Original subtitles

(gentle music) (birds chirping)

There are few places on the planet more magical

than the forest.

To spend a day here from dawn

(birds chirping)

to dusk is a natural spa,

a bath in nature.

(water splashing)

(gentle music)

A chance to watch the coming and going of light,

(insects chittering)

(footsteps thudding softly)

and the secretive and wondrous creatures that follow it.

(insects chittering)

Some are familiar.

(gentle music)

(birds chirping and squawking)

Others seem like visitors from other worlds.

Imagine if we could bring all of the seasons

and the forests of the world together,

(birds chirping)

pick the best of each,

(birds chirping)

to enjoy the ultimate forest adventure,

24 hours in nature.

(people chatting)

A walk in the woods never gets boring.

(gentle music)

(birds chirping)

There's enchantment at every term.

(birds chirping)

(gentle music)

(insects chittering)

(water sloshes)

(insects chittering)

(tense ambient music)

The forest at night can feel frightening.

(animal howls faintly)

(animal screeching)

(bird squawks)

Creatures moving in the dark.

(bird calling)

Spooky sounds.

(bird squawking)

Demons and hobgoblins dancing under the moon.

It's the stuff of children's fairytales.

(dramatic music) (bird calling)

But the reality,

soon to be revealed by the approaching daylight,

is no less magical.

(gentle music) (water sloshing)

Our fear of the dark is irrational,

and if we can get past it to begin our walk in the forest,

we might be richly rewarded.

(gentle music)

Just as morning's first light

gives the forest an eerie glow,

European badges shuffle their way back to their sets.

Like grumpy old men,

they prefer to keep to themselves

and are seldom seen.

(badgers grunting)

Being creatures of darkness,

badges were mysterious to our ancestors

and not surprisingly a part of forest folklore.

(gentle music)

(badgers grunting)

It was said to be good luck

if a Badger crossed the path behind you,

but bad luck if you crossed in front.

And if it stops for a little dig, oh, dear.

"But if it cross in front of thee

"beyond where thou shalt tread,

"and if by chance doth turn the mold,

"thou art numbered with the dead."

(bright music)

(birds chirping)

(badgers grunting)

In some cultures,

badges were believed to be shape shifters

who could adopt human form.

To many they were just creatures to be admired

for their courage and strength.

(badgers grunting)

And usefully, a tuft of badger hair

was all a forest explorer needed

to protect them from witchcraft.

(bright music)

Though they're vital to the forest ecology,

for the good work they do in turning the top soil

as they forage giving woodland flowers

the chance to colonize new ground,

and munching their way through rodents, insects, and slugs,

and so doing their bit for pest control.

They prefer to do their work under the cover of darkness.

(insects chittering)

This might make them seem a little antisocial,

but really badges like each other's company.

(gentle music)

Half a dozen shares a set,

and prepare to turn in for the day.

(gentle music) (leaves rustling)

Badges take cleanliness very seriously

and like a tidy home.

Before they can settle, they make the bed,

pushing out the old bedding,

(insects chittering)

(animal yelping)

and gathering new material to line the nest.

Bed made, they'll snuggle up to each other deep underground.

(badgers snoring and breathing deeply)

As they slip into their peaceful slumber.

another family begins to stir.

(bright music)

(insects chittering)

In the twilight it's a big day

for a family of North American black bears.

(bright music)

(insects chittering)

In mythology, bears are often considered

the people of the forest,

the spirits of forefathers,

or even our ancestors.

(gentle music)

For at least 50,000 years,

our ancestors have marveled at

and revered these forest dwellers.

(insects chittering)

And it's easy to see why.

(gentle music)

Bears are powerful and intelligent,

can be aggressive,

but can also be remarkably tender and caring.

(gentle music)

For the first time, the cubs are venturing

from their den to explore the forest.

(gentle music)

(wind blowing softly)

Mom's keen to get a head start before the sun's up,

and there are too many other visitors to the forest.

(birds chirping)

(bright music)

(birds chirping)

(water sloshes)

(birds chirping)

Then from the gloom comes the magic of bird calls.

(birds chirping and twittering)

Like spells whispered on the wind,

(birds chirping and twittering)

(birds squawking and calling)

the delicate beauties of the forest

can be hard to spot among the leaves,

but they are easy to hear.

(ambient music)

(birds chirping and twittering)

This is the dawn chorus.

A feast for the ears of anyone up early enough to enjoy it.

(birds chirping and twittering)

But what seems like joyful birds greeting the morning,

is actually a lot of angry war cries.

(birds chirping and twittering)

Each tiny singer takes a post,

a stage in the middle of its territory, and shouts,

(birds chirping and twittering)

proclaiming far and wide that this little patch of forest

is under occupation and not just by birds.

(people chattering)

(bright music)

(birds chirping and twittering)

A fox cub litter has been cooped up

for their first month of life,

but they are getting a bit big

and boisterous to vent their energy indoors.

(foxes grunting)

(bright music)

They are still too young to go far from home,

but have permission to have a stretch outside.

(bright music)

(dramatic music)

(birds chirping)

Practicing games of cat and mouse,

will teach them to hunt.

(gentle playful music)

And they can enjoy the warmth of the early morning sun.

(gentle playful music)

(birds chirping and twittering)

(gentle music) (birds chirping)

(bird squawks)

As the shadows dance across the tangle of branches,

it's easy to think you are seeing things.

Dark secretive forms slipping through the trees.

But with the world's woodlands at your fingertips,

anything's possible.

(wisent grunts)

(gentle music) (birds chirping)

As majestic and unexpected as a glimpse of a unicorn,

an encounter with a wisent will take anyone's breath away.

(birds chirping)

(wisent snorts)

The giant European bison seem to hark back to ancient times

when it was forces of nature

shaping the landscape not people.

(wisents groaning)

The colossal forms, a ton of piece, had early humans in awe.

(wisent groaning)

So much so that they painted them on the walls of caves.

(wisents grunting and snorting)

But they also saw the bison as living larders,

huge hunks of meat that were heavily hunted.

One-hundred years ago,

they were all but wiped out.

Only a dozen in captivity escaped the slaughter.

Now thankfully their numbers are slowly creeping up,

and they are being returned to forests across Europe.

(bright whimsical music)

Their presence makes the forest feel more alive

and more connected with its ancient past.

(bright whimsical music)

Now there really is a chance to glimpse

the huge bodies slipping through the shadows,

(birds chirping and twittering)

and then as quickly as they appeared, the giants vanish,

their huge bodies concealed by the trees.

(bright music)

Their secrets once again locked away

at the heart of the forest.

(birds chirping)

It's easy to feel alone in the woods,

not a soul in sight,

partly because sometimes you can't see the wood

for the trees.

The thick vegetation giving plenty of cover

for creatures to hide in.

(birds chirping) (water sloshing)

But it's also because many of the characters

of the forest are so small

that if you don't look very hard,

you might miss them.

(birds chirping)

There's always a mini community

sometimes right under your feet.

(gentle music)

(tiny footsteps pattering)

And greeting the morning light

wood ants swarm the outside of their huge nest mound.

Few beings have such regimented and complex communities.

All of these are females born to lives of hard work.

(bright music)

Living to serve the nest.

A single queen, their mother, lives inside

and produces ever more workers.

(birds chirping)

(rhythmic trumpet music)

They all cooperate for the benefit of the entire colony.

(fast-paced uptempo music)

These tiny hardworking animals

have always enchanted human observers.

(fast-paced uptempo music)

They have been considered the souls of Druids

or even fairies in a final incarnation

ready to leave their earthly existence.

(dramatic music)

(birds chirping)

That might not be true,

but there's no doubt that ants

and their societies are uniquely wonderful.

(birds chirping)

(dramatic music)

It can be chilly in the woods.

There are lots of shady spots under the trees,

but the ants have a plan to warm things up.

As the sun moves across the sky, they follow it,

letting it heat their coldblooded little bodies.

(dramatic music)

Then glowing with solar energy, they head inside.

Their bodies have become mini radiators

that will warm the inside of the nest

and help their baby sisters to grow.

(gentle music)

(birds chirping)

(soft ambient music)

There are little patches of forest

that the sun will never reach.

(dramatic music)

(animal screeches)

Shielded by rocks and a dense tree canopy,

these secret mossy corners with their own microclimate.

(birds chirping)

(gentle music)

(animal screeching)

Fungi thrive here in the damp.

Often overlooked, feared, and misunderstood,

fungi the toadstools and mushrooms

are one of the most important groups of organisms on earth.

(bright music)

Some are invisible, microscopic,

while others are the largest organisms on the planet,

several kilometers across.

(gentle music)

(birds chirping)

We should celebrate these treasures of the dark forest.

They recycle nutrients,

breaking down dead plants and animals,

and returning goodness to the soil keeping forests healthy.

(gentle music)

(birds chirping)

As well as being food for animals,

they help plant roots to take in food, water, and minerals,

and so are vital to the base of the food chain.

(bird squawks)

(birds chirping)

(dramatic music)

Fungi makes up a huge part of the human diet,

but also provides us with medicine,

most famously penicillin.

(dramatic music)

Fungi can also be useful to keep insect pests and diseases

away from crops and animals.

(birds chirping and twittering)

But for all their incredible work,

the delicate fruiting bodies bloom and perish quickly.

Inky caps quickly push their way through the ground

opening their umbrella-like caps.

(dramatic music)

(birds chirping)

Firstly, deep and white,

but darkening and the curling upwards

as they release their spores.

And the fungi literally digest itself,

storing its nutrients in the ground for future use.

The black oozing part digested fungi

was literally used as writing ink in the past

giving the inky cap its name.

(dramatic music)

(birds chirping)

The real beauty of the forest

is the bold and beautiful fly agaric.

(dramatic music)

Look, but don't touch.

This fungi is poisonous,

but can be used as an insect repellent.

(gentle music)

(birds chirping)

No fairytale scene is complete

without these beautiful toadstools

or their namesake.

(light gentle music)

Toads are common in the cool moist leaf litter

in European forests.

Though finding one willing to turn into a prince,

can be more of a challenge.

(birds chirping)

It's hard to believe a creature as beautiful

and bold as this would choose to live in the shadows,

but like their toad cousins, salamanders favor damp spots.

(insects buzzing)

(birds chirping)

Amphibians have thin delicate skin.

They have lungs for breathing,

but can also breathe and absorb water through their skin.

(water sloshing)

It also means they dry out easily.

So the charming creatures skulk

in the shadows of the forest.

(bright music)

Because they hide in damp rotting corners,

they can be hard to spot.

(gentle music)

Ancient people only saw them during wildfires

when they would scamper from burning logs,

leading to the belief that they lived off the flames

and were creatures of fire.

(dramatic music)

Nonsense, of course,

but it earned the fire salamander its name.

(gentle music)

The rich fungal life of the forest

can present a problem to lovers of rotting logs,

but the salamanders' skin produces proteins

that fight infection, natural fungicides.

(birds chirping)

It will be hard to hide with the

fire salamanders' fiery markings,

but it doesn't need to.

They serve as a warning

(tense music)

because this amphibian's skin also produces a powerful toxin

that can cause muscle convulsions and hyperventilation.

(tense music)

So if you are lucky enough to spot

this little resident of the forest,

look but don't touch it.

(birds chirping)

(gentle music)

Proudly protected in its colorful coat,

the salamander seeks on bugs and worms

that share its damp home.

(dramatic music)

(birds chirping)

(gentle music)

The sun's approaching full strength by late morning.

(birds chirping)

In a quiet glade,

the mother bear takes a break.

Lying on her back,

her cubs can suckle while she basks in the sun.

Her milk is a super drink,

five times richer than cow's milk.

(gentle music)

(birds chirping)

She'll keep this nourishment on tap for at least six months.

(gentle music)

(wind blows softly)

(gentle music)

(bird squawks)

The forest is quiet,

(bird squawks)

were it not for the chattering of birds overhead.

(bird squawks)

Nutcrackers don't have the most attractive voices,

but they make up for it with pretty plumage.

The crows' cousins forage for their namesake.

Though they don't so much crack nuts as pries them open.

(bird squawks)

They have generous throat pouches

to gather as many as they can.

Their real skill is in hiding

their treasure around the forest,

and remembering where to find it again months later,

(birds chirping and squawking)

They don't quite have the canopy to themselves.

Red squirrels never seem to sit still.

(bird squawks)

(bright fast-paced music)

Their endless search for treasure has a double purpose.

(birds chirping)

(bright fast-paced music)

The nuts they collect will not only feed them now,

they also spend all summer stashing food away

knowing they'll need it come winter.

(birds chirping)

(bright music)

They have a cousin in the trees

that really is trying to join the birds.

(owl calls)

(birds chirping)

They can't fly despite the name,

but flying squirrels can glide.

(gentle music)

quite far,

90 meters,

the length of a football pitch, in fact,

(birds chirping)

thanks to membranes connecting their wrists and ankles.

(birds chirping and twittering)

The hamsters with parachutes are mostly nocturnal

and rarely grace visitors with a sighting.

But these ones have been drawn out of hiding

because they are in a romantic mood.

(gentle music)

This is a game of kiss chase.

It disturbs another tree top dweller,

the dramatic black woodpecker.

(woodpecker squawks)

The second biggest woodpecker in the world

and typical of its kind,

uses its powerful beak to chisel into tree trunks

to carve out a nursery for its young.

(chicks squeaking)

This one widens the doorway a little

to make it easier to deliver food

to the hungry chicks within.

(woodpeckers calls)

(birds chirping)

(chicks squeaking)

(woodpecker calls)

(chicks squeaking)

The chicks will stay cooped up for a month

before it's finally time to fly the nest.

(chicks squeaking)

(gentle music)

With its cloak of black and piercing yellow eyes,

it was cast as a villain in fairytales,

like a witch flying through the forest.

(birds chirping)

(gentle music)

When out walking in the woods,

bear in mind that there could be anything

lurking in the trees themselves.

(birds chirping and twittering)

(birds chirping)

(owl calling)

A hollow in a tree trunk

is not an obvious place to look for a duck,

but several species like the goldeneye choose hollows,

perhaps old woodpecker castoffs,

to raise their young.

(birds chirping)

(chicks chirping)

(gentle music)

On a bed of luxurious down,

she welcomes ducklings into the world.

(chicks chirping)

But the little ones will quickly

outgrow this nesting chamber.

(gentle music)

So when only 24 hours old,

the babies have no choice other than to take the plunge.

(gentle music)

(duck grunts)

the mother calls.

(grunts lowly)

And they must obey.

(birds chirping)

It's a long way down.

(bright music)

(chicks chirping)

Fortunately, their downy feathers are so densely packed,

that they cushion the landing.

(chicks chirping)

And lightweight bodies and soft bones,

there is rarely any damage.

(bright music)

(chicks chirping)

(chick chirping)

Once the whole clutch has been coaxed out,

the mother leads them to water.

This is the safest place for them

to learn to fend for themselves.

(dramatic music)

It's easy to pass by

missing the drama going on in the forest.

(tense ambient music)

As the day warms,

wood pigeons flutter lazily down for a drink,

which does not go unnoticed.

(dramatic music)

But these lynx kittens still have a lot to learn.

(dramatic music)

Wrestling with their brothers and sisters

will help them practice their skills.

(birds chirping)

(upbeat music)

Though lynx are widespread

across the Northern Hemisphere

and often in places with large human populations,

they're one of the most secretive

and least seen denizens of the forest.

(birds chirping)

(gentle music)

(animals calling)

(birds chirping)

By midday when even the enchanted forest

is well lit by the sun's glows, its inhabitants rest.

(birds chirping)

(woodpecker pecks)

(gentle music)

The forest seems to fall silent.

It's too warm to be dashing about.

(animal calling)

(birds chirping)

The bears nap in the shade.

(bear groans)

Known as cousins or uncles to some Native American people,

bears were considered the keepers of dreams.

(bird squawks)

(woodpecker pecks)

(birds chirping)

The birds take a time out from their hectic lives,

and enjoy some leafy shade.

(birds chirping)

(woodpecker pecks)

(gentle music)

The depths of the forest can get hot and humid,

so red deer seek secluded pools to cool off.

(birds chirping)

The only downside

is that mosquitoes enjoy the still damp air.

The mischievous nymphs are not appreciated

by most inhabitants.

In fact, they can be downright annoying.

But there is one resident,

a speedy sprite of the forest,

that makes the most of them.

While everyone else takes a break from the sun,

the hummingbird embraces it.

The bugs are useful top-me-ups

full of protein to help a rapidly growing family.

(bright music)

But the birds prefer to target blooms.

Like flower fairies they seem to dance from one to another.

Drawn by the bright colors

and the alluring promise of sugary nectar,

hummingbirds have incredible agility,

able to twist in all directions

like tiny feathered helicopters.

(wings fluttering)

But like a chopper,

the birds burn through fuel.

Flight's energy demanding,

and keeps them busy throughout the day.

(buzzing lightly)

Nectar, their precious fuel

is a resource worth defending.

(buzzing softly)

But the butterflies and bees have a job to do,

and dance their way to the next bloom.

(birds chirping)

As they visit each flower,

they sprinkle fairy dust,

pollen that they carry on their furry bodies

aiding the sex lives of the plants,

(gentle music)

fertilizing the flowers ensuring the forest

will be rich with the magical blooms next year.

(gentle music)

(animals snorting)

(gentle music)

The quietness of midday is the perfect chance

to soak up the beauty of the forest

and the trees themselves.

(gentle music)

(birds chirping)

The crowning glory are giant sequoias.

At nine meters across the trunk and 80 meters tall,

they stand head and shoulders above the rest.

(animals screeching)

As tall as a 26 story building,

the biggest weighs of mind boggling 1.2 million kilos,

more than 200 large elephants.

(gentle music)

(animals screeches)

These majestic giants

can live well past their 3,000th birthdays

and witness huge changes

in the landscape that humans can only imagine.

The sequoias and other tallest of the tall around the world

poke their heads above the canopy

and look out over a sea of green.

(gentle music)

A blanket of life as far as the eye can see,

the beautiful, continuous, intact,

and interconnected living system

that's full of enchantment.

(gentle music)

No fairytale castle would look out of place here

because of the magic the forest exudes.

(gentle music)

(wind blows softly)

(birds chirping)

As the afternoon cools off,

the bears get more active

climbing trees in search of a teddy bear's picnic.

(gentle music)

(insects buzzing)

(birds chirping)

And deer risk leaving the safe cover of the trees

to graze in glades where more sun results in fresher grass.

(birds and insects chirping)

(gentle music)

Many of the forest animals are nocturnal

or at least crepuscular,

meaning they prefer to be active at dawn and dusk

when it's easier to go unnoticed in the shadows.

(birds chirping)

And in the hollow of a rotting trunk,

another family is thinking of heading out.

(birds chirping)

Getting tired of putting up with half a dozen kids,

(birds chirping)

the mother raccoon, wants a lying.

(gentle music)

The family have spent two months cooped up here,

it's time for them all to stretch their legs

and practice their climbing skills.

(birds chirping)

Some cubs seem happy enough to entertain themselves.

While others are still a bit clingy.

She's not free from child-minding just yet.

(birds chirping and squawking)

(gentle music)

As twilight descends,

the forest takes on a new personality in the fading light.

(animals squealing)

(birds chirping)

People arrive.

So a few rules before.

Getting ready for a final showdown.

If Sasquatch is out there

and he's trying to get your picture,

he has a camera with a flash.

(gentle music)

(birds chirping)

This is start of the haunting hour.

(dramatic music)

A time when the sneaky creatures of the shadows

go about their business.

(insects chittering)

(bird squawking)

This one could certainly make things go bump in the night

if it wasn't so cute.

The genet is from a unique group of little predators

that seem half fox, half cat.

(dramatic music)

Her claws partially retract,

halfway between a cat's and a dog's,

but enough to keep them sharp for climbing.

Her long foxy tail helps balance as she hurries home.

She also has a young family ready for their evening meal.

(dramatic music)

Mysterious and beautiful with her nocturnal habits,

the genet is a forest dweller that few get to see.

(gentle music)

But it's when the lights go out,

that the most enchanting side of the forest is revealed.

(gentle music)

Fungi start to glow.

Looking like the work of a wondrous fairy godmother,

but chemistry is the true wizard at work here.

(dramatic music)

The mushrooms produce oxyluciferin

to give them the eerie glow.

(gentle whimsical music)

Their intention: To become beacons in the darkness

to lure in insects to spread their spoons.

(gentle whimsical music)

The glowing gems give rise

to fairytales of will-o'-the-wisps,

sinister spirits to lead visitors astray in the darkness.

(dramatic music)

(metal clanking) (people chatting)

Now it somehow seems

as if they are lighting up a path into the forest,

so we can enter safely in time

to watch a firework display.

The forests' grand finale.

(bright music)

(dramatic music)

Fireflies.

(bright music)

Glow worms, lightening bugs, and fireflies,

these are the most magical creatures of the night.

(bright music)

Despite the names, all of them are beetles,

and like mad scientists,

they each have their own stash

of chemicals and magical formulas.

The box of magic tricks have chemicals in their abdomens.

Like the fungi, they use luciferin.

They mix it with oxygen to make oxyluciferin,

and then add an enzyme: luciferase.

Let the show begin.

(bright music)

Only the female glow worms glow.

They can't control their intake of oxygen very well.

So they just flick the lights on to lure males.

(bright music)

Fireflies have more self-control.

Both sexes can fly.

and flash different tempos

to identify themselves to their viewers.

(bright music)

In a crowd, it helps them pick out

their own species and the appropriate gender.

Though, it can be a trap.

(dramatic music)

One species known as femme fatale has a sinister side.

She mimics the flashing of other species to lure in males

that will become her midnight snack.

(insects chittering)

But for most fireflies,

it's about love and peace.

(insects chittering)

(gentle music)

The males advertise,

and if the female likes what she sees,

she lights up the landing strip.

He is cleared for descent.

The beetles have spent a few years as lava underground.

Their adult lives are fleeting

just a few weeks to meet and to mate.

(insects chittering)

(gentle music)

These buzzing bugs and many others of the mysterious

and wondrous creatures of the forest,

can rekindle a childlike sense of wonder

that only the natural world can provide

(birds and insects chirping)

inspiring a feeling of freedom and wildness

with space to roam and explore

in the magical enchanted forest.

(gentle whimsical music)

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