- 34 minutes ago
On Canada's shores, a unique community of polar bears dominate the frozen wilderness. Every year hunger drives them to make an epic journey, following the freezing and melting of the sea ice as they hunt their prey of choice,
seals.
北极熊是一种原产于北极及周边地区的大型熊类。它与棕熊亲缘关系密切，且这两个物种能够杂交。北极熊是现存体型最大的熊类，也是体型最大的陆生食肉动物，成年雄性体重可达300至800千克。
seals.
北极熊是一种原产于北极及周边地区的大型熊类。它与棕熊亲缘关系密切，且这两个物种能够杂交。北极熊是现存体型最大的熊类，也是体型最大的陆生食肉动物，成年雄性体重可达300至800千克。
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TVTranscript
00:16Predators across the planet, unmatched in strength, speed, strategy, stealth, and teamwork.
00:30But staying on top is never easy.
00:36As the world around them changes, they must adapt faster than ever before to maintain their rule.
00:51In subarctic Canada, the largest bears on Earth dominate.
01:00From the smallest cub to the biggest males, they face one common enemy, hunger.
01:10Every year, the polar bears of Hudson Bay travel hundreds of kilometers across the frozen sea to hunt seals.
01:18But time is against them.
01:22As summer approaches, the sea ice melts away, forcing them back to land where they must master a new world
01:31until winter returns or face an uncertain future.
01:50The end of autumn on the western shore of Canada's Hudson Bay.
01:58Home to a bustling community of 1,000 polar bears.
02:05Made up of mums and cubs, boisterous teenagers and solitary adults.
02:14With its rugged shoreline and vast waters, Hudson Bay is an extreme place to live.
02:31The temperatures here on land are beginning to drop.
02:38And the entire bay starts to freeze.
02:46Nanook, a young hungry bear, is being forced to live on land, where food is scarce.
02:59But five months of famine has weakened him.
03:04He is losing roughly a kilo of body mass a day.
03:10While he's desperate to move out onto the ice, it's not yet solid enough to hold his weight.
03:18As the bay begins to freeze over, the atmosphere is tense as more bears begin to gather.
03:27Pukak, a rival bear, begins to size up Nanook.
03:35They are both famished.
03:41Nanook must stand his ground.
03:52At almost 400 kilograms, both bears are heavyweights.
03:59Nanook steps into the ring and strikes a mighty blow.
04:25It may look brutal.
04:29But the aim is not to inflict injury.
04:34Nanook's goal is to pin his opponent to the ground.
04:37Nanook's goal is to pin his opponent to the ground.
04:45Nanook's goal is to pin his opponent to the ground.
04:50Determined, he gains the upper hand, throwing all his weight upon his rival.
05:00Pukak is overpowered.
05:06Nanook has won.
05:11Play fights like this cement Nanook's place amongst the other males and gain him essential fighting skills.
05:21Having asserted his dominance, he now needs to conserve energy while he waits for the bay to freeze.
05:30Hudson Bay is undergoing one of the most dramatic seasonal changes on Earth.
05:35With the sea freezing solid, forming ice three times the size of the United Kingdom.
05:41But it's not only bears that call this frozen desert home.
05:45They share it with the seals that raise their young here.
05:50The prey of choice for this predator.
06:01Nanook is not alone hunting on the sea ice.
06:06Polar bears of every generation are on the move.
06:10from seasoned veterans
06:14to first timers.
06:17And after weeks on the ice,
06:19this young male bear is still getting to grips with locating seals.
06:25This could take some time.
06:29His prey number in their thousands.
06:32And they can only be reached through cracks and holes in the sea ice.
06:40Lying in ambush
06:43can be a long and fruitless wait.
06:49It's better to keep on moving.
06:52Using his acute sense of smell to track down his next meal.
07:08His compulsion to hunt drives him to search for any signs of seals above and below the ice.
07:17But swimming is hard work.
07:21Sapping his already depleted energy levels.
07:27Finally,
07:29a seal within his sights.
07:34But this bulky bear makes for a less than ideal sprinter.
07:45Hunting relies on the element of surprise.
07:59A bad timing.
08:03A flock of birds draws the seal's gaze to him.
08:09While he spends most of his life in the pursuit of this prey,
08:12most hunts are unsuccessful.
08:22His quest continues.
08:28Until he finally picks up on the scent he's been craving.
08:34Despite being almost invisible from the surface,
08:37he has located a seal den under the ice.
08:46He pounds at the den roof, desperate for what's below.
08:49and thwart he's been craving.
08:57Success!
09:02At last, he can feast.
09:11It's a promising start for the first bears out on the ice.
09:16If they are to pile on enough weight to survive when the bay is ice-free, they need to work
09:21fast and catch many more seas.
09:26But in recent years, a warming climate has altered their world, reducing the length of
09:32time they can hunt on the ice.
09:44Five hundred kilometers west, back on land, it's now March.
09:51Whilst most of the Hudson Bay bears have been hunting on the sea ice, a small group of pregnant
09:56females have remained inland.
10:02This single mum has carefully dug out a den for herself and her two cubs.
10:12Her encounter with a male last year resulted in the birth of her twins.
10:26Tala is the smaller cub and bears the brunt of Big Brother Seeker's playful scuffle.
10:34He takes a bite, letting Tala know who's boss.
10:45Both baby bears are totally reliant on their mother for milk and warmth.
10:53Her cubs must feed on her fat-rich milk every three to four hours if they are to survive.
11:06She has not eaten since she entered the den eight months ago.
11:16And there is no food for her here.
11:24Soon she will have to take the cubs and leave.
11:27But judging when to go is a huge decision.
11:31If she leads them on this journey too soon, they might not be strong enough to survive.
11:37If she leaves it too late, they will starve.
11:43And with a storm building, the bears will be going nowhere today.
12:09As the sky is clear, the northern lights dance above the polar bear family as they sleep.
12:14And with a storm building, the bears will be going nowhere.
12:44opportunity to start their journey while big brother Siko runs ahead
12:58Tala's small frame is holding him back
13:16mom offers him some gentle encouragement
13:29after a few days of non-stop walking Tala is exhausted driven by hunger they all
13:36push on but they still have a grueling 80 kilometers before the start of the
13:42shoreline
13:45from there almost a million square kilometers of ice lies ahead of them
13:52if they can make this arduous journey they will have the chance to feed on
13:57seals
14:05after five days Tala is pushed to his limits he and his brother are
14:12constantly demanding food and it's slowing their progress
14:28all tired little Tala wants to do is feed and rest
14:34but after only a few minutes he has moved on
14:46seeker bounds ahead whilst Tala tries to keep up
15:03incredibly after eight days they reach the coast
15:13as the whole landscape is covered by a blanket of snow it is difficult to see
15:18where the frozen land finishes and the sea ice begins
15:29around the Hudson Bay other polar bear mums and new cubs are emerging
15:34some with even more mouths to feed
15:41all abound for the sea ice
15:55this mother expertly navigates the ever shifting landscape of ice as it breaks up moves and refreezes
16:04this mother expertly navigates the ever shifting landscape of ice as it breaks up moves and refreezes
16:15despite her best efforts they are easily distracted
16:26and these shallow melt waters are the perfect playground
16:44even at this early age these cubs are developing their fighting skills
16:47even at this early age these cubs are developing their fighting skills
17:02beneath the surface she finds them mineral rich sea kelp
17:11it's enough to distract them from their game
17:22after her dip a roll in the snow is an opportunity to teach the cubs how to dry off
17:31but she can't afford for them to hang around
17:37as the weeks pass she experiences the thaw sooner than expected
17:43it's an early spring melt
17:48this is potentially devastating for her cubs
17:54the less time she has to catch seals
17:57the less likely her cubs will survive their first year
18:04if climate change continues at its current rate
18:09the situation will only get worse for this family
18:21traversing this icy landscape has turned dangerous
18:28they can no longer trust the ground beneath their feet
18:49wading through icy water is now a necessity
18:55it's a life or death challenge for the tiny cubs
19:19but what they are about to face is on an entirely different level
19:28within weeks the sea ice between the bears and the land breaks up
19:33creating millions of shrinking islands
19:39the family are now almost 300 kilometers from land
19:42in the center of the bay on the remaining ice
19:47they must time this perfectly
19:51if they depart too soon
19:53they will not have eaten enough seal blubber to last the year
19:57if they leave it too late
19:59the cubs will not survive the long swim back to shore
20:08it's just as well that mum has found her stride
20:14providing the cubs with food on the move
20:17from nutritious kelp
20:19to nourishing seals
20:26as they pile on the kilos
20:28as they pile on the kilos
20:29with each day that passes
20:30the swim back to shore grows longer
20:36but despite her best efforts
20:38mum has run out of time
20:45as the seals return to an ice-free ocean
20:48the Hudson Bay bears have no choice but to commence their own journey back to land
20:58one lone polar bear is ahead of the family
21:06he's had a successful season
21:08and is the heaviest he will be this year
21:13the ice beneath his feet thins
21:15the ice beneath his feet thins
21:15and is already beginning to give way beneath his weight
21:24arriving at the frozen edge
21:26he is confronted with nothing but open water
21:34but he has no idea of the exact distance between him and the land
21:47over the next month
21:49all the polar bears of Hudson Bay begin their journey
21:53some over the remaining ice
21:57others endure an exhausting swim
22:01they will either reach the land
22:05or die trying
22:20it's July
22:21and five months before the ice returns
22:26many of the Hudson Bay polar bears have made it safely back to shore
22:33these are the lucky ones
22:35some did not survive the swim
22:39for those that did
22:41the landscape is transforming
22:47as the last of the ice melts
22:50temperatures are rising
22:59everything awakes from its winter slumber
23:06summer
23:07summer has arrived
23:14many creatures emerge from hibernation
23:17or migrate thousands of kilometers to feed here
23:24now is a time of plenty for some
23:26with food in abundance up and down the coast
23:35but while these animals have everything they need
23:39this family face a time of hardship
23:48with the seals far out of reach in the ocean
23:51the bears fat reserves are their lifeline
24:00the mother continues to hunt for her family
24:04but most animals here on land are too quick for her to catch
24:09and so are just not worth the energy
24:22it is time for this apex predator to transform from hunter to gatherer
24:30it is time for the sea
24:36lush grasses offer a welcome snack
24:38lush grasses offer a welcome snack
24:44but a plant based diet can only do so much
24:47weight loss is inevitable
25:00it's august now and four months before the big freeze
25:16this young male
25:18Arctos is one month into his new diet
25:25he is losing weight
25:26and fast
25:33as he scours the landscape for food
25:36a unique call entices him up the shore
25:43he owns in on its source as it might provide a lifeline
25:50unbeknown to him
25:51under the waves
25:53thousands of beluga whales have traveled here to give birth
26:06this is a fleeting visit of just weeks
26:13Arctos has to figure out how to catch one
26:21and how to catch one
26:21groups of whales pass them by
26:23far away from the shore
26:27his only option is to plunge into their world
26:34but the tide is strong
26:37and his prey swims out of reach
26:39and his prey swims out of reach
26:52time to rethink his tactics
27:01he needs a vantage point if he wants to surprise them from above
27:07but this prime spot from which to hunt is prized
27:12and an older, more experienced male, Ursa, wants the rock for himself
27:29contesting this is no play fight
27:43contesting this is no play fight
27:47and Arctos has no choice but to head back to shore
27:53but perhaps he can turn this setback to his advantage
27:57and Ursa can show him how it's done
28:03silent
28:04silent
28:05and patient
28:05Ursa waits
28:09timing is everything
28:14each passing whale presents just one chance
28:22Dr genes
28:23Bellugans drift close to the rock
28:24unaware of the danger he presents
28:32Bursa prepares to pounce.
28:35He must be deadly accurate.
28:57One swift move lands a stunning blow to the whale's skull.
29:07Sinking his jaws into its body, he uses his paddle-like feet to swim back to shore.
29:17Now he must fight the current to land his prize.
29:35Exhausted, he can finally feed.
29:41Young Arctas is quick to muscle in.
29:46As he challenges the experienced hunter, it's evident sharing doesn't come easy to these bears.
30:01But a little bravado wins Arctas a morsel to tide him over.
30:12The beluga whale's visit is brief, and only a few have mastered the predatory skills required to hunt here.
30:20And those that have, make the most of it.
30:29An entire whale is too much for one bear.
30:36Once satisfied, Ursa's spoils become a free-for-all.
30:47The bounty builds as other experienced bears take to the water.
31:00Hunters target the slower, more vulnerable beluga calves.
31:05For bears fortunate enough to be in the area, there is plenty to go around.
31:11For now.
31:16A hungry mother and her cubs have traveled here in the hope of scavenging from abandoned carcasses.
31:25As the crowd thins out, she seizes her moment.
31:30And the family gets to taste meat again for the first time in weeks.
31:42This meal has replaced precious calories and bought them time.
31:49But autumn is rapidly approaching, and the beluga whales leave and head back out to the open ocean.
32:02The bears have made the most of this short-lived treat.
32:05Time to return to a lean diet.
32:13Those unable to dine on the whales have had a very different experience.
32:21They are now relying on the very last of their fat reserves.
32:26All they can do is continue to conserve their energy until winter returns.
32:51It's November and the freeze is nearing.
32:57Hunger is becoming intolerable amongst the bears.
33:03As they begin to make their journey back along the coast.
33:12Polar bear families, teenagers and lone adults are coming together to begin the cycle once again.
33:20Mom, Aurora, and her ten-month-old cubs, Casca and Cody, have survived the toughest months.
33:30But autumn is dragging on.
33:33She needs to find a safe place to wait for the freeze.
33:44Around the shoreline, the Hudson Bay bears bide their time.
33:48Spending the last few weeks foraging on whatever they can find.
33:56Others are more successful.
34:09And an enticing scent on the wind leads desperate aurora away from the beach.
34:21But venturing this far along the coast is hazardous.
34:28She is now in human territory.
34:38The remote frontier town of Churchill.
34:44Population just under 900.
34:48And this place lies right in the path of the bears.
35:04She follows the scent to the town's landfill.
35:18The rubbish here is far from ideal for bears.
35:22But she seizes any opportunity she can.
35:27Fiercely hungry, she's significantly thinner than five months ago.
35:34With so few options, Aurora is not the only one to come in search of food.
35:41Other bears begin to gather on the edge of town.
35:47Forced to live off the land for months, now they are ravenous and restless.
35:54And competition for food could spill over into violence.
36:05A large male approaches Aurora.
36:11She can't risk any bear getting too close.
36:14Hunger could easily cause this stranger to attack her cubs.
36:19She retreats quickly.
36:28The family needs to find a quiet spot.
36:32Away from town.
36:38Mum leads the cubs to a safe vantage point above the bay and waits.
36:46From here she can look out across the sea ice beginning to fall.
36:56With energy levels low, she will stop nursing her cubs if the ice doesn't come soon.
37:05But she can sense it in the air.
37:08The big freeze is coming.
37:16Temperatures are starting to drop.
37:20More lone bears arrive on the shore.
37:26Against great odds, Nilak, a young male, has survived his first year without the protection of his mother.
37:37His hunger makes him desperate for the ice to form.
37:42But it's still too warm for the chunks to fuse together.
37:47And they drift with the current and the winds.
37:55Despite the hunger, the most any bear here can do is wait.
38:09Days grow shorter and winter grows closer.
38:14The first heavy snow of this season starts to fall.
38:18But the ice doesn't form fast enough for Aurora and her cubs to go back to their hunting grounds.
38:26Some bears hunker down, while others are growing impatient.
38:33The males make use of their time to sharpen their fighting skills.
38:49One of Aurora's cubs, Casca, looks on as the tundra turns into a battleground.
39:00In time, the young cubs will need to learn how to duel.
39:05For now, all they can do is observe.
39:10And this fight is soon over.
39:23It's the start of the big freeze.
39:27Temperatures are plummeting to minus 30 degrees Celsius.
39:32The landscape transforms.
39:35Frozen crystals start to form in the sea.
39:38And a layer of ice appears on its surface.
39:54Waking up to a world blanketed in snow and ice is what Aurora and her family have been waiting for.
40:07At long last, the rolling sea ice is frozen solid.
40:17Now ten months old, Casca and Cody have acquired the necessary skills to cope in times of feast and famine.
40:31Aurora's next challenge is to take them back onto the sea ice and teach them how to hunt.
40:46Nilak joins the first wave of bears as they make their move onto the sea ice.
40:56Finally, they can return to the sea platform to hunt.
41:07The time also comes for the family to leave.
41:11In the years ahead, the cubs' resourcefulness must grow with them.
41:17But for this iconic apex predator, a warming climate poses an uncertain future.
41:27Their survival will depend on the incredible resilience of these and the other cubs, all striving to find a way
41:35in their new world.
41:55To capture the story of polar bears in the wild, the predator's team headed to the far reaches of Canada's
42:02Hudson Bay, famous for its migrating bears.
42:07Over the course of a year, they endured the weather and the landscape, just as the bears did.
42:20Capturing the lives of bears out on the frozen bay would prove to be the ultimate test.
42:28The sea ice is a dangerous place, which constantly shifts as it breaks up and refreezes.
42:34Camera operators Berenice Mathieu and Charlie Stoddard have been helped by a specialist team of experienced guys.
42:43This is the first time the western Hudson Bay bears have been filmed like this during the winter months.
42:49And due to the treacherous conditions, the team begins to understand why.
42:55With barely a thousand bears in such a vast area, the pressure is on.
43:00Using skidoos, and specially adapted amphibious vehicles, the team ventures onto the sea ice.
43:14It's slow going.
43:16Each day, they are able to cover 75 kilometers in their search for bears.
43:21And this icy world is not to be taken lightly.
43:25Whilst the bears navigate routes through the broken-up sea ice with ease,
43:29the team must stick to safer services called land-fast ice.
43:35It's slow going.
43:37Rowan, you copy? It's Mike.
43:40Mapping out a safe route is challenging, as cracks in the ice called Leeds hinder their progress.
43:46And even with the most experienced guides, they can still get caught out.
43:56We are currently right in the lead.
43:59We just went through the ice a little bit.
44:01This isn't scary at all.
44:06Whoa! Wait!
44:17Well done.
44:21The team patrolled the region of sea ice which is attached to the land, and is the most stable.
44:28It's day seven, and despite their best efforts, no sign of the bears.
44:34Locating an animal that perfectly blends into its environment is proving a challenge.
44:39So we've just put it on fresh track.
44:42We're trying to follow the bear.
44:45Good sign so far.
44:48Mike Reimer, from the guiding team, picks up signs of activity in the jumbled blocks of sea ice.
44:55The team continues on the trail.
45:03Just when things are looking up, the fading light forces the team back to base.
45:17It's the next day, and it's the seals that give the crew the break they need.
45:25So the plan for now, it's to go slightly north. We've just put in six seals on the ice, next
45:31to the breeding holes along a crack.
45:34A quick sweep with the drone confirms there are bear tracks worth following.
45:47It's a game of catch-up, but the team finally get to share the day with the mum and two
45:52young cubs they've been tracking.
45:55Phil's bear!
45:56Yes!
46:00To really understand the incredible lengths these bears go to survive here, the team needed to return in a few
46:06months' time.
46:12The arrival of spring here brings one of the biggest seasonal changes on Earth.
46:19When the team returns, Hudson Bay is transformed.
46:26Leaping from minus 30 degrees Celsius in the winter to over 25 in the summer has melted the sea ice
46:32and exiled the bears back to land.
46:35But this melt has made possible the summer migration of beluga whales.
46:41Enticing for both bears and film crew.
46:45And both need to find new ways of working in this changed landscape.
46:51For the team, it's an opportunity to film the only polar bears in the world that use the rocks to
46:56hunt beluga whales.
46:59Despite the disappearance of the ice, these precarious waters present a whole new set of problems.
47:08This area has an extremely dynamic tidal range.
47:12We've just arrived and we're setting up a new camera system and we're going to go out and see what
47:16the bears are doing.
47:22For the crew, it's all about timing.
47:27They have just four hours a day to access the hunting rocks, hoping a bear makes a catch and gets
47:33safely back to shore before the tide goes out.
47:36It's as challenging as it is risky.
47:39But on arrival, none of the rocks are occupied.
47:44Not by bears, at least.
47:46At the moment, the bears can come in from any direction.
47:49There's multiple spots where they hunt from.
47:52And we're completely surrounded by beluga whales, which is ideal for the bears at the moment.
47:59The clock is ticking as they watch the tide begin to drop.
48:03But all they can do is wait for a bear.
48:06And wait.
48:09And wait.
48:11But you can't fight the tide.
48:13It's time to leave or risk getting stranded.
48:23Undeterred, over the next three weeks, the crew heads out again and again to film a hunt.
48:30Sometimes the bears just don't perform.
48:37And sometimes the weather is against them.
48:40This huge crane that we've got here is a bit of a lightning conductor.
48:44Better be safer than sorry.
48:47The crew decide to head back to shore.
48:54When it finally looks like everything has come together.
49:00This bear jumps away from the camera.
49:09Determined, the crew push their daily filming window as far as they can.
49:17It's time to run out really quickly.
49:19I used to start to pay a bit more time and it turns out I'm all stuck.
49:27With just three days to go, the crew have learnt everything that can go wrong.
49:32But they're not ready to give up.
49:37As the team approaches the rocks, they hear the familiar calls of the beluga whales in the shallow waters.
49:44And see a bear walking along the shoreline.
49:51Did you see a bear?
49:52I think that's our main hunter away.
49:58This is the chance the crew has been waiting for.
50:02One bear is perched on a rock showing telltale signs that he might jump.
50:08The ears are back and he's frantically scanning the water for any signs of whales.
50:12And the hawk showing off.
50:24They're not editing the birds.
50:25Finally, everything comes together.
50:29for the team to film and the bears to eat for the next three days more bears
50:39join the hunt they are drawn to this much-needed meal and there's plenty to
50:46go around
50:50both the bears and crew have shown just how adaptable they need to be to
50:54withstand the conditions here
50:59the footage that the team were able to capture has given us a unique insight into
51:03the lives of polar bears
51:07and a new understanding of their incredible resilience and skill when
51:11faced with a rapidly changing world
51:21next time in Botswana a legendary lioness and her pride face the fight of their lives
51:31as they battle to keep ten young cubs alive
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