[growling]
[dramatic music plays]
[David Harbour] The most powerful predators to walk the Earth.
But it takes more than brute force…
[growling]
…to reach the top.
With remarkable brain power,
and by making the most of any opportunity,
bears rule some of the planet's most hostile lands.
[uplifting music plays]
But cubs aren't born with the skills to survive.
They need to be taught.
[uplifting music continues]
So a mother bear has her work cut out
preparing her cubs
to face the world.
[uplifting music continues]
[uplifting music fades]
[growling]
Locked in winter's icy grip,
northern forests
are still.
Silent.
No clues to suggest
that hidden beneath the snow,
a giant lies asleep.
[tranquil music plays]
Breathing slow.
Heart beating just eight times a minute.
[tranquil music continues]
Nothing to eat since fall.
For three months,
this American black bear has been in suspended animation.
[tranquil music continues]
Even more miraculous…
three weeks ago,
she woke just long enough to give birth
to three cubs.
[tranquil music continues]
Each just the weight of a can of soup.
[tranquil music continues]
Though she's surviving on nothing but fat reserves,
her babies won't go hungry.
Her milk so rich,
they've already doubled in size.
[squealing]
This same story is unfolding across North America.
[tranquil music continues]
Over half a million hibernating black bears.
Underground.
Or tucked under fallen trees.
Some, incredibly, right out in the open.
[whimpering]
Cubs snuggle close, kept alive by their mother's warmth.
[tranquil music continues]
But this mom
picked the coziest of dens.
[tranquil music continues]
When the spring finally arrives,
her hard work will begin.
A bear's upbringing
shapes the whole of its life.
[tranquil music fades]
[upbeat music plays]
There are just eight species of bear.
[growling]
[upbeat music continues]
Found from the jungles of Asia
to the ice sheets of the Arctic.
Some are surprisingly small,
just the size of a dog.
Others weigh in at nearly a ton.
Though all are classified as carnivores,
most eat whatever they can get their paws on.
[upbeat music continues]
But how to find the right food at the right time
can only be taught by a devoted mother.
Each bear's home comes with its own challenges.
[upbeat music continues]
So learning to use brains
as well as brawn
is crucial to survival.
[upbeat music fades]
The Arctic winter.
Hostile.
Lifeless.
Well,
not entirely.
[tense music plays]
Even at 40 below,
a polar bear is well insulated,
with a double layer of fur
and a blanket of fat as thick as a man's arm.
[polar bear growls]
Polar bears never have to hibernate.
Winter is their hunting season.
[tense music continues]
Seals are their favorite prey,
and polar bears use their astounding sense of smell
to detect them many miles away.
[tense music continues]
This male has picked up a scent,
but it's not prey.
It's other bears.
[tense music continues]
Male bears are known to kill cubs that are not their own.
[growling]
This mom's young, near fully grown, are not so vulnerable.
Still, best to keep their distance.
[tense music continues]
Before they can strike out alone,
they need to perfect their hunting skills.
And this may be a chance
for Mom to show how it's done.
[tense music continues]
[grunts]
Approach from downwind.
Use camouflage.
[tense music continues]
Sneak into striking range.
[tense music intensifies]
[tense music fades]
With each successful hunt,
Mom helps her cubs grow stronger and wiser.
Once they leave her, these lessons will make the difference
between life and death.
[tranquil music plays]
Bears start learning from Mom the day they leave the den.
[tranquil music continues]
Spring has finally arrived for the black bear family,
and the great outdoors is calling.
[tranquil music continues]
Mama bear has lost over 100 pounds of fat since fall,
nearly half her body weight,
so she's ready to get going.
But happily full of milk,
her cubs seem in less of a hurry.
[jaunty music plays]
It's a whole new world.
Climbing comes naturally.
Even so, it's a bit of an obstacle course.
[jaunty music continues]
[bear cub squeals]
[cubs whimper]
[jaunty music fades]
Right from the first hurdle…
Mom's got their back.
[jaunty music plays]
She alone is provider, teacher, and protector.
It's a huge responsibility.
Around a third of cubs don't survive their first year.
[squealing]
[whimpering]
One of the greatest dangers they'll face
is other bears.
[melancholy music plays]
Brown bears, sometimes known as grizzlies,
have come down from winter dens in the mountains.
They gather in coastal meadows to feed on sedge grass.
Bears don't defend a territory like cats or dogs,
but they still know who's boss.
This old dominant male
has laid claim to this grazing spot for years.
[melancholy music continues]
[bird squawks]
He needs to pile on the pounds
so he can take on anyone who dares challenge him
when breeding season arrives.
[melancholy music continues]
[growls]
[melancholy music fades]
This grass is surprisingly high in muscle-building protein.
But if you're smarter than the average bear,
there's even more nutritious food to be found.
[jaunty music plays]
This mom is taking her cub
on an exclusive dining experience.
[jaunty music continues]
A muddy beach might look unpromising…
[jaunty music continues]
…but a little digging can unearth some treasure.
[jaunty music continues]
Once you've found a clam,
it needs shucking.
A surprisingly delicate operation.
Not all bears here can do this.
She picked it up from her mother.
And now she's passing it on.
[jaunty music continues]
At low tide,
a talented clammer might get a hundred of these juicy treats.
[jaunty music continues]
A much better protein hit
than from the same time spent grazing.
[jaunty music continues]
Teaching her daughter will give her a head start in a competitive world.
[jaunty music continues]
[jaunty music fades]
[growling]
[tense music plays]
A stranger.
[growling]
Time to back off.
Another important lesson.
Avoid confrontation if you can.
[tense music fades]
An angry bear is a force of nature.
[roaring]
[dramatic music plays]
[roaring]
Even when the opponent is bigger,
never bet against a bear.
[dramatic music continues]
Or its claws.
Up to four inches long, they're fearsome weapons.
[dramatic music continues]
But they're also multi-purpose tools.
Climbing spikes.
Shovels.
Ice hooks.
Even silverware.
And when it's time for a good old scratch…
[dramatic music stops]
…there's nothing better.
Some of the longest claws
belong to the smallest of bears.
Just one-tenth the size of a grizzly,
a sun bear is a jungle survival specialist.
[uplifting music plays]
Finding food in the tangle of vegetation
isn't easy.
[uplifting music continues]
But with an almost unrivaled sense of smell…
he follows his nose.
[sniffing]
[squawking]
[uplifting music plays]
He's narrowed down the source of the sweet aroma.
Just one problem.
It's all the way up there.
Four stories high.
But sun bears
love honey.
[jaunty music plays]
Good thing they're also champion climbers.
[jaunty music continues]
Those long, curved claws give excellent grip,
and a dog-sized frame keeps him light and agile.
But
he's barking up the wrong tree.
[jaunty music fades]
And now
he's got competition.
[tense music plays]
Or has he?
Sun bears also love feasting on grubs inside rotten logs.
[insects buzzing]
While the other bear's distracted,
a chance to switch trees.
[upbeat music plays]
The bees are angry,
but thankfully stingless.
At last…
he's struck gold.
Those claws also make a handy honey scoop.
And a ten-inch tongue does the rest.
When it comes to finding food in the jungle,
sun bears have it licked.
[suspenseful music plays]
But as the forests they rely on are cleared for agriculture…
it's leaving sun bears homeless.
[suspenseful music continues]
And more exposed to poaching for traditional remedies.
They're now the rarest bear on Earth.
Rarer even
than the most enigmatic bear of all.
[eerie music plays]
[tense music plays]
[tense music fades]
The giant panda spends most of its life
eating just one thing.
Bamboo.
She can lounge around for 12 hours
gorging on the stuff.
It makes up 99% of her diet.
She's the only bear
with a bony pad on her paw, kind of like a thumb.
Perfect for making a bamboo hot dog.
This veggie diet seems a bizarre choice.
Pandas evolved to eat meat.
But because bamboo's plentiful
and grows year round,
over millions of years, they switched to the easier option.
Trouble is,
their gut hasn't fully adapted to digest it.
So she only survives by doing a lot of eating.
And very little else.
[jaunty music plays]
But when humans cut down swathes of Asia's bamboo forests,
pandas had nothing left to eat
and were forced to the brink of extinction.
Such a specialized diet is the exception.
Most bears have more adventurous tastes.
[dramatic music plays]
The forests on the Canadian border
are home to tens of thousands of black bears.
It's midsummer, and this mother is leading her cubs
on a feeding foray.
[tranquil music plays]
She keeps them on track with soft grunts.
At six months, they're curious.
[tranquil music continues]
But still naive.
[tranquil music continues]
Mom must be their eyes and ears.
[tranquil music continues]
[whimpering]
[moaning]
Her low moan tells them
something's not right.
[tense music plays]
A male.
He could kill her cubs
and force her back into heat.
[low growling]
When Mom growls, it's time to hide.
[tense music continues]
[growling]
[tense music continues]
[growling]
She's warning the male,
but he's not getting the message.
[tense music continues]
[bear coughs]
That cough means "climb."
[tense music intensifies]
[tense music fades]
[bear coughs]
Now Mom must keep her nerve and stand her ground.
Until he understands
she's not to be messed with.
Ever since leaving the den,
Mom's encouraged her cubs to climb.
[quiet uplifting music plays]
It's paid off.
Till she's sure the coast is clear,
they'll stay off the ground.
[quiet uplifting music continues]
A chance for some more climbing practice,
while Mom grabs a bit of well-earned shut-eye.
[whimpering]
[quiet uplifting music continues]
But not too much.
Fall is coming,
and the whole family needs to feed up.
[quiet uplifting music continues]
In more hostile lands,
finding food and water
is a year-round struggle.
These peaks may look uninhabitable…
but for a few spectacled bears,
it's home.
The only species of bear in South America.
The real-life Paddington.
[tranquil music plays]
But no need for a duffle coat and rain hat here.
The tallest mountains block clouds…
[tranquil music continues]
…creating a high-altitude desert.
[tranquil music continues]
It can go eight months without rain.
[tranquil music fades]
This is the only natural spring for miles.
A lush oasis.
He could chill out here all day.
[jaunty music plays]
When a male hogs the bath,
others must be more resourceful.
[jaunty music continues]
This mother is showing her cub
how even a tree trunk
can be a survival aid.
With the strongest jaws for her size of any bear,
she easily tears it apart to reach the moisture inside.
[jaunty music continues]
[squealing]
Food and water are so scarce,
she must save energy.
Rest often.
It's a lot cooler off the ground,
but spindly trees don't offer much support.
So she does something no other bears do.
[jaunty music plays]
She makes her own bed.
[jaunty music continues]
It's this ingenuity
that helps see her through till the rains finally return.
Naturally air-conditioned.
[tranquil music plays]
Nice and comfy.
The perfect spot for a siesta.
[melancholy music plays]
In the far north,
life is less peaceful.
The dominant grizzly.
Since spring,
he's packed on two pounds a day.
He needs the extra weight.
[growling]
It's being bigger and badder that makes him the boss,
controlling the best feeding spots
and mating with the local females.
[melancholy music continues]
But after a decade in charge,
he seems to be losing his charm.
[growls]
[tense music plays]
[growling]
[tense music continues]
And a bigger problem is coming his way.
[tense music plays]
A younger male has sensed weakness.
[sniffing]
[growling]
[tense music continues]
[growling]
The boss needs to prove himself to the females
and show junior who's in charge around here.
[growling]
The cowboy swagger.
[tense music continues]
It's meant to look imposing.
[tense music continues]
The only thing is,
the youngster is enormous.
[growling]
[tense music fades]
But with females watching on…
[roaring]
…no backing out now.
[growling]
[roaring]
[tense music plays]
[growling]
[tense music continues]
[growling]
[tense music intensifies]
[growling]
[tense music continues]
[growling]
[tense music crescendos]
[growling]
The old boss is down for the count.
[growling]
The meadow's getting a change in management.
Effective immediately.
The old boss's reign is over.
The female made the smart choice,
holding out for a stronger, fitter bear to father her cubs.
[growling]
He spends the long, warm days
reaping the rewards.
But even further north,
just getting through the summer
is a serious struggle.
Each year, as the Arctic warms,
the sea ice retreats north.
[melancholy music plays]
[growling]
Polar bears become stranded on land, where there's little to eat.
[melancholy music continues]
And now that climate change is making the ice melt earlier,
polar bears go hungry for longer.
A mom must do what it takes
to keep her family alive.
[melancholy music continues]
Even if it means leading them towards danger.
On the north Alaskan coast,
subsistence whale hunters leave piles of bones.
Driven by hunger,
bears come together to scavenge.
They tolerate each other… to a point.
[growling]
Mom knows her cubs are vulnerable among bad-tempered adults.
[tense music plays]
But the threat of starvation is even worse.
[tense music continues]
The cubs will have to learn to cope with uncomfortable situations like this
if they're to survive longer, hotter summers ahead.
[tense music fades]
[growling]
Even so, polar bear numbers are predicted to fall by a third
over the next few decades.
[melancholy music plays]
They're not the only ones under threat.
Six of the eight bear species are vulnerable to extinction.
[gentle music plays]
Their biggest threat
is habitat loss.
[gentle music continues]
Many also face persecution.
But it's not too late to save them,
to protect the wilderness they need to thrive…
and help bears by rescuing,
rehabilitating,
and releasing them.
[gentle music continues]
It's been shown to work.
Breeding projects and forest protection
have almost doubled the number of wild pandas.
If we make room for bears,
their adaptable nature will do the rest.
As long as they have someone to show them the way.
[gentle music fades]
[tranquil music plays]
As fall colors sweep across North America…
black bear mothers have one last push to get cubs ready for winter.
They target foods high in calories.
In a good year, the acorn harvest provides plenty of carbs and fat.
[tranquil music continues]
But when there's not enough food in the wild,
bears get their dinner to go…
heading downtown
to make the most of the food we throw away.
[jaunty music plays]
In the urban jungle
or out in the wild,
bears rely on their resourceful nature to feed up through fall.
[jaunty music fades]
And the bigger the bear, the more epic the feast.
[dramatic music swells]
Brown bears,
the most widespread of all bears,
found across North America, Europe, and Asia.
[tranquil music plays]
The largest live where there's plenty of food.
And there are around 10,000 on this volcanic peninsula.
But this land will soon be snowbound for six months.
To survive a hibernation that long, they'll need to double their weight.
[growling]
And there's only one way to do it.
Go fishing.
[dramatic music plays]
Every year,
millions of breeding salmon provide a bonanza of prey.
[dramatic music continues]
A big male can gorge on a staggering 100,000 calories a day.
That's 300 cheeseburgers.
It's called hyperphagia.
They can eat
and eat
without ever feeling full.
[dramatic music crescendos]
Taking a seasonal feast and storing it as fat,
fuel for the long winter ahead.
Each bear lives life a little differently.
[uplifting music plays]
But there's something they all have in common.
[uplifting music continues]
The time mothers spend
passing skills down generations…
[uplifting music continues]
…and leading their cubs through the seasons
is the real secret to a bear's success…
whether enduring harsh deserts
or heading out once again to face the Arctic winter.
[uplifting music continues]
The black bear cubs have made it to the end of their year.
Back in the den,
batteries fully charged…
[tranquil music plays]
…they've gone into standby mode.
[tranquil music continues]
Safe and warm,
they'll sleep tight till spring returns.
Snuggled up to Mom.
[dramatic music plays]