The Bears are Back in Town Natural Neighbours


The Bears are Back in Town

Similar Content

Browse content similar to The Bears are Back in Town. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

Beneath some of the most demanding ski-runs in the world,

0:00:090:00:13

Whistler, in Canada, is hiding a secret.

0:00:130:00:17

Winter and summer,

0:00:260:00:28

Whistler is a magnet for thrill-seekers.

0:00:280:00:31

But it's not just people who crowd the black runs.

0:00:320:00:36

The slopes are also home to black bears -

0:00:390:00:43

the highest concentration in the world.

0:00:430:00:45

So what is it about Whistler that makes it so appealing to bears?

0:00:470:00:52

For the entire winter,

0:01:030:01:05

the slopes are bear-free,

0:01:050:01:07

but the bears ARE here,

0:01:070:01:09

hidden in dens beneath the snow.

0:01:090:01:11

They're waiting for spring.

0:01:110:01:14

By the end of April, even artificial snow can't prolong the ski season for ever.

0:01:150:01:20

As temperatures continue to rise,

0:01:280:01:31

it's time for black bears and their new-born cubs

0:01:310:01:34

to emerge from their dens.

0:01:340:01:36

Many of the bears here are monitored by researchers,

0:01:400:01:43

including this female, Jess,

0:01:430:01:45

who brings two male cubs into the world for the first time.

0:01:450:01:49

All the bears here are now intent on one thing -

0:01:560:01:59

finding food,

0:01:590:02:01

and that's the main thing which attracts them to Whistler.

0:02:010:02:04

Exposed to the sun,

0:02:070:02:09

the now snow-free ski-runs are covered in rich grasses

0:02:090:02:12

and high-protein clover.

0:02:120:02:14

BIRD SQUAWKS

0:02:210:02:22

But for Jess and her cubs,

0:02:220:02:24

this is not the start of a carefree summer.

0:02:240:02:27

There are hostile males about.

0:02:280:02:31

This male will kill Jess's cubs if it can,

0:02:380:02:41

it's the only way for him to bring her back into season

0:02:410:02:44

and have HIS cubs.

0:02:440:02:46

The cubs' only safety is in the spindly upper branches.

0:02:470:02:51

And Jess just has to brave it out.

0:03:030:03:06

He backs off...this time.

0:03:160:03:19

When the coast is clear,

0:03:310:03:33

Jess and the cubs head further down the mountain

0:03:330:03:35

to avoid another encounter.

0:03:350:03:37

At the bottom of the valley lies the town of Whistler,

0:03:370:03:41

and in the summer months many bears head for town

0:03:410:03:44

to seek protection and food.

0:03:440:03:46

Jess and her cubs are about to join life in the fast lane.

0:03:480:03:52

The bears can detect even the faintest whiff of fast food

0:04:050:04:08

with their fantastic sense of smell.

0:04:080:04:10

Undeterred by all the attention,

0:04:210:04:23

the bears stay focused on their mission.

0:04:230:04:26

Fast-food leftovers give the bears a boost in the race to fatten up

0:04:290:04:33

before their next hibernation.

0:04:330:04:36

Jess and her cubs' constant search for food

0:04:390:04:42

could lead them into trouble.

0:04:420:04:44

Wiser bears wait for sunset.

0:04:480:04:51

Most bins are bear-proofed,

0:05:070:05:09

but if one is mistakenly left open,

0:05:090:05:12

it's an opportunity that can't be missed.

0:05:120:05:15

DOGS BARK

0:05:180:05:20

Come early autumn, it's berry season for bears.

0:05:380:05:42

With only two months to go before hibernation,

0:05:440:05:47

this time of the year triggers a change

0:05:470:05:49

in the bears' bodies and behaviour.

0:05:490:05:52

They can eat for 18 hours a day without feeling full,

0:05:520:05:56

and gain up to 30lbs a week.

0:05:560:05:58

Berries are not just in the mountains.

0:06:010:06:04

They also grow in Whistler town,

0:06:040:06:06

which means Jess and her cubs

0:06:060:06:08

don't have to budge from their summer home.

0:06:080:06:11

They're so focused on feeding at this time

0:06:180:06:21

that people have to be extra vigilant to avoid bumping into them.

0:06:210:06:25

Bears becoming too familiar with humans

0:06:300:06:33

puts the bears AND humans at risk.

0:06:330:06:35

And down at the driving range

0:06:390:06:41

there are more than water hazards to contend with.

0:06:410:06:44

Jess and her cubs are breakfasting on the lush grass of the fairway...

0:06:450:06:50

with the odd sandwich on the side.

0:06:500:06:52

As the summer progresses,

0:07:020:07:04

Jess is getting more and more belligerent,

0:07:040:07:07

and her cubs are watching her every move.

0:07:070:07:09

Smash-and-grab is now their preferred strategy.

0:07:130:07:16

And at this time of year, it's each cub for himself.

0:07:240:07:28

Reinforcements simply push them into another feeding patch.

0:07:340:07:38

But as long as everyone sticks to the rules,

0:07:400:07:42

town-dwellers can live amicably together.

0:07:420:07:46

Jess and her cubs' summer in the city

0:07:520:07:54

has got them fat enough to survive the winter.

0:07:540:07:57

But it leaves them with a difficult legacy -

0:07:590:08:02

the cubs now have little fear of humans.

0:08:020:08:05

The habits they've learned from their mother

0:08:070:08:10

are now deeply ingrained,

0:08:100:08:11

and might get them into big trouble in future.

0:08:110:08:14

As winter approaches,

0:08:150:08:17

it's time for Jess, her cubs and all the other city bears

0:08:170:08:21

to head out of town and back up the slopes.

0:08:210:08:23

Jess will hibernate with her cubs for six months,

0:08:250:08:28

but next summer they'll have to fend for themselves.

0:08:280:08:31

The question is,

0:08:310:08:33

when they're on their own, will the bears be back in town?

0:08:330:08:37

Subtitles by Palma McKeown, Red Bee Media Ltd 2007

0:08:450:08:48

E-mail [email protected]

0:08:480:08:51

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS