All language subtitles for Wild Russia EP05 Primorye (2009) English

This lush cloud forest

might seem like the tropics,

but in fact it lies
at the eastern tip of Russia.

Ussuriland contains the richest
temperate forest on Earth

and the most diverse ecosystem in Russia.

A world full of challenging extremes,

a unique refuge for
the rare and the powerful.

From Europe one must fly
a third of the way around the globe

to reach the Russian Far East.

About 6,000 miles east of Moscow,

across the grand massive Siberia,

the world's vastest stretch of land

gives way to an even
bigger realm - the Pacific Ocean.

At it's edge lies the claw of Ussuriland.

In March, the far eastern taiga
is still in the grip of winter.

This Indian marten has made it
through it's first winter of life.

Indian martens are typically
found in tropical rainforests,

but, as usual, Ussuriland is an exception.

Here Indian martens have somehow
learned to manage in the snow.

This time of year food
supplies are still short.

Indian martens spend most of
their life in the treetops

alongside Ussuriland's 450 species of birds.

To the north-west of
Ussuriland flows the Amur,

the second largest river in Russia,
among the 10 largest in the world.

The Amur drains water from
an area about the size of Mexico.

Ussuriland is the only Russian region
within the temperate monsoon zone.

In winter it's chilled by
the fridged Siberian land mass to the west,

but in summer the ice will give way
to warm currents of the tropical Pacific.

In this unique habitat

animals from the northern taiga
mingle with species from the south.

Among the latter is the legendary
Amur tiger, the largest wild cat on Earth.

Ussuriland is home to the only
sizeable population of these big cats.

At only one year of age this young male
already weighs well over 400 pounds.

The young tiger is still with his mother
and will stay until she conceives again.

As his mother goes into heat,
the young male gives her plenty of space.

Tigresses broadcast their
status through scent markings.

Adult male Amur tigers
cover vast territories,

up to 10 times bigger
than the tropical tigers.

They do not always show up on time.

This time the suitor is a few days early.

The female is not quiet ready yet for mating,

instead of responding to the male,
she keeps her distance.

The male can read the female's signals by flehming,

using his sensitive organ
on the roof of his mouth.

The suitorwill be sure to return a few days from now.

Meanwhile the young
adolescent practices his own flehming

for future situations.

In early spring the far eastern rivers
are ice-free in just a few patches.

Rare there they are,

these spots are vital to some of
Ussuriland's most elusive nocturnal creatures.

In the dead of night, their haunting duet can be heard.

This darkness belongs to the largest owl on Earth,

the Blakiston's Fish Owl.

The owls wait for hours in the cold night air.

Although a rich variety of
fish species are active in the rivers,

they're mostly hidden under the ice.

Among the rarest owls on the planet,

Blakiston's Fish Owls are especially
adapted to live on cold-blooded prey.

Only the enormous wealth of
fish available in the Ussuri rivers

permits this truly unusual adaption.

At the coast

the rivers of Ussuriland

empty into the Sea of Japan.

In April the tropical Tsushima current

flows northward on route to Japan

and begins to awaken Ussuriland
from its winter slumber.

Groups of Harlequin Ducks flock together

and pair off for mating season.

Nearby, as waters rise,

Larga Seals get ready
to leave their basking grounds.

Having just shed theirwinter fur,

the seals soak up as much sun as they can,

before entering the still fridged water.

Thanks to the Tsushima,

the tropical sea current,

the water temperature is starting to rise at last.

In the coming months it
will reach 15 degrees Celsius.

Larga seals thrive on the plentiful fish
and sea urchins in these waters.

The Harlequins make ready

as the tide corrals plankton
and other nutrients shoreward.

The currents are rough,

but the fearless Harlequins take the plunge.

While tides are still high,

they raise to gather their fill of
sea snails, shrimps and small fish

from the underwater meadows.

Soon they will leave the sea
to raise their young farther inland.

In the far eastern spring,

the meeting of cold and warm waters

forms fog banks over the sea,

as the heating effect of
the Tsushima current increases.

Mist reaches the mountainsides
and is driven inland.

Like a magic spell, the moisture
spreads throughout the taiga,

slowly rousing it from its winter torpor.

Places that were harsh and forbidding
during the long winter months

become inviting once more.

As the landscape awakens,

so do many inhabitants who choose
to spend the winter underwraps.

For chipmunks, the first order of business

is to find the food stores
they prepared in the autumn.

ldeally though, chipmunks prefer
to raid their neighbour's larders

and leave their own food stores
intact for emergencies.

When one chipmunk reveals
where its rationales are hidden,

open season for food snatching begins.

At this time of year, the pair of
Blakiston's Fish Owls are tending their chick.

At two months of age the youngster
is already the size of a goose.

The parents have strategically
place him in a poplar tree,

perched about 35 feet above the river.

Calls echoing through the woods
signal it's time to wake up.

Dinner is on its way.

Although the young owl
now has a nest of its own,

he's not yet ready to hunt his own prey.

From the vantage point of the poplar tree

the young owl watches
and learns as his parents fish nearby.

In a few months he
will have to fend for himself,

but for now he's the spoiled only child.

A growing fish owl will need
another ten of these tonight.

At dusk the parents' work has just begun.

For an owl the moon illuminates
the valley like daylight

and helps ensure the success of the hunt.

The owl couple will fish tirelessly until dawn.

In this time they must nourish themselves

and still bring at least ten feeds
to their eagerly awaiting chick.

Meanwhile,

spring fully descends upon
the waiting Ussuri landscape.

The world's richest temperate
forest comes alive

in every imaginable shade of green.

In the west of Ussuriland,

an enormous marshland of flooded rice fields

extends over the Chinese border.

At its heart is the Khanka,

the biggest inland sea in the Far East.

Khanka's unique features support
the world's largest fields of lotus flowers

and in turn countless other species.

Herons are supreme water hunters.

With their sharp beaks
they harpoon their aquatic prey.

But some targets seem
too strange to tackle.

The Chinese Softshell Turtle can snorkel,

using its long neck and
tube-like nostrils to breathe air,

while its body remains submerged and protected.

The turtles' soft and flexible shell

makes them more agile
in the water and also vulnerable,

but the turtles have a lot of achieve
in 5 short months of summer.

They cannot afford to be timid.

Optimal sunbathing territory
is in high demand.

Female Chinese Softshell Turtles
are far larger than males.

When it comes to territory disputes,
there is no contest.

The turtles' strong jaws
help them lacerate prey,

but are also useful
for managing the competition.

Unlike their tropical relatives, these
turtles have limited access to the sun.

During the short intense summer

they must soak up all the warmth
they need for the entire year.

When the ice eventually returns to the Khanka,

the turtles will disappear into hibernation
beneath it until next summer.

The warmth of the Tsushima current

spreads throughout the Ussuri summer

and is reflected in the vibrancy of the taiga.

Each summer Sika Deer gather
and made theirway to the sea together.

The Sika find safety in numbers.

Easily startled, the herd makes slow progress.

Their high-pitched whistles warn
companions to be on the lookout.

Bit by bit the herd draws closer to the shoreline.

The sound of the nearby surf
draws them onwards.

Once they've reached the sea,
the Sika have a singular purpose - kelp.

The foliage in these
coastal forests is lacking in salt

due to the constant rain and snow.

The deer must quench
their need for sodium here.

The salty sea spray makes
constant grooming a must.

Driven by their salt cravings,

the Sikas expose themselves to danger

on the unprotected beach.

The Amur tiger knows theirweakness well.

This time the deer's skittishness is justified.

Though deer hunting is usually done at night,

the tiger stores his prey
and returns for more helpings later.

It may take several sittings
to finish off a large deer.

It doesn't take long for
the first onlookers to arrive.

In the summer the nocturnal tigers
mainly hunt Himalayan Black Bears,

Badgers or Racoon Dogs,

but on the coastal peninsulas

Sika Deer have few escape roots and are easy prey.

Once the tiger has had his fill,
he will usually leave the rest for later.

But there is no shortage of
opportunists on hand.

They are tiny compared to
the mighty tiger, but unlikely to give up.

The king is faced with a rather irritating dilemma.

There is little left and this time
it's easier to let the crows have theirway.

Once the buffet is opened,
tensions begin to rise.

Jungle Crows are among the cleverest of the corvid birds.

Though small, they work in groups

to drive off even large and dangerous
competitors like the Sea Eagle.

With their persistence

the eagle will eventually move off
in search of more peaceful feeding ground.

Like swarming crows, starting in May,

the monsoon clouds begin to gather.

The Ussuri taiga is the only rainforest in Russia.

In summer it takes full advantage of
the warmth and moisture while it lasts.

Ceaseless rain is no bother to
the Himalayan Black Bear.

Unlike their Grizzly cousins,

these bears spend most of the year
in the treetops of the taiga,

not on the ground.

Climbing skills are essential
for avoiding the Amur tiger,

but these bears have virtually
no other foes to fear.

The bears eat cambium,
a layer beneath the bark,

which helps cleanse their digestive system
before another round of leaves, berries and insects.

When the rest bite from the rain finally comes,

the young owl is a bit the worse forwear.

He's been out in the elements all night.

The nest is flooded
and the river is on the rise.

It's time to find somewhere higher and drier.

If he tries to move,

he may fall into the rough current

where he wouldn't stand a chance.

Unfortunately, the venture
has only brought him closer to the rapids.

The rains turn
small streams into raging rivers.

Flooding the landscape, they create
a mirror universe beneath the surface.

Trout swim where only minutes ago
there was not a drop of water.

The nearby Khanka Lake
is shielded from the heavy rains,

but floodwaters flow in and fill the basin.

The monsoon winds whip
the treeless valley into a frenzy.

The shallow Khanka Lake
becomes a treacherous sea,

the choppy waves build enormous power
and wash away entire banks.

Strong gusts of wind mean even
experienced flyers are reluctant to take off.

Much like a mangrove swamp,
lagoons form along the shore.

As soon as the storm has subsided,

the Softshell Turtles
are drawn to the new lagoons

like moths to the flame.

They know that
the floods bring shoals of prey.

But competition has already arrived.

Powerful predators,
Snakeheads prefer to feed on fish,

but are known
to eat even small mammals.

Caught between the two hunters,
the small fish have no way out.

In summer, the Ussuri turtles
must gorge themselves to the maximum.

By now they have only one more month

to feed and build the energy stores
to last them all winter.

Like few fish on Earth, Snakeheads
breathe air from the surface.

The Snakeheads' daring leap

helps it gage the distance back
to the safety of the main lake.

It can propel itself for several yards
with its riving technique.

The turtle's movements, too,
are dictated by the waters.

When one lagoon begins
to dry out, they're off to raid another.

In August the inflow of the Tsushima current
reaches its annual high point.

The sea temperature is now
at its peak of about 20 degrees Celsius.

Islands, such as the Rimsky-Korsakov Archipelago,

still carry signs of terrestrial life.

After 6, 000 rugged miles, here
the Russian expanse comes to an end.

The blooming taiga grows sparse

and gives way to a seascape just as exotic.

Among the sun-nourished stalks
curious creatures are bound.

Japanese Fugus, or Blowfish, are carried to
the Russian coast on the Tsushima current.

Fugus are small in size,
but have excellent protection.

Their organs contain one of
the most powerful toxins in nature.

Nearby a Pacific Starfish gropes for food.

Within minutes a feeding frenzy ensues.

The Shellfish has no chance.

Potent digestive juices liquefy
its insides before they are sucked out.

Minutes later, the shell is all that remains.

These mussel beds form
the protective reefs of the Sea of Japan.

Sea cucumbers vacuum
its surface for food.

While some creatures
inhabit these seas year round,

others like the Fringe Blenny
are summer visitors, swept in from Japan.

Before winter hits, migrants
like the blennies will finish spawning

and return to the warmerwaters
south-east of here.

Though the nighttime seas are calm,
the coastal forest is churning with life.

The young fish owl has managed to find a dry perch.

When waters are high
and fish hide deep underwater,

frogs are an important part of the owls' diet.

Frogs have more than just the owls to fear.

Racoon Dogs have adapted
perfectly to the Pacific rainforests

and have mastered the art of frog hunting.

The fish owls use their
ultra sharp eyesight to lock in on prey.

The Racoon Dog uses
its uncannily keen sense of smell

to root out even the smallest tadpoles.

With such fine-tuned senses neither
opaque water nor darkness poses a challenge.

At the heights of the warm damp summer

all life in the taiga absorbs
as much nourishment as possible,

while it still can.

The young owl is now nearly
the size of its parents.

Soon the time will come when
he must learn to hunt his own meals.

Making ready, he waits for the waters
to subside and become calmer fishing grounds.

Along with hunting skills

his budding adult feathers
will be vital when summer is gone.

The rains have created a maze of
islands in the floodplain forest.

A female Himalayan Black Bear takes
full advantage of the summer greenery on hand.

She, too, is raising young.

At only a few weeks old her cubs
are already skillful climbers.

In the slender topmost branches
the cubs are safest from tiger attacks.

With their unique balance and grip

the hefty bears live as naturally in
the forest canopy as any other tree dweller.

After the monsoon has blown through,

a thick blanket of morning fog
looms over Khanka Lake.

In the summer months,

Racoon Dogs make a pilgrimage
to the flood lagoons in search of food.

A fine aroma hangs over the sands

and the Racoon Dog's nose
is the first to track it.

Though turtle eggs are
usually odorless to protect from predators,

some nests are flooded and spoiled
before they have the chance to hatch.

The Racoon Dog, lucky enough to sniff it out,
will find a tasty buried treasure.

The turtle nests farther from
the water's edge are safe,

incubated for three months in the summer sun.

In September the moment arrives.

For the Chinese Softshell Turtles

the first minutes out in the world
are the most perilous.

In a blind sprint the hatchlings make
for the relative safety of the water.

The young are fast and alert,

but at less than two centimeters in width
they are vulnerable to nearly any predator:

bird, frogs or even adult turtles.

Fewer than 20 percent
will survive these first trials.

Those who do will not dally
in the shallows for long.

Sometimes the tide can lend a helping hand.

By hook or by crook,

the hatchlings navigate theirway
alone to the floating meadows.

The vegetation offers protection
from predators both above and below.

Here the tiny turtles
can relax for the first time,

warm themselves in the sun and
eat their fill of the plentiful algae.

Excellent eyesight and a good sense of smell

helps them find dead fish
or other leftover food.

But the Snakehead is after live prey.

The small turtle
is intent on its unwieldy scrap.

A lucky break this time.

In late September summer
is quickly drawing to a close.

As though to bid it farewell, Mayflies
begin to rise from the waters synchron.

Hundreds of thousands fill the air

and become millions, minutes later billions.

The flies dance weightlessly like
the snow that will soon return to the taiga.

Within 30 minutes a twilight comes

and the flies relent along
with the summerwarmth.

Each evening, for a week,
a new throng will perform.

Then autumn descends upon Ussuriland.

Harkening winter's approach, a blaze of color
erupts from the mountains downward.

To its inhabitants,
the taiga issues are bright signal

that it is time to store up
for the long cold season.

Musk deer, the shyest in the taiga,
are revealed briefly by the thinning leaves.

The taiga renders large antlers impractical,

so the males' oversized canines
serve to intimidate rivals.

By now, the young Himalayan Black Bears
have been looking after themselves for sometime.

Like the Ussuri Badger,
they will soon retire for the winter.

Having stuffed themselves in late summer,

the young bears now weigh 3 times what they did before.

All manner of play fighting help
them to build their strength.

In another year's time
the siblings will separate

and begin their lives as solitary adults.

For all the bears' roughhousing,
the badger has nothing to fear from them.

Soft dead leaves make
cosy cushion nests for autumn.

The leaf nests are fine for now,

but at the first sign of snow

the bears will retire to their
tree holes forwarmth and safety.

Autumn in the Far East is brief
and its effects are felt quickly.

The lotus capsules are empty,
the seeds long since dispersed in the water.

The sparkle of hoarfrost spreads
across the marshy Khanka lakeside,

but the reeds still hold life in them.

Tiny Heude's Parrotbills bite into the stalks

and seek out the insects hibernating inside.

All winter the stalks are
their exclusive foodstores,

and only this species
is equipped to open them.

The vast inland Khanka Lake
will be covered with ice in 2 weeks' time,

locked for 7 months in the grip of winter.

In nights, just before
winter's final descend,

an uncommon sight startles a flying squirrel.

An Amur leopard,
the rarest big cat on Earth.

The male leopard has killed a red deer

and dragged the carcass
under a tree trunk for safe keeping.

The squirrel would do
best to make himself scares,

but the Amur leopard is sated for tonight.

For the flying squirrels, vertical trunks
are a playground and race track.

The northernmost leopard in the world,
the Amur leopard is ready forwinter.

A three inch thick coat
defends it from the impending chill.

By the end of October, winter
can no longer be kept at bay.

Rapidly falling temperatures

freeze the taiga both
literally and figuratively,

immobilizing it in time.

The remnants of the fleeting Ussuri summer
are preserved in an eerie portrait.

Winter reaches the coast last of all.

Just as the sea resists
and delays the onset of spring,

it thwarts the icy winter air for a time.

But by November,

the tropical Tsushima is pushed
aside by the Arctic currents.

Now the first snow
swirls into the Pacific surf.

Those who made their lives in Ussuriland
know the polar opposites of life,

both ease and hardship,

and perhaps for this very reason
they remain as they have been for millennia.

Like the winter taiga,
they are both alive and frozen in time.