All language subtitles for Wild Winter 02

(light music)

- [Narrator] From the northern ice scapes

of the Arctic Circle,

to the southern most
extremes of Antarctica,

winter prowls the earth
from top to bottom.

Conjuring up scenes of wondrous beauty

and stark severity.

Breathtaking in spectacle,

but often harsh environments to call home.

Those that do live here, thrive here.

Through amazing adaptations
and animal cunning.

It's survival of the fittest,

the fastest, and the fearless.

A cycle of life where being strong, smart,

and shrewd can mean the difference

between life and death.

Because in this extraordinary world of ice

and snow, only the most resilient

and resourceful will
endure the wild winter.

(wind whistling)
(bear growls)

(gentle music)

When winter descends on the
colder regions of our planet,

north or south,

it is a time of scarcity and
all life in the wild settles

into the pursuit of a simple common goal:

Conserving or consuming energy.

Herbivores get theirs from
eating plants and algae.

Omnivores devour both plants and animals.

And carnivores prey on other
animals for nourishment.

Predation, and the winter
food chain is how energy moves

around the ecosystem and
sustains it until the thaw.

But while the end goal may
be the same for every animal,

the ways in which each species

pursues it are vastly different,

and their winter habitats
shape the way they hunt.

(snow crunching)

(light music)

Antarctica, the world's coldest

and windiest continent.

Covered by permanent ice and snow.

There are no trees or shrubs here,

so food is primarily found in the ocean.

Today, at the beginning of winter,

it's a mere zero degrees celsius,

nowhere near the minus 60 degrees common

in the depths of the season.

This burst of beautiful weather has some

of the locals jumping for joy.

(penguins squawking)

Diving in the southern seas,

this colony of a Adelie
penguins is feeding on the krill

and small fish in the icy ocean below.

Adelie are Antarctica's smallest penguins,

but despite their size,
they can be feisty.

They are also superb swimmers.

In the ocean, their wings become flippers,

their webbed feet rudders.

They can swim at speeds of
up to 15 kilometres an hour,

even faster if being chased.

Yet in the water, and also on the land,

it's a time of great danger.

Early winter spells the start
of the lean feeding season,

and all polar animals must feed as much

as they can while they can.

(light music)

This massive male leopard seal
is a voracious meat eater.

He weighs in at around 300 kilograms.

A female could tip the
scales at twice as much.

(penguins squawking)
(light music continues)

The seal's body is too heavy
for his weaker front flippers

to support, so he flops
about on his big belly

too clumsy to trouble
the more agile Adelie.

In the water, though,
it's a different story.

A lone hunter, he stalks the seas.

One of the Antarctic's most
feared and ferocious predators.

And penguins are one of

the leopard seal's dietary mainstays.

(light dramatic music)

(water bubbling)

(light music)

To avoid becoming fast food themselves,

Adelie's have the ability
to boost their speed

by releasing air trapped
under their feathers.

The bubbles help them
take off at three times

their normal pace.

They've also developed a
cruising type of behaviour.

They glide to the surface
to breathe and porpoise,

graceful manoeuvres that make
it seem like they're flying.

And sometimes they need to.

(light dramatic music)

Because their arch
nemesis, the leopard seal,

is a powerful predator.

Solitary, he hunts alone,

loitering where the
penguins are still submerged

in the quest for food.

The seabirds need to spend

as much time in the water as they can.

Overeating builds up the blubber

that will help them
survive the long winter.

But the leopard seal
is a patient predator.

(suspenseful music)

And is rewarded with a successful kill.

(light music)
(water splashing)

The commotion sends the remaining
Adelie into flight mode,

springing and slipping back
to safety on the sea ice.

The leopard seal consumes his
meal in just five minutes,

which is enough to see
him through the day,

but he's ruthless and relentless,

and his hunt will continue
seeking krill and fish to eat

before his next warm-blooded meal.

The relationship between predator

and prey is a delicate one,

relying on a fine balance to
sustain animal populations.

(light music)
(penguins squawking)

Especially in environments less abundant

than the waters of Antarctica.

(wind whistling)

(soft music)

As the southern hemisphere enters summer,

in the northern hemisphere,

central Asia begins its own winter.

The barren beauty of the
Himalayan mountain ranges

and plateaus are transformed.

There's an almost surreal tranquillity,

only the occasional howling

of the wind breaking the silence.

With constant sub-zero temperatures,

few animals venture out,

but this snow leopard has
taken a calculated risk.

Snow leopards are solitary predators,

with hunting territories covering

more than 200 square
kilometres, reducing competition

with other snow leopards for food.

(light dramatic music)
(wind whistling)

(bird caws)

They are opportunistic carnivores
who rely on their ability

to approach prey unseen.

(ominous music)

But for the markhor herds
of the central Asian ranges,

there's safety in numbers.

As they forage for exposed
grasses and shrubs,

the herd looks out for potential danger.

The bigger the herd, the
more eyes on the lookout,

which presents a challenge for predators.

But snow leopards are used
to overcoming challenges.

(light dramatic music)
(leopard grumbling)

They can take down animals
three times their size.

A single markhor will keep him
well fed for about 10 days.

(light dramatic music)
(leopard grumbling)

(dramatic music)

And despite the odds, he's
claimed his first prize.

(light music)

The predator prey relationship
between snow leopards

and Himalayan markhor is
deeply interconnected.

The big cats prevent their
prey from overgrazing,

ensuring enough food for the markhor herd,

and the predator is sustained
with energy-rich fat,

and protein through the lean winter.

(light music)
(birds chirping)

(wind howling)

(light dramatic music)
(snow rustling)

But it's not just big cats
that need an energy boost

during the cold winter
months in the Himalayas.

Remote and shrouded in
myth, the dramatic landscape

of the Eastern Himalayan
region, including the countries

of Nepal, China, and Bhutan,

is home to many incredible animal species.

(light music)

And one surprising omnivore
inhabitant is the red panda.

Although cat-like in appearance,

the red panda is not immediately
thought of as a meat eater

due simply to the large
quantities of bamboo they consume.

But these quiet and solitary
tree dwellers have simply

adapted to their bamboo diet.

The fibrous plant
constitutes an incredible 95%

of their food intake.

With meat making up the remaining 5%.

Their prey: small birds,
rodents and lizards.

And while meat is only a
small part of their diet,

red panda's teeth have
remained surprisingly robust,

allowing them to chew meat
and bones when required.

Although they share a name
with the equally adorable black

and white panda, they
aren't in fact related.

It is believed red pandas
are more closely related

to the Mustelidae family,
which includes skunks,

raccoons, and weasels.

But what the red and giant
panda do have in common

is their pseudo thumb,

a sixth digit on their
front paws that allows them

to grasp plant stems and to climb up

and down trees with ease.

Red pandas spend almost half

of their life in trees
either resting or sleeping,

a strategy that combats
their low quality diet

and conserves energy.

(light music)

In competitive climates such
as these, conserving energy

can be the difference
between being the hunter

and being the hunted.

Across the Barents Sea,

near the Svalbard Islands of Norway,

the odds of survival are not
equal among the inhabitants.

Animals in this icy wilderness
must balance the costs

of exertion every day

and gamble on what will
be the best payoff.

An exhausted seal has hauled
itself out of the Arctic Ocean,

a morning devouring arctic cod

and evading killer whales has temporarily

tired the pinniped out.

But apex predators are numerous in

and around this archipelago,

and the most prodigious of the

above water alphas is the polar bear,

the arctic's undisputed ruler.

(gentle music)

(wind howling)

With no predators to fear,

and a keen sense of smell on the open ice,

this polar bear has
already picked up the scent

of the resting seal,

even though it's 30 kilometres away.

The bear stalks methodically,

the world's largest land carnivore

on a mission for a meal.

A feed like a napping seal
will keep the polar bear strong

and healthy for at least eight days,

and it needs to eat whenever it can.

(light dramatic music)

The polar of bear approaches
stealthily, its sharp claws

and strong limbs helping it to
move silently across the ice.

Instinctually, the seal
has chosen a resting place

with good 360 degree visibility.

With its highly sensitive hearing,

the seal has detected
the bear and slips away.

This time, the bear's
efforts have come to nothing.

(light dramatic music)

(suspenseful music)

(water splashing)
(bear growling)

But the polar bear has
only just begun its day.

As an apex predator facing no
competition from other species

for their food, the odds of
eventually finding a meal

are better than most.

(light music)
(snow crunching)

(light music)
(wind whistling)

When multiple predators have
to compete for the same prey,

it becomes harder to sustain themselves.

Here in mainland Norway, a
red fox is hunting for mice.

In recent years, the
species has pushed north

and settled in, spreading from the towns

and coastlines to the
Scandinavian mountains.

And in making themselves at home,

they've challenged the
survival of a canine cousin,

the arctic fox.

During the long, bleak winter,

both species are competing
for the same prey.

Yet the red fox is bigger
and stronger than its rival.

(light music)

(birds chirping)

Like its smaller relative,

the red fox hears his
prey before seeing it.

A rodent is scurrying around
its burrow, 12 centimetres

below the snow.

The hunter tilts its head to better locate

the telltale sound of footsteps.

This is where their super senses

prove even more astonishing.

For not only can the red fox hear, see,

smell, touch, and taste, it may also have

an extraordinary sixth sense.

Researchers believe
the fox to be the first

and only documented case of
an animal using the earth's

magnetic field to help them hunt.

Once its acute hearing has
assisted in pinpointing the

location of the burrow, a magnetic pull

tells the fox in which
direction to pounce.

Using its own internal compass,

the nimble canine establishes
which direction is northeast.

It launches headfirst
into the rodent's burrow.

When aligned in this way, foxes
enjoy a success rate of 74%.

Pouncing in a different direction,

they'd be successful no
more than 18% of the time.

So, in positioning himself perfectly,

a clever fox quadruples
his chances of a kill.

This leap of faith is known as mousing.

It's not always a direct hit,

and it burns up a lot of precious energy.

So the animal is weighing up
whether the high jump is worth

trying again and again.

Success.

A high protein meal,

the reward for a ravenous
red fox on borrowed ground.

(light dramatic music)
(wind whistling)

The arctic fox has the same acute senses

of its bigger, red relative,
but nowhere near the bulk.

It constantly needs to eat

and knows it's on the scent of a lemming.

But its attempts at
mousing are falling flat.

The fox cannot break the surface.

Defeated, but not yet desperate,
its searches the slopes.

Because arctic foxes are also
opportunistic scavengers,

not too fussy about the feast.

It sniffs out carrion left
behind by larger animals,

and there's enough flesh on these bones

to feed well enough for now.

(wind howling)

(soft music)

The relationship between predator

and prey in winter
environments is dynamic.

As predators become more
efficient at hunting,

prey species evolve defensive adaptations

to reduce their
vulnerability to predators.

The arctic fox itself is sought

after by the larger animals of the Arctic,

so its coat provides a survival
mechanism against predators.

Normally, the fox's fur is grey,

but come winter it changes
to brilliant white,

a shade that helps it blend
into the snowy surrounds.

The arctic hare also has a
camouflage coat of many colours.

It transforms slowly from the light brown

of the warm weather landscape
to this useful icy tone.

While most birds head
south for the cold season,

the rock ptarmigan stay at
home warm and well concealed.

Because in winter, their
feathers lose all their pigment,

even disguising and protecting
their legs and feet.

A coverall that confuses their predators

and keeps them cosy during the
long arctic days and nights.

(light music)

(gentle music)
(birds chirping)

Even with shorter winter daylight hours,

the low-lying sun still creates
an otherworldly environment.

High in the Swiss Alps,

far beyond the ski slopes,
snow is falling constantly,

creating mystical surrounds.

And for the predators that roam here,

like this Eurasian lynx,

a new day brings fresh
hunting opportunities.

A skilled and efficient hunter,

the lynx has no natural predators.

However, the species is
protected across most of Europe,

as poachers covet their fur.

Humans have them in their
sights, not as prey,

but for profit.

In this kind of weather,

lynx are comfortable in heavy snowfall.

Extreme winters are when
these mountains are theirs

for the stalking, so they bide their time

until they're sure of their mark.

(light music)

The tufts on their ears are
believed to act as antennas,

magnifying the sound of far away movement.

Nearby, a roe deer is
struggling in the deep snow.

With wide hairy paws,

the carnivorous lynx is
surefooted on the slopes,

and a fast runner in the powder.

The roe deer is theirs.

But with scavengers lurking,

the lynx must hide its bounty.

Over the next week, it
will return regularly

to gnaw at the carcass,

and then the regal looking lynx

will start its hunt all over again.

(birds chirping)

(light music)

Just over 2,000 kilometres away, the wild

and diverse habitat of
Finland's northern woods serves

as the battleground for two
species of clever carnivores.

In forests where the mercury drops

to bone chilling temperatures,

snowfalls make the air so humid

it feels as if it's raining.

And two natural foes, the canine wolf

and the weasel family's
wolverine, vie for dominance

in a territory where winter
prey is often scarce.

A lone wolverine is digging out the den

of a small hibernating animal,

but it has an innate sense of
the solitary wolf's presence.

It'll suppress its appetite rather

than risk being attacked by the wolf.

(light music)
(birds chirping)

(wolf howling)

But the wolves are focused on bigger prey.

This herd of deer senses
the wolf's intent.

They head for deeper snow, hoping

to slow the wolf's pursuit.

The wolf, however, is relentless.

With escape options limited,

the deer's strategy is simple:

forming a herd in open space,

they use their greater numbers
to make it more challenging

for the wolf to single out
and attack individuals.

(dramatic music)

(crow caws)

By day's end, however,
the wolf has had its way.

This example of predatory skill

works in the lone wolverine's favour

and is one of the reasons why

they choose such a risky winter home.

Because while they are perfectly capable

and skilful hunters, they
are also happy to scavenge

when the opportunity presents itself.

Like this carcass left behind by predators

that have consumed what they need.

Our wiley wolverines
sniffs out the remains.

(ominous music)

(snow rustling)

But don't let their smaller size fool you.

Cunning and strong,

the wolverine can take down
an animal 10 times their size.

The species has the stamina

to chase their prey 25 kilometres or more.

Their broad paws expanding
to nearly twice their size

and acting like snowshoes

that prevent them from
sinking into the deep snow.

Making our fierce, yet furtive wolverine,

a highly evolved hunter and scavenger.

(snow crunching)
(wind whistling)

(light dramatic music)
(water splashing)

Every predator's hunting
strategy has evolved in response

to the ecosystem it is a part of,

and the unique challenges
posed by its environment.

(light dramatic music continues)

Every winter, killer whales
migrate thousands of kilometres

from the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans

to congregate en masse
in the Norwegian fjords,

ingeniously, corralling
and capturing their food.

They're here to feast on
the billions of herrings

that spend winter in these waters.

(light dramatic music)
(water splashing)

(tense music)

Just north of the city of Tromso,

the waters of the fjords
are crystal clear.

And despite the freezing air temperature,

surprisingly free of ice, thanks largely

to the temperate currents
flowing in from the Gulf Stream.

Yet with no sun in the sky to penetrate,

down in the depths it's pitch black.

So the orcas you sound to
communicate with each other.

They work as a group, strategically
positioning themselves

around the school to create a barrier,

Preventing the herring from
escaping in any direction.

But the herring attempt to fight back,

schooling to appear as
one large single organism

and releasing air bubbles
to disorient the pod.

It doesn't always work.

A designated hunter whale
slaps a fish with its fluke,

stunning the herring into submission.

This feeding frenzy is far from over.

The killer whales will
continue to collaborate

until each has had its fill,

and with every orca devouring
approximately 200 kilograms

of fish each day for weeks on end,

the carnage is colossal

and a successful outcome of
a long migratory pilgrimage.

(birds squawking)

(light music)

For many predators in the
high latitudes of the Arctic,

epic journeys are a
necessity for survival.

Across the North Atlantic Ocean,

a beautiful snowy owl has
claimed a new territory.

The birds flown from the Canadian tundra

to the southern prairie for
a stay known as wintering,

but this is no place
for a warmer vacation.

Temperatures are regularly
minus 30 degrees,

and snow squalls dump blankets
of snow for months on end.

These all white environments
can be seen from space.

(light music)

Yet the snowy owl is a natural wonder,

one of the most effective

and unusual hunters in the avian world.

It will spend the next three months here,

but food is often scarce
and competition is fierce.

The hunter keeps watch for
rival owls that could challenge

for this turf.

In the snowy owl's favour
is its exceptional hearing

and keen eyesight.

Those large eyes allow it to
see in the day and the dark,

unlike other owls that only hunt at night.

The snowy's oversized
head rotates 270 degrees,

a tilting satellite dish
detecting minuscule movements.

(light music)

The lone hunter will wait patiently

until it knows it's onto a sure thing.

(light music)

Target in sight, it takes off.

Thanks to its long
wingspan and large talons,

the bird's swoop is
swift, silent and precise.

(light music continues)

The first mouse of the many hundreds

that the snowy owl will devour

during this year's wintering.

Building strength for the long flight home

in a few months time.

(wind whistling)
(light dramatic music)

The cold tundra of the north may be home

to the elusive snowy owl,

but over 6,000 kilometres
away lives another elusive

yet equally skilful
hunter, the Siberian tiger.

(light music)
(snow rustling)

The world's largest cat
and the only tiger to live

and thrive in snow.

The Siberian tiger roams the
strikingly beautiful forests

of far eastern Russia.

These majestic cats are known
locally as the guardians

of the forest.

(light music continues)

With a lighter orange coat
than other tiger species,

the Siberian tiger's fur is also longer

and thicker, including a
thick mane to keep them warm.

(light dramatic music)

For the majority of their lives,

Siberian tigers live and hunt solo.

Needing to eat often,

they will roam kilometres in
search of deer, small bears,

and one of their main
prey species, wild boar.

In the wild, the predator
prey relationship

between these two animals is important

for the entire ecosystem.

Helping to regulate boar populations,

which in turn, has beneficial
effects on vegetation

and other wildlife species.

(tiger growls)

(light music)
(wind howling)

Back in Svalbard,

the polar bear is still on the hunt.

Just 1300 kilometres from the North Pole,

the weather is as bleak

as ever on this icy Norwegian island,

at this, the coldest time of year.

And the polar bear's need
to eat is just as intense.

(water splashing)

(light dramatic music)

(tense music)

Its hunting techniques vary
from stalking the sea ice,

to still hunting, where
the bear silently waits

by a breathing hole ready to
grab a seal when it surfaces.

But when the ice conditions
allow, there is another option.

Using their powerful limbs
to propel themselves,

the element of surprise is everything.

(dramatic music)

The unsuspecting seal is ambushed.

(bird caws)

(light music)

(bear growls)

The bear gorges on its skin and fat

before ripping into the meat.

They'll use the ice and snow to clean

up their fur as they go.

Clean fur helps them stay warm,

and when finally they've had their fill,

the bear will wander off
leaving the leftovers

for other local scavengers to enjoy.

(birds squawking)
(light music continues)

(wind howling)

(light music)

Predatory behaviours have evolved

and become finely tuned for
those species that inhabit vast

and inhospitable wintry worlds.

While the polar bear is
arguably the ruler at the top

of the Arctic food chain,
nature breeds tough

and intelligent challenges
across all the frozen continents.

Predators on the land,

under the sea,

and in the air.

(light dramatic music)

All going to gruelling
lengths to feed themselves

and their families.

Masters of evasion

and clever hunters that outsmart, outrun,

and outlast each other.

It's an ongoing battle
of brain versus brawn.

Each animal relies on their instincts,

their adaptations,

and sometimes their sheer
size to win the war.

For in this cutthroat
kingdom, only the strongest,

the smartest, and the
fittest predators will last

the wild winter.

(light music)

(light music continues)