Siberia, its very name conjures up a desolate, frozen world.
But those who dare venture into this forbidding land
enter a wilderness on a majestic scale.
This is home to the world's largest forests
and the planet's oldest, deepest lake.
It's one of the coldest places on earth.
Here animals go to any extreme to survive.
This is siberia.
Russia's vast wilderness,
mysterious and impenetrable
-- towering mountains,
fiery volcanoes,
spectacular underwater worlds,
and burning desert
all encompassed in the largest country on earth,
but at its heart is siberia.
Siberia contains the greatest expanse of wilderness on the planet
Only those willing to go to any extreme travel here,
but now "wild russia" has gained access to some of siberia's most inaccessible regions.
Spanning more than three-quarters of russia's land mass,
siberia covers an 1 million square miles.
This frozen and hostile land
has kept civilization at bay.
As a result, this is one of the last great wilderness areas of the world.
Winter here is ruthless.
Half of siberia is encased in snow.
But the animals here are used to the bone-breaking temperatures.
As ravens greet the morning,
thickly insulated eurasian wolves shrug off the cold.
Russia holds the world's largest population of gray wolves,
around 50,000.
These animals live in packs
containing anywhere from 2 to 35 wolves.
A good-sized wolf pack can reign over 5,000 square miles of territory,
about the size of connecticut.
But they're only found in isolated regions,
and catching them on film is unusual.
Howling, the wolf call to arms,
gathers the pack and warns other wolves to back off.
This chorus can carry as far as five miles.
Their extraordinary sense of smell
helps them find prey or carrion nearly two miles away.
In this frozen world,
they must scrape the ice, to quench their thirst.
In Siberia's far North,
lies Yakutia.
This is the coldest spot in the north of Hemisphere
Temperatures plunge in to -94 degrees fahrenheit.
Wild Yakutian horses,
are adapted to survive ??? temperatures
They keep movement to a minimum.
Found only in russia, their experience is hard won over many centuries.
This is one of the world's most ancient breeds of horses.
Heavy hoofs ???? deep snow to uncover frozen grass.
And now in march, many are eating for two,
preparing to foal in may or june when warmer weather will bring some relief.
This makes the search for nourishment even more critical.
Over the millennia, yakutian horses developed
thin skin and dense fur to shield them from temperatures well below -50 degrees below fahrenheit.
Fat laid down last summer
provides energy during the sparse winter months,
but not all will make it.
Further north, one of the rarest birds in the world
clings to life.
The critically endangered siberian white crane.
About 3,500 remain worldwide,
but only 10 of these magnificent cranes exist in all of western siberia.
This extraordinarily rare footage
is one of the rare times this cranes have been filmed in siberia.
The cranes spend winter in china, where it is warmer,
and then travel 3,000 miles to breed in the russian tundra.
Even though the female lays two eggs,
generally only one chick will survive to maturity.
Elsewhere, another rare creature lurks in the shadowy forest.
This remarkable animal, with a face like a kangaroo
and the teeth a vampire,
is a musk deer.
But don't let the fangs fool you.
Males grow them instead of antlers for show.
The older the deer, the longer the fangs.
These deer are famous for their musk,
used to attract mates.
But it's also irresistible to perfume-makers
who pay exorbitant prices for their musk glands.
Worth more than its weight in gold,
two pounds of the brown, waxy substance can cost $45,000.
Such a high bounty on their glands makes the musk deer a magnet for poachers.
In the last 10 years, the population has declined
by 50%, and it's now at endangered levels.
After feeding, musk deer regurgitate their meal,
chewing it again to help digestion.
Though relaxed, he is always on the alert.
In a nearby clearing,
a group of ravens known as an unkindness
benefits from the death of one of the pregnant horses.
Members of the crow family, ravens are among the most intelligent birds.
They can make over 30 different sounds.
But the battle cry of the wolves .. frightens even now ????
And with good reason.
Siberia's vast wilderness covers more than three-quarters of russia's entire land mass.
Its pristine forest is the largest on earth.
Its inhabitants are savvy and tough.
Siberian wolves are consummate survivors,
always on the prowl for their next meal.
In the fall and winter, the pack becomes nomadic,
moving its den from place to place.
Guided by their sharp sense of smell,
they'll hunt, steal, or scavenge,
whatever it takes to fill their bellies.
The hungry wolves attack the meat with such ferocity
that they even intimidate each other.
But for the birds, it's time for some fun.
Aside from people, ravens are one of the few animals
that act silly just for the sheer joy of it,
and this is one of the few times this behavior has been caught on film.
These birds can afford to have fun.
Adult ravens seem to lack natural enemies.
Time for a quick brush-down and they're all done.
Well, almost.
Siberia's northern coniferous forest, called the taiga,
covers 5 million square miles,
three times the size of alaska.
It also plays a critical role in climate change,
though it's not yet entirely understood.
Researchers are investigating whether these vast forests
will slow or quicken global warming in the future.
The Taiga's northeastern section, Yakutia,
the land of the horse people,
brushes up against the arctic circle.
In the hills of Yakutia,
a relentless army is on the march
-- reindeer,
a herd of a thousand strong.
Built for subzero temperatures,
reindeer have hollowed, tapered hair that traps heat next to their bodies.
They haven't come here by chance.
It's an annual round-up.
The Yakut people have co-existed with reindeer in siberia for millennia,
and while most have become urbanized,
400,000 still live as traditional nomadic reindeer herders.
The herdsmen must get the animals to new grazing
before the snow melts and they're trapped by waterlogged land.
With the end of winter nearing, they must move now.
For over 3,000 years, these animals
have provided humans with food, clothing, and leather.
In the wild, reindeer can wander further than any other terrestrial mammal,
about 3,000 miles a year,
and they reach speeds of almost 50 miles per hour.
For the Yakuts, this little herd provides everything they need
to exist in this arctic environment.
On the rivers, spring brings relief from the bitter cold.
Broken ice creates makeshift barges for lazy water fowl.
Gaps in the ice also give goldeneyed ducks a chance to fish.
Soon they're out in force.
But these ducks aren't the only ones braving the cold waters.
Dippers live up to their name, bobbing for small bugs and crustaceans.
As the thaw continues, the birds flock to the ice-free waters.
And the retreating ice unleashes a unique creature,
perfectly adapted to the deep freeze.
The siberian salamander.
Antifreeze-like compounds in their blood
enable these newts to endure temperatures of 50 below zero.
They can stay frozen solid for years
before thawing and reviving as good as new.
Once resurrected, they'll mate and lay eggs
before reentering their frozen limbo next season.
The siberian salamander is one of the few species
that can survive by freezing itself solid.
900 Miles away
are Siberia's Southern steps.
Pine forests give way to arid plains.
Here wild horses run free.
They share the lands with small groups of camels
and the strange Goitered Gazelle.
These nomadic animals once roamed in the tens of thousands,
but hunting and habitat laws have exacted a terrible toll on their numbers.
Still, small herds can be seen meandering across the plains,
eating grasses and shrubs.
During mating season, the male Goitered Gazelle's larynx swells,
giving it its name.
A threatened Gazelle can dart from its enemies at almost 40 miles per hour
and can leap 7 feet high.
This makes slipping through Mongolian border fence easy.
Heading southwest along the 2,000-mile border with Mongolia,
Siberia's terrain turns mountainous.
With peaks stretching 15,000 feet into the sky,
the Altai mountains are higher than the Rockies.
This arid, windswept land
is the domain of the world's largest ..
The Argali.
Unique to this part of the world,
the Argali are coveted by hunters for their size and massive horns.
Today only 400 remain in russia.
This isolated slope appears to have given this male some peace,
but the life of an alpha male doesn't stay quiet for long.
A challenger has arrived.
A male's impressive horns
can spiral to 6 feet long and weigh up to 44 pounds.
But this challenger may have pushed this dominant male to the breaking point.
A potentially fatal decision when your opponent weighs in at 400 pounds.
Russia's Siberia is famous for its bone-chilling winters,
but its Southern region is an entirely different world.
Here, the Altai Mountains tower above The Central Asian steps.
This is the domain of the rare Argali,
and life on these slopes is a constant battle.
This challenger has had enough
and leaves the dominant male to his females,
but there are other usurpers waiting in the wings.
The competition starts to arrive.
They try to sneak in while the alpha male is distracted.
But their advances have caught his attention, and he'll make them pay for trespassing.
Incredibly, these blows rarely result in serious injury.
Argalis' thick necks work as shock absorbers,
while their delicate brains are cushioned beneath the core of the hollow horns.
Although the dominant male has successfully defended his claim,
he decides it's best to relocate his harem.
But one challenger won't give up so easily.
Their heads collide at nearly 60 miles an hour.
One last crushing blow determines the final outcome.
Spring wreaks havoc on the landscape.
Waterways swell past their breaking points.
For millennia, they've cut through solid rock and pine forests.
In Southeastern Siberia, over 300 of these rivers and streams
pour in to the deepest lake in the world,
Lake Baikal.
An astonishing one-quarter of the earth's fresh water is contained here,
as much as all of the five great lakes combined.
While familiar Gulls patrol the rugged coastline,
an odd form appears in the frigid waters below.
Found only here,
this is one of only three types of freshwater seals in the world.
The Baikal, or Nerpa, seal.
How they got to this landlocked body of water remains a mystery.
They may be the descendants of Ringed seals
that swam here from The Arctic Ocean a few million years ago.
During thousands of years of isolation,
they've evolved into a separate species.
In the middle of the world's most ancient lake
is a perfect refuge
-- Ushkanyi Islands.
The deep water here provide protection from their only predator -- humans.
Nocturnal hunters,
they use the daytime hours to rest on the rocks.
Although they are clumsy above water,
they become hydrodynamic torpedo underneath.
Zipping along at up to 15 miles per hour.
The oldest and deepest lake in the world,
more than a mile deep in places,
originated more than 25 million years ago
when two tectonic plates drifted apart.
They're still separating at about 3/4 of an inch per year.
Down here, Baikalian sponge occupies the niche normally filled by coral.
It can even survive under complete ice cover.
60% Of the creatures found here are unique to Lake Baikal,
including numerous species of amphipods, snails, and flat worms.
Some grow to extremes due to the oxygen-rich water.
This amphipod is about four times larger
than those found in other parts of the world.
Deep in the lake, life and death quietly play out.
Snails clean up a rotting fish.
Others are busy mating in the cold waters.
But the tranquility beneath the water's surface
belies the astounding events above.
In the heart of Russia lies the vast wilderness of Siberia.
It's summer at lake Baikal,
the world's oldest, deepest, and largest lake.
500 Stories up, on the surface, Baikal prepares for an invasion.
Caddis flies.
After almost a year in shallows,
the larvae transform into winged adults and take to the skies.
The millions of tiny flies attract far bigger animals.
The flies hold a mating frenzy along the banks of the lake.
Brown bears come to feed on this fleeting feast of protein.
Caddis flies only live for a week,
so they rush to lay eggs on the water before dying.
Day after day, the bears search them out, dead or alive.
Piles of flies up to four inches deep can be found on the lake shore's rocks.
It's a welcome change to the bears' diets.
Most of the 90 pounds of food a day they consume is vegetation.
But even with this abundance,
a smaller bear must defer to a bigger one.
A larger bear could kill him with a single swipe.
So running to avoid a fight is a smart move.
But another species finds the warm season is causing more problems than good.
A lack of natural predators
has caused the Baikal Seal population to spiral out of control.
100,000 Currently live on the lake,
an unsustainable figure.
Hundreds crowd on to the rocks on the lake.
The lucky ones squeeze in,
though that doesn't necessarily guarantee a warm reception.
The agitation spreads.
Those on the rocks constantly defend their territory.
Desperate to claim any spot,
the seals gang up on each other, even over the smallest space.
With their numbers continuing to rise, this victory will be short-lived.
Evening arrives, and with it, an eerie mist settles over the lake.
The last of the egg-laying Caddis flies get picked off by ducks and bears.
Brown bears are crepuscular, preferring to venture out at dawn or dusk.
Although their hearing and vision isn't well developed
they have an incredible sense of smell
and can pick up the scent of a carcass two miles away.
But they are not alone in that respect.
Two predators are about to come face-to-face
for the same prize.
Siberia's Lake Baikal
is the stage for a showdown between two top predators.
A carcass has attracted the attentions of a 100-pound wolf and a 1,300-pound bear.
Although a bear can break a wolf's back with one swipe,
packs of wolves have been known to successfully defend kills against bears.
This wolf is working alone,
so he does the only thing he can
-- steals a large leg bone.
But he makes the mistake of stopping to watch his back.
He got lucky this time.
The bear's too focused on the kill to bother with the wolf.
Tonight they both get a share of the spoils.
It's late August, and as the brief summer slides into autumn,
the land around Lake Baikal begins its transformation.
It's the last great growth before the bitter cold sets in.
The damp floor of the forest comes alive.
Cowberries and blueberries fatten up.
It's harvest time.
Though Siberian Shipmunks live on the ground,
they are utterly dependent on The Siberian Pines for food.
While one stuffs his cheek pouches, another waits his chance.
Competition is fierce and outright thievery routine.
To survive Siberia's brutal winter,
Chipmunks hibernate for five months straight,
but they only have two months
to collect the seeds and nuts they'll need
to survive the winter.
Each will amass over five pounds of food in its den,
carried there cheek load by cheek load.
It's difficult work, especially with competitors watching every move.
The clock is ticking for all the forest's inhabitants,
and one small creature isn't taking any chances.
The red ant.
Numbering in the millions, they are the dominant ant in the Northern Hemisphere
and can build nest mounds over three feet high.
Workers form a never-ending conveyor belt of food.
This ill-fated Ladybug is one of more than 60,000 food items
that a single colony carries into the depths of its anthill every day.
When these ants are on the march, there's no escape.
Winter is on the horizon in Russia's most notorious region -- Siberia.
The creatures of its forests rush to prepare for the onslaught of cold.
Ravenous red ants are on the prowl.
In an attempt to escape the carnage.
This long-horned beetle has gone up the wrong tree.
The slippery bark of this Birch is his undoing.
It will be a painful death.
Once the beetle hits the ground, the mob rushes and overpowers him,
dousing him with formic acid,
which penetrates the bug's armor and subdues it.
Next, the ants dismember the giant alive
and carry it back to the nest piece by piece.
November arrives,
and the distance peaks regain their snowy cover.
The icy grip of winter will soon spread.
At high altitudes, the temperature is always punishing,
but now, all across Siberia, the big freeze returns,
in some places dropping to 94 below zero,
making it one of the coldest places on earth.
Snow reclaims the mountains as well as the sweeping forests,
but for those not hibernating, life must go on.
The wild boar is the only pig
that has evolved to inhabit such icy climates.
Its coarse hair is a natural defense against the cold.
These gregarious animals also have another weapon in their arsenal
-- their snout.
A tough disk of cartilage connected to muscle
acts as a powerful plow that breaks snow and ice.
Stuck deep in a winter forest with limited resources,
wild boars' main survival technique is to have a highly indiscriminate diet.
If they can find it, they will eat it.
This time of year is hardest on the piglets.
Without the benefit of the adults' bushy coats,
they are very sensitive to the cold.
Still, these youngsters have some energy to burn
and use it to practice male boars' favorite pastime
-- fighting.
It will be five years until they are able to face adult combat.
Until then, they continuously hone their sparring skills.
During the long winter chill,
Lake Baikal transforms from a flat expanse
into cut crystal.
Adult Baikal seals
fend for themselves through the winter by staying mostly in the water,
but come April, others will be dependent on them for survival.
This pup, born in a snow hole four weeks ago,
is the first of the season to emerge.
Now that it has ventured out of the layer,
its mother must disappear for long periods beneath the crust to feed.
It's a vulnerable time,
and danger is never far away.
Humans, bears, and even crows
can spell death for the little ones.
Only its determination will save it.
Siberia's chilling reputation
is what has protected this incredible place
from the destructive hand of man.
With beauty as expansive as its borders
and diversity to rival any place on earth,
only time, will tell
if this Russian land of mountains and lakes, forests and plains,
will remain not a prison
but a true refuge for the wildlife that live here.
Subtitiled by Mohannad Musallam Frozen