ORF-E
English
1 x 52 min / 1 x 45 min
Worldwide except for Germany

Corsicans are famously independent, and so is their island’s flora and fauna. New arrivals find it tough, but once established, the island fiercely protects its own – aided by the craggy landscapes and legendary macchia, the dense aromatic bush and scrubland that overwhelms whole villages if not kept in check. Black widow spiders, butterflies, lizards and honey-bees flourish in the macchia. Bats dominate the deserted villages. Corsica’s mountains were the original home of all Europe’s mouflons. Separated by ravines, they even developed into two distinct sub-species. By contrast, Corsican red deer were hunted to extinction, and then restocked from neighbouring Sardinia. Salamanders, tortoises and the famous hybrid pigs complete the picture on the ground, while kites, bee-eaters and nuthatches fill the aerial niches.