Alaska Naomi's Nightmares of Nature

-Welcome to my nightmares of nature.

-WOLF HOWLS

-I'm Naomi Wilkinson...

-SHE SCREAMS

'..and I'm coming face to face with the nightmares of the animal world.'

The ones that make your spine tingle...

-'..your heart beat faster...'

-SHE SCREAMS AND LAUGHS

..and your blood run cold.

Are they truly terrifying?

Or is there a twist in the tale? Whee-hee!

'Come with me

'as I shine a light on wildlife's deepest, darkest secrets...'

..and see if you can guess which will be my worst nightmare.

Welcome to the USA!

I am in the largest, wildest state that America has to offer - Alaska!

'With 90,000 square miles of wilderness,

'Alaska has plenty of places to go looking

'for nightmares of nature.

'I'll meet an angry bird...

'with some seriously sharp skills...'

Doesn't it look sensational?

'..experience a big chill in the deep freeze...'

If I stayed in here a long time, what would happen to me eventually?

-You will die.

-OK.

'..and I'll try to talk to a fearsome, furry predator.'

HE MAKES GURGLING NOISE

That will cause the animal to come out.

-SHE MAKES HIGH-PITCHED CALL

-No!

'But first...I'm going supersized.'

As you can see, here in Alaska they like to do things BIG

and that includes their wildlife.

It's home to some of the largest predators

found anywhere in the world.

Orca, polar bears, grizzly bears,

but which one is the biggest nightmare?

Well, you might be surprised to discover that the animal

that's considered to be the most dangerous here in Alaska

isn't a massive meat-eater, it's actually a vegetarian!

Yes, it sounds crazy in a place packed with

so many powerful predators, but the animal you should be most wary of

is the tree-chomping, plant-eating moose!

But how on Earth does this large,

lumbering species of deer manage to be so dangerous?

MOOSE BELLOWS

To find out, I've teamed up with wildlife biologist Jessy Coltrane.

She's taking me to see moose in the wild,

but we're not wilderness bound -

we're heading into the suburbs of Alaska's largest city, Anchorage.

Jessy, a big city like Anchorage is probably the last place

I would ever go looking for a big wild animal like a moose,

why are we going into town?

Yeah, you know, a lot of people come to Alaska and they think,

"Oh, we'll go to the national park,"

but actually you have a better chance of seeing moose in Anchorage

than pretty much anywhere else in the state.

There are around 300 to 500 wild moose living in Anchorage,

and they get into their fair share of trouble.

I've heard they can be quite dangerous?

Moose are definitely the most dangerous animal

that we have in town.

We've had several people stomped by moose.

Most people in Anchorage have been charged by moose

at least once in their lives...

I can't even tell you how many times I've been charged by a moose, so...

What's that? There. There's a moose. Oh-oh! Oh-oh-oh-oh!

-JESSY LAUGHS

-Moose!

-Two moose together.

-Good job!

Now that I know these massive mammals have a habit of charging,

I'm not quite as keen to meet them.

I'm very tentatively moving, so what should we do if it charges us?

Run. That way!

-Run towards the car.

-Yeah.

What are the telltale signs that a moose is either scared

or feeling threatened?

Usually, the first thing they do is they start licking their lips...

they'll put their ears back.

They'd run towards you and then turn and kick you, would they?

They're not like a horse, they can kick with their front legs,

they can kick with their hind legs, they can kick sideways,

and, I mean, I've, literally, seen moose, you know,

just kicking in all directions at once with every single leg,

it's pretty impressive, so...

Uh-oh, here comes our first moose-vehicle collision.

-Uh-oh. Oh, I don't want to watch.

-Yeah.

Oh, my word.

Another reason moose are so dangerous is this habit

of walking out into oncoming traffic!

A habit that results in over 100 moose-vehicle collisions

in Anchorage every year.

Part of Jessy's job

is to keep an eye on all these wayward wild wanderers

'and she's just had a tip-off that another moose

'may have got himself into a bit of a tangle.'

We just received a call about a moose

that has a towrope around its antlers.

They get 'em tangled up in all kinds of things in an urban area.

-There he is, right there.

-Where?

-Right in front of us.

-Uh, look at it!

Let's see if he's got stuff tangled round his head. Yeah, he does.

-Oh, yeah, he's got big, old antlers, hasn't he?

-Yeah.

Oh, that doesn't look bad.

It's probably annoying... Uh-oh.

Ooh, he's going to make a run for it!

Cor, that is one imposing beast.

Bull or male moose can weigh in at over half a tonne

and their antlers aren't just for decoration.

They use these lethal-looking weapons to battle with other males

for the right to breed with the females.

'And this big boy has his girlfriend with him,

'so we'll need to tread very carefully.'

So the cool thing about antlers is they're only temporary.

So, they drop off once a year?

Yes, so this guy will lose his antlers

probably in about early December, and because that rope isn't

impeding the way he eats - he can walk around -

I'm sure it's probably annoying, but it's going to fall off.

And so, he's... It'll be fine in the end.

He's just going to have to deal with it for a couple more weeks!

'Here in the suburbs, with the moose minding their own business,

'it's easy to forget the potential danger.'

-OK.

-Oh-Oh, she's...coming towards us.

-NAOMI SQUEALS AND LAUGHS

-I'm going to hide behind the car!

Yeah, you can always jump in the truck.

This is really normal for residents of Anchorage.

They're used to seeing moose in their yards.

It's very typical to have a moose feeding in your yard.

Oh, oh, oh.

(Oh, gosh!)

What if she comes round here, she's actually coming round here.

We'll see. Move.

Oh, my goodness, now he's starting to come towards us.

Now, where do we go?

Come this way. No, this way, you guys. This way.

-This way.

-Go forward, Stevie.

Steve, this way.

-Where's the female gone?

-She's that way.

Oh, no, he's coming towards us now.

-(Oh!) Is he just following her?

-Yeah, he's just following her.

-OK!

Yeah, so he's got that towrope wrapped pretty good, but you see...

-Look at the size of him!

-Yeah.

Those antlers are massive!

(Oh...)

I just feel so intimidated by an animal that size,

with antlers that big, cos you know they could do you such damage.

If it doesn't want you there, just one little kick, ta-ra.

But you give it enough space and off it goes

and everyone's all right, so...

I guess that's the key to living alongside a moose -

just give it some space and take care.

Have healthy respect for an animal that size.

There's a man in his house - look - just going,

"Oh, yeah...it's by my car." Hello!

Look at him just waving. Happy!

"Hello, I've got a moose in my back garden."

Do the people of Anchorage like having moose around?

People in Anchorage are incredibly well-trained.

They're used to having large wildlife around them

and people are very proud of the moose that we have,

-they're, kind of, an icon for the city...

-Yeah.

..and so, while they can be bothersome,

they're, in general, really appreciated by most residents.

Well, it would appear that the people of Anchorage

certainly don't seem to be worried about sharing their city

with these massive mammals.

However, with so many of them just wandering around,

it is inevitable that paths are going to cross, from time to time,

and any encounter with an angry animal of that size

is always going to be seriously scary,

but...is it enough to be my WORST nightmare?

'We're leaving Anchorage behind

'and taking off into the Alaskan wilderness.

'From up in the clouds you can really start to appreciate

'the sheer scale of America's biggest state.

'And these bird's-eye views wouldn't be unfamiliar

'to the next animal I'm hoping to see.'

My next nightmare of nature is a heavyweight hunter that uses

size and power to get what it wants.

But you won't find this particular Alaskan giant

stalking around down here,

you'll find it soaring way up there.

Bald eagles are one of the largest birds in the US

and they certainly seem to have some serious nightmare credentials.

With huge, sharpened talons, powerful enough to crush bone,

and a razor-sharp beak, for slicing through flesh,

they'll strike from the skies, scavenge like vultures

and even steal food from other birds.

And if another eagle should wander into their territory,

then, feathers can really fly.

So, is the bald eagle really just a big, bad bully?

'To find out, I'm taking a trip down the Chilkat River,

'probably the best place in the world to get a look at these birds.'

Yeah, yeah, yeah. First one's over here.

(Look how close we are!)

Their favourite food is fish.

They are fantastic hunters...

They have incredible eyesight so they can see a fish under the water

from around a mile away...

..then they'll swoop down, speeds of around 100 miles an hour...

..to snatch the fish from under the water

and then they'll take it off with their powerful talons.

'But if I want to get a really good look

'at the eagle's nightmarish weapons, I'm going to have to be creative.'

We're going to leave a small camera set up on this fish that's just died

and see what happens, see if any eagles come in to eat it.

'And we don't have long to wait.'

Uh, look at it! Oh, how brilliant is that?

So we've got a bald eagle who's just landed here on the bank

to feed on the salmon that's washed up.

There's a really sharp hook on the end of that strong beak

and they use that to tear away at the flesh.

And then their talons are superstrong -

they'll use their back talon to pierce the vital areas

and then use their front toes to hold that prey immobile

while they tuck in.

And look at all the seagulls trying to get a bit of that salmon, too,

but not quite brave enough to approach the bald eagle!

The eagle's talons and beak definitely have nightmare potential.

But as we travel further downstream,

we begin to see more and more of these big birds

living peacefully alongside each other.

Two more bald eagles - one, two.

..17, 18, 19. I think I can see about 20...over there.

So what's happened to the eagle's legendary mean streak?

The Chilkat River here...it's a bit of a winter phenomenon in Alaska,

so where the other rivers would freeze over or the salmon

completely dry up and they just finish,

this one is still open for business,

so all the eagles know that this is the place to come

to get their dinner throughout the winter.

And with plenty of fish to go around,

the eagles don't need to squabble over food.

So it seems they can get along when the conditions are right.

We've got two dead ahead.

If we stay quite quiet we might be able to get really close to them.

We've got two bald eagles together, which probably means they're a pair

and the lovely thing about bald eagles is they mate for life.

Out in the wild that could be 20 years or more

and they make excellent parents.

The more time I spend with these beautiful birds,

the more I begin to fall under their spell.

There's a whole group of them in the tree up ahead.

Cor, look at them in flight!

Big, heavy wing beats.

That wingspan is over 2m,

so on its side that would be taller than your front door!

And doesn't it look sensational?

That's a pretty glorious sight,

seeing a bald eagle flying in front of those snowy mountains.

This is a massive, massive privilege to see.

Cor, aren't we lucky?

So, bald eagles might not be the big, bad bullies of the sky

that everyone says.

They are highly social, highly skilled,

make excellent parents and they're the national symbol of America too.

So can I really make them my WORST nightmare?

Bye.

The Alaskan wilderness may look like a beautiful and inviting place,

but there is one nightmare of nature here in Alaska

that everything has to contend with

from the tiniest bug to the biggest bear

and that's the weather. Ugh!

Temperatures in the winter months

can drop to around -20 degrees Celsius -

that's colder than the inside of a household freezer!

So Alaskan animals need a way of surviving these extreme conditions

for weeks on end.

But what exactly can the cold weather do to us?

Well, to help me find out, the delightful crew

have organised for me to spend a bit of time...

in an industrial refrigeration unit.

Yeah, thank you for that, guys!

Let's just have a little look at the temperature I'm going into.

Oh! -22 Celsius.

-YELLS:

--22!

'Cold weather medical expert Maureen will be keeping

'a very close eye on me.'

'She'll test me before and after to illustrate the startling effects

'of a short stay in sub-zero temperatures.'

That's easy!

6 x 7?

42.

20 ¸ 4?

5.

It's hard to describe how little I want to do this!

'And to make it all even more unpleasant,

'I'm going to be leaving my winter gear outside.'

-Yeah, got my Hawaiian shirt ready.

-MAUREEN LAUGHS

Ooh!

Are you sure you're all warm enough, you lot, in your winter coats,

snow boots and...thermals, yeah? Good.

'Obviously, getting into any freezer is a very silly thing to do

'and you should NEVER try it at home.'

-Yeah.

-NAOMI QUIVERS

-Yes.

-OK, so straightaway I come in here...

-All right.

-..and I am cold, we can see our breath.

-Yes.

-Ah...

Oh! So I can feel myself starting to tremble quite a lot,

straightaway.

Yes. That is your body trying to protect you.

The muscles in your body will make heat if they continuously move

and so your body is shaking in order to keep your core temperature warm.

-OK.

-Your mental faculties will slow.

-OK.

-Your lips will turn blue,

and all blood is going to be shunted from your fingers and your toes.

OK. That's because the blood is rushing

to my vital organs or something, is it?

-That's correct, it will...

-Keep me alive?

That's right. And if you get colder, you are going to shake violently.

If I stayed in here a long time, what would happen to me eventually?

-You will die.

-OK, so you would die?

That's right.

And wearing my cool Hawaiian gear,

how long do you think I would last dressed like this?

Um... I don't think you'd last much longer than two hours!

That quick?!

'20 below might be enough to freeze my blood and stop MY heart...

'but nature has come up with all sorts of inventive ways

'of surviving this winter nightmare.'

Some animals simply travel south to warmer climates.

Others, like bears, hibernate, or use thick fur coats

and large layers of fat to protect against the cold.

And perhaps most remarkable is the wood frog,

which can freeze itself solid for several months

before thawing out again in the spring.

'As for me, after just 15 minutes in the freezer,

'the effects of the sub-zero temperatures are clear.'

-NAOMI QUIVERS

-Ha-ha!

Oh, no, that's wrong.

8 x 8?

I know my eight times table!

Eight...

-We need to step out.

-Is that it?

-Yeah, it's too cold now for you to stay in.

-You think we're done?

-Yes.

-Yeah, I can't feel the end of my fingers any more.

Let's go.

SHE QUIVERS

Oh, yes, yes! Lovely, toasty, warm blanket!

Well, it does not surprise me at all that just a few hours in there

would be enough to finish me off.

But it's incredible to think

that animals can survive for much longer periods of time

in much colder temperatures.

'But if you ask me, being so cold that your blood freezes

'and your heart stops beating

'definitely qualifies as a nightmare of nature.'

'I'm thawed out and back on the road, heading towards my final

'Alaskan animal encounter.'

My next nightmare of nature is small, soft, furry -

some might even say cuddly.

Doesn't sound like much of a nightmare to me.

'I've come to the Kroschel Wildlife Center to meet owner Steve.'

I can't see her at all.

'He's about to introduce me to one of his smaller residents...

'if we can find her!'

There it is. It went over here.

I'm lookin' and I can't see her at all.

Oh... Oh, she's having fun with you, Naomi!

NAOMI LAUGHS

The nest's right in here.

So WHO do we have in here, Steve?

Well, Skippy the stoat, is now in these rocks here.

I'm going to make this little sound, this little chuckling sound...

HE MAKES GURGLING NOISE

That will cause the animal to come out.

-HE GURGLES AGAIN

-If you can do that...

With your... Yeah, now real fast.

-SHE GURGLES

-Ooh!

-Oh, that's not very good.

-That's good, that's good!

-SHE TRIES AGAIN

-Do it again, please, Steve.

-THEY GURGLE

Look at my mouth.

There you go, now real fast with that. You got it!

That's great, you're doing good.

-She's tiny!

-Oh, they're so small.

I'm so good at the sound that it's gone way over there

as far away from me as possible.

-NAOMI LAUGHS

-Oh! Look how quick she moved!

I see her. Take a look right down in there.

She's down in that area, right down in there.

-Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, there she is. Aw!

-You can see her.

It's absolutely beautiful with that white coat.

Does it look like this all year round?

No, no. No, that starts about late September -

their fur changes to white because of the length of daylight.

-So this is a winter coat?

-Yes.

It's just got the white coat

so it can be completely camouflaged in the snow.

And then it'll change again in the spring

and it does it gradually over a period of about three or four weeks,

which is amazingly timed

-to the disappearance of snow on the landscape.

-Wow!

What colour is it throughout the rest of the year?

In the summertime - all brown except the tummy,

-that stays white.

-Aw!

Yeah. See how she's turning in the rocks there,

-just making these 90-degree turns with her body?

-Yeah!

-It's amazing.

-They sort of fold in half.

It even amazes me and I've been working with stoats

since I was a little kid.

Do they have a really bendy backbone or something?

-Yes, very serpentine, flexibility is the key, like a gymnast.

-Yeah.

She's super-inquisitive.

Very inquisitive, she's got lots of places to hide,

but she wants to make sure that she knows where you are at all times.

Kind of getting more used to us, I think.

-Oh, yes, she's realising that you're no threat...

-Yep.

-..and by the end of the day you'll both be friends.

-Aw!

Well, at a first glance this beautiful creature looks

inquisitive, playful, agile - not really a nightmare of nature.

So, why am I here? Oh, here we go!

"Stoat may look cute and cuddly, but they're actually

"one of the most fearsome predators on the planet.

"So to understand the nightmarish qualities of this furry fiend,

"your challenge is to replicate the hunting skills of the stoat".

Well, that sounds OK.

I mean, look at this adorable little creature. Can't be that hard.

'I'm about to push myself to the limit on a series

'of stupendous stoaty challenges.'

"Stoats use both speed and stamina

"to chase down large animals like rabbits.

-"Can you stand the pace?"

-BELL RINGS

Stoats are the ultimate athletes,

combining the explosive power of a sprinter

with the endurance of a long-distance runner,

wearing down its prey in chases that can last...

-SHE PANTS

-..for many minutes.

"Believe it or not, stoats like to dance

"and they have some killer moves, so it's time to...strut your stuff".

Hit it!

FUNKY BASS PLAYS

Yeah, believe it or not, stoats like to get down and boogie.

It's believed that this unusual form of break dancing

might be used to confuse and mesmerise its prey.

Which allows them to get close enough to their prey

and then in one fatal flash of fur, it's game over.

"Stoat bring down prey ten times their size -

"can you punch above your weight"?

GRRRRRR!

You're joking?

RARRGH!

Raargh!

Retreat, retreat!

The stoat despatches the rabbit by leaping onto its back,

using its needle-sharp teeth to bite the back of its neck,

causing the rabbit to die of shock. Ooh!

And I do not want to bite this guy

cos I don't want to make him any more angry!

OK, so I may have thought they were just a pretty face,

but now I've tried to hunt like a stoat,

I can confirm they are a lot tougher than they look.

If I was a rabbit, yes, this mini menace with its speed,

stamina, agility and killer bite,

would qualify as my worst nightmare, but since I'm not a rabbit,

I just think these furry winter wonders are STOATALLY amazing!

SHE GIGGLES

Oh, come on, that's funny. Guys?

STOATALLY amazing? No?

My Alaskan adventure has uncovered natural nightmares

of all shapes and sizes, but which one is the worst?

Was it the mammoth moose in the back yard?

I'm going to hide behind the car.

Yeah, you can always jump in the truck.

Being put through my paces in the stoat assault course?

Raargh!

Encountering the big-beaked bald eagle with its terrible talons?

Uh, look at it! Oh, how brilliant is that?

Well, it was none of them

because there is one thing here in Alaska

that isn't just a nightmare for me,

it's a nightmare for everything, it's the cold!

Yes, my Alaskan nightmare top spot goes to the bone-chilling,

sub-zero winter weather.

SPIDER LAUGHS MENACINGLY

ALL LAUGH

You're not seeing my face!