All language subtitles for Wild.Transylvania.Draculas.Hidden.Kingdom.2024.1080p.WEB.H264-CBFM

Third of May, 1893.

"My friend, welcome to the
Carpathians.

"I'm anxiously expecting you.

"I trust your journey from
London has been a happy one,

"and that you will enjoy
your stay in my beautiful land."

With these words, an unknown
Irish writer introduced one of
the most famous

characters in Western culture.

A character so compelling,
his obscure homeland has become

a household name across the
globe.

Today, this remote land is one
of Europe's last wild frontiers.

♪ (Womans sings in native
language)

Home to vast mountain ranges,
where wolves and wild cats roam.

To pristine rivers and ancient
forests, where Europe's great
bears can still run free.

While Dracula was a figment
of Bram Stoker's imagination,

there is a place called
Transylvania.

♪

♪

Transylvania lies in central
Romania, on the far South
eastern edge of Europe.

Shielded from the world by the
majestic Carpathian Mountains,

and in the 20th century, by a
hard communist regime.

Transylvania is, to this day
a wild and wonderful land.

A place where the great
predators of Europe still have
room to roam.

Like the lynx, a phantom of the
forest,

hardly ever glimpsed by human
eyes.

High in the Carpathians,
winter is on the wane.

Record high temperatures
have left little snow on the
mountains.

A final flurry falls somewhere
between sleet and rain.

After months of darkness,
some big beasts are on the
move.

Transylvania is home to almost
half of Europe's brown bears,

and they haven't fed for five or
six months.

(Low growling)

These are lean times in the
mountains.

Everyone is hungry.

For the great predators
of Transylvania,

spring can't come soon enough.

A thousand metres up, some heat
from our life-giving star
finally punches through.

The mountains burst into life.

After feeding up for a few
weeks,

this male's mind is turning to
other matters.

There are healthy genes
to be passed on, but first

he must deal with the
competition.
(Growling)

(Growling)

The fighting can go on for
weeks...

...and gives the females a
chance to see who's made of the
right stuff.

(Aggressive growling)

Beating off rivals is a tiring
business,

but chasing a
disinterested female

is another level of pain
altogether.

♪

(Growling)

She is just not in the mood.

He heads off to try his luck
elsewhere.

Mating season lasts from April
to June, so he has time

to fine-tune his flirting
skills.

(Growling)

(Growling)

Both may mate many times
with different partners.

It can be an exhausting
business.

♪

All winter long, some powerful
spirits have been missing from
villages

across Transylvania.

But then a day comes in early
spring, when the lost souls
return.

White storks are revered in
Transylvania, bringing good
luck and fertility

to those who treat them well.

It takes the storks seven weeks
to fly the 12,000 kilometres

from the winter grounds in
Southern Africa.

A little rest is in order.

And there's no rush.

Village life in Transylvania
runs to its own relaxed rhythm.

The male storks arrive first
to check all is clear.

It also allows them time
for some house maintenance

before the boss makes an
appearance.

She is still flying north.

♪

(Beaks clicking)

When she does finally appear,
they're just delighted to see
each other.

Storks may live for 20 years
or more, and they mate for life.

It's a powerful bond.

♪

History hangs heavy in
Transylvania.

Germans, Turks, Romanians
all have fought and died over
this land.

800 years ago, the horsemen
of Mongolia, the Tatars,

laid waste to the countryside.

Some local villagers made
a last stand on this hill.

Their dead buried all around
the summit.

Because Tatar Hill is largely
left alone, every summer is it

explodes with wildflowers.

Modern agriculture wipes almost
all before it,

but Transylvania still
offers small windows into the
past.

Her surviving wildflower meadows
are world famous

for their diversity and
complexity.

The keys to their survival?

Traditional farming without
chemical fertilisers,
herbicides, or poisons,

and harvesting maybe once in
the year.

Transylvania's Meadows are one
of Europe's great natural
treasures.

Almost 200 different kinds
of butterflies are found in
Romania.

Most will live for only three
or four weeks to enjoy

the wildflowers and summer sun.

(Birds chirping)
(Buzzing)

Where there are bees
in Transylvania, often not far
away,

are bee eaters.

These spectacular creatures
appear from the south in early
May and settle in for

a busy summer of bee eating.

The bees may be dead,
but they're still dangerous.

With a strategic squeeze, the
birds remove the stings and
expel the venom.

♪

And bee eaters are more
than happy to broaden their diet

if something else flies by.

♪

It's now breeding time
and everyone's busy,
establishing just

who is who in the pecking order.

(Chirping)

With the competition out of the
way, the males can get to work

on their prospective mates.

First, tasty treats are
offered to win her over.

♪

If she appears satisfied,
he moves in closer to test the
waters.

And if that works, he springs
into action.

♪

On the longest days of the year,

journey into Transylvania's
Meadows,

and you just might find some
fairies.

the Sânziane.

Sânziene is a ritual
that goes back to pagan times.

The village girls
gathering to give magical powers

to the wild flowers in the open
meadows.

♪

Tradition dies hard in
Transylvania.
(Laughing)

Thousands of years on, the
girls still weave their floral
crowns to celebrate

summer and the gift of life.

(Pipe music plays)

The eve of Sânziene is when
the heavens open and the
spirits roam free.

Fires are lit to ward off the
evil ones.

♪

On this night, the 23rd of
June,

the gates to the other world are
wide open.

Dracul means dragon or devil.

And a 15th century war Lord,
Vlad Dracul, is widely touted as
the inspiration

for the legendary vampire.

Bran Castle is often
regarded as Vlad's lair.

But Vlad barely visited Bran,
if at all.

Sixty kilometres to the south
is Targoviste,

where Vlad established his
court.

His other nickname was Vlad the
Impaler,

as he would skewer his
enemies on wooden stakes,
alive.

He had 20,000 Turks
impaled outside Targovište.

The skies filled with their
dying screams

and departing souls.
(Birds squawk)

Then, as now, religion was
a backdrop for bloodshed and
war.

Across Transylvania, churches
were often fortified with

high walls and battlements.

(Singing in prayer)

Five hundred years on, many
still

provide shelter for some of the
other

great characters in the story
of Dracula.

(Prayer continues)

(Bells ring)

Transylvania is a wonderland
for bats.

Twenty-six different kinds
make their homes here.
(Squeaking)

And this is one of the most
successful...

...the greater mouse-eared bat.

Come summertime, they often
search out church towers for
their roosts,

spending the daylight hours
gathered in tight bundles for
safety and warmth.

But as dusk falls across
Transylvania, the bats start to
come alive.

It's time to go hunting.

One of the largest For the
largest bats in Europe, greater
mouse-eared's

are ferocious predators.

And Transylvania's wild meadows
and forests are still full of
prey.

Unlike many, these bats don't
use sonar to locate their prey.

Instead, their ears are
hypersensitive to any rustling
sounds

from insects on the move.

(Owl hoots)

Once those huge ears lock on,
their unfortunate prey has
little chance.

♪

But keep very still,
and you might just survive to
see

another night in the forest.

(Thunder rumbles)

While churches make handy
summer shelters,

caves are critical sanctuities
for Transylvania's bats.

And Romania is riddled with
caves, more than 12,000 in all.

In winter, they are
perfect hibernation hideways.

Fifteen 15 years ago
in western Transylvania,

a large chamber was discovered,
with a very different kind
of natural treasure.

Charcoal drawings,
more than 30,000 years old.

On one wall, the two-horned
head of a rhinoceros.

On another, the faint outline
of a giant,

a horned beast that was critical
to these early human hunters.

♪

For the next 30,000 years, the
slaughter of these giants never
stopped.

Millions once roamed these
ranges, until a century ago,

when in some zoos and private
parks, just 54 survived.

But from these ashes,
a minor miracle has unfolded.

Today, European bison
are back in Transylvania.

Across Europe, from Bulgaria to
Belarus, the bison are coming
home to the wild.

Introduced by local
conservationists, there are now
over 200 in Romania.

Today, their quiet presence

brings new life to these
forests.

Lynks are opportunistic hunters.

They like surprise to be on
their side.

Chamois may be very wary,

but often it's someone else who
raises the alarm.

♪

This is one of the iconic
sounds of summer.

(Chirping)

There's nothing quite like a
hoopoe.

With their glorious plumage
and unmistakable calls,

hoopoes bring their unique
presence to Europe at this time
of year.

Hoopoes usually nest in holes
in the ground or hollow trees.

This is the last of the brood.

His siblings have already left
the nest.

He's on his own.

(Chirping)

Which has its advantages.

The parents have no one else to
feed.

♪

But He still has some lessons
to learn.

Pray won't always stay still,
just waiting to be eaten.

It's almost time for his maiden
flight, and those wing muscles

have to be in good shape.

♪

He soon learns that life
is very different on the
outside.

Mum won't always tolerate
his constant begging.

(Squawking)

School is down in the meadow,
where the hunting and feeding
lessons continue.

But that big bill is
a tricky weapon to master.

(Growling)

Barely five months old, the cubs
were born in their mother's den
back

in the dark day days of
midwinter.

Fed on their mother's rich milk,
they're growing stronger and
bolder.

(Squealing playfully)

Someday, their fighting skills
will be put to good use,

But first, they must practise.

♪

For the next two years, the cubs
are completely dependent on
their mother

as they learn all they need for

their future lives in in the
forest.

In Viscri, the stork parents
have a healthy brood to care
for.

Four large chicks now share the
nest.

From hatching, the young storks
won't leave this tiny space

for two or three months.

For Mum and Dad, it's a
full-time job to keep them fed
and watered.

Transylvania's
traditional farms are a critical
reason they fly

12,000 kilometres to raise their
families.

Storks aren't fussy.

They'll eat just about
anything.

The pickings are stored in
their gut, for the family
waiting at home.

♪ (Squawking)

Dinner is not an elegant affair.

Nothing seems to satisfy these
youngsters.

Trapped on their nest, the
chicks also have no access to
water,

except what comes out of their
parents' mouths.

From just after sunrise, mum
and dad keep up a relentless
routine.

Until late afternoon,
when they can finally take a
break.

The chicks can mind themselves
until another day dawns.

♪

The story of modern humans in
Transylvania

goes back at least 40,000 years.

Here in the Carpathians, were
found the oldest bones of our
direct ancestors

ever discovered in Europe.

These pioneers faced high
mountains and almost limitless
forests.

But there were some islands
in this ocean of trees.

Vast herds of bison, deer, and
orc, carved out open meadows,

which over time evolved their
own unique families of trees
and meadow plants.

♪

Transylvania is home to some of
the only remnants of these
ancient pastures.

♪

The first farmers continued
to graze the meadows

and to hold back the encroaching
woodlands.

But giant oaks were left
unharmed as their acorns were
often

welcomed food for the animals.

Some of these oaks are 800
years old.

Today, farming with a light
touch is still needed to
preserve

these unique forest clearings.

The old and dead oak trees
support a bonanza of tiny lives

and one of the most spectacular
insects on the planet.

With Jaws almost as long as his
body, this stag beetle is in a
hurry.

He has spent five years
underground as a juvenile,

but now as an adult will only
live for a few weeks.

He must find a female and fast.

This male has got lucky,
a female in a cosy crevice.

But there are plenty of other
males about.

This is not going to be easy.

♪

Those great jaws swing into
action.

His rival may be down,
but he's not giving up.

And another interloper
has joined the fray.

It's a full-on beetle battle.

Rivals dealt with, he heads back
to mate with the waiting female.

She may live for a few months
more, but his days are numbered.

His massive jaws mean he to
feed properly.

And though he may have the
energy to mate a few more times,

he will not live to see this
summer out.

As weeks go by, the bear family
are constantly on the move.

The cubs never stray too far
from mum.

And for good reason, they're
in constant danger.

Other bears are the problem.

Mature males will kill cubs on
sight, hoping to bring the
mother back in heat

so they can mate with her.

Any sign of danger,
the cubs are up the trees.

While she stands guard with the
youngest.

When the coast does clear,
there's the tricky business of
getting back down.

Until strong enough
to defend themselves, the cubs'
lives

will depend on mum, and her
skills at keeping them fed and
safe from harm.

But right now, danger is
the last thing on their minds.

(Rainfall)

There's another new kid
on the block in Transylvania.

They're mostly active at night,
you can't miss the telltale
signs

of their presence.

Once found throughout Europe,
beavers were ruthlessly hunted.

♪

It's 200 years since the last
native beaver was reported in
Transylvania.

But today, some natural
migration and a reintroduction
programme

has brought them back.

♪

Beaver dams form new ponds
for all kinds of aquatic life,

and slow down the rivers,
reducing floods.

Engineering marvels, creating
whole new worlds of life
wherever they're built.

(Chirping)

In Viscri, the stork chicks
are almost three months old,

and they're keen to leave their
tiny home.

Every day, their wing
muscles grow stronger.

Soon, they face the biggest
leap of their lives.

Finally, the moment comes.

Flying is hard enough, but many
challenges, both big and small
await them

in this crooked new world.

In just a few short weeks,
the stork family will sense a
chill in the air,

and their new wings
will carry the chick south
across two continents.

♪

In autumn, Transylvania
puts on her finest show.

She is home to one of the
largest of the forest stretches

of ancient forest in Europe.

But there is the shadow of
logging and development,

as most of this priceless
natural treasure is unprotected.

Pressure is growing for a huge
new National Park in the
Fagaras Mountains.

♪

For Transylvania's bears,
autumn is a critical time.

They will soon head into
hibernation for the winter.

To survive five or six months
without food,

they must build up their fat
reserves.

(Horse snickers)

Autumn is often the time when
bears come to closest contact
with humans,

for the people of Transylvania,
are master fruit growers.

Plums are a speciality... and
used to distil a favourite
liquor, Palinka.

But someone else is also
a fan of ripe, juicy plums.

Come the quiet of evening,
they'll risk a raid

on the nearest orchard.

These cubs are now eight months
old

and sturdy enough to be given

a little more freedom by their
mother.

The cubs will soon face
their first hibernation.

With winter not far away,
this is a very welcome feast.

Temperatures are falling.

Slowly but surely, winter
wraps its cloak over
Transylvania.

So thick is the fur of a bison

that almost no heat escapes
their bodies,

and snow forms a protective
shell.

In the forest, deep snow can
make progress difficult, and
the hunters

are constantly on the move.

The apex predator in these
woods, is the wolf.

Transylvania is thought to be
home to more wolves than
anywhere in Europe.

But no one really knows how many
there are,

for these are incredibly shy and
elusive creatures

who stay well away from
their only predator, humans.

Their presence in these
mountains is priceless.

♪

Transylvania is also home to one
of nature's greatest survivors.

Dinner may be under a thick
layer of snow, but that's not
going to stop a red fox.

♪

♪

(Crunching)

The lone warrior of these
wild lands, is the lynx.

Covering vast distances on
their eternal quest for food,

lynx spend most of their lives
on their own.

But come late winter,
they need to find their own
kind.

Mature males leave scent marks
throughout their territory.

And this female is on their
trail.

Only fertile for a few days in
the year,

her time with the male is brief.

For in the woods, she has two
lively kits, and they take up
most

of her time and energy.

Almost a year old, they're still
dependent on her,

but they'll soon leave to carve
a life of their own

somewhere in the great
forests of Transylvania.

Today, Europe has fewer and
fewer of these wild sanctuaries.

Places where the solitary lynx
can roam free,

or the great bears can find a
home.

♪

Transylvania is one
of Europe's last wild
wonderlands,

with some of the greatest
forests on the continent,

half of its bears, some of the
largest packs of wolves.

In the human imagination,
there is nowhere like it,

a magical world of warlords and
vampires.

♪

For thousands of years, the
people of Transylvania have
lived

alongside their wild neighbours.

When the bears rise from their
winter dens,

they come back to a land
where many people still care.

♪

In Transylvania, the land
beyond the forest,

the spirit of the wild still
runs free.

♪