0:00:05 > 0:00:07'Every autumn on the edge of the Arctic,
0:00:07 > 0:00:11'polar bears gather to wait for the sea ice to freeze.'
0:00:13 > 0:00:16'And for a few weeks, they outnumber people
0:00:16 > 0:00:19'in the tiny town of Churchill.'
0:00:19 > 0:00:23This is the start of a traffic jam here.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27'For tourists, it's a chance to see these Arctic icons first hand.'
0:00:27 > 0:00:30Any closer, I'm going to get into the car.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36'But living alongside one of the world's biggest carnivores,
0:00:36 > 0:00:38'you can never let down your guard.'
0:00:38 > 0:00:40The bear's jaw was on my head,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44I could feel that he was ripping my scalp off.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46'To keep things under control,
0:00:46 > 0:00:50'the authorities have resorted to some interesting techniques.'
0:00:50 > 0:00:55Now that is something you don't see every day.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00'As a wildlife cameraman, I'm used to spending time
0:01:00 > 0:01:03'with these beautiful creatures out in the wild.'
0:01:03 > 0:01:07There's a majesty to them that is unrivalled.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11'But life in the polar bear capital of the world...'
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Um, maybe start the engine, Freddie.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18'..is going to be a different challenge altogether.'
0:01:18 > 0:01:20OK, that's enough.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41'It's late October and the start of Churchill's bear season.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45'My plane is packed with tourists
0:01:45 > 0:01:48'all eager for their first polar bear sighting.'
0:01:53 > 0:01:55'I'm hoping to beat them to it.'
0:01:57 > 0:02:03'So on my way into town, I get the latest from my cabbie, Lawrence.'
0:02:03 > 0:02:06So when was the last bear spotted in town?
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Wednesday, they scared it out on the south end of town,
0:02:10 > 0:02:12they scared it across the river.
0:02:12 > 0:02:13See this open area?
0:02:13 > 0:02:16There's always a bear around here, I don't know why.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20It seems a very unlikely place to see polar bears.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Well, they were here before us.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37'Churchill is a small town in the Canadian province of Manitoba,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39'perched on the edge of Hudson Bay.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45'It began life as a trading and military outpost,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49'and today, it retains that frontier feel.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56'There's nothing for hundreds of miles in any direction.
0:02:58 > 0:03:04'And the only way in is by air or a two-day train journey.'
0:03:08 > 0:03:09Ordinarily, a town like this
0:03:09 > 0:03:12would just be somewhere that I was transiting
0:03:12 > 0:03:16through on my way to some remote place to find some exotic creature,
0:03:16 > 0:03:21but this time, the town of Churchill is my destination.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25700 people live in the town year-round
0:03:25 > 0:03:31and up to 1,000 polar bears migrate through this area,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34some of them directly through the town.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45'Churchill is right on the edge of the Arctic,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48'but its location on the shores of Hudson Bay
0:03:48 > 0:03:51'makes it a haven for polar bears.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59'Each winter, the bay freezes over and the bears head out
0:03:59 > 0:04:01'onto the sea ice to hunt.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07'Bears use the ice as a platform to access their favourite
0:04:07 > 0:04:12'blubber-rich meal - ringed seals.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17'When the ice melts in spring, the feast is over
0:04:17 > 0:04:20'and the bears return to shore.'
0:04:25 > 0:04:30'But the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on earth,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34'and the sea ice they depend on is slowly disappearing.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44'In late October, the temperature is beginning to fall.
0:04:44 > 0:04:50'There's no sign of the ice just yet, but the bears have arrived.'
0:04:50 > 0:04:51Are we going up that way?
0:04:51 > 0:04:54We can take the next one if you want.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58'Local guide Dennis Compayre is going to help me find them.'
0:04:59 > 0:05:03I've heard of Churchill, I've seen the images and the footage of bears
0:05:03 > 0:05:06in the town, but now that I'm here,
0:05:06 > 0:05:07I'm really struggling to just picture
0:05:07 > 0:05:09these animals in somewhere like this.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Yeah. It really is a double take when you see a bear
0:05:13 > 0:05:15walking down the road, just nonchalantly.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17It's pretty bizarre.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- How long have you been here? - I was born and raised here.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24When I was a kid, my only nightmare was a polar bear.
0:05:24 > 0:05:25GORDON LAUGHS
0:05:25 > 0:05:27In the dead of winter in Churchill, it's crazy, man,
0:05:27 > 0:05:32when you get these banshee winds all night and these crazy scrapings
0:05:32 > 0:05:34on your wall, you figure, "That's it, I'm a goner."
0:05:34 > 0:05:36So, as a kid, you're terrified.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46So we're heading now this way, we're going to go this way,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48they call it Polar Bear Alley.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50GORDON LAUGHS
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Let's hope it lives up to its name.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00So, here is a good sign that there's something going on here.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Oh, there you go.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- Right over there.- Let's go and have a look at this guy.
0:06:07 > 0:06:08Right.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20It's very relaxed.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Not worrying at all.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Just kind of picking her way through the grass.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47It's just exquisite, it really is.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53And we've got - hang on - one, two, three, four,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57five, six, seven, eight, nine - nine vehicles.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Is this a usual kind of...?
0:07:03 > 0:07:06That's resources there. They're going to chase the bear away.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09'In Churchill, a team of conservation officers
0:07:09 > 0:07:12'is responsible for keeping people safe.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15'They've decided to try and turn this bear around,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18'before it gets any closer to town.'
0:07:20 > 0:07:23See, I'd be inclined just to kind of let it go wherever it wants.
0:07:23 > 0:07:24Certainly.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Even if that's straight through the middle of town.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33- Hey, Dennis. - How are you doing?
0:07:33 > 0:07:35- What you want us to do? - Just get in your vehicle there.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37OK? Thank you.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Get in the vehicle.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46It seems a bit of a shame, because we've found this polar bear
0:07:46 > 0:07:48and we're getting some nice shots
0:07:48 > 0:07:50and we've got to get into the vehicle
0:07:50 > 0:07:52because the resourcers are going to chase it away.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Oh, well.
0:07:56 > 0:07:57HE LAUGHS
0:07:57 > 0:08:00'In Churchill, unsurprisingly,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03'the conservation officers are well armed.'
0:08:03 > 0:08:05This guy is going to get it right now.
0:08:05 > 0:08:06GUNSHOT
0:08:06 > 0:08:09'Firing blanks in the air is usually an effective way
0:08:09 > 0:08:11'of moving a bear on.'
0:08:13 > 0:08:14GUNSHOT ECHOES
0:08:15 > 0:08:18She's got the message.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21You know, having spent a bit of time with polar bears before,
0:08:21 > 0:08:25I thought there was no threat here, this is a polar bear aware of us,
0:08:25 > 0:08:30sort of cautious, but absolutely not acting aggressively whatsoever.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32So, I feel a little bit sorry for the bear,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35because there was an aggressive act coming back at it
0:08:35 > 0:08:38for just minding its own business.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42This place is interesting,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46because you've got two of the world's most dangerous creatures
0:08:46 > 0:08:48as neighbours - humans and polar bears.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51I know the ones that I trust more.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53It's the big furry white ones.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Thank you for that.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59You showed me my first Churchill bear.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- That was the first bear, wasn't it?- Yeah!
0:09:02 > 0:09:03DENNIS CHUCKLES
0:09:07 > 0:09:11'These bears haven't had a proper meal for months,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15'and with the weather still too warm for the bay to freeze,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17'it's all about conserving energy.'
0:09:24 > 0:09:27'The roads here are full of tourists,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30'looking for the next photo opportunity.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32'As am I.'
0:09:40 > 0:09:42That's kind of pretty, eh?
0:09:50 > 0:09:53The start of a traffic jam here.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56For me, actually, seeing a polar bear in the company of what?
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Maybe 30 people...
0:09:59 > 0:10:04It's very strange. It's kind of a little bit of a circus
0:10:04 > 0:10:07with the bears right at the heart of it.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21It's coming back. Any closer and I'm going to get into the car.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26It's definitely being affected by what's going on here,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29because one moment it's walking to my left,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31and then it stops and turns around.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33I get the feeling that it would prefer
0:10:33 > 0:10:35that none of us were here.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Film away if you must.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Yeah, all he wanted to do was cross the road, isn't it?
0:10:51 > 0:10:55I feel sorry for the bears, because bears have got their own agenda,
0:10:55 > 0:10:59they want to sort of do their own thing and it seems that human beings
0:10:59 > 0:11:02are standing in their way, whether that is conservation officers
0:11:02 > 0:11:07waiting to take action, whether that's polar bear tourists...
0:11:07 > 0:11:10But then in saying that, these vehicles may be full of people
0:11:10 > 0:11:13whose lifetime ambition is to come and see a polar bear,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17they've paid a lot of money to come up here to see one, and right now,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19there might be someone in one of those cars,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21having fulfilled that dream.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32'Thousands of tourists come to Churchill every year,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36'and if they're lucky, they'll see a bear near town.'
0:11:38 > 0:11:43'But the closest they'll get to a guaranteed sighting is a tour
0:11:43 > 0:11:46'of the Wildlife Management Area to the east of town.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50'A nature reserve where the bears can roam free.'
0:11:53 > 0:11:57'Tourists travel into the wilderness in style.'
0:12:00 > 0:12:04'The enormous buggies are raised up on huge off-road tyres,'
0:12:04 > 0:12:06'giving a great view
0:12:06 > 0:12:10'and keeping the windows out of reach of curious bears.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17'My driver today is Marcus Petak.'
0:12:17 > 0:12:21I am obsessed by this vehicle.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- Impressive, isn't it?- So did it kind of start off as a bit of
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- a Frankenstein buggy to begin with? - It did, it did.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32It was a group of friends in the late '70s that wanted to view bears
0:12:32 > 0:12:35safely and they're manufactured here in Churchill.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41You are seeing people achieving a lifetime ambition.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44No doubt, yeah. Lots and lots of our visitors,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48they have that bucket list location destination, and we get to bring out
0:12:48 > 0:12:51people who are really late in life, some of them are ill,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53if you can imagine, and this is something
0:12:53 > 0:12:55they've always wanted to do. That's pretty magic.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02- There's one there, is it? - Can you see a bear ahead?
0:13:02 > 0:13:06I think you just spotted one, Gordon.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10I'm going to pull up as close as we can here and see what we've got.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Take a look at this little juvenile.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16So this is about a four or five-year-old, I would say,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18but a very healthy-looking bear.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Oh, wow!
0:13:21 > 0:13:25It's great to see this bear, but the actual response from everyone,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27as soon as you saw it, everyone is like "Oh!"
0:13:27 > 0:13:29and you hear that excitement.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Thousands of people,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34they visit us over the course of the season from all over the world
0:13:34 > 0:13:37and they learn about, you know, this environment,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41they learn about that animal's experience
0:13:41 > 0:13:43and they learn about how things are changing.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46It connects them with the world around them.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49If there are any negatives, what might they be?
0:13:49 > 0:13:52I personally don't see one.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55As long as we're not frustrating the bear, angering the bear,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57- getting its heart rate up, we're fine.- Yeah.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02And of course, we don't ever feed the bears, we don't whistle to them,
0:14:02 > 0:14:03we don't bang the side of the machine,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05we don't try to draw their attention that way,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08we just kind of sit and observe them in their environment.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11It's like we're in the cage and we move the cage around.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14It is like this weird anti-zoo, it's pretty cool.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16GORDON CHUCKLES
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Where are you, bear?
0:14:21 > 0:14:23There you are.
0:14:26 > 0:14:32Something decidedly odd about this. You know, generally...
0:14:33 > 0:14:34..my job is a solitary one.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37I don't tend to do it with much of a crowd.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Where are you off to, Mr Bear?
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Personally, having had the benefit
0:14:47 > 0:14:50and luxury of spending time with polar bears in the past,
0:14:50 > 0:14:55I like to try and occupy the same little space on the planet
0:14:55 > 0:15:00as the animal. Here, I just feel you are separate from its world,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02there is a kind of human domain here
0:15:02 > 0:15:06and there's a polar bear's domain there.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10We're kind of alien visitors, that's how it feels.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26'The town of Churchill is remote,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29'and it feels isolated from the rest of Canada.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32'Eking out an existence here is tough...'
0:15:34 > 0:15:37'..and the port, which was a big employer in town,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40'recently laid off much of its workforce.'
0:15:43 > 0:15:47'So, tourist season is a welcome boost to the local economy.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48'Starting in the summer,
0:15:48 > 0:15:53'when huge numbers of beluga whales arrive in the mouth of the river.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Mother and calf on the left side coming up!
0:16:02 > 0:16:07'In the autumn, the bears and the sightseers arrive in force.'
0:16:10 > 0:16:14'But while the tourists enjoy their brief flirtation with danger,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18'the locals have to live with the bears week in, week out.'
0:16:23 > 0:16:27'Gypsy's diner is a magnet to tourists and locals alike.'
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- You must be Fred. - Yes, I am.- Gordon.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34'The public face of Gypsy's is Fred Da Silva.'
0:16:34 > 0:16:36How old were you when you arrived in town?
0:16:36 > 0:16:41- 20.- Oh, really?- 20 years old. It was a little bit of a shock.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45I wasn't a small-town boy, I was a big-city boy.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47- But do you love it here?- I do now.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50It's nice. The people are amazing.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52There's a big sense of community.
0:16:56 > 0:17:02At night-time, is it wise to kind of walk a few hundred yards
0:17:02 > 0:17:04or are you best just to drive?
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Best would be to drive.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13But in town, we all walk.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15You keep your head up at night a little bit more
0:17:15 > 0:17:20than you would during the day. You know, don't take back alleys,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22try to stay on the main roads,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24almost everyone leaves their vehicles unlocked,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26their houses unlocked...
0:17:26 > 0:17:30We've have had bears break two windows in our restaurant,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33- but they've never entered the building.- Really?
0:17:33 > 0:17:38They've got scared with the noise, the window makes when it shatters.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41That window up there is a Plexiglas window,
0:17:41 > 0:17:46and that window up there is a Plexiglas window as well.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48So it's been pretty close.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Do you see them as a problem?
0:17:50 > 0:17:53We're the problem. We're the ones that built a town
0:17:53 > 0:17:55in their migratory path.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57But, I mean, yeah, we had a young girl get attacked.
0:17:57 > 0:18:03An older gentleman got attacked, two years ago now, I believe.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07So, I mean, yeah, if you asked them, yeah, it's a problem.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16'At this time of year, it's easy to be lulled into a false sense
0:18:16 > 0:18:19'of security by these beautiful animals.'
0:18:22 > 0:18:26'But an adult male can weigh upwards of 500kg,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30'and on its hindlegs, can be up to three metres tall.'
0:18:33 > 0:18:35'They're fearless hunters, and if a chance
0:18:35 > 0:18:39'to eat anything presents itself, they'll take it.'
0:18:42 > 0:18:45'The last fatal attack on a human happened
0:18:45 > 0:18:48'right on the main street in 1983.'
0:18:52 > 0:18:56'Keeping the peace since then is a small team of rangers working for
0:18:56 > 0:19:01'Manitoba Conservation, AKA the Polar Bear Cops.'
0:19:01 > 0:19:05- Good to meet you.- You too. - Thanks for letting me ride along.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09'Today, I'm heading out on patrol with Brett Wlock.'
0:19:09 > 0:19:12It's been getting busier every week now
0:19:12 > 0:19:14and it will be until the end of November.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15Is this a hotspot, this area?
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Yeah, we get a lot of bear sightings because it's so close to town.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26PHONE RINGS
0:19:26 > 0:19:27- That's the polar bear line.- Really?
0:19:27 > 0:19:29- Yeah.- What have we got?
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Polar bear alert.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41- What have we got? - False alarm.- Ah!- Sorry.
0:19:41 > 0:19:42THEY LAUGH
0:19:47 > 0:19:51'The polar bear alert phone number is advertised all over town,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53'so locals and visitors
0:19:53 > 0:19:56'can be Brett's eyes and ears on the ground.'
0:19:59 > 0:20:03'Another line of defence are polar bear traps deployed
0:20:03 > 0:20:05'around the outskirts of town.'
0:20:05 > 0:20:09This trap is baited with seal meat in a bag,
0:20:09 > 0:20:11so the bear would be attracted to that.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13Yeah, you can smell it.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15As soon as that bait is pulled,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18the door will drop and the bear'll be caught.
0:20:18 > 0:20:19And that little black box there?
0:20:19 > 0:20:23That black box is a satellite transmitter that sends us a signal
0:20:23 > 0:20:24- as soon as the door drops.- OK.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27So, I can be lying in bed at home or sitting in the office and I'll get
0:20:27 > 0:20:31a message on my phone that says trap number eight door has dropped.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40'The Polar Bear Alert Program has been running since 1969,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43'designed to stop attacks on humans
0:20:43 > 0:20:46'and reduce the number of bears being killed.'
0:20:48 > 0:20:50'Using tip-offs from the public,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54'conservation officers began intercepting bears long before they
0:20:54 > 0:20:58'reached the town to prevent dangerous confrontations.'
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Were they going back towards the...?
0:21:02 > 0:21:05- OVER RADIO:- 'They said it was walking towards the road.
0:21:05 > 0:21:10'Today officers use a range of techniques to chase the bears away.'
0:21:10 > 0:21:14It could be as easy as driving our truck up to the bear and honking
0:21:14 > 0:21:17the horn. I've got different sirens on my...
0:21:17 > 0:21:18HE BEEPS HORN
0:21:18 > 0:21:20On, you know...
0:21:20 > 0:21:21DIFFERENT SIRENS WAIL
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Ah! You just made me very jealous. I wish I'd known about that before.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27You can try it if you want.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29HE TRIES DIFFERENT SIRENS
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Oh, yeah. I'm going to have to go all the way through them!
0:21:32 > 0:21:33HIGH-PITCHED SIREN WAILS
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Ah, that one would do it for me.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39That kind of went through me. Oh, or that one.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40What's the most effective one?
0:21:40 > 0:21:41I like this one.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43- I don't know why. - SIREN BLARES
0:21:43 > 0:21:46- It's just the one that I go to. - I wouldn't be scared of this one.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48That sounds a bit comedy, that one.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52If I have to get out and follow the bear, I take my shotgun with me.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57Some bears will respond to a cracker shell, they'll run away scared,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00they'll never come back, some bears won't move, at which point you have
0:22:00 > 0:22:02to step up to the rubber slug.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06So what it is, is a rubber slug inside,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08and this is actually what's inside.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Oh, that is going to... That's going to hurt.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13You know, if that doesn't work we have the option of hiring
0:22:13 > 0:22:16a helicopter, try to move the bear that way.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Last resort would be a slug to euthanise a bear if we needed to.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24That's when human life is in danger, presumably?
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Yes, absolutely. Yeah. We don't take that very lightly.
0:22:28 > 0:22:35On average, there's 1.5-ish bears euthanised per year.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38The bears are a threatened species, we don't want to have to do that.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41We have a pretty good record of not euthanising bears.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48'It's true that fewer bears are killed than in the old days,
0:22:48 > 0:22:53'but one reason for this is that some bears are now locked up.'
0:22:54 > 0:22:58'Those that can't be chased away are tranquillised,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01'and along with any bears in the traps,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04'they're taken to a holding facility on the edge of town...'
0:23:05 > 0:23:08'..better known as Polar Bear Jail.'
0:23:13 > 0:23:15'Cameras aren't allowed in these days,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18'but footage from a few years ago shows the holding cells.'
0:23:20 > 0:23:24'Bears are given water but no food,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27'as that might encourage them to come back.'
0:23:33 > 0:23:37'So these days it's rare to see a bear in town in broad daylight.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41'Although at night, it's a different matter.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45'There are plenty of dark alleys in this town,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49'and bear season coincides with one night of the year
0:23:49 > 0:23:53'when everyone wants to be out on the streets.'
0:23:53 > 0:23:54KNOCK ON DOOR
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Trick or treat?
0:23:56 > 0:23:59'Halloween is a big deal in Churchill.'
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Happy Halloween.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04'So the whole community comes together to make sure
0:24:04 > 0:24:07'the town is kept clear of bears.'
0:24:22 > 0:24:27'Back in 2013, Halloween itself passed without incident.'
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- Oh!- Whoopee!
0:24:29 > 0:24:30SHE LAUGHS
0:24:30 > 0:24:32It's hard enough walking,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35but being pulled by two strong dogs...
0:24:35 > 0:24:38But in the early hours of the following morning,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42Erin Greene had a horrifying encounter.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46- This is where it happened?- Yes.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51Yeah. I had been at a friend's house with two other people, and it was
0:24:51 > 0:24:53approximately five o'clock in the morning.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55We'd been outside for two minutes.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58And just as we began crossing the street,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02that's when my friend Nicky saw the bear kind of just...
0:25:02 > 0:25:04- Charging?- Charging at us, yeah.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07And so she said, "Oh, my God, guys, there's a bear."
0:25:07 > 0:25:10For one tiny little second,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14I did look at the bear and think that it was cute, so there was a...
0:25:14 > 0:25:18The first thing was, like, "Oh, wow, it's really cute" and then...
0:25:18 > 0:25:23Like, that was like a tiny little smidgen of a second and then
0:25:23 > 0:25:26it was, like, horror and terror that just took over.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28When I saw the bear running towards us,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32I knew right away that it was going to be me because I made contact with
0:25:32 > 0:25:36the bear's eyes. Like, I knew he was coming for me.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37Really?
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Yeah.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44When I realised that there was nowhere that I could go and there
0:25:44 > 0:25:48was nothing that I could do, I just kind of grounded myself and, erm,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50just prepared to fight.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55He kind of made a little circle almost to get to the back of my head
0:25:55 > 0:25:59and then I tried to punch it and kick it and...
0:25:59 > 0:26:05It kind of had its paws on my shoulder, so its jaw was
0:26:05 > 0:26:09on my head and then it was using my back and my shoulders kind of as
0:26:09 > 0:26:12leverage to tear at my scalp.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14I thought that my feet were on the ground the entire time,
0:26:14 > 0:26:19but then when I heard other people's versions of the stories,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22apparently I was a couple of feet, like, five feet off the ground
0:26:22 > 0:26:24and in his mouth.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28And from what I've heard, he was kind of hitting me
0:26:28 > 0:26:32into that blue house, like he was shaking me like a rag doll.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36I could feel that he was ripping my scalp off, I could feel that there
0:26:36 > 0:26:40were punctures in my body, but I couldn't feel any pain whatsoever.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43And at one point did you just black out?
0:26:43 > 0:26:46No, I was conscious during the whole thing, yeah.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50I was getting really weak and I knew that I was very injured,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54and at that point I thought, "This is how I die, and no-one's coming,
0:26:54 > 0:26:59"no-one's coming to help me. I've screamed as loud as I could,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02"it's just me and him and this is how I go."
0:27:03 > 0:27:08'Thankfully, Erin's screams woke up 69-year-old Bill Ayotte,
0:27:08 > 0:27:12'who came outside and confronted the bear.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16'Erin was dropped and made her escape,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18'but her rescuer wasn't so lucky.'
0:27:18 > 0:27:22He ended up grabbing a shovel and just came right at the bear
0:27:22 > 0:27:23and smacked it in the eye,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26and then that's when the bear started to attack him, and it
0:27:26 > 0:27:30became this crazy chaotic scene where people didn't know what to do
0:27:30 > 0:27:34because the bear was so close to him that if they shot at the bear
0:27:34 > 0:27:36they risked injuring him as well.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39People were just throwing anything, shoes, salad bowls,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42whatever they could do, they were yelling, screaming.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Another guy put his gun down and charged the bear with his vehicle.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49That's what eventually scared the bear up the street.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54'Amazingly, both Erin and Bill escaped with their lives
0:27:54 > 0:27:56'and made full recoveries,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00'but the bear was put down by conservation officers.'
0:28:00 > 0:28:02And what's your view of polar bears?
0:28:02 > 0:28:07- Has that changed?- I always loved them and I mean, the fact is that
0:28:07 > 0:28:09that's what they do, right?
0:28:09 > 0:28:11They're trying to survive as well,
0:28:11 > 0:28:16and their life is probably a lot harder than mine is,
0:28:16 > 0:28:20and he was just doing what he needed to do to try to survive
0:28:20 > 0:28:24and I can't blame an animal for doing that.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27As a temporary resident of Churchill,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30what one piece of advice you'd give to me, what would it be?
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Oh, goodness...
0:28:32 > 0:28:37Don't eat too many doughnuts at Gypsy's!
0:28:37 > 0:28:40That's, that's advice that I do actually need!
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Erm... Don't become a target.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45ERIN LAUGHS
0:28:45 > 0:28:51No, I would just say, always keep your wits about you and look around
0:28:51 > 0:28:55and I wouldn't walk after it gets dark, it's just not worth it.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59You can do it, you could do it your whole life and maybe nothing happens
0:28:59 > 0:29:02to you, but after knowing what it's like
0:29:02 > 0:29:05to experience that, I just don't think it's worth the risk.
0:29:13 > 0:29:19'For the locals, Erin's story is a sobering reminder to stay vigilant.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22'But in a small town like this,
0:29:22 > 0:29:26'that ever-present risk seems to draw the community closer together.'
0:29:29 > 0:29:32'One fixture on the social calendar is the Friday night raffle at
0:29:32 > 0:29:34'the Royal Canadian Legion,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37'where I'm catching up with Dennis for a beer.'
0:29:42 > 0:29:46It seems to be that Churchill is about polar bears and community,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49that's the two most common words in any conversations.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Sure. I'm sure it's true in any small town,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55but here we do have that close contact with the polar bears,
0:29:55 > 0:29:57everybody's a bit more protective,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00you know, of what they're doing and a bit more worried about
0:30:00 > 0:30:03their neighbour and their neighbour's kids and stuff like that.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07That seems like a kind of northern thing where you have harsh climate,
0:30:07 > 0:30:10you have sort of communities that,
0:30:10 > 0:30:12you don't have to like each other, but you have to be prepared
0:30:12 > 0:30:14- to help each other. - Of course you do.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17We all have our little squabbles and differences.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19If there's a bad bear encounter,
0:30:19 > 0:30:21everybody's concerned, because it concerns the whole...
0:30:21 > 0:30:23Obviously, it concerns everybody.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26There's a great sense of freedom in this town, but that's tempered with
0:30:26 > 0:30:30the fact that you have to look over your shoulder all the time.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Is it bringing us down, does it bother us in a negative way?
0:30:33 > 0:30:37I don't know, I guess it does sometimes, but for the most part,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40we enjoy living with that edginess.
0:30:46 > 0:30:51'By the end of October, the bears haven't eaten properly for months.'
0:30:53 > 0:30:56'Some resort to chewing seaweed to pass the time.'
0:30:59 > 0:31:02'But their keen sense of smell will alert them
0:31:02 > 0:31:06'if there's anything more appetising in the area.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09'So in Churchill, one of the least glamorous jobs
0:31:09 > 0:31:12'is also one of the most important.'
0:31:19 > 0:31:23Not trying to steal your job, James. Or am I?
0:31:23 > 0:31:24THEY LAUGH
0:31:26 > 0:31:28Funny, just walking down the streets, when the garbage is out,
0:31:28 > 0:31:32you can smell it, and if I can smell it on a street at 100 yards away,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35bears are going to be able to smell it a couple of miles away.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41'The man at the wheel today is Dennis Beardy.'
0:31:41 > 0:31:44- When was the last time you saw one? - Yesterday.- Oh, did you?- Yeah.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47At the complex, they're trying to get into that bin,
0:31:47 > 0:31:49you can see the bear paws all over, the prints all over the place.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54There's been bears just back here behind Gypsy's the other week.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56They come right through town.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58Pretty much everybody knows not to leave their garbage out overnight
0:31:58 > 0:32:02because a bear will eventually roll around.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08You just stay there, James, you take it easy!
0:32:12 > 0:32:15So you kind of see people with shotguns and sort of,
0:32:15 > 0:32:18people with kind of flare guns. I don't see anything you've got.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21I've actually got a flare gun right here.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24Do you ever have to use that?
0:32:24 > 0:32:28Actually a couple of weeks ago, there was a mother and cubs
0:32:28 > 0:32:31hanging around, we had to use it a couple of times to scare them off.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37'Until a decade ago,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40'household waste ended up at the open pit of the town dump.'
0:32:44 > 0:32:46'The sight of desperate polar bears
0:32:46 > 0:32:49'rummaging for scraps was depressingly common.'
0:32:51 > 0:32:52POLAR BEAR GROWLS
0:32:54 > 0:32:58'Numbers painted on their sides identified which bears had already
0:32:58 > 0:33:01'had run-ins with the Polar Bear Cops.'
0:33:03 > 0:33:06'But with a feast like this on their migration route,
0:33:06 > 0:33:09'there were plenty of reoffenders.'
0:33:14 > 0:33:17'These days, rubbish is safely stored behind
0:33:17 > 0:33:20'the bear-proof gates of an old military hangar.'
0:33:24 > 0:33:28'But it still gives off an aroma that sensitive noses
0:33:28 > 0:33:30'can pick up for miles around.'
0:33:34 > 0:33:38'And on my way out, I walk straight into another close encounter.'
0:33:41 > 0:33:43RATTLING
0:33:43 > 0:33:45Where are you? Hello, beautiful!
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Don't go in there, please, don't go in there.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54The polar bear trap has a huge female polar bear
0:33:54 > 0:33:56at the back of it trying to get at the seal meat.
0:33:59 > 0:34:05The meat is suspended just a foot away at the back of the trap.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08I think she maybe knows if she goes into the trap,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11she's going to get stuck and she's pushing away at the back.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Freddie, Freddie, can you just maybe back up slowly?
0:34:19 > 0:34:22Maybe about 15 metres or so?
0:34:22 > 0:34:24ENGINE REVS
0:34:24 > 0:34:26OK.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28Bit more, Freddie, bit more.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30There she is.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33OK, steady. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38So we've got mother and cub.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43In a situation like this,
0:34:43 > 0:34:46I would never ordinarily like to disturb a polar bear,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49but on this occasion I really hope that I scare her off,
0:34:49 > 0:34:51because what I don't want her to do
0:34:51 > 0:34:55is spend the next possibly 30 days in polar bear prison.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00And we're not only going to have one bear in polar bear jail,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03we're going to have two - baby's going to have to go with her.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10The cub's looking a little bit bewildered.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14Kind of, it's almost as if it knows its mum's doing something that it
0:35:14 > 0:35:16shouldn't be doing. "Come on, Mum.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19"Just let's go, I don't want us to get into trouble."
0:35:23 > 0:35:28As ever, word has spread fast and a few other cars have turned up
0:35:28 > 0:35:30to enjoy the spectacle.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34I'm slightly cautious because I don't want her
0:35:34 > 0:35:37to get spooked by any other vehicles coming down.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41She runs straight towards me, that's not good.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46Come on. Just go away. Give up!
0:35:47 > 0:35:49OK.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52Just get ready.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Maybe start the engine, Freddie.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01Don't go in the back.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07OK. That's good. Please keep going, keep going.
0:36:07 > 0:36:08That's good.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11I'm going to keep following her.
0:36:11 > 0:36:12CAR ENGINE REVS
0:36:12 > 0:36:14Aw, what are you playing at?
0:36:16 > 0:36:18GORDON GROANS
0:36:20 > 0:36:24Somebody's just started their car and it's spooked her back the way.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27I don't know if she can get out that way.
0:36:27 > 0:36:28Maybe she can.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36Thankfully, this is one mother savvy enough to avoid the trap.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38For now, at least.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49'Inland from Churchill is one of the biggest
0:36:49 > 0:36:52'polar bear denning sites in the world...'
0:36:54 > 0:36:56'..Wapusk National Park.'
0:36:59 > 0:37:01'Cubs are born in the winter...
0:37:03 > 0:37:06'..and emerge from the den in spring.'
0:37:10 > 0:37:14'For the next two years, they won't leave their mother's side.'
0:37:17 > 0:37:21'In the autumn, when male bears are gathering at the coast,
0:37:21 > 0:37:25'mothers with cubs stay away for as long as they can.'
0:37:28 > 0:37:32'Male bears can be twice the size of a female, and when hungry,
0:37:32 > 0:37:35'they won't think twice about killing a cub.'
0:37:41 > 0:37:43'Eventually, the need to feed
0:37:43 > 0:37:47'their young will draw all new mothers to the coast.'
0:37:49 > 0:37:52'But with the bay still free of ice,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55'they need to be wary.'
0:38:04 > 0:38:07'Back in town, Brett and his team have been busy,
0:38:07 > 0:38:11'and the holding facility is starting to fill up.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15'To make room, a bear has been scheduled for release...
0:38:17 > 0:38:19'..far away from town.
0:38:21 > 0:38:26'This spectacle has become a must-see Churchill event.'
0:38:26 > 0:38:32It's pretty surreal. It feels like a kind of a shuttle launch.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41This is a young male polar bear.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45He's been in this holding area, the polar bear jail,
0:38:45 > 0:38:47for eight weeks now.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52'Bears are given a sedative before they come out of their cell
0:38:52 > 0:38:57'so they can be safely handled and transported to the release site.'
0:38:57 > 0:38:59It's not as if he's asleep,
0:38:59 > 0:39:02he's just completely immobilised but his eyes are open.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04You can see him blink there.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11This bear is somewhat of a repeat offender.
0:39:11 > 0:39:12He's six years old.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16He has been in the clink six times.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20Every year of his life, he ends up in the same place,
0:39:20 > 0:39:22in the polar bear jail.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30'During its eight weeks in the holding facility,
0:39:30 > 0:39:34'this bear has lost about a fifth of its body weight.'
0:39:35 > 0:39:39'Some believe not feeding the bears in captivity is cruel,
0:39:39 > 0:39:41'but the policy is in line
0:39:41 > 0:39:43'with studies showing that over the summer,
0:39:43 > 0:39:48'bears lose about the same weight in the wild without access to seals.'
0:40:08 > 0:40:10Up, up and away.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17Now that is something you don't see every day.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42It's really nice to get a different view of Churchill.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44You realise how small it is.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47It's surrounded by this wilderness.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50You've got this arboreal forest sort of tundra,
0:40:50 > 0:40:54a vast expanse of the Hudson Bay stretching off.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58Looking at the town you feel you could just flick it off the map
0:40:58 > 0:41:00and it would no longer exist.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06'Most of the bears that pass through town are heading north
0:41:06 > 0:41:09'where the fresh water coming from the Churchill River
0:41:09 > 0:41:11'allows the sea to freeze that bit earlier.'
0:41:16 > 0:41:20'A release site has been chosen more than 30 miles north of town
0:41:20 > 0:41:23'in the hope that this bear will then continue out
0:41:23 > 0:41:26'onto the bay when ice comes.'
0:41:34 > 0:41:38If they didn't actually take these bears into custody,
0:41:38 > 0:41:41they would literally be roaming the streets of Churchill,
0:41:41 > 0:41:46getting themselves into bother, raking through the garbage cans,
0:41:46 > 0:41:49possibly posing a threat to people.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52So this really is sort of... Like it or loathe it,
0:41:52 > 0:41:55this is just a necessary part of actually keeping
0:41:55 > 0:41:58the people and the polar bears safe.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14Easy does it, easy does it.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21Nice and gentle. Great.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26And then it's good to go.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29We can move forward a little bit now.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34'With the drugs still wearing off,
0:42:34 > 0:42:37'Brett wants to stick around for a few minutes to check
0:42:37 > 0:42:39'that the bear is making good progress.'
0:42:42 > 0:42:45You can see that he's got a GPS tag on his right ear.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47That's a new initiative we are trying.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50We can see where the bear goes after we release it
0:42:50 > 0:42:52- and if it is coming back to town.- OK.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54And then will that drop off?
0:42:54 > 0:42:57- We'll likely remove it next year when he returns.- OK.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59You can see he's starting to move his head a little bit.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03- Yeah.- In the next 10, 15 minutes, he'll have his head up.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07- And how long before he's on his feet?- Probably an hour.- OK.- Yeah.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16He's beginning to lift his head.
0:43:16 > 0:43:21He lifted it about three inches, so he's coming out of this drug.
0:43:21 > 0:43:26We want him to either stay in this area, or head further north.
0:43:26 > 0:43:32The one thing we don't want this bear to do is to walk the 60km
0:43:32 > 0:43:37back down the coast south towards town, because if he does that,
0:43:37 > 0:43:39he's going back to jail.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46Yeah. I think if he started to get to his feet,
0:43:46 > 0:43:47you'd see how fast I could move.
0:43:51 > 0:43:55'With any luck, this bear will have a successful time hunting
0:43:55 > 0:43:58'over the winter and survive plenty more years to come.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01'But, in the longer term,
0:44:01 > 0:44:05'the prospects for this population of bears are uncertain.'
0:44:10 > 0:44:15You get a real sense of what the polar bears' natural habitat is
0:44:15 > 0:44:20from the air. Trees everywhere, freshwater rivers
0:44:20 > 0:44:22and lakes down there.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25You've got the ocean here, still not frozen.
0:44:28 > 0:44:33Looking out at this type of habitat, I would expect to see grizzly bears,
0:44:33 > 0:44:35maybe black bears,
0:44:35 > 0:44:37moose, wolves.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40The fact there are polar bears living in this type of habitat,
0:44:40 > 0:44:43it really does surprise me.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48This really is borderline polar bear habitat.
0:44:48 > 0:44:53And I don't think you can think about polar bears without thinking
0:44:53 > 0:44:57about their future, without thinking about climate change.
0:44:58 > 0:45:03Somewhere like this, I can't help but wonder how long will there
0:45:03 > 0:45:06be sea ice in this part of Hudson Bay?
0:45:06 > 0:45:09The climate is warming.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13A lot of what will happen in this area is uncertain.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15A lot of what will happen with polar bears is uncertain,
0:45:15 > 0:45:17but one thing is for sure.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21If the ice does not form in Hudson Bay,
0:45:21 > 0:45:24polar bears cannot make a living.
0:45:24 > 0:45:29If the sea ice is to disappear, the polar bears will disappear with it.
0:45:37 > 0:45:43'The sea ice now tends to form later each autumn and break up earlier
0:45:43 > 0:45:45'each spring, leaving the bears
0:45:45 > 0:45:48'with less time to hunt through the winter,
0:45:48 > 0:45:51'which could already be impacting their numbers.'
0:45:55 > 0:46:01'It's now early November and there's still no sign of the ice,
0:46:01 > 0:46:04'but winter is clearly on its way.'
0:46:07 > 0:46:10'The bears are biding their time.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14'Soon enough they'll be out on the ice once again.'
0:46:17 > 0:46:21'Before they go, I want to see a little more of them,
0:46:21 > 0:46:25'so I'm heading back out on the road with Dennis.'
0:46:26 > 0:46:29- Hey, Gordon.- Taxi for Dennis. How are you?- Good, man, you?
0:46:29 > 0:46:31Yeah, great.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41I think just in the time that I've been here,
0:46:41 > 0:46:45sort of getting to know the place better and better,
0:46:45 > 0:46:48and the more I get to know it, the more I like it.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50- Oh, really? - Yeah, I love it.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54I think of this as the kind of place that if I'd washed up here
0:46:54 > 0:46:57when I was early 20s...
0:46:57 > 0:46:59- You'd be a lifer?- Probably.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02It's like a subtle beauty around here.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05It takes a bit of time for it to sink in.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11'Dennis has been working with Churchill's bears
0:47:11 > 0:47:13'for more than 35 years.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16'So after seeing it all first-hand,
0:47:16 > 0:47:20'I'm keen to talk to him about how the bears are managed today.'
0:47:20 > 0:47:24I know conservation officers don't like the term "polar bear jail".
0:47:24 > 0:47:26But that's what it is.
0:47:26 > 0:47:30You know, I've never warmed to that as an idea or a concept,
0:47:30 > 0:47:36because that's not how a bear wants to spend their 30 days of its year.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39Has it ever been suggested that Churchill just has a fence
0:47:39 > 0:47:43around it with sort of guards to an entry point at
0:47:43 > 0:47:45each end of the town and to guard...
0:47:45 > 0:47:47You know, you hit the nail on the head with that one, Gordon.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50I mean, that has been bantered around for years.
0:47:50 > 0:47:55If you could use fencing, direct them as they flow through town,
0:47:55 > 0:47:59then you're doing the right thing. Then you don't have to use force,
0:47:59 > 0:48:02you don't have to react with cracker shells
0:48:02 > 0:48:04and jail and all the other stuff, you know.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08I think there's other ways of dealing with these bears, certainly.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14'Longer term, most people here are aware that climate change
0:48:14 > 0:48:17'is a serious threat to the bears' future,
0:48:17 > 0:48:22'and that prospect has an effect on everything from the attitudes
0:48:22 > 0:48:26'of tourists to the economic outlook of the town itself.'
0:48:29 > 0:48:32At one time, people would come to Churchill with a big heart
0:48:32 > 0:48:36and just enjoyed the fact that they are seeing these beautiful animals.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38They're as happy as hell to see a bear
0:48:38 > 0:48:40and they're thrilled the whole time they're here.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43Now these people, they come to Churchill, you know,
0:48:43 > 0:48:45they've got a little lump in their throat.
0:48:45 > 0:48:48It affects the locals, as well, because the town of Churchill,
0:48:48 > 0:48:50is the polar bear capital of the world,
0:48:50 > 0:48:53if you want to invest in a polar bear business,
0:48:53 > 0:48:57or if you wanted to build a new hotel, the banks are going to say,
0:48:57 > 0:49:00"I don't know if that's a good idea, the bears are going to be gone."
0:49:02 > 0:49:06'All across the world, wherever the environment is on the edge,
0:49:06 > 0:49:10'the people who depend on that environment are on the edge too.'
0:49:10 > 0:49:12You can just go to the right here
0:49:12 > 0:49:16and we'll get out and see where these elusive bears are.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28- He's over there.- Over there?
0:49:28 > 0:49:30Laying down. It's a well-fed one.
0:49:30 > 0:49:34It's a big 'un. Let me grab my camera and we can get a better view.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40It's got its head up.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42It's curious about something.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44- It's weird.- Something going on.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48- It's running now.- Look, running.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52What's going on?
0:49:52 > 0:49:53Oh. What's that?
0:49:53 > 0:49:55Is it an arctic fox?
0:49:55 > 0:49:59I'm sorry. A silver fox. Do you get silver foxes here?
0:49:59 > 0:50:01Oh! Yes, of course.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10They're pretty rare, silver foxes.
0:50:10 > 0:50:14The first time ever seen one of them. It's a beauty.
0:50:17 > 0:50:18Wow!
0:50:18 > 0:50:20Another bear.
0:50:20 > 0:50:21Just stuck his head up for a moment.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24- Oh, yeah, there's another one there.- Yeah.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29That's a nice-looking bear.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31Spoilt for choice!
0:50:34 > 0:50:38- It just shows you...- You can never be alert enough, right?
0:50:38 > 0:50:41- No.- I'll just have a cautionary look behind me now.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50Oh, yeah. Lovely.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59There's a majesty to them that is unrivalled.
0:50:59 > 0:51:01There's a confidence about them
0:51:01 > 0:51:05that you just don't see in any other animal.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08Beautiful.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24The chap's getting some nice shots, presumably.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30It's amazing that people can come from around the world and see
0:51:30 > 0:51:33these animals. You've got three cars full of people
0:51:33 > 0:51:34that are just, you know,
0:51:34 > 0:51:38probably having one of the most memorable moments
0:51:38 > 0:51:40of their lives.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50But I also think it's nice that,
0:51:50 > 0:51:53before too long, these bears can actually
0:51:53 > 0:51:56leave this whole circus behind them.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04They could spend the whole winter without ever having to
0:52:04 > 0:52:07lay their eyes on a single human being.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10That must be nice for them.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14We always described polar bears as a solitary animal.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19Roundabout here, it doesn't really seem that polar bears have kind of
0:52:19 > 0:52:22much opportunity to spend time alone.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27Oh. What's going on?
0:52:28 > 0:52:30Coming straight towards us.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32Oh, yes.
0:52:34 > 0:52:40In a situation like this, if you have an active bear, of any size,
0:52:40 > 0:52:43what distance do you start kind of thinking,
0:52:43 > 0:52:46"Well, it's time to get back in the vehicle"?
0:52:46 > 0:52:48- 40-50 feet.- Yep.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56'If it senses danger, or an opportunity to hunt,
0:52:56 > 0:53:01'a polar bear can sprint at over 20mph.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05'So, it's best not to try and outrun them.'
0:53:07 > 0:53:11I'm just keeping an eye on this bear through my camera.
0:53:11 > 0:53:17It skirted round, barely looking at us, but now that we are upwind
0:53:17 > 0:53:20of it, it's getting all of our scent blowing straight onto it,
0:53:20 > 0:53:24and it's suddenly very much aware that we're here.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28And it's gradually getting closer.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30- Yeah.- I think...
0:53:30 > 0:53:33- Sorry, guys.- Yeah.- Wrap it up and we'll get back in.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36That's a dashing distance for a bear like that.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47These are bad bears.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50These are sub-adults, juvenile delinquents.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58Am I going to have to put my window up because of you, bear?
0:53:58 > 0:54:02Yeah. If he gets a bit too close, you can just start the engine.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04That's definitely a young male.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09You beauty, but that's ridiculously close.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12Three metres. DENNIS LAUGHS
0:54:12 > 0:54:15Who needs one of those big, long lenses
0:54:15 > 0:54:18when you can film a polar bear like this?
0:54:18 > 0:54:21Get your hand on the key.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23Put that window up.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28It's slightly misting up in the car,
0:54:28 > 0:54:31because we've got a whole crew of people breathing.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35He's giving it a good old sniff.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38Literally, he's a foot from my face.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40This beautiful young male bear.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44Oh, gosh, that's just amazing.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48Hello. Oh, he's standing up.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50OK. Start it up. That's enough.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53- Not fooling around.- OK.
0:54:56 > 0:55:02What's dangerous about that is that...that pushing technique,
0:55:02 > 0:55:05polar bears are immensely powerful,
0:55:05 > 0:55:07and when they get their paws on to something, they can punch
0:55:07 > 0:55:09through ice, they can punch through thick snow
0:55:09 > 0:55:12and they could punch through the window of a vehicle
0:55:12 > 0:55:13very, very easily.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18So that's dodgy.
0:55:24 > 0:55:29'Encounters like this are a reminder that while viewing wildlife up close
0:55:29 > 0:55:31'is a memorable experience,
0:55:31 > 0:55:34'our presence will always affect their behaviour.'
0:55:38 > 0:55:41'Managing the relationship between humans and bears
0:55:41 > 0:55:43'is a huge challenge in Churchill.'
0:55:46 > 0:55:47'And the current system
0:55:47 > 0:55:50'can sometimes seem a little over the top.'
0:55:52 > 0:55:55'The aim is to try and avoid conflict.
0:55:55 > 0:56:00'But, for me, I wish there could be a less intrusive approach.'
0:56:09 > 0:56:11'As the snow continues to fall,
0:56:11 > 0:56:14'the polar bears still wait patiently
0:56:14 > 0:56:17'for Hudson Bay to finally freeze over.'
0:56:20 > 0:56:24'For me, it's almost time to move on.'
0:56:31 > 0:56:33As a place, it is a one-off.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36I don't know of... There is nowhere else like it.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42The thing I really didn't expect was to come to Churchill and see how
0:56:42 > 0:56:47integral polar bears are to so many people's lives here.
0:56:50 > 0:56:53But these are undoubtedly tough times for polar bears.
0:56:53 > 0:56:54It's tough times for the Arctic.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57No-one can say for sure what the future holds.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02'Without the sea ice,
0:57:02 > 0:57:05'the bears will struggle to maintain a population here.
0:57:05 > 0:57:11'If the bears do disappear, it won't be the end for Churchill,
0:57:11 > 0:57:16'but the town will lose a fundamental part of its identity.'
0:57:18 > 0:57:20As I come to the end of my time here,
0:57:20 > 0:57:24you might think that I'd be sad about leaving, but I don't feel sad,
0:57:24 > 0:57:27because I know that, very soon after I leave,
0:57:27 > 0:57:32every single one of these polar bears will also leave.
0:57:32 > 0:57:35They'll leave all of these people behind.
0:57:35 > 0:57:39They'll just go back to being the thing that they are -
0:57:39 > 0:57:44one of the most incredible hunters that our planet has ever seen.
0:57:57 > 0:58:02'After I left, Churchill's polar bears had to wait a little longer.'
0:58:05 > 0:58:11'Across the Arctic, this was one of the warmest Novembers on record.'
0:58:15 > 0:58:22'But, as December wore on, the ice around Churchill finally froze
0:58:22 > 0:58:26'and the bears went on their way.'