All language subtitles for Growing.Up.Animal.S01E01.1080p.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-ROCCaT.he_auto

Canada's Great Bear Rainforest.

Twenty-five thousand square miles
of wilderness.

Home to a young female

grizzly bear called Fern.

At five years old,
she can take care of herself.

But everything is about to change.

Fern's going to become a mom
for the very first time.

Growing inside her,
not one, but two baby bears...

Lulu...

and Joey.

Witness the wonder, as these cubs
explore their new world.

Taking their first steps

towards independence.

But for this new mom,
the pace of life is fast.

Fern only has six months

to prepare Lulu and Joey
before winter returns.

The pressure is on...

...as they take on the challenge
of Growing Up Animal.

Fern's having a tough day.

She's been fishing for salmon since dawn.

And only had a couple of bites.

While she might be fully grown,

she's still a little inexperienced.

Fern only left her mom two summers ago.

But she knows

she's gotta make the most
of this salmon run.

Winter is in eight weeks.

Food will be hard to come by,

and she'll need to hibernate
for six months.

With just a few hours
of daylight left...

Fern won't give up easily.

She may be young...

but she's a fighter.

This year for the first time,

it's not just her own survival at stake.

Inside Fern, is the promise of new life.

Not one, but two precious spheres
of cells called blastocysts.

The beginnings of two baby bears.

But their development is on hold.

A miraculous evolutionary trick,

to ensure a bear's young,
aren't born at the start of winter.

They won't progress further,
and implant in her womb

until she's eaten enough fat from salmon
to sustain all three of them.

To do that, Fern must find
just the right spot to fish.

But she's not the only hungry bear
on this river.

Powerful males, much larger than her
dominate areas

where it's easiest to catch salmon.

Rain or shine, there's one
who rules this stretch of river.

Rocky.

With a swipe from his three-inch claws...

the salmon don't stand a chance.

His appetite is massive.

He devours the equivalent
of a small deer every day.

Fern knows this guy well.

Four months ago, in spring, they mated.

But she knows
that won't win her any favors.

Rocky will never share his stretch
on the river.

Not everyone wants to be a hands-on dad.

She's gonna have to do this
all on her own.

Time to move on
where there's less competition.

Another female has had the same idea.

Blondie's an experienced mom,
with three cubs.

Her boys are a year old,
and can now catch their own dinner.

Well, most of the time.

This looks like a momma
Fern could learn from.

If she's here, then it must be
a good place to fish.

Fern settles on a spot.
Now, the game begins.

She just needs one fish
to pass within reach.

So she can pluck it from the water.

First catch of the day.

Each one is packed
with five thousand calories,

double our daily intake.

And for Fern...

every mouthful is crucial.

The amount she eats will determine
whether the blastocysts implant...

and Fern's journey to motherhood
can begin.

As the salmon run finishes,
the rivers calm.

The forests grow quieter...

...and fall comes to an end.

Snowfall rarely takes hold here
in the Great Bear Rainforest...

but it will transform the mountains above.

It’s time Fern took
the arduous climb

up into these peaks to make her den.

She’s bulked up to the max

and done all she can
to trigger the start of her pregnancy.

Only when she wakes from hibernation
in six months' time,

will she discover if she has done enough
to become a grizzly mom.

By December, Fern's mountain retreat
is gripped by winter.

Up here,
two thousand feet above sea level,

temperatures can drop
below zero Fahrenheit.

Quiet and isolated.
It's perfect for Fern's den.

Fern is ten weeks
into her six-month hibernation.

She's in and out of consciousness,
living her life in slow motion.

Her metabolism has dropped by half.

And her heart rate has plummeted
from 70 beats per minute,

to just ten.

Fern is surviving
only on stored body fats.

She may appear completely inactive,

but inside her,
something miraculous is happening.

All that fishing means...

...not one, but two cubs
are successfully growing.

Lulu and Joey.

At four weeks
into their eight-week journey,

each is just the size of an apple.

Their umbilical cords fuel them
with protein and carbohydrates.

They're growing quickly,
and could quadruple in size

over the next month.

Their shoulders and forearms
are building muscle.

Claws have broken through.

They'll need those
to crawl up Fern's sleeping chest

to nurse when they're born.

Outside Fern's den,
winter grows even colder.

There's no escape
from the harsh conditions.

Winds become gale force.

And the mercury drops
to minus eight Fahrenheit.

The bitter cold strips the heat
from every animal it touches.

Fern is protected from it
and sleeps on in comfort.

Her thick winter coat traps air.
Providing insulation...

and saving as much energy as possible
for her rapidly growing cubs.

Lulu and Joey are doing really well.

They've made it to six weeks.

And a delicate layer of fur
has started to grow.

Almost fully formed,
they can now survive if born early.

Their most vital asset
is developing...

their incredible sense of smell.

Two thousand times greater than ours.

The cubs will use it to find food,

communicate,
and learn about their new world.

Glands have even developed in their feet
that leave their scent with every step.

And their claws are almost primed
and ready for action.

Equipped with these essential tools,
the cubs simply increase in size

until the day they're born.

By February, winter reaches its peak.

This far north,
even waterfalls are frozen in time.

Fern sleeps through it all.

But deep under the snow,

something truly magical has happened.

Lulu and Joey have arrived.

Each the size of a newborn puppy,
weighing around one pound.

Completely blind
and totally vulnerable.

Safe with their mom at last.

Soaking up her scent
and mouthfuls of milk.

Fern's milk contains
almost three times the calories of ours.

Packed with antibodies,
it builds up their immune systems.

Fern can sense them
as Lulu and Joey feed,

grow, and bond with their mom.

Safe and snug for the next two months,
in their den sanctuary.

Throughout winter, these slopes have given
the family isolation and peace.

But by April, temperatures are rising...

and the mountains begin to stir.

The hard-packed snowdrifts
start to weaken.

An avalanche.

Ten thousand tons of snow,

traveling up to 100 miles per hour.

It pays to choose your den site
carefully in these mountains.

Beneath the snow...

the family is safe.

Fern is finally awake...

...and meets her babies
for the very first time.

It's got to be the best surprise
in the world.

Lulu and Joey
have been piling on the pounds.

They are now 20 times bigger
than when they were born,

and a whole lot hungrier.

Fern hasn't eaten
in over six months.

So, it's time this new mom
showed Lulu and Joey

the world beyond their den.

Outside...

winter is losing its grip
on the mountains.

And the cubs get their first glimpse
of daylight.

It's a lot to take in.

Lulu and Joey's world...

just got a whole lot bigger.

But there's no time to stop.

Fern has lost
almost half her body weight.

She's gotta get her cubs
down from the mountains.

A journey she can make with ease.

But now there's little legs to think of.

And the pace of life here is fast.

Fern has to set them up for survival

before winter returns in six months.

She's never done it before,
and the clock is ticking.

Far below, the Great Bear Rainforest
looks like a different world.

It's May.

Spring breathes new life
into the inlets.

The forests are singing...

...and the meadows are in bloom.

It's taken two weeks
for Fern and her cubs to get down here.

A sight for sore eyes.

After a long journey, the first thing
that Fern needs is a decent meal.

On the springtime menu...

fresh greens.

Sedge.

It might seem a surprising choice
for a bear,

but this type of grass
is packed with protein.

Fern desperately needs to rebuild muscle
and fat reserves after her pregnancy.

She's gotta eat over 60 pounds a day,

spending every hour of daylight grazing.

There never seems to be enough time,

especially with two hungry cubs.

Lulu and Joey
still get all their nutrition from her.

Fern knows this season of plenty is short.

She may be a new mom,
but she's got to get back to work.

While Fern's busy putting food
on the table,

the cubs have a whole new world
to explore.

There's no limits
to Lulu's curiosity.

She's never seen
a tree lying down before.

She's eager to try out the balance beam.

Laid-back Joey doesn’t get the appeal.

Adventurous Lulu takes it all
in her stride, even over open water.

A grunt from Fern
reminds them not to stray too far.

Just like human babies...

they're always checking out
what mom’s eating.

It’s how they learn what to eat.

Looks like Joey is never one
to pass up a free meal.

But Lulu hasn't got time for this.

Perhaps it's an acquired taste.

It's trees that are irresistible to her.

And this time,
Lulu sets her sights even higher.

She just has an urge to climb
and doesn't know why.

It's an instinctive lifesaving skill.

Dangerous male bears roam these forests.

The cubs need to climb high enough
to keep out of reach.

Lulu seems to be a quick learner.

Her claws act like crampons,

anchoring into the bark.

Joey is slower...

a little more nervous.

Eight feet up, he freezes.

He doesn't know what to do.

At this height, he'd still be
within reach of a male grizzly.

Lulu won't leave her brother struggling.

She shows him the way... to the top.

Their first climb conquered. Together.

If they can do this in a crisis,
then it might keep them out of trouble.

Mom finally takes a break from eating
to reward their hard work.

Together, they drink nearly three quarts
of milk a day.

Fern is under huge pressure.

She's only had to eat for one before.

As fast as she can get the energy,
the cubs seem to draw it out.

But Fern has yet to learn, caring for kids
is not just about feeding them.

Keeping them safe is a full-time job.

Especially here.

Up to 2,000 grizzlies
roam the Great Bear Rainforest.

And this valley is one of the busiest.

And it's vital for a mom with cubs

to avoid the most dangerous neighbors.

Males.

It's Rocky.

He's looking to mate,
and he won't let the cubs get in the way.

Fern can never let
their paths cross.

Luckily, Rocky
lets everyone know when he's in town.

He rubs his scent on trees throughout
the forest...

to announce his presence...

...and put off any competition.

These scent signposts
are like a classroom for the cubs.

Fern takes them to learn
who's in the valley

without risk of conflict.

One sniff and she can tell
if Rocky is in the neighborhood.

The coast is clear.

Just enough time to take advantage
of the facilities.

The rough bark
helps her shed her winter coat.

Lulu and Joey memorize Rocky's scent,
so they can stay clear.

And like their mom,

the opportunity for a scratch
is too good to pass up.

A valuable lesson
while on the move between meals.

The vast forest
our bear family calls home,

is a lush wilderness.

Sometimes called the Amazon of the North.

Waterways weave through their territory,

and over 250 miles
of Pacific coastline buffer up against it.

Tides can rise and fall 16 feet
in just a few hours

and provide great opportunities,

as well as dangers to little bears
and their first-time moms.

Lulu and Joey still have a lot to learn

before they'll be able
to look after themselves.

Now, at four months old, they must hone
their essential survival skills.

They only have two months of summer left.

Bears have the largest brain
of any land mammal,

relative to their size.

It gives them the intelligence
required to be quick to adapt

and to pick up tips from other bears.

As a new mom
with two hungry cubs,

Fern's brain is working overtime.

Once again, the experienced mom
from the salmon river, catches her eye.

Blondie.

Maybe she's on to something down here.

Blondie follows her supersensitive nose
and sets to work.

A clam.

Small, but one
of a bear's favorite appetizers.

Even Blondie's cubs are in on the secret.

They need to be.
At two years old,

they'll have to strike out
on their own soon.

It would be great if Fern
could get her cubs to do this.

Any skill takes time to master.

Something they don't have a lot of.

The sooner Lulu and Joey start,
the better.

But all they seem to do
is get under her feet.

Just like teaching your kids
to use a knife and fork...

persistence and a whole heap of patience
is key to cracking this skill.

Lulu quickly learns to dig down.

But Joey,
he’s just all about the easy life.

He's learned if he just
hangs around mom, he'll get leftovers.

After the morning's digging,
Fern really needs a break.

The family moves
on to a nearby sedge bank.

Fern can get five minutes to herself,

while Lulu and Joey
let off a little steam.

Play fighting.

It strengthens their bond
and helps Joey get some exercise.

Fern might deserve a moment of peace,

but she's forgotten,
with little ones around,

she should
never take her eye off the ball.

The tide has turned...

and the waters are rapidly rising.

Fern realizes her mistake too late.

They are cut off from shore.

All bears are born
with the ability to swim,

but Lulu and Joey
haven't had the chance to practice.

And powerful currents
will make it even harder.

Lulu quickly sees an opportunity
to hitch a ride on mom.

But Joey is too slow.

And the current is too strong for him.

He is being swept downstream.

He's going
to have to swim for his life.

He's made it. Exhausted but alive.

Fern's learned

a painful lesson for any mom.

This close call
is something she will never forget.

Mid July

is a major turning point
in the Great Bear Rainforest.

And in Lulu and Joey's first year.

Already the days are getting shorter...

and the first of the salmon are returning.

Gathering in the deep mouths of inlets,
they wait for the waters to rise,

driven by the urge to return
to their spawning grounds.

Their mammoth migration
brings in predators from all around.

When they eventually make it upstream,

they'll provide the biggest feast
of the cubs' lives.

Late summer...

cooler days and fewer hours of sunshine
mean many plants set seed.

Fern is running out of time

to get herself and her cubs
ready for winter.

Lulu and Joey are five months old
and are eating more solids.

And weigh nearly as much as a Labrador.

Fern's doing okay as a mom...

...but there is still no time to relax.

Least of all, now.

The family is not alone.

Rocky.

Fern and the cubs are in his stretch
and he's on their trail.

Fern detects something is wrong.

Even the cubs recognize
his scent now.

They run for safety.

Fern double checks if he's following.

He is. And he's getting closer.

There's only one safe place...

the trees.

Rocky can't see them now,
but he can still smell them.

He heads
into the forest after them.

But for some reason,
the cubs aren't climbing.

Fern has no choice,
there's nowhere to run.

She must do what every mother
sometimes has to,

stand and fight.

First-time mom, Fern,
has done it.

She's put Rocky in his place.

Her family is safe.

Fern has been
on a steep learning curve.

But now she has proved herself as a mom.

By August, moisture on the winds
gathers above the mountains

and there's a hint of fall.

In the valleys below,

the cubs are now six months old.

Fern's done great to get them this far.

But she knows there's only a few weeks
before they must head to the mountains

and hibernate once more.

And there is still one last
rite of passage for her cubs.

A change in the weather
means it's coming soon.

Cooling temperatures
bring fresh rainfall.

Over 20 foot a year
revitalizes this forest.

As the rivers rise,
the salmon are free to race upstream.

This is the moment
Fern has been waiting for.

The best time of year.

And hopefully, an unrivaled feast
she can share with her cubs.

Fern knows this river well.

She learned to fish here too.

And it's where she will show
Lulu and Joey how it's done.

Step one is simple.

Watch mom.

After almost a year of waiting,
she's eager to taste salmon again.

Fern has heaps of enthusiasm.

But even the cubs can see,

her technique leaves something
to be desired.

Fern won't give up.

She's desperate to give her cubs
their first taste.

The fish are calmer
in deep water.

It's harder to see the salmon...

but Fern can smell them.

Both Lulu and Joey stay close,

so they can learn what to do.

Stay focused, Fern.

She spots her target.

Finally, Fern's got one!

Mom's done good again!

And the cubs
get their very first taste of salmon.

They love it!

The next few days
will be like Thanksgiving...

their greatest feast of the year.

This is what it means to be a bear.

It took her a while, but Fern has proved
to be a truly devoted mom.

Since they left the den,

Lulu and Joey, have doubled in size,
grown in confidence...

and learned a bear's
most important survival skills.

They'll stay with their mom
for at least another year.

Slowly taking bigger steps
towards independence.

But right now...

winter is returning to the mountains
above the Great Bear Rainforest.

It's time for our bear family
to head to their den...

to dream of rivers, always full of salmon.

And when spring returns,
Lulu and Joey will be ready

to take on another year
of Growing Up Animal.