a unique place in southern russia an island surrounded by one of europe's longest lakes in an area of stunning natural beauty. southern russia lake manage below early morning is the best time for setting out for this small island from the mainland. this is because gale force winds blow here throughout the rest of the day. talk to me a cuz mean a biologist is going to the deserted island avoid me the lakes most mysterious feature. it is couched in incredible legends and is the custodian of many secrets when and how it became home to a herd of horses is unclear. because of its population of noble beasts has since been called mustang island today it is part of europe's only nature reserve in the

step. dr cans mean hopes to be able to get close to the mustangs to see how these federal descendants of domesticated horses live in the wild. to carry our good luck and godspeed if you find those horses thank you for the right. when i find them i'll be sure to let you know ok. bye for now. managed below is one of europe's longest lakes with a high concentration of salt. it stretches all the way from the russian plane to the caucasus mountains as it runs through the cooma manage depression a natural border between europe and asia. there are no fresh water reservoirs

rivers all springs on voting island because of the salinity of the soil. consequently there are no trees or shrubs that eva the island is overgrown with low grass. some of time here is marked by scorching heat droughts and strong winds. the horses have a hard time surviving in such conditions because mean confirms. this here is the skull of an adult horse belonged to a female it died from natural causes. no trace of hooves is found in the sand there are no trails leading to the hole spawns a soul to make the lakes water undrinkable the horses can only survive on the island's

hinterland where rain accumulates in small depressions in the. dr cans mean soon finds a narrow trail in the grass. this is a horse trail similar trails take horses to a watering place that said even tulips grow in such trails the horses tread on them but they don't trample them no down are. some one hundred fifty species of cuba found in the wild this flower with a short stand and bright cup of about gave birth to the first cultivated varieties of to lips this is the wild schrenker. one see is the island's open spaces and low hills of the rest of nature reserve flare up in a riot of color. people often ask why the tulips are so

sure that's because the bulb of the place deep underground at a depth of about seventy centimeters even imply one to remove it it's under the nose spread it all. the wild kulit has always been a native plant of rushes steps in the past it was a symbol of vitality and fertility unlike the bulbs we may buy for our governs these chewed up start life a small seeds years will pass before the bugs emerge above ground. take seventy hours to come up i think battles other first to appear they look like the battle so these two i think blumenthal there it least six years of age. the to live is one of the few flowering plants that are comfortable in open arid areas in geological terms the so-called managed depression is an almost ideal plane

with small lakes two to three meters deep fish and weeds and not found in them because it's too salty. colonies of microscopic crayfish called brine trims then the water it's reddish hue. they are common in salt water and the most likely to be only inhabitants. the horse trail involved the island take stock to cause me into what is now a small dried out lake. what makes the rust all freeserve different is that this island is surrounded by a salt lake it's called managed good deal ok this is one of the lakes base the water is very salty the horses don't drink such water. as a seasoned explorer trails are not his only guide. lawford

i don't think a horse is smell could be mistaken for anything else i would say that it is very distinctive though. they must be somewhere here nearby for their food in. the free roaming mustangs on board the island are in total isolation locals have another theory as to how the horses came to lake managed. in the old days robbers stole horses in neighboring villages and hid them that to this day the horses a still mistrustful of people. the island is now closed to tourists and only researchers can visit yet few have been able to approach the stallions let alone get inside the herd.

war here they are these are the horses we have spent ages looking for there are eight young colts these free roaming horses are called mustangs. i can see the horses grouping together ready to head off. tomorrow they will be much camera and then we will be able to take a look at life hurt. or look there off into the sunset.

from time immemorial horses help humans survive in these regions nomads regarded this open space in europe south as a highway linking europe and asia. over the ages many ethnic groups inhabited these parts including scythians. tatar and hmong goals. in the old days a horse was a status symbol only warriors and the elite could afford to keep such mounts. the camel was the most common domesticated animal among ordinary folk. every way possible. honest to carry loads in their way used to

mate and wool. and researches from the biodiversity conservation center of come up with a project to keep what will once native animals in the step this small herd of camels graze during the day and return to an open pen for the night. the camels like it here and are only too happy to give up the open wild in exchange for food and water. they have easily adapted to living in the step one of the signs of healthy camels is upright rather than crumpled and drooping humps camels rapidly multiplied in this small. are new they have a hierarchy of. camels a base strong males some of the males are very aggressive they have to be removed from the herd to ensure the comfort of others this is especially important at

a time when there are many young camels around we protect them from aggressive males but old and young alike co-exist peacefully. mean has devoted his life to studying horses so much so that his friends and colleagues gave him the nickname old mustang. for quite some time has conducted research on his own this is because wild horses dislike the presence of many people on the island. life all he needs in the step is water and packed meals he stays in a dilapidated cabin for the night the island's only structure. we constantly observe the mustang's way of life we're looking for opportunities to

create isolated territories for them so they can feel themselves at home without being bothered by humans. thanks. a very warm welcome to you this is your news today protesters on holds true today at. leas in gippsland your chance to choose is to get the status of the human experiment is a single. business rap music or to expose movies look we try to make

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this game to history. he was tried stalked and dated. but sprung the traps they laid for him come up on the radio would have the surge walks around the area. always from the always missing. one shot turn to take. out the global drug industry's godfather became the most want to trophy of the world's gouty hunters. escobar the great hunt on our

team. the bugs of wild two lips in the last of reserve open with the first rays of the sun to shrink a chilly blooms for only a few days this brief period is known in the reserve as red carpet time. in the morning volney island surrounded by fog talk to me knows for sure the hood is nearby. in the morning they are most likely to be either in a depressions or at the water hole this behavior is characteristic of all animals

roaming around to step. in the morning they feed on moist grass at this time the plants are rich in moisture and there is also a lot of juice here this meets their water requirements. over the years on the island the herd behavior has become quite varied. typical of all free roaming animals it's up to the alpha male to decide where the herd goes at any particular moment. but even without a leader the horses follow their natural instinct to flock together as they move around the island. as soon as a small group of horses begins moving the others gradually join in.

for most of the year the mustangs live in a type of harming the refried to form as with colts in each of them each arima has a leader he knows which med is a his mates and does his best to protect them against terrorism and stallions may kick up a fight even if one of them unintentionally trespasses on the territory of another family. the mustangs on the island have no enemies wolves can't get here because it's too dangerous for them to swim even feathered predators never nest here they prefer islands.

migrating birds fly over lake managed on one of the longest flight paths in eurasia . the lake is now a protected area fans and of more to fowl nest on the lakes small islands preparation the island is home to the largest colony. a rigid hierarchy is typical here just as it is of the mustang. caspian gulls dominate the island. climbers these brave birds are our own interests they are plants and mice this helps them survive in any conditions the sudden feeling they can drive even humans away there are no fish here therefore they need to fatalism in the field or pick up bread and meat from garbage cans that's why the go has

become such a common bird at lakemont is a good deal another lia but throughout the south. the gold colony is the largest seagulls nest in the grass or on the shore. of the birds never fly over this part of the island even the black headed goals stick together and steer clear of the noisy flock of preparation the island. whenever they see caspian gulls approaching they immediately that nests. but it's the spoonbills which stand out here. provisionally island forms the northernmost border of the habitat. these birds have peculiar looking beaks.

they prefer. crayfish. they. might be described. to protect.

hundreds and. hundreds of. the.

talk to mean walk slowly and quietly and poses on the trail the horses can hear the slightest noise they have the ability to turn that his backwards. to take. place. it's not quite clear when the first horse is settled on the island the locals were aware of the wild herd back in the early twentieth century and local stories passed through the ages suggested robbers in times gone by used to steal stallions and mez from nearby villages and hide them on the island they believe the horses of the ancestors of the modern day mustangs. scientists have found some evidence in

support of this theory the wild horses avoid the island appear to have all the distinctive features and characteristics of the russian don't breed which was bred in the region one hundred years ago in one thousand nine hundred five. and became part of the rostov nature reserve today the free roaming head is under protection but there was a time when the horses were under threat from invading poachers. poachers would come when the horses were unprotected but at the time one of the stallions. often stood watch on high ground to get a good feel of the island. as soon as he sensed danger he learned to hurt. the

horses saw baron as their leader. even though he had a family of his own all the other horses followed his command because they knew that baron had saved them from approaching poachers many times before. dr cans mean has learned much about the mustangs after spending several days with them the main leader is no longer in the herd it now consists of eight hundred families all on equal terms it includes three hundred twenty three adult horses and eighteen colts these are critical figures for their survival if their population grows the mustangs may run out of food. mustangs absolutely love cereal crops they can't live without them. so

as long as there aren't too many horses here at any one time there's more than enough food to go around. freshwater is a constant issue for the mustangs the morning jus is not enough to sustain them at noon the herd relaxes under the heat of the some towards sunset the mustang's head to their drinking place the one nearest them has dried up but there is still some cool water at the bottom. this is the best place for them to rest before the hood sets out on

a long journey to the other end of the island where there is still rain water in small pools. it is grapes that nature created this island away from the mainland. the horses can lead a happy life. a new truth thousands of years ago their predecessors were here. this is a getaway a secret place for them yes they should and the island of mustang is lost almost gone.

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