Wild Horses - A Tale From the Puszta

(soft music) (narrator) In the heart of Europe lies a place that looks like the African Savanna.

A place that transforms from one day to the next.

At times, it's an arctic landscape caught in winter's icy bite.

(birds squawking) Other times, its endless marshes offer a home to millions of birds.

When the marshes dry, the land becomes a merciless desert, a little river its only lifeline.

This is the Puszta, the plains of Hungary.

One of the largest herds of wild horses on Earth found a new home in this waving sea of grass.

This is their story.

(horse neighing) The young spring foxtail grass is the favorite treat of the Przewalski horses, the only truly wild horses in the world.

They're not native to the steppes of East Hungary, finding their home here only a few decades ago.

Nearly 300 of them roam these vast flatlands.

The herd is divided into smaller harems.

One stallion usually lives with several mares.

(calm music) It's May, the time when the mares give birth.

Meet Dot, the hero of our story.

Barely 30 minutes old, she finds her footing.

Her mother nudges the foal towards their own group.

The Puszta has no large predators, but the danger is lurking within the herd.

Aggressive young stallions may attack the foals, but they have protection.

This brown stallion is the father of the foal.

The thirsty foal hopes for some milk, but finding the teat isn't easy.

It's got to be here somewhere.

Nope.

Her mother gently helps the little one.

She's an experienced mom.

The father soon catches up and the group is together, 14 members in all.

(horses whinnying) (mellow music) The wild horses almost went extinct in their native Mongolia, but captive breeding pulled them back from the brink.

Some were brought here to Hungary's Hortobgy Natural Park.

This herd can secure the species' survival if they become endangered once again.

The wild horses walk and graze endlessly.

It helps to preserve the Puszta's ancient character.

All this moving around exhausts the newborn foal.

With a belly full of warm milk, it's nice to stop and doze.

(horses whinnying) Nearby, the bachelors practice their moves.

The young stallions had no luck forming their own harems.

Their wrestling seems playful, but they pose a threat to newborn foals and can accidentally or intentionally kill them.

Back off.

Dot's father springs into action and chases the bachelors away.

(birds chirping) (bright music) In the spring, the Puszta rings with the cheerful chirps of skylarks and the grassland teems with life.

The hawthorn bushes bloom... ...catering a feast for the rose chafer who can't resist the pollen.

The hares enjoy the fresh grass... ...while the hungry fox spies on them.

It's no use hunting rabbits in broad daylight.

What a shame.

They look tasty.

The roller migrates late, signaling summer.

It arrives just in time to feast on the swarms of rose chafers.

(playful music) The lapwings have been here a while.

This one seems to have bit off more than it can chew.

(chirping) Its neighbor notices the odd tug of war.

(chirping) (wings flapping) Let me show you how it's done.

It's tougher than it looks.

(birds chirping) Reeds stretch across the wetter parts of the Puszta, concealing armies of singing birds.

(chirping) The sedge warblers stand guard against their enemy, the marsh harrier.

(horse neighing) The marsh harriers love to hunt among the wild horses.

Dot, just a few days old, falls asleep.

Wild horse foals just love an afternoon nap.

But the herd won't wait.

Their group has started off too, and the stallion should protect them.

Instead, he's stuck here waiting for Dot and her mother.

(solemn music) He lowers his head, signaling he would like to lead his family back to the group.

But Dot's mother is a more easygoing parent.

Let the poor kid sleep.

But the quarrel awakens Dot anyway.

Help arrives.

A mare from the group seems to have a few ideas of her own about child rearing.

She makes it clear who she's siding with.

Who can sleep in all this commotion?

The stallion is nervous.

While he's occupied with Dot and her mother, a bachelor might steal his mares, but he can't abandon his foal.

He quickly herds the group together.

The lapwings can relax, the marsh harriers aren't hunting today.

They're gathering materials for their nest.

The bluish male chooses the spot, but the brown female gets the final word.

Prime marshland real estate is tough to find.

The water protects the chicks from the predators.

(birds chirping) (soft string music) A wild horse's favorite animal is another wild horse.

They reinforce their bonds with mutual grooming.

What's a little fur between your teeth?

The little ones join the action.

Their mothers show them how.

And then they find their peers within the group.

(horse whinnying) (birds squawking) The Puszta is more than an endless grassland.

Before agriculture tamed much of the land, oak groves dotted the plains of Hungary.

Even now, a few small woods persist, especially near the rivers.

This is the Puszta's high-rise neighborhood.

(leaves and grass rustling) The canopy has plenty of space for everyone, including the white-tailed eagle, the king of the steppes' skies.

The chicks search the sky in vain.

They've grown big now, so their parents rarely bring food, though they still keep an eye on the nest.

The tree sparrow could hardly find a safer nesting place with the eagle as his wingman.

This starling is just having a look around.

It nests lower down in the hollow of a tree.

The starlings spend their day feeding the perpetually hungry little ones.

The chicks are naked for a week.

When mom returns, she brings food and some much-needed warmth.

The temperature is dropping.

(dramatic music) When a cold front sweeps through the Puszta, nothing stands in its way.

The invading cold air pushes the warmer mass higher where it cools suddenly, the recipe for a powerful storm.

(rain pouring) The shore birds have nowhere to run, but no need to worry.

The black-winged stilt is sturdier than it looks.

(thunder rumbling) The wild horses use the little woods to shield them from the wind.

They don't dare venture among the trees, instinctively avoiding closed spaces.

They patiently endure the rain drumming on their backs.

(rain pouring) Dot is wet and cold, but she's as tough as all the rest.

(wind blowing) And then it's over.

(birds chirping) (playful music) The foals have way too much energy.

(whinnying) (birds chirping) But their parents are not amused.

Grown-ups are so boring.

The cooler weather has put the foals in a frolicking mood.

Dot and her half sibling hang out with the other younglings, even making lifelong friends with the other harems.

There's nothing to fear from the bachelors either.

Nobody can catch these speedy furballs anymore.

But after burning off all that energy, the tired foals return to their own groups.

The heat and the summer showers work their magic on the Puszta.

(soft music) (crackling) The Hortobgy National Park becomes a paradise for water birds.

Even temporary waters have fish.

Mostly, they're invasive, but the hungry little egret finds them delicious just the same.

At seven grams, the tiny harvest mouse moves almost unseen among the sedge.

(birds chirping) It has nothing to fear from the avocet and the black-winged stilt, or the redshank either.

They hunt crayfish and aquatic insects in the shallow waters.

(birds squawking) The modest common snipe blends into its surroundings while the egrets get busy with their beauty rituals.

In wetter years, when the water is high in the marshes, the whiskered terns nest in colonies neighboring the wild horses, just like the greylag goose, the only wild goose that nests in these plains.

The worried parents never take their eyes off the horizon.

The wild horses aren't hostile, but when the hooves of 300 thirsty animals head for the water, you'd better jump out of their way.

(wings flapping) (insects chirping) The marshes provide a nice day at the beach to relieve the summer heat.

(water splashing) The shy foal steps lightly.

The bachelors prefer to splash away from the large herd.

(horses whinnying) Who's ready for a mud bath?

It cools the body and curbs the parasites.

(insect wings flapping) (splashing) (mellow music) Dot decides it looks like fun.

(splashing and whinnying) That's a good start.

Fresh grass, lots of sunlight, and water.

The Puszta is paradise on Earth for the wild horses.

The bachelors, squabbling with each other, aren't bothering anyone else.

Time to move on.

The most experienced mares always lead the way.

Water everywhere, as far as the eye can see.

One-third of the Hortobgy National Park is precious wetland.

(wind blowing) (birds chirping) The male marsh harrier heads out to hunt.

He's betting on the horses to flush out a small bird or a vole.

So many tasty treats.

The two-week-old chicks wait impatiently for food in the safety of the reeds.

Dad has finally caught a mouse.

(chicks squeaking) Both parents feed the chicks, though the female always stays near the nest to protect the little ones.

But they hardly need their parents to feed them anymore.

Their beaks are sharp and they're doing pretty well on their own.

They even settle their sibling disputes.

Their father heads out to find their second course.

A stunning hunter, he flies low to the ground and reacts in a flash to the slightest movements.

The chicks await their meal, and here comes Dad, but he doesn't visit the nest.

He tosses the prey to his mate.

(soft music) They dance this aerial ballet several times a day.

Then the female either feeds the chicks or eats the food herself.

Lunch is cancelled today.

At least there's leftover mouse.

(ominous music) (cracking) By late summer, the steppe dries out completely.

The marshes disappear.

The Puszta is a paradox, often a wetland, but also one of Europe's driest places.

(horses huffing) The wild horses tolerate the heat, but they only move around if necessary.

(birds squawking) Starlings dine in their shadow.

The grayish chicks have just recently left the nest.

The extreme heat wipes out Dot, who isn't bothered by the chirping starlings.

(birds chirping) The adults stand dozing.

Only close friends will fan each other.

(solemn music) The herd is motionless.

In the noon heat, even time seems to stop.

Finally, thirst urges them to move.

Without juicy grass, they must drink several times a day.

They don't wake the foals.

They're big enough to find the herd later on their own.

On the salt-crusted white Puszta, the trodden paths point the way towards the watering spots.

Even during a drought, the rivers still trickle.

Dot awakens.

Where did everybody go?

(bright music) At least she has her buddy.

They hurry to join the others.

Finding them just in time.

The horses have a serious drinking problem.

The bank is steep, the terrain is slippery, and the water is deep.

The wild horses instinctively fear these situations.

But drink they must.

In this tense time, all it takes is one horse to recoil and panic breaks loose.

(horses whinnying) (water splashing) The crazed adults can easily trample the foals.

Dot and the others hang back.

Besides grazing, they still get mother's milk, so they're less thirsty.

After everyone's had their fill, the herd starts back.

(upbeat music) But it's hard to resist a dust bath.

The salty dust repels insects and fluffs up wet fur.

Plus, it's fun!

Pretty soon, kids and adults, mares and stallions are all horseback writhing.

(playful music) Good thing they're not afraid of spiders.

At the end of summer, Chinese wolf spiders get busy.

This male is out to find a mate.

They live in underground cavities that can be half a meter deep.

This female, 10 centimeters across with her legs stretched, excavates her burrow.

The male can read the chemical signature in her silk.

All he has to do is follow the signs.

Looks like love at first sight.

But she has other priorities and keeps digging.

The male draws closer.

The female reinforces the edge of her cavern with silk.

The hopeful beau arrives, but the courtship won't be easy.

He begins a cautious mating dance.

If the much larger female misunderstands his intentions, she'll kill him in a flash and eat him up.

She is just not that into him.

Or maybe there's hope after all.

(vocalizing) (ethereal music) After the chilly autumn night, the first morning fog rolls in.

(birds squawking) On warmer days, the thinner fog disperses quickly and the illustrious guests of autumn begin to appear alongside the waters.

(birds trilling) Common cranes.

They rest a few weeks here on the Puszta, which has lots of food to offer.

(squawking) It's a popular bathing spot on warm autumn days.

That's why they've come.

(playful music) (splashing) (squawking) (birds trilling) After the cleaning comes the preening.

(wind blowing) (dramatic music) The red fox isn't bothered by either the horses or the passing cranes.

It's too busy with its own agenda.

Packing on some extra weight before the winter.

This year, there's no shortage of voles and mice.

If only they weren't so hard to catch.

(fox chewing) (orchestral music) The cranes begin their evening commute to an enormous artificial fishing complex on the Puszta.

(birds trilling) There's almost no vacancy.

The crane families circle round until they spot a good place to bed down.

More arrive.

Like giant hostels, some lakes host 80,000 birds seeking the safety of shallow waters overnight.

(trilling continues) (soft music) Though few people live in the Puszta, it still suffers light pollution.

But on clear nights, the sky sparkles.

The steppe is silent again.

The cranes leave when winter weather hits the land.

The first snow suddenly blankets the Puszta.

(wind blowing) Everyone's focused on survival.

Even the families get all mixed up.

(horse whinnying) The herd draws close to the trees to block the wind.

The starlings join them.

Many have come from up north and plan to stay until spring.

The fox searches for a meal, but the lightning fast hare won't be on the menu tonight.

As the wild horses dig up the snow in search of food, the starlings look for seeds and frozen insects.

(calm music) This is no time to be a picky eater.

(birds chirping) The herd stays motionless, conserving energy as it waits out the snowstorm.

When the snow stops, the horses scatter.

They need to cover a lot of ground to find enough dry grass to eat.

Dot has completely transformed in her thick winter coat, just like her father.

The Przewalski's horses can stand the cold, but the icy snow that sticks to their hooves makes walking a struggle.

Dot is still close to her mother.

The young white-tailed eagle can't find food near the wild horses.

(wings flapping) It heads to the big lakes.

(soft music) Looking like a fine lace tablecloth, the frozen surface is dotted with air bubbles.

Birds paddling in the water prevent the holes in the ice from freezing.

(birds squawking) Thousands of wild ducks and geese find sanctuary here away from the dry land predators.

But escaping an aerial attack depends on safety in numbers.

(quacking and flapping) The flapping of several hundred wings confuses the eagles.

They give up trying, for now.

But time is on their side.

(wind blowing) The sanctuary is also a prison for the mallards.

They must stick together or risk being hunted by the eagles.

Air raid alert.

This one seems like a duck with a death wish.

(solemn music) The inexperienced eagles set their sights on it.

(splashing) This shouldn't be so hard.

The lucky duck puts the eagles in a foul mood.

They give up.

Score one for the ducks.

(calm music) Spring arrives early.

The thaw draws magical circles on the surface of the lightly frozen waters.

The salty soil melts the ice faster in those spots.

Bit by bit, the thin ice liberates the water.

(wind blowing) Long, harsh winters are a thing of the past, even on the plains of East Hungary.

The melting snow softens the soil, hooves sink deep into the mud.

The white landscape turns brown.

The new normal for the winter Puszta.

And the animals have to adapt.

Dot's family searches for fresh morsels.

They've all survived the winter, but early spring might still bring hard days.

(bright music) The nice weather lures the animals out.

The hares battle for dominance, without too much conviction at the moment.

Treats seem to be more important now than power, but better keep your eyes open.

The fox wants a treat too.

(solemn music) It's pretty far away, and the hare hopes to keep it that way.

The fox is on its trail thanks to its excellent sense of smell.

What's up, Doc?

The fox just breezed past the hare.

(wind blowing) (soft music) This spring is pretty miserly so far.

Weeks without rain, and the wind's dried the ponds.

Droughts are common on the Puszta, but not in early spring, which should be rainy.

(birds chirping) Despite the critical situation, the show must go on.

(playful music) One April morning, countless sturdy birds proudly parade through the Puszta.

The great bustard is one of the heaviest flying birds.

These cocks can weigh as much as 15 kilograms.

What a display.

More than 50 bustard cocks might group together, pacing back and forth, sizing each other up.

Today, they take center stage.

The show begins.

Their performance attracts the ladies from near and far.

The hens watch, curious but noncommittal.

(crowing) Suddenly, the cocks rush together and the feathers fly.

(soft music) The tension seems to have infected the wild horses too.

The first rule of this fight club is there are no rules.

(horse whinnying) (crowing) Compared to this, the battle of the stallions looks positively elegant.

The brawling bustards settle the score and the victor marches off with his new harem.

The other males will resume the contest tomorrow.

(birds chirping) Two months pass.

The clouds fly over the Puszta without a drop of rain.

Climate change cruelly digs its claws into the Puszta.

But life on the steppe doesn't stop in the lean months.

Chamomile blooms even in dusty soil, attracting millions of insects.

(chirping) (bird hooting) The stylish hoopoe came for a lunch buffet among the fragrant flowers.

The fox cubs have it easy.

Their mother has gone off to hunt.

But if danger creeps up, they can scurry back to their underground fortress.

(horse whinnying) The season's first foals frolic among the herd, though they should stick close to their mothers.

The bachelors, always up for a fight, can't be trusted.

(whinnying) (ominous music) A foal, just a few days old, pays the price.

The stallion chases the bachelors away, but it's too late.

The stallions probably grabbed it by the neck.

Its mother doesn't know what to do.

Standing is a good sign, but the herd has to keep moving.

The foal will need to keep up.

Everyone's curious.

While the mother tries to chase away the bystanders, she accidentally knocks over the little one.

(somber music) Dot's mother watches the drama.

The mare urges it to get up.

The herd starts off.

But how can the mare leave her foal?

It must get up.

Slowly, it musters its strength.

A true survivor.

No one knows why the bachelors randomly attack foals.

Sometimes it happens by accident in the heat of a fight, but they might also want to eliminate a rival's genes in the herd.

(soft music) Finally, the rains return, reviving the plants.

During the summer, the wild horses continue their endless journey through the grasslands.

When autumn comes, Dot is almost as big as her mother.

She has grown into a robust young mare.

She understands how wild horse society works and knows every corner of the Puszta.

This rugged landscape welcomed the wild horses as if they'd been here all along.

The wild horses, Dot and her family, are now part of its story.

(orchestral music) (vocalizing) (bright music)