South Tyrol - In the Kingdom of the Alpine Ibex | Free Documentary Nature

the silent majesty of the mountains this is the

kingdom

of the

alpine

ibex

he lives here among the other cliff dwellers that inhabit the highest regions of the alps the mountains are a refuge for the cardigan eagles the

ibex

and all the other

alpine

fauna that inhabit the high mountain landscapes of South Tyrol Hubert is a professional forest ranger and ranger. Periodic inspections are carried out throughout this impressive beauty. As an experienced hunter, he is well aware of the seasonal dangers of the mountains. He pays a lot of attention to animals and the natural environment. His main task and his observations are continuous.

Alps reveal new secrets Scientists hypothesize that this European chain of overlapping, folded mountains formed centuries ago when the African continental plates moved north to collide with the Eurasian continent Today the Alps extend from their western ends in France To Slovenia in the eastern part of Europe our journey takes us to the fascinating mountainous landscape of South Tyrol in northern Italy. Thanks to the intense natural preservation measures taken by the government of the

south

ern terror, natural paradises of immeasurable value have been maintained in numerous national parks effortlessly the golden eagle soars to the highest peaks golden eagles are general predators whose habitat extends over vast areas in their search for food the chamois climbs the mountains small children become easy prey for the eagle In reality, these agile creatures flee in controlled flight to take their young to a safe place to eat and being eaten is all part of the natural cycle of an intact ecosystem.

While Hubert concentrates on following the ibex, another ranger watches how the chamois works to avoid the attack of the eagle. Records are kept even in the wild, it is important to monitor the health of the animals. and detecting any disease that may affect the flock, raising its young is quite a task for the golden eagle. After the eggs hatch, the parents are heavily involved in feeding their new offspring for about two and a half months, where the alpine marmot is a type of marmot. abundant provides the staple food of the golden eagle's diet this king of the skies makes its nest below the level of its hunting grounds in nooks and crannies of rocky cliffs and only rarely in trees this makes it easier to transport prey to the nest if two Eagle eggs hatch normally only the strongest of the young survives, the one who manages to force the rival brother to leave the nest.

Life in the mountains is full of danger, whether ending up on the menu of some carnivorous predator or being the victim of some fatality. natural event everything belongs to the complex cycle of

nature

this cycle is the engine of survival and development on our planet earth there are no real victims in

nature

everything is an element of existence and part of a greater plan animals instinctively sense danger As the permafrost zone moves higher into the mountains, chunks of rock break loose, causing unexpected rockfalls. Such recent breaks in the cliff face give geologists new knowledge and insights.

Hubert, the ranger, keeps an eye out for the animals. that could have been injured or killed, only the strongest animals survive. Not even the golden eagle can take for granted that it will successfully raise its offspring each year. Soon the young eagle will be alone. Then difficult years will begin until you find the right partner and the right place to continue this eternal cycle of procreation. The groundhog is a very reproductive animal, in fact, it is nature's plan that they produce many offspring for two main reasons: on the one hand, to stay warm in their underground burrows during the long winter months, and on the other, they are indispensable as prey.

For several predators such as the golden eagle, as we have seen, the spotted woodpecker raises its young in holes that it has cut in the trees with its strong beak, after the woodpeckers have moved, these holes become homes for other birds and animals that are not equipped to cut them. but they need them to survive, yet this forest woodpecker works in its new home for about two or three weeks. The great spotted woodpecker feeds on insects, cuts its lunch directly from the bark of the tree with its chisel-shaped beak, and then settles into his custom-made dwelling to raise the cali grouse or hazel grouse is a typical forest dweller is a protected species in South Tyrol both hens and hens live on the ground for most of the summer, but move towards the tree branches during the winter the hens the mottled feathers of the forest color provide excellent camouflage the courtship behavior of the proud male kelly capper with his fluttering jump and the belt clearly visible on his throat is very typical the courtship performance the song contains four verses the clip clicking the trill the main rhythm and the grinding or sanding with its fan tail usually 18 spade-shaped feathers partially speckled with white the cuts a rather elegant figure the male calluses alternate between the courtship dance in the soil and courtship performances in trees projects to reintroduce the largest alpine birds to their original habitat progress is being made throughout the Alps the goal that the bearded vulture and the eagle owl, for example, will naturally repopulate the entire region alpine without human help is about to be achieved since time immemorial the ibex has graced the lonely alpine landscape Hubert, the ranger, knows that the ibex population was almost wiped out with the invention of firearms;

There are relatively few places to shelter in the upper mountainous regions. That fact and the animal's lack of fear of man made overhunting fairly easy until the species disappeared. He almost died completely under the protection of the Italian king Victor Emmanuel II, who was also a passionate hunter. A small population of ibexes was able to survive in Gran Paradiso. Deer live in herds. They are all related in some way. The inexperienced doe leads the other. The females each year, in the middle of summer, when the antlers of the male deer have grown in all their splendor and the hormonal levels increase, every two males become competitors.

The mating season is approaching. Older males become aggressive. The dominant male releases himself with intense growls. flutes and shouts the mating season has begun for the red deer he is challenged by a rebellious bull most of the time the gestures and threats with bare teeth are enough to discourage the challenger if that does not work spectacular jousting with antlers clashing noisily against determined antlers which is the strongest animal, the dominant male displays his strong and majestic form in the hope of intimidating his opponents, but rarely does an impressive fight occur whose sound can be heard from afar, usually it is the adult animals that end up mating . successfully uh hubert is on the road again he has learned to measure his strength he spends many hours alone and somehow keeps his own kind of conversation with the wild animals the boy is determined to find his mother the older male obviously follows his own I walk unaffected by the plight of the defenseless young man. he does not react at all to the boy's attempts to attract attention. the mother animal was probably torn to death by an avalanche.

Later, the spring thaw will reveal that she is still the A strange landscape of cliffs is home to the mountain goat with astonishing grace. The rather chubby looking climber makes his way from rock to rock. Hubert does not miss anything with a passion that has become his profession. Their eyes follow the kings of the mountain as they do their very relaxed and confident in this harsh environment unmoved by snow storms in winter thunderstorms in summer winds and avalanches and other moods and powers of nature It is November again and again the deer shake themselves and perfume themselves with urine to attract Attention, chamois belong to the family of horn bearers, they raise their hair, especially the chamois tuft on their back, to increase their apparent size , with the aim of intimidating potential rivals.

Goats and kids live in herds led by a lead goat, just like deer. The chamois defends the herd from him, repeatedly gathers his harem and in wild chases drives away other males who continually try to challenge the dominant male's place in the herd. Not even deep snow can hinder the tough rivalry between the chamois. Chamois are able to move very easily. In the steepest landscapes and among rocky outcroppings, the mating season is especially exhausting for males. Their weakened state makes it even harder for them to survive the harsh winter weather, and the first blizzards are a harbinger of the approach. winter the storm that breaks ignores both man and beast hubert rushes towards the valley to reach safer ground wild animals have learned to survive in nature they are able to adapt to the scarcity of food during winter animals weak or sickly become prey or starve surviving animals are able to make better use of available food population of wild animals is determined primarily by the nutrition provided by their environment The next morning, a spectacular winter wonderland covers the landscape an last time the stag courts the favor of the doe with obvious desperation. deep snow is not an obstacle for him the chamois tuft and those of deer and badger are highly prized among hunters a mature chamois tuft with lighter colored hairs at the tips is especially valuable, it is very popular among the hunter to decorate his hat with the tuft and wear it with pride unlike the deer that sheds its antlers annually the chamois never sheds its horns the ibex handles the moods and dangers of nature very well they know how to choose steep and sunny places where the snow It melts or falls quickly to avoid those places where deep snow persists like chamois.

The ibex has an incredible ability to jump and climb. Its natural habitat is above 3000 meters above sea level. It marks the first rule while nature is in its state of winter hibernation is To preserve energy, which is the indispensable strategy for survival in the deer family, only male animals carry antlers that shed and grow from scratch each year, the ibex and the chamois, On the other hand, they retain their horns throughout their lives in both males and females. animals horns grow from the base of the skull during the growing season and continue to grow year after year during their first year of life young male children stay with their mother after that they join a herd of goats young females They remain with their herd a little distant, apparently always tired and also somewhat proud, this is how a layman describes the ibex, this king of the mountain that, fortunately, is increasingly common in the mountainous landscape of South Tyrol, the tarmacan, as kali capper, capercaillie and hazel grouse, belong to tetraonitis or capercaillie. family, each year on each of their toes they grow a series of small flaps of skin that hunters called courtship flaps that expand the surface of their feet like snowshoes, very useful for navigating deep snow and surviving the

free

zing temperatures during snow storms in the mountains that the ptarmigan lets itself be buried by the snow that forms an isolated protective cave that protects the animal until the storm passes the capercaillie prefers to perform its courtship dance in open spaces the work hard to impress the hens and intimidate the competitors with their outstretched feathers.

Fights between competitors often occur in In the courtship field, only the victor is allowed to approach the hen and court her favor with short steps and eventually mate. Grouse song consists of whistles or puffs and rolling calls that can often be heard for miles. The capercaillie is also called playful. capercaillie of the local people likes company lives in terraced or flat landscapes or as in the areas of South Tyrol that border the forests the tail feathers of the rooster are much more impressive than those of the hen they are a prized trophy among the hunters now the courtship song reminds us of the cooing of a dove in love, the jousting one by one dominates the scene in the courtship field until night falls and everything is silent for a while until everything begins again with the next , then the courtship ritual continues in the branches of the trees in contrast to the deer.

The deer lives alone or in small family groups that remain together during the winter. Its hearing is excellent, as is its sense of smell. If the deer becomes restless, it screams. High-pitched sound similar to a dog's bark also emits a unique squeaky sound that keeps the female in contact with her fawn. The racing season takes place during the summer.Locals also call it the leaf season because hunters in earlier times used a birch leaf to imitate the call of a doe in heat. The roe deer throws. its antlers in late autumn a new set of antlers develops during the winter months after the cold and harsh winter green pastures are a sight for sore eyes and not just for humans this country rabbit takes refuge behind a pile of green grass is a rare sight Which surprises even experts in wild nature, since among humans albinos can be found even among deer, since recently gray herons can be found in fresh waters or in pastures and fields.

These birds nest in colonies in mixed forests. Ranger Hubert once again follows the trail of the ibex, sure to be rewarded with many new experiences and greater knowledge about the lives of these fascinating creatures and their mountainous habitat. Nothing happens in nature without a plan and a purpose, only by careful observation of the many often seemingly insignificant details of the environment and by knowing the secrets of the animal and plant world does one realize how indispensable nature is, how precious and worthy of our respect and our protection, so that you can