1 00:00:02,650 --> 00:00:08,150 A picturesque region in the Balkans packed with strange customs 2 00:00:09,074 --> 00:00:11,174 birds eat with spoons 3 00:00:12,410 --> 00:00:17,620 horses go bathing and a big mouth go swimming in the woods 4 00:00:19,344 --> 00:00:23,664 in the middle of Croatia there is an abundance of water 5 00:00:23,688 --> 00:00:28,408 the unpredictable waters of the Sava know no restrictions 6 00:00:29,050 --> 00:00:32,112 and create an amphibian world 7 00:00:32,694 --> 00:00:38,300 flooded for months at a time the wetlands are home to swarms of young creatures 8 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:40,300 like the ugly ducklings 9 00:00:42,024 --> 00:00:46,124 piggyback chicks and builders busy grooming themselves 10 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:55,220 in the floodplains large birds catch fish and large fish catch bird 11 00:00:58,010 --> 00:01:04,630 here people live with the water as was usual in many parts of Europe centuries ago 12 00:01:06,020 --> 00:01:10,250 at a time when rivers could meander as they pleased 13 00:01:11,670 --> 00:01:18,450 an ancient cultural landscape in which many domesticated animals can wander freely all year round 14 00:01:19,030 --> 00:01:24,260 like the deer in the forests and the beavers in the water 15 00:01:25,729 --> 00:01:31,449 that landscape shows us today what flood protection can mean 16 00:01:31,473 --> 00:01:33,473 [music] 17 00:01:44,430 --> 00:01:48,219 the most plentiful tributary of the Danube 18 00:01:48,220 --> 00:01:52,262 has its headwaters in the julian alps of Slovenia 19 00:01:59,979 --> 00:02:07,599 fed from glaciers snow and ice one of its stems has its source in the foothills of Mount Airy Bluff 20 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:18,068 this is where the Sava river begins its over 940 kilometer journey 21 00:02:24,250 --> 00:02:30,570 emerald-green Springs produce crystal-clear groundwater like miniature volcanoes 22 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:39,200 before it got this far it trickled down underground through the mountains 23 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:47,420 it's still winter up here everything is sheathed in ice 24 00:02:50,044 --> 00:02:56,464 even lake behind where the two stems of the Sava join forces still has a coating of ice 25 00:02:57,970 --> 00:03:04,370 from here the Sava continues as a tumbling mountain torrent towards the Danube and the Black Sea 26 00:03:08,490 --> 00:03:15,840 to save energy in this gushing River the trout and speckled trout aim into the current 27 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:31,430 despite the bitter cold of the winter many parts of the Sava remain ice-free 28 00:03:32,430 --> 00:03:37,690 where he becomes shallower it freezes over from the banks towards the center 29 00:03:40,690 --> 00:03:46,160 but the fast flowing current will not permit the ice to cover the surface completely 30 00:03:48,740 --> 00:03:54,760 mountain streams like this are the preferred hunting ground of a rather special bird 31 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:03,640 the white throated dipper relies on the streams not freezing over completely in the winter 32 00:04:05,540 --> 00:04:10,660 it doesn't just dip its head into the water to hunt for amphipods or insect larvae 33 00:04:15,020 --> 00:04:22,120 the Dipper is the only songbird that can swim and can dive for up to 30 seconds 34 00:04:29,319 --> 00:04:33,319 it even takes a dive into the gushing Sava 35 00:04:36,643 --> 00:04:42,643 where a Danube salmon has already caught its lunch but is having difficulty swallowing it 36 00:04:44,180 --> 00:04:51,980 there was a time when this predatory fish that grows up to 1.8 metres in length was ubiquitous throughout the Danube area 37 00:04:52,039 --> 00:04:54,559 today the Danube salmon is less frequent 38 00:04:54,560 --> 00:05:00,369 it needs fast flowing well oxygenated rivers with plenty of gravel to breed in 39 00:05:00,370 --> 00:05:06,422 in many places those rivers have been dammed with barges and lock systems 40 00:05:06,489 --> 00:05:12,533 this is why the untamed Sava is a crucial retreat for the Danube salmon 41 00:05:14,750 --> 00:05:20,309 the Sava is still passing through mountainous country but soon the 42 00:05:20,310 --> 00:05:24,599 gradient becomes less obvious and the river completely changes its character 43 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:32,240 as it passes through Slovenia Croatia Bosnia Herzegovina and Serbia 44 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:36,638 the lively mountain stream from the eastern Alps becomes a leisurely 45 00:05:36,639 --> 00:05:40,739 meandering river that joins the Danube at Belgrade 46 00:05:40,763 --> 00:05:47,310 halfway along southeast of Zagreb it snakes through flat plans with only the slightest gradient 47 00:05:48,010 --> 00:05:52,210 here in plaza vena lies the long scope olia nature reserves 48 00:05:53,479 --> 00:05:57,299 in one of the last contiguous River landscapes in Europe 49 00:06:05,009 --> 00:06:11,429 in the cold winter many of the side arms of the sava wetlands are frozen to a large extent 50 00:06:16,500 --> 00:06:24,090 in the Balkans the summer is much warmer than in Central Europe but the winter can be very hard 51 00:06:25,414 --> 00:06:30,634 there are not many sections of this tranquil stretch of water that stay free of ice 52 00:06:35,910 --> 00:06:42,200 they're only superficially frozen and many of the fish spend the winter here 53 00:06:43,810 --> 00:06:51,810 as do the great white heron they may look exotic but they can deal with extremely frosty temperatures 54 00:06:52,450 --> 00:06:57,680 since they don't only live off fish they don't have to migrate when the waters freeze over 55 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:02,110 they find enough mice and other small animals under the snow 56 00:07:02,310 --> 00:07:05,510 and this fox is hoping his luck ease in today 57 00:07:12,710 --> 00:07:18,810 the open sections of the Sava are a center of attraction for many 58 00:07:24,820 --> 00:07:31,340 mute swans the largest waterfowl in Europe get social during the winter 59 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:38,190 sometimes dozens of them will congregate around the unfrozen arms of the river 60 00:07:46,870 --> 00:07:53,190 in places like this no movement in the water will go unnoticed by the white and grey herons 61 00:07:55,319 --> 00:08:01,659 after all it might be a fish and in these temperatures every calorie is precious 62 00:08:06,100 --> 00:08:08,420 and worth an argument 63 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:20,280 and this wild boar does not want to be left out 64 00:08:23,750 --> 00:08:27,850 so he goes over to sort the herons out 65 00:08:31,060 --> 00:08:36,160 and disappears into the extensive forests of the Sava wetlands 66 00:08:37,884 --> 00:08:43,129 the Nature Reserve is not only home to centuries-old Slavonia oak 67 00:08:43,330 --> 00:08:48,950 whose particularly durable wood is highly sought-after for furniture and wine barrels 68 00:08:50,050 --> 00:08:55,970 it's also where the best ham is domiciled so the saying goes 69 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:03,443 the winter resistant Europe olia pigs with their layer of fat up to 15 centimetres thick 70 00:09:03,670 --> 00:09:09,880 live here all year round and root around in the woods looking for acorns 71 00:09:10,890 --> 00:09:18,410 during the Balkan war at the beginning of the 1990s this ancient species of animal was nearly made extinct 72 00:09:20,700 --> 00:09:27,220 but the robust original Europe aalia's are an essential source of genetic material for pig breeding 73 00:09:31,010 --> 00:09:33,930 fortunately it was possible to save them 74 00:09:33,950 --> 00:09:38,180 and with them the traditional grassland farming by the sava 75 00:09:38,230 --> 00:09:41,540 an ancient cultural bio diverse landscape 76 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,760 artificial canals cut their way through the wetlands 77 00:09:51,172 --> 00:09:54,592 but the neatly felled trees were not the work of humans 78 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:01,200 fresh tracks indicate that they're still active even in the cold season 79 00:10:02,170 --> 00:10:08,390 beavers do not hibernate these large rodents have to eat regularly 80 00:10:08,670 --> 00:10:12,290 they've stocked their underwater ladders for difficult times 81 00:10:16,470 --> 00:10:21,459 but wherever possible they prefer to save their energy and eat fresh bark 82 00:10:21,460 --> 00:10:26,380 even if the way to the next snack is a little slippery 83 00:10:29,610 --> 00:10:31,610 even the Magpies cantake a slide 84 00:10:39,234 --> 00:10:44,934 now that it's slowly beginning to thaw some small tip bits are becoming accessible 85 00:10:45,510 --> 00:10:53,460 the great bitten likes to stalk along the edge of the reeds where there are often breaks in the ice looking for unmoving fish 86 00:10:54,260 --> 00:11:01,333 while Magpies as omnivores can survive in the cold season by feeding on vegetarian meals 87 00:11:01,690 --> 00:11:04,690 the great bitten needs its meat licious 88 00:11:07,514 --> 00:11:15,434 then spring comes and in the julian alps where the Sava has its source everything is thawing 89 00:11:16,630 --> 00:11:20,950 water from the massive catchment area tumbles over the cliffs 90 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:24,750 one great torrent is making its way 91 00:11:25,060 --> 00:11:31,119 in the plaza vena plain the water masses build up the entire Sava basin fills up sometimes as 92 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:34,120 much as 10 metres above the normal level 93 00:11:35,244 --> 00:11:41,849 although it looks like a natural disaster this is actually saving the towns along the Sava from urban flooding 94 00:11:41,850 --> 00:11:50,079 the Sava wetlands act as a detention basin over 600 square kilometres is flooded every year 95 00:11:53,960 --> 00:12:01,870 like an enormous sponge the alluvial forests soak up the water from around 10 billion bathtubs 96 00:12:02,570 --> 00:12:06,890 in the past many River landscapes around Europe looked like this 97 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:13,460 these trees often spend several weeks and months standing in the water 98 00:12:14,530 --> 00:12:20,860 without these floodplains towns like Zagreb and Belgrade would frequently be washed out 99 00:12:21,010 --> 00:12:23,630 many animals benefit from the flooding 100 00:12:24,850 --> 00:12:30,850 no less than 15 species of amphibians like the moor frog 101 00:12:32,074 --> 00:12:37,580 these 7 centimeter long frogs leave their winter quarters on mass in the spring 102 00:12:37,858 --> 00:12:42,278 and for the spawning season the male's take on a blue color 103 00:12:45,002 --> 00:12:48,202 these flooded meadows provide plenty of food 104 00:12:48,226 --> 00:12:51,846 herons fish while beside them 105 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:55,620 the wild boar graze on fresh greens in the water 106 00:12:56,644 --> 00:13:00,644 or dig in the soggy soil for insect larvae and roots 107 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:14,420 even the torah' polio pigs wade in the marsh 108 00:13:15,620 --> 00:13:19,480 with their powerful snouts they plow the river landscape 109 00:13:19,504 --> 00:13:26,824 they're digging action breaks up the heavy soil allowing fresh grass to establish itself in the nutrient-rich mud 110 00:13:30,050 --> 00:13:33,670 by maintaining this traditional meadow management system 111 00:13:33,694 --> 00:13:40,694 the inhabitants of the Sava region have found a way of making the most of the wetlands despite regular flooding 112 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:45,000 they live with the water rather than fighting against it 113 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:50,270 since the level can rise by 10 metres overnight the houses are built on embankment 114 00:13:50,670 --> 00:13:56,653 and usually 2 storeys high when the floods come the inhabitants move up to the top floods 115 00:13:57,010 --> 00:14:00,630 the Chi got village has 70 timber houses 116 00:14:00,879 --> 00:14:06,879 and used to be home to 300 people there are now only a hundred and twenty 117 00:14:07,630 --> 00:14:14,489 but they have sub-tenants there are over 40 pairs of storks nesting on the roofs 118 00:14:14,490 --> 00:14:19,490 g-gosh was christened Europe's first stork village 119 00:14:21,214 --> 00:14:28,234 the inhabitants support the storks and provide platforms for them to build their nests on 120 00:14:30,220 --> 00:14:35,479 the alluvial forests are a plentiful source of nest building materials 121 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:43,100 a stork's nest can have a diameter of 2 meters many are the work of successive stork generations 122 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:50,570 when the partner returns carrying building materials he or she is greeted with bill clattering 123 00:14:52,260 --> 00:14:57,530 the nest is also the mating location a balancing act high up on the roof 124 00:15:03,810 --> 00:15:09,040 while the storks actively seek human habitations to build their nests 125 00:15:09,070 --> 00:15:13,990 others prefer the privacy of the alluvial forest 126 00:15:17,217 --> 00:15:21,937 after the winter the mute swans give up their social gatherings 127 00:15:23,012 --> 00:15:28,232 they're strict vegetarians and mainly live off aquatic vegetation 128 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:32,183 but when a pair start exchanging aquatic undergrowth 129 00:15:33,329 --> 00:15:40,349 they're collecting building materials branches and twigs form the base construction 130 00:15:44,019 --> 00:15:48,919 the greenery is for the padding the swan couples like to build 131 00:15:48,929 --> 00:15:54,238 their nests that are big enough for five to seven eggs on small islands away from 132 00:15:54,239 --> 00:15:57,459 the banks to prevent the Foxes getting close 133 00:16:00,483 --> 00:16:07,519 the crested grebe have already laid their eggs in the floating nest made of reeds branches and water plants 134 00:16:09,499 --> 00:16:17,119 as underwater hunters they catch small fish interspersed with aquatic insects and crayfish 135 00:16:24,209 --> 00:16:29,029 this one has caught a particularly bulky specimen 136 00:16:32,553 --> 00:16:39,173 swallowing this large crayfish with its hard shell and cumbersome pincers is quite a feat 137 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:54,620 once dinner is over the grebe has to preen itself thoroughly 138 00:16:58,644 --> 00:17:05,247 what looks like a heap of old sticks dumped in the forest is in fact an architectural masterpiece 139 00:17:05,530 --> 00:17:09,950 beavers build dams to maintain a steady water level 140 00:17:11,550 --> 00:17:17,119 the entrance to their Lodge is under water to keep out land-based predators 141 00:17:18,319 --> 00:17:23,178 they may not look very graceful a beaver can weigh up to 40 kilograms which is 142 00:17:23,179 --> 00:17:28,499 heavier than a roe deer but underwater they cut a very streamlined figure 143 00:17:30,290 --> 00:17:36,830 they propel themselves forwards with their hind feet the scaly tail acts as a rudder 144 00:17:46,799 --> 00:17:51,799 the beaver will gnaw at a large tree for several days 145 00:17:56,620 --> 00:18:02,479 once the tree has been felled that will gorge themselves on the juicy leaves and 146 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:04,880 buds from the crown of the tree 147 00:18:06,604 --> 00:18:14,269 thinner twigs up to the thickness of a pencil that's still very soft are eaten completely with the wood and bark 148 00:18:14,270 --> 00:18:19,270 many of the felled trees will sprout again the next year 149 00:18:19,294 --> 00:18:25,504 the larger branches are only used as building materials for the lodge and Dam 150 00:18:31,590 --> 00:18:36,610 this is what causes beaver Lakes with constant water levels 151 00:18:36,634 --> 00:18:42,519 these permanent water features created by beavers are extremely important for the plants and 152 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:44,920 animals in the alluvial forests 153 00:18:46,544 --> 00:18:52,864 the European pond turtle for example one of 12 reptile species in the Nature Reserve 154 00:18:53,290 --> 00:18:58,710 these turtles prefer thick underwater vegetation with muddy sediment 155 00:18:58,934 --> 00:19:04,874 they usually mate in the water on dry land it can be a risky affair 156 00:19:06,298 --> 00:19:10,918 in summer beavers will mainly eat juicy green vegetation 157 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:15,430 fresh herbs and foliage buds and water lily roots 158 00:19:15,854 --> 00:19:20,714 they generally only live off tree bark in the winter when there's nothing else 159 00:19:22,611 --> 00:19:27,811 a fully grown beaver needs a kilogram of fresh vegetable matter every day 160 00:19:30,535 --> 00:19:34,535 when they dive they can stay underwater for a quarter of an hour 161 00:19:34,770 --> 00:19:43,400 their nose and ears are closed off they can see because their eyes are protected by an additional transparent skin 162 00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:01,930 the lodge has now seen the arrival of the kids 163 00:20:04,054 --> 00:20:11,779 between April and June the female will give birth to one to four kids with hair and their eyes open 164 00:20:11,780 --> 00:20:15,990 the young spend the first month in the living quarters of the lodge 165 00:20:19,070 --> 00:20:22,000 for six to eight weeks they're subtle by the mother 166 00:20:24,024 --> 00:20:27,234 as long as the kids are in the lodge they're safe 167 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:39,670 but out in the waters of the sava terrifying predators are waiting 168 00:20:42,950 --> 00:20:49,918 catfish can grow to 100 1/2 meters long and weigh more than 50 kilograms 169 00:20:49,919 --> 00:20:53,969 some have even been known to grow to three metres in length and reach weights of 170 00:20:53,970 --> 00:20:56,690 over a hundred and fifty kilogram 171 00:20:57,314 --> 00:21:01,904 the sava wetlands are home to one of the largest catfish populations in Europe 172 00:21:02,729 --> 00:21:04,229 they're usually loners 173 00:21:09,553 --> 00:21:13,913 but in spring there are sometimes unusual gatherings 174 00:21:16,037 --> 00:21:22,719 the focus is usually a group of overweight females with swollen bellies full of spawn 175 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:32,590 a large female can lay up to half a million tiny eggs 176 00:21:37,514 --> 00:21:44,694 and yet these whirling catfish are not mating this puzzling spectacle is perhaps a kind of foreplay 177 00:21:50,070 --> 00:21:56,009 the mating act takes place only between two catfish in private after the male 178 00:21:56,010 --> 00:22:00,599 has created a spawning burrow in the shallow water close to the bank 179 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:03,010 among thick underwater vegetation 180 00:22:09,740 --> 00:22:16,729 there are many suitable places along the sava the quiet side arms are often 181 00:22:16,730 --> 00:22:20,740 overgrown with a thick mat of pond and water lilies 182 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:30,730 they're juicy branches are nourishing tidbits for the Beavers 183 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:46,500 and the broad floating leaves are a welcome diving board for France hunting insects 184 00:22:51,470 --> 00:22:59,190 in this way the Fertile waters of the wetlands are a good source of food for many species and a nursery 185 00:23:00,214 --> 00:23:05,134 one of the most common fish in the Sava is not even from this area 186 00:23:06,070 --> 00:23:13,900 in the densely vegetated shoreline pumpkinseed fish with their black mark on the gill cover have found a hole 187 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:20,570 at the end of the 19th century the fish was introduced in Europe from North America 188 00:23:20,594 --> 00:23:27,329 and escaped from some garden ponds since it breeds several times a year it was able to spread 189 00:23:27,330 --> 00:23:29,630 rapidly across the continent 190 00:23:31,254 --> 00:23:35,614 the pumpkinseed protects its spawning burrows aggressively 191 00:23:40,038 --> 00:23:43,038 it will even attack very large intruders 192 00:23:49,170 --> 00:23:54,990 one level higher another baby has just freed itself of its eggshell 193 00:23:55,514 --> 00:24:01,654 stripe iya squeakers or baby boars its siblings already swimming around the nest 194 00:24:05,478 --> 00:24:11,390 the chicks of the crested grebe do not all hatch out at the same time but a day apart 195 00:24:18,090 --> 00:24:22,710 surprisingly the parents offer their babies freshly pulled feathers 196 00:24:22,820 --> 00:24:24,820 even order the chicks eat them 197 00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:38,169 one explanation might be this it's possible that the feathers protect the 198 00:24:38,170 --> 00:24:42,890 tender stomach linings of the babies against sharp fish bones 199 00:24:53,070 --> 00:24:59,049 the first weeks the chicks spend a lot of time in a cozy hollow of warm down 200 00:24:59,050 --> 00:25:03,990 this protects them against the cold water and the hot Sun 201 00:25:10,029 --> 00:25:14,649 frequently the parents will go swimming with the chicks on their banks 202 00:25:15,019 --> 00:25:18,759 and they have even been known to dive with 203 00:25:19,990 --> 00:25:24,910 but this grebe is just looking for a more comfortable position on the nest 204 00:25:26,870 --> 00:25:33,040 in their piggy back position the chicks are relatively safe from predators in the air and in the water 205 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:39,409 the sava wetlands offer many different possibilities for undisturbed nesting 206 00:25:44,270 --> 00:25:49,450 some build floating nests where they can bring up their young 207 00:25:52,850 --> 00:26:00,850 another crested species the hoop hole find safe breeding in tree hollows in the oak forests 208 00:26:01,090 --> 00:26:09,002 here the young wait for their parents who take turns to bring food mainly crickets beetles and larger caterpillars 209 00:26:13,270 --> 00:26:21,270 in the alluvial forests the penduline tit hangs its nest from a branch to build the nest it uses fine vegetable fibers 210 00:26:21,275 --> 00:26:24,275 sometimes even spider's webs 211 00:26:24,699 --> 00:26:29,189 the soft pouches used to be collected for use as children's slippers 212 00:26:31,490 --> 00:26:35,510 the who posed nest is now attracting unwanted attention 213 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:38,470 there are strange noises in the hollow 214 00:26:42,379 --> 00:26:49,509 a Starling is intent on stealing nesting material and the Hoopoe keeps well out of the way 215 00:26:55,300 --> 00:26:58,680 discretion is the better part of valor 216 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:06,450 but what does the Starling really want it flies off without the nesting material 217 00:27:08,650 --> 00:27:13,010 so the Hooper parents can carry on with feeding their young in peace 218 00:27:25,470 --> 00:27:31,226 two-thirds of the landscape olio Nature Reserve is covered with alluvial forests 219 00:27:33,309 --> 00:27:41,269 one third is wet meadowland which provides the storks with a well-stocked larder to choose from 220 00:27:41,293 --> 00:27:48,653 every adults talk requires a pound of food a day and the chicks need more than twice that 221 00:27:48,709 --> 00:27:53,849 so store parents have to transport several kilograms of food every day 222 00:27:54,680 --> 00:28:01,040 they poke around in the grass to find insects and mice amphibians slugs and earthworms 223 00:28:02,620 --> 00:28:09,400 if the meadows are under water they catch crayfish and small fish their 224 00:28:09,970 --> 00:28:17,600 stalks are characteristic of the Nature Reserve there are over 700 pairs breeding here 225 00:28:18,050 --> 00:28:21,619 they're constantly repairing their nests this means they 226 00:28:21,620 --> 00:28:28,029 can grow over the years to 4 metres in height and can weigh up to 600 kilograms 227 00:28:28,030 --> 00:28:33,230 after over a month of incubation the young storks have hatched 228 00:28:34,010 --> 00:28:38,380 at the beginning one of the parents will always stay with the nest provide shade and 229 00:28:38,980 --> 00:28:41,960 regurgitate tidbits for the clamoring babies 230 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:57,440 everywhere in the wetlands there are newborn babies 231 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:10,862 after a good five weeks of incubation the mute swan cygnets have hatched 232 00:29:12,700 --> 00:29:17,930 in their grayish white plumage they're anything but ugly ducklings 233 00:29:23,970 --> 00:29:27,480 they preen themselves in the water 234 00:29:31,504 --> 00:29:34,704 hands together with their parents in the nest 235 00:29:36,900 --> 00:29:43,050 the swans distribute oil from their preen gland all over their plumage 236 00:29:44,050 --> 00:29:46,680 to make every single feather waterproof 237 00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:52,070 soon after hatching the cygnets are expected to find their own food in the water 238 00:29:54,094 --> 00:29:59,054 the parents were there longer necks may be able to reach deeper into the water 239 00:30:13,029 --> 00:30:17,649 but that doesn't mean they're going to give away any of their lunch 240 00:30:21,020 --> 00:30:27,120 the wetlands are fertile along the banks of the snaking Sava river there are cormorants 241 00:30:27,579 --> 00:30:29,579 the water is teeming with fish 242 00:30:34,603 --> 00:30:38,603 the larger catfish have retreated to quieter regions 243 00:30:40,027 --> 00:30:44,127 the younger catfish are swarming in the open water like tadpoles 244 00:30:44,219 --> 00:30:47,219 catching amphipods and insect larvae 245 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:55,070 this way they confuse fish predators that have to be able to concentrate on one target 246 00:30:57,870 --> 00:31:01,430 there are predators hiding everywhere in the wetlands 247 00:31:05,570 --> 00:31:11,620 like this spotted eagle that's just grabbing a pumpkin seed fish 248 00:31:20,730 --> 00:31:27,350 the noisy cormorant colony where the birds brood together high in the trees can be heard from a distance 249 00:31:30,050 --> 00:31:35,460 the older fledglings extract their lunches from deep inside their parents throat pouch 250 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:51,440 if it's very hot the parents also give them water 251 00:31:53,464 --> 00:31:57,926 the diverse bird life in the wetlands can't be taken for granted 252 00:31:57,928 --> 00:32:00,428 the fine balance can easily be disturbed 253 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:05,880 this can be seen from the crappier doll side arm 254 00:32:07,004 --> 00:32:11,364 where grey heron and spoonbills breed side by side 255 00:32:15,188 --> 00:32:20,188 the heron are frequently seen in Europe and even nest in large towns 256 00:32:23,012 --> 00:32:27,932 the more rare spoonbills however only frequent intact wetlands 257 00:32:32,130 --> 00:32:38,500 at the end of the 1980s this sidearm was drained and the spoonbills disappeared 258 00:32:39,500 --> 00:32:44,520 fortunately there are now 120 pairs here reading beside the herons 259 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:56,890 after the sidearm was returned to its natural state the spoonbills returned within two years 260 00:32:56,896 --> 00:33:00,656 and are now bringing up their young again in this joint colony 261 00:33:01,030 --> 00:33:05,350 and even the young have a spoon shaped bill 262 00:33:16,220 --> 00:33:21,450 today attends of all the spoonbills in Europe breed in crappy Adal 263 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:34,533 this is why the bird with the strange shaped beak was honored as the symbol of the Nature Reserve 264 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:48,610 in the slit of the sidearm there are other birds with odd-looking beaks 265 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:56,510 the Bill of the pied Avocet bends upwards towards the tip 266 00:33:59,770 --> 00:34:05,809 while the spoon bill uses its extremely sensitive bill to search the riverbed 267 00:34:05,810 --> 00:34:09,668 for aquatic insects crayfish and clams 268 00:34:10,692 --> 00:34:15,302 the Avocet sifts for small animals in the shallow silt 269 00:34:21,626 --> 00:34:27,146 even the young chicks emulate this my swing their heads to detect prey 270 00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:41,880 since their tools dictate the way they search and what they find 271 00:34:42,060 --> 00:34:46,990 they do not infringe on each other's territory in the crocodile sidearms 272 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:05,483 we're into midsummer in the wetlands 273 00:35:08,507 --> 00:35:12,507 and the entire beaver family has taken to the water 274 00:35:15,010 --> 00:35:19,310 the youngsters are still a little apprehensive about the water 275 00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:25,829 and have to be encouraged to swim or are even carried by the bank an adult and a 276 00:35:25,830 --> 00:35:31,409 juvenile from last year are combing their fur using the special combing claw 277 00:35:31,410 --> 00:35:36,040 on their hind feet and applying oil to making waterproof 278 00:35:40,390 --> 00:35:47,453 they tend to spend several hours a day in the water on average and can't afford to catch cold 279 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:55,869 on average the sava wetlands are flooded for 32 a hundred days a year 280 00:35:55,870 --> 00:36:02,900 it's not only in spring but in any month of the year that powerful rainfall can cause it to burst its banks 281 00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:06,440 and generate fertile habitats for many creatures 282 00:36:07,710 --> 00:36:15,710 including the Osprey although it only weighs one other half kilos is able to catch fish weighing two kilograms 283 00:36:21,720 --> 00:36:25,740 after locating them with its eagle eyes from afar 284 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:28,080 and picking them out of the water 285 00:36:29,204 --> 00:36:31,324 in the sava wetlands with their 286 00:36:31,330 --> 00:36:37,350 plentiful supplies of fish the Eagles also have ideal locations for their IRA's in the tall trees 287 00:36:38,374 --> 00:36:43,964 normally they produce two to three chicks these youngsters are already a few weeks old 288 00:36:45,025 --> 00:36:48,845 allowing both the parents to leave the nest regularly 289 00:36:50,290 --> 00:36:52,680 to bring home enough food for the family 290 00:37:01,839 --> 00:37:08,029 the labyrinthine waters of the wetlands are often murky so not all the fish 291 00:37:08,030 --> 00:37:12,740 hunters need to have such good eyes as the Eagles that hum from high in the sky 292 00:37:15,540 --> 00:37:20,446 the large catfish have relatively poor eyesight but their whole body and in 293 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:24,170 particular their long feelers is covered with sensitive sense organs 294 00:37:26,494 --> 00:37:31,150 this allows them to notice quickly in the muddy sediment of the sidearms 295 00:37:31,174 --> 00:37:35,434 if a competitor has already staked out a good hunting ground 296 00:37:38,458 --> 00:37:44,088 with their large mouths catfish can catch not only fish and crayfish 297 00:37:45,612 --> 00:37:53,372 their hearing is so sensitive that they can detect vibrations outside the water and go to check out the hunting options 298 00:37:54,510 --> 00:37:59,720 in the flooded alluvial forests the catfish is looking for a particular hunting ground 299 00:38:07,910 --> 00:38:13,930 there are reports of small dogs ending up inside the jaws of the catfish 300 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:20,740 this is where pigeons come down to the water to drink 301 00:38:21,900 --> 00:38:26,490 they're flapping wings are a giveaway 302 00:38:27,180 --> 00:38:29,580 that attacked was a failure 303 00:38:29,604 --> 00:38:35,280 the pigeons are wary and don't allow themselves to be dragged into the water that easily 304 00:38:38,730 --> 00:38:42,730 they're still thirsty though and come back 305 00:38:47,454 --> 00:38:49,974 a new opportunity for the catfish 306 00:38:52,508 --> 00:38:54,508 the pigeons are forewarned 307 00:38:58,490 --> 00:39:00,500 for they keep coming back 308 00:39:04,524 --> 00:39:07,524 the third attack is a success 309 00:39:09,248 --> 00:39:12,449 in the summer The Meadows are a blaze of red 310 00:39:13,573 --> 00:39:17,633 a sea of poppies growing in a field near the village 311 00:39:17,657 --> 00:39:22,217 in agriculture in the Sava wetlands the emphasis is on livestock breeding 312 00:39:22,380 --> 00:39:25,940 but in some places arable farming is also possible 313 00:39:26,464 --> 00:39:29,914 peppers and sweet corn cobs dry outside the houses 314 00:39:29,938 --> 00:39:31,938 as they have done for hundreds of years 315 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:38,980 there's twittering coming from the rafters Housemartins 316 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:46,880 in the protected environment of old houses we find a whole colony 317 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:51,310 some of the Housemartins have been here twice this summer 318 00:39:54,150 --> 00:39:58,150 the others still have to complete their nests 319 00:39:59,030 --> 00:40:04,219 they build the walls of their nests from inside using moist lumps of earth 320 00:40:04,243 --> 00:40:06,873 until there is only their front door left open 321 00:40:10,019 --> 00:40:14,479 there's a plethora of building materials in the Sarver wetlands 322 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:23,979 thanks to the moist surroundings these Martens can always find lumps beside puddles and on the banks of the 323 00:40:23,980 --> 00:40:27,190 waters even in the hottest summer 324 00:40:32,349 --> 00:40:35,242 it takes around a fourth life to build a nest 325 00:40:37,466 --> 00:40:40,326 and then they lay up to five eggs in it 326 00:40:46,650 --> 00:40:50,650 and up in the loft there's a lively commotion 327 00:40:51,074 --> 00:40:56,275 the mouse eared bats spend the daylight hours up here squeaking 328 00:40:56,299 --> 00:41:01,338 most of these are females and they will give birth to their young here and bring them up 329 00:41:03,762 --> 00:41:08,602 hundreds sometimes even thousands of bats vie for the best places 330 00:41:14,426 --> 00:41:16,106 holding on tight with their claws 331 00:41:16,210 --> 00:41:20,670 they spend the day hanging upside down under the wooden roof 332 00:41:21,109 --> 00:41:25,589 there will swarm out after darkness falls and go searching for food 333 00:41:30,820 --> 00:41:36,040 thanks to their large ears they can locate their prey in the dark by ultrasound 334 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:39,239 mainly all manner of insects 335 00:41:40,079 --> 00:41:46,399 in these moist weapons there are many different midges and flies moths and beetles 336 00:41:48,770 --> 00:41:54,800 the floodplains of the sava are of importance to the protection of birds throughout Europe 337 00:41:57,019 --> 00:42:03,599 on the one hand they're the breeding area for over a hundred and forty different bird species 338 00:42:05,630 --> 00:42:10,660 numerous waterfowl like the snipe nest in these moist meadows 339 00:42:14,370 --> 00:42:21,730 but for migrating birds to the sava wetlands are one of the most important rest areas on the continent 340 00:42:26,410 --> 00:42:30,420 here they can plan a stopover to recover from their long flights 341 00:42:31,010 --> 00:42:33,199 and eat to their heart's content 342 00:42:38,030 --> 00:42:44,577 all-in-all no less than 240 bird species have been registered in the Nature Reserve 343 00:42:50,620 --> 00:42:52,620 including the curl you 344 00:42:54,144 --> 00:43:00,984 where the syrup olia pigs plow up the sava mud in spring we now get fresh grass 345 00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:06,492 a great benefit to the powerful paws of inna horses 346 00:43:06,640 --> 00:43:11,220 with their broad hooves they have no difficulty walking over the soften ground 347 00:43:12,220 --> 00:43:16,540 in the summer they like to enjoy a cooling bath in the sava 348 00:43:17,060 --> 00:43:23,000 since the start of spring the horses have lived here without any human influence in the wetlands 349 00:43:23,020 --> 00:43:25,960 with their fluctuating water levels 350 00:43:29,784 --> 00:43:33,234 this is the ideal environment for grass snakes 351 00:43:33,349 --> 00:43:37,809 that can hunt mainly toads and amphibians in the moist surroundings 352 00:43:38,760 --> 00:43:42,740 the snake could hardly catch healthy fish in the river 353 00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:53,569 but when the water recedes from the flooded Meadows the fish left behind in 354 00:43:53,570 --> 00:43:57,650 the puddles virtually leaps straight into the grass snakes mouth 355 00:44:07,780 --> 00:44:15,060 this easy to catch prey also attracts stalks onto the moist meadows and pasture land 356 00:44:17,010 --> 00:44:20,044 they pick the juiciest insects 357 00:44:23,550 --> 00:44:32,280 often they will follow the cattle on horses because as they move around grazing they dislodge grasshoppers and other creatures 358 00:44:36,020 --> 00:44:41,650 the storks benefit from these free roaming domesticated animals in many ways 359 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:50,930 if there were no horses or cattle here there will be fewer storks 360 00:44:54,170 --> 00:44:59,272 on the one hand puddles of this kind are maintained by them 361 00:45:00,009 --> 00:45:05,989 because horses and other livestock wallow in them and keep the muddy areas open 362 00:45:08,040 --> 00:45:15,160 the sava wetlands though a considerable degree of their diversity to the hungry stomachs of these large herbivores 363 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:18,840 without the help of these natural mowing machines 364 00:45:19,010 --> 00:45:23,480 the damp pastures would soon degenerate into closed oak forests 365 00:45:26,740 --> 00:45:32,530 this traditional pasture farming keeps the ancient cultural landscape alive 366 00:45:33,659 --> 00:45:39,659 and encourages Himura files like the stork to breed here in large numbers 367 00:45:39,709 --> 00:45:44,620 by the end of the summer there are more storks living in g-gosh than people 368 00:45:44,630 --> 00:45:49,598 in many nests for chicks are produced sometimes even 6 369 00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:55,290 when it's really hot the parents will dribble water from their beaks into those of the chicks 370 00:45:55,960 --> 00:45:59,960 and eating grass snakes find their way from the swamp to the nest 371 00:46:00,509 --> 00:46:04,099 and from there into a storks stomach 372 00:46:08,680 --> 00:46:14,990 in the late summer early morning miss rise over the Nature Reserve 373 00:46:19,570 --> 00:46:21,570 a melancholy idle 374 00:46:23,294 --> 00:46:29,804 when the sava wetlands of Croatia remind us of paintings by famous landscape artists 375 00:46:44,629 --> 00:46:51,739 and that is no coincidence because large regions of Europe used to look like this 376 00:46:52,539 --> 00:46:56,629 before the rivers were forced to behave and flooding was normal 377 00:47:02,089 --> 00:47:09,150 times when all over the continent riparian wetlands could only be used naturally for grazing 378 00:47:10,699 --> 00:47:17,668 this created landscape diversity has still seen in the landscape olia puddles 379 00:47:17,669 --> 00:47:19,709 and pools on moist meadows 380 00:47:26,089 --> 00:47:31,309 mocchi sidearms and river meanders 381 00:47:35,240 --> 00:47:38,190 traditional woodland and pasture 382 00:47:41,514 --> 00:47:48,224 while the paws Avena horses spend their winter in their stables the pigs stay outside all year round 383 00:47:50,090 --> 00:47:54,980 in the autumn they're driven into the woods where they mainly eat acorns 384 00:47:58,539 --> 00:48:03,390 these woodland pastures keep the forests open and free of undergrowth 385 00:48:08,460 --> 00:48:12,690 and that produces park-like landscapes in the wetlands 386 00:48:14,740 --> 00:48:19,770 when autumn arrives there's a lot of action to see and here 387 00:48:24,940 --> 00:48:32,550 during the last warm days of the year the squirrels and foxes build up their layers of winter fat 388 00:48:33,279 --> 00:48:38,270 and in the country by the sava the Red Deer are heard bellowing 389 00:48:42,799 --> 00:48:48,609 those from the posavina region are some of the strongest in Europe 390 00:48:53,419 --> 00:48:57,989 the most important time of the year is fast approaching the rutting season 391 00:49:07,190 --> 00:49:13,430 attracted by the bellowing of the stags the Hinds gather at the traditional meeting points 392 00:49:23,900 --> 00:49:28,920 these are usually spaces that have not grown over 393 00:49:29,200 --> 00:49:34,179 the Stags need open spaces to give them room to impress the Highlands 394 00:49:44,069 --> 00:49:47,579 and intimidate their rivals 395 00:49:52,510 --> 00:49:55,930 the last big wetland area in Europe 396 00:49:56,010 --> 00:50:02,950 is still a coherent mix of river and flooding managed pasture and diverse nature 397 00:50:03,510 --> 00:50:06,520 it's like looking into the past of our continent 398 00:50:06,544 --> 00:50:12,634 that shows us how natural flood protection for large towns and cities can be 399 00:50:14,010 --> 00:50:17,340 as in the sava wetlands of Croatia 400 00:50:19,364 --> 00:50:21,364 [music] 401 00:50:29,388 --> 00:50:31,388 [music]