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Beneath some of the most demanding ski-runs in the world, | 0:00:09 | 0:00:13 | |
Whistler, in Canada, is hiding a secret. | 0:00:13 | 0:00:17 | |
Winter and summer, | 0:00:26 | 0:00:28 | |
Whistler is a magnet for thrill-seekers. | 0:00:28 | 0:00:31 | |
But it's not just people who crowd the black runs. | 0:00:32 | 0:00:36 | |
The slopes are also home to black bears - | 0:00:39 | 0:00:43 | |
the highest concentration in the world. | 0:00:43 | 0:00:45 | |
So what is it about Whistler that makes it so appealing to bears? | 0:00:47 | 0:00:52 | |
For the entire winter, | 0:01:03 | 0:01:05 | |
the slopes are bear-free, | 0:01:05 | 0:01:07 | |
but the bears ARE here, | 0:01:07 | 0:01:09 | |
hidden in dens beneath the snow. | 0:01:09 | 0:01:11 | |
They're waiting for spring. | 0:01:11 | 0:01:14 | |
By the end of April, even artificial snow can't prolong the ski season for ever. | 0:01:15 | 0:01:20 | |
As temperatures continue to rise, | 0:01:28 | 0:01:31 | |
it's time for black bears and their new-born cubs | 0:01:31 | 0:01:34 | |
to emerge from their dens. | 0:01:34 | 0:01:36 | |
Many of the bears here are monitored by researchers, | 0:01:40 | 0:01:43 | |
including this female, Jess, | 0:01:43 | 0:01:45 | |
who brings two male cubs into the world for the first time. | 0:01:45 | 0:01:49 | |
All the bears here are now intent on one thing - | 0:01:56 | 0:01:59 | |
finding food, | 0:01:59 | 0:02:01 | |
and that's the main thing which attracts them to Whistler. | 0:02:01 | 0:02:04 | |
Exposed to the sun, | 0:02:07 | 0:02:09 | |
the now snow-free ski-runs are covered in rich grasses | 0:02:09 | 0:02:12 | |
and high-protein clover. | 0:02:12 | 0:02:14 | |
BIRD SQUAWKS | 0:02:21 | 0:02:22 | |
But for Jess and her cubs, | 0:02:22 | 0:02:24 | |
this is not the start of a carefree summer. | 0:02:24 | 0:02:27 | |
There are hostile males about. | 0:02:28 | 0:02:31 | |
This male will kill Jess's cubs if it can, | 0:02:38 | 0:02:41 | |
it's the only way for him to bring her back into season | 0:02:41 | 0:02:44 | |
and have HIS cubs. | 0:02:44 | 0:02:46 | |
The cubs' only safety is in the spindly upper branches. | 0:02:47 | 0:02:51 | |
And Jess just has to brave it out. | 0:03:03 | 0:03:06 | |
He backs off...this time. | 0:03:16 | 0:03:19 | |
When the coast is clear, | 0:03:31 | 0:03:33 | |
Jess and the cubs head further down the mountain | 0:03:33 | 0:03:35 | |
to avoid another encounter. | 0:03:35 | 0:03:37 | |
At the bottom of the valley lies the town of Whistler, | 0:03:37 | 0:03:41 | |
and in the summer months many bears head for town | 0:03:41 | 0:03:44 | |
to seek protection and food. | 0:03:44 | 0:03:46 | |
Jess and her cubs are about to join life in the fast lane. | 0:03:48 | 0:03:52 | |
The bears can detect even the faintest whiff of fast food | 0:04:05 | 0:04:08 | |
with their fantastic sense of smell. | 0:04:08 | 0:04:10 | |
Undeterred by all the attention, | 0:04:21 | 0:04:23 | |
the bears stay focused on their mission. | 0:04:23 | 0:04:26 | |
Fast-food leftovers give the bears a boost in the race to fatten up | 0:04:29 | 0:04:33 | |
before their next hibernation. | 0:04:33 | 0:04:36 | |
Jess and her cubs' constant search for food | 0:04:39 | 0:04:42 | |
could lead them into trouble. | 0:04:42 | 0:04:44 | |
Wiser bears wait for sunset. | 0:04:48 | 0:04:51 | |
Most bins are bear-proofed, | 0:05:07 | 0:05:09 | |
but if one is mistakenly left open, | 0:05:09 | 0:05:12 | |
it's an opportunity that can't be missed. | 0:05:12 | 0:05:15 | |
DOGS BARK | 0:05:18 | 0:05:20 | |
Come early autumn, it's berry season for bears. | 0:05:38 | 0:05:42 | |
With only two months to go before hibernation, | 0:05:44 | 0:05:47 | |
this time of the year triggers a change | 0:05:47 | 0:05:49 | |
in the bears' bodies and behaviour. | 0:05:49 | 0:05:52 | |
They can eat for 18 hours a day without feeling full, | 0:05:52 | 0:05:56 | |
and gain up to 30lbs a week. | 0:05:56 | 0:05:58 | |
Berries are not just in the mountains. | 0:06:01 | 0:06:04 | |
They also grow in Whistler town, | 0:06:04 | 0:06:06 | |
which means Jess and her cubs | 0:06:06 | 0:06:08 | |
don't have to budge from their summer home. | 0:06:08 | 0:06:11 | |
They're so focused on feeding at this time | 0:06:18 | 0:06:21 | |
that people have to be extra vigilant to avoid bumping into them. | 0:06:21 | 0:06:25 | |
Bears becoming too familiar with humans | 0:06:30 | 0:06:33 | |
puts the bears AND humans at risk. | 0:06:33 | 0:06:35 | |
And down at the driving range | 0:06:39 | 0:06:41 | |
there are more than water hazards to contend with. | 0:06:41 | 0:06:44 | |
Jess and her cubs are breakfasting on the lush grass of the fairway... | 0:06:45 | 0:06:50 | |
with the odd sandwich on the side. | 0:06:50 | 0:06:52 | |
As the summer progresses, | 0:07:02 | 0:07:04 | |
Jess is getting more and more belligerent, | 0:07:04 | 0:07:07 | |
and her cubs are watching her every move. | 0:07:07 | 0:07:09 | |
Smash-and-grab is now their preferred strategy. | 0:07:13 | 0:07:16 | |
And at this time of year, it's each cub for himself. | 0:07:24 | 0:07:28 | |
Reinforcements simply push them into another feeding patch. | 0:07:34 | 0:07:38 | |
But as long as everyone sticks to the rules, | 0:07:40 | 0:07:42 | |
town-dwellers can live amicably together. | 0:07:42 | 0:07:46 | |
Jess and her cubs' summer in the city | 0:07:52 | 0:07:54 | |
has got them fat enough to survive the winter. | 0:07:54 | 0:07:57 | |
But it leaves them with a difficult legacy - | 0:07:59 | 0:08:02 | |
the cubs now have little fear of humans. | 0:08:02 | 0:08:05 | |
The habits they've learned from their mother | 0:08:07 | 0:08:10 | |
are now deeply ingrained, | 0:08:10 | 0:08:11 | |
and might get them into big trouble in future. | 0:08:11 | 0:08:14 | |
As winter approaches, | 0:08:15 | 0:08:17 | |
it's time for Jess, her cubs and all the other city bears | 0:08:17 | 0:08:21 | |
to head out of town and back up the slopes. | 0:08:21 | 0:08:23 | |
Jess will hibernate with her cubs for six months, | 0:08:25 | 0:08:28 | |
but next summer they'll have to fend for themselves. | 0:08:28 | 0:08:31 | |
The question is, | 0:08:31 | 0:08:33 | |
when they're on their own, will the bears be back in town? | 0:08:33 | 0:08:37 | |
Subtitles by Palma McKeown, Red Bee Media Ltd 2007 | 0:08:45 | 0:08:48 | |
E-mail [email protected] | 0:08:48 | 0:08:51 |