1 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,560 Europe. 2 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:41,120 Home to more than 700 million people. 3 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:51,280 This is a continent that has been transformed by humanity. 4 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:57,760 It is a crowded world. 5 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,080 But not all of it. 6 00:01:08,960 --> 00:01:13,960 There are still precious areas of wilderness 7 00:01:13,960 --> 00:01:18,480 and, living within them, some very surprising animals. 8 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,840 SQUAWKING 9 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:41,320 Forest once covered 80% of Europe. 10 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:45,400 CHIRPING 11 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,480 Now only half of it remains. 12 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,000 GRUNTING 13 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:11,480 A brown bear. 14 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:22,080 One of only 1,500 that are left in Finland's forests. 15 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:25,440 CUBS SQUEAK 16 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:35,440 Her cubs have recently emerged from their nursery den. 17 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:45,840 The long summer days means there's plenty of time for play. 18 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:09,360 With two boisterous cubs... 19 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,600 ..it pays to rest, whenever you can. 20 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,520 But their mother must be on her guard. 21 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,920 The cubs have spotted something. 22 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,760 A large male, looking for a mate. 23 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,240 The cubs aren't his. 24 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,880 So he might try to kill them. 25 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:58,880 Bear cubs are excellent climbers. 26 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,880 And now they're beyond his reach, 15 metres up. 27 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:08,480 MAKES GUTTURAL, PULSING SOUND 28 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,360 Their mother warns him to keep his distance. 29 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,880 But the cubs are coming down too soon. 30 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:29,560 MAKES GUTTURAL, PULSING SOUND 31 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,240 She can't take any chances. 32 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,160 GROWLS AGGRESSIVELY 33 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:50,960 That was a close call. 34 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:12,440 Finland's forests give us a glimpse of what Europe was once like. 35 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:20,480 A land of endless wilderness, where large animals roamed far and wide. 36 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:32,640 In the north, the continent extends beyond the Arctic Circle. 37 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,920 Here, the skies are illuminated by the aurora borealis, 38 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,240 the northern lights. 39 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,040 Trillions of charged particles, 40 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,960 ejected by electric storms on the sun, 41 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:06,120 react with the Earth's atmosphere 42 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:09,360 to create this surreal nocturnal spectacle. 43 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:18,520 But by day, this is a barren land. 44 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:31,880 The Dovrefjell mountains of Norway. 45 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:39,840 One of the last refuges for an animal that once lived 46 00:06:39,840 --> 00:06:41,680 all across northern Europe. 47 00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:45,080 GRUNTS 48 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:52,640 The musk ox. 49 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:21,920 He protects the herd and fathers all the calves. 50 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:23,040 BELLOWS 51 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:28,160 His is a greatly sought-after rank... 52 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:32,880 BLEATS 53 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,640 ..and that means that, in the mating season, 54 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:38,480 he has to deal with rivals. 55 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:49,280 And here is one. 56 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:12,480 Raking the ground is a warning to other males to keep away. 57 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:16,120 But some ignore it. 58 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:27,520 He now has no choice but to defend his crown. 59 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:34,880 GRUNTS 60 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:41,560 The challenger attacks. 61 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,440 Each male weighs nearly half a tonne. 62 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:21,960 These clashes are usually short and intense, 63 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:24,760 but not this time. 64 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:34,720 As his family looks on, neither gives in. 65 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:40,480 The bull will need to draw on all his experience. 66 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:56,840 But he's beginning to lose ground. 67 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:13,800 Now he's broadsided. 68 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:18,600 If he's defeated, he will lose all his females. 69 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:27,920 With one final effort, 70 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:32,120 the bull pushes the challenger back up the hill. 71 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:45,000 It's over. 72 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:54,320 The old bull successfully defended his rights as head of the family. 73 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:06,440 And the challenger has to return to a lonely life for another year. 74 00:11:13,680 --> 00:11:18,640 One of Europe's last remaining areas of wilderness lies at its heart. 75 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:25,600 A mountain range spanning 750 miles across eight countries. 76 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:28,440 The Alps. 77 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:42,320 Europe's mountain ranges may be inhospitable, 78 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:46,800 but wildlife has shared this terrain with people for centuries. 79 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:53,080 BELL CHIMES 80 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:58,160 It's dusk in the mountain villages of Abruzzo, in central Italy. 81 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:08,040 And deep in the surrounding woods, 82 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:14,600 thermal imaging cameras reveal the continent's most elusive predators. 83 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:28,760 Wolves. 84 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:33,680 Right on the edge of the village. 85 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:43,640 HOWLING 86 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:47,880 It's midwinter, and food is hard to come by. 87 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:49,320 HOWLING 88 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:53,040 This pack may not have fed for a week. 89 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:03,320 They can travel many miles in a night, 90 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:04,920 searching for prey. 91 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,120 Red deer. 92 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:33,200 It's pitch-black. 93 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:39,360 Perfect conditions for an ambush. 94 00:13:42,560 --> 00:13:43,960 But even so... 95 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:48,400 ..the odds are stacked against the wolves. 96 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:56,920 TWIG SNAPS 97 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:00,720 One wrong footstep, 98 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:04,080 and they have lost the advantage of surprise. 99 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:25,200 The deer scatter right across the mountainside. 100 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:38,880 And to make matters worse, 101 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:40,680 the hunt is interrupted. 102 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:44,120 VEHICLE ZOOMS PAST 103 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:53,440 The deer are now high up the mountain. 104 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:03,280 But the wolves use the road to travel faster and in silence. 105 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,960 They manage to get above the herd. 106 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,680 Now they make their move. 107 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:40,520 RUSTLING 108 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:56,200 The pack needs to single out one animal. 109 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,920 A wolf is more nimble in thick woodland, 110 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:17,280 but a deer can run faster on open ground. 111 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:26,440 Once they're close, the pack drive the deer 112 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:28,720 straight down the mountain. 113 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:34,040 And now it's more likely to stumble. 114 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:44,400 GROWLING 115 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:48,080 In this case, the icy road proves fatal. 116 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:55,120 BARKING 117 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:59,320 But the commotion has attracted sheepdogs from the nearby village. 118 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:07,080 They have been bred to protect livestock by chasing away wolves. 119 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,640 BARKING CONTINUES 120 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,560 With the kill lost to the sheepdogs, 121 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:29,440 the wolves will go hungry 122 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:31,240 for yet another night. 123 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:56,440 Today, much of Europe's wildlife has to live alongside people. 124 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:58,200 DISTANT SIRENS 125 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:04,960 The most adaptable can be found in our towns and cities. 126 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:15,720 Gibraltar, right on the southern tip of the continent. 127 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,440 Home to Europe's only monkeys. 128 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:28,880 Barbary macaques. 129 00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:45,600 Four family troops live here. 130 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:04,280 SCREECHES 131 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:05,960 In macaque society, 132 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:08,920 there is a strict hierarchy, 133 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:12,400 and status within it is inherited. 134 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:19,240 This female has just given birth to her first baby. 135 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:24,600 She is at the bottom of the pecking order. 136 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,480 So her son is, too. 137 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,200 SHIP HORN BLARES 138 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:46,600 They're bullied constantly... 139 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:57,160 ..and forced to live on the fringes of the troop. 140 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:07,840 As outcasts, their only comfort is each other. 141 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:17,640 SCREECHES 142 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:19,400 He's been snatched, 143 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:22,960 stolen by a higher-ranking female. 144 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:33,680 She is childless, and she wants a baby of her own. 145 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:37,160 SCREECHES 146 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,240 He's only a few metres away... 147 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:42,640 ..but if his mother approaches, 148 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:46,000 the rest of the troop could well attack her. 149 00:20:54,360 --> 00:20:58,040 The kidnapper has never raised a baby before, 150 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:01,320 so this one is in danger. 151 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:13,280 They're headed towards a cable car tower. 152 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:18,240 The young mother can't let them out of her sight. 153 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:57,240 They're 30 metres up. 154 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:02,840 If she tries to grab her baby and fails, 155 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:04,360 he could fall to his death. 156 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:08,960 CLICKS TONGUE 157 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:23,160 The kidnapper refuses to surrender him. 158 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,400 There's one last thing a mother can try, 159 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:28,800 and to do it 160 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:31,680 she needs to recruit another macaque. 161 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:52,360 Now the mother begins to groom her companion 162 00:22:52,360 --> 00:22:54,800 in full view of the kidnapper. 163 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:01,000 All monkeys love to be groomed, 164 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,720 even by a low-ranking female. 165 00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:08,240 It's the basis for peace in macaque society. 166 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:20,200 CLICKS TONGUE 167 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:28,400 Eventually, the urge to join in is just too strong. 168 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:35,680 TONGUE CLICKING 169 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:37,160 The kidnap is over. 170 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:44,600 And the youngster can climb back into his mother's arms. 171 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:07,720 There are pockets of wilderness even in Europe's cities. 172 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:10,400 BELLS CHIME 173 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,440 Green oases among the urban sprawl. 174 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:23,240 Vienna, in Austria, has over 2,000 parks, gardens and cemeteries. 175 00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:38,480 And down in the undergrowth, a rather unusual resident. 176 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:51,240 A European hamster. 177 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:05,320 Wild hamsters are found in grasslands throughout central Europe. 178 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:10,120 Here, in the city, they're doing extremely well. 179 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:16,720 This male is on a mission to find food, 180 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:20,880 and he's set his sights on one thing in particular. 181 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:24,360 Fresh flowers. 182 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:34,280 To survive the winter, hamsters must fatten up. 183 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,400 So there's no time to waste. 184 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:59,040 The only problem - these flowers are in someone else's patch. 185 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:14,320 SQUEAKING 186 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:33,840 Graveside bouquets are worth fighting for. 187 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:44,160 The winner gets to keep the territory and all the food within it. 188 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,240 The loser has to beat a hasty retreat. 189 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:15,200 Plan B. 190 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:18,080 Stealth mode. 191 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:31,640 The coast looks clear. 192 00:27:36,120 --> 00:27:38,440 But best not take any chances. 193 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:58,600 The trick is to get in and out before you're caught. 194 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:08,080 And now...dessert. 195 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:16,800 Candle wax - it's full of oil and high in calories. 196 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:39,760 A hamster's cheeks can hold a quarter of its body weight. 197 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:50,960 Just one more mouthful. 198 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:56,400 SQUEAKING 199 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:02,080 Oh, dear. 200 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:12,640 Big cheeks and narrow bottlenecks - 201 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:14,480 how very embarrassing. 202 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:28,640 Mission accomplished. 203 00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:40,160 Europe's landscape has changed dramatically, 204 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:45,560 but its temperate climate is still good for wildlife. 205 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:49,440 The continent has warm summers... 206 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:53,920 ..and mild winters. 207 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:03,240 These conditions are a consequence of its position on the globe... 208 00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:08,600 ..and the influence of the Gulf Stream. 209 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:16,640 This current of warm water in the Atlantic Ocean heats the air 210 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:19,520 that then flows over the land. 211 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:33,320 And every year, Europe's unique climate 212 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:37,160 helps trigger an extraordinary natural event. 213 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:45,080 The Tisza River, in Hungary. 214 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:50,920 For a few days in June, 215 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:54,440 when day length and water temperature are just right... 216 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:58,720 ..the largest of all mayflies emerge. 217 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:07,440 After three years of feeding and growing on the riverbed, 218 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:09,360 the males appear first. 219 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:22,000 With new wings, they can fly to the river bank 220 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,720 and there undergo a final moult. 221 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:34,640 BIRDSONG 222 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:51,480 Now sexually mature, 223 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:54,560 they have just one purpose in life - 224 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:57,200 to find a female. 225 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:08,560 Each male has only three hours to live. 226 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:15,880 And now the females begin to emerge on the surface of the river. 227 00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:24,040 The males scour the water surface, searching for them... 228 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:33,600 ..each desperate to be the one that fertilises her eggs. 229 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:40,080 Every female is pounced on as soon as she appears. 230 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:54,920 With only minutes left for each male to live, 231 00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:57,720 the competition becomes increasingly urgent. 232 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:08,720 And all too soon, the males' time is up. 233 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:18,040 All of them die. 234 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:33,480 But the females' journey has only just begun. 235 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:48,640 Now that they've mated, 236 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:51,400 they start to fly upstream 237 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:55,400 and continue for as much as three miles. 238 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:18,520 At the height of the hatch, 239 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:22,640 there may be as many as ten million insects on the wing. 240 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:39,120 Exhausted, 241 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:43,960 the females now collapse and rain down onto the water's surface. 242 00:34:47,240 --> 00:34:51,360 And as they hit it, each releases thousands of eggs. 243 00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:08,520 As the eggs slowly sink, 244 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:10,400 they drift downstream, 245 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:13,440 so that by the time each reaches the riverbed, 246 00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:18,560 it will be in exactly the same spot that its parents emerged. 247 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:27,640 Just hours after the first mayflies appeared, 248 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:32,040 this great eruption of life is over. 249 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:42,680 Europe's extensive waterways are a haven for wildlife. 250 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:46,800 One of the richest of its wetlands 251 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:50,520 lies on the edge of the Black Sea, in Romania. 252 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:55,280 The delta of the Danube River. 253 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:02,920 Migrating birds are drawn here from as far away as central Africa 254 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:04,000 and Asia. 255 00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:18,440 Great white pelicans. 256 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:28,000 Every summer, three quarters of the world's population 257 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:29,840 flock to the delta. 258 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:40,400 They've flown thousands of miles to get here, 259 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:44,840 and they will spend the summer feasting on the delta's riches. 260 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:13,280 To find the best fishing, 261 00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:14,920 they take to the air. 262 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:35,880 From half a mile up, 263 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:38,040 they search the entire delta, 264 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:40,040 200 miles across. 265 00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:57,360 They can't see individual fish from this height, 266 00:37:57,360 --> 00:38:01,840 so instead they look for others below that have already done so. 267 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:07,880 Cormorants. 268 00:38:11,280 --> 00:38:14,640 They are diving deep to reach the biggest shoals, 269 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:16,880 flushing them to the surface. 270 00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:27,920 A couple of pelicans land... 271 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:33,320 ..and others soon home in on them. 272 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:55,440 The pelicans don't join the feast directly. 273 00:38:59,880 --> 00:39:02,120 They mug the diners. 274 00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:25,520 This brutal tactic enables each pelican to catch many more fish, 275 00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:30,160 more quickly than it would do if it worked by itself. 276 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:58,280 Once the shoals of fish have been plundered and dispersed, 277 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:00,560 the cormorants make their escape. 278 00:40:04,120 --> 00:40:09,360 And the pelican pirates fly off in search of their next meal. 279 00:40:16,720 --> 00:40:21,720 Water has shaped Europe's landscape in another way. 280 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:32,120 There is a vast wilderness lying within the rocks of the continent. 281 00:40:39,240 --> 00:40:40,440 Caves. 282 00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:53,600 Over 12,000 have been discovered in Slovenia's Karst region alone. 283 00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:59,120 Each has been eroded by water over millions of years... 284 00:41:00,720 --> 00:41:05,000 ..and shaped drip...by drip. 285 00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:15,920 The largest cavern is over 15 miles long, 286 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:18,880 and there are certainly many more still to be discovered. 287 00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:38,040 Down here live some of the most specialised animals on the planet. 288 00:41:42,760 --> 00:41:47,920 New species of them are discovered in Europe's caves every year. 289 00:41:55,720 --> 00:41:59,840 This is a world that still holds many secrets. 290 00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:09,840 In the deepest pools 291 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:15,080 lurk animals that were once believed to be baby dragons. 292 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:39,600 They have feathery gills which enable them to breathe underwater, 293 00:42:39,600 --> 00:42:41,000 as well as on land. 294 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:47,440 They are olms. 295 00:42:54,160 --> 00:42:57,120 They're completely blind, 296 00:42:57,120 --> 00:43:00,840 but sensory pits around the mouth enable them to detect 297 00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:04,880 the faint electrical currents emitted by their prey. 298 00:43:07,120 --> 00:43:11,000 Food of any kind down here is hard to come by. 299 00:43:12,840 --> 00:43:17,280 But an olm can go without a meal for a decade... 300 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:19,680 ..and live for a century. 301 00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:33,520 The olms' world has remained virtually unchanged for millennia. 302 00:43:36,200 --> 00:43:41,520 Above, however, Europe has altered beyond recognition. 303 00:43:46,960 --> 00:43:52,600 Its landscape has been transformed by humans. 304 00:43:54,680 --> 00:44:00,320 Protected wilderness now covers less than 4% of its surface. 305 00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:07,080 The disappearance of wilderness has had catastrophic consequences 306 00:44:07,080 --> 00:44:08,480 for wildlife. 307 00:44:14,560 --> 00:44:19,040 One fifth of Europe's animals are now under threat. 308 00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:29,960 Some teeter right on the brink of extinction. 309 00:44:34,240 --> 00:44:36,480 The Iberian lynx. 310 00:44:39,840 --> 00:44:43,000 One of the world's most endangered cats. 311 00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:49,520 In less than two decades, 312 00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:53,960 the lynx population decreased by nearly 90%. 313 00:44:57,640 --> 00:44:59,280 At one point, 314 00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:03,280 there were fewer than 100 individuals. 315 00:45:18,520 --> 00:45:20,840 Today, their last stronghold 316 00:45:20,840 --> 00:45:26,040 is in the mountains of the Sierra de Andujar, in southern Spain. 317 00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:33,880 Here, a natural park was created to help protect the lynx. 318 00:45:39,640 --> 00:45:43,280 Only 25 miles across, it is small. 319 00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:50,600 But for this male, it's just enough. 320 00:46:04,840 --> 00:46:06,920 He's lived here all his life. 321 00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:16,600 At ten years old, he's reached a remarkable age for a wild lynx. 322 00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:29,080 Once persecuted, he's now protected. 323 00:46:42,000 --> 00:46:47,320 For this old male, and Europe's entire lynx population, 324 00:46:47,320 --> 00:46:50,960 this could be the beginning of a new chapter. 325 00:46:59,520 --> 00:47:01,360 In this year alone, 326 00:47:01,360 --> 00:47:05,120 nearly 200 kittens have been born, 327 00:47:05,120 --> 00:47:09,880 and the population has risen to over 700. 328 00:47:15,800 --> 00:47:18,920 But the fate of the Iberian lynx, 329 00:47:18,920 --> 00:47:22,040 and indeed of all Europe's wildlife, 330 00:47:22,040 --> 00:47:24,480 is far from certain. 331 00:47:26,720 --> 00:47:30,560 The continent has now been so changed by humanity 332 00:47:30,560 --> 00:47:34,800 that many of its animal species are under threat. 333 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:42,960 Only by protecting the few wildernesses that remain 334 00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:46,840 and creating new wild spaces 335 00:47:46,840 --> 00:47:51,920 can we ensure a future for Europe's precious wildlife. 336 00:48:10,400 --> 00:48:14,080 DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: Europe's predators are rare and elusive... 337 00:48:16,960 --> 00:48:21,240 ..and none more so than the Iberian lynx... 338 00:48:22,800 --> 00:48:24,520 ..and the grey wolf. 339 00:48:24,520 --> 00:48:26,240 HOWLING 340 00:48:26,240 --> 00:48:28,880 Just finding them can be difficult... 341 00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:31,920 It's completely pitch-black now. 342 00:48:34,760 --> 00:48:36,400 ..let alone filming them. 343 00:48:36,400 --> 00:48:41,640 We are packing up the kit...again, cos it's raining...again. 344 00:48:43,120 --> 00:48:46,400 Two crews set off to different countries... 345 00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:51,600 ..armed with different technology, 346 00:48:51,600 --> 00:48:55,400 but united by a single mission. 347 00:48:59,000 --> 00:49:04,360 One team travelled to the heart of the Apennine Mountains in Italy, 348 00:49:04,360 --> 00:49:07,320 where wolf sightings had been reported. 349 00:49:15,560 --> 00:49:18,680 Using the latest thermal camera, 350 00:49:18,680 --> 00:49:22,280 the team will be able to film the wolves in the darkness, 351 00:49:22,280 --> 00:49:24,040 when they're most active. 352 00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:29,080 This is quite a beast of a camera, 353 00:49:29,080 --> 00:49:32,200 but it can see way into the distance. 354 00:49:32,200 --> 00:49:37,080 So if anything warm-blooded appears on the landscape, I'll see it for sure. 355 00:49:38,400 --> 00:49:41,200 We just need that little stroke of luck now. 356 00:49:42,600 --> 00:49:45,240 But luck is not on their side. 357 00:49:47,480 --> 00:49:49,120 Whoo! 358 00:49:49,120 --> 00:49:52,160 Hold on to your horses, 359 00:49:52,160 --> 00:49:55,440 it's blowing an absolute hoolie out there. 360 00:49:55,440 --> 00:49:59,480 I think this hide is just going to literally blow off the mountain. 361 00:50:01,720 --> 00:50:05,960 In Spain, the lynx team are taking a different approach. 362 00:50:08,320 --> 00:50:12,480 Camera traps, and lots of them. 363 00:50:12,480 --> 00:50:15,120 So we've got one camera here, 364 00:50:15,120 --> 00:50:18,000 one camera hidden in the olive groves here 365 00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:20,360 and one camera, which you might just be able to see, 366 00:50:20,360 --> 00:50:23,440 hidden in the olive groves there. 367 00:50:26,200 --> 00:50:30,320 The crew rigs remote cameras wherever the lynx are known to roam... 368 00:50:34,520 --> 00:50:38,520 ..including some surprisingly busy locations. 369 00:50:40,320 --> 00:50:42,560 We've been told that they use these underpasses 370 00:50:42,560 --> 00:50:44,800 to get underneath this massive motorway, 371 00:50:44,800 --> 00:50:47,880 so we're going to work out where to put our cameras 372 00:50:47,880 --> 00:50:51,640 and hopefully capture them moving around this urban environment. 373 00:50:51,640 --> 00:50:53,960 To record enough footage, 374 00:50:53,960 --> 00:50:59,200 the cameras will need to be left in the field for six months. 375 00:50:59,200 --> 00:51:04,280 With the last one set, the long wait begins. 376 00:51:08,560 --> 00:51:11,840 In the mountains of Italy, 377 00:51:11,840 --> 00:51:14,240 the weather has improved, 378 00:51:14,240 --> 00:51:15,800 but that is all. 379 00:51:17,080 --> 00:51:19,720 So we're about halfway through the shoot now, 380 00:51:19,720 --> 00:51:21,520 and we don't know where the wolves are. 381 00:51:21,520 --> 00:51:25,000 I'm pretty gutted. 382 00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:27,280 Going to have to just stay here through the night, scanning 383 00:51:27,280 --> 00:51:28,520 with the thermal camera 384 00:51:28,520 --> 00:51:32,920 and hoping that some wolves appear on the landscape. 385 00:51:32,920 --> 00:51:34,920 It's really difficult when nothing's happening. 386 00:51:39,240 --> 00:51:43,840 But finally, a promising lead in an unexpected location. 387 00:51:46,720 --> 00:51:49,960 We got a report last night that there was a wolf kill on the road, 388 00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:52,920 so, you know, we've been going into the wilderness 389 00:51:52,920 --> 00:51:54,880 to try and find wolves, 390 00:51:54,880 --> 00:51:58,280 when actually they've just been on our doorstep in the village. 391 00:51:59,720 --> 00:52:03,600 The wolf must have chased the deer from there, and it tried to jump. 392 00:52:03,600 --> 00:52:06,200 But it...it got stuck here because of all the...all the fur. 393 00:52:06,200 --> 00:52:07,840 You see, also there is some... 394 00:52:07,840 --> 00:52:10,560 ..also some...some wolf fur here. 395 00:52:10,560 --> 00:52:12,200 KIRI: I mean, it's the best signs 396 00:52:12,200 --> 00:52:15,000 of wolf activity we've seen since we've been here. 397 00:52:15,000 --> 00:52:18,360 I just wouldn't have thought it would have been in the village 398 00:52:18,360 --> 00:52:21,840 when there's so many miles of wilderness, the mountains. 399 00:52:22,880 --> 00:52:24,520 Yeah, we're changing strategy. 400 00:52:24,520 --> 00:52:27,160 Um, I've moved the camera teams 401 00:52:27,160 --> 00:52:30,200 to a car park above the village where we're staying, 402 00:52:30,200 --> 00:52:33,680 which... I can't even quite believe I'm saying that, but, uh, 403 00:52:33,680 --> 00:52:35,480 hopefully it will pay off. 404 00:52:38,360 --> 00:52:43,600 Time to move the operation to the edge of the village. 405 00:52:51,520 --> 00:52:55,000 We're just a stone's throw from that village full of people. 406 00:52:55,000 --> 00:52:57,880 I can...I can hear a wolf howling just over there, 407 00:52:57,880 --> 00:52:59,080 so I'm hurrying to set the camera up, 408 00:52:59,080 --> 00:53:01,880 cos I'm pretty sure we're going to see some wolves quite soon. 409 00:53:01,880 --> 00:53:03,520 HOWLING 410 00:53:05,360 --> 00:53:07,600 HOWLING 411 00:53:07,600 --> 00:53:12,840 We have got nine European wild wolves 412 00:53:12,840 --> 00:53:16,080 howling down there in the valley. 413 00:53:16,080 --> 00:53:17,920 Unbelievable. 414 00:53:19,920 --> 00:53:23,520 Who'd have thought that you'd have that many wolves so close to the road? 415 00:53:23,520 --> 00:53:25,200 There's cars passing just beneath me. 416 00:53:26,760 --> 00:53:28,840 It's just beautiful. 417 00:53:29,880 --> 00:53:30,920 THUNDER RUMBLES 418 00:53:30,920 --> 00:53:33,160 For the lynx team in Spain, 419 00:53:33,160 --> 00:53:36,560 things are taking a turn for the worse. 420 00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:43,000 We've just come down to discover our camera traps are not weatherproof. 421 00:53:43,000 --> 00:53:46,200 All the electronics and the circuit boards are starting to act up, 422 00:53:46,200 --> 00:53:48,240 so we're having to rip everything out 423 00:53:48,240 --> 00:53:50,320 and we'll have to see what's going on. 424 00:53:53,640 --> 00:53:55,240 The weather's been so bad, 425 00:53:55,240 --> 00:53:57,560 there's so much rain coming down from the mountain. 426 00:54:03,880 --> 00:54:09,520 The only option is to bring all the cameras back to base. 427 00:54:09,520 --> 00:54:12,200 I'm hooking it up, drying it out, 428 00:54:12,200 --> 00:54:14,880 finding out where water's getting in and sealing it. 429 00:54:14,880 --> 00:54:19,880 With ten camera traps to fix, the crew work around the clock 430 00:54:19,880 --> 00:54:23,520 until the last one is ready. 431 00:54:23,520 --> 00:54:26,240 It looks like we're good to go. 432 00:54:27,720 --> 00:54:32,960 But the team can't re-rig the cameras while it's still raining. 433 00:54:34,920 --> 00:54:39,000 And the weather shows no sign of improving. 434 00:54:40,040 --> 00:54:43,560 We really want to find these lynx, but without... 435 00:54:43,560 --> 00:54:46,720 ..without a couple of dry days to set the kit up, 436 00:54:46,720 --> 00:54:49,160 we're...we're up against it now. 437 00:54:52,200 --> 00:54:54,960 All we can do is wait, I guess. 438 00:55:01,720 --> 00:55:06,760 Eventually, the rains pass and the crew set up the camera traps. 439 00:55:06,760 --> 00:55:08,240 This is the last one. 440 00:55:08,240 --> 00:55:11,480 I'm going to close it up, and then we're going to leave it for a month. 441 00:55:11,480 --> 00:55:15,240 It feels really fitting to be ending on a really lovely sunny day 442 00:55:15,240 --> 00:55:17,400 with everything working perfectly. 443 00:55:17,400 --> 00:55:21,040 So I'm feeling quite confident and positive. 444 00:55:21,040 --> 00:55:24,120 Hopefully, this will get us some lynx shots. 445 00:55:28,960 --> 00:55:33,160 In Italy, the thermal camera is allowing the team 446 00:55:33,160 --> 00:55:38,440 to reveal, for the first time, the secret lives of Europe's wolves. 447 00:55:40,760 --> 00:55:46,200 And it appears that they live much closer to home than anyone thought. 448 00:55:46,200 --> 00:55:49,400 They're just so close to the road. 449 00:55:49,400 --> 00:55:51,680 You've got the village up in the background, 450 00:55:51,680 --> 00:55:53,240 and I can see the houses. 451 00:55:53,240 --> 00:55:58,040 There's people sleeping all around, and yet they're so confident, 452 00:55:58,040 --> 00:56:02,520 so confident, they're undisturbed by, uh, all the humanity that's around them. 453 00:56:06,960 --> 00:56:11,160 It's just amazing to me that they know how to stay out of sight 454 00:56:11,160 --> 00:56:13,600 but be so close to humanity. 455 00:56:14,680 --> 00:56:17,080 They just have this night shift. 456 00:56:17,080 --> 00:56:18,840 and then they just meld away into the shadows. 457 00:56:21,360 --> 00:56:26,160 And it's not just the wolf team making surprising discoveries. 458 00:56:27,680 --> 00:56:32,920 Camera trap footage reveals how confident the Iberian lynx is, 459 00:56:32,920 --> 00:56:34,920 living alongside people. 460 00:56:37,880 --> 00:56:42,960 And towards the end of the trip, the team have a memorable encounter. 461 00:56:42,960 --> 00:56:46,000 We've just woken up from staying in the house, 462 00:56:46,000 --> 00:56:47,440 and we've had a visitor overnight. 463 00:56:49,000 --> 00:56:55,680 To see a wild lynx up this close is, yeah, completely amazing. 464 00:56:55,680 --> 00:56:59,360 It was a surprising revelation for both teams 465 00:56:59,360 --> 00:57:02,560 to find the continent's most elusive predators 466 00:57:02,560 --> 00:57:04,400 living right alongside us. 467 00:57:11,720 --> 00:57:13,080 Next time... 468 00:57:14,280 --> 00:57:16,600 ..a land of constant change... 469 00:57:18,440 --> 00:57:23,240 ..where pioneering animals make the most of every opportunity. 470 00:57:28,160 --> 00:57:30,600 North America.