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One continent on our planet changes
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more dramatically than any other.
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North America.
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Whole landscapes here can be transformed in a matter of minutes.
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And all life has to be ready to seize the moment.
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Getting it wrong can be disastrous.
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But time it correctly, and there can be great rewards.
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This is a land of opportunity.
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Over 100 times the size of Great Britain,
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North America stretches from just above the equator almost to the North Pole.
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Temperatures can range from 50 degrees Celsius to minus 40.
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The coldest wilderness of all lies in the Arctic north.
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Here, in Canada's Yukon Territory, winter is brutal.
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Many animals have travelled... south to avoid the worst of the cold.
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For those which stay behind,
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life becomes very hard indeed.
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A Canadian lynx.
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No other kind of cat, anywhere,
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lives farther north than this one.
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The search for food could take him hundreds of miles.
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A snowshoe hare.
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This could be a chance.
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He's lost the element of surprise.
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And now there's a tangle of branches between him and his prey.
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Missed again.
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More of his energy wasted.
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Another hare...
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...this time out in the open.
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And another failure.
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If he doesn't kill soon, he may not survive these winter months.
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But in North America,
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change is never far away.
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April... and billions of tonnes of snow and ice are starting to melt,
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bringing new opportunities.
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Much of the water drains southwards.
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10,000 creeks join, forming North America's biggest river system.
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The meltwaters-travel 2,000 miles down the Mississippi,
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right through the heart of North America.
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In the streams of Tennessee, river chub are getting ready to breed.
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This male is busy building a mound of stones, in which,
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if he's lucky, a female will lay her eggs.
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As the river flows faster, the work gets harder.
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It's a good start, but rivals are doing the same thing
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and want some of his pebbles.
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The intruder seen off,
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and it's back to business.
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A few finishing touches.
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And then, with the last of some 7,000 stones,
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his nest is complete.
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And right on time, here is a female.
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But the mound now needs one last feature.
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A trench where she can lay her eggs.
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And with a gentle shimmy of his body, he nudges her into position.
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And she deposits her eggs
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where they will be safe from both currents and predators.
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His work is done.
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The eggs will hatch,
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and then his mound will be slowly dismantled
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by the current.
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So next year, he'll have to start all over again.
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Spring is now well on its way.
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North America is wonderfully rich in wild flowers.
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There are over 10,000 species of them.
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Hummingbirds fly up from the south to feast on the nectar.
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Along the North American coast, the tides are the largest in the world.
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The fragmented shoreline forces seawater to rush up narrow inlets.
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And each time the tide retreats, it opens a freshly stocked larder.
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7,000 square miles of extra coastline
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is uncovered in the space of just two hours.
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A mother black bear is looking for something suitable for her cubs.
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This is their first ever trip to the seaside.
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In a few hours, the tide will return.
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So they must keep up with Mum.
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Here's something tasty...
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crabs.
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Big crabs can give a nasty nip.
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So it's best to start off with smaller ones.
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During spring, three quarters of the bears' food comes from the beach.
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But now... this family is not alone.
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An adult male.
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He's double her size, and they're in his territory.
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The cubs know that call.
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It's time to head for safety.
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Bears have poor eyesight, but their sense of smell is acute,
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and the male has detected intruders.
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He knows exactly which tree they are in.
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If the cubs stay up there, they'll be safe,
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but they're losing precious feeding time.
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For now, he's content to leave his scent mark.
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A warning note for trespassers.
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The family moves on.
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For the cubs, lunch today will have to be a takeaway.
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The tide comes in.
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And within minutes, feeding time is over for another day.
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As the continent warms,
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on a few special nights,
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when the temperature is just right...
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...the forests of North America put on a show.
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Male fireflies are taking to the air.
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These insects are not, in fact, flies, they're a kind of beetle.
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The light produced by the males is the most energy-efficient on Earth.
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Some species synchronise-their flashes
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to increase the visibility of the message.
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If a female sees something she likes,
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she returns the signal.
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It looks as if the message is working.
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But the forest is booby-trapped...
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...by orb-weaver spiders.
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The firefly continues to glow, even in death.
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Other males see the flashes, but not the dangers.
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The spider's larder is filling up.
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But for every firefly that gets caught,
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thousands avoid the traps.
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And this male is lucky.
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He's found a mate.
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And over the course of the night,
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millions will pair up.
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There are over 150 different species of fireflies in North America,
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and each has its own flash code.
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Once they're mated, the females deposit their eggs in the ground.
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And for those that didn't find a mate,
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their one chance has come and gone.
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Little rain reaches the heart of the continent.
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For over a million square miles, there's not a tree in sight.
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Many of those living here spend much of their time underground.
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A prairie dog... a kind of large, burrowing squirrel.
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Sentinels keep watch, ready to warn others of any danger.
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And at this time of year is a new generation to protect.
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This mother has six pups.
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The youngsters constantly beg for food.
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After all, the pups aren't great at sharing.
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But the prairie dogs don't have the prairies to themselves.
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An American badger.
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The pups have never seen one before.
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And badgers eat pups.
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A burrowing owl.
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It also knows that badgers are dangerous.
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It too has young and does not want the badger anywhere near them.
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Eventually, the badger gives up.
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He sets off to look elsewhere.
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If he can find a place where the grass is higher than he is,
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he will have a better chance.
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The mother sounds the alarm.
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Adults know the danger all too well.
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Four pups make it to safety below.
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But their mother dare not wait above ground any longer.
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Half of all prairie dog pups don't survive to adulthood.
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Predators are not the only problem faced by animals
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living on these great plains.
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Warm air sweeps up from the Gulf of Mexico and across the open prairies.
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And here, with no mountains to block it,
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it meets the frigid air from the Arctic.
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The results are spectacular.
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As the air currents mix and swirl,
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they build into one of nature's most fearsome forces.
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To Tornados.
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These twisters spin at speeds of up to 300 mph,
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the world's fastest wind.
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Over 1,000 tornadoes touch down here every year.
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These drenching summer storms
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are prevented from spreading westwards by the Rocky Mountains.
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Some peaks are over four kilometres-high,
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so, beyond them, to the west, much of the land remains parched.
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The great American deserts cover over a million square miles.
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Here, roasted by the sun and blasted by the wind, the rocks disintegrate,
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and mountains, particle by particle, are reduced to sand.
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These pillars are all that remain of a plateau where dinosaurs once roamed.
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Few animals can now survive here.
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In summer, as in all deserts,
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the enemy is heat,
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and it returns every day.
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At seven in the morning
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the temperature is already 25 degrees Celsius.
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The clock is ticking
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for one unusual descendant of the dinosaurs.
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A roadrunner.
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Found only in the deserts of North America.
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Built for a life on the ground.
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He can run at over 20 mph.
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But the prey he seeks are one step ahead.
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The roadrunner's challenge is picking the right target.
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A Gila monster...
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too big.
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By mid-morning, it will be 40 degrees Celsius.
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Even the smallest lizards will soon head for cover.
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A centipede.
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Slim pickings for a morning's work.
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Hunting should get easier
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and prey will stay out longer
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once the summer's peak begins to fade.
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On the East Coast, summer is coming to an end.
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Cold currents are sweeping along the coast of Florida.
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And with them come grey... mullet on their migration
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to their spawning grounds in the south.
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Millions of them...
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and packed so tightly, they stain the water like an oil slick.
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Few people on the beach are even aware of them.
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The mullet keep as close to the shore as possible,
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for, in deeper water, there are predators.
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Close to the beach,
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they have to keep clear of human swimmers.
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But now hunters from the open ocean have detected them.
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Tarpon... over two metres long and weighing over 100 kilograms.
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To get close to the mullet in the shallows,
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the tarpon turn on their sides.
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Now the mullet can't see their shining silver flanks
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until it's too late.
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And feasting begins.
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Black-tipped shark arrive.
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Pelicans join in.
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But these attacks have little effect on the immense shoals.
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The mullet outnumber their enemies by 10,000 to one.
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So the great procession travels on, into the Northern Atlantic Ocean,
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where, at last, they will be able to spawn in safety.
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Autumn arrives in North America.
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No mountain range spans the continent from east to west,
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so there is nothing to stop cold air from the Arctic
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sweeping down unhindered as far south as Louisiana.
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Autumn brings colour- to the southern swamps.
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Here, it has been hot and humid for most of the year,
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and now these sub-zero temperatures are something of a trial
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for the local inhabitants.
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An American alligator.
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The alligator reacts to the chill by slowing its heart rate
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to barely one beat per minute.
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It's a kind of energy-saving winter sleep.
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But other creatures don't have this ability.
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The largest inhabitants of the swamp.
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A relative of the elephant.
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A manatee.
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A female provides milk for her calf from a teat behind her flipper.
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She might be able to survive the chill.
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But her calf cannot.
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So every autumn, they need to find warmer waters.
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They have a long journey ahead...
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it could be hundreds of miles.
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And she is not alone.
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The warm waters they need to survive come from an unusual source.
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An immense underground river
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flows through subterranean channels in Florida's rocks.
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In places, it comes to the surface, creating over 1,000 springs.
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Now, in winter,
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these springs are ten degrees warmer than the surrounding waters.
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So manatees come here every year from far and wide.
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And here they can relax.
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They can get their backs scrubbed.
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And they socialise-.
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No-one is in much of a hurry.
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And young manatees have a chance to meet some surprising neighbours.
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In summer, playing with an alligator might be a dangerous game.
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But now, at any rate,
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the giant reptiles are still too chilled to react with any vigour-.
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Without these warm pools,
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few of Florida's manatees would be able to survive the winter.
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But the waterways here are now very popular with people, too,
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and many manatees carry scars inflicted by the propellers of boats.
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Her calf has already had its first scrape.
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Every year, more than 100 manatees die from human causes.
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00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:20,890
As the human population of Florida grows,
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00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:24,288
so wildlife is coming under increasing pressure.
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Across North America,
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a million acres of wilderness are lost every decade.
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But it is in the far north of the continent
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that human beings are affecting wildlife most critically.
265
00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:03,049
Canada is warming faster than any other country on Earth.
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Polar bears have always relied on sea ice for their hunting.
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00:42:27,640 --> 00:42:30,769
But summers are now getting longer and hotter.
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For most polar bears,
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this is a time of starvation.
270
00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:51,769
On the shores of Hudson Bay,
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some bears are finding a new source of food.
272
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They're all looking for the same thing,
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and they have their own ways of catching it.
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First, they must find the right rock.
275
00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:33,923
Now they must wait.
276
00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:49,771
The tide comes in, bringing with it other northern giants.
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00:44:09,320 --> 00:44:11,084
Beluga whales.
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00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:17,443
Close to the shore,
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their calves should be safe from ocean-going predators such as orca-.
280
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Over 3,000 whales have gathered here.
281
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A young male makes his move.
282
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Polar bears are skilled marine hunters...
283
00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:03,007
...and beluga are slow swimmers.
284
00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:47,048
As long as a whale can keep an eye on a hunting bear,
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00:45:47,160 --> 00:45:48,491
it should be safe.
286
00:46:03,240 --> 00:46:05,368
This young bear is still learning.
287
00:46:12,640 --> 00:46:16,725
More experienced bears know to be patient.
288
00:46:31,640 --> 00:46:35,531
Success will depend on split-second timing.
289
00:47:19,640 --> 00:47:24,168
A bite at the back of the head, and the kill is swift.
290
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This extraordinary behaviour has only been reported here,
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in this remote corner of North America...
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...and only in the last few years.
293
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This one small group of bears has found an ingenious way
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of surviving the lean summer months.
295
00:48:14,320 --> 00:48:18,291
But for others, it is not so easy.
296
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We continue to transform our planet,
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and the seasons are becoming less predictable.
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Will the wildlife of North America be able to adapt?
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Not only on this continent, known for its change,
300
00:48:40,400 --> 00:48:42,528
but in a rapidly changing world?
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The North America crew heard reports
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of a rarely seen polar bear hunting behaviour.
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00:49:11,240 --> 00:49:13,720
To film it, they set out in a small boat
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to navigate the far corners of Canada's Hudson Bay.
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But the weather here, on the Arctic Circle,
306
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can be unpredictable.
307
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We're out in the middle of Hudson Bay and we have a thunderstorm approaching.
308
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The thing you don't want with a thunderstorm is a metal boat
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and a big metal crane.
310
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Hundreds of miles from help, there's no chance of rescue here,
311
00:49:47,320 --> 00:49:49,448
so the crew head for safety.
312
00:49:49,560 --> 00:49:51,244
Whoa!
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Let's see... 30 K, and then gusting up to 50 or 60,
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so it's gonna get a little nasty.
315
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Oh!
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On land they'll be safe from the storm,
317
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but they need to be armed.
318
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Polar bears have little fear of humans,
319
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and at this time of the year, most are hungry.
320
00:50:32,840 --> 00:50:36,811
With the bears at a safe distance, there's time for a quick moment
321
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to celebrate cameraman John's 40th birthday.
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00:50:40,320 --> 00:50:43,290
# Happy birthday to you. #
323
00:50:44,720 --> 00:50:47,087
We've come to what is probably one of the windiest shoots
324
00:50:47,200 --> 00:50:49,168
I've ever done in my life.
325
00:50:49,280 --> 00:50:52,807
This is the first time I've had a birthday on the beach.
326
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- You're kidding? - Yeah.
327
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And what a beach it is.
328
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At the first sign of calm weather,
329
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the crew head back out to look for a key part of the story.
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Beluga whales.
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00:51:16,720 --> 00:51:19,610
With frigid waters and strong currents,
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00:51:19,720 --> 00:51:24,282
a thin rope will be cameraman Bertie's only lifeline.
333
00:51:38,200 --> 00:51:42,250
Bertie can hear the belugas, but he can't see them.
334
00:51:44,160 --> 00:51:45,161
To communicate,
335
00:51:45,280 --> 00:51:48,682
the whales sing to each other through the murky water.
336
00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:52,691
So, with this underwater microphone,
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00:51:52,800 --> 00:51:56,691
we're going to listen to what these beluga whales are singing
338
00:51:56,800 --> 00:51:57,961
for Bertie.
339
00:52:03,400 --> 00:52:07,166
Listening to their calls gives the crew an idea.
340
00:52:07,280 --> 00:52:13,731
Bertie tries enticing the belugas closer with some tunes of his own.
341
00:52:18,760 --> 00:52:21,730
Despite some questionable singing,
342
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it seems to be working.
343
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Once reeled in, he shares the secret.
344
00:52:38,480 --> 00:52:43,088
The moment I started singing Adele, they just went crazy.
345
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It's the chorus, that's what gets them... every time.
346
00:52:52,400 --> 00:52:55,324
With their boat the only feature for miles,
347
00:52:55,440 --> 00:52:58,967
it's not just beluga that come to check them out.
348
00:53:00,040 --> 00:53:02,646
Here's a young guy, really curious.
349
00:53:02,760 --> 00:53:07,687
That's about as close as you can get to a polar bear.
350
00:53:20,880 --> 00:53:23,645
This bear is pulling our anchor off the bottom, and we're drifting
351
00:53:23,760 --> 00:53:25,569
cos he's pulling... keeps pulling it up.
352
00:53:27,200 --> 00:53:29,885
Hey, leave that anchor alone. Leave it.
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With all eyes on the bear,
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00:53:36,840 --> 00:53:40,208
the crew suddenly realise they have a bigger problem to deal with.
355
00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:44,602
Their boat has hit a rock.
356
00:53:44,720 --> 00:53:46,324
Do you know exactly where the rock is?
357
00:53:49,720 --> 00:53:50,960
Push it that way.
358
00:53:51,080 --> 00:53:53,242
Strong currents risk tipping the boat
359
00:53:53,360 --> 00:53:56,170
and putting the crew in serious danger.
360
00:54:05,960 --> 00:54:08,361
We're up on top of it, I think.
361
00:54:10,080 --> 00:54:11,491
The team doesn't have long
362
00:54:11,600 --> 00:54:15,241
before the falling tide will leave them stranded on the rock.
363
00:54:15,360 --> 00:54:17,044
Is it moving or is it just swinging?
364
00:54:17,160 --> 00:54:20,084
- OK, push your end, push. Go on. - See if we can...
365
00:54:22,600 --> 00:54:24,284
- OK, we're off. - We're off?
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00:54:24,400 --> 00:54:25,890
Whoo!
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A narrow escape.
368
00:54:28,280 --> 00:54:32,046
Like all film crews, we kept wanting more and more,
369
00:54:32,160 --> 00:54:34,766
and eventually the boat got high-centred-on a rock.
370
00:54:36,480 --> 00:54:39,006
I didn't think about bears until I was back on the boat.
371
00:54:39,120 --> 00:54:40,451
There was a bear in the water.
372
00:54:40,560 --> 00:54:42,642
Yeah, there are a couple right around us.
373
00:54:42,760 --> 00:54:43,921
Yeah.
374
00:54:49,520 --> 00:54:50,931
But with time running out,
375
00:54:51,040 --> 00:54:55,284
there's little sign of the bears' unique hunting strategy.
376
00:54:57,840 --> 00:55:03,006
It's a waiting game, for both the bears and the crew.
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00:55:09,720 --> 00:55:12,485
Bear, bear, bear! Straight off the front.
378
00:55:12,600 --> 00:55:15,843
Finally, a big male in a promising position.
379
00:55:20,160 --> 00:55:23,528
This is just the situation they've been looking for.
380
00:55:23,640 --> 00:55:28,567
With one camera on the boat and one in the air,
381
00:55:28,680 --> 00:55:31,763
the crew is hoping to cover the action from all angles.
382
00:55:35,200 --> 00:55:38,090
Just waiting for the right one in the right spot.
383
00:55:44,960 --> 00:55:49,249
He's got one. He's got one. Let's get the anchor up, anchor up.
384
00:55:49,360 --> 00:55:51,601
He's got it.
385
00:55:56,040 --> 00:55:57,530
He's got it on the back of the head.
386
00:55:59,240 --> 00:56:00,890
He's got him by the tail now.
387
00:56:03,680 --> 00:56:08,242
For the team, witnessing this life-and-death struggle is hard.
388
00:56:09,320 --> 00:56:11,049
Oh, it's kind of shocking
389
00:56:11,160 --> 00:56:14,004
when it just happens in front of you like that.
390
00:56:15,360 --> 00:56:17,522
It's amazing how powerful the bear is...
391
00:56:17,640 --> 00:56:20,376
it just grabbed an animal that's designed to be in the water and be powerful,
392
00:56:20,400 --> 00:56:21,925
and the bear just throws it around.
393
00:56:23,440 --> 00:56:27,570
To see an animal lose its life is upsetting,
394
00:56:27,680 --> 00:56:31,287
and the crew are left with mixed feelings.
395
00:56:31,400 --> 00:56:33,926
We've really connected with these belugas,
396
00:56:34,040 --> 00:56:36,327
so it's sad to see them die,
397
00:56:36,440 --> 00:56:39,922
but that was a really spectacular bit of nature right there.
398
00:56:41,560 --> 00:56:44,040
This footage adds to our understanding
399
00:56:44,160 --> 00:56:47,050
of these ingenious animals.
400
00:56:53,720 --> 00:56:55,848
In a changing world,
401
00:56:55,960 --> 00:56:59,487
one small group of polar bears has come up
402
00:56:59,600 --> 00:57:02,570
with a remarkable strategy for survival.
403
00:57:07,680 --> 00:57:08,886
Next time...
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00:57:12,800 --> 00:57:16,850
...the continent where wildlife puts on the greatest show on Earth.
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00:57:27,600 --> 00:57:29,250
Africa.
32422
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