got here is a mystery.
539
00:38:38,987 --> 00:38:41,654
(water lapping)
540
00:38:42,510 --> 00:38:45,510
They might have brought themselves in by swimming up rivers.
541
00:38:49,752 --> 00:38:51,940
Or the lake might in its past
542
00:38:51,940 --> 00:38:53,490
have been connected to the sea.
543
00:38:56,570 --> 00:38:58,850
Either way, the seals have been living here
544
00:38:58,850 --> 00:39:00,603
for at least two million years.
545
00:39:01,599 --> 00:39:04,266
(water lapping)
546
00:39:10,793 --> 00:39:13,740
(soft music)
547
00:39:13,740 --> 00:39:17,400
The lake is fed by more than 300 rivers
548
00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:20,243
flowing from several surrounding mountain ranges.
549
00:39:23,250 --> 00:39:26,200
From the northern shore, the Baikal Mountain Range
550
00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:28,890
stretches across the rest of Russia to the east,
551
00:39:28,890 --> 00:39:31,090
forming a border with neighboring countries.
552
00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:41,267
Until finally, it reaches the eastern coast
553
00:39:41,267 --> 00:39:43,145
and the Pacific Ocean.
554
00:39:43,145 --> 00:39:45,562
(soft music)
555
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:53,283
Here, Russia has one more surprise.
556
00:39:57,330 --> 00:40:01,015
A vast peninsula, Kamchatka.
557
00:40:01,015 --> 00:40:03,432
(soft music)
558
00:40:04,770 --> 00:40:07,640
It's huge, about the size of Switzerland,
559
00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:09,186
Germany and Austria.
560
00:40:09,186 --> 00:40:11,603
(soft music)
561
00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:21,030
Over 1,000 kilometers long,
562
00:40:21,030 --> 00:40:24,283
it looks like a land left behind in the mists of time.
563
00:40:25,525 --> 00:40:27,942
(soft music)
564
00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:37,150
160 volcanoes, 30 of which remain active,
565
00:40:37,150 --> 00:40:38,583
punctuate the skyline,
566
00:40:42,070 --> 00:40:44,590
while boiling mud holes and vents of steam
567
00:40:44,590 --> 00:40:47,073
reveal the fury of the fiery underworld.
568
00:40:48,141 --> 00:40:50,891
(water bubbling)
569
00:40:52,398 --> 00:40:55,565
(soft dramatic music)
570
00:40:58,464 --> 00:41:01,131
(steam hissing)
571
00:41:03,467 --> 00:41:04,690
It's the highest concentration
572
00:41:04,690 --> 00:41:06,523
of volcanic activity anywhere.
573
00:41:09,854 --> 00:41:12,472
(water flowing)
574
00:41:12,472 --> 00:41:15,639
(soft dramatic music)
575
00:41:38,240 --> 00:41:42,140
Tundra, forests and 100,000 lakes and streams
576
00:41:42,140 --> 00:41:45,594
fuel the perfect image of untamed wilderness.
577
00:41:45,594 --> 00:41:48,177
(rain falling)
578
00:41:57,360 --> 00:41:59,080
It's a wet wonderland.
579
00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:03,488
(thunder rumbling)
580
00:42:03,488 --> 00:42:06,655
(soft dramatic music)
581
00:42:09,810 --> 00:42:12,070
Moisture is carried in from the surrounding
582
00:42:12,070 --> 00:42:15,703
Okhotsk and Bering seas and the mighty Pacific Ocean.
583
00:42:18,990 --> 00:42:22,809
Very productive waters that draw in giants.
584
00:42:22,809 --> 00:42:26,495
(whales vocalizing)
585
00:42:26,495 --> 00:42:29,662
(soft dramatic music)
586
00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:32,863
Killer whales.
587
00:42:36,900 --> 00:42:39,830
The supersized dolphins are here because they are following
588
00:42:39,830 --> 00:42:42,433
prey that has brought them close inland.
589
00:42:45,118 --> 00:42:48,006
(water lapping)
590
00:42:48,006 --> 00:42:50,423
(soft music)
591
00:42:53,630 --> 00:42:56,703
They are not the only predators aware of the arrivals.
592
00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:07,163
Hungry bears are gathered, waiting along the coast.
593
00:43:08,766 --> 00:43:11,433
(birds calling)
594
00:43:15,470 --> 00:43:17,020
The surface of the sea is calm.
595
00:43:20,470 --> 00:43:23,303
Apart from the first signs of salmon.
596
00:43:27,116 --> 00:43:30,253
Kamchatka is famous for its salmon.
597
00:43:31,986 --> 00:43:34,700
A fifth of all Pacific salmon of all six species
598
00:43:34,700 --> 00:43:35,843
come here to breed.
599
00:43:38,430 --> 00:43:40,240
It was in these rivers that the fish
600
00:43:40,240 --> 00:43:41,793
hatched from their eggs.
601
00:43:44,830 --> 00:43:47,570
They went through a spectacular transformation,
602
00:43:47,570 --> 00:43:49,440
from a young freshwater fish
603
00:43:49,440 --> 00:43:51,686
to one that lives in the open ocean.
604
00:43:51,686 --> 00:43:54,333
(bear growling)
605
00:43:54,333 --> 00:43:57,000
(water lapping)
606
00:43:58,450 --> 00:44:00,820
They've been at sea for several years,
607
00:44:00,820 --> 00:44:04,233
but now mature, they are back and ready to breed.
608
00:44:07,460 --> 00:44:09,841
What starts out as a trickle
609
00:44:09,841 --> 00:44:13,008
(soft dramatic music)
610
00:44:17,610 --> 00:44:19,483
is soon a tsunami of fish.
611
00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:22,977
And the bears are ready.
612
00:44:22,977 --> 00:44:25,727
(dramatic music)
613
00:44:30,420 --> 00:44:33,769
(water splashing)
614
00:44:33,769 --> 00:44:36,519
(dramatic music)
615
00:44:43,080 --> 00:44:45,433
Russia could be called the Land of the Bears.
616
00:44:49,650 --> 00:44:52,300
With brown, black and polar bears,
617
00:44:52,300 --> 00:44:53,693
it has more than its share.
618
00:44:55,541 --> 00:44:58,374
(water splashing)
619
00:45:00,730 --> 00:45:02,660
And the brown bears of Kamchatka
620
00:45:02,660 --> 00:45:04,942
are the biggest in the world.
621
00:45:04,942 --> 00:45:07,566
(birds calling)
622
00:45:07,566 --> 00:45:10,316
(dramatic music)
623
00:45:11,930 --> 00:45:14,250
The salmon come at the perfect time.
624
00:45:14,250 --> 00:45:15,947
From late summer, they arrive.
625
00:45:16,963 --> 00:45:20,130
(soft dramatic music)
626
00:45:22,252 --> 00:45:24,200
Offering a feast to the bears,
627
00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:26,500
who are trying to build up their fat reserves,
628
00:45:28,570 --> 00:45:30,163
ready for their winter sleep.
629
00:45:31,075 --> 00:45:34,242
(soft dramatic music)
630
00:45:37,870 --> 00:45:41,393
Bears are usually solitary, but with food in abundance,
631
00:45:41,393 --> 00:45:43,149
they're more tolerant.
632
00:45:43,149 --> 00:45:45,899
(dramatic music)
633
00:46:13,653 --> 00:46:18,153
Though most still politely respect social hierarchies,
634
00:46:21,110 --> 00:46:23,973
the biggest male bears claim the best fishing spots.
635
00:46:25,622 --> 00:46:27,660
(dramatic music)
636
00:46:27,660 --> 00:46:30,073
And everyone else gives them a wide berth.
637
00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:37,763
Especially mothers with young.
638
00:46:40,990 --> 00:46:43,833
Big male bears are their only real threat.
639
00:46:46,750 --> 00:46:48,913
Fortunately, there are plenty of salmon.
640
00:46:52,890 --> 00:46:55,293
And soon even the smaller streams are packed.
641
00:46:58,460 --> 00:47:00,210
And a family finds a quieter place
642
00:47:00,210 --> 00:47:01,967
to work on their fishing skills.
643
00:47:02,904 --> 00:47:05,487
(gentle music)
644
00:47:25,000 --> 00:47:28,450
The salmon that escape the claws release their eggs,
645
00:47:28,450 --> 00:47:30,650
which will mature in the streams until they are ready
646
00:47:30,650 --> 00:47:32,693
to venture downstream to the ocean.
647
00:47:33,593 --> 00:47:36,176
(gentle music)
648
00:47:37,950 --> 00:47:42,590
But for their parents, this was a one-way trip.
649
00:47:42,590 --> 00:47:45,470
Exhausted by the upstream battle and competing
650
00:47:45,470 --> 00:47:49,780
with each other, and above all the impact
651
00:47:49,780 --> 00:47:51,993
of fresh water on marine bodies,
652
00:47:53,610 --> 00:47:54,853
their lives are over.
653
00:47:57,360 --> 00:48:00,480
Their carcasses will add nutrients to the waterways
654
00:48:00,480 --> 00:48:02,580
and ensure a rich nursery for their young.
655
00:48:04,059 --> 00:48:06,892
(water splashing)
656
00:48:10,439 --> 00:48:13,022
(bear snoring)
657
00:48:17,387 --> 00:48:19,970
(gentle music)
658
00:48:29,720 --> 00:48:31,810
From this Pacific coastline,
659
00:48:31,810 --> 00:48:33,773
Moscow is a 10-hour flight away.
660
00:48:34,730 --> 00:48:36,960
The end of a nation that stretches
661
00:48:36,960 --> 00:48:39,939
9,000 kilometers east to west.
662
00:48:39,939 --> 00:48:42,522
(gentle music)
663
00:48:47,010 --> 00:48:50,934
A giant country that dominates two continents.
664
00:48:50,934 --> 00:48:53,517
(gentle music)
665
00:48:59,480 --> 00:49:02,040
But because Russia lies so far north,
666
00:49:02,040 --> 00:49:04,243
its landscapes are cold and dry.
667
00:49:05,310 --> 00:49:07,823
Harsh places that have limited development.
668
00:49:08,881 --> 00:49:11,464
(gentle music)
669
00:49:14,720 --> 00:49:17,417
Most of Russia remains wild and beautiful.
670
00:49:18,870 --> 00:49:20,913
And if you look for its hidden treasure,
671
00:49:21,870 --> 00:49:26,870
the spectacular diversity of Russia's wildlife is revealed.
672
00:49:26,903 --> 00:49:29,486
(gentle music)
47412
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