1 00:00:04,504 --> 00:00:07,708 WILD ISRAEL explores one of the greatest migration pathways 2 00:00:07,708 --> 00:00:09,109 in the world, 3 00:00:09,109 --> 00:00:10,244 The Mediterranean. 4 00:00:11,245 --> 00:00:15,082 A shifting panorama of forests, dunes and sea. 5 00:00:15,749 --> 00:00:18,218 Discover the flow of creatures living here, 6 00:00:18,719 --> 00:00:22,122 some for just a season, some for all time 7 00:00:23,423 --> 00:00:26,193 Trace the journeys that began centuries before 8 00:00:26,193 --> 00:00:28,128 in other seas and continents. 9 00:00:29,429 --> 00:00:32,132 Journeys that continue streaming into an incredible 10 00:00:32,132 --> 00:00:35,702 world above and below the surface of the Mediterranean. 11 00:00:38,538 --> 00:00:40,440 [Bells ringing] 12 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:42,643 n Israel, history is everywhere. 13 00:00:44,177 --> 00:00:47,247 religion and cultures have intersected over the centuries. 14 00:00:49,549 --> 00:00:52,286 But the country is less known for its fascinating wildlife 15 00:00:52,286 --> 00:00:53,287 and terrain. 16 00:01:09,136 --> 00:01:12,072 Explore an Israel most people never see. 17 00:01:16,410 --> 00:01:19,646 From snowy peaks, to the world's lowest sea. 18 00:01:23,684 --> 00:01:26,620 From green mountains to ancient desert landscapes 19 00:01:26,620 --> 00:01:28,255 and tropical coral reefs, 20 00:01:31,325 --> 00:01:34,761 and from flowing waterfalls to Mediterranean beaches. 21 00:01:35,829 --> 00:01:38,398 Its location at the intersection of continents 22 00:01:38,398 --> 00:01:41,435 makes Israel a bridge for migrating populations, 23 00:01:41,435 --> 00:01:44,638 in the air, on the land and in the sea 24 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,690 Along Israel's western edge stretch 118 miles 25 00:02:03,690 --> 00:02:05,258 of stunning beaches. 26 00:02:06,593 --> 00:02:10,364 This long sandy strip widens out to a vibrant, fertile land, 27 00:02:10,364 --> 00:02:12,132 the Mediterranean region. 28 00:02:14,368 --> 00:02:16,403 The southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea 29 00:02:16,403 --> 00:02:18,205 offers a gateway to Africa; 30 00:02:18,472 --> 00:02:20,607 its eastern coast borders Asia; 31 00:02:20,607 --> 00:02:22,476 to its north lies Europe. 32 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,316 For the last 3000 years the Mediterranean Sea 33 00:02:29,316 --> 00:02:32,185 has provided a passageway between these continents. 34 00:02:32,686 --> 00:02:35,555 A passageway also used as a cultural network, 35 00:02:35,555 --> 00:02:39,026 military sea lane and economic infrastructure. 36 00:02:40,093 --> 00:02:42,796 Countless groups of settlers, merchants and armies 37 00:02:42,796 --> 00:02:45,232 have made their way across these waters 38 00:02:45,232 --> 00:02:47,434 to reach the worlds across the horizon. 39 00:02:51,705 --> 00:02:55,542 Overhead and beneath the waves, the animal kingdom parallels 40 00:02:55,542 --> 00:02:56,777 these human journeys. 41 00:03:02,082 --> 00:03:05,485 Up high, millions of birds still migrate from continent 42 00:03:05,485 --> 00:03:06,620 to continent. 43 00:03:08,321 --> 00:03:11,291 some staying for a short time, and others for good. 44 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,763 Turtles swim from sea to sea and from coast to coast, 45 00:03:16,763 --> 00:03:20,267 returning to the beach of their birth in order to reproduce. 46 00:03:21,301 --> 00:03:24,438 Hundreds of species of plants and sea creatures expand 47 00:03:24,438 --> 00:03:27,407 their range from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal, 48 00:03:27,407 --> 00:03:29,509 to settle in the Mediterranean Sea. 49 00:03:30,644 --> 00:03:33,680 These vast migrations remain one of the most powerful 50 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,349 natural dynamics on the face of the Earth, 51 00:03:36,650 --> 00:03:39,753 and one of the most ancient stories ever told. 52 00:03:40,654 --> 00:03:43,690 The Mediterranean Region, from the sea to its beaches 53 00:03:43,690 --> 00:03:47,461 and surrounding area, contains the migration secrets 54 00:03:47,461 --> 00:03:50,030 over tens of thousands of years. 55 00:03:52,699 --> 00:03:54,835 Four caves on the side of Mt. Carmel 56 00:03:54,835 --> 00:03:57,237 house the remains of prehistoric people. 57 00:03:59,639 --> 00:04:02,576 They lived here continuously for thousands of years, 58 00:04:03,577 --> 00:04:06,580 hunting and foraging in the dense woodland of the Carmel 59 00:04:06,580 --> 00:04:08,081 and the generous sea. 60 00:04:12,486 --> 00:04:16,189 According to the cave findings, Homo Sapiens, humans like us, 61 00:04:16,189 --> 00:04:19,626 migrated here from Africa about 40,000 years ago. 62 00:04:22,596 --> 00:04:25,065 At Mt. Carmel's foothills, along the coast, 63 00:04:25,065 --> 00:04:28,535 lie the traces of a vanished community, which had created 64 00:04:28,535 --> 00:04:31,771 a life on this beach, and survived until they moved on 65 00:04:31,771 --> 00:04:35,542 or were overwhelmed by the next wave of migration. 66 00:04:37,677 --> 00:04:39,579 On the Dor coast, overlooking the gulf, 67 00:04:39,579 --> 00:04:42,282 stands a fort over 3000 years old. 68 00:04:42,682 --> 00:04:45,719 Another remnant of ancient marine cultures that migrated 69 00:04:45,719 --> 00:04:48,088 from the northern Mediterranean Sea bringing 70 00:04:48,088 --> 00:04:50,590 their beliefs and customs from distant lands. 71 00:04:56,696 --> 00:04:58,632 Not far away, still on the coast, 72 00:04:58,632 --> 00:05:01,535 stands the 2000-year-old city of Caesarea. 73 00:05:03,270 --> 00:05:06,306 First just a simple port, Caesarea was developed 74 00:05:06,306 --> 00:05:09,809 during the first century AD, with all the engineering skills 75 00:05:09,809 --> 00:05:11,511 of the mighty Roman Empire. 76 00:05:14,714 --> 00:05:17,584 The coastal cities, exposed to the influence of migrants, 77 00:05:17,584 --> 00:05:20,587 merchants and settlers, were always more open and diverse 78 00:05:20,587 --> 00:05:22,622 than settlements within the interior. 79 00:05:24,291 --> 00:05:27,594 Caesarea even boasted theaters, public bathhouses 80 00:05:27,594 --> 00:05:29,763 and a huge stadium for horse races. 81 00:05:30,363 --> 00:05:32,399 cultural features that were completely foreign 82 00:05:32,399 --> 00:05:34,401 to the rest of Israel in those days. 83 00:05:41,341 --> 00:05:42,742 Another more recent intervention 84 00:05:42,742 --> 00:05:44,744 from the outside world has affected 85 00:05:44,744 --> 00:05:46,213 the locals in this region. 86 00:05:51,751 --> 00:05:54,854 In the past, the Mediterranean Sea was an almost completely 87 00:05:54,854 --> 00:05:56,590 enclosed body of water. 88 00:05:58,758 --> 00:06:01,261 At its eastern edge, vast expanses of desert 89 00:06:01,261 --> 00:06:03,129 separated it from the Red Sea. 90 00:06:04,064 --> 00:06:06,399 Everything changed during the 19th century. 91 00:06:07,033 --> 00:06:11,538 When 100 miles of sand and rock were carved out over ten years 92 00:06:11,538 --> 00:06:14,441 to create a canal that connected the two seas. 93 00:06:15,175 --> 00:06:20,647 In 1869 the Suez Canal opened, and so began the world's 94 00:06:20,647 --> 00:06:23,516 largest experiment in animal migration, 95 00:06:23,516 --> 00:06:25,352 caused by human activity. 96 00:06:26,553 --> 00:06:30,423 Once blocked by the Egyptian desert, over 350 species 97 00:06:30,423 --> 00:06:32,626 of plant and sea creatures have made their way 98 00:06:32,626 --> 00:06:35,161 from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal 99 00:06:35,161 --> 00:06:37,230 to a new life in the Mediterranean. 100 00:06:38,465 --> 00:06:41,701 This huge biological influx at times displaced many 101 00:06:41,701 --> 00:06:43,303 of the original inhabitants. 102 00:06:46,373 --> 00:06:49,509 This unintended effect is called "Lessepsian Migration", 103 00:06:52,145 --> 00:06:55,315 named after the French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps, 104 00:06:55,315 --> 00:06:58,351 who conceived and led the construction of the Suez Canal. 105 00:07:02,789 --> 00:07:05,659 Lessepsian migration is mainly Unidirectional, 106 00:07:05,659 --> 00:07:08,194 from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea; 107 00:07:08,528 --> 00:07:10,330 very few species make the journey 108 00:07:10,330 --> 00:07:11,531 in the opposite direction. 109 00:07:23,109 --> 00:07:25,612 Israel's Nature and Parks Authority, along with other 110 00:07:25,612 --> 00:07:28,448 researchers, has conducted studies over the years 111 00:07:28,448 --> 00:07:31,551 to monitor the migration of new species and population shifts 112 00:07:31,551 --> 00:07:33,286 that are still taking place. 113 00:07:48,168 --> 00:07:50,704 More than 50 percent of the plants and animals now here 114 00:07:50,704 --> 00:07:52,439 have migrated from the Red Sea, 115 00:07:54,074 --> 00:07:56,276 and each year more are discovered. 116 00:07:59,145 --> 00:08:01,214 In most of Israel's coastal areas there has been 117 00:08:01,214 --> 00:08:04,084 a sharp drop in the number and diversity of sea animals, 118 00:08:04,084 --> 00:08:06,086 largely due to over fishing. 119 00:08:10,623 --> 00:08:14,361 But off Israel's most northern coast, a marine nature reserve 120 00:08:14,361 --> 00:08:16,396 offers a sanctuary from that threat. 121 00:08:21,434 --> 00:08:24,070 In the canyons and among the rocks within the reserve, 122 00:08:24,070 --> 00:08:27,374 entire populations of species that have almost disappeared 123 00:08:27,374 --> 00:08:30,176 from the rest of Israel's coastal areas can thrive here, 124 00:08:30,510 --> 00:08:32,379 safe from the fisherman's nets. 125 00:08:38,418 --> 00:08:41,654 These free diving experts are monitoring population numbers 126 00:08:41,654 --> 00:08:44,624 and environmental factors that help these fish survive. 127 00:08:46,226 --> 00:08:48,194 Without air tanks generating bubbles, 128 00:08:48,194 --> 00:08:50,363 the divers don't frighten these animals, 129 00:08:50,363 --> 00:08:52,632 and manage to get within touching distance 130 00:08:52,632 --> 00:08:54,667 to document their daily activities. 131 00:09:05,578 --> 00:09:08,047 Close to the seabed, the Coral Catfish advance 132 00:09:08,047 --> 00:09:09,582 like a rolling ball. 133 00:09:10,016 --> 00:09:12,352 They are new to the area, having arrived here from 134 00:09:12,352 --> 00:09:14,721 the Red Sea only 15 years ago. 135 00:09:18,091 --> 00:09:20,126 Each year they spread a few more miles 136 00:09:20,126 --> 00:09:21,961 northwards along the coast. 137 00:09:27,100 --> 00:09:30,336 Days after hatching, the coral catfish float in a dense school. 138 00:09:31,070 --> 00:09:33,573 Within a short time they drop down to the seabed 139 00:09:33,573 --> 00:09:36,976 and begin eating everything they find along the way. 140 00:09:44,050 --> 00:09:45,685 Only when fully grown, do they separate 141 00:09:45,685 --> 00:09:47,654 and each one lives alone. 142 00:09:48,621 --> 00:09:51,558 These catfish use sensors to locate food in the sand. 143 00:09:51,558 --> 00:09:54,561 They come armed with an extremely toxic spike 144 00:09:54,561 --> 00:09:57,764 on their dorsal fin, dangerous even to humans. 145 00:10:03,169 --> 00:10:05,772 Another traveler from Red Sea is the King Mackerel 146 00:10:05,772 --> 00:10:08,341 which can grow to 6-1/2 feet in length. 147 00:10:10,543 --> 00:10:13,613 Originated in those distant warm waters, this predator 148 00:10:13,613 --> 00:10:16,149 has a competitive advantage in its new home. 149 00:10:18,551 --> 00:10:21,387 Many of the long time predators in the Mediterranean Sea 150 00:10:21,387 --> 00:10:23,456 journeyed here from the opposite end 151 00:10:23,456 --> 00:10:25,492 of the Mediterranean, from the much colder 152 00:10:25,492 --> 00:10:26,659 Atlantic ocean. 153 00:10:27,327 --> 00:10:28,661 They're not suited to temperatures 154 00:10:28,661 --> 00:10:31,297 that can rise above 86 degrees Fahrenheit. 155 00:10:33,299 --> 00:10:35,168 But the King Mackerel, like other fish 156 00:10:35,168 --> 00:10:37,403 from the Red Sea, can handle the warmth. 157 00:10:45,578 --> 00:10:48,214 The Blue-barred Parrotfish is another wanderer 158 00:10:48,214 --> 00:10:50,350 who made its way northwards through the canal. 159 00:10:50,850 --> 00:10:53,520 Only a few were seen here in 2004. 160 00:10:54,254 --> 00:10:55,889 Within the next 10 years they launched 161 00:10:55,889 --> 00:10:57,590 a population explosion. 162 00:10:58,124 --> 00:10:59,492 This seems to be the pattern: 163 00:10:59,692 --> 00:11:03,496 they come as a few individuals, reproduce slowly, 164 00:11:03,496 --> 00:11:06,432 and within a few years reach a critical mass 165 00:11:06,432 --> 00:11:09,035 that enables rapid, massive reproduction. 166 00:11:10,837 --> 00:11:14,507 The parrotfish feeds off algae and even hard organic material 167 00:11:14,507 --> 00:11:16,309 like mollusks and barnacles. 168 00:11:18,244 --> 00:11:20,246 To digest this food, the parrotfish needs 169 00:11:20,246 --> 00:11:21,481 a warm environment, 170 00:11:21,481 --> 00:11:25,285 so, ironically, global warming and rising sea temperatures 171 00:11:25,285 --> 00:11:27,287 are actually helping it survive. 172 00:11:28,221 --> 00:11:30,089 Here the larger visitor from the south 173 00:11:30,089 --> 00:11:32,625 lives alongside the smaller, local parrotfish. 174 00:11:35,461 --> 00:11:38,531 The rising sea temperature, 5 degrees Fahrenheit 175 00:11:38,531 --> 00:11:42,168 in the last 3 decades, gives the new immigrant an advantage. 176 00:11:45,471 --> 00:11:48,374 The Red Soldierfish, another migrant from the Red Sea, 177 00:11:48,374 --> 00:11:50,476 found a home among the rocks and caves. 178 00:11:54,113 --> 00:11:57,584 They hide during the day, and t night go out to hunt plankton. 179 00:12:01,588 --> 00:12:04,591 Their large eyes are adapted to this nocturnal lifestyle. 180 00:12:08,261 --> 00:12:11,331 Their entire body is covered by hard scales and spikes, 181 00:12:11,331 --> 00:12:13,066 which help fend off predators. 182 00:12:17,470 --> 00:12:20,373 The large eyes of the Vanikoro Sweepers indicate that they, 183 00:12:20,373 --> 00:12:24,010 too, are nocturnal, going out to hunt plankton at nightfall. 184 00:12:27,246 --> 00:12:29,549 They also swam here from the Red Sea, 185 00:12:29,549 --> 00:12:32,218 reproduced rapidly and are now common 186 00:12:32,218 --> 00:12:34,320 off Israel's coast. 187 00:12:45,498 --> 00:12:48,267 Among all the hundreds of migrants living 188 00:12:48,267 --> 00:12:50,703 in the Mediterranean, the Marbled Spinefoot 189 00:12:50,703 --> 00:12:54,107 was one of the very first and most successful species 190 00:12:54,107 --> 00:12:56,442 to swim the Suez canal. 191 00:13:04,183 --> 00:13:07,587 Today, more than 150 years after the canal opened, 192 00:13:07,587 --> 00:13:11,090 it makes up to 30 percent of the rock dwelling population. 193 00:13:12,825 --> 00:13:16,629 At times, even all these sharp, toxic spines can't protect it 194 00:13:16,629 --> 00:13:18,297 from becoming prey to other fish. 195 00:13:21,334 --> 00:13:23,703 The herbivorous cow bream feeds on the same algae 196 00:13:23,703 --> 00:13:24,771 as the spinefoot. 197 00:13:25,805 --> 00:13:27,440 Luckily there seems to be enough for everyone. 198 00:13:30,843 --> 00:13:34,080 While most members of the school graze peacefully below, 199 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:37,116 a few individuals swim closer to the surface, 200 00:13:37,116 --> 00:13:38,284 taking guard duty. 201 00:13:39,419 --> 00:13:41,220 Sticking together allows the cow bream to take advantage 202 00:13:41,220 --> 00:13:43,089 of the open, exposed meadows. 203 00:13:48,628 --> 00:13:51,264 Swimming in large schools is supposed to protect them, 204 00:13:51,497 --> 00:13:54,133 but humans don't play by Nature's rules. 205 00:13:54,567 --> 00:13:58,237 Huddling in these large schools actually make cow bream an easy 206 00:13:58,237 --> 00:13:59,639 and lucrative catch. 207 00:14:07,113 --> 00:14:09,615 Due to intensive fishing, the cow bream population 208 00:14:09,615 --> 00:14:13,086 has dwindled and only here, in the protected reserve, 209 00:14:13,086 --> 00:14:15,321 can they reproduce and survive successfully. 210 00:14:23,162 --> 00:14:26,132 The Guelly Jack, identified by its yellow stripe, 211 00:14:26,132 --> 00:14:28,768 is a fast moving predator that hunts smaller fish. 212 00:14:31,671 --> 00:14:34,474 The jacks have developed a very effective hunting strategy: 213 00:14:35,074 --> 00:14:37,610 they hide within schools of grazing cow bream, 214 00:14:37,610 --> 00:14:39,479 which pose no threat to other fish. 215 00:14:42,482 --> 00:14:45,118 At the right time, the jacks emerge from their cover, 216 00:14:45,118 --> 00:14:47,220 and snap up unsuspecting prey, 217 00:14:47,420 --> 00:14:50,223 and then they disappear back into the school. 218 00:14:56,629 --> 00:14:59,766 An unusual predator active during both day and night: 219 00:14:59,766 --> 00:15:03,536 the Brown Meager reaches up to 15.5 pounds. 220 00:15:06,572 --> 00:15:10,343 It has a large, strong spine that wards off cave predators 221 00:15:10,343 --> 00:15:11,444 like the grouper. 222 00:15:12,478 --> 00:15:13,713 The meager is blessed with exceptional hearing. 223 00:15:13,713 --> 00:15:18,050 This helps it take part in a remarkable vocal interchange. 224 00:15:19,051 --> 00:15:20,553 The meager makes a drumming sound 225 00:15:20,553 --> 00:15:23,589 using a muscle at the base of its pectoral fin. 226 00:15:24,423 --> 00:15:28,294 [Drumming sound] 227 00:15:32,832 --> 00:15:35,835 During the mating season, the entire school makes this 228 00:15:35,835 --> 00:15:39,071 sound, playing like a large underwater orchestra. 229 00:15:40,473 --> 00:15:42,842 Outside the reserve the meager is a rare sight 230 00:15:42,842 --> 00:15:44,644 due to extensive over fishing. 231 00:15:45,278 --> 00:15:47,814 In fact, there are centers around the world that use 232 00:15:47,814 --> 00:15:50,283 the meagre's population numbers as an indicator 233 00:15:50,283 --> 00:15:52,618 of environmental success or failure. 234 00:15:55,721 --> 00:15:59,458 They may not look like it, but here are the sharks' distant 235 00:15:59,458 --> 00:16:03,095 and rather flat relatives, Rays that have adapted 236 00:16:03,095 --> 00:16:04,697 to hunting through the seabed. 237 00:16:05,531 --> 00:16:07,567 To do this, they use sensors that contain 238 00:16:07,567 --> 00:16:10,102 electrical receptors for locating their prey: 239 00:16:11,804 --> 00:16:14,040 ampullae of Lorenzini. 240 00:16:15,775 --> 00:16:18,644 All species of Ray are protected in Israel. 241 00:16:19,612 --> 00:16:22,381 Though they also know how to protect themselves. 242 00:16:22,381 --> 00:16:24,784 Armed with a large spike on their tails. 243 00:16:24,784 --> 00:16:28,454 Very useful when confronting deadly predators like sharks. 244 00:16:35,795 --> 00:16:38,598 In the Common Torpedo the chest muscles 245 00:16:38,598 --> 00:16:42,735 act likes batteries, enabling it to produce 246 00:16:42,735 --> 00:16:45,404 electrical voltage that can stun its enemy or prey 247 00:16:45,404 --> 00:16:47,373 with a 200-volt shock. 248 00:16:57,650 --> 00:17:01,254 The pectoral fins of the Bull Ray look like wide wings; 249 00:17:01,254 --> 00:17:04,290 it uses its "wings" to roam the water. 250 00:17:11,731 --> 00:17:14,600 With nightfall, awkward slow-moving crustaceans 251 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:17,637 leave their hideaways among caves and rocks. 252 00:17:21,607 --> 00:17:24,510 These Slipper Lobsters are seasonal migrants. 253 00:17:24,510 --> 00:17:26,479 For most of the year they live out in the deep. 254 00:17:30,549 --> 00:17:33,352 Only during the spring do they venture into shallow water 255 00:17:33,352 --> 00:17:35,721 looking for a mate and food. 256 00:17:38,491 --> 00:17:41,694 They forage for mollusks which the lobsters crack open. 257 00:17:42,762 --> 00:17:46,098 With its blue, sensitive antennae, the lobster detects 258 00:17:46,098 --> 00:17:48,768 all movement in the water, which it tastes in order 259 00:17:48,768 --> 00:17:51,504 to sense and locate another lobster nearby. 260 00:17:55,775 --> 00:17:59,612 A group of lobsters is busy at the moment with courting games. 261 00:18:04,317 --> 00:18:07,186 Outside of the reserve they are still hunted illegally, 262 00:18:09,455 --> 00:18:12,091 but here their chances of survival are very good. 263 00:18:13,025 --> 00:18:15,628 Unless they run into a hungry sea turtle. 264 00:18:24,103 --> 00:18:27,206 In the spring the water temperatures begin to rise, 265 00:18:27,206 --> 00:18:30,109 and will continue to rise throughout the summer. 266 00:18:30,109 --> 00:18:32,712 Predatory worms launch into a frantic mating dance, 267 00:18:33,279 --> 00:18:36,082 rising up to the warm water's surface and secreting 268 00:18:36,082 --> 00:18:38,250 reproductive cells along the way. 269 00:18:44,090 --> 00:18:46,559 Spring is the migration season for jellyfish. 270 00:18:59,705 --> 00:19:02,441 The warm water is full of food and reproductive cells 271 00:19:02,441 --> 00:19:03,609 that attract them. 272 00:19:05,544 --> 00:19:08,681 The jellyfish come in swarms from the deep sea, 273 00:19:08,681 --> 00:19:11,617 filling the shallow water and the beaches. 274 00:19:23,462 --> 00:19:26,632 In the past only jellyfish from the Mediterranean Sea 275 00:19:26,632 --> 00:19:29,635 floated in, but now the Nomad Jellyfish is becoming 276 00:19:29,635 --> 00:19:32,371 more common, yet one more migrant 277 00:19:32,371 --> 00:19:35,341 from the tropical seas to make a home here. 278 00:19:40,046 --> 00:19:42,648 The diver reviles the Little Shrimp Scads 279 00:19:42,648 --> 00:19:44,483 that live among its tentacles; 280 00:19:48,587 --> 00:19:51,123 At the end of summer the Jellyfish disappear 281 00:19:51,123 --> 00:19:53,259 from the shallow waters. 282 00:19:55,194 --> 00:19:57,430 There are researchers who believe that it all happens 283 00:19:57,430 --> 00:20:00,766 because the scads grow and eat their jellyfish home. 284 00:20:20,152 --> 00:20:23,189 The ongoing migration at sea is echoed by the migration 285 00:20:23,189 --> 00:20:27,159 on land and even in the air where strong breezes carry 286 00:20:27,159 --> 00:20:30,729 seeds from distant lands. And spring brings millions 287 00:20:30,729 --> 00:20:34,667 of insects, which in turn feeds the waves of migrating birds. 288 00:20:43,242 --> 00:20:46,178 Like the sea, the land in spring time is flooded 289 00:20:46,178 --> 00:20:49,448 with waves of renewed energy and vivid bursts of colors 290 00:20:49,448 --> 00:20:51,784 which adorn the open landscape from now until 291 00:20:51,784 --> 00:20:53,152 the early summer. 292 00:20:58,491 --> 00:21:01,127 Close to Israel's southern coast, on the border between 293 00:21:01,127 --> 00:21:03,162 the coastal plain and the Negev Desert 294 00:21:03,162 --> 00:21:05,598 red carpets of anemones are in full bloom. 295 00:21:06,599 --> 00:21:08,334 [Birds chirping] 296 00:21:10,236 --> 00:21:12,605 The anemones flower in dense clusters to encourage 297 00:21:12,605 --> 00:21:15,107 successful pollination and reproduction. 298 00:21:17,243 --> 00:21:19,845 After it has finished flowering and its seeds have ripened, 299 00:21:19,845 --> 00:21:22,014 each anemone shoots up quickly. 300 00:21:22,615 --> 00:21:25,584 This elevates its seeds above the field of flowers, 301 00:21:25,584 --> 00:21:27,653 and exposes them to the wind. 302 00:21:28,220 --> 00:21:31,323 The tiny seeds are then carried away far from the mother plant. 303 00:21:33,692 --> 00:21:36,862 The migration of plant life occurs over short distances 304 00:21:36,862 --> 00:21:39,565 compared to the vast stretches of territory covered 305 00:21:39,565 --> 00:21:42,868 by flying visitors, which migrate through every year. 306 00:21:42,868 --> 00:21:45,638 [Chirping] 307 00:21:48,607 --> 00:21:51,577 On dusty rock walls throughout the Mediterranean region, 308 00:21:51,577 --> 00:21:54,446 miniature cities of bee-eaters, come to life. 309 00:21:55,181 --> 00:21:58,150 Migrating here each spring from Africa, they build 310 00:21:58,150 --> 00:22:01,220 their nesting colonies in river channels, on soft walls 311 00:22:01,220 --> 00:22:04,256 that are easy to dig into. They live alongside 312 00:22:04,256 --> 00:22:05,591 a diverse population. 313 00:22:06,759 --> 00:22:09,762 Some are migrants while others live here permanently. 314 00:22:11,830 --> 00:22:14,133 A small group of owls, 315 00:22:18,270 --> 00:22:19,572 a beautiful roller, 316 00:22:22,308 --> 00:22:24,443 a family of foxes, 317 00:22:25,311 --> 00:22:28,681 and even a pair of badgers that chose to live in a burrow 318 00:22:28,681 --> 00:22:30,182 beneath the colony. 319 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:37,656 The bee-eaters that have just arrived are right away 320 00:22:37,656 --> 00:22:39,391 busy building their new homes. 321 00:22:42,228 --> 00:22:45,364 Each pair digs a nesting burrow up to 6.5 feet 322 00:22:45,364 --> 00:22:46,665 deep into the vertical wall. 323 00:22:51,503 --> 00:22:54,106 During the digging period they still take time to work 324 00:22:54,106 --> 00:22:55,708 on producing the next generation. 325 00:23:02,815 --> 00:23:06,185 The European bee-eater is a very social bird and forms 326 00:23:06,185 --> 00:23:08,487 flocks for both nesting and migration. 327 00:23:09,221 --> 00:23:11,290 This is one of the few birds that migrates during 328 00:23:11,290 --> 00:23:12,758 both day and night time. 329 00:23:16,061 --> 00:23:18,831 Living up to its name, the bee-eater is the bane 330 00:23:18,831 --> 00:23:20,399 of bees and wasps. 331 00:23:20,733 --> 00:23:23,535 It does its work so well that once it has "chosen" 332 00:23:23,535 --> 00:23:26,739 a victim, the chances of that bee or wasp escaping 333 00:23:26,739 --> 00:23:28,641 are next to none. 334 00:23:30,843 --> 00:23:33,812 From the month of May onwards, everyone is busy 335 00:23:33,812 --> 00:23:36,815 looking after the young, and as these chicks grow 336 00:23:36,815 --> 00:23:39,518 so does their demand for food. 337 00:23:42,721 --> 00:23:45,324 At the end of the nesting season they eat 338 00:23:45,324 --> 00:23:47,192 up to fifty times an hour! 339 00:23:48,494 --> 00:23:51,530 [Chirping] 340 00:23:52,865 --> 00:23:56,101 When they are 30 days old the chicks leave the nest 341 00:23:56,101 --> 00:23:58,804 but they continue to get food from their parents 342 00:23:58,804 --> 00:24:01,140 for another three weeks. 343 00:24:07,613 --> 00:24:10,249 A hungry Mongoose with her pups has found 344 00:24:10,249 --> 00:24:12,384 the Bee Eater's colony. 345 00:24:22,728 --> 00:24:26,298 All the colony members rally to fight off the intruder. 346 00:24:29,702 --> 00:24:32,671 She digs into a nesting burrow but can't reach 347 00:24:32,671 --> 00:24:35,140 the chicks hiding deep down. 348 00:24:36,508 --> 00:24:38,777 This time the Bee Eaters succeed. 349 00:24:41,213 --> 00:24:43,382 Next time they may not be so lucky. 350 00:24:45,851 --> 00:24:48,554 The roller is also a temporary migrant. 351 00:24:52,458 --> 00:24:55,294 Like the bee-eater, it nests in dug-out burrows, 352 00:24:55,294 --> 00:24:58,731 and often stops by to join the crowd in bee-eater colonies. 353 00:25:01,066 --> 00:25:04,770 Dozens of owls live in the colony, each pair staking out 354 00:25:04,770 --> 00:25:07,106 its own small territory. 355 00:25:09,775 --> 00:25:12,611 Their sharp calls echo in the river channel 356 00:25:12,611 --> 00:25:14,313 throughout the day. 357 00:25:15,447 --> 00:25:19,151 [Hooting] 358 00:25:21,353 --> 00:25:24,323 They live all year round in abandoned bee-eater burrows. 359 00:25:25,491 --> 00:25:27,793 This small nocturnal raptor is also active 360 00:25:27,793 --> 00:25:30,295 in the early morning and afternoon. 361 00:25:30,295 --> 00:25:33,232 There are long hours of overlap with the bee-eaters. 362 00:25:33,232 --> 00:25:37,403 Not always a good thing for the colorful birds. 363 00:25:37,403 --> 00:25:40,539 The owls need to feed their young and will not hesitate 364 00:25:40,539 --> 00:25:43,375 to hunt a young or weak bee-eater. 365 00:25:48,380 --> 00:25:51,383 The annual bird migration works out for one more group 366 00:25:51,383 --> 00:25:52,718 of local predators. 367 00:25:56,155 --> 00:25:59,091 A family of foxes has dug a network of burrows at the base 368 00:25:59,091 --> 00:26:01,693 of the cliff, and in the afternoon and evening 369 00:26:01,693 --> 00:26:04,296 they rouse themselves for action. 370 00:26:08,567 --> 00:26:12,137 They find what they need to eat in this seasonal colony, 371 00:26:12,137 --> 00:26:15,073 and there's enough for their cubs as well. 372 00:26:23,348 --> 00:26:25,217 But life isn't perfect here. 373 00:26:25,484 --> 00:26:28,754 Annoying fleas reproduce all too quickly in the burrow 374 00:26:28,754 --> 00:26:32,257 and the foxes have to move house every few weeks. 375 00:26:32,257 --> 00:26:33,826 Their stay beneath the bee-eater colony 376 00:26:33,826 --> 00:26:35,427 is perfectly synchronized. 377 00:26:36,195 --> 00:26:39,064 When the bee-eaters leave, the foxes will also move on 378 00:26:39,064 --> 00:26:40,199 for new burrows. 379 00:26:41,300 --> 00:26:43,769 This time, in a rocky range above the colony wall. 380 00:26:49,808 --> 00:26:52,478 From there, the parents set out on hunting trips, 381 00:26:52,478 --> 00:26:55,013 and bring their cubs tasty bites. 382 00:26:57,483 --> 00:27:00,686 Even Gazelle fawns are caught from time to time. 383 00:27:07,459 --> 00:27:11,129 The Mountain Gazelle is fast, but foxes and jackals are now 384 00:27:11,129 --> 00:27:14,266 far more common, attracted by endless supplies 385 00:27:14,266 --> 00:27:15,467 of human garbage. 386 00:27:21,206 --> 00:27:23,509 These predators pose the greatest threat 387 00:27:23,509 --> 00:27:25,511 to the young fawns. 388 00:27:27,279 --> 00:27:29,648 The gazelles graze in small herds in fields 389 00:27:29,648 --> 00:27:33,185 and on the mountainsides, wary and sensitive. 390 00:27:37,723 --> 00:27:40,325 Towards evening their concern is justified 391 00:27:43,128 --> 00:27:46,698 Not all the migration in the Mediterranean region comes from 392 00:27:46,698 --> 00:27:48,767 beyond Israel's borders. 393 00:27:48,767 --> 00:27:51,236 There are internal migrations underway as well. 394 00:27:51,837 --> 00:27:55,340 These Golden Jackals have been ranging from wild remote areas 395 00:27:55,340 --> 00:27:57,276 to populated areas as well. 396 00:27:58,644 --> 00:28:01,747 [Howling] 397 00:28:01,747 --> 00:28:04,182 All along the Mediterranean region jackals live 398 00:28:04,182 --> 00:28:06,652 in permanent pairs, joined by young jackals 399 00:28:06,652 --> 00:28:09,488 that help to feed and care for the pups. 400 00:28:17,563 --> 00:28:20,265 After the wheat harvest the jackals trap rodents 401 00:28:20,265 --> 00:28:24,069 in the harvested fields and play in the piles of straw. 402 00:28:29,508 --> 00:28:32,611 When hunting rodents they scramble up high to reach 403 00:28:32,611 --> 00:28:34,446 a better observation point. 404 00:28:44,623 --> 00:28:48,527 They keep a safe distance from wild boars that come to feast 405 00:28:48,527 --> 00:28:50,195 on the harvested straw. 406 00:29:09,314 --> 00:29:11,550 One of the most chilling sounds 407 00:29:11,550 --> 00:29:13,051 heard throughout the region 408 00:29:13,051 --> 00:29:15,153 are the jackals' territorial howls. 409 00:29:16,088 --> 00:29:19,257 [Howling] 410 00:29:22,661 --> 00:29:25,530 And now the most common predator in northern Israel 411 00:29:25,530 --> 00:29:28,133 is no longer confined just to the wild. 412 00:29:32,204 --> 00:29:35,540 The expansion of settlements and the large amounts of food 413 00:29:35,540 --> 00:29:38,343 and garbage have attracted jackals from their usual 414 00:29:38,343 --> 00:29:39,678 hunting grounds. 415 00:29:42,648 --> 00:29:46,451 The slow migration has even reached the center of Tel Aviv. 416 00:29:46,451 --> 00:29:49,121 Along the Yarkon River lives a population 417 00:29:49,121 --> 00:29:51,123 of a few dozen jackals. 418 00:29:53,725 --> 00:29:56,194 They live peacefully among the many visitors, 419 00:29:56,194 --> 00:29:58,830 and rear their pups in the thickets of the river bed 420 00:29:58,830 --> 00:30:01,333 and among the park's trees. 421 00:30:03,235 --> 00:30:06,471 Jackals love water and often swim in the swamps and rivers 422 00:30:06,471 --> 00:30:07,773 of the coastal plain. 423 00:30:23,388 --> 00:30:27,759 In the spring the female gives birth to between 4 and 8 pups 424 00:30:27,759 --> 00:30:30,295 and suckles them for 3 months. 425 00:30:32,397 --> 00:30:35,867 When they reach 1 month they begin to play outside 426 00:30:35,867 --> 00:30:39,137 and eat the food brought by their parents and the young 427 00:30:39,137 --> 00:30:41,106 members of the group. 428 00:30:54,186 --> 00:30:57,322 Numerous rivers including the Yarkon, cross the region 429 00:30:57,322 --> 00:31:00,225 and flow west to the Mediterranean Sea. 430 00:31:01,259 --> 00:31:04,162 Close to the estuary are swampy areas with dense thickets, 431 00:31:04,396 --> 00:31:07,599 a haven for animals that find their final refuge here, 432 00:31:07,599 --> 00:31:11,069 in the most settled and built-up region of Israel. 433 00:31:11,803 --> 00:31:14,806 Among the region's river plants, and woodland roams one 434 00:31:14,806 --> 00:31:18,477 of the largest mammals in Israel, the wild boar. 435 00:31:18,477 --> 00:31:21,146 [Snorting] 436 00:31:21,413 --> 00:31:24,649 Another example of an animal migrating within Israel. 437 00:31:25,517 --> 00:31:27,519 They live in groups of up to 30. 438 00:31:28,386 --> 00:31:32,124 These boars can weigh in at a hefty 330 pounds! 439 00:31:33,391 --> 00:31:36,762 The wild boar eats everything, from corms and fruit 440 00:31:36,762 --> 00:31:38,663 to small animals and carcasses. 441 00:31:39,364 --> 00:31:41,466 In the past they lived only in the woodland 442 00:31:41,466 --> 00:31:43,802 and swampy thickets, but now they have moved 443 00:31:43,802 --> 00:31:45,604 closer to farms in the area. 444 00:31:49,608 --> 00:31:52,477 These boars now feed happily on various crops 445 00:31:52,477 --> 00:31:54,679 and are reproducing with great success. 446 00:31:55,447 --> 00:31:58,450 Females can give birth to 13 piglets at once! 447 00:31:59,618 --> 00:32:02,554 The fur of the young boars is striped and helps camouflage 448 00:32:02,554 --> 00:32:04,055 them in the thickets. 449 00:32:08,660 --> 00:32:12,330 In fact they are so successful, that wild boars have become 450 00:32:12,330 --> 00:32:14,499 a destructive nuisance. 451 00:32:14,499 --> 00:32:17,102 During certain times of the year they are culled 452 00:32:17,102 --> 00:32:18,737 by authorized hunters. 453 00:32:23,742 --> 00:32:25,577 But on the Carmel they are protected. 454 00:32:26,578 --> 00:32:29,347 Environmental authorities consider them an important part 455 00:32:29,347 --> 00:32:31,416 of the Mediterranean woodland ecosystem. 456 00:32:35,620 --> 00:32:37,722 In the swamps, at the Carmel foothills, 457 00:32:37,722 --> 00:32:40,525 on small green islands, nest Little Grebes. 458 00:32:45,330 --> 00:32:48,466 Any sudden movement causes them to dive and disappear into 459 00:32:48,466 --> 00:32:52,237 the water for almost a minute, only to pop up far away. 460 00:32:53,138 --> 00:32:55,440 The grebe chicks wait in the floating nest for their parents 461 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:56,741 to return with food. 462 00:32:57,943 --> 00:33:00,145 Within a few days they will start foraging by themselves 463 00:33:00,145 --> 00:33:01,646 in pools and swamps. 464 00:33:09,254 --> 00:33:11,823 In all the coastal swamps, it's common to see water birds 465 00:33:11,823 --> 00:33:13,658 like egrets and ibis. 466 00:33:14,159 --> 00:33:16,795 They may look like long-time residents but the ibis 467 00:33:16,795 --> 00:33:18,263 are recent arrivals. 468 00:33:20,332 --> 00:33:23,068 The Mediterranean region was part of their migration route 469 00:33:23,068 --> 00:33:25,337 so they only used to stay for the winter. 470 00:33:27,405 --> 00:33:30,375 During the 1970s a small population decided 471 00:33:30,375 --> 00:33:31,610 to stay permanently. 472 00:33:32,277 --> 00:33:35,146 They settled on river banks, in swamps and nested 473 00:33:35,146 --> 00:33:37,382 in the tamarisk thickets and among the branches 474 00:33:37,382 --> 00:33:38,650 of the Eucalyptus trees. 475 00:33:43,688 --> 00:33:46,658 Migrating here has brought its own set of local threats. 476 00:33:47,259 --> 00:33:49,561 These birds now have to watch out for 477 00:33:49,794 --> 00:33:51,196 the Jungle Cat. 478 00:33:54,266 --> 00:33:57,068 It is 4 times larger than the domestic cousin, 479 00:33:57,369 --> 00:34:00,605 swift, strong, very good at climbing and 480 00:34:01,139 --> 00:34:02,240 swimming. 481 00:34:09,447 --> 00:34:12,751 Undeterred by water, the jungle cat hunts fish, 482 00:34:12,751 --> 00:34:14,286 rodents and birds. 483 00:34:27,565 --> 00:34:30,402 The cubs are protected and cared for by both parents 484 00:34:30,402 --> 00:34:33,238 until the age of 6 months, when they typically leave 485 00:34:33,238 --> 00:34:36,441 to find an unoccupied territory in nearby fields 486 00:34:36,441 --> 00:34:37,709 or around rivers. 487 00:34:47,485 --> 00:34:50,155 Today they survive mainly by hunting rodents living 488 00:34:50,155 --> 00:34:51,389 in farm land. 489 00:34:55,860 --> 00:34:57,862 This female searches For food for her cubs 490 00:34:57,862 --> 00:34:59,397 during the night hours. 491 00:34:59,764 --> 00:35:01,333 She listens for the sound of the voles 492 00:35:01,333 --> 00:35:02,600 in the alfalfa fields, 493 00:35:05,203 --> 00:35:07,973 and from time to time manages to catch one. 494 00:35:13,478 --> 00:35:16,047 She's not the only one out here on the prowl. 495 00:35:16,047 --> 00:35:18,049 [Hissing] 496 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:24,255 Throughout the day, large Whip Snakes will feed 497 00:35:24,255 --> 00:35:27,292 on the migrating birds, and hunt voles in the fields. 498 00:35:35,133 --> 00:35:37,736 These two now conduct a stormy dance in the summer heat, 499 00:35:40,171 --> 00:35:42,040 reveling in the thrill of courtship, 500 00:35:56,421 --> 00:35:59,157 the female lays up to 14 eggs in the ground, which will 501 00:35:59,157 --> 00:36:00,425 hatch two months later. 502 00:36:29,821 --> 00:36:33,758 Large Whip Snakes can reach 4 feet and are feared 503 00:36:33,758 --> 00:36:35,460 for their strength and agility. 504 00:36:37,595 --> 00:36:40,331 Among the largest and most common of Israel's snakes. 505 00:36:57,082 --> 00:36:58,650 The Whip Snake shares these river banks 506 00:36:58,650 --> 00:37:00,318 with an ancient looking reptile. 507 00:37:05,290 --> 00:37:08,426 The soft-shelled turtle can reach a weight of 110 pounds. 508 00:37:11,262 --> 00:37:14,365 For the most part, it lives in fresh water, until the turtle's 509 00:37:14,365 --> 00:37:16,301 population grows large enough. 510 00:37:18,470 --> 00:37:21,372 Then a few will migrate from their home base swimming 511 00:37:21,372 --> 00:37:23,341 downstream into the salt sea. 512 00:37:25,477 --> 00:37:28,113 They will search for the mouth of a new river and find 513 00:37:28,113 --> 00:37:29,481 a new area to settle in. 514 00:37:31,483 --> 00:37:34,686 Like all reptiles, they cannot maintain their body heat 515 00:37:35,086 --> 00:37:37,522 and require hours of sunbathing and warming 516 00:37:37,522 --> 00:37:38,990 in order to get moving. 517 00:37:48,366 --> 00:37:50,135 The long head of the soft-shelled turtle 518 00:37:50,135 --> 00:37:51,536 acts like a snorkel. 519 00:37:51,803 --> 00:37:54,239 They can wallow in the riverbed mud or swim 520 00:37:54,239 --> 00:37:56,841 with their oar-shaped legs, while only their nostrils 521 00:37:56,841 --> 00:37:58,343 poke above the surface. 522 00:38:00,011 --> 00:38:03,181 They feed on crabs, worms, fish and carcasses. 523 00:38:05,250 --> 00:38:07,385 The soft shell turtle encounters salt water 524 00:38:07,385 --> 00:38:10,355 only during its migration, but it has cousins that 525 00:38:10,355 --> 00:38:12,957 live permanently out in deep salt waters. 526 00:38:19,464 --> 00:38:23,234 Deep below the Mediterranean Sea, massive brown sea turtles 527 00:38:23,234 --> 00:38:24,636 offer a majestic sight. 528 00:38:25,537 --> 00:38:28,506 They feed mainly on mollusks, crabs fingerlings. 529 00:38:28,506 --> 00:38:31,376 They will sometimes dine on seagrass. 530 00:38:37,749 --> 00:38:39,751 Less common are the green sea turtles, 531 00:38:39,751 --> 00:38:41,553 which are mostly herbivorous. 532 00:38:51,196 --> 00:38:54,265 The turtles swim great distances, from sea to sea 533 00:38:54,265 --> 00:38:55,667 and from coast to coast. 534 00:39:07,245 --> 00:39:09,347 In the summer the females return to lay eggs 535 00:39:09,347 --> 00:39:11,549 at the same coast on which they hatched. 536 00:39:13,451 --> 00:39:16,054 Hoping to strengthen the dwindling turtle population, 537 00:39:16,054 --> 00:39:18,656 rangers from Israel's Nature and Parks Authority 538 00:39:18,656 --> 00:39:21,259 go out to collect these eggs and transfer them 539 00:39:21,259 --> 00:39:22,627 to protected sites. 540 00:39:23,528 --> 00:39:26,130 New nests are constructed to look as much as possible 541 00:39:26,130 --> 00:39:29,133 like the original nest, the eggs are placed 542 00:39:29,133 --> 00:39:31,135 at the same depth at which they were laid 543 00:39:31,135 --> 00:39:32,670 and in a similar arrangement. 544 00:39:38,776 --> 00:39:42,614 An iron cone protects them from ravens, and fencing blocks 545 00:39:42,614 --> 00:39:44,182 foxes and vehicles. 546 00:39:45,450 --> 00:39:48,486 The eggs are incubated in the warm sand for about 2 months, 547 00:39:48,753 --> 00:39:52,523 and then if all goes well tiny newborn turtles emerge, 548 00:39:57,328 --> 00:40:00,365 digging their way upwards, to begin their dangerous journey 549 00:40:00,365 --> 00:40:03,501 of tens of feet from their nest to the sea. 550 00:40:31,729 --> 00:40:34,732 The rangers guard the nest day and night during these hours, 551 00:40:34,732 --> 00:40:37,235 and then protect the turtles until their first dip. 552 00:40:37,802 --> 00:40:39,470 Now they are on their own. 553 00:40:40,571 --> 00:40:42,373 This project has made a huge difference 554 00:40:42,373 --> 00:40:44,208 to the turtles' survival rates. 555 00:40:45,777 --> 00:40:48,279 Now each summer thousands of tiny turtles 556 00:40:48,279 --> 00:40:49,681 manage to reach the water. 557 00:40:51,749 --> 00:40:53,751 Most of them will not survive the first year, 558 00:40:57,588 --> 00:41:00,425 but those that do will migrate for a while 559 00:41:00,425 --> 00:41:02,660 and then return here each summer. 560 00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:12,303 During the nesting season, at the height of the summer, 561 00:41:12,303 --> 00:41:14,672 the Mediterranean's beaches and cliffs are adorned 562 00:41:14,672 --> 00:41:18,009 by a spectacular white flower, the Sea Daffodil. 563 00:41:20,845 --> 00:41:24,048 At night the flowers release a strong fragrance 564 00:41:24,248 --> 00:41:26,284 that attracts the insects needed for pollination. 565 00:41:44,302 --> 00:41:46,838 The Mediterranean provides a natural migration pathway 566 00:41:46,838 --> 00:41:48,706 for countless animals passing through. 567 00:41:49,540 --> 00:41:51,142 But some migration in the region 568 00:41:51,142 --> 00:41:52,610 is very carefully planned. 569 00:41:53,511 --> 00:41:56,447 Just east of the coastline the Carmel Mountain Range 570 00:41:56,447 --> 00:41:59,183 rises up, covered by Mediterranean woodland. 571 00:42:00,184 --> 00:42:03,154 The Carmel is a biosphere reserve, a reserve 572 00:42:03,154 --> 00:42:05,757 that combines conservation with economic development 573 00:42:05,757 --> 00:42:07,058 and settlement. 574 00:42:08,059 --> 00:42:10,528 Here on Mt. Carmel's peak, another long-running 575 00:42:10,528 --> 00:42:12,497 restoration project is underway. 576 00:42:13,664 --> 00:42:16,067 In the past, hundreds of vultures nested 577 00:42:16,067 --> 00:42:17,268 on this mountain range. 578 00:42:17,702 --> 00:42:20,538 But many were illegally poisoned, or accidentally 579 00:42:20,538 --> 00:42:23,574 electrocuted by landing on high voltage power poles. 580 00:42:24,175 --> 00:42:26,477 Now only a few dozen vultures remain. 581 00:42:27,278 --> 00:42:29,480 Israel's Nature and Parks Authority stepped in. 582 00:42:30,615 --> 00:42:34,118 In 2015, 49 Vultures were brought from Europe 583 00:42:34,118 --> 00:42:35,720 to the Nucleus Breeding center, 584 00:42:35,720 --> 00:42:38,189 to help the local population reproduce. 585 00:42:41,159 --> 00:42:43,127 The newcomers were placed in cages to breed 586 00:42:43,127 --> 00:42:44,328 with other vultures. 587 00:42:46,697 --> 00:42:48,666 Their eggs were placed in incubators. 588 00:42:51,502 --> 00:42:53,438 The chicks that hatch are cared for in a way 589 00:42:53,438 --> 00:42:57,375 to avoid human imprinting. A one-way glass wall allows 590 00:42:57,375 --> 00:43:00,311 the ranger to observe and feed the birds without being seen. 591 00:43:01,312 --> 00:43:04,148 She also uses a vulture puppet to feed the chicks. 592 00:43:04,715 --> 00:43:07,752 This way, when they mature, the vultures will not try 593 00:43:07,752 --> 00:43:10,755 to make contact with people, but will join their friends 594 00:43:10,755 --> 00:43:12,523 already released into the wild. 595 00:43:14,091 --> 00:43:16,494 The young vultures are kept for a period of acclimation 596 00:43:16,494 --> 00:43:19,063 with adult vultures in a cage placed opposite 597 00:43:19,063 --> 00:43:19,997 their new home. 598 00:43:23,234 --> 00:43:25,736 The day of release is always a nervous time. 599 00:43:32,210 --> 00:43:35,279 But today, the young vulture spreads its wings to freedom. 600 00:43:40,718 --> 00:43:43,187 In a nearby valley on the Camel, a permanent 601 00:43:43,187 --> 00:43:44,355 feeding station has been set up, 602 00:43:46,457 --> 00:43:49,227 where vultures are provided with a constant source of food. 603 00:43:52,563 --> 00:43:55,399 Thanks to all these efforts, the population on the Carmel 604 00:43:55,399 --> 00:43:57,101 is slowly recovering. 605 00:44:01,672 --> 00:44:04,075 In recent years, the Carmel range has seen another 606 00:44:04,075 --> 00:44:06,043 remarkable example of renewal. 607 00:44:07,211 --> 00:44:09,714 In the winter the mountain is covered in rich greenery 608 00:44:09,714 --> 00:44:12,116 that dries up in the summer and becomes dangerous 609 00:44:12,116 --> 00:44:13,384 flammable material. 610 00:44:16,087 --> 00:44:18,322 Every few years, fires break out here, 611 00:44:20,458 --> 00:44:23,361 ravaging acres of vegetation and forests, 612 00:44:25,296 --> 00:44:28,032 even damaging villages and cities on the Carmel. 613 00:44:33,804 --> 00:44:37,174 Recovery is slow after a fire, and tree regeneration 614 00:44:37,174 --> 00:44:38,175 takes years. 615 00:44:41,078 --> 00:44:43,614 In the past herds of deer and goats lived here, 616 00:44:44,081 --> 00:44:47,051 clearing the woodland floor, thinning out the vegetation 617 00:44:47,285 --> 00:44:49,220 and reducing the risk of fire. 618 00:44:50,521 --> 00:44:53,291 Israel's Nature and Parks Authority established a project 619 00:44:53,291 --> 00:44:55,459 to bring back some of the original wild life 620 00:44:55,459 --> 00:44:56,627 that once lived here. 621 00:44:57,228 --> 00:44:59,463 And this also helped restore a natural method 622 00:44:59,463 --> 00:45:00,598 of fire prevention. 623 00:45:03,634 --> 00:45:07,138 In 1978, a small herd of Persian Fallow Deer 624 00:45:07,138 --> 00:45:09,273 was brought from Iran to a breeding nucleus 625 00:45:09,273 --> 00:45:10,975 on the Carmel mountain. 626 00:45:14,045 --> 00:45:17,281 The planned migration succeeded beyond all expectations. 627 00:45:21,352 --> 00:45:23,154 The few Persian Fallow Deer became 628 00:45:23,154 --> 00:45:26,257 a herd of hundreds. They live in a large, protected 629 00:45:26,257 --> 00:45:29,293 area on the peak of the Carmel, fighting, 630 00:45:29,293 --> 00:45:31,062 courting and reproducing. 631 00:45:38,836 --> 00:45:41,105 Each year a few of the healthiest and strongest 632 00:45:41,105 --> 00:45:43,274 are selected for release into the wild. 633 00:45:48,746 --> 00:45:51,382 The ranger shoots each of them with a tranquilizing dart. 634 00:45:57,188 --> 00:46:00,591 The tranquilized deer are inspected and then attached 635 00:46:00,591 --> 00:46:02,193 with a transmitter. 636 00:46:10,201 --> 00:46:12,503 From here they are taken to a release area, 637 00:46:12,503 --> 00:46:16,273 in the Galilee, on the Carmel or in the Jerusalem mountains. 638 00:46:16,707 --> 00:46:18,643 Their progress will be closely monitored. 639 00:46:24,348 --> 00:46:26,550 The moment of release has finally arrived. 640 00:46:27,351 --> 00:46:29,587 As if they lived in the wild all their lives, 641 00:46:31,222 --> 00:46:33,057 the deer disappear into the thicket. 642 00:46:34,158 --> 00:46:36,293 Soon, transmitter signals indicate that they 643 00:46:36,293 --> 00:46:39,363 have successfully joined the free herd beyond the reserve. 644 00:46:40,398 --> 00:46:43,534 This is a different kind of migration, from reserve 645 00:46:43,534 --> 00:46:46,671 to the wild, but it echoes a long legacy that 646 00:46:46,671 --> 00:46:48,406 continues to this day. 647 00:46:51,175 --> 00:46:54,111 The Mediterranean is one of the great migration highways 648 00:46:54,111 --> 00:46:55,513 of history and nature. 649 00:46:58,582 --> 00:47:03,487 Beneath the waves, along the coast, up high in the air, 650 00:47:04,021 --> 00:47:06,757 countless animals have passed through this region looking for 651 00:47:06,757 --> 00:47:09,093 a better safer place to call home. 652 00:47:10,361 --> 00:47:13,764 Many have found it and stayed. Many have kept on 653 00:47:13,764 --> 00:47:15,199 moving through. 654 00:47:16,233 --> 00:47:19,103 With enough care and luck, the region will survive 655 00:47:19,103 --> 00:47:22,173 the environmental damage inflicted by the human touch 656 00:47:22,473 --> 00:47:26,043 and continue to offer a sanctuary 657 00:47:26,043 --> 00:47:28,679 for distant restless creatures still to come. 658 00:47:29,780 --> 00:47:40,024 (♪♪♪) 659 00:47:40,024 --> 00:47:44,795 (♪♪♪) 660 00:47:44,795 --> 00:47:54,004 (♪♪♪)