Islands can be home to the most extreme examples of life, the wildest of people and the most dramatic landscapes. Natural selection fuels evolution in the most dramatic way
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Welcome to the world of wild assassins, where creatures with the fiercest of bites roam.
Islands can be home to the most extreme examples of life, the wildest of people and the most dramatic landscapes. Natural selection fuels evolution in the most dramatic way
The rivers of the Northern Hemisphere are naturally flanked by forests adapted to periodic flooding.
For many people, Sardinia is THE Mediterranean dream island: clichés like crystal-clear water and picturesque coastlines are reality here. Wild horses inhabit the vast unpopulated plateaux of Gesturi. In the adjacent high regions lies the kingdom of the imposing Mouflon. The curved horns of the male come in handy when battling over the females during rutting season. A breathtaking underwater world is hidden beneath the crystal clear water surrounding the island. Colourful fish, corals and sea snails live down here - as well as the basking shark! He can grow up to ten metres long, but he's completely harmless: with his huge mouth he only fishes microorganisms from the water. Sicily, off the coast at the tip of Italy's ‘boot', is the largest island in the Mediterranean. The island's most famous landmark is already visible from far-off: Etna, at 3340 metres the highest active volcano in Europe. Only 40 kilometres away another volcano looms high: Stromboli, which lies in the middle of the sea. It spews lava and fire at virtually minute intervals. From ancient times on, humans have feared the volcanoes of south Italy. Even today, there are 2500 year-old temple grounds still standing on Sicily. These days nature is re-claiming the age-old buildings – Mason bees and lizards inhabit the cracks and crevices, while lush flower meadows surround the ancient pillars. Abruzzo, lying level with Rome, is the wild heart of southern Italy. The rugged, uninhabited mountain world with its unspoilt beech forests make Abruzzo something special: this is Italy from its unfamiliar side! The inaccessible slopes are the territory of the extremely rare Apennine chamois. During rutting, the bucks engage in breakneck chases among the rocks.
Asia is the continent of islands: at its southern limit alone there are some 30,000 islands dashed across the watery surface of the world.
From the reedy areas in the Basque Country, via the fantastic world of the Cantabrian mountain range, to Galicia with its spectacular coasts: This is the North Spanish wilderness, which offers unheard of diversity and reveals a hitherto completely unknown side of Spain. In the wetlands during the rutting season, red deer carry out their bitter power struggles until the water around them appears to blister and boil. The Cantabrian mountain range is habitat for around 140 Cantabrian brown bears – Western Europe's greatest bear population. The females wander from place to place in search of food. Adult male bears and steep mountain slopes are a permanent danger for the youngsters. Iridescent blue throats, defending their territorial borders against rivals, appear to observe them. Above the timberline is the Kingdom of the Cantabrian chamois. They share their habitat with the colourful wallcreeper - an extremely rare bird of the tall mountain region. The Asturian fire salamander is the only one of its kind with a complete yellow hue - he hunts his prey on the banks of the countless streams that flow into the Atlantic, which is inhabited by giants from sperm whales to basking sharks, the world's second largest fish. The rugged north has shaped the identity of its inhabitants. The film accompanies a mountain farmer in the Picos de Europa National Park, who still operates traditional livestock farming and a goose barnacle collector on the Costa da Morte, who quite possibly has the world's most dangerous job. Common to both is the fact that neither of them would exchange their homeland for life in the city.
The Ganges is the longest river in India. It flows from the glaciers of the Himalayas, the Bay of Bengal. It's a lifeline to wild animals, from rhinoceros and river dolphins to otters and gharials.
On the remote coastline of Australia's northwest, there are great natural wonders to be found. Above the sea on this sunbaked coast, there is very little only a sparse landscape shaped by the arid conditions. But here, the miracle reveals itself…
Daintree National Park is a magical meeting of rainforest and reef, lying at the heart of the world heritage listed wet tropics of Queensland.
The Baltic Sea is the youngest ocean in the world and first evolved after the last Ice Age. We think we know everything about it, yet still it has many surprises in store. Wind and waves still shape the shores of the Baltic Sea to this day. The third episode takes us to the Bay of Bothnia. More than double the size of the Netherlands, it is the most unknown region of the Baltic Sea. In the winter, the Baltic Sea freezes over at a length of 300 kilometres. In this 1-metre-thick ice tank, the third species of seal - alongside the grey seal and common seal - copes well with the Baltic Sea. The ringed seal is perfectly adapted to the Arctic winter and carves out breathing holes into the ice. More than 10,000 of the animals still live between Sweden and Finland. The Bay of Bothnia only has a salt content of just 1%, which is why it freezes quicker than other regions of the Baltic Sea. Many rivers disembogue here and “sweeten” the sea. The Tornio is the longest natural river in Europe. It forms the border between Sweden and Finland. Even when frost is severe, the Kukkolaforsen rapids in Sweden never freeze over, otters go hunting here. When it gets dark in the winter, solar winds conjure colourful light effects in the Baltic Sea sky. The Aurora Borealis can be seen in the northern regions of the Baltic Sea as of mid-October. The coast of Lapland is also the home of the reindeer. The Sami's, reindeer breeders, bring their herds in winter to the Baltic Sea, as the snow is not as deep here as it is further inland and the animals have better access to lichens and mosses. When Lapland's coast is still frozen, 300 kilometres further south in the Kvarken Archipelago, a special spectacle takes place. Millions of fish head for the coast. Barrier beaches prevent them from reaching the coastal lagoons. They can only spawn where the water is salt-free.
Cloaked in tropical rainforest and warmed by clear blue seas Indonesia is a paradise. Although much of the island chain receives sporadic rain throughout the year, this alone wouldn't be enough to sustain the region's rich abundance of life.
The family size has dwindled leaving the Whiskers the weakest they have been for a very long time.
Welcome to the world of wild assassins, where creatures with weapons carved from bone and ivory stalk the open plains.
A rich portrait of life and death at the vertical limit of mammalian life on Earth — the Himalayas — including the most intimate and extensive encounters with a wild snow leopard ever captured on film.
A fragile strip of tropical woodland extends along the east coast of the huge island of Australia.
Wildest Places explores some of the most incredible natural habitats on earth & a diverse range of wildlife.
Focused on helping a pregnant, wounded lioness, an unarmed South African conservationist unwittingly ends up face-to-face with one of the pride's aggressive, young males. During his Zambezi River adventure, a pilot is attacked by a hungry hyena.
North-east India is an anthropological paradise there is no other place on Earth with so many different ethnic groups. The forest are filled with mysterious tribes whose lives are dictated by the rain and the seasonal fruits of the forest.
Islands can be home to the most extreme examples of life, the wildest of people and the most dramatic landscapes. Natural selection fuels evolution in the most dramatic way
Iceland is a land born out of fire, sculpted by ice. This unique island is home to some of the planet's rarest and most spectacular creatures and it harbors some of the most extreme environments on Earth.
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