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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:07,880 This is one of our planet's biggest rivers 2 00:00:07,973 --> 00:00:10,473 Yet it's still a mystery. 3 00:00:13,519 --> 00:00:16,519 When it reaches the wild shore of the North Pacific. 4 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:20,560 It has completed a 5.000 kilometer journey 5 00:00:22,080 --> 00:00:24,680 through Manchuria's sprawling wetlands 6 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,120 Alive with colonies of waterfowl 7 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:33,220 Siberia's woodlands with a thousand untamed rivers 8 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,020 teeming with wildlife 9 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,500 and the rolling grasslands under Mongolia's big skies, 10 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:46,999 bordering on Eurasia's largest desert 11 00:00:48,239 --> 00:00:54,239 Along its upper reaches two rivers claim to be its headwaters 12 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,780 Both spring from a sacred place 13 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:08,000 One is a grassland river forever struggling against the desert 14 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:13,740 The other its banks forever lined with luxurious green 15 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:22,560 This is a story of unequal twins 16 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,480 and a quest for the true source of the Amur, 17 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,200 Asia's Amazon. 18 00:01:35,619 --> 00:01:44,619 AMUR, ASIA'S AMAZON 19 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:50,000 THE HOLY SOURCES 20 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:54,059 For two thousand kilometers, 21 00:01:54,093 --> 00:01:58,093 the Amur river's middle course forms the Chinese-Russian border 22 00:01:58,755 --> 00:02:00,255 The further upstream, 23 00:02:00,288 --> 00:02:03,388 the wilder, the woodlands on either side. 24 00:02:04,799 --> 00:02:10,799 The border ends at a confluence the most significant of the entire river system 25 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:15,860 These are the westernmost tributaries of the huge river system 26 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,360 The Amur's headwaters, 27 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,000 Shilka and Argun are two woodland rivers 28 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,080 A pair of nearly identical twins 29 00:02:29,473 --> 00:02:30,973 From their banks 30 00:02:31,100 --> 00:02:35,100 primeval boreal forest and bogs spread out into three countries 31 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,940 China, Russia and Mongolia 32 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:50,780 This cross-border woodland is one of the wildest places on earth 33 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:58,080 In these northern forests along the Amur's headwaters. 34 00:02:58,180 --> 00:03:01,180 The top predator is the wolf 35 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:07,080 Downstream, the wild boars belonged to the tiger alone. 36 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:19,080 But here wild boar are chased and ambushed by asia's equivalent of Canada's timber-wolves. 37 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:38,119 In may strange clacking sounds echo through the underbrush 38 00:03:38,319 --> 00:03:42,819 Reminiscent of Spanish castanets 39 00:03:44,879 --> 00:03:49,879 Black bill capercaillie have gathered on their traditional flat. 40 00:03:49,979 --> 00:03:55,979 The males go to great lengths to impress the hens 41 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:13,700 Almost all the hens feel attracted to the one magnificent and boisterous male at the center of the flat. 42 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:20,600 The hierarchy among the males has been established in violent battles before the winter 43 00:04:20,639 --> 00:04:24,639 Now the male energy goes into display 44 00:04:27,919 --> 00:04:37,919 The most wanted male never gets a rest in his quarters more and more hens are lining up 45 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:41,800 They all want the same 46 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,500 the best possible genes for their offspring. 47 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:06,240 The hens wait patiently for their turn 48 00:05:21,039 --> 00:05:33,039 From the fork upstream the two headwaters of the Amur river run almost parallel for several hundred through uniform woodlandskilometers 49 00:05:36,479 --> 00:05:42,479 It's hard to tell whether one is traveling up the northern or the southern twin 50 00:05:42,579 --> 00:05:46,579 and nothing indicates which might be the longer one 51 00:05:46,679 --> 00:05:50,179 the rightful source river of the Amur 52 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:13,440 More than 4 000 kilometers in land, clouds from the Pacific still bring sufficient rain to nurture lush woodland 53 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,400 But further south the woodland fades away 54 00:06:17,519 --> 00:06:22,519 and it becomes obvious that the two rivers flow from different directions, 55 00:06:22,619 --> 00:06:25,119 even from very different worlds 56 00:06:26,479 --> 00:06:34,479 In Mongolia, the southern twin of the Amur's headwaters is called Kherlen 57 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,360 Along the Kherlen trees are scarce. 58 00:06:38,479 --> 00:06:44,979 This is a land of big skies and distant horizons. 59 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:53,320 The Mongolian steppe is the planet's vastest grassland. 60 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,940 Towards south it blends into the Gobi desert 61 00:06:57,199 --> 00:07:02,199 How can this dry land bring forth a river 62 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,440 This could be Asia's Serengeti. 63 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:16,120 Each year a million Mongolian gazelles migrate across the plains. 64 00:07:16,220 --> 00:07:20,220 stretching along the Amur's upper reaches 65 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:23,919 Some herds number 10.000 individuals 66 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,660 Once they have left their wintering grounds 67 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:32,760 Nothing can stop their epic journey 68 00:07:32,860 --> 00:07:34,099 Where are they headed? 69 00:07:40,919 --> 00:07:46,919 for hundreds of kilometers hills and valleys roll on in green monotony 70 00:07:53,759 --> 00:07:57,559 But the herds are traveling towards a special destination. 71 00:07:57,759 --> 00:08:00,759 Following changing routes from year to year 72 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,300 depending on the changing climate 73 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:15,080 The animals are moving fast resting only briefly to graze. 74 00:08:15,180 --> 00:08:20,180 They get all the water they need from dew on the grass 75 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:26,040 Most of the females are pregnant 76 00:08:31,199 --> 00:08:34,699 Then one morning the herds slows down. 77 00:08:35,599 --> 00:08:39,599 This is the place they had in mind all along 78 00:08:43,580 --> 00:08:49,100 Gazelles are not the only nomads here 79 00:08:49,200 --> 00:09:01,200 Mongolian herdsmen are also on the move and have been for thousands of years yielding to the rhythm this land dictates 80 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,940 The only way to make a living here is grazing 81 00:09:05,519 --> 00:09:09,319 Domestic herds need water and must stay near the river 82 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:16,860 In contrast to the gazelles but both depend on ever fresh pastures 83 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:22,620 Mongolia is a land with hardly a road 84 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:29,220 Yet the people of the grasslands enjoy unlimited mobility 85 00:09:39,279 --> 00:09:42,479 For nomads, home is a mobile home 86 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:46,340 perfectly adjusted to these wide open spaces. 87 00:09:46,560 --> 00:09:50,060 Neighborhood is anywhere near the river, 88 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:52,160 where the grazing is good 89 00:09:58,560 --> 00:10:01,360 Once a suitable spot has been chosen 90 00:10:01,519 --> 00:10:07,019 it takes a family just an hour or two to settle down 91 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:27,140 Over a thousand years the Mongolian yet was developed to such perfection 92 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:32,740 That it has remained completely unchanged for several centuries 93 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:54,720 A tarp of camel and goat hair felt keeps the interior pleasantly cool during the short summer weeks. 94 00:10:54,820 --> 00:11:00,320 and cozy during mongolia's long bitter winters 95 00:11:05,519 --> 00:11:08,519 Nomadic herding requires wide open spaces 96 00:11:08,619 --> 00:11:13,319 and if this empty landscape has anything to offer it's space 97 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:19,440 Mongolia is five times the size of Germany with only a twentieth of its population. 98 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,300 Since the days of Genghis Khan 99 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:28,400 and that's 800 years not much has changed out here 100 00:11:29,495 --> 00:11:32,995 Who knows for how much longer they will stay in the saddle 101 00:11:42,399 --> 00:11:44,700 In the middle of the steppe's immensity 102 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:47,720 There is only one place that may get crowded 103 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:50,440 The waterfront of the Kherlen river. 104 00:11:53,600 --> 00:12:03,600 Demoiselle cranes are not amused when horses trample across their nesting ground 105 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:10,360 All along the river every few hundred meters 106 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:14,480 Another pair of cranes has staked to claim 107 00:12:20,560 --> 00:12:24,560 Their clutch on the bare ground is always at risk 108 00:12:24,660 --> 00:12:28,660 Horses are not known for their caution 109 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:42,200 Eventually the horses get the message. 110 00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:50,100 Two eggs that's the treasure they have to guard. 111 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:56,800 If they were destroyed it would take another year until they could breed again 112 00:12:56,900 --> 00:13:00,400 The summer is too short for a second brood 113 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:11,420 Both sexes take turns in keeping the eggs warm 114 00:13:11,680 --> 00:13:16,180 Pairs usually stay together for many years. 115 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:36,160 The steppy may seem empty 116 00:13:36,260 --> 00:13:38,060 but there are many neighbors 117 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:41,660 and not all of them are worrisome 118 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:46,100 Until a few days ago 119 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:49,300 the young steppy marmot stayed underground 120 00:13:49,519 --> 00:13:56,019 Now they are old enough to explore their sunny surroundings 121 00:13:59,279 --> 00:14:02,779 Marmots dig their burrows on higher ground 122 00:14:02,879 --> 00:14:04,879 where they are safe from floods 123 00:14:04,979 --> 00:14:06,979 and have a good overview. 124 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,900 This may not look like a crowded place, 125 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,000 but look again 126 00:14:23,279 --> 00:14:27,779 Duck down in the grass are thousands of newly born gazelle calves 127 00:14:28,079 --> 00:14:32,579 being invisible is their only protection 128 00:14:33,519 --> 00:14:36,519 Their mothers leave them there all day 129 00:14:36,619 --> 00:14:40,619 These are the calving grounds of the Mongolian gazelles 130 00:14:40,719 --> 00:14:48,619 The only place where the herds stay put for a week until the calves are ready to run with the mothers. 131 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:54,720 Once a day thousands of mothers find their calves to suckle them 132 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:04,600 Each calf recognizes its mother by her voice 133 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:24,020 The young step marmots always have their mothers close 134 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:34,240 As long as the marmot and gazelle mothers are relaxed the little ones feel safe 135 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:50,620 This is one of the most peaceful places on earth 136 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:54,800 That's why the calves are born here 137 00:15:54,900 --> 00:15:59,900 but as soon as the calves can run the herd moves on again 138 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:04,000 on the first great journey of their lives 139 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:29,600 In a land with no trees even birds which usually nest in lofty heights are born and raised on the ground 140 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:38,680 Three siblings in a steppy eagle nest 141 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:42,100 That's only possible in a year of abundance 142 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:54,800 For steppe eagles abundance means many marmots and ground squirrels within their radius of action 143 00:16:54,959 --> 00:17:01,459 The number of predators always depends on the number of animals they can hunt 144 00:17:04,319 --> 00:17:10,819 A mild winter has allowed marmots and ground squirrels to produce such numerous offspring 145 00:17:10,919 --> 00:17:15,919 and that effect is moving up the food chain 146 00:17:18,319 --> 00:17:23,319 The nestling's chances of survival depends on their parents hunting skills 147 00:17:23,439 --> 00:17:32,439 Experienced parents succeed more often in passing on both their genes and their skills to the next generation 148 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:47,460 Young marmots also profit from their parent's experience 149 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:54,600 Older mothers can better judge what is a safe borrowing site. 150 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:03,240 In contrast to marmots, ground squirrels live in large colonies 151 00:18:03,445 --> 00:18:07,445 their young stay underground much longer 152 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:09,500 Four siblings to suckle. 153 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:13,320 That puts enormous stress on a mother 154 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:18,940 for several weeks she has to produce lots of milk and eat as much as she can. 155 00:18:31,120 --> 00:18:34,620 Her meals are hasty never relaxed 156 00:18:34,799 --> 00:18:39,299 Ground squirrels and marmots always scan the sky 157 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:51,520 The eagles on their part constantly monitor all the dens in their territory 158 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:57,200 It is a battle of the senses 159 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:01,440 A relentless competition of many eyes 160 00:19:09,360 --> 00:19:12,660 Straying too far from home is a mistake 161 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:38,520 The margin for mistakes is small for both prey and hunter 162 00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:52,620 The Kherlen, the southern branch of the Amur's headwaters is a dynamic river constantly renewing itself 163 00:19:52,880 --> 00:20:03,880 Each time the river rises it takes a fresh bite from the steppy creating new habitats for myriads of animals 164 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:14,240 In sharp river bends thousands of san martins will then dig new tunnels into fresh clean declines 165 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:21,380 some riverbanks are riddled with hundreds of such tubes 166 00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:29,520 The fine damp sand of the steppy is the perfect building material 167 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:39,840 soft enough for tunneling and solid enough for the tunnels to last until the young birds become fledglings 168 00:20:48,159 --> 00:20:50,159 The nestlings grow rapidly 169 00:20:50,259 --> 00:20:53,859 from hatching to flying they only take 20 days 170 00:20:54,050 --> 00:20:58,531 to achieve this they have to eat non-stop. 171 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:10,039 The lush grazing along the riverbank keeps herds of cattle nearby 172 00:21:11,039 --> 00:21:13,339 And where there is livestock and dung 173 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:21,020 The air buzzes with flies so the parent birds can deliver a meal every few minutes 174 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:35,380 This is a super productive neighborhood based on the perfect interaction of river and soil 175 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:36,980 Wildlife and livestock 176 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:42,500 A delicate equilibrium which only exists as long as the river is flowing 177 00:21:43,319 --> 00:21:46,618 But that can't be taken for granted 178 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:54,380 Along this narrow green band meandering through the grassland 179 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:59,480 the harsh character of the Mongolian steppy is easily forgotten 180 00:22:03,360 --> 00:22:09,360 But away from the river shades of brown will soon dominate 181 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:15,400 The green depends on how far inland the rain clouds will reach 182 00:22:15,430 --> 00:22:19,430 for much of the year the clouds never make it this far 183 00:22:19,460 --> 00:22:24,920 and every three decades or so there are years without any rainfall whatsoever 184 00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:31,360 This is a land of extremes allowing only the most resilient to survive 185 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:39,200 Summer droughts can quickly push life to the edge 186 00:22:41,039 --> 00:22:43,539 Winter is just as harsh 187 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,480 Sandstorms blend into snowstorms 188 00:22:49,120 --> 00:22:57,620 for half the year icy gales make the Kherlen flood plains inhospitable trong nửa năm những trận cuồng phong buốt giá 189 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:04,559 The best place to sit out the winter is upstream 190 00:23:04,559 --> 00:23:07,059 At the southern base of the mountains 191 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:12,480 In the lee of arctic northerlies 192 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:15,140 the gazelles take refuge 193 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,120 by now the calves have grown up 194 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:21,740 and are hard to tell from the adults 195 00:23:33,679 --> 00:23:37,179 The nomads too put up their yards here 196 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,000 In summer they let their herds roam freely 197 00:23:47,279 --> 00:23:56,779 But now they keep them closer to their camps in fear of the steppe's monstrous blizzards 198 00:24:01,679 --> 00:24:05,419 The southern slopes offer more sun and less wind 199 00:24:05,919 --> 00:24:11,919 In the open plains gales can be deadly 200 00:24:17,279 --> 00:24:24,279 When the wind begins to pick up the herdsmen hurry to round up their livestock 201 00:24:25,679 --> 00:24:30,679 In a blizzard the wind is not the only menace 202 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,100 The wolves are here because the gazelles are here 203 00:24:49,279 --> 00:24:53,279 and black vultures are here because of both 204 00:24:54,640 --> 00:25:00,640 Wolves and gazelles together that's what vultures are looking for 205 00:25:04,159 --> 00:25:08,159 All three are keenly aware of each other's presence 206 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:17,840 Bactrian camels with their thick wool and enormous body mass 207 00:25:17,940 --> 00:25:21,940 seem to be the only ones indifferent to the icy temperatures 208 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:26,240 that often drop to a breath stopping 45 degrees below zero 209 00:25:26,799 --> 00:25:33,799 When they feel a hellish night approaching they simply stand together stoically 210 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:39,940 and this sky has hell written all over it 211 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:54,600 driven by gale force winds the snow is sharp like ground glass 212 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:05,720 It's this kind of night the wolves have been waiting for 213 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:18,820 as the storm picks up the gazelles can hardly breathe, hear or see. 214 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:21,140 The wolves close in 215 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:29,300 The gazelles panic knowing the wolves are close Linh dương hoảng loạng 216 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:34,369 but where? 217 00:26:37,679 --> 00:26:40,179 coming from every side it seems 218 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:45,480 The gazelle's flight is literally senseless 219 00:26:54,799 --> 00:26:57,200 At daybreak the wolves have vanished. 220 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:09,480 The black vultures have just been waiting for this morning to arrive 221 00:27:15,919 --> 00:27:19,319 These are among the world's biggest birds 222 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:25,440 Here in the steppe they live on frozen meat for half the year 223 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:39,660 The harshest of winters is their season of plenty 224 00:27:39,700 --> 00:27:46,300 Thanks to the wolves a pair of black vultures will defend their territory and their meals together 225 00:27:46,379 --> 00:27:48,879 They are partners for life 226 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:12,640 For more than half the year rivers and lakes are frozen solid 227 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:16,940 The air is as dry as in the middle of the Gobi desert 228 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:25,080 People and fish are the only ones out here who depend on liquid water to survive 229 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:43,760 On sunny windless days the herdsmen go out to fetch river ice to be melted 230 00:28:43,860 --> 00:28:46,860 Little by little by the fire in the yurt 231 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:14,140 The water storage has to last for a while 232 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:19,240 There will be days when it's impossible to leave the yurt because of the gales 233 00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:33,200 For thousands of years bactrian camels have been the best and often the only means of transport in central Asia. 234 00:29:45,279 --> 00:29:52,279 The climate can hardly get more continental than here in the cold dry steppes of Mongolia 235 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:57,480 There are only two seasons and the change comes overnight 236 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:11,419 After half a year of bitter cold all living things yearn for summer. 237 00:30:11,919 --> 00:30:19,419 But some summers on the Kherlen river are even harsher than Mongolian winters 238 00:30:22,799 --> 00:30:28,199 Plants and animals have not only been longing for warmth but also for water 239 00:30:28,399 --> 00:30:36,099 But every 30 years or so the long narrow oasis of the Kherlen struggles against the encroaching desert 240 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:47,240 When fewer and fewer clouds from the Pacific reach the heart of the continent, the Kherlen is in for lean years 241 00:30:52,159 --> 00:30:55,659 The death gets more severe with each summer 242 00:30:55,679 --> 00:30:58,479 Until the river slowly dries up 243 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:08,120 Where millions of fish have thrived for well over a decade 244 00:31:08,159 --> 00:31:15,659 The countless lakes and ponds along the Kherlen are now sucked dry by desert winds 245 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:37,600 when the desert invades the steppe, only salt crusts are the only bitter reminders of vanished wetlands 246 00:31:40,559 --> 00:31:46,559 The last remnants of water are bitter unfit to drink 247 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:52,420 Where morning mists used to drift along the river 248 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:56,320 The wind now drives salty dust across the steppe 249 00:32:08,559 --> 00:32:16,059 During such years of drought the Gobi desert creeps north and eastward 250 00:32:25,519 --> 00:32:31,019 The Kherlen, the Amur's longest headwater has run dry. Sông Kherlen, dòng đầu nguồn 251 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:40,080 Now the one remaining headwater of the Amur river 252 00:32:40,180 --> 00:32:45,180 It is the Onon, the northern twin is shorter than the southern one 253 00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:50,280 But it's the reliable one of the two 254 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:58,080 Along its valley summers are always green 255 00:32:58,159 --> 00:33:01,659 This is South Siberia near the Mongolian border 256 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:12,440 When the Kherlen's wetlands dry up 257 00:33:12,540 --> 00:33:16,540 Many animals migrate to the wetlands of the Onon 258 00:33:16,580 --> 00:33:23,080 Where amphibians and fish are safe from the 30 year cycle of boom and bust 259 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:36,700 Grebes and coots ducks and teals, terns and plovers cranes and geese all gather in one of the planet's liveliest riverscapes 260 00:33:41,279 --> 00:33:47,479 Along the Onon's green band of active river arms, oxbows, islands and bogs 261 00:33:47,582 --> 00:33:54,582 wetland dwellers can survive the drought years that plague the south những cư dân đất ngập nước có thể sống qua 262 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:03,980 During such years otter territories up north can get crowded 263 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:07,380 putting amphibians under pressure. 264 00:34:13,119 --> 00:34:23,119 birds can quickly react to a drought and shift their breeding grounds from south to north for a few years 265 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:37,280 The climate cycle keeps animals on the move and forces them to adjust and readjust 266 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:51,320 For most of its length the onon runs through Russian territory 267 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:59,560 On its banks Russian pioneers built a village 268 00:34:59,660 --> 00:35:02,160 They have been here for three centuries 269 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:12,800 Far from any city, paved road or railway are more than 5.000 kilometers east of Russia's capital 270 00:35:12,900 --> 00:35:16,900 This outpost is still self-sufficient 271 00:35:19,599 --> 00:35:24,099 A generous nature supplies whatever the people need 272 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:38,400 Life out here has not changed much over time 273 00:35:38,450 --> 00:35:40,450 it's never been extravagant 274 00:35:49,599 --> 00:35:54,099 There's no need for a nomadic lifestyle along the Onon 275 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:08,020 For 200 years before the trans-siberian railway was built 276 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:18,060 Boat traffic along the Amur river was the lifeline that connected Russia's pioneer communities of the wild east 277 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:28,020 In summer traders and troops travelled on water 278 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:30,760 In winter on solid ice 279 00:36:43,839 --> 00:36:46,879 Long distance migration is still going on 280 00:36:48,079 --> 00:36:50,079 Under the river's surface, 281 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:59,480 fishes from the Amur's middle course come a long way to the upper reaches to spawn 282 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:05,780 The fast-flowing Onon with its pure cold and oxygen rich water 283 00:37:05,953 --> 00:37:11,453 and its gravelly riverbed offers ideal conditions for eggs and larvae 284 00:37:11,815 --> 00:37:17,815 The biggest of these migrants is the Tai men 285 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:23,700 Taimen reach a length of one and a half meters and weigh 40 kilos 286 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:36,980 This pair has already chosen an attractive spawning dell in the riverbed 287 00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:48,540 A good spawning spot should have rough gravel with pebbles 288 00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:57,040 Just the right size to hold the eggs and with just the right force of current to keep them free of sand and silt 289 00:37:57,119 --> 00:38:05,619 Good vibrations male and female synchronize their bodies in order to simultaneously release eggs and sperm 290 00:38:13,599 --> 00:38:17,499 Gravel plays a major role in the life of the Onon river 291 00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:20,680 Underwater as well as above 292 00:38:22,240 --> 00:38:27,740 Along the river's upper reaches gravel is what habitats are made of 293 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:36,020 The ringed plover could be called a gravel bird 294 00:38:37,280 --> 00:38:42,780 It breeds on bare gravel its camouflage blends into gravel 295 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:49,200 and it feeds in gravel finding tiny worms and crustaceans 296 00:38:49,599 --> 00:38:55,599 Young plovers can run and find their own food from the moment they hatch from their eggs 297 00:38:55,920 --> 00:39:02,420 This gives their parents a chance to relax and preen in the sun 298 00:39:07,359 --> 00:39:10,059 But as soon as clouds darken the sky 299 00:39:10,240 --> 00:39:14,240 The chicks come running for a warm-up 300 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:24,640 This is one of the Onon's natural wonders, 301 00:39:24,740 --> 00:39:27,740 an eight-legged bird. 302 00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:41,400 In mid-summer millions and millions of fish larvae hatch from their eggs 303 00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:44,600 All along the Amur's northern headwater 304 00:39:44,700 --> 00:39:49,419 Soon the shallows are swarming with fry 305 00:39:49,839 --> 00:39:52,339 For local fish like Amur minnow, 306 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:56,480 a multitude of migrant fry means opulence 307 00:39:56,580 --> 00:40:02,580 voraciously they invade the taimen and trout spawning grounds 308 00:40:02,680 --> 00:40:07,980 The minnows wait for the current to wash out eggs and for larvae to hatch 309 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:14,660 They may devour up thousands of eggs but as long as the Onon river remains natural and productive 310 00:40:14,720 --> 00:40:21,720 Millions of larvae will still continue to fill the amur's middle reaches with life 311 00:40:23,599 --> 00:40:29,099 The life of a great wild river has its ups and downs 312 00:40:30,720 --> 00:40:35,420 Some are extreme, some come in regular cycles 313 00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:40,820 After years of drought along the southern twin of the Amur's headwaters 314 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:43,920 The dry spell is broken 315 00:40:47,119 --> 00:40:54,119 Once again a sweeping Pacific cloud front pushes inland across the clear blue skies 316 00:40:54,219 --> 00:40:57,599 advancing all the way to the Mongolian steppe 317 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:14,520 The downpours can be massive 318 00:41:14,620 --> 00:41:18,620 within days the parched grasslands turn green 319 00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:25,040 Herds can return water brings back life 320 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:42,860 Hundreds of lakes are filling up 321 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:50,980 The Kherlen, the southern twin is a headwater once again 322 00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:04,560 The news spreads fast between clouds and river, 323 00:42:04,720 --> 00:42:13,220 tens of thousands of migrants arrive to take advantage of what may be the opportunity of their lifetime 324 00:42:14,240 --> 00:42:18,240 Once again wetlands are spreading out 325 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:25,640 After years without offspring wildlife is making a fresh start 326 00:42:25,740 --> 00:42:27,740 Young animals are everywhere 327 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:46,000 Wildlife populations are growing from year to year until all good habitat is occupied 328 00:42:46,720 --> 00:42:52,720 The young Demoiselle cranes stay with their parents through the entire summer 329 00:42:53,599 --> 00:43:02,599 The parents show them the best feeding grounds meadows full of little reptiles 330 00:43:07,119 --> 00:43:12,119 In autumn they will lead them on their first long journey 331 00:43:12,219 --> 00:43:17,719 from Mongolia across the Himalayas all the way to India 332 00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:29,100 After years of dusty monochrome bursts of bright colours light up the floodplains and the sandy steppe 333 00:43:29,217 --> 00:43:34,217 Fire lilies, primulas, orchids and steppy iris, 334 00:43:34,317 --> 00:43:39,317 their roots and bulbs all have survived the dry years deep in the sand 335 00:43:39,417 --> 00:43:41,936 waiting for the rains to trigger their fireworks 336 00:44:06,000 --> 00:44:15,500 The wetlands of the Amur's two headwaters play an important role in the migration patterns of many birds. 337 00:44:15,680 --> 00:44:23,680 On their long journeys the migrants need resting places where they can safely refuel 338 00:44:25,760 --> 00:44:30,960 Among these birds the swan geese stand out 339 00:44:33,599 --> 00:44:36,599 Their feeding habits are unique, 340 00:44:36,700 --> 00:44:42,200 they dig deep craters into the mud to get to the tender roots of bog plants 341 00:44:42,300 --> 00:44:45,800 No other bird competes for this food source 342 00:44:46,160 --> 00:44:54,160 In contrast avocets scan the shallows near the bank for small crustaceans and aquatic insects 343 00:44:54,599 --> 00:44:59,599 This way there is no competition and plenty of food for all 344 00:44:59,760 --> 00:45:06,760 Black-tailed godwits poke deeply into the fine silt for mollusks and worms 345 00:45:09,839 --> 00:45:18,339 The migrants stop for just a few days before and behind them are journeys of thousands of kilometers 346 00:45:21,920 --> 00:45:31,420 But the Kherlen itself a river running through hundreds of kilometers of arid steppe where does it come from 347 00:45:35,646 --> 00:45:39,646 And the northern branch of the Amur river's headwaters, 348 00:45:39,700 --> 00:45:42,900 The Onon where is its source 349 00:45:47,440 --> 00:45:57,440 Upstream the unequal brothers begin to look like real twins again impossible to tell apart 350 00:45:57,839 --> 00:46:01,759 and indeed they spring from the very same mountain 351 00:46:04,240 --> 00:46:16,240 It is the highest elevation far and wide densely wooded at its base, its valleys secluded and nearly inaccessible 352 00:46:16,240 --> 00:46:20,740 This summit is the true source of the Amur river 353 00:46:21,920 --> 00:46:25,340 A Mongol holy mountain near the Russian border 354 00:46:25,440 --> 00:46:30,940 A forbidden place known only to its keepers 355 00:46:36,640 --> 00:46:41,640 Mighty demons are said to watch over this source of water and life 356 00:46:41,680 --> 00:46:49,180 This is where Genghis Khan, Father of the Mongols was born and lies buried 357 00:46:56,480 --> 00:47:00,780 Before he died he decreed this to be holy ground 358 00:47:00,880 --> 00:47:05,880 Its wild nature never to be touched 359 00:47:09,119 --> 00:47:16,119 For eight centuries the Mongols have respected the Khan's command 360 00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:25,440 The sacred mountain of Genghis Khan milks the very last clouds drifting inland from the Pacific 361 00:47:25,540 --> 00:47:29,540 and feeds the two source rivers of the Amur 362 00:47:42,240 --> 00:47:51,240 These rivers link the arid steppe of Mongolia to the pristine woodlands of Siberia and Northern China 363 00:47:51,520 --> 00:48:01,020 From their confluence downstream the Amur river runs through the planet's largest unbroken forests 364 00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:09,020 The river soon gathers momentum 365 00:48:15,839 --> 00:48:21,839 An immense network of streams, tributaries of all degrees 366 00:48:22,400 --> 00:48:30,400 draining an enormous catchment area pours more and more water and sediment into the Amur's swelling main channel 367 00:48:30,500 --> 00:48:36,500 Along its middle course the Amur forms the world's longest river border 368 00:48:36,600 --> 00:48:42,600 with Russia's endless wetlands and wild woods along the left bank 369 00:48:42,700 --> 00:48:48,700 On the bank opposite China's richest farmland feeding millions of people 370 00:48:48,800 --> 00:48:55,800 Flowing north from the border the Amur becomes the biggest river in Russia's Far East, 371 00:48:56,800 --> 00:49:06,300 Near the Pacific in steaming summers animals from the subtropics meet with others from Siberia 372 00:49:07,599 --> 00:49:11,299 The stately Amur drains into the Okhotsk sea 373 00:49:11,399 --> 00:49:15,899 which boasts the richest ecosystem of the Pacific ocean 374 00:49:15,999 --> 00:49:20,499 and this is not the end of the river's journey 375 00:49:20,800 --> 00:49:27,800 The big cycle begins anew with Pacific clouds drifting inland 376 00:49:28,900 --> 00:49:35,900 and feeding the Amur's network of waterways, Asia's Amazon. 377 00:49:36,000 --> 00:49:51,911 (This English subtitle was automatically made by Youtube and synchronized, correted by Tepriu) ---- End of episode 3 of 3 ---- 36309

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