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Ever since I can remember,
I've been drawn to wild places.
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00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,080
I guess it's really how
my interest in bears started.
3
00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:37,080
To me, bears, more than any other
creature, represent wilderness.
4
00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:41,800
And more than that -
wildness itself.
5
00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,840
Brown bears once roamed
across Europe and North America
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00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:50,400
but today they're found
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00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,160
in just a few small pockets
of really wild land.
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00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,680
Alaska is one of the bears'
last strongholds.
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00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:04,880
My name is Chris Morgan.
10
00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:11,200
I've dedicated half my life to
the study and conservation of bears.
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00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,000
This remote stretch
of coastal Alaska
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00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,200
is like nowhere else on Earth.
13
00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,920
In most places, bears keep
a healthy distance from each other
14
00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,520
but these bears have somehow
learned to live with one another.
15
00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:31,320
Left alone,
it has become a city of bears.
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00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,400
I'll follow these bears
through an entire season.
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00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,280
From spring to autumn.
18
00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,360
Piece together their
complex social lives
19
00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,920
and find out how these colossal
giants manage to live together.
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00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:54,840
The first thing this young male
does when the big fellow leaves,
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00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:56,800
starts putting on a show
for the ladies!
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00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:01,040
You've got to be tough
to survive here.
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00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:11,560
It's a land like no other.
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It's grizzly country.
25
00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:41,160
You know, I grew up in St Anne's
in Lancashire
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00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:45,400
and to me,
Alaska was this far-off wild place.
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00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,640
Somewhere at the ends of the Earth.
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00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,440
But the first time
I took flight over this country
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00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,960
I was blown away
by the size of the place.
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00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:03,480
To me, it takes an animal as wild
as a bear to call Alaska home.
31
00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:11,440
Just looks and feels like
bear country out there.
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Vast and wild.
33
00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,000
No way! Oh, wow! Look at that!
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Wow! Two bears. Play fighting.
35
00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:38,640
It's early June and bears
are beginning to gather
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00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:40,320
in the lush meadows.
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00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,640
You can imagine the sense of joy
they must feel
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00:03:56,640 --> 00:04:00,560
after being cooped up in their
dark den for the past six months.
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00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,840
I can't believe we're here. It's...
40
00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:08,960
I love it, I love this place.
41
00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:10,880
It feels just so right to be here
42
00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:13,080
and I'm so dying to see what
the bears are up to,
43
00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,440
especially
this early in the season.
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00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:20,080
I've never been here this early
before so it's completely new to me.
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00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:23,320
'For the next several months,
film-maker Joe Pontecorvo
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00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:26,240
'and I will be living among bears.'
47
00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,360
Think we've got enough stuff?
48
00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:32,920
Looks like we're going
to be here for a year!
49
00:04:55,840 --> 00:04:58,000
We are deep inside grizzly country,
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00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:01,040
in a place known to have
51
00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,080
the largest concentrations
of brown bears in the world.
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00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:08,800
BIRD CRIES
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00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:18,480
I've always wanted to spend a season
living among brown bears.
54
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Watching their daily lives unfold.
55
00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,800
But it's also a somewhat
unsettling feeling
56
00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,640
to be surrounded by so many bears.
57
00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,080
It's like we're rigging
a demolition scene!
58
00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:56,480
Some kinds of explosives!
59
00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,640
Hey, that's not a bad idea!
60
00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:02,520
I've got a much smaller camp
than Joe.
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00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,600
He's got all the gear
within his electric fence
62
00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,120
so it's pretty sizeable.
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00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,640
Whereas mine, I just need a tent
and a few of my personal belongings.
64
00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,640
And of course, all the food
goes in Joe's camp as well!
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00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:20,400
There is this complete sense
of isolation in coastal Alaska.
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00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:26,480
You feel, genuinely,
like you're the first person
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00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:28,560
to set foot right here.
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00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:30,640
The first person to sit on this log.
69
00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:33,560
And, you know,
there are tracks going off
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00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:35,720
down this ridge of rocks here.
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00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,200
And it looks like a human set
of footprints but it's not.
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00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,040
It's bear tracks.
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00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:44,640
Every inch of this has been
influenced by the bears
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00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:46,720
and the wolves that call it home.
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00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,960
The sun is up most of the time.
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00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:57,080
Even now, it's not that late yet,
it's ten o'clock at night,
77
00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:00,080
and we've got several hours of light
to work in if we want to.
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00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:03,600
It's tough to go to bed
79
00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,640
because there's something
happening all the time.
80
00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:16,360
Don't drop that camera, Joe.
81
00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:18,600
Many thousands of years ago,
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00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:22,160
the whole of North America was
wild enough for large carnivores.
83
00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:25,720
This is the front right track
of a large male.
84
00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,920
But now we only find
the huge carnivores
85
00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,800
in small pockets
of really wild land,
86
00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:33,320
in places like Alaska.
87
00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:36,480
Stop, stop.
88
00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:38,080
(There's a sleeping bear.
89
00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:41,800
(We don't want to surprise him.
Back up.
90
00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:47,800
(You know, these bears
are very, very tolerant.)
91
00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:50,200
But if you've got a sleeping bear
like that,
92
00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:52,480
you certainly don't
want to surprise him.
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00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:55,280
If he was to wake up from a deep
sleep surprised like that,
94
00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:57,240
they could quickly turn.
95
00:07:57,240 --> 00:07:59,200
It's like sleeping
in your motel room
96
00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,880
and someone breaking the door down
and enter your room.
97
00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,520
What would you do?
You'd go into that fight response.
98
00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:06,680
We'll cross the river and avoid him.
99
00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:09,400
Hey there, bear.
100
00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,040
The bears I normally see
fattening up for winter
101
00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:33,880
are at the beginning
of their season.
102
00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:39,560
And the salmon run
is still months away.
103
00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,680
Bears have lost nearly 50%
of their body weight over the winter
104
00:08:49,680 --> 00:08:51,840
and they are eager to get it back.
105
00:08:53,680 --> 00:08:58,800
What they are looking for, smelling
for actually, are tiny razor clams.
106
00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,480
Once they find one, they start
digging with those massive claws.
107
00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:08,720
It's not much of a meal.
108
00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:13,320
But this time of year,
they'll take whatever they can get.
109
00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:25,080
This is unbelievable. There's
a female here with two tiny cubs.
110
00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,760
They probably weigh less
than 10 pounds.
111
00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:29,680
I've never seen any
this small before.
112
00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:33,320
These cubs were only born in January
in the den
113
00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:35,520
and they've probably
only been out of the den
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00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:36,960
for about three weeks
since mid-May.
115
00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:41,840
Can you imagine the sensory overload
116
00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,640
these cubs are going through
right now?
117
00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:48,280
They're playing with things,
discovering the world around them.
118
00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:51,440
One of them is playing
with a piece of grass there.
119
00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:02,960
A year from now,
120
00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:06,080
they'll start to wander
a little bit further from her.
121
00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:10,960
And right now
they're sticking to her like glue.
122
00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:13,080
They don't want to let her
out of sight
123
00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:15,120
and she doesn't
want them out of sight.
124
00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:21,400
There's a lot of big, feisty,
testosterone-driven males right now.
125
00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:25,080
One of these cubs would make
a very easy, tasty snack for them.
126
00:10:28,680 --> 00:10:31,360
And I really hope
that she keeps them safe.
127
00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:41,960
Mating season lasts just two months.
128
00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:44,760
But during that time,
bears from all around
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00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:47,640
gather in the lush meadow below.
130
00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:50,320
It's a dangerous time for a mum
with young cubs.
131
00:10:51,560 --> 00:10:53,360
But experience has taught her well.
132
00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:58,680
The bluff provides both sanctuary
and a view of her surroundings.
133
00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:03,080
With this many big males around,
134
00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:06,160
she's got to have her wits
about her the whole time.
135
00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:15,760
This swagger,
we call it the cowboy walk.
136
00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,760
He's really doing two things here,
trying to impress the female...
137
00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,440
..but it's trying to make
themselves feel as big as possible
138
00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:29,680
and look as big as possible to the
other bears - their competitors.
139
00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:42,160
Now, he's a real cowboy.
A big, brutish-looking guy.
140
00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:46,840
Everyone is keeping
a close eye on Brutus.
141
00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:51,080
Look at him salivating.
142
00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,600
When these big males get worked up,
they'll start salivating like this.
143
00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:57,640
This unbelievable.
144
00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:02,400
This big, brutish male -
he's being super-aggressive.
145
00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:04,320
BEAR GROWLS
146
00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:08,120
It's a pretty gutsy move to walk
up on a mating pair like this.
147
00:12:09,680 --> 00:12:11,000
BEAR GROWLS
148
00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:17,440
BEARS GROWL
149
00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:24,960
Brutus pushed the older male
right off the young female.
150
00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:29,200
I don't think grandpa is willing to
risk his life over this one female.
151
00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:35,480
The look on the face on grandpa.
152
00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:38,160
He just looks so forlorn.
153
00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:49,280
Now Brutus is stomping his scent
into the ground...
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00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:53,960
erasing all traces of grandpa
from the meadow.
155
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Stomping him out of existence.
156
00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:14,440
The males here will try and mate
with as many females as possible.
157
00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:16,720
While the females
are looking for the biggest,
158
00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:19,640
the most dominant male around.
159
00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:22,920
That'll give her cubs
the best chance of survival.
160
00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:28,680
There's another guy
coming in from behind her.
161
00:13:28,680 --> 00:13:32,360
He doesn't look big enough
to take on the big guy.
162
00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,640
Looks like he's going
to give it a shot, though.
163
00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:43,840
Wow, this female is getting
a lot of attention.
164
00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:45,600
Four males around her right now.
165
00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,640
It's almost like
she's insignificant, you know.
166
00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:55,640
The males are fighting
among themselves
167
00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:57,920
and the winner gets
to take her home.
168
00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:06,480
LOUD GROWL
169
00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:34,120
They are two feet away
from these massive giants
170
00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:36,560
and they're clashing
in a big, aggressive fight.
171
00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:40,000
These females
are assessing the males.
172
00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:45,480
He's definitely at the
peak of his game right now.
173
00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,720
All the other males can do
is sit around watching.
174
00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,160
Then the female goes home
with the winner.
175
00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:55,480
And that's why all of the males
around here
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00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,920
are at least twice as big
as the females.
177
00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,320
That's because the big guys win
the fights and they get to breed.
178
00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,680
A quiet calm returns to the meadow.
179
00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:16,120
And life resumes as if nothing
had happened at all.
180
00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:22,040
But these cubs are lucky.
She knows how to rear them.
181
00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:25,920
In a place where there are these
threats for them to be aware of.
182
00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:35,760
She's a good mum. I've decided to
call her Nadie, which means "wise".
183
00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:46,880
These cubs learn so much every day.
184
00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:50,760
What's good to eat, what bears
to avoid, how to be safe.
185
00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:53,200
And by following mum,
186
00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:57,680
they'll learn what it takes to
survive in this busy city of bears.
187
00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:21,440
WOLF HOWLS
188
00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,520
I just came over the rise
to go back into the tent
189
00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:41,280
after being out on a walk
and there's a bear right here.
190
00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:46,840
He's about 30 feet from my tent
right now.
191
00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:48,480
A moment ago...
192
00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,640
Oh, hello! Hey, bear, it's OK.
193
00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:55,120
You are a big fella, I know.
194
00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:57,920
You think you can go anywhere
you like, don't you.
195
00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:00,080
And you probably can!
196
00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,280
He's right between Joe's tent,
which is here, and my tent.
197
00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,080
Our tents are about 30 yards apart
and he's in-between them.
198
00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,760
Joe was on the other side
of the tent at the time.
199
00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:14,960
I was afraid he might touch his nose
to that electric fence
200
00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,880
and bolt in the opposite direction
and run Joe over in the process.
201
00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,520
But so far so good.
He's a big bear, he's a big male.
202
00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:25,640
He walked past my tent a minute ago
and its fur, I swear,
203
00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,200
brushed on my electric fence
and it didn't work!
204
00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,040
This is unbelievable. He's erm...
205
00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,520
He's eating an Angelica plant
right now.
206
00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:39,880
It's OK, buddy, yeah.
207
00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:41,840
You keep going, I think.
208
00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:44,640
Yeah, he's a pretty big male.
It's OK.
209
00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:16,120
Even a simple breakfast
is an adventure in bear country.
210
00:18:16,120 --> 00:18:20,320
With this many visitors around,
you can never be too careful.
211
00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:28,680
It's tough because these bears
see their whole world
through their nose.
212
00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:30,760
You've got to look at their world
213
00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:32,800
through their perspective,
through their nose.
214
00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:35,840
They can smell this from
two miles down the valley here.
215
00:18:37,360 --> 00:18:40,120
There's a certain tension
in the air.
216
00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:42,880
You're always looking
over your shoulder.
217
00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:48,640
Any one of these creatures
can wipe you out in an instant.
218
00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:51,440
But they choose not to.
219
00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,640
They choose to allow you to be part
of their habitat and landscape
220
00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:56,520
and their home.
221
00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:58,520
For as long as you want to be there.
222
00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,440
Hi.
223
00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,520
Wow, you beautiful thing.
224
00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:25,320
It almost looks like the National
Park Service maintains these.
225
00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:27,160
But these are all bear trails.
226
00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:32,120
Generation after generation
after generation of brown bears
227
00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:35,920
have created these trails as the
most efficient route from A to B.
228
00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:37,680
It's a perfect system.
229
00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:39,960
We've been following it.
230
00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:43,720
We're doing the same thing,
except we're not eating the sedges.
231
00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:49,280
There's a lot of traffic in these
meadows during mating season.
232
00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:56,440
In a population this large,
with this much competition,
233
00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:58,840
it's all about scent.
234
00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:02,000
Any male coming up to this can smell
the 10 previous males
235
00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:05,080
that had come up to this
and done the same thing.
236
00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:07,080
Checking out
who's on the meadow here,
237
00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,320
who they're competing with tonight.
238
00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:12,800
They know who's on this meadow
long before they even see them.
239
00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:17,400
Their noses are planted firmly
in the sedge meadow all the time
240
00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:20,640
and they're reading this
landscape like a bar code.
241
00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:23,520
Scent is powerful advertising
in the bear world.
242
00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:26,440
It works for both sexes.
243
00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:31,760
The females will sit down,
plant themselves in the meadow
244
00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:35,080
and coyly look around to see which
males might be eyeing them up.
245
00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:38,840
The male will approach
and she'll move away
246
00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:40,920
and he plants his nose
right in the grass
247
00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,520
to smell whether
she's going to be receptive.
248
00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:47,880
It's almost like her
placing a singles ad.
249
00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:52,320
Single, hairy, brown female
seeks massive, promiscuous male!
250
00:20:56,200 --> 00:21:00,520
In a population this size,
bears learn to watch their back.
251
00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,640
Their eyes are looking left,
right and centre,
252
00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:06,560
trying to figure out who's there,
who they can breed with
253
00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:08,080
and who they need to avoid.
254
00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:10,840
The sedges are
a kind of distraction.
255
00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:14,360
Competition is not limited to males.
256
00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:17,800
Females will compete
with other females
257
00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,400
for access to the best males.
258
00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:23,720
It's really unusual
and something I haven't seen before.
259
00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:32,880
Many of these bears have grown up
together or are related in some way.
260
00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:36,720
Spending season after season
in these same meadows.
261
00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:42,560
Brothers that come together
and play as adults.
262
00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:48,760
Or two teenagers that have
grown up as neighbours.
263
00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:52,160
These social complexities
mean cubs here
264
00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:56,560
have a whole lot more to learn
than almost anywhere else.
265
00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:04,080
Normally, brown bear cubs stay with
their mum for about three years.
266
00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:07,160
But here, cubs might stay
with mum for even longer.
267
00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:28,080
These guys have a good head start.
268
00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:34,240
Nadie is definitely a dominating
presence on the meadow.
269
00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:44,280
She's running towards him. She's
charging. She's charging at him.
270
00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:12,000
While mum grazes,
the cubs are on high alert.
271
00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:14,040
Smelling the air for danger.
272
00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:17,440
Alarmed by anything unfamiliar...
273
00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,440
which for them, is quite a lot.
274
00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:23,680
They've only been
in this grand outside world
275
00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:24,960
for, maybe, six weeks now.
276
00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:28,960
These cubs are facing
so many different choices
277
00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:30,920
and learning experiences every day.
278
00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:33,880
It's nice to feel that
we're an easy one.
279
00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:38,920
Not quite sure how close to come,
are you.
280
00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:42,680
It's important they stay cautious,
like their mum.
281
00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:49,760
But they're cubs.
The temptation to play is too great.
282
00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:08,040
They are gladiators
as tall as grass blades.
283
00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:14,200
COUNTRY GUITAR MUSIC
284
00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:46,480
CUBS SQUEAK
285
00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:51,440
The scent of a large male
is carried on the wind.
286
00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:55,800
Mum can identify an individual
from nearly 200 metres away
287
00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:57,240
just by their scent.
288
00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:03,760
She's obviously very cautious
of this male, probably knows him...
289
00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:06,840
and is keeping her distance.
290
00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:10,600
It's really interesting
291
00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:13,760
because there's this tolerance thing
going on this time of year.
292
00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:18,480
The rest of the year, these females
avoid the males like the plague.
293
00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:20,440
They don't want anything to
do with them
294
00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:22,520
and can be aggressive,
so they keep apart.
295
00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,200
These females know the males
are more cautious than they are
296
00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:31,920
when there's people around.
297
00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:35,160
She might use us
as a barrier for his advances.
298
00:25:49,360 --> 00:25:52,080
He's getting hyper-focused on her
right now.
299
00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:55,880
This is going to be close, I think.
300
00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:02,920
This big male is all worked up
301
00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:05,280
so it's difficult to know
what he might do.
302
00:26:09,120 --> 00:26:11,760
We should be careful
as well here, Joe.
303
00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:15,480
It's best for us to stay put,
stay low and don't move.
304
00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:24,640
This is going to be close, Joe.
305
00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:34,120
The male is coming up right
behind you here, Joe.
306
00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:39,560
OK, OK. It's OK.
307
00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:44,000
It's OK. It's OK.
We're not touching her.
308
00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:49,680
It's OK.
309
00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:54,960
It's all right. It's OK.
310
00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:57,920
It's OK.
311
00:26:57,920 --> 00:26:59,600
He's pretty wound up.
312
00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:11,760
She clearly needs the protein
that these sedges are providing.
313
00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:14,320
But at the same time,
she's got to keep the cubs safe
314
00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:16,320
from these big males
that are coming over.
315
00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:53,840
Trying to pick up
the weather forecast.
316
00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:56,320
I want to know what we're letting
themselves in for,
317
00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:59,760
because the weather really seems
to be coming in.
318
00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:04,440
Seas, eight feet. We should probably
make sure your gear is OK, actually.
319
00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:07,520
Just get it inside the tent
and figure things out.
320
00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:10,120
Look at that. That's not my pillow.
321
00:28:10,120 --> 00:28:12,720
I don't use pillows
when I'm camping.
322
00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:16,400
I usually sleep on a stake
because I'm a real tough guy
323
00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,080
and if I'm feeling like treating
myself, maybe a boot,
324
00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:21,080
but definitely
not one of those pillows.
325
00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:24,040
I don't know where that came from.
Did you put that in here, Joe?
326
00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,600
It's been a really stormy
couple of days.
327
00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:34,680
It's pouring with rain outside.
328
00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:36,960
You can perhaps hear it
on the tent here.
329
00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:44,320
It's difficult just being holed
up in the tent all this time.
330
00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:49,440
I've rigged the tarp and I've
got a bit of a porch here
331
00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:52,320
and it's keeping a lot of
the rain out, so fingers crossed,
332
00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:54,680
but it's tiring.
333
00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:56,800
It's tiring just dealing with it.
334
00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:04,240
So, I'm going to try and get some
sleep
335
00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:09,680
and hope that my tent and tarp
is all intact in the morning.
336
00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:23,600
The seas are calm again.
337
00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:27,800
But something is upsetting
the flock.
338
00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:36,400
This guy is headed
straight for a puffin colony.
339
00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:44,960
Brown bears don't normally
hunt puffins
340
00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:48,160
but bears are opportunistic
and experimental animals,
341
00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:51,320
especially when driven by hunger.
342
00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:52,920
Even the puffins are surprised.
343
00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:05,200
In this case, the bear is rewarded.
344
00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:25,720
With the good weather
comes carefree days.
345
00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:33,200
The entire family is having
a good time tonight.
346
00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:36,000
She's even grown more relaxed.
Look at that.
347
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,760
You can tell they've put
a considerable amount of weight on
348
00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:41,760
and probably three times
further away
349
00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:46,880
from the safety of the bluff
than we've ever seen them before.
350
00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:50,280
Where did she go? She's in
the middle of the meadow there.
351
00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:51,360
She's moving away.
352
00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:55,440
This bear came out of the trees.
See it to your right, Joe?
353
00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:59,560
Nadie has settled down quite
a bit over the last couple of weeks,
354
00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:03,000
but still keeps a healthy distance.
355
00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:04,200
And for good reason.
356
00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:08,400
Mating season is winding down.
357
00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:12,960
A quiet desperation hangs in the air
358
00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:15,920
as the bears anticipate the arrival
of the first salmon.
359
00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:24,680
Lately, Nadie hardly gives me
a glance.
360
00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:30,280
I realise it's incumbent on me
to respect her boundaries.
361
00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:34,920
I have to constantly remind myself
what they're capable of.
362
00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:42,960
I wish I could join them
with this little tussle.
363
00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:44,320
Wouldn't that be fun?
364
00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:46,840
Just jump in
and roll around there with them.
365
00:31:55,040 --> 00:32:00,240
It's impossible not to get caught up
in how adorable all this play is.
366
00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:03,080
But all this play has a purpose.
367
00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:05,160
The sticks and driftwood
368
00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:08,440
they pretend are the salmon
they've never tasted.
369
00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:14,840
All the affection they show mum...
370
00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:20,760
..the sparring...
371
00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:25,000
..it all has a purpose.
372
00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:28,920
The environment these cubs
grow up in is dangerous...
373
00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:31,320
highly competitive...
374
00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:34,560
..and often unpredictable.
375
00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:42,000
We're all cool, it's OK.
376
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,400
We're OK. It's all right. It's OK.
377
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:56,160
Nadie is so comfortable with us that
she's grazed very close to us now.
378
00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:08,040
In this situation, it's best
to remain as still as possible
379
00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:10,160
and let her pass.
380
00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:12,640
It's all right, everybody.
Just chill.
381
00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:22,880
It's all right. Don't you come
any closer though, you guys.
382
00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:25,280
You'll get us into trouble here.
383
00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:27,080
It's OK. Yes.
384
00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:37,240
It's OK. No, don't come any closer.
385
00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,560
It's all right. Yeah, I know.
386
00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:55,240
That was intense. She was closer
than any bear has been to me before.
387
00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:59,360
I just sat here in the meadow
to start with.
388
00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:02,440
I was probably 80 yards away
from her
389
00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:06,920
and she grazed to within five,
six feet away from me.
390
00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:10,240
No way, not in a million years would
I ever approach this situation.
391
00:34:10,240 --> 00:34:13,840
It was her choice to come to me
and it's intense, though.
392
00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:16,560
I'm exhausted from just having her
that close
393
00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:19,280
and staring at me in the eyes.
394
00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,240
It's a prehistoric feeling.
395
00:34:25,240 --> 00:34:27,680
It's really raw, that's for sure.
396
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:30,560
She's 30 feet away right now
397
00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:33,400
and she might as well be
the other end of the football field.
398
00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:35,560
She seems like a long way, I think.
399
00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:49,520
Life for these little guys,
like us all,
400
00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:52,040
is never going to be
more carefree than this.
401
00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:22,720
In these still moments, it's easy
to forget the season is racing by.
402
00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:32,520
Two months have gone by
since I first arrived.
403
00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:39,600
It's this in-between time
that's toughest of all.
404
00:35:42,240 --> 00:35:45,720
The wolves, with a new litter,
are desperate for a hunt.
405
00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:58,640
The fields are drying up and
pushing the bears towards the water.
406
00:36:01,720 --> 00:36:04,480
But their feast is yet to arrive.
407
00:36:06,720 --> 00:36:10,080
Females gather at the river mouth
408
00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:12,040
with the anticipation
of an early run.
409
00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:43,000
BEARS GROWL
410
00:36:59,280 --> 00:37:02,680
This early,
there are more bears than fish.
411
00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:04,360
It's still unclear
412
00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:07,160
whether there's anything
worth eating in the shallow tide.
413
00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:11,360
That's just a flounder.
414
00:37:20,560 --> 00:37:22,720
No salmon yet.
415
00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:27,080
The competition is becoming fierce.
416
00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:30,520
The early females are suddenly
being boxed out of their spot.
417
00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:42,520
All this splashing around,
418
00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:46,320
it's hard to tell
whether they're onto something
419
00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:48,400
or simply chasing ghosts.
420
00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:24,560
Wow, she's got it!
She's got it! It's a salmon.
421
00:39:14,320 --> 00:39:16,160
The feast has begun.
422
00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:18,280
The salmon are coming home.
423
00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:25,480
It feels as if the river itself
has been anticipating this moment.
424
00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:30,000
For a short time, salmon will be
the lifeblood of this place.
425
00:39:39,280 --> 00:39:42,720
Now, the clock has started on this
narrow window for the bears.
426
00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:55,680
This is a pretty mature female
427
00:39:55,680 --> 00:39:57,800
and she really knows
what she's doing
428
00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:02,480
and she's got this really
healthy, fat, cuddly looking cub.
429
00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:05,840
He's never more than ten
feet behind his mum.
430
00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:10,920
She shares nearly every fish
she catches with her young cub.
431
00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:17,720
He'll grow fast
and her determination will pay off
432
00:40:17,720 --> 00:40:20,520
in how quickly
he learns how to live here.
433
00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:38,600
With all his needs met,
he's relaxed to hone his skills.
434
00:40:42,040 --> 00:40:45,000
Look, he's snorkelling.
435
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:48,680
He's got his head right underwater,
so he can see the fish.
436
00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:05,440
It's incredible. Time after time,
she's catching female fish.
437
00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:08,640
And it's important
that she catches the female fish
438
00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:11,560
because they're full
of fat, in the form of eggs
439
00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:14,080
that the cub
can really benefit from.
440
00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:17,160
That's why
he's so chunky looking.
441
00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:19,200
I think I'll call him Fatso.
442
00:41:23,600 --> 00:41:27,800
This young male has been closely
watching her and now she's resting,
443
00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:31,480
he's decided to test out
her fishing spot.
444
00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:35,680
Probably in his first
year of life without mum.
445
00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:38,360
He's suitably
overwhelmed by the environment
446
00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:41,040
and the number of bears here.
447
00:41:41,040 --> 00:41:45,240
But he doesn't have
much time to fumble.
448
00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:52,960
The salmon run is brief
and unpredictable.
449
00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:55,760
It's vital to him
for surviving the winter.
450
00:41:57,040 --> 00:42:01,080
But so far,
he's unable to pull the trigger.
451
00:42:05,440 --> 00:42:08,600
The river is
so densely packed right now,
452
00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:13,880
the bears need to employ a number
of strategies to catch salmon
453
00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:17,800
and keep a safe
distance from each other.
454
00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:32,360
The bears that are forced into
the deeper water have to snorkel
455
00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:35,320
to track their prey.
456
00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:38,920
The salmon hide in these
deep pockets, out of reach.
457
00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:47,600
Even as some of the bears
are struggling to catch anything,
458
00:42:47,600 --> 00:42:51,360
others are becoming
much more selective,
459
00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:56,200
and giving some lucky
salmon a second chance.
460
00:43:06,960 --> 00:43:09,400
The salmon pack the dense channels,
461
00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:13,920
trying to reach the spawning ground,
the completion of their journey.
462
00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:18,280
But first, they have to get
through this gauntlet of bears.
463
00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:02,760
Still, many will make it
far, far up river,
464
00:44:02,760 --> 00:44:05,840
where they will spawn
and end their journey.
465
00:44:08,520 --> 00:44:12,240
Life is good.
They've even got time to play.
466
00:44:13,920 --> 00:44:18,880
She's only got one cub, so she'll
tend to play more with that one cub.
467
00:44:22,800 --> 00:44:26,720
I don't think there's any
bond stronger in nature
468
00:44:26,720 --> 00:44:28,640
than a female bear and her cub.
469
00:44:30,200 --> 00:44:33,160
Just imagine his surprise
four years from now
470
00:44:33,160 --> 00:44:36,840
when she turns around and doesn't
want to know him any more.
471
00:44:38,600 --> 00:44:40,640
She'll want to move on.
472
00:44:40,640 --> 00:44:42,600
And he'll be on his own.
473
00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:49,720
Life is not so easy for the wolves.
474
00:44:53,320 --> 00:44:56,080
The salmon taunt them.
475
00:44:56,080 --> 00:45:00,280
But the chase is more
an act of desperation than anything.
476
00:45:04,520 --> 00:45:08,320
The salmon are still too deep
for the wolves to catch.
477
00:45:14,120 --> 00:45:19,320
I haven't seen Nadie or her cubs
for weeks now. I hope they're OK.
478
00:45:21,720 --> 00:45:24,560
But Fatso and his mum
have become regular visitors
479
00:45:24,560 --> 00:45:27,440
along this
busy stretch of river.
480
00:45:32,720 --> 00:45:35,520
Fatso is quickly becoming
a serious hunter.
481
00:45:38,720 --> 00:45:41,760
As he tags along with the expert,
482
00:45:41,760 --> 00:45:45,520
he takes every opportunity
to flaunt his kung fu moves.
483
00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:54,200
This mum has just arrived
with three cubs,
484
00:45:54,200 --> 00:45:57,320
the first triplets
we've seen this year.
485
00:45:57,320 --> 00:46:01,040
It's unusual for her to
still have all three cubs
486
00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:03,920
this far into the season.
487
00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:06,680
It's probably her first
trip down to the river
488
00:46:06,680 --> 00:46:10,200
and they will take
whatever they can get.
489
00:46:11,840 --> 00:46:16,400
It's certainly a different
situation than Fatso is used to.
490
00:46:19,120 --> 00:46:22,760
The river definitely shows
off the diversity of bears here.
491
00:46:27,360 --> 00:46:30,400
But even poaching scraps
around this many bears
492
00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:33,000
is more than she's comfortable with.
493
00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:37,720
So they'll eat this
meal on the road.
494
00:46:44,320 --> 00:46:47,280
She's found a quieter
stretch of the river.
495
00:46:53,840 --> 00:46:57,280
It seems that for a couple of them,
these are their first litters,
496
00:46:57,280 --> 00:47:01,560
so first time they've experienced
looking after their young cubs.
497
00:47:01,560 --> 00:47:06,000
And there is this incredible,
almost panic, more than urgency,
498
00:47:06,000 --> 00:47:08,640
it's just a panic to feed right now.
499
00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:11,880
The anticipation of denning
for the whole winter
500
00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:16,040
without enough fat, just is
this innate fear that they have.
501
00:47:26,680 --> 00:47:28,440
The density of bears here
502
00:47:28,440 --> 00:47:32,360
makes things tense
for these larger families.
503
00:47:32,360 --> 00:47:34,120
She is just frantic.
504
00:47:36,040 --> 00:47:39,640
She senses that if she
doesn't catch something fresh,
505
00:47:39,640 --> 00:47:41,520
they won't last very long.
506
00:47:44,360 --> 00:47:46,800
The cubs aren't comfortable yet
507
00:47:46,800 --> 00:47:50,720
with mum thrashing off
into the deep without them.
508
00:47:53,320 --> 00:47:55,520
She tries to reassure them
509
00:47:55,520 --> 00:47:58,640
and guide them
to a safe beach to wait for her.
510
00:47:58,640 --> 00:48:00,840
But they aren't so easily convinced.
511
00:48:06,200 --> 00:48:09,720
You can definitely tell
that she senses the pressure
512
00:48:09,720 --> 00:48:11,800
to catch fish right now.
513
00:48:11,800 --> 00:48:14,920
She's just arrived,
later than the other bears,
514
00:48:14,920 --> 00:48:18,360
and it's just a matter of time
before these fish dry up here.
515
00:48:18,360 --> 00:48:21,080
And so, she's got
a lot of work on her hands.
516
00:48:48,560 --> 00:48:53,120
All this company,
there's no chance to catch anything.
517
00:48:53,120 --> 00:48:56,600
A quiet window
of opportunity has gone.
518
00:49:00,360 --> 00:49:03,200
And it's back to
leftovers for the family.
519
00:49:12,320 --> 00:49:15,760
Even during salmon season,
there are waves.
520
00:49:17,680 --> 00:49:20,720
The fish come in with the tides,
521
00:49:20,720 --> 00:49:24,320
but that doesn't mean
every tide has fish.
522
00:49:24,320 --> 00:49:28,560
I thought I'd scout down
to the mouth of this river
523
00:49:28,560 --> 00:49:32,120
and see what
was happening downstream.
524
00:49:32,120 --> 00:49:36,520
If there's any action to be had,
that's where it would be.
525
00:49:50,640 --> 00:49:54,200
Well, that's a familiar face.
I almost didn't recognise her.
526
00:49:54,200 --> 00:49:57,600
But that's definitely Nadie
and her two cubs.
527
00:49:57,600 --> 00:50:02,000
Hardly recognisable from the tiny
little cubs we saw a few weeks ago.
528
00:50:02,000 --> 00:50:05,120
They're not only larger and
healthier and fatter than they were
529
00:50:05,120 --> 00:50:09,560
a few weeks ago when I last saw
them, but they've grown up as well.
530
00:50:09,560 --> 00:50:13,000
They've got this different
attitude now.
531
00:50:13,000 --> 00:50:17,160
This is such an important
time of year for her and her cubs.
532
00:50:17,160 --> 00:50:20,240
I'm so relieved to
see that she's got both of them,
533
00:50:20,240 --> 00:50:22,600
neither of them have been killed,
534
00:50:22,600 --> 00:50:25,480
and that's really common
with young cubs.
535
00:50:25,480 --> 00:50:29,080
Not only that, they
look in great shape as well.
536
00:50:39,080 --> 00:50:41,240
See she's yawning like that?
537
00:50:41,240 --> 00:50:46,000
That's a sign of anxiety,
when they yawn like she's doing now.
538
00:50:46,000 --> 00:50:50,200
Look how well trained the cubs are.
They're butterballs right now!
539
00:50:52,040 --> 00:50:55,920
And I think the other bears have
noticed that she's a little feisty
540
00:50:55,920 --> 00:51:00,120
and potentially aggressive,
so they don't mess with her at all.
541
00:51:04,840 --> 00:51:08,480
Using mum as a barricade there!
That's priceless!
542
00:51:08,480 --> 00:51:10,720
She's gone off to fish
and left them behind.
543
00:51:10,720 --> 00:51:15,000
They know not to disturb
mum when she's fishing.
544
00:51:15,000 --> 00:51:18,840
They've got a few weeks until
they den, but the urgency is on now.
545
00:51:18,840 --> 00:51:21,080
Her senses are definitely tuned in.
546
00:51:21,080 --> 00:51:24,160
That's all she's
thinking about right now is fish.
547
00:51:27,160 --> 00:51:30,760
Every movement in the water,
every scent on the air,
548
00:51:30,760 --> 00:51:32,480
and she's focused on it.
549
00:51:34,320 --> 00:51:38,800
And her senses
are tuned to any intruder,
550
00:51:38,800 --> 00:51:42,480
especially any male that
might threaten her cubs.
551
00:51:57,240 --> 00:52:00,320
She has two precious things
to look after here.
552
00:52:04,160 --> 00:52:07,680
And she'll fight to the death
to protect those cubs.
553
00:52:12,320 --> 00:52:15,760
For the moment, it looks like
she's got the river to herself.
554
00:52:20,960 --> 00:52:23,200
But this male won't give up
555
00:52:23,200 --> 00:52:26,320
trying to carve out a small
fishing hole for himself.
556
00:52:29,440 --> 00:52:33,880
It only takes a moment to run down
this salmon, but does he have time?
557
00:53:32,240 --> 00:53:35,080
This may be the last
I see of them this year.
558
00:53:54,880 --> 00:53:57,920
Joe's gone ahead to check out
the salmon,
559
00:53:57,920 --> 00:54:01,880
as they make
their final push up the falls.
560
00:54:01,880 --> 00:54:05,440
It looks like Fatso
and mum are there, waiting for them.
561
00:54:19,040 --> 00:54:22,160
There is an electricity
to this place.
562
00:54:26,600 --> 00:54:29,880
An energy that comes
from the urgency of life here.
563
00:54:38,680 --> 00:54:42,320
It's late September.
For these bears,
564
00:54:42,320 --> 00:54:45,560
this is the last chance to
pack on the pounds for winter.
565
00:55:01,160 --> 00:55:04,560
Fatso has landed his first fish.
566
00:55:04,560 --> 00:55:06,360
Oh, my gosh! That is so great!
567
00:55:08,120 --> 00:55:09,800
He looks so proud!
568
00:55:11,040 --> 00:55:13,200
Look, Ma! I did it!
569
00:55:14,520 --> 00:55:17,080
It's a good start
for this little cub.
570
00:55:28,480 --> 00:55:32,360
We normally think of bears
as solitary animals.
571
00:55:32,360 --> 00:55:36,040
But in this dense population,
in this city of bears,
572
00:55:36,040 --> 00:55:39,320
they've learned how to be social,
573
00:55:39,320 --> 00:55:41,640
how to get along with each other.
574
00:55:44,120 --> 00:55:47,880
Never before have
I lived among these bears
575
00:55:47,880 --> 00:55:52,440
for such a long period of time,
basically being their neighbour,
576
00:55:52,440 --> 00:55:56,960
and really, watching their lives
unfold on a daily basis.
577
00:55:56,960 --> 00:55:59,480
I've seen another
side of these bears,
578
00:55:59,480 --> 00:56:04,760
a tenderness and a complexity
that's really been eye-opening.
579
00:56:06,280 --> 00:56:09,160
It's the first bear
I've seen in a few hours.
580
00:56:09,160 --> 00:56:12,000
Those that I have
seen are along the riverbank.
581
00:56:13,640 --> 00:56:17,320
They're kind of looking out
hopefully into the water to see
582
00:56:17,320 --> 00:56:19,240
if there's any more fish.
583
00:56:20,960 --> 00:56:24,600
The salmon run's
coming to an end here.
584
00:56:24,600 --> 00:56:29,240
And I'm sure the bears are
anticipating that long winter ahead.
585
00:56:29,240 --> 00:56:32,320
'You know, I've really
come to know these bears.
586
00:56:34,320 --> 00:56:36,960
'Nadie and her cubs,
Fatso and his mum.'
587
00:56:40,760 --> 00:56:43,640
I'm a little bit lost for words,
to be honest.
588
00:56:45,160 --> 00:56:50,400
I just feel like I've had this
intimate... intimate relationship.
589
00:56:50,400 --> 00:56:52,600
I feel very at home here.
590
00:56:55,000 --> 00:56:56,720
Argh!
591
00:57:04,080 --> 00:57:07,880
What makes this place really
wild is knowing the tracks
592
00:57:07,880 --> 00:57:13,520
I leave today will be bear tracks,
or wolf tracks, tomorrow.
593
00:57:15,480 --> 00:57:18,160
Wilderness isn't the
wide open spaces,
594
00:57:18,160 --> 00:57:20,440
but the wild things that fill it.
595
00:57:40,200 --> 00:57:42,600
Alaska is the last stronghold
596
00:57:42,600 --> 00:57:46,160
for some of the Earth's
wildest creatures.
597
00:57:57,960 --> 00:58:02,520
This may be the end of my journey,
but Alaska's wilderness
598
00:58:02,520 --> 00:58:06,760
and its wildest creatures
will always call me back.
50295
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