"Mont Blanc, the "White Mountain", towers over the world's most famous mountain range." "Arching across Europe the Alps are a mighty watershed and a gigantic water store." "Europe is both divided and united by these peaks." "Nowhere else are north and south arctic frost and Mediterranean sun as close together as here, along the ridges of the Alps." "These summits are legends, world-famous even at a time when the 8.000-meter peaks of the Himalayas were still unnamed." "Here, man has learned to conquer all the high mountain ranges of the world." "But the Alps are much more than a sports arena with a breath-taking view" "They are a mountain wilderness that has survived unspoilt in the very heart of the earth's most densely populated continent." "After centuries of exploitation, these mountains are now regaining their old diversity." "Only now, some of the exiles are making their way back" "And above the highest peaks a legendary bird of prey is once again drawing its circles" "The Alps are the realm of the golden eagle." "The Alps are a treasure chest of geological formations." "No other mountain range can boast so many faces, and none of the many ranges of the Alps is quite like any other." "There is a world of difference between the Matterhorn and the gentle" "Nock Mountains." "Some peaks impress with their overpowering dimensions" "This is the roof of Europe." "Mont Blanc, the highest summit of the Alps." "The 800 mile long mountain chain stretches across eight countries." "Its eastern foothills rise from the plains beyond Vienna." "Westward, the metropoles of Central Europe flank the mighty range." "The western region is the realm of 4.000-meter peaks." "Here the Alps reach their greatest heights before they drop down to the Mediterranean Sea near Nice." "Along their southern slopes, the Alps show the mildest of their many faces." "There is not the slightest reminder of icy peaks." "Green lizards love this warmth." "Their home is the sunny side of the Alps." "Masses of humid air roll in from the Atlantic Ocean in the north-west and from the Mediterranean in the south." "The mountains force these winds upward." "In the cold, the humidity turns into clouds." "The mountain chains milk these clouds for what they are worth and feed their water into half of Europe's rivers." "A dense network of waterways spreads throughout the Alps." "Alpine rivers are lifelines and migration routes." "Even the largest land animals like the brown bear profit from the wealth of water." "It nurtures uncountable forms of life supplying them with living space, spawning and hunting grounds." "Below the imposing peaks, vast forests cloak the mountain slopes." "These forests are a refuge for rare animals for whom there is no space left in the rest of Europe." "Higher up, above the timber line, wildflower meadows shine in bright colors." "In these meadows, an enormous diversity of life is packed together like in a coral reef." "On these high tundras, marmots enjoy the short summer months." "In the barren rock walls, only specialists can thrive." "Golden eagles build their nests in frightfully exposed places." "Ibex are well equipped for life on the brink" "The bucks playfully measure their strength on narrow ridges." "On 1 00.000 square miles of raw wilderness the Alps offer innumerable niches to plant and animal life." "Elsewhere one may travel for hundreds of miles to see a change of climate." "Here the climate changes within a stone's throw and the weather within no time at all." "The Alps' rugged profile their abrupt rises and falls and their dense diversity have been shaped the relentless action of water." "In millions of years, frost, avalanches and rushing waters have shaped the face of these mountains." "But Nature's mightiest stone-masons have been the glaciers that have covered the Alps for thousands of years." "Today's Alpine nature is the "Legacy of the Ice Age"." "In the Dolomites, Europe's past is anything but buried." "Once these peaks were coral reefs and atolls in an ancient sea, the Tethys." "Then the African plate began to drift against Europe." "As the continents collided 35 million years ago, the earth's crust was folded skyward." "Layers from deep down were pushed to the top." "Strata of rock were crushed, milled and kneaded under the weight of enormous masses." "In some parts of the Dolomites, the seafloor was lifted to unimaginable heights." "At the same time, the powers of erosion went to work" "Entire mountain ranges have eroded with hardly a trace the aggressive alliance of frost and water winning over the hardest of materials, splitting and undermining massive bodies of rock" "The chaos of ruts and crevices in the barren limestone does not look like an attractive habitat." "Unimpressed by the apparently hostile environment, this bird moves on foot through a terrain others would not even explore in flight." "This craggy natural fortress is just the perfect nesting site for a pair of wallcreepers." "Wallcreepers have developed a special climbing technique." "They keep their center of gravity extremely close to the rock wall." "Even the tiniest uneven patches can be used as footholds by their extremely long toes." "Between the crags, abruptly falling and rising winds create uncalculable flying conditions." "But wallcreepers are excellent mountain pilots." "As the wallcreepers approach their nest, they always land at some distance and climb the rest of the way." "Someone might be watching even though nest raiders stand little chance in this terrain." "Ermines and stone martens are not likely to harass them up here." "All who need to succeed in this vertical world, require special abilities." "Ibex climb into frightfully steep terrain." "Their hooves are miracles of traction." "Tough outer edges and highly elastic toe balls enable them to keep close contact to the rock" "An intricate system of tendons makes their feet incredibly flexible." "Climbing is a power sport." "Extremely strong heart muscles and extra large lungs make sure that the ibex will not easily tire." "Even today, the African plate is pushing underneath the European part of the earth's crust, lifting the Alps a few millimeters each year." "But the relentless powers of erosion keep the peaks from growing into the sky." "The mountains that seem so mighty and unchangeable today are only remnants that have not yet been destroyed by frost and water." "But erosion by frost and water has only fine-touched the face of the Alps." "The more marked features are the work of the ice age glaciers." "Ice masses of unimaginable weight crept down the slopes, reshaped their surface and widened the valleys." "A glacier is like a living being" "It needs constant nourishment which is converted into body substance and motion energy." "Its metabolism is very slow." "A snowflake that lands in the shade of a peak may take several centuries until it melts into the glacial river down-valley." "The glacier is torn by myriads of cracks, crevices and channels." "Between its catchment area higher up and its snout at the lower end, it keeps changing its appearance." "Yet it moves as one whole body, like a giant organism of ice." "The glacier is not just an ice flow." "On its way down it carries along enormous quantities of rock" "Sometimes its entire surface is covered in debris." "From huge boulders to tiny grains of sand whatever solid material the ice flow carries with it scours the bedrock beneath, slowly sculpting the terrain it crosses." "During the last ice age, the snow line was 1.300 meters below that of today." "Most valleys were filled with ice to the rim." "The ice rose to a height of 1.600 meters." "Only the highest peaks and ridges protruded above it." "The rest was a white desert." "The southernmost glacier snouts reached down to 30 miles from Nice." "In the north of the Alps, the frozen flood ended where Munich is today." "When half the continent lay in the grip of the ice the ancestors of many of today's inhabitants of the Alps arrived from latitudes along the arctic circle." "Their special equipment enabled them to colonize the white desert." "Ptarmigans have a windshield over their nostrils a warm down underwool, feathered feet and a habit of burying themselves in powder snow at night." "The Alpine mountain hare also comes from the cold north." "In the arctic, these hares live in large groups, but here the feeding grounds are more fragmented so these hares have learned to live solitary lives." "Even during the ice ages, one part of the Alps was never covered by glaciers." "The southern fringe escaped the ice and offered refuge to warmth-loving species." "Even today, one might easily forget that this, too, is part of the Alps." "Praying mantises may not actually be religious, but they do adore the sun." "They are not found in the cooler parts, but here, on the sunny side of the Alps, they are quite at home." "Being male could be a mantis' greatest risk" "If a male is not very careful, he can lose his head during the mating act - literally." "No problem for the female as long as the rest of the male's body remains intact for a while." "This male is lucky the female is being distracted by other prey." "A few crags up the valley a green lizard is enjoying the Mediterranean flair until her sun-bath is disrupted by a male." "It's mating time." "The darker-colored female is causing a stir." "A second male shows interest." "The first suitor's flashy blue throat signals he is ready to mate" " and no-one will stop him." "If threats don't work, the lizards may get physical." "Rather than risk an all-out battle, the challenger thinks the better of it." "The southern sun also breeds very poisonous creatures." "Asp vipers actually try to avoid the bright sunlight." "In the mild, Mediterranean climate they get all the sun they need in the early morning and late afternoon." "As soon as they are warmed up, they begin looking for mice - or sunbathing lizards." "Even on the northern side of the Alps, the ice age did not last forever." "During the past two million years, average temperatures have greatly fluctuated." "Every few hundred-thousand years a new cold or warm period set in." "When the latest glacial period ended about 1 6.000 years ago the network of glaciers flowing from the mountain ranges was dissolved." "Unimaginable masses of water were set free." "As the ice melted, the reshaped terrain underneath came to light." "At first, this was a barren stony desert." "In the rubble and on the glacial moraines, the first pioneers took root." "Many of them had come a long way." "Their ancestors had learned to adapt to the barren environment beyond the timberline in the Himalayas, the Altai mountains and in the Siberian tundra." "Even such typically Alpine flowers as the famous edelweiss are really immigrants from the Far East." "Where glaciers needed elbow room narrow canyons had been turned into wide valleys." "After pioneer plants had prepared the ground, forest vegetation conquered such terrain." "As the climate warmed, the forest crept higher and higher up the valleys driving before it animals that need open grasslands." "In the rhythm of alternating cold and warm periods, various waves of immigration had reached the Alps." "The ancestors of the Alpine chamois came from the Himalaya region." "After the ice age, the forest drove them to higher altitudes." "Ancestors of the Alpine marmot were immigrants from the cold tundras of Asia, and mountain hares came from Scandinavia and Siberia." "Relatives of the chamois are wide-spread." "Chamois have common ancestors with the mountain goat of the Rocky Mountains and the goral of the Himalayas." "All of them are expert jumpers and climbers." "When the young chamois are full of high spirits, they even seem to dance." "But before the chamois were perfectly adapted to this vertical world, there were a few biological tricks to be learned." "The glaciers have sharpened the contrasts in the Alpine landscape between valley and mountain, gentle and craggy, narrow and wide." "Like a precious gem the corrie lake is set in the bedrock" "This, too, is part of the Alps' ice age heritage." "In many places glaciers plowed through the valleys with such efficiency that they left behind vertical and even overhanging cliffs." "Here, a thousand waterfalls now fill the valleys with their music." "Fed by the glaciers of the Hohe Tauern range" "Europe's biggest cataract at Krimml Austria, thunders down some 400 meters." "Ravens are attracted to the waterfall." "They love to bathe and often get too wet to fly." "But at this time they are not here to bathe." "When raising their young, ravens take great care not to be bothered by egg thieves like foxes or martens." "So they choose an absolutely inaccessible location for their nest." "The dippers, too, have to feed a few extra mouths." "Their baby food consists of insect larvae small crustaceans and snails their parents fetch from the bottom of the stream." "The turbulent waters all around cannot impress the young dippers." "The wet element is theirs from the start." "A gray wagtail is hunting insects above the river." "Dippers can close their ears and nostrils." "An invisible diving suit is created by an oily secretion on their feathers so they are well equipped for hunting under water." "A shattered trout is just what the ravens have been looking for." "At this time, the demand for food is heavy." "For the male raven, the hardest days of the breeding period are over now." "During the first fourteen days after hatching he must feed the nestlings as well as the female." "Now the grown young need two providers." "Up in the nest the fledgelings try their wings a risky undertaking in such an exposed nursery." "By and by the close ties between parents and fledgelings will loosen up." "But as of now the young are still dependent on the food the parents provide." "Ravens are not really choosy." "Their diet includes carrion as well as fresh frogs, lizards and insects." "Mountain streams and waterfalls are not just sources of food." "They also transport materials that create new habitats." "Whatever is worn off from the massive rock higher up by erosion is rushed downstream by the raging waters." "Tons of rubble and sand are pushed and rolled along the river bed." "Downstream, gravel banks accumulate into an ever shifting system of islands and channels that translate into opportunities for nesting, hiding and hunting." "From the highest peaks, seeds and seedlings of Alpine plants are washed into the valleys and take root on this new, unstable ground." "This is a very dynamic habitat - nothing ever remains the same for long." "Little ringed plovers need such large gravel islands to breed." "Among the pebbles, their eggs are all but invisible." "They are ground breeders and have no nest." "Male and female share the burden of sitting on the eggs." "They take regular turns." "Sometimes single friends help out to keep the clutch warm." "It seems risky to brood unprotected in the open like this." "But on the flat gravel banks, an approaching predator is easily spotted so the birds can fly off in time." "When left alone, the eggs are too well-camouflaged to be found easily by martens or badgers." "Other waterfowl like the rare goosander also breed here." "Separated from the main stream by a riverine forest of gray alder and spruce the backwaters offer good fishing grounds and a safe haven for birds who build floating nests." "In contrast to ground breeders, the little grebes hardly need to fear high water levels." "To safeguard against drifting, the floating nest is carefully anchored between the reeds." "A polecat sneaking across the floodplain worries the plover." "Fortunately the clutch remains undiscovered." "But there are other risks." "Big, heavy raindrops spell out danger." "A cloudburst upstream may create torrents strong enough to wash away entire gravel banks." "Hardly a single rock has remained in place." "For the polecat, such rush floods are not a real threat." "It is an excellent swimmer and diver." "Other inhabitants of the river bed had to rely on sheer luck" "This time, the plovers have not come to harm." "When the ice age had ended, the vegetation of the Alps underwent a thorough change." "Vast forests covered the foothills and the valleys larch and stone pine higher up, with an increasing share of hardwoods at the lower elevations." "As the forests spread, they created a whole new habitat." "Tree-loving species like the capercaillie were now able to inhabit the Alps." "Soon after the snow-melt, the males meet on quiet clearings, so-called "leks", to fight for and woo their hens." "The males display their shimmering glory, trying to outshine rivals and impress the females." "The rare white-backed woodpecker relishes whatever he finds in the forest's abundant deadwood." "Red deer find quiet and protection in the mountain forests surrounding their high grassland pastures." "The fringes of the forest are the eagle owl's hunting ground." "Watchfully, the powerful eyes scan the forest floor." "Somewhere down there, there is always a meal as the common shrew is well aware." "This tiny predator is constantly on the lookout for worms, larvae and insects." "The shrew may be small, but not too small for this large predator." "But the Alpine brown bear is out to find a real treasure." "Honey bees counter such break-ins with a poisonous reaction." "But their sweet storage seems worth even scores of painful stings." "The bees don't give up so easily, but the bear must at least have a taste." "He has had enough - though not of honey." "As the Alps turned into woodland, they attracted what was to become the most feared hunter of the forest." "First and foremost, wolves hunt anything that runs on hooves." "In the forests of the Alps and above the timber line, they found plenty of deer, wild boar and chamois as well as smaller prey." "Wolves live in perfectly organized packs with clearly defined ranks and tasks." "Within their strict hierarchy, only the young enjoy relative freedom." "During a hunt, the clumsy youngsters would not be of great help, and so they are left alone to stay near a meeting place, well hidden in the forest." "Here they pass the time playing until the adults return from hunting." "Waiting around is boring and makes them sleepy." "A roe-deer has been killed." "It is too big to carry to the meeting place where the young are waiting for their meal." "A messenger goes off to fetch the cubs." "It is not necessarily the mother who is greeted so joyfully." "In a wolf pack, all the adults help with raising the young." "The adult female comes with herjaws empty." "She signals to the cubs to follow her back to the kill." "Wolves need some five pounds of meat per day, so they are forced to spend most of their time hunting." "Only a few of all the chases are actually successful." "The number of wolves in a pack depends largely on the size of their prey." "When small roe-deer make up most of the diet, the pack will be small, too often just a pair of parents with their cubs." "In the long run, the number of mouths to be fed is self-regulated by the supply a territory offers." "But even when there is enough food, mutual envy is a fierce factor in the pack especially among the young." "With the adults, rank decides who eats first." "After the meal, all energy is needed to digest." "Very different laws are at work high up among the summits." "For the wildlife up here, higher altitude means greater time pressure." "Every 200 meters up, the temperature drops by one degree centigrade, shortening the vegetation period by two weeks." "The ibex have learned to adjust to these harsh conditions." "For their winter grazing, they look for a combination of wind and sun to clear away the snow from the grass." "Ibex rarely stay above three-and-a-half thousand meters but they do cross extremely high passes on their way to new pastures." "It's tough at the top - and lonely." "This is exactly why some extremists like it up here." "Beyond 4.000 meters, there is precious little competition." "Of course, even for this, there is a price to pay" "The glacier crowfoot can only blossom every three years." "And even then there is no such thing as total safety." "One little mammal is undeterred by height." "Snow voles also know the advantages of life at the top." "Up here, the appearance of any predator is unlikely." "But in terms of diet, they must be contented with little variety." "This nursery stands unchallenged as Europe's highest." "The organ that's most important to young snow voles grows faster than the rest of their bodies" "Every week, their whiskers double in length." "The sensitive whiskers are needed for orientation in this rocky labyrinth of crevices and tunnels." "Thirteen days after birth the young voles will open their eyes." "Then the little voles will venture out for the first time from their cave stepping from the continent's highest nursery into the world's most exquisite panorama the realm of the golden eagle." "Murderous chases, burning hunger and the daily, deadly danger of avalanches - winters are bitter in a region where frost can hit even on a mid-summer's day." "Meet the allies of winter in the next episode of" ""Realm of the Golden Eagle"." "As winter invades the Alps, it shows its grimmest face." "Hardly anywhere else in Europe is the cold as severe as up here." "Blizzards attack these ramparts for weeks on end." "Icy gales sweep away all memories of summer." "These winds cut with the sharpness of a thousand razors." "Even with its first onslaught, winter can reap a grim harvest." "But although this mountain wilderness is in distress there are those who manage to survive on Europe's roof." "They have developed strategies against the deep snow, the wind and the icy cold." "But even for these specialists, the Alpine winter holds its dangers." "Here in the shade of the peaks, the ordeals of nature are especially harsh." "Inhabitants of the Dolomite's rock walls are now facing hunger." "Their search for food lures the chamois to dangerous spots." "And sometimes hunger pushes them just one fatal step too far." "It's a long and deadly drop - and yet it's vital, too." "As winter tightens its grip on the Alps, survival skills are tested to the very limit - in the realm of the golden eagle." ""REALM OF THE GOLDEN EAGLE"" ""SUMMITS OF LIFE"" "Majestically, the golden eagle glides above a hostile world of snow, ice and biting winds." "Only those who can handle the cold stand any chance of survival." "Ptarmigans even show a decided preference for northern slopes." "While it is colder here, they are more likely to find the dry powder they need to bury themselves." "Snow offers great insulation." "Marmots prefer to close their eyes to such foul weather." "Well-stocked with body fat they have withdrawn below ground in late September to spend the winter months in a coma-like state." "From time to time, marmots interrupt their hibernation to keep their metabolism going." "As they sleep, their body temperature sinks to just three degrees" "Centigrade above freezing." "Occasional movement keeps it from sinking even lower." "The entire clan huddles together in one big nest of hay." "Most other inhabitants of the high mountains, however, are exposed to the cruel whims of winter." "No nest or shelter of any sort protects the ibex against the severe frost and its effects." "Faced with chilly temperatures, the ibex avoid unnecessary movement to save energy." "But then, it's hard to graze without moving, and hunger weakens their defenses against the cold." "Tediously, the ibex paw away the snow to reach the freeze-dried plants underneath." "A bright moment in the high mountains" "When the sun does make one of its rare appearances, the ibex will not miss a single sunny moment." "The mountain tops remain longest in the sunlight so the ibex wander up to the peaks trying to make the very best of this rare opportunity." "They sunbathe - with an unmistakable expression of pleasure." "During such moments, the grimness of winter is briefly forgotten." "It even seems as if the sun's rays were fuelling the cockiness of some bucks." "It is only December, but in a sense, the ibex are already enjoying spring." "It is the rutting season." "Such advances towards a female are not appreciated by the flock's leader." "The rival has two choices:" "quickly clear out or face a clash." "Shattering as these clashes may look and sound, they are little more than tests of strength." "The opponents are seldom harmed." "The meeting usually follows a set choreography." "Slight variations in the position of the head or the feet signal the degree of an attacker's seriousness." "Only bucks of near equal stature fight seriously." "The golden eagle's opponents, however, are not always his equals." "As this eagle patrols the mountainside he is harassed by a pair of ravens." "This is their air space." "The large bird of prey tolerates their claim, because he can profit from one of their special talents." "The sky above the Dolomites has cleared up." "The sun brings to light one of winter's casualties." "The chamois who had taken one step too far and met disaster." "For carrion eaters, this is a feast." "Without such avalanche victims, not even the eagle could survive the cold season." "But it is always the ravens who discover the treasure first." "Ravens form partnerships for life." "The other partner is never far." "Having been together for years is no guarantee against envy and greed." "But in any case, their haggling will not last for long." "Someone is watching, ready to make his move." "The eagle has used the pair of ravens as scouts." "Now he claims their treasure." "As there are only two, the eagle can afford to rob them." "The eagle is extremely hungry." "During the cold season, eagles may have to go without food for a month or more." "More than 1.000 meter lower down, in the mountain forest, winter looks idyllic." "For the wildlife, however, the high snow poses a serious challenge." "There is not much food to be found, so there is time for a snow-bath." "The sun brings to life the frozen cascade of a waterfall." "During the day, the water flows freely, at night it will freeze again." "When the mood of winter darkens, all who can, seek shelter." "In the forest, survival is even more difficult than above the timberline." "A lot more snow gathers here, and competition for sparse food resources is tougher." "All the red deer can do is endure the storm with empty stomachs." "All animals in the mountain forest are severely tested by the winter." "Almost all of them." "Some have managed to even profit from the frosty season." "But the eagle owl is not one of them." "It lives on a diet of small rodents, and they tend to hide under the snow cover." "Some smaller birds, however, now live in abundance." "Spruce cones contain a nutritious treasure but it is mainly reserved for the crossbill who is specially equipped to extract the seeds." "It is an opulent meal amid general famine conditions." "But the crossbills need to watch out" "A pigmy owl is on the lookout for well-fed songbirds." "With their twisted beaks, the crossbills are quite skillful in handling the large cones." "This abundance of food enables these birds to raise their young while it is still mid-winter - a luxury no-one else can afford." "The bright-red males co-operate with the grayish-yellow females in feeding their offspring." "The spruce seeds are air-lifted in the parents' crop." "Then they are regurgitated into the young birds' wide-open mouths." "The cross-bills feed not only their young." "When their twisted beaks work the spruce cones, they unwittingly perform community service in the forest." "Below the trees, small bank voles are gluttoning on the crumbs that fall from the crossbills' table." "Well-fed bank voles serve the pigmy owl's vital interest." "The tiny owl has already marked a victim." "In order to avoid such surprises, many inhabitants of the mountains prefer to spend the day in a hide and only emerge at dusk" "Mountain hares stay on the safe side, although they are perfectly camouflaged." "They have extremely sensitive hearing and 360-degree-vision." "But to this hunter, night offers the best chance to make a kill." "In late winter, the eagle owl has to achieve twice its usual catch." "The cause for this increased hunting pressure is hidden high above the tree tops in a rocky niche." "Up here the female is busy hatching out her clutch of eggs." "She cannot leave and must be fed by her partner." "Dusk comes early on a winter's day." "The mountain hare seems hesitant to rely on its camouflage." "Only when it's dark does it feel safe - at least from the golden eagle." "But the twilight brings out other predators." "His narrow feet keep sinking into the deep snow." "This is the reason why the fox has not eaten for days." "Winter is definitely not his time of the year." "This is just fine with the snow voles." "They spend the entire winter active under the snow." "Temperatures down here are comparatively cozy and there is no shortage of food." "In some locations, snow voles spend a total of nine months per year under the snow cover." "When the snow finally does thaw, the traces of their exploits are quite obvious." "The fox is very close." "The snow voles panic." "Everything smells of snow voles - yet they don't seem to be anywhere." "At least not where the fox is digging." "The position of their nest spares the eagle owls such unwanted visits." "Even hungrier than before, the fox has to acknowledge his failure and retreats to his den." "The fox is only a subtenant here." "The den has been built by a badger family." "Sometimes both species use such a large den together." "In late winter, the badger family has expanded." "The young are born early in the year so they can build sufficient fat reserves for the next winter." "Badgers are very clean." "The young are constantly being licked and groomed." "In just a few months, these tiny cubs will weigh more than twenty pounds." "Their mother had timed the date of birth well." "The fertilized eggs inside her body only began to develop when outside temperatures and the length of daylight were just right." "The eagle owl has snatched up a mouse." "Patiently, the female waits in the nest for her partner's return." "Normally, eagle owls hunt at dusk or in the dark" "During the breeding season, however, there is an increased demand for food, so now the owls also hunt by day." "Sometimes the male eagle owl also brings bats and small birds but their main diet consists of rabbits and small rodents like bank voles." "In winters with lots of mice in the forest, the young owls stand a better chance of survival." "Even the longest winter has to end sometime." "The first sunrays just make the cold more visible, but soon their power will actually warm the slopes." "For the golden eagle, the fasting season will soon be over." "The marmots have awakened from their hibernation and are coming out to meet spring." "Wherever sun and wind can unfold their strength, the first green spots appear on the mountainside." "In the shaded hollows, however, the snow will remain for a long time to come." "The young marmots have survived the most critical stage of their lives, and they've done it with their eyes closed." "Now they are the first to surface." "Among marmots, reproduction is subject to strict rules." "They live in small families groups." "Only the parents are allowed to reproduce." "As soon as they awake from seven months of hibernation, they mate straight away." "It is a time when they are not very strong, so no energy is wasted with courtship rituals." "There is no time to be lost." "Fat reserves for the next winter need to be built but now there is only dry grass between the snowfields." "Amphibians are not quite what one would expect up here." "They are brown frogs who have spent the winter underground." "Now they, too, are in a great hurry to mate." "The snow does not bother them as long as there is open water nearby." "Although the water temperature is just above freezing, the frogs are in a hot mood." "However, where the sun reaches the dark, shallow ground, the water warms up quickly." "All those who cannot find a female in time will not reproduce this year." "Some single males try to win a female by fair means or foul." "Male brown frogs can be possessive in a very physical way." "Once they manage to cling to a female, they hold on for dear life." "The result of all this amourous confusion are large batches of eggs." "One female can produce up to 4.000 eggs." "How soon they will develop into larvae, depends on the water temperature." "At this elevation, it will take about five weeks." "Spring has arrived - still hesitant on the mountain, but with explosive energy in the valleys." "But in the Alps, spring is never without its setbacks." "Until the end of May, snowfalls are always a possibility." "Cold weather periods can throw back plants and animals in their development." "The lynx has come through a tough winter but as the snow melts, hunting opportunities improve." "Caves, dens and nests are teeming with young life." "Such calls worry the vixen." "Her cubs were born in a den between mid-March and mid-April." "At this time, the young ones hardly leave the warm nest which their mother has made of hair from her own belly." "The lynxes have all this still ahead of them." "For them, finding a mate is anything but easy." "Lynxes are still very rare in the Alps." "Their territories are so vast that their paths rarely cross." "Meanwhile, the young eagle owls should have hatched." "The fluffy chicks need to be constantly supplied with fresh meat, and they still need to be warmed by their parents." "At this stage, the tiny nestlings require much body contact." "Living in such a precarious place, they must be careful not to fall off the edge." "At the beginning of their lives, eagle owls have not yet developed the powerful eyesight they will have as adults." "Only after about a month, do their pupils begin to reflect infrared light which enables them to see in the dark" "Patiently, the mother eagle owl feeds her chicks small bits of meat." "Only the male brings fresh quarry, and only the female will tear it into pieces small enough for the chicks to swallow." "During the first three weeks of their lives, losing their mother would be particularly tragic" "The chicks would starve in spite of abundant food provided by the father." "Fortunately this rarely happens." "Every few hours, the young ones receive their pre-chewed meal." "The golden eagles have become parents, too." "Young eagles are left alone for days." "They must learn to handle large pieces of prey without help and to coordinate beak and fang action." "In order to feed its offspring, the golden eagle now even hunts in the forest." "Uncautiously, a young fox cub toddles from the den for the first time." "It could be easy prey for the eagle." "Its siblings, too, make their appearance and begin to explore the world." "This is no relative, just the neighbor." "The badger cub hardly takes notice of the young foxes." "Badgers first leave their dens at the age of about eight weeks." "Then they are interested in just about everything - except little foxes." "This little one has strayed dangerously far from the den." "The mother is spring-cleaning." "Badgers are extremely tidy and even use self-dug latrines outside the den." "Fortunately, the little one has come back from the forest unharmed." "It is now being shepherded back to the den by his mother." "Marmots are more vigilant." "One pair of eyes always monitors the sky." "Their habitat is the treeless mountain steppe with little vegetation to hide in." "When the young are playing, they are highly visible, so a guard always remains on duty." "Whether it's young marmots or ibex the games of the young always serve a serious purpose." "The young need to learn to hold their own against their peers." "With the ibex, it is male competition that is practiced." "With the marmots, it is not a question of sex." "At the age of three, all of them must leave the clan and conquer their own position in a new one." "The guard has noticed something suspicious." "The fox is still at a safe distance - and it is being monitored." "But other predators can suddenly appear out of the blue." "The entire clan dives for cover, but two youngsters are so caught up in their fight that they take no heed." "Unreachable on its high ledge, the young eagle is better protected than any other young animal in the Alps." "The eagle's nest is a stronghold." "It can only be seen from the air." "Young eagles spend most of their time alone." "Their parents visit in ever lengthening intervals to bring fresh prey." "Its diet is not exactly varied." "In some parts of the Alps, it is 80 per cent marmot meat." "The young eagle's solitude often results from a deadly struggle between siblings." "Generally, two eggs are hatched, but when food becomes scarce, the stronger of the two nestlings kills and eats the weaker one." "The parents never interfere in this conflict." "The marmots' upright position assures a good overview." "The eagle might return any moment." "Summer in the Alps is cool and short." "As it ends, thunderstorms can be extremely violent." "Threatening clouds are building up above the peaks." "Masses of air cascade down the hillside, releasing enormous energy and compressing the cold wind into the warm Foehn." "The marmots try to catch the last sunrays before withdrawing to their underground winter quarters." "Hay must be gathered to cushion and insulate the den." "The approach of autumn is written all over the mountain hare's fur, which is gradually turning white." "The hare changes its color twice every year ... beginning with the ears." "In the Alps, winter often comes suddenly, sometimes overnight." "Early in the morning, the chamois gather on the high ridges." "Apart from the first signs of winter, there is something else in the air." "Dropping temperatures and shorter days have triggered a change in their behavior." "In November, the vegetation is already covered by snow." "The chamois now prefer windy places." "The wind sweeps the snow from their pasture." "They must be certain to keep their strength - especially now." "The momentary calm is deceptive." "The bucks are getting ready for a murderous ritual." "In order to determine who is fit to reproduce the bucks chase each other to complete exhaustion, sometimes even to a fatal end." "Between dangerous crags, a deadly competition unfolds." "Male chamois compete with vicious violence." "The fight only ends when one of the rivals gives up, groggy from being head-butted, exhausted from endless sprints." "Within a few weeks, the bucks lose up to 40 per cent of their body weight." "The winner has won the right to mate." "It is surprising that he still has the strength to approach a female." "When winter fog creep over the crags, a mysterious shadow moves in the twilight." "His ghostly call echoes through the valleys." "Hated and persecuted for centuries, the wolf was finally exterminated from the Alps." "But now he is making a slow return to the realm of the golden eagle." "They were charged with stealing children, cursed as devils and slandered as blood-thirsty monsters." "Yet the wolf, the lynx and the brown bear are coming back into the Alps " "Find out why in the last episode of "Realm of the Golden Eagle"." "Throughout millions of years, nature in the Alps has been re-shaped time and again." "As ice ages came and went, plants and animals deserted the vast mountain range." "Some returned in changed shape others came from afar as new immigrants." "Some were looking for fresh opportunities and settled in high regions that had never been colonized." "Others formed alliances with existing forms of life or they continued old conflicts" "When large herds of deer, ibex and chamois moved into the Alps, predators followed." "One hunter, however, has left his impact on the Alps like no other:" "Man." "Man entered these mountains at the end of the last ice age." "It was the beginning of a revolution in the realm of the golden eagle." "Among all the Alpine hunters, wolves are the most adaptable predators." "This has enabled them to colonize even the most inhospitable corners of the earth." "Team work and the ability to learn have proved key advantages in adapting to difficult terrain." "With the exception of frozen rivers, perhaps." "Wolf populations flourished in the vast primeval forests that began to spread across the Alps after the last ice age." "The woodlands were also home to another legendary inhabitant of the Alps" "The European bison, a close relative of the American buffalo." "Bulls can weigh up to almost a ton." "Bisons are Europe's heaviest land animals." "Today, only a small population survives in the last wild forests of Poland." "There was a time when bisons roamed almost all the woodlands of the continent." "For hundreds of millennia, they were hunted by the big predators." "The bisons, too, were part of the heritage of the ice ages that began some one-and-a-half million years ago." "Ice shields more than a mile high covered great parts of the northern hemisphere." "From time to time the ice receded, but only to return again." "In this hostile environment, a new species gained ground." "Upright walking primates wandered from Africa northward into Europe." "200.000 years ago, man began to spread out across the continent." "A wealth of game attracted these hunter-gatherers to the more easily accessible fringes of the Alps." "These early Europeans respected the wolf as similar to their own kind" "Like them, the wolf was a hunter." "It was probably some 1 00.000 years ago that a long-lasting friendship began" "Wolves became man's companions and, finally, helpers in hunting and guarding." "Wild wolves and men hardly crossed each other's paths." "The land was vast and only thinly settled." "The wolves had enormous territories to themselves, and a rich supply of prey supported large packs." "Only when man began to persecute the wolf did it become a creature of the night." "Before that, wolves hunted in bright daylight." "In winter, hunger drives the wolves up to the higher, steeper regions beyond the timberline." "Howling is a far-reaching signal of a pack's presence in an area." "Wolves need this joint howling to encourage each other before a hunt." "And courage is needed now - a heavy winter storm is brewing." "Such hunting trips in high terrain are risky the greatest risk is not slipping and falling off steep cliffs, but the constant danger of avalanches." "The sky has cleared again, but the wolves make a sad discovery." "One member of the pack has not survived the storm." "The survivors seem hesitant to leave." "It is almost as if they were in morning." "The pack is well-organized with specific roles and tasks and a hierarchy." "Although the alpha wolf is pressing on, some find it hard to part from their dead kin." "A distant silhouette on the horizon explains why the wolves have taken the trouble to come up here in the first place." "The hunt follows a clear strategy" "Some of the wolves drive the prey into a panicky flight others cut off the escape routes and get ready for the ambush." "Whenever ravens witness such a chase, they stay nearby, full of anticipation." "The chamois is a hefty meal for the wolves." "First the bowels are opened to get to the inner organs." "Heart, liver and lungs are reserved for the leader." "Access to the quarry is ruled by the pack's rank order." "The wolves' hunger is proverbial." "They never know when they will make another kill so they eat as much as they possibly can up to 20 pounds of meat at one time." "For the ravens, this was worth waiting for." "With the retreating ice age glaciers, the culture of the hunter-gatherers also disappeared." "A new way of life began to take hold." "Men settled down and developed early forms of farming." "The neolithic revolution combined plowing the ground and breeding live-stock" "To get more grazing land, mountain forests were cleared, while in the valleys, woodlands gave way to crop fields." "The final break-through of agriculture came with the mass migration of peoples from the east into Central Europe." "By the middle ages, the face of the Alps was radically changing." "On ever increasing pastures, morew and more sheep and goats were grazing." "Conflict with the indigenous hunters of the mountain forest could no longer be avoided." "They were losing their habitat as well as their prey at a fast rate." "The livestock grazing on the high alpine pastures was well-fed and not particularly fast." "How could a wolf resist this temptation?" "Wolves learned to wait for the dark before coming close to human settlements." "Nightly encounters with the uncanny beast fired the imagination, and wild stories about blood-thirsty monsters made the rounds." "The invisible howling beast was thought to be in alliance with the devil or even the incarnation of Satan himself." "The Church provided the thought patterns for human fears and made the wolf a scapegoat." "Wolves and men had become competitors for natural resources." "In order to handle his fear of natural threats, man invented myths and fairytales." "The legend of the "big bad wolf" began." "But people did not stop at telling gruesome stories." "Wherever the wolf was found, it was exterminated." "The killing frenzy was without parallel:" "Never in human history had a creature attracted such bitter hatred." "In the middle ages the crusade against this incarnation of evil reached its climax." "By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the wolf was practically extinct in the Alps." "This alpine pasture is like a window into the past:" "Since the middle ages, things up here have hardly changed at all." "With many alpine communities being cut off from the outside world, people had to fend for themselves." "When mining began to flourish, the demand for food rose." "Not only mountain farmers had to be fed but thousands of miners as well." "The forest paid the bill." "The man-made upper treeline, in many places some 400 meters below the natural one had reached its present status as early as the fourteenth century." "But incidentally man had also created the greatest biodiversity in the Alps." "On mountain meadows there are innumerable species in a limited space a wealth of colorful flowers and even more insects." "On especially favored slopes there are more than 1.000 kinds of butterflies spread over a few square miles." "Haymaking keeps these meadows clear of shrubs so that smaller plants that would otherwise stand little chance to grow here, can flourish." "The scythe treats all plants alike in contrast to very selective livestock" "When the full beauty of the wildflowers has mostly faded in late summer, people come to harvest hay like they have done for centuries." "Even in these modern days, traditional tools are used." "The slopes are too steep for anything but the scythe." "It has always been dangerous work" "Large-scale forest clearings had an unwanted side effect." "Ground erosion led to landslides." "Falling rocks and avalanches were no longer stopped by the forest." "Some rules governing the forces of nature were little understood in former days." "In order to contain their fears, men glorified the powers of nature." "Many myths and fairytales were actually based on true observation but often coupled with false interpretation." "Griffon vultures were seen eating a cow's carcass." "But did that mean they killed the cow?" "Today, people know better." "Any child in the Alps is aware that griffons live on nothing but carrion." "Griffon vultures have always been mere summer visitors in the Alps." "Their breeding grounds lie far south, along the Mediterranean coast." "Perhaps this has saved them." "Other animals of smaller range were much easier targets for human persecution." "Many of the big predators in the Alps were persecuted as either pests or evil demons and some animals became victims of folk medicine." "Ibex blood was believed to remove bladder stones." "Their horns were a magic protection against bad luck, and their feces was taken as a medication against tuberculosis." "Heroic hunters did the rest." "At the end of the nineteenth century, the total number of ibex in the entire Alps could be counted on two hands." "At that time, the Alpine brown bear was long gone." "In 1913, the last bearded vulture was shot in the Italian Alps." "In 1 865, the Matterhorn, the last of the great peaks of the Alps, was conquered." "The early alpinists must have felt lonely at the top most of the big alpine animals were already extinct or greatly decimated." "The mountain pioneers drew after them scores of tourists." "Like an unknown planet, the Alps were unexplored, a landscape of superhuman dimension, dangerous and mysterious and therefore attractive to the bored upper classes." "Summits were conquered, great peaks defeated." "Climbing became a symbol of man's ability to subdue the forces of nature." "The greatest promise held out on Europe's roof was escape from civilization which, in turn, led to a new love of nature." "The climbing tourists won a new perspective of wild nature" "From a dark and dangerous place the Alps changed into a gigantic sports arena with a grand view and later into a scenic jewel worth preserving." "Yet something was missing in this pure wilderness" "All the creatures that had been persecuted, hated and driven to extinction in centuries past." "Only in recent decades has massive human support enabled many of the typical Alpine animals to return to the realm of the golden eagle." "The chances for their return have never been as good as today." "Fewer and fewer people are willing to live in remote mountain areas all year round." "The mountain forests have been spreading again." "There is more wildlife in the Alps than there was two centuries ago a situation that has also helped this elegant glider to return." "This young bearded vulture is in the hands of scientists - and here it is safe." "Some of its feathers are being bleached so it can be identified from a distance." "The bird is ringed so that its migrations can later be documented." "Since 1986, bearded vultures have again been released in the Alps." "Their absence from the Alpine skies had lasted almost a century." "For the biologists, the bearded vulture is not an easy case." "The birds have to survive a vulnerable juvenile stage of six to eight years." "Only then are they sexually mature and can contribute to building a new population." "Releasing this young bird into the wilderness is only a first step." "At this stage, no-one can tell whether he will be able to mate and breed." "This bird has been raised in captivity." "It still needs to learn the rules of the wilderness." "The young bearded vulture is facing an uncertain future." "First it needs to recover from the stress of being placed in a new environment." "The large-scale bearded vulture repopulation program has, so far, been an absolute success." "Individuals have been released in the Austrian, French and Swiss Alps." "Meanwhile, some 80 of these giant birds live again in the Alps." "The youngest member in the Alpine club does not yet quite trust its flying skills." "Of all the raptors in the Alps, vultures boast the most effective ratio of body weight to wing span." "This enables them to effortlessly ride rising thermals." "The young bearded vulture quickly gains confidence in the state of gliding." "The youngster is not exactly welcomed by his own kind." "He is attacked by an older male whose air-space he has obviously violated." "The young intruder got the message." "He will have to leave this valley and look for his own territory." "The owner of the territory maneuvers himself into a pillar of warm air and rises." "Flying a long-drawn curve over the valley, he marks his dominion." "The bearded vultures needed human assistance in order to return to the Alps." "Other animals need nothing but a little tolerance." "Brown bears can extend their living space along existing woodland corridors - if they are allowed to." "The bears' first steps back into the forests of the Alps are hesitant, but there is an upward tendency." "Since the early nineties, bears have been present and are reproducing." "In Austria alone, there are now 35 brown bears." "Another European hunter has also been able to re-conquer long-lost territory in the dense undergrowth of the mountain forest." "Where orchids blossom, the lynx can thrive as well." "By the end of the nineteenth century, the big cats had completely disappeared from the Alps but for some years now, they have again been a constant element of" "Alpine wildlife." "It is hard to imagine how the lynx was once demonized as a bloodthirsty monster that killed innocent lambs." "Today, wildlife is seen in a more sober light." "Within a large territory of about 60 square miles the average lynx hunts 50 roe deer each year a rather small price to pay for the return of this beautiful cat." "As long as 30 years ago, attempts were made to re-introduce the lynx - in Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia." "Today there are about 1 50 lynxes in the hidden valleys of the Alps." "To this day, the highest mountain regions have remained largely untouched by human influence." "The greater part of the high summits has been too inaccessible." "To this fact, today's Europe owes its vastest unspoilt wilderness." "This was the golden eagle's great advantage for a new start and this has made the preservation program dedicated to him the most successful of all." "In winter, the eagle's survival depends on avalanche victims." "For months on end, chamois and ibex who have been caught in the violent snow masses, are the eagles' only food resource." "A chamois like this one is a treasure and assures food for weeks." "But sometimes, a shocking surprise may be in store." "This method of capturing eagles is ancient,and it has been resurrected by a daring biologist this time to the bird's advantage." "The eagle may not see an advantage and his captor's fingers take a good beating." "Eagles need vast areas." "A breeding pair claims up to 60 square miles for its hunting ground." "In order to find a territory of its own, a young eagle has to fly hundreds of miles." "In order to gather hard facts about these migrations this eagle is fitted with a GPS satellite transmitter." "All his movements can thus be recorded." "Meanwhile the number of golden eagles in the Alps is higher than it was 200 years ago." "Since eagles require such large territories, their number in the Alps is naturally limited." "Meanwhile, the eagles can again support a stable population." "The sky above Europe is now replete with these majestic birds of prey." "The chamois, too, stood on the brink of extinction by the end of the nineteenth century but their populations have been able to stabilize." "200 years ago, only a handful of ibex had survived." "The Italian king Emanuel the Second realized the value of these last survivors in the Gran Paradiso mountains and decreed their protection." "Today's ibex owe their existence to this royal whim." "The motive of bringing the ibex back, however, had little to do with conservationist ideas." "Paradoxically, it was the gentry's desire to hunt big game that brought the ibex back" "The European otter is also returning to its original habitats." "But of all the home-comers,the otter is up against the stiffest resistance." "In the debris of the high mountains the otter is a rare guest and makes the ibex wonder." "Otters sometimes go to great lengths to explore new habitats." "On the snowfields of Europe's roof, this otter is merely passing through." "His destiny is the river on the other side of the mountain range." "Natural riverbeds with small lagoons and shallows are especially attractive for otters." "If the vegetation along the banks is dense enough, an otter may even decide to settle down." "Although natural rivers have become rare in the valleys of the Alps, there are a few areas, where otters now thrive." "Many waterways have been artificially regulated and are running between concrete banks." "Dams and power stations have destroyed the natural dynamics of these rivers." "The otter needs fluctuating water levels and irregular banks." "In order to catch a fish, he must be able to chase it into a small bay or a rocky niche." "With unparalleled elegance, the otter glides along in the swift current." "Any attempt of the prey to escape sideways is immediately countered." "The otter's feeding habits have always irritated fishermen." "No wonder, when fish are farmed and released into rivers just to provide fishing pleasures and food for man." "Pond owners and fishermen became the otter's most bitter enemies." "For thousands of years, Alpine lakes have been a source of food for humans." "Especially the arctic charr has always been appreciated as a delicacy." "During the ice age, these fish came from the arctic to the lakes on the northern fringe of the Alps." "Because of its inherited adaptation to the cold the charr has found these mountain lakes an ideal habitat and has been very productive." "These fish, however, are not caught for the table." "Most of them are directly released back into the lake." "The sexually mature females are sorted out to extract their eggs so they will not be destroyed by predators." "Some of these eggs are used to farm marketable fish." "By this method,the natural population in the lake is preserved." "Alpine nature offered much to man that could be turned to profit." "But whatever stood in the way of man's interest was recklessly persecuted and destroyed." "Sometimes, though, the ghosts of the past return." "They are coming into the Alps from the south and south-east." "For centuries,they had been demonized and driven to extinction." "But now, they are back" "They survived in remote refuges on the Balkan and Apennine peninsulas." "Meanwhile, wolves are again spreading northward on secret paths." "Since 1992, wolf packs have repeatedly been sighted in the French and Italian Alps." "The populations are growing." "There is new hope for the wolf and this female is contributing to it." "Pregnant for two months, she has withdrawn into her underground den to give birth." "Outside,the male is guarding the den." "The moment of birth is precisely chosen." "The mother has been able to build her reserves." "During their first months, her cubs will not lack food." "They will have a good start into their first winter." "The newly born is carefully licked clean." "Only when conditions are extremely favorable, will a litter consist of more than six cubs." "The little ones only open their eyes when they are two weeks old." "In Europe, most wolf packs are as small as possible:" "two adult animals and their cubs." "In this way, wolves adjust to the supply of food in their territory." "This makes the male's role more important." "He can hunt so the female can stay close to the den and the litter." "The hungry mother wolf is also the alpha female of the pack" "Only the alpha pair is allowed to reproduce." "The den is sometimes an extended badger den, but mostly wolves dig their own tunnels." "In recent years they have done so again in the French and Italian Alps." "Meanwhile, several packs totaling about 30 individuals are established here." "After a short break, the mother is back again to suckle the cubs." "The tiny wolves have to grow rapidly." "During their first two months, they gain almost 20 pounds in weight." "Well strengthened and with curious eyes, the cubs first leave the den after four weeks." "They are the hope for the future." "Each year, the wolf population in the Alps is growing stronger." "The chances for the wolf's return have never been as good as today" "For centuries, the deer and chamois populations have not been as strong." "Traditional farming in the Alps has been on the retreat for decades." "These cubs are taking their first shaky steps on the way to their ancestors' home." "Whether they will be successful depends on whether we can accept the wolf back and whether a century-old prejudice can be buried." "Then the wolves will not even need our help." "They will be able to return to Europe's highest wilderness on their own strength." "At the dawn of the third millennium accepting the wolf's claim of his former home is the greatest challenge for wildlife conservation in the Alps in the realm of the golden eagle."