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  • WILD RUSSIA

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Take a trek into Wild Russia to experience a land of fire and ice, polar bears and tigers.

Sprawling over 11 time zones and two continents from Europe to the Pacific, and beyond the magnificent cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, this huge country contains a wealth of unspoilt natural wilderness.

Through unprecedented access we showcase the spectacle that is Wild Russia. From east to west, via mountains, volcanoes, deserts, lakes and Arctic ice, this breathtaking six-part series uses stunning cinematography to chart the dazzling natural wonders of this vast country.

SIBERIA
Accounting for around 10 per cent of the world’s dry land, Siberia is famous as a brutally cold place. Yet it is home to a diverse range of habitats and animal life – including musk deer, camels, gazelles and the extraordinary Siberian salamander, which can spend years encased in -40°C ice and still survive. Exploring from the frozen north to the southern steppes, this is the real Siberia.

KAMCHATKA
A land of fire and ice, the volcanic peninsula of Kamchatka lies in Russia’s far east. With the land constantly being reworked by eruptions and landslides, this far-flung part of the country is dangerous, but incredibly fertile. Heading right into this magical land, this stunning film follows soaring golden eagles, scavenging wolverines, young red foxes and local brown bears partial to a dip in a natural hot spring.

ARCTIC
The Russian Arctic is one of the world’s most extreme habitats, yet it is a haven for polar bears, lemmings, arctic foxes and walruses. In late August, massive muskoxen bulls gather together to compete for mating dominance. Each bull can weigh 400 kilogrammes and charge at a speed of 40 kilometres an hour; a head-to-head impact can be heard more than a kilometre away.

THE GREAT DIVIDE
From high snowy peaks to baking deserts, the Caucasus is much more than a simple mountain range. With habitats including forests, alpine meadows and arid salt flats, like the rest of Russia it boasts a dazzling array of wildlife. Home to wild boars, Eurasian lynx, long-eared hedgehogs, bezoar ibex, rare highland European bison and the truly bizarre glass lizard, this area is another jewel in Russia’s wilderness crown.

THE SECRET FOREST
While Asiatic black bears hang from the trees and chipmunks search for food, the spotted sika deer travels to the coast to supplement its diet with kelp. The presence of deer on this open ground attracts the region's big predator, the Amur tiger. But the largest cat in the world has dangerous enemies itself: poaching and habitat destruction are an ever-present threat to tigers in the Ussuriland region of Russia.

PRIMEVAL VALLEYS
Travel through the majestic Primeval forests of the Urals. This Russian sanctuary is a land of extremes where giant deer and half-tonne leviathans. Eurasian elk make seasonal journeys in search of food. Unlike other deer, Eurasian elk are normally solitary and for pregnant females, the stress of meeting leads to fighting. As the snow retreats, opportunists like lone wolves advance to feed on winter's victims…

EPISODE GUIDE

  • Wild Russia: Primeval Valleys
    Travel through the majestic Primeval forests of the Urals. This Russian sanctuary is a land of extremes where giant deer, half-tonne leviathans and tiny adventures flourish. Eurasian elk make seasonal journeys in search of food. Unlike other deer, Eurasian elk are normally solitary and for pregnant females, the stress of meeting leads to fighting. The elk migration leads them across swollen, fast-moving rivers and while they are strong swimmers, many are lost in the treacherous journey. After many months of hibernating, it's a rude awakening for the hungry brown bear who searches for an easy kill. As the snow retreats, opportunists like lone wolves advance to feed on winter's victims. The unique Russian desman, a semi-aquatic and almost-blind relative of the mole, has scent glands at the base of its tail that gives it a musky, unappetizing smell to discourage predators.
  • Wild Russia: The Great Divide
    Russia's Caucasus Mountains create a dramatic landscape of contradictions from snow-laden hills and alpine meadows to arid salt flats and dry desert. The Caucasian forests serve as a leafy battlefield for wild boars, which use their 350-kilogram, tank-like bodies to settle disputes. During the mating season, excited boars produce a sticky, frothy saliva filled with pheromones to attract a mate. Also in the forest, one of the area's 30,000 Eurasian lynx patrols with her six-week-old cubs - harmless now, the cubs will be accomplished killers in a year's time. The Caucasus is home to one of nature's oddest creatures, the snake-like glass lizard, whose tail can snap off and shatter into pieces to confuse enemies. The long-eared hedgehog tracks a venomous centipede and a grasshopper and beetle face off to the death in the arid desert, while rarely spotted highland European bison roam the hills and Bezoar Ibex with their metre-long horns rule the towering, jagged peaks of the central highlands.
  • Wild Russia: Kamchatka
    Located on Russia's far eastern edge is the stark peninsula of Kamchatka - a surprising place where volcanoes create a land of fire and ice. Thriving in this tumultuous area, golden eagles and Steller's sea eagles share in the spoils of Lake Kuril. These giant birds of prey engage in a spectacular battle royale over their kill. In Kamchatka's lush, steamy valleys, brown bears feast on the annual salmon spawn, and take a dip in a bubbling, geothermal cauldron of hot steam and lively waters. When the salmon return to Lake Kuril, brown bears warily watch each other as they line the lake's volcanic banks to catch their fill. Also in Kamchatka, red foxes take their first steps outside their den, snow sheep keep a watchful eye on the skies against an aerial attack and wolverines scavenge the countryside for meat. But Kamchatka's active volcanoes continually transform the region; not long ago, a massive landslide engulfed the green valley with 4.5 million cubic metres of rock, gravel and snow.
  • Wild Russia: The Arctic
    At the roof of the world and on the edge of civilization sits the Russian Arctic, known for its extreme temperatures, weather and hostility. A haven for polar bears, as many as 500 pregnant females make their dens on Wrangel and Herald islands. Wrangel Island also attracts the world's largest population of walruses. One walrus segregated from the herd provides a feast for a few lucky bears. In late August, massive muskoxen bulls gather together to compete for mating dominance. Each bull can weigh 400 kilograms and charge at a speed of 40 kilometres an hour; a head-to-head impact can be heard more than a kilometre away. Meanwhile, the high Arctic's lemming population has crashed this year, and it is taking a significant toll on other creatures. Arctic foxes struggle to feed their litters while a snowy owl can only watch as her underdeveloped youngster succumbs to malnourishment. In the Russian Arctic, biting cold and howling storms lay down nature's harsh rules.
  • Wild Russia: The Secret Forest
    The Ussuriland wilderness extends from the deep Sikhote Alin forests to the fast-flowing Amur River. Slipping through the shadows of the Ussuriland forests are two of the world's rarest cats. With only 30 remaining in the wild - all in this far eastern region of Russia - the Amur leopard is the most critically endangered big cat. While Asiatic black bears hang from the trees and chipmunks search for food, the spotted sika deer travel to the coast to supplement their diet with kelp. The presence of deer on this open ground attracts the region's big predator, the Amur tiger. But the largest cat in the world has dangerous enemies itself: poaching and habitat destruction are an ever present threat to tigers in this region. Thankfully, the Lake Khanka wetlands have been recovering from pollution, and it continues to provide a home to herons, as well as Chinese soft-shelled turtles. Diversity does not stop at the surface and a plethora of animals live underwater, surviving with camouflage.
  • Wild Russia: Siberia
    Synonymous with punishing cold, parts of Siberia bake at 40 degrees Celsius. Lurking in the forests of Siberia's Yakutia region with a face like a kangaroo and vampire's teeth is the musk deer. But, it's the other end of this deer that attracts attention - the male's musk gland produces scent irresistible to females - and perfume makers. Also found in region is the Siberian crane; only 3,500 are left in Siberia. As Siberia's weather warms, one of the world's hardiest amphibians is released from its winter home. The Siberian salamander has unique blood compounds that enable it to survive in temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius. They can stay frozen solid for years before thawing and reviving as good as new. On Siberia's southern steppes, the landscape changes dramatically, and wild horses run free and share land with a small group of camels and the strange goitered gazelles. In the Altai Mountains, the planet's largest sheep - the argali - reign over the peaks while the world's only freshwater seals call Siberia's Lake Baikal home.
  • Wild Russia: Secret Forest
    The Ussuriland wilderness extends from the deep Sikhote Alin forests to the fast-flowing Amur River.
  • Wild Russia: Arctic
    The Russian Arctic is one of the world’s most extreme habitats, yet it is a haven for polar bears, lemmings, arctic foxes and walruses.
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