[VIDEO] The heartbeat of the forest: Italy’s Appennine reveal the secret life of its wildlife

In one of the most ancient beech tree forest in Italy’s Appennine mountains, a hidden camera reveals the secret life of the wildlife.

We are in the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, in a woodland that might be recognized as on foe UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites (we will find out at the end of the year). In order to promote its application, and to protect the habitat of many special animal species, the park has recently released the result of a great project. It is called “Forestbeat”, and is the result of a two year-long collection of videotapes, audiotapes and photographs of the wildlife living in the area. 100 beats of the enchanted forest, which then became Instagram and Facebook posts for everyone to see.

The last beat was recorded by a hidden camera strategically placed onto an ancient beech tree, and the tree is, in fact, the main star. According to the rangers taking care of the park, it represents the crossroad of two different valleys and a forced passage for the animals of the forest. The video, which is nothing but mesmerizing, was shot in the municipality of Pescasseroli, in the Italian province of L’Aquila, and shows the many inhabitants of the forest: wolves, bears, foxes, wild boars.

Nobody knows about the exact location of the hidden camera, and it’s best if it remains this way: wildlife has to be preserved and every single animals, now more than ever, must be protected.

Bruno d’Amicis and Umberto Esposito, who created the Forestbeat project, explain: “To us, every tree looks the same. But for the animals, each of them is a written page. Every animals leaves a message on the tree through the smell. For example, a family of wolves marks the border of its territory, a bear rubs its back on the tree to trace his passage. And all of them – deer, badgers, wild boars, bears, wolves, foxes go there to keep themselves in the loop about what’s going on the forest”.