0:00:14 > 0:00:19Ever since I can remember, I've been drawn to wild places.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29I guess it's really how my interest in bears started.
0:00:31 > 0:00:36To me, bears, more than any other creature, represent wilderness.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40And more than that - wildness itself.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Brown bears once roamed across Europe and North America
0:00:47 > 0:00:49but today they're found
0:00:49 > 0:00:52in just a few small pockets of really wild land.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Alaska is one of the bears' last strongholds.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03My name is Chris Morgan.
0:01:05 > 0:01:10I've dedicated half my life to the study and conservation of bears.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13This remote stretch of coastal Alaska
0:01:13 > 0:01:15is like nowhere else on Earth.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19In most places, bears keep a healthy distance from each other
0:01:19 > 0:01:23but these bears have somehow learned to live with one another.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Left alone, it has become a city of bears.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39I'll follow these bears through an entire season.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41From spring to autumn.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Piece together their complex social lives
0:01:46 > 0:01:49and find out how these colossal giants manage to live together.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53The first thing this young male does when the big fellow leaves,
0:01:53 > 0:01:55starts putting on a show for the ladies!
0:01:57 > 0:02:00You've got to be tough to survive here.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10It's a land like no other.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18It's grizzly country.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40You know, I grew up in St Anne's in Lancashire
0:02:40 > 0:02:44and to me, Alaska was this far-off wild place.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Somewhere at the ends of the Earth.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51But the first time I took flight over this country
0:02:51 > 0:02:55I was blown away by the size of the place.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02To me, it takes an animal as wild as a bear to call Alaska home.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Just looks and feels like bear country out there.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Vast and wild.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23No way! Oh, wow! Look at that!
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Wow! Two bears. Play fighting.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37It's early June and bears are beginning to gather
0:03:37 > 0:03:39in the lush meadows.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55You can imagine the sense of joy they must feel
0:03:55 > 0:03:59after being cooped up in their dark den for the past six months.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05I can't believe we're here. It's...
0:04:05 > 0:04:08I love it, I love this place.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09It feels just so right to be here
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and I'm so dying to see what the bears are up to,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15especially this early in the season.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19I've never been here this early before so it's completely new to me.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22'For the next several months, film-maker Joe Pontecorvo
0:04:22 > 0:04:25'and I will be living among bears.'
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Think we've got enough stuff?
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Looks like we're going to be here for a year!
0:04:54 > 0:04:57We are deep inside grizzly country,
0:04:58 > 0:04:59in a place known to have
0:04:59 > 0:05:03the largest concentrations of brown bears in the world.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07BIRD CRIES
0:05:13 > 0:05:17I've always wanted to spend a season living among brown bears.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Watching their daily lives unfold.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24But it's also a somewhat unsettling feeling
0:05:24 > 0:05:27to be surrounded by so many bears.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31WE are the visitors here.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52It's like we're rigging a demolition scene!
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Some kinds of explosives!
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Hey, that's not a bad idea!
0:05:59 > 0:06:01I've got a much smaller camp than Joe.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04He's got all the gear within his electric fence
0:06:04 > 0:06:07so it's pretty sizeable.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Whereas mine, I just need a tent and a few of my personal belongings.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14And of course, all the food goes in Joe's camp as well!
0:06:14 > 0:06:19There is this complete sense of isolation in coastal Alaska.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25You feel, genuinely, like you're the first person
0:06:25 > 0:06:27to set foot right here.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29The first person to sit on this log.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32And, you know, there are tracks going off
0:06:32 > 0:06:34down this ridge of rocks here.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39And it looks like a human set of footprints but it's not.
0:06:39 > 0:06:40It's bear tracks.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Every inch of this has been influenced by the bears
0:06:43 > 0:06:45and the wolves that call it home.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52The sun is up most of the time.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Even now, it's not that late yet, it's ten o'clock at night,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59and we've got several hours of light to work in if we want to.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02It's tough to go to bed
0:07:02 > 0:07:05because there's something happening all the time.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Don't drop that camera, Joe.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Many thousands of years ago,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21the whole of North America was wild enough for large carnivores.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24This is the front right track of a large male.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27But now we only find the huge carnivores
0:07:27 > 0:07:30in small pockets of really wild land,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32in places like Alaska.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Stop, stop.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37(There's a sleeping bear.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40(We don't want to surprise him. Back up.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46(You know, these bears are very, very tolerant.)
0:07:46 > 0:07:49But if you've got a sleeping bear like that,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51you certainly don't want to surprise him.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54If he was to wake up from a deep sleep surprised like that,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56they could quickly turn.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58It's like sleeping in your motel room
0:07:58 > 0:08:00and someone breaking the door down and enter your room.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03What would you do? You'd go into that fight response.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05We'll cross the river and avoid him.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08Hey there, bear.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29The bears I normally see fattening up for winter
0:08:29 > 0:08:32are at the beginning of their season.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38And the salmon run is still months away.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Bears have lost nearly 50% of their body weight over the winter
0:08:48 > 0:08:50and they are eager to get it back.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57What they are looking for, smelling for actually, are tiny razor clams.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Once they find one, they start digging with those massive claws.
0:09:06 > 0:09:07It's not much of a meal.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12But this time of year, they'll take whatever they can get.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24This is unbelievable. There's a female here with two tiny cubs.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26They probably weigh less than 10 pounds.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28I've never seen any this small before.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32These cubs were only born in January in the den
0:09:32 > 0:09:34and they've probably only been out of the den
0:09:34 > 0:09:36for about three weeks since mid-May.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Can you imagine the sensory overload
0:09:40 > 0:09:43these cubs are going through right now?
0:09:43 > 0:09:47They're playing with things, discovering the world around them.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50One of them is playing with a piece of grass there.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01A year from now,
0:10:01 > 0:10:05they'll start to wander a little bit further from her.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09And right now they're sticking to her like glue.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12They don't want to let her out of sight
0:10:12 > 0:10:14and she doesn't want them out of sight.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20There's a lot of big, feisty, testosterone-driven males right now.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24One of these cubs would make a very easy, tasty snack for them.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30And I really hope that she keeps them safe.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Mating season lasts just two months.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43But during that time, bears from all around
0:10:43 > 0:10:46gather in the lush meadow below.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49It's a dangerous time for a mum with young cubs.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52But experience has taught her well.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57The bluff provides both sanctuary and a view of her surroundings.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02With this many big males around,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05she's got to have her wits about her the whole time.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14This swagger, we call it the cowboy walk.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19He's really doing two things here, trying to impress the female...
0:11:22 > 0:11:25..but it's trying to make themselves feel as big as possible
0:11:25 > 0:11:28and look as big as possible to the other bears - their competitors.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41Now, he's a real cowboy. A big, brutish-looking guy.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Everyone is keeping a close eye on Brutus.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Look at him salivating.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53When these big males get worked up, they'll start salivating like this.
0:11:55 > 0:11:56This unbelievable.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01This big, brutish male - he's being super-aggressive.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03BEAR GROWLS
0:12:03 > 0:12:07It's a pretty gutsy move to walk up on a mating pair like this.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10BEAR GROWLS
0:12:14 > 0:12:16BEARS GROWL
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Brutus pushed the older male right off the young female.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28I don't think grandpa is willing to risk his life over this one female.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34The look on the face on grandpa.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37He just looks so forlorn.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Now Brutus is stomping his scent into the ground...
0:12:49 > 0:12:53erasing all traces of grandpa from the meadow.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Stomping him out of existence.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13The males here will try and mate with as many females as possible.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15While the females are looking for the biggest,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18the most dominant male around.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22That'll give her cubs the best chance of survival.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27There's another guy coming in from behind her.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31He doesn't look big enough to take on the big guy.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Looks like he's going to give it a shot, though.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Wow, this female is getting a lot of attention.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Four males around her right now.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51It's almost like she's insignificant, you know.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54The males are fighting among themselves
0:13:54 > 0:13:57and the winner gets to take her home.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05LOUD GROWL
0:14:29 > 0:14:33They are two feet away from these massive giants
0:14:33 > 0:14:35and they're clashing in a big, aggressive fight.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39These females are assessing the males.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44He's definitely at the peak of his game right now.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47All the other males can do is sit around watching.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52Then the female goes home with the winner.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54And that's why all of the males around here
0:14:54 > 0:14:57are at least twice as big as the females.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01That's because the big guys win the fights and they get to breed.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09A quiet calm returns to the meadow.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15And life resumes as if nothing had happened at all.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20But these cubs are lucky. She knows how to rear them.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25In a place where there are these threats for them to be aware of.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34She's a good mum. I've decided to call her Nadie, which means "wise".
0:15:43 > 0:15:45These cubs learn so much every day.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49What's good to eat, what bears to avoid, how to be safe.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52And by following mum,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56they'll learn what it takes to survive in this busy city of bears.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20WOLF HOWLS
0:16:33 > 0:16:36I just came over the rise to go back into the tent
0:16:36 > 0:16:40after being out on a walk and there's a bear right here.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45He's about 30 feet from my tent right now.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47A moment ago...
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Oh, hello! Hey, bear, it's OK.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54You are a big fella, I know.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56You think you can go anywhere you like, don't you.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59And you probably can!
0:16:59 > 0:17:02He's right between Joe's tent, which is here, and my tent.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Our tents are about 30 yards apart and he's in-between them.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Joe was on the other side of the tent at the time.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13I was afraid he might touch his nose to that electric fence
0:17:13 > 0:17:17and bolt in the opposite direction and run Joe over in the process.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20But so far so good. He's a big bear, he's a big male.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24He walked past my tent a minute ago and its fur, I swear,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27brushed on my electric fence and it didn't work!
0:17:28 > 0:17:31This is unbelievable. He's erm...
0:17:32 > 0:17:35He's eating an Angelica plant right now.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38It's OK, buddy, yeah.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40You keep going, I think.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Yeah, he's a pretty big male. It's OK.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Even a simple breakfast is an adventure in bear country.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19With this many visitors around, you can never be too careful.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27It's tough because these bears see their whole world through their nose.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29You've got to look at their world
0:18:29 > 0:18:31through their perspective, through their nose.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34They can smell this from two miles down the valley here.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39There's a certain tension in the air.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41You're always looking over your shoulder.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Any one of these creatures can wipe you out in an instant.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50But they choose not to.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53They choose to allow you to be part of their habitat and landscape
0:18:53 > 0:18:55and their home.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57For as long as you want to be there.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Hi.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Wow, you beautiful thing.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24It almost looks like the National Park Service maintains these.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26 But these are all bear trails.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Generation after generation after generation of brown bears
0:19:31 > 0:19:34have created these trails as the most efficient route from A to B.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36It's a perfect system.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38We've been following it.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42We're doing the same thing, except we're not eating the sedges.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48There's a lot of traffic in these meadows during mating season.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55In a population this large, with this much competition,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57it's all about scent.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Any male coming up to this can smell the 10 previous males
0:20:00 > 0:20:04that had come up to this and done the same thing.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Checking out who's on the meadow here,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08who they're competing with tonight.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11They know who's on this meadow long before they even see them.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16Their noses are planted firmly in the sedge meadow all the time
0:20:16 > 0:20:19and they're reading this landscape like a bar code.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Scent is powerful advertising in the bear world.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25It works for both sexes.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30The females will sit down, plant themselves in the meadow
0:20:30 > 0:20:34and coyly look around to see which males might be eyeing them up.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37The male will approach and she'll move away
0:20:37 > 0:20:39and he plants his nose right in the grass
0:20:39 > 0:20:42to smell whether she's going to be receptive.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46It's almost like her placing a singles ad.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51Single, hairy, brown female seeks massive, promiscuous male!
0:20:55 > 0:20:59In a population this size, bears learn to watch their back.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Their eyes are looking left, right and centre,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05trying to figure out who's there, who they can breed with
0:21:05 > 0:21:07and who they need to avoid.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09The sedges are a kind of distraction.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Competition is not limited to males.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Females will compete with other females
0:21:16 > 0:21:19for access to the best males.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22It's really unusual and something I haven't seen before.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Many of these bears have grown up together or are related in some way.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Spending season after season in these same meadows.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Brothers that come together and play as adults.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Or two teenagers that have grown up as neighbours.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51These social complexities mean cubs here
0:21:51 > 0:21:55have a whole lot more to learn than almost anywhere else.
0:21:58 > 0:22:03Normally, brown bear cubs stay with their mum for about three years.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06But here, cubs might stay with mum for even longer.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27These guys have a good head start.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Nadie is definitely a dominating presence on the meadow.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43- She's running towards him.- She's charging. She's charging at him.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11While mum grazes, the cubs are on high alert.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Smelling the air for danger.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Alarmed by anything unfamiliar...
0:23:16 > 0:23:19which for them, is quite a lot.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22They've only been in this grand outside world
0:23:22 > 0:23:24for, maybe, six weeks now.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27These cubs are facing so many different choices
0:23:27 > 0:23:29and learning experiences every day.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33It's nice to feel that we're an easy one.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Not quite sure how close to come, are you.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41It's important they stay cautious, like their mum.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48But they're cubs. The temptation to play is too great.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07They are gladiators as tall as grass blades.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13COUNTRY GUITAR MUSIC
0:24:42 > 0:24:45CUBS SQUEAK
0:24:45 > 0:24:50The scent of a large male is carried on the wind.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Mum can identify an individual from nearly 200 metres away
0:24:54 > 0:24:56just by their scent.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02She's obviously very cautious of this male, probably knows him...
0:25:04 > 0:25:05and is keeping her distance.
0:25:08 > 0:25:09It's really interesting
0:25:09 > 0:25:12because there's this tolerance thing going on this time of year.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17The rest of the year, these females avoid the males like the plague.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19They don't want anything to do with them
0:25:19 > 0:25:21and can be aggressive, so they keep apart.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29These females know the males are more cautious than they are
0:25:29 > 0:25:30when there's people around.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34She might use us as a barrier for his advances.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51He's getting hyper-focused on her right now.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55This is going to be close, I think.
0:26:00 > 0:26:01This big male is all worked up
0:26:01 > 0:26:04so it's difficult to know what he might do.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10We should be careful as well here, Joe.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14It's best for us to stay put, stay low and don't move.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23This is going to be close, Joe.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33The male is coming up right behind you here, Joe.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38OK, OK. It's OK.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43It's OK. It's OK. We're not touching her.
0:26:47 > 0:26:48It's OK.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54It's all right. It's OK.
0:26:55 > 0:26:56It's OK.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58He's pretty wound up.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10She clearly needs the protein that these sedges are providing.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13But at the same time, she's got to keep the cubs safe
0:27:13 > 0:27:15from these big males that are coming over.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Trying to pick up the weather forecast.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55I want to know what we're letting themselves in for,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58because the weather really seems to be coming in.
0:27:58 > 0:28:03Seas, eight feet. We should probably make sure your gear is OK, actually.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Just get it inside the tent and figure things out.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Look at that. That's not my pillow.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11I don't use pillows when I'm camping.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15I usually sleep on a stake because I'm a real tough guy
0:28:15 > 0:28:18and if I'm feeling like treating myself, maybe a boot,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20but definitely not one of those pillows.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23I don't know where that came from. Did you put that in here, Joe?
0:28:28 > 0:28:31It's been a really stormy couple of days.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33It's pouring with rain outside.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36You can perhaps hear it on the tent here.
0:28:38 > 0:28:43It's difficult just being holed up in the tent all this time.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48I've rigged the tarp and I've got a bit of a porch here
0:28:48 > 0:28:51and it's keeping a lot of the rain out, so fingers crossed,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53but it's tiring.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55It's tiring just dealing with it.
0:28:58 > 0:29:03So, I'm going to try and get some sleep
0:29:03 > 0:29:08and hope that my tent and tarp is all intact in the morning.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22The seas are calm again.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26But something is upsetting the flock.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35This guy is headed straight for a puffin colony.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43Brown bears don't normally hunt puffins
0:29:43 > 0:29:47but bears are opportunistic and experimental animals,
0:29:47 > 0:29:50especially when driven by hunger.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52Even the puffins are surprised.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04In this case, the bear is rewarded.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24With the good weather comes carefree days.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32The entire family is having a good time tonight.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34She's even grown more relaxed. Look at that.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38You can tell they've put a considerable amount of weight on
0:30:38 > 0:30:40and probably three times further away
0:30:40 > 0:30:45from the safety of the bluff than we've ever seen them before.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49Where did she go? She's in the middle of the meadow there.
0:30:49 > 0:30:50She's moving away.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54This bear came out of the trees. See it to your right, Joe?
0:30:54 > 0:30:58Nadie has settled down quite a bit over the last couple of weeks,
0:30:58 > 0:31:02but still keeps a healthy distance.
0:31:02 > 0:31:03And for good reason.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07Mating season is winding down.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11A quiet desperation hangs in the air
0:31:11 > 0:31:15as the bears anticipate the arrival of the first salmon.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23Lately, Nadie hardly gives me a glance.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29I realise it's incumbent on me to respect her boundaries.
0:31:29 > 0:31:34I have to constantly remind myself what they're capable of.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42I wish I could join them with this little tussle.
0:31:42 > 0:31:43Wouldn't that be fun?
0:31:43 > 0:31:45Just jump in and roll around there with them.
0:31:54 > 0:31:59It's impossible not to get caught up in how adorable all this play is.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02But all this play has a purpose.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04The sticks and driftwood
0:32:04 > 0:32:07they pretend are the salmon they've never tasted.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13All the affection they show mum...
0:32:18 > 0:32:19..the sparring...
0:32:21 > 0:32:24..it all has a purpose.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27The environment these cubs grow up in is dangerous...
0:32:27 > 0:32:30highly competitive...
0:32:32 > 0:32:33..and often unpredictable.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41We're all cool, it's OK.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44We're OK. It's all right. It's OK.
0:32:50 > 0:32:55Nadie is so comfortable with us that she's grazed very close to us now.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07In this situation, it's best to remain as still as possible
0:33:07 > 0:33:09and let her pass.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11It's all right, everybody. Just chill.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21It's all right. Don't you come any closer though, you guys.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24You'll get us into trouble here.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26It's OK. Yes.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36It's OK. No, don't come any closer.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38It's all right. Yeah, I know.
0:33:49 > 0:33:54That was intense. She was closer than any bear has been to me before.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58I just sat here in the meadow to start with.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01I was probably 80 yards away from her
0:34:01 > 0:34:05and she grazed to within five, six feet away from me.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09No way, not in a million years would I ever approach this situation.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12It was her choice to come to me and it's intense, though.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15I'm exhausted from just having her that close
0:34:15 > 0:34:18and staring at me in the eyes.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20It's a prehistoric feeling.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26It's really raw, that's for sure.
0:34:28 > 0:34:29She's 30 feet away right now
0:34:29 > 0:34:32and she might as well be the other end of the football field.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34She seems like a long way, I think.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48Life for these little guys, like us all,
0:34:48 > 0:34:51is never going to be more carefree than this.
0:35:16 > 0:35:21In these still moments, it's easy to forget the season is racing by.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31Two months have gone by since I first arrived.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38It's this in-between time that's toughest of all.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44The wolves, with a new litter, are desperate for a hunt.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57The fields are drying up and pushing the bears towards the water.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03But their feast is yet to arrive.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09Females gather at the river mouth
0:36:09 > 0:36:11with the anticipation of an early run.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42BEARS GROWL
0:36:58 > 0:37:01This early, there are more bears than fish.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03It's still unclear
0:37:03 > 0:37:06whether there's anything worth eating in the shallow tide.
0:37:09 > 0:37:10That's just a flounder.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21No salmon yet.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26The competition is becoming fierce.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29The early females are suddenly being boxed out of their spot.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41All this splashing around,
0:37:41 > 0:37:45it's hard to tell whether they're onto something
0:37:45 > 0:37:47or simply chasing ghosts.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23Wow, she's got it! She's got it! It's a salmon.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15The feast has begun.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17The salmon are coming home.
0:39:19 > 0:39:24It feels as if the river itself has been anticipating this moment.
0:39:24 > 0:39:29For a short time, salmon will be the lifeblood of this place.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Now, the clock has started on this narrow window for the bears.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54This is a pretty mature female
0:39:54 > 0:39:56and she really knows what she's doing
0:39:56 > 0:40:01and she's got this really healthy, fat, cuddly looking cub.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04He's never more than ten feet behind his mum.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10She shares nearly every fish she catches with her young cub.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16He'll grow fast and her determination will pay off
0:40:16 > 0:40:19in how quickly he learns how to live here.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37With all his needs met, he's relaxed to hone his skills.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Look, he's snorkelling.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47He's got his head right underwater, so he can see the fish.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04It's incredible. Time after time, she's catching female fish.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07And it's important that she catches the female fish
0:41:07 > 0:41:10because they're full of fat, in the form of eggs
0:41:10 > 0:41:13that the cub can really benefit from.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16That's why he's so chunky looking.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18I think I'll call him Fatso.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26This young male has been closely watching her and now she's resting,
0:41:26 > 0:41:30he's decided to test out her fishing spot.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34Probably in his first year of life without mum.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37He's suitably overwhelmed by the environment
0:41:37 > 0:41:39and the number of bears here.
0:41:39 > 0:41:44But he doesn't have much time to fumble.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51The salmon run is brief and unpredictable.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54It's vital to him for surviving the winter.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00But so far, he's unable to pull the trigger.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07The river is so densely packed right now,
0:42:07 > 0:42:12the bears need to employ a number of strategies to catch salmon
0:42:12 > 0:42:16and keep a safe distance from each other.
0:42:26 > 0:42:31The bears that are forced into the deeper water have to snorkel
0:42:31 > 0:42:34to track their prey.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38The salmon hide in these deep pockets, out of reach.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46Even as some of the bears are struggling to catch anything,
0:42:46 > 0:42:50others are becoming much more selective,
0:42:50 > 0:42:55and giving some lucky salmon a second chance.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08The salmon pack the dense channels,
0:43:08 > 0:43:12trying to reach the spawning ground, the completion of their journey.
0:43:12 > 0:43:17But first, they have to get through this gauntlet of bears.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01Still, many will make it far, far up river,
0:44:01 > 0:44:04where they will spawn and end their journey.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11Life is good. They've even got time to play.
0:44:12 > 0:44:17She's only got one cub, so she'll tend to play more with that one cub.
0:44:21 > 0:44:25I don't think there's any bond stronger in nature
0:44:25 > 0:44:27than a female bear and her cub.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32Just imagine his surprise four years from now
0:44:32 > 0:44:35when she turns around and doesn't want to know him any more.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39She'll want to move on.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41And he'll be on his own.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48Life is not so easy for the wolves.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55The salmon taunt them.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59But the chase is more an act of desperation than anything.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07The salmon are still too deep for the wolves to catch.
0:45:13 > 0:45:18I haven't seen Nadie or her cubs for weeks now. I hope they're OK.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23But Fatso and his mum have become regular visitors
0:45:23 > 0:45:26along this busy stretch of river.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34Fatso is quickly becoming a serious hunter.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40As he tags along with the expert,
0:45:40 > 0:45:44he takes every opportunity to flaunt his kung fu moves.
0:45:48 > 0:45:53This mum has just arrived with three cubs,
0:45:53 > 0:45:56the first triplets we've seen this year.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00It's unusual for her to still have all three cubs
0:46:00 > 0:46:02this far into the season.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05It's probably her first trip down to the river
0:46:05 > 0:46:09and they will take whatever they can get.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15It's certainly a different situation than Fatso is used to.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21The river definitely shows off the diversity of bears here.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29But even poaching scraps around this many bears
0:46:29 > 0:46:32is more than she's comfortable with.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36So they'll eat this meal on the road.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46She's found a quieter stretch of the river.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56It seems that for a couple of them, these are their first litters,
0:46:56 > 0:47:00so first time they've experienced looking after their young cubs.
0:47:00 > 0:47:05And there is this incredible, almost panic, more than urgency,
0:47:05 > 0:47:07it's just a panic to feed right now.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10The anticipation of denning for the whole winter
0:47:10 > 0:47:15without enough fat, just is this innate fear that they have.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27The density of bears here
0:47:27 > 0:47:31makes things tense for these larger families.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33She is just frantic.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38She senses that if she doesn't catch something fresh,
0:47:38 > 0:47:40they won't last very long.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45The cubs aren't comfortable yet
0:47:45 > 0:47:49with mum thrashing off into the deep without them.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54She tries to reassure them
0:47:54 > 0:47:57and guide them to a safe beach to wait for her.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59But they aren't so easily convinced.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08You can definitely tell that she senses the pressure
0:48:08 > 0:48:10to catch fish right now.
0:48:10 > 0:48:13She's just arrived, later than the other bears,
0:48:13 > 0:48:17and it's just a matter of time before these fish dry up here.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20And so, she's got a lot of work on her hands.
0:48:47 > 0:48:52All this company, there's no chance to catch anything.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55A quiet window of opportunity has gone.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02And it's back to leftovers for the family.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14Even during salmon season, there are waves.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19The fish come in with the tides,
0:49:19 > 0:49:23but that doesn't mean every tide has fish.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27I thought I'd scout down to the mouth of this river
0:49:27 > 0:49:31and see what was happening downstream.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35If there's any action to be had, that's where it would be.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53Well, that's a familiar face. I almost didn't recognise her.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56But that's definitely Nadie and her two cubs.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00Hardly recognisable from the tiny little cubs we saw a few weeks ago.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04They're not only larger and healthier and fatter than they were
0:50:04 > 0:50:08a few weeks ago when I last saw them, but they've grown up as well.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11They've got this different attitude now.
0:50:11 > 0:50:16This is such an important time of year for her and her cubs.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19I'm so relieved to see that she's got both of them,
0:50:19 > 0:50:21neither of them have been killed,
0:50:21 > 0:50:24and that's really common with young cubs.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28Not only that, they look in great shape as well.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40See she's yawning like that?
0:50:40 > 0:50:44That's a sign of anxiety, when they yawn like she's doing now.
0:50:44 > 0:50:49Look how well trained the cubs are. They're butterballs right now!
0:50:51 > 0:50:54And I think the other bears have noticed that she's a little feisty
0:50:54 > 0:50:59and potentially aggressive, so they don't mess with her at all.
0:51:03 > 0:51:07Using mum as a barricade there! That's priceless!
0:51:07 > 0:51:09She's gone off to fish and left them behind.
0:51:09 > 0:51:13They know not to disturb mum when she's fishing.
0:51:13 > 0:51:17They've got a few weeks until they den, but the urgency is on now.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20Her senses are definitely tuned in.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23That's all she's thinking about right now is fish.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29Every movement in the water, every scent on the air,
0:51:29 > 0:51:31and she's focused on it.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37And her senses are tuned to any intruder,
0:51:37 > 0:51:41especially any male that might threaten her cubs.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59She has two precious things to look after here.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06And she'll fight to the death to protect those cubs.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14For the moment, it looks like she's got the river to herself.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22But this male won't give up
0:52:22 > 0:52:25trying to carve out a small fishing hole for himself.
0:52:28 > 0:52:32It only takes a moment to run down this salmon, but does he have time?
0:53:31 > 0:53:34This may be the last I see of them this year.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56Joe's gone ahead to check out the salmon,
0:53:56 > 0:54:00as they make their final push up the falls.
0:54:00 > 0:54:04It looks like Fatso and mum are there, waiting for them.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21There is an electricity to this place.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28An energy that comes from the urgency of life here.
0:54:37 > 0:54:41It's late September. For these bears,
0:54:41 > 0:54:44this is the last chance to pack on the pounds for winter.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03Fatso has landed his first fish.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05Oh, my gosh! That is so great!
0:55:07 > 0:55:08He looks so proud!
0:55:10 > 0:55:12Look, Ma! I did it!
0:55:13 > 0:55:16It's a good start for this little cub.
0:55:27 > 0:55:31We normally think of bears as solitary animals.
0:55:31 > 0:55:35But in this dense population, in this city of bears,
0:55:35 > 0:55:38they've learned how to be social,
0:55:38 > 0:55:40how to get along with each other.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46Never before have I lived among these bears
0:55:46 > 0:55:51for such a long period of time, basically being their neighbour,
0:55:51 > 0:55:55and really, watching their lives unfold on a daily basis.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58I've seen another side of these bears,
0:55:58 > 0:56:03a tenderness and a complexity that's really been eye-opening.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08It's the first bear I've seen in a few hours.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11Those that I have seen are along the riverbank.
0:56:12 > 0:56:16They're kind of looking out hopefully into the water to see
0:56:16 > 0:56:18if there's any more fish.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23The salmon run's coming to an end here.
0:56:23 > 0:56:28And I'm sure the bears are anticipating that long winter ahead.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31'You know, I've really come to know these bears.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36'Nadie and her cubs, Fatso and his mum.'
0:56:39 > 0:56:42I'm a little bit lost for words, to be honest.
0:56:44 > 0:56:49I just feel like I've had this intimate... intimate relationship.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51I feel very at home here.
0:56:54 > 0:56:55Argh!
0:57:03 > 0:57:06What makes this place really wild is knowing the tracks
0:57:06 > 0:57:12I leave today will be bear tracks, or wolf tracks, tomorrow.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17Wilderness isn't the wide open spaces,
0:57:17 > 0:57:19but the wild things that fill it.
0:57:39 > 0:57:41Alaska is the last stronghold
0:57:41 > 0:57:45for some of the Earth's wildest creatures.
0:57:56 > 0:58:01This may be the end of my journey, but Alaska's wilderness
0:58:01 > 0:58:05and its wildest creatures will always call me back.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd