0:00:02 > 0:00:05The polar bear -
0:00:05 > 0:00:06the world's largest
0:00:06 > 0:00:10and most dangerous carnivore.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13That is great!
0:00:14 > 0:00:16'I'm Gordon Buchanan'
0:00:16 > 0:00:21and I've spent two decades filming predators in extreme locations.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Now, I've come to the Arctic
0:00:25 > 0:00:29to get closer to polar bears than anyone before.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34It is one of the most intimidating animals on the planet.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42They're also one of the most loveable.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48I have a unique opportunity to follow a polar bear family
0:00:48 > 0:00:49over a year.
0:00:53 > 0:00:59So I've been filming the fortunes of two cubs, Miki and Luca.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Their world is melting fast
0:01:08 > 0:01:11and the odds are stacked against these young cubs.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21The next few weeks will test my polar bear family, and me,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23to the limits.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I've returned to Svalbard in the Arctic,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00halfway between Norway and the North Pole.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08I last saw Miki and Luca, and their mother Lyra, in April.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Now it's June and I'm hoping to reconnect with them.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19In spring, I filmed these cubs as they emerged from their winter den.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Oh, look!
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Miki was bold and adventurous.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Luca was smaller and had a harder time keeping up.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46I want to know how they're doing now and whether they have survived.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Finding them in this vast wilderness is only possible
0:02:53 > 0:02:55thanks to new technology.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58In April, biologist Dr Jon Aars
0:02:58 > 0:03:02fitted a revolutionary satellite-tracking collar on Lyra.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06It should send one email every four hours.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Jon will be tracking Lyra from his base in Norway.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15And I'll be his eyes on the ground, here with the bears.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17Hey, cubs.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Hello.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Do you recognise me or just recognise my smell?
0:03:29 > 0:03:33The new collar makes it possible to follow polar bear families
0:03:33 > 0:03:34for the first time.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Previous collars only sent sporadic signals,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41so it's an important advance.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Jon wants to understand how climate change is affecting polar bears.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52This year, conditions in the Arctic are warmer than ever before.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02My bear family live in the Thousand Islands -
0:04:02 > 0:04:04an archipelago in the south of Svalbard.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09They've done a long journey, that's true but...
0:04:09 > 0:04:12'We've got a signal from Lyra's satellite collar.'
0:04:12 > 0:04:16..and we'll take a straight line to our position but we also calculate
0:04:16 > 0:04:20she's probably drifted south-east a little bit since the last position.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22'It sends her location every four hours.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25So the sooner we get there, the better chance
0:04:25 > 0:04:30we have of finding Lyra, and seeing whether her cubs are still alive.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32OK.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51We are literally in uncharted territory here.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54These islands aren't even on any of the maps or charts.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57It's too shallow to get the big boat in so we're moving to the
0:04:57 > 0:04:59smaller boat and we're going to work our way in
0:04:59 > 0:05:01and see if we can see her.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Joining me is polar bear and Arctic survival expert, Jason Roberts.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12If anyone can help me spot Lyra, it's Jason.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18'I'm desperate to see Miki and Luca.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22'If Lyra has lost her cubs, it would be a disaster for her'
0:05:22 > 0:05:23and for our project.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35We don't have an absolute location
0:05:35 > 0:05:38every single minute of every single day.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42We download the information and then we come to that area.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44But in this time, 15 minutes,
0:05:44 > 0:05:46she could be somewhere completely different.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50So it is really just a case of coming to the approximate area
0:05:50 > 0:05:53and keeping our eyes open, keep searching.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Finally, Jason spots a bear.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Between the snow bank and the Baltic rock, right on the top of the snow bank.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08OK, yeah, yeah, yeah, got her, got her.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Well, I've got a polar bear.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15That doesn't mean to say that it's Lyra.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17The thing is they're just lying so still.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Yeah, Jason, it is her, it definitely is her.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25She just lifted her head - I can see the collar.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30The trouble is I can't actually see Miki or Luca.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37The cubs could be tucked in underneath her,
0:06:37 > 0:06:42but they are going to be much bigger than the last time I saw them.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44That to me just looks like Lyra on her own.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54Yes, there's a cub there! Definitely, definitely.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56I've got one cub.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57Oh, please can there be two?
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Hopefully the other cub is nearby.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06I need to get ashore to be certain.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22'All we can do is watch and hope.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37'Twenty minutes goes by and no other cub appears.'
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Little Luca is gone.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53That's really...
0:07:53 > 0:07:57That is really sad.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07We'll never know what's happened to Luca.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23She's lost one of her cubs and that is terribly sad,
0:08:23 > 0:08:27but I think it's just a testament to how incredible these
0:08:27 > 0:08:32animals are that she's been able to keep this one cub alive.
0:08:36 > 0:08:42For Lyra, since we last met, she's had to work every single day
0:08:42 > 0:08:45to get enough to feed herself, enough to produce milk for her cub.
0:08:47 > 0:08:53And my plan now that I've found her, is to stick with her
0:08:53 > 0:08:57and actually try and figure out how she's been able to survive,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01how do these animals exist in this landscape?
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Lyra and Miki's biggest challenge is hunger.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14Finding enough to eat here is difficult, even in a good summer,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17but this year is going to be the toughest ever.
0:09:30 > 0:09:352012 has seen unprecedented weather across the entire Arctic.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40The warmest winter on record, was followed by the earliest melt.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Thirty years ago most of
0:09:46 > 0:09:50the Arctic Ocean remained frozen through the summer,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54but this year scientists observed less ice than ever before.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Polar bears like Lyra rely on sea ice to survive.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06It's where they hunt, mate and how they get around.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Lyra is an experienced mother.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14In the past, there's always been ice here,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18and with it, her main food - seals.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Now, because of the lack of sea ice,
0:10:21 > 0:10:26she and Miki are stranded on land where she can't hunt.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30The decisions she makes over the next few weeks will determine
0:10:30 > 0:10:32whether they survive.
0:10:35 > 0:10:42It's midsummer in the Arctic. For four months, the sun won't set.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Days melt seamlessly into each other.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03It's morning and Lyra has moved to another of the Thousand Islands.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08There's some ice here, but not enough to support polar bears.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17As we search for Lyra, we encounter a new bear.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27Look at this. We have a polar bear swimming straight towards us.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31And at first, I just assumed that it was Lyra,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34but it's not and it's not the cub either.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38That is interesting.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40On this island where Lyra is,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43we've got at least one other polar bear.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47I suppose that's just a symptom of the conditions this year.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50In a normal year, there would have been fast ice,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54a huge sheet of ice, surrounding this island.
0:11:54 > 0:11:55but now it's all broken up.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59This is just pack ice, big lumps that are floating in from the north.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03I wonder if she's actually going to come and check us out?
0:12:03 > 0:12:04That's what it looks like.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11It just shows how inquisitive they are.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14The fact that they actually don't have any fear.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17This bear is swimming towards this enormous boat,
0:12:17 > 0:12:18she can see us on deck.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21And not at all fazed.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27She must have caught our scent and swum out here hoping to find a meal.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31This behaviour makes me think that all bears here
0:12:31 > 0:12:34are really struggling to find enough to eat.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Lyra's collar signal shows us she's swum to a new island.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01When we do find her, there's great news.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05We can see from the blood on her face that she's been feeding.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11And it looks like something's caught Miki's attention.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15If you're not tall enough and you want to see
0:13:15 > 0:13:17what's over the next hill,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21you do what Miki's doing which is standing up on his back legs.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25He can smell something, something up there.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34She's found something in that rotting kelp
0:13:34 > 0:13:37and whatever it is, it's not going to be particularly nice,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40but it just shows you that polar bears are opportunists -
0:13:40 > 0:13:41they have to be.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Being marooned on an island like this,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48OK, they could swim off but while they are here, it's worth just
0:13:48 > 0:13:52checking out along the shoreline to see if there is anything to eat.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56I don't know what it is, it could be a dead seal, dead fish...
0:13:59 > 0:14:01..but they seem to be enjoying it.
0:14:02 > 0:14:03'When they move off,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07'I grab the chance to check out what they've been eating.'
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Whoa. Holy mackerel!
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Now,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15there we go. A dead walrus.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Gee whiz, it is huge!
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Ideally, a polar bear wants to catch live,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25fresh prey, but they can't be picky.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Finding a meal like this is a really important lesson for Miki,
0:14:29 > 0:14:33and what she's taught him here is that you don't have to catch live
0:14:33 > 0:14:37prey, you don't have to do all that hard work, you can find a gigantic
0:14:37 > 0:14:41meal just lying there, it just takes a little bit of looking for.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Just as we are looking at Lyra's dinner,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47she appears and reminds us to mind our manners.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48OK, there she is...
0:14:48 > 0:14:53All that time that I was hunched over the dead walrus,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Lyra was working her way back and she's kind of,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58still coming towards us.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05A golden rule of following polar bears is never
0:15:05 > 0:15:08take your eye off them.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Lyra has never been aggressive towards me,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16but it's definitely not a good idea to come between a bear
0:15:16 > 0:15:17and its dinner.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31To safely get as close as I can to my polar bear family,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34I've brought a special tool - the ice cube.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38A bear-proof filming hide that I've used before.
0:15:41 > 0:15:42Being this close made me
0:15:42 > 0:15:46realise just how dangerous polar bears can be.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Last year on Svalbard, a bear killed one person
0:15:51 > 0:15:55and injured four others in a single attack.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04I'd love to use the ice cube to film Lyra eating close up.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08We deploy the cube near her walrus carcass in the hope that
0:16:08 > 0:16:10she'll return to feed.
0:16:14 > 0:16:15There you go.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16Pretty good.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26It's a long wait.
0:16:33 > 0:16:38After five hours, all I catch on camera is a curious seagull.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48It's only once I leave, that Lyra returns to finish her meal.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Polar bears are nothing if not patient.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Back on the boat, I put in a call to biologist, Jon Aars.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12He's keen for news of Lyra's cubs.
0:17:14 > 0:17:15It's Gordon here.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19We're just down in the Thousand Islands with Lyra
0:17:19 > 0:17:24and she's looking good, but she's only got one cub with her.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27She has lost one of her cubs.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31'It's vital information for Jon.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34'Lyra is struggling here in the south...'
0:17:34 > 0:17:35Yep.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40'..but Jon is keen for us to find out if bears further north are faring any better.'
0:17:41 > 0:17:47Is there any bear that you'd like us to check on that's in this area?
0:17:47 > 0:17:52'Yes, the one which is the collar 031308 that should have two cubs.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54'If you are in that area.'
0:17:54 > 0:17:56No, that'd be good.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59It'd be good to find out if she's still got both cubs.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03'The dead walrus will feed Lyra and Miki for a few days.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06'It's an opportunity to see how this new bear,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08'Ava, and her cubs are doing.'
0:18:08 > 0:18:09I will do. Bye, bye, bye.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14Lyra is Jon's most southerly collared bear.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17And the further south we are, the less pack ice there is.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19But further north there is Ava,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22she's a female like Lyra that started the season with two cubs.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24And what I really want to see is
0:18:24 > 0:18:27whether she has both of those cubs with her.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36I want to learn more about how polar bears are adapting to
0:18:36 > 0:18:38the record warm temperatures.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Are conditions better for bears living further north?
0:18:45 > 0:18:49As we steam towards Ava's signal, we begin to encounter sea ice.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57This is exactly what a polar bear needs.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10And sure enough, as soon as we hit the ice,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12we start to see signs of bears.
0:19:20 > 0:19:21To the south in Lyra's islands,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24there was nowhere for seals to haul out.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28But this place is seal heaven.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44There are bears here, but where is Ava?
0:19:47 > 0:19:49I saw a mother with two cubs.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Almost certain that it was Ava, I'm sure I saw a collar
0:19:52 > 0:19:56and then to the right there, these three bears, a mother with
0:19:56 > 0:20:00two cubs, she's not collared, just running along the ice.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07In addition to that, we've got this big male up here so I am pretty
0:20:07 > 0:20:12sure that Ava has come up here and she has bumped into this male.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16That's amazing. We've got how many - three, six, seven bears!
0:20:18 > 0:20:23The sea ice here has attracted bears for hundreds of miles
0:20:23 > 0:20:26but we've yet to positively identify Ava.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33From the crow's nest, Captain Bjorne spots a collared bear.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Yeah, I do see the female with two cubs.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39- Yeah?- Just on the other side of the island.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46It is Ava!
0:20:46 > 0:20:50The good news is she still has both of her cubs
0:20:50 > 0:20:52and they are looking great.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05And they are enjoying being in this water.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10It's like, almost at freezing, maybe one degree above freezing.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Wow, here he goes, here he goes, big leap.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Splash!
0:21:17 > 0:21:20That is wonderful.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26These cubs are jumping into the water intentionally,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30not out of necessity, but just for fun.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36I suppose when you contrast the life of these two cubs with
0:21:36 > 0:21:39the life of Miki, these cubs are healthy,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42well-fed, just having the time of their lives.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49They are not enduring life in the Arctic. They are enjoying it.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15I spent days with Lyra and I never saw her with a fresh kill.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22After just one hour with Ava, I see her eating a seal -
0:22:22 > 0:22:24one she's scrounged from another bear.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Ava's moved towards a polar bear that was feeding on something
0:22:29 > 0:22:32behind the ice and the other polar bear left straightaway.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34It's still here, hasn't gone far.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39When food is plentiful, polar bears will often leave
0:22:39 > 0:22:40the remains of a kill.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44They seem to be relaxed with each other,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46if there's enough to go around.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51The other one, I think, is another female
0:22:51 > 0:22:54but it's quite a fat female so it could be pregnant.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57It's very early in the year to tell that, though.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Jason's called this bear Frieda
0:23:02 > 0:23:06and while Ava finishes the seal, Frieda comes to check us out.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11This bear is not at all bothered by us,
0:23:11 > 0:23:16paying more attention to us than it is to the food that it's left.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Polar bears are the most inquisitive of all bears.
0:23:21 > 0:23:27In this harsh environment curiosity pays. Anything new could be a meal...
0:23:27 > 0:23:29even us.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33She's going to jump across there... testing the ice.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38That was great! She's a nice looking bear, nice and clean.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54We're a week into our trip
0:23:54 > 0:23:57and I've started a new chapter with Ava's family.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00I'd like to be able to film them
0:24:00 > 0:24:04close up to compare their life with Lyra and Miki's.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16The ice here is thick enough to break out the snowmobiles.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19That should make it easier to catch up with Ava and her cubs.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29OK. Stop! Done.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46It doesn't look like it but my watch tells me
0:24:46 > 0:24:48that it's four o'clock in the morning.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53In the summer, bears can hunt 24 hours a day.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00It is hot and what that creates is this sort of massive heat haze.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04It makes it really difficult to get a sharp image of Ava
0:25:04 > 0:25:06because of this heat shimmer.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11What's happened today is quite interesting,
0:25:11 > 0:25:16because yesterday Ava stole the leftovers from a large,
0:25:16 > 0:25:22over-fat female on the ice and today, less than 24 hours later, the roles
0:25:22 > 0:25:28have changed and the fat female has stolen some food from Ava.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30So it's quite interesting that they are obviously not too
0:25:30 > 0:25:31scared of each other.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38We've got this seal here
0:25:38 > 0:25:41and that's why all these polar bears are in this area.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Lots of seals! Way more seals here than I've seen anywhere else.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50These seals have to keep their wits about them,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53every time they come up for air there is a risk that they
0:25:53 > 0:25:57are going to get caught and a polar bear will sit and wait for hours
0:25:57 > 0:26:00and hours and hours, just patiently waiting for the moment that a seal
0:26:00 > 0:26:04pops his head up to take a breath and they will be straight on them.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Frieda is on the hunt.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13It's a rare chance to film a polar bear's stalking technique.
0:26:25 > 0:26:26Head is really low.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28The seal is looking at us.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31It's just trying to kind of judge the distance.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36She's one of the largest predators on earth,
0:26:36 > 0:26:38yet she hunts with the agility of a house cat.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45It's a bit of a cat and mouse game here at the moment.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49The surface for the bear to run on is quite soft
0:26:49 > 0:26:51so it can't get so much speed up.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Amazing to be so close to this bear in hunt mode.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10No way, mate! No luck.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Oh, well, the next thing on the menu is the film crew.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19If we need to go, who's going to go where?
0:27:19 > 0:27:21'Frieda means business.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24'And this time, we are away from the safety of the boat'.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26If you get ready...
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Where is Gordon going to be?
0:27:28 > 0:27:30- On the back of mine... - On the back of yours?
0:27:34 > 0:27:35Just start it up, Oskar!
0:27:35 > 0:27:37ENGINE STARTS
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Starting the snowmobiles is enough to put Frieda off.
0:27:58 > 0:27:59Trying to follow these bears
0:27:59 > 0:28:04so closely would be impossible without Jason's experience.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06That makes your heart beat a little bit faster.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Yeah. A little bit too close for comfort.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39The next morning we wake to find sea ice closing in on our boat.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44So what is the longest you've been stuck in the ice for?
0:28:44 > 0:28:46- The longest is three weeks. - Three weeks?- Yeah.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51I can't afford to be stuck here for weeks.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55It's time to get back to Lyra and Miki in the Thousand Islands.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59'A north wind is pushing the pack ice south
0:28:59 > 0:29:02'and I'm hoping that this could be a lifeline for them.'
0:29:08 > 0:29:13We lift anchor and steam south towards Lyra's last known position.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Her collar tells us she's moved to a new island.
0:29:34 > 0:29:39Down in Lyra's Thousand Islands, the temperature has started to drop,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42but the pack ice has not yet arrived.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Without ice, Lyra can't hunt seals.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56She needs to draw on a lifetime's experience to keep Miki alive.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07This island is teeming with life.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09But is there anything here for Lyra and Miki?
0:30:25 > 0:30:26As a summer snowstorm arrives,
0:30:26 > 0:30:30I get a call that Jason has found Lyra in a nearby bay.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55She does look amazing up there.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58The trouble is, each time she comes ashore, she's just not going
0:30:58 > 0:31:01to find enough food here.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03There he is, he's facing off a seagull.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Oh, there you go. He showed that gull.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12They are sniffing about in amongst the rocks and there's nesting birds
0:31:12 > 0:31:18here so they may well be able to get a little snack, an egg or two,
0:31:18 > 0:31:23but a tiny egg to a huge polar bear, that's like us eating a peanut.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30What she needs is a big fresh substantial meal
0:31:30 > 0:31:33and she's not going to find that on an island,
0:31:33 > 0:31:35she's going to find that out on the sea ice.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43Lyra is doing everything she can to make the best of a tough situation.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50She is a great mother.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54If she was less experienced,
0:31:54 > 0:31:56I don't think Miki would have made it this far.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22What keeps these two bears together is their love for each other.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25They are entirely bonded and you can't stay bonded
0:32:25 > 0:32:27if you are just constantly following each other.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30There has to be that reinforcement and they'll do that every now
0:32:30 > 0:32:32and again and just nuzzle up.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40I see what she's doing.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45She's dug a little pit there and she's allowing Miki to suckle.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52The big difference between Lyra and Miki is that Miki always has
0:32:52 > 0:32:56something to eat. So long as Lyra's producing milk, he can fuel up.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01For Lyra, she is the one that's constantly thinking about how
0:33:01 > 0:33:04she's going to feed herself.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06I really wonder whether Miki makes that
0:33:06 > 0:33:10connection between his food source and his mother's need to hunt?
0:33:15 > 0:33:21If Lyra doesn't find a substantial meal soon, her milk will dry up.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33The next day the pack ice blows in from the north.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42Maybe Lyra will finally catch a seal.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49This is where she is. Right here.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52'Her collar signal tells me she's heading for the ice.
0:33:52 > 0:33:53'She is a smart bear.'
0:34:09 > 0:34:11There's always this compromise,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14because ice is great for the bears, but it makes our job
0:34:14 > 0:34:17of finding our way through the ice much more difficult.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25'This iceberg should give me a better chance to spot Lyra.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29'But it's not as solid as it looks.'
0:34:34 > 0:34:36One foot.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43That's the trouble with these icebergs
0:34:43 > 0:34:46is that they are prone to tipping, they're constantly moving,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50moving with the current, but they're constantly rolling as well.
0:34:51 > 0:34:52Lots of birds out there.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57'My icy dip pays off.'
0:34:58 > 0:35:00There she is! There they both are.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05Now that's more by luck than judgment.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11I'd have thought the chances of finding her out here amongst
0:35:11 > 0:35:15all this ice would be almost nil but here she is.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24What she's doing is she's constantly sniffing.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27She is looking for a seal that has hauled out on one of these
0:35:27 > 0:35:30flat pieces of ice - a seal that she can hunt.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32You can see how Miki is able to cross these huge
0:35:32 > 0:35:34distances of open water.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38He's clinging on with his paws onto Lyra's back.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40And with her huge, powerful front paws
0:35:40 > 0:35:43she is able to power through the water.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46She just uses her back legs for steering.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50OK, we'll just stay as still as we can.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53We've got here and the boat's moving around a fair bit.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Where are you? Come on.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02OK. There she is, just cruising along.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06Miki, literally in tow.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10He's clinging on to her big hairy rear end with his sharp claws.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17Adult polar bears are superb swimmers,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20but a small cub like Miki needs help.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Being towed by Mum makes it safer.
0:36:50 > 0:36:51As the ice gets thicker,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54it looks like Lyra has switched to hunting mode.
0:36:57 > 0:36:58OK, there she is, up on the ice.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13She's just crossed over the ice and back in the water.
0:37:13 > 0:37:20OK, just in front of me we've got about five Greenland seals
0:37:20 > 0:37:23and that may well be what Lyra is heading for.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27It's when they are trying to hunt seals from the water that
0:37:27 > 0:37:29polar bears become an ambush predator.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33They try and get as close as they possibly can until the very
0:37:33 > 0:37:36last minute and the seal spots them and tries to escape into the
0:37:36 > 0:37:40water and then that's when she stands a chance of grabbing them.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44But it is incredibly difficult.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50I'd love to see Lyra catch a seal,
0:37:50 > 0:37:55but I don't want to ruin her chances, so we decide to pull back.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03Back on the boat, Captain Bjorne shows me
0:38:03 > 0:38:07a video he filmed of a polar bear stalking a seal.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15I didn't know what was going to happen.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Was it as male or a female?
0:38:18 > 0:38:19A female. Yeah.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24And did you know at this point what was going on?
0:38:24 > 0:38:27No, not at this moment. I was just waiting for some action.
0:38:30 > 0:38:31Oh, wow!
0:38:33 > 0:38:36- It was that close?- Yes.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40- She didn't get it?- No.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42Oh. Can you play that back just to that moment?
0:38:47 > 0:38:49How close is that?
0:38:49 > 0:38:52So how many times do you think a polar bear has to hunt
0:38:52 > 0:38:54a seal before it's successful?
0:38:54 > 0:38:57I've seen them hunting many times, but only once I've seen them
0:38:57 > 0:38:58being that close.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05I've never had to worry where my next meal is coming from.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07I hope Lyra and Miki are OK.
0:39:27 > 0:39:32Next day, the wind has changed and the sea ice has blown far offshore.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37Seals are now out of reach for Lyra.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39- Oh. We've got a problem. - What is it?
0:39:39 > 0:39:40The bear's smarter than us.
0:39:40 > 0:39:46Lyra's signal shows her swimming in open water, away from land.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48It's worrying for Miki.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51..and we can't get through this passage...
0:39:56 > 0:40:01Adult bears are well insulated and can survive long swims.
0:40:01 > 0:40:02Cubs can't.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06I want to find them as soon as I can.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Keep going right.
0:40:08 > 0:40:09Our bear. Where is she?
0:40:13 > 0:40:17There she is, straight ahead in the water. Further to the right.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21Oh, yeah, I see her now! Right out in the open water.
0:40:23 > 0:40:24Now, what's she doing?
0:40:24 > 0:40:28There isn't any substantial ice in sight.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32What's her plan? Is she heading for that next island?
0:40:32 > 0:40:33Maybe that would make sense.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35She's been working down island to island,
0:40:35 > 0:40:37just hoovering up what's here.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Not that much.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42And it may well be that she's heading to that other island
0:40:42 > 0:40:44over there.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46But you can see that Miki is riding on her back,
0:40:46 > 0:40:48just holding on with those sharp claws.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52And she's doing all the hard work.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56All that paddling with those big powerful front legs of hers.
0:41:02 > 0:41:08As Lyra and Miki swim further out to sea, we lose sight of them.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14Looks like we've lost her and it's these water crossings
0:41:14 > 0:41:18that are the most dangerous time for these cubs.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Oh, gosh.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33I'm beginning to think that it was on one of these water crossings
0:41:33 > 0:41:37at this time of year with the lack of ice that she lost Luca.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41But if she keeps on swimming like this, the risk of losing
0:41:41 > 0:41:46Miki as well gets higher with every single crossing she takes.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57We check the nearest island to see if she's come ashore.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01There's no sign of Lyra
0:42:01 > 0:42:06but there is a bear here - and he's a giant.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09He's on his feet. Just look at the size of him.
0:42:09 > 0:42:10He's enormous!
0:42:12 > 0:42:13Which direction is he going towards?
0:42:13 > 0:42:16He's was just... He got up and walked to the right
0:42:16 > 0:42:18and then disappeared over the other side.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21I don't think he's gone too far.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Can you see him at all, Jason?
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Yeah. Should be fine!
0:42:29 > 0:42:31Should be fine. Famous last words.
0:42:38 > 0:42:39Jason!
0:42:41 > 0:42:45He's there. Jesus, look at the size of him.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47OK, let's wander back... He's quite large, isn't he?
0:42:47 > 0:42:52Yeah, he's quite big. Gosh. Oh, my goodness.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57That is quite something, being this close to an animal of that size.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Notice the size of the head and there is no neck,
0:43:00 > 0:43:03the head is part of the shoulders, it's just massive.
0:43:03 > 0:43:04He is huge.
0:43:04 > 0:43:09This large male might be the reason that Lyra and Miki are out at sea.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13It could well be that as Lyra was swimming towards this island
0:43:13 > 0:43:17she smelt him from miles away and that's why she kept on going.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20But if she was to come ashore with Miki, there is a very,
0:43:20 > 0:43:24very high chance that he would have attacked, killed and eaten him.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29He looks absolutely beautiful, but the chances are that
0:43:29 > 0:43:32if I was to keep on walking just another 50 yards,
0:43:32 > 0:43:35it would be the last moments I had on this earth.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39He's got be at least twice the size of Lyra.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41The reason the males are so big is that they have to compete
0:43:41 > 0:43:43with one another for these females.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57Beautiful.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Beautiful and very, very, very big.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11Jason's flare gun can scare off a bear that gets too close.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16But the best defence is deep respect.
0:44:21 > 0:44:25This bear is seven times heavier than me.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28On its hind legs, it would stand ten feet tall.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39It's the most impressive animal I've ever seen.
0:44:54 > 0:44:59We continue our search for Lyra, but there's a problem.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01She's spent so much time in the water,
0:45:01 > 0:45:04her collar isn't working any more.
0:45:04 > 0:45:09We haven't had a signal for 24 hours and we can't find her anywhere.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16There's no way to locate Lyra in this vast landscape
0:45:16 > 0:45:18until her collar starts working again.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26Reluctantly, we make the difficult decision to head north to
0:45:26 > 0:45:28check up on Ava at the glacier.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33It's my last chance to see how she and her cubs are getting on.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41We arrive early in the morning.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47As the summer melt continues,
0:45:47 > 0:45:51this is one of the few places that still has sea ice.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54So it's attracting even more bears.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03I want to see how Ava and her cubs
0:46:03 > 0:46:06are coping with this unusual situation.
0:46:15 > 0:46:16Gordon!
0:46:16 > 0:46:18Jason spots a bear with a collar.
0:46:23 > 0:46:24There we go.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27That is definitely Ava.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32She's always been shy, so it's hard to get close.
0:46:39 > 0:46:44One thing is obvious - her cubs are both fatter and healthier than Miki.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53Something has spooked Ava.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56Ah, she's going in the wrong direction.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59She might be giving us the slip, unfortunately.
0:47:00 > 0:47:05Around the corner comes another mother with even bigger cubs.
0:47:07 > 0:47:12Unbelievable, unbelievable,
0:47:12 > 0:47:16just amazing to see.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18Looking at our female over there
0:47:18 > 0:47:22and we've got another three polar bears right here, even closer.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25Those are two healthy looking cubs.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28Really nice looking cubs, big chunky things.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30Or maybe it's just that I'm a lot closer to them
0:47:30 > 0:47:34than I have been with the others, just an incredible place this.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41Suddenly, we find ourselves surrounded by polar bears.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44Another single bear just there...
0:47:44 > 0:47:46Gosh!
0:47:48 > 0:47:52So we've got Ava with her two cubs.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57We've got the female with the two cubs that wasn't tagged.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59Plus we've got a young bear just behind us here,
0:47:59 > 0:48:02plus we've got the fat female over on the ice.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04That's eight bears around us.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06And this one is walking towards you, Gordon.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11We really have to keep our radar going now,
0:48:11 > 0:48:14so we've got eight bears around us.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17OK, four of them are quite small cubs but...
0:48:18 > 0:48:22But this one I can't believe that, Jason - she's just utterly unfazed.
0:48:25 > 0:48:30So she's definitely got the scent of this young bear coming in here
0:48:30 > 0:48:32and Ava is coming around the back.
0:48:32 > 0:48:33She's a bit more sceptical...
0:48:35 > 0:48:36Polar Bear Central, Jason.
0:48:38 > 0:48:43The density of polar bears here is unbelievable, but it just
0:48:43 > 0:48:46shows you how easy it would be to slip up somewhere like this.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48You're concentrating on this lovely scene of mother
0:48:48 > 0:48:52and two cubs behind you, and walking up over the ridge...
0:48:52 > 0:48:55- Another single bear just there. - ..is another mother.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02I'm getting the feeling that this isn't a good situation.
0:49:03 > 0:49:07We've got 13 bears in this one area, which is incredible.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13This is potentially very dangerous.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19I'd be more concerned of the young bear that doesn't have cubs
0:49:19 > 0:49:21than the female with the cubs...
0:49:23 > 0:49:26Right, this one's quite... OK.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28Gordon!
0:49:28 > 0:49:30It's OK, just start, let the scooter run.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52All good fun.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55Another day in the office, Gordon.
0:49:55 > 0:49:56Incredible!
0:49:58 > 0:50:01It is amazing to see this many polar bears in one place.
0:50:03 > 0:50:07It may be a vision of the future as temperatures in the Arctic rise
0:50:07 > 0:50:11and bears are forced to congregate on the last of the sea ice.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18Despite sharing the ice with so many other bears,
0:50:18 > 0:50:22Ava and her cubs are doing amazingly well.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24For now, they seem to be thriving.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44Back at the boat, we have an encounter with one of the most
0:50:44 > 0:50:46confident bears I've met.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52Frieda has decided to pay us a visit.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57It's an opportunity to film a bear from a safe vantage point.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04See if I can get an eyeball to eyeball view.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09I hope she doesn't rip out my hand.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16I've got this camera at the end of a very long pole.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20Not sure if its quite long enough.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24We've got this 300 tonne boat and not fazed in the slightest by it.
0:51:24 > 0:51:25She is just interested.
0:51:25 > 0:51:30She lives in this monochrome, fairly featureless landscape and this
0:51:30 > 0:51:34huge blue boat arrives on the scene and of course she's curious.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37She just wants to come and check it out.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39You beautiful, big bear. Hello!
0:51:39 > 0:51:41Are you just curious,
0:51:41 > 0:51:45or do you think you can possibly get a snack here?
0:51:45 > 0:51:49You can see she has been swimming, her coat's been recently damp
0:51:49 > 0:51:51and it's gone all crimped.
0:51:51 > 0:51:52Very beautiful.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59And you see... Look, head right in the porthole!
0:52:09 > 0:52:11Now, this isn't something...
0:52:11 > 0:52:14You'd break a tooth on this and you need those teeth.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21Wow!
0:52:25 > 0:52:28I think she's got bored now. She is just wandering away.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30She can't eat the boat.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32Can't eat me, she can't eat the camera
0:52:32 > 0:52:36and there's nothing really here to keep her attention.
0:52:36 > 0:52:37Off she goes.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40Lots of seals out there, that's a better meal for you.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46It's been really great to see the bears here, but I can't help
0:52:46 > 0:52:49thinking about how Lyra and Miki are doing down south.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55We've been unable to get Lyra's position for days and I'm worried.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00The satellite is supposed to send us a signal every four hours
0:53:00 > 0:53:02and there's been nothing.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04A few things could have happened.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06She could be on a big, mammoth swim
0:53:06 > 0:53:10and it won't transmit underwater, or she's resting up.
0:53:10 > 0:53:11Or maybe she's lost the collar.
0:53:11 > 0:53:15If she's lost the collar, we won't find her
0:53:15 > 0:53:18and I suppose worst-case scenario is that
0:53:18 > 0:53:20we've actually lost her entirely.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25A call to Jon provides some good news.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29We are hoping to go down and try and find Lyra again.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32Can you see where she is, where Lyra is at the moment?
0:53:33 > 0:53:36'Yes, I have a position, she is still in the general area
0:53:36 > 0:53:39'and my guess is maybe that she is on one of the islands.'
0:53:39 > 0:53:42Well, that is great, she's sort of still in that one area.
0:53:42 > 0:53:43'Yeah. Yeah.'
0:53:43 > 0:53:45Lovely. Thank you! Bye.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47'OK, no problem. Bye.'
0:53:47 > 0:53:49That's good news.
0:53:49 > 0:53:54We hadn't had a signal from Lyra's collar for three days
0:53:54 > 0:53:57and beginning to fear the worst,
0:53:57 > 0:54:00but Jon got a signal from this morning and
0:54:00 > 0:54:04she's almost exactly the same place, down among the Thousand Islands.
0:54:12 > 0:54:16As we head south towards Lyra and Miki, we hit an Arctic storm.
0:54:18 > 0:54:23I'm worried about them. Even adult bears drown in storms like this.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29If they're caught in open water, Miki won't stand a chance.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44We've got through the worst of the storm, the only problem is,
0:54:44 > 0:54:48we've tried to do a download from Lyra's collar - nothing.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52So I am beginning to fear the worst.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57If she spent three days swimming in these conditions,
0:54:57 > 0:55:00I just cannot believe that Miki is still with her.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05We arrive at the spot her last signal came from.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07Pea soup fog.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11A lot of snow patches up there, they've cleared a bit, though.
0:55:11 > 0:55:12'With her collar failing,
0:55:12 > 0:55:16'finding Lyra now will be nothing short of a miracle.'
0:55:23 > 0:55:25But then, a miracle happens.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27There she is, there, there. Look!
0:55:27 > 0:55:28On top of the rock.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32I think it... Yes, it is. I don't believe it.
0:55:32 > 0:55:36I mean, you can talk about a needle in a haystack or pea soup fog.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40We did not even know that the needle was in the haystack.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44It's her.
0:55:44 > 0:55:49- There's a collar on her. There's a collar, yeah. - It's her. Yeah. It's definitely her.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51Yes!
0:55:52 > 0:55:55It's fantastic to bump into polar bears,
0:55:55 > 0:55:58but to meet a polar bear again that I've got to know,
0:55:58 > 0:56:00it is completely different.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03It does... It feels like I'm meeting an old friend.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10Great. Amazingly sheltered in here, isn't it?
0:56:10 > 0:56:12Yeah.
0:56:12 > 0:56:17Lyra's OK, but what about little Miki?
0:56:17 > 0:56:20So she was just over the other side of the rocks?
0:56:20 > 0:56:22Yeah. So she's not too far away.
0:56:27 > 0:56:28Right, let's see.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33Oh, there's Miki.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41It's amazing, Miki is safe and sound.
0:56:49 > 0:56:53He is looking nice. He's just sniffing the air.
0:57:01 > 0:57:05Against all the odds, Lyra has kept Miki alive.
0:57:08 > 0:57:14In the most challenging summer she's ever known, Lyra has triumphed.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19Over the last few months I've spent more time
0:57:19 > 0:57:23with a wild polar bear family than anyone has ever done before.
0:57:26 > 0:57:30I've grown to really care about Lyra and Miki.
0:57:30 > 0:57:32They've allowed me to share their lives.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37But they face an uncertain future.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41Their world is changing as never before.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46I just hope their powerful bond will help them
0:57:46 > 0:57:48make it through the rest of the year.
0:57:55 > 0:57:59When I return to Svalbard in the autumn, I find Lyra running
0:57:59 > 0:58:02out of options as she struggles to keep Miki alive.
0:58:03 > 0:58:08You can see how narrow she is around the rear end there, very, very slim.
0:58:10 > 0:58:15The brutal Arctic pushes my bear family, and me, to the edge.
0:58:19 > 0:58:21Oh, my God, oh, my God!
0:58:21 > 0:58:25And I discover whether Lyra and Miki's story can help us
0:58:25 > 0:58:28understand the future for all polar bears.
0:58:43 > 0:58:45Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd