A Tale of Three Bears Planet Earth Live


A Tale of Three Bears

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Meet Sam, Sophie and Sybil, three black bear cubs.

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They live with their mum, Juliet.

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They're just three months old, tiny and vulnerable.

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They rely entirely on Mum for survival.

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I spent May in the Northwoods of Minnesota for Planet Earth Live...

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BEAR GRUNTS

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..following the cubs as their story unfolded.

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-SHE WHISPERS

-And so vulnerable.

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Just...oh, God...just so sweet.

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These woods are full of danger and challenges.

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Savage cold.

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Weather that can turn in an instant.

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Deadly predators.

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Eagles, coyotes, wolves.

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-And even forest fires.

-SIRENS WAIL

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Mum, Juliet, has a battle on her hands to keep her three cubs safe.

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This is Sam, Sophie and Sybil's story.

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The cubs are born in mid-January.

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The bears are all deep in hibernation.

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Many females are pregnant.

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They mated last year, fattened up in autumn,

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and settled in their dens around September.

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In January, temperatures can drop as low as -20 degrees Celsius.

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The woods are buried under almost a metre of snow.

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The females must conserve energy just to get through the winter.

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And to give birth.

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In mid January, mum, Juliet

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welcomes Sam, Sophie and Sybil into the world.

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BEARS CHATTER

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Black bear cubs are born blind and helpless.

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They each weigh less than half a kilogram.

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The den is like a second womb.

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It keeps them safe as they grow.

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By around six weeks, their eyes are open,

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and they've begun to crawl and explore.

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Usually, they leave the den in May.

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By then, they'll weigh ten times more than when they were born.

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But in April, things go badly wrong for Sam, Sophie and Sybil.

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Juliet's den is in a low-lying cedar bog.

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Normally, the ground would stay frozen

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until the cubs were ready to leave.

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But spring this year is incredibly warm.

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The snow begins to melt over a month earlier than usual.

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WATER RUSHES

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The den slowly fills with icy meltwater.

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Juliet must evacuate her cubs.

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For the triplets, this is the equivalent of a premature birth.

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They're fragile and exposed.

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Juliet must make a life or death decision.

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She can wait by the den and hope that the water refreezes,

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or move the tiny cubs to another site to see out the winter.

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For the cubs, a wrong choice could be fatal.

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Little Sybil is especially vulnerable.

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She's the smallest and the weakest.

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Her eyes have barely opened.

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She hardly has the energy to move.

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But Juliet's made her decision.

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She's ten years old, an experienced mother.

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She must find somewhere else to keep the cubs safe.

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After five months with no food, this journey is exhausting for her.

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For her tiny cubs, it's an almost unimaginable effort.

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Finally, Juliet finds a spot.

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She uses this as a day bed in the summer.

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The overhanging branches will keep off the worst of the weather.

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Fresh foliage makes the bed as comfortable as possible.

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But there's not much about.

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Exhausted, she collapses.

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And the cubs enjoy a well-earned meal in their new home.

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CUBS CHATTER

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Juliet's decision has paid off.

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For now.

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Minnesota is nestled up on the Canadian border.

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The state of 10,000 lakes.

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In between the lakes are the Northwoods,

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a mixed woodland of pines, firs, cedars and aspen.

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It's home to over 20,000 black bears.

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Biologist Lynn Rogers has studied the bears here for over 45 years.

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He's developed some controversial and revolutionary methods.

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For years, Lynn tranquilised bears to fit radio collars and track them.

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Then he found a new a way.

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He uses treats to gain the bears' trust.

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No more tranquilisers.

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It's good for the bears, and good for Lynn, too.

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He and his researchers can now walk with the bears

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and learn from them as they go about their daily lives.

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BEAR SNIFFS

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Thanks to his work, we can get these incredibly close

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and intimate views of black bears.

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When I arrived at the start of May, I was desperate to experience

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some of these intimate views for myself.

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I wanted to see how Sam, Sophie and Sybil were doing,

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after their traumatic start to life.

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Lynn took me straight out into the woods to find them.

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TRACKER CLICKS

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Let's see if she's there.

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That way.

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'I have to admit, I was nervous.

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'It's not every day you walk up to a completely wild black bear

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'with no protection.'

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Let's see if she's there. Ah-ha!

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I'm sorry, bear! I rushed up upon you!

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You might be a little bit brave being here.

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I've always heard, never get between a mother and her cubs,

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but it takes more than a mother black bear to scare us.

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Well, maybe it takes more to scare you,

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-because you've been doing this for 45 years!

-THEY LAUGH QUIETLY

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It's interesting...

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-BEAR MOVES AND GRUNTS

-Ooh! Oh, God!

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I'm sorry bear, what do you want?

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You wonder what we're here for?

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We think this is the only place in the world that we can come

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and see a mother with cubs like this, have her sit and trust us.

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-A WILD bear. Let's remember this.

-Yeah, yeah.

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Mmm-hmm.

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Mmm-hmm. Mmm-hmm.

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Hello, Mrs Bear.

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Nothing from me, I'm afraid.

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BEAR HISSES

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No.

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I MEAN no.

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SHE SIGHS

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These aggressive looking charges are called blusters.

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They don't mean the bear is about to attack.

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She's just nervous, probably because I'm new.

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-For me, this is scary stuff.

-BEAR SNARLS

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But Lynn's been doing this for 45 years.

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He's been blustered thousands of times,

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and not once has a bear attacked him.

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BEAR THUMPS HIDE

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-SHE WHISPERS

-Where are those cubs?

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They must be pretty high.

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I wish they'd come down. Yeah.

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'No cubs in sight. But Mum wasn't worried.

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'So we took our cue from her, and sat down to wait.

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'After 45 minutes, our patience paid off.'

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-SHE WHISPERS

-Yeah, here we go.

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-OK.

-Here we go.

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I've never seen anything so cute!

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'Sophie is bravest.

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'She's first to climb down to join mum.'

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-Oh!

-She's got them to wake up.

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-SHE WHISPERS

-I can't believe I'm actually sitting

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right here, just a few feet away from this...

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adorable, vulnerable, beautiful creature.

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Look, she's feeding.

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'A few minutes later, Sam puts in an appearance.'

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Someone else to join the party.

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Is he the right size for his age, or should he be bigger?

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He's doing OK, yeah.

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He's doing OK.

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'Finally, cautious little Sybil decides to join the family meal.'

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Oh!

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CUBS CHATTER

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They're starting to nurse.

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That little cheering hum.

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That's the sound of nursing?

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Yeah. That's the sound of a contented cub.

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A comfortable cub.

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Once the cubs have had their fill, it's time for a stretch,

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and then play time.

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BEARS YELP AND GROWL

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That's what you call a bear hug!

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As the exceptionally hot spring continues,

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more bears take advantage of the warmth

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to come out and forage.

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But it's still early in the season,

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and the bears are dangerously exposed.

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Jewel is a three-year-old,

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and a first-time mother.

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She has two cubs, Herbie and Fern.

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They're twins and inseparable.

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Jewel has a decision to make.

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Stay in the den, keeping the twins warm and safe,

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or go out in search of food.

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She hasn't eaten for six months.

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She's famished.

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She decides to leave the den,

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taking Herbie and Fern with her.

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She's a first-time mother,

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so her decision is based on instinct rather than experience.

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She has no way of knowing that the weather

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has another surprise in store for them.

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A cold front is approaching from the north,

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bringing howling Arctic winds.

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Winter has returned.

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For Jewel, for Juliet, and especially for their cubs,

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this could spell disaster.

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Juliet has the advantage of experience.

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As the snow starts to fall,

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she keeps her cubs close to her body

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so they benefit from her warmth.

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As they suckle, she helps keep them dry

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by licking the snow from their backs.

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Just a few miles away, first-time mum, Jewel, is struggling.

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She's stranded well away from her den with her cubs, Herbie and Fern.

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The cubs' first reaction is instinctive.

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They're faced with danger.

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There's only one thing to do.

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Herbie and Fern climb a tree.

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It's a potentially catastrophic tactic.

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Sticking closely together as always,

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soon, both cubs are shivering with cold.

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Up here, there's very little protection from the elements.

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Their coats are quickly crusted in snow.

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Down on the ground, their mother's body heat could help them keep warm.

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Up here, their small bodies are struggling to generate enough heat.

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They're shivering so hard they can barely hold on.

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Eventually, Jewel seems to understand the situation.

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She calls the cubs down.

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SHE CLICKS AND CALLS

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Herbie and Fern gingerly make their descent.

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It's slow going in the cold.

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A slip could kill them.

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Jewel urgently needs to get the cubs close, warm them up,

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and protect them from the storm.

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But incredibly, instead she moves off,

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leaving her frozen youngsters to struggle after her.

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CUBS SQUEAL

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At just three months old,

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the cubs find walking on snow almost impossible.

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Their paws are just too small, and sink into the drifts.

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With the snow now deeper than the cubs are tall,

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this is a dangerous world.

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Worse, the cubs only have a single layer of fur.

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They won't grow a second, insulating layer

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until they go into hibernation in the autumn.

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But autumn is a long way off for Herbie and Fern.

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Without Jewel, they won't last the night.

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But as darkness falls, there's still no sign of her.

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Overnight, the temperature plummets to -12 degrees Celsius.

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There's little hope the cubs will survive.

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But as dawn breaks...

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..relief.

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Jewel hasn't abandoned the cubs.

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She's led them to safety.

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She's found a more sheltered spot.

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Now she's keeping Herbie and Fern close and warm.

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The snow storm has highlighted the difference that experience can make.

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Jewel struggled in the storm,

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though ultimately, her instincts were good.

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But with three sets of cubs behind her,

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Juliet has taken it in her stride.

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So far this year, she's got everything right.

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Her cubs are growing well,

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and developing personalities of their own.

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Sam, the lone boy, is boisterous and adventurous.

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He's always on the look out for a scrap,

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usually with the middle sister, Sophie.

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But Sophie isn't afraid to fight back.

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In fact, the two of them are almost inseparable.

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Which means that Sybil,

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the smallest and most vulnerable cub,

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is often left out.

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She's smaller and skinnier than the other two.

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That puts her most at risk.

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But without a den to protect them,

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all the cubs are extremely vulnerable.

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They'd make a tasty snack for any of the Northwoods' many predators.

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These woods are rich hunting grounds.

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There's plenty of potential prey.

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A camera trap baited with a deer carcass

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exposes some of the threats the cubs face.

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CROWS CAW

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The crows are first to arrive,

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but their meal is soon disturbed.

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A bald eagle.

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They're immensely powerful,

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easily strong enough to snatch and kill a cub.

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But the biggest threats come out at night.

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A red fox. Small but wily.

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It could easily sneak up and grab a cub.

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Coyotes are much larger.

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For them, a bear cub is fair game.

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Finally, the most dangerous of all.

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A grey wolf.

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There are around 3,000 wolves in Minnesota.

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It's rare for a pack to attack a mother bear with cubs.

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But if they find Sam, Sophie and Sybil alone,

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our little friends won't stand a chance.

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Luckily, bear cubs have a survival trick all of their own.

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From the moment they leave the den, black bears can climb.

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But when you're tiny, nothing is as easy as it looks.

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One major challenge is working out

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which trees are safe to scamper up.

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Some are better than others.

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This beauty is a red pine.

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It's a nice mature tree,

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and it looks as if it should be a good climber, but it's not.

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Because the bark just peels away,

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so the little claws would dig in...

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..and then fall away.

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So we've got a paper birch

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right next door to a cedar here.

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I'll show you why this is called the paper birch.

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Look at that. So, not a great climbing tree,

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and also quite slippy.

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The cedar, on the other hand,

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nice juicy, juicy trunk,

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and you can get really good purchase on that.

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That's a good climber.

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And finally, this is actually

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the perfect black bear climbing tree,

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a mature white pine.

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Look at the bark. Very sturdy and solid.

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It doesn't come away at all.

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So, imagine claws clinging into that.

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And then, when you go up to the top, plenty of protection,

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strong, sturdy branches, and protection

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from the rain and from the sunshine for the cubs.

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And you can see how protected you would be down here.

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This is actually one of Juliet's day beds.

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And look, it's been raining all morning... Perfectly dry.

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Of course, it doesn't matter what kind of tree it is

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if it's far too small.

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Or if it's dead.

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And even on the big trees,

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the tough bit's getting down.

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CUB YELPS

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It's exhausting work for little legs.

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But the cubs are bundles of energy,

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and play is an important part of growing up.

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CUBS YELP

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Sam and Sophie play fight constantly.

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These battles teach coordination, build muscle,

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and establish a pecking order among the cubs.

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Little Sybil tries to join in the fun,

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but Sam and Sophie quickly reject her.

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She's bottom of the pecking order,

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even when the cubs are suckling.

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Female black bears have three pairs of nipples.

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The top pair provide more rich milk than the lower two pairs.

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Thanks to their play fights, Sam and Sophie are stronger.

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They always get the best meal.

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CUBS CHATTER

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When Sybil tries to barge in,

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Sam bullies her into submission.

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In this fight, it's every cub for themselves.

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One in five cubs die in their first year.

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Sybil is very much at risk.

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Having three cubs improves Juliet's chances as a mum.

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She may lose one, but two survivors is still a good year.

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If all three survive, even better.

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It all depends on whether Juliet can provide enough milk.

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The milk's around 25% fat,

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five times as rich as a cow's.

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Producing it is a strain on Juliet's reserves.

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To provide enough milk for three,

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she must eat whenever she gets the chance.

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But in these woods, it's tough to find enough food.

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Lynn took me out to show me some items on the Black Bear menu.

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If I were a bear coming along here

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and there's ant pupae about,

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I'd be sniffing this rock.

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And if I smelled something,

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I'd pull it over and be licking up

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all the pupae and the larvae.

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OK, nothing there, though.

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They don't roll them back, but I do. JULIA LAUGHS

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These look like juicy little morsels. What are they?

0:32:410:32:43

Oh, large leaf aster, and bears are eating those right now.

0:32:430:32:47

They only eat them when they're in this fuzzy stage, all curled up.

0:32:470:32:50

-This is when they taste good.

-Right.

0:32:500:32:53

-Tastes OK.

-OK.

0:32:540:32:56

-And here's something else right now.

-What's that?

0:32:560:32:59

HE LAUGHS Horse tail.

0:32:590:33:01

What does that taste like?

0:33:010:33:02

Not that good. SHE LAUGHS

0:33:020:33:05

Oh, here.

0:33:070:33:08

Here's something a bear would check for grubs.

0:33:080:33:11

They just tear into it like that.

0:33:110:33:13

And what sort of grubs are we looking for?

0:33:130:33:15

Beetle larvae.

0:33:150:33:18

But they would know if there's grubs in here.

0:33:180:33:21

They sniff it first, before they waste the energy.

0:33:210:33:25

They know their stuff, these bears, don't they?

0:33:250:33:28

Yeah! Yep.

0:33:280:33:30

So here's an aspen tree,

0:33:300:33:32

and if a bear was going to eat the leaves,

0:33:320:33:34

-which they eat at this time of the year...

-Yeah.

0:33:340:33:38

..they climb it and bring the tree down

0:33:380:33:40

and then they would strip the leaves

0:33:400:33:43

through their mouth...

0:33:430:33:44

SHE LAUGHS ..sideways, like that.

0:33:450:33:48

-Good bear!

-Yuck, I got the whole thing!

0:33:500:33:54

Shall we let this tree live?

0:33:540:33:55

-Yes.

-OK, I'm going to let it go.

0:33:550:33:57

-OK.

-OK?

-Yeah.

0:33:570:33:58

There we go.

0:33:580:34:00

As spring warms the woods,

0:34:060:34:08

more food begins to appear.

0:34:080:34:10

For Sam, Sophie, and Sybil, it's an important time.

0:34:170:34:21

They need to investigate all these foods for themselves.

0:34:210:34:24

Because exactly a year from now, when they're yearlings,

0:34:290:34:32

Juliet will kick them out to face life alone in the woods.

0:34:320:34:35

It's called family break up, and it's driven by one thing.

0:34:440:34:47

The need to mate.

0:34:470:34:50

Every year in May, the normally secretive males reappear.

0:34:570:35:01

They're looking for receptive females

0:35:040:35:06

and they'll fight to get access to them.

0:35:060:35:09

Males are hugely powerful. They can weigh up to 275 kilograms.

0:35:150:35:19

Fights like this can cause serious harm.

0:35:210:35:23

You might expect them to roar.

0:35:270:35:29

Instead, they honk.

0:35:290:35:30

BEARS HONK

0:35:320:35:35

For yearlings with receptive mothers,

0:35:490:35:51

the message is brutal and clear.

0:35:510:35:53

Beware.

0:35:540:35:56

Mum wants to mate.

0:35:590:36:01

She doesn't want cubs around.

0:36:010:36:03

Neither will the male.

0:36:030:36:05

But breaking up can be difficult.

0:36:100:36:11

Meet Aster and Aspen,

0:36:130:36:15

yearlings born to mother, June, last January.

0:36:150:36:18

At 18 months old, they're typical teenagers.

0:36:200:36:23

Boisterous, troublesome, but not yet independent.

0:36:230:36:27

Aster, the female, sticks close to mum.

0:36:320:36:35

She's gentle and inquisitive,

0:36:390:36:41

and still learning the tricks and trades of the woods.

0:36:410:36:45

Not always successfully.

0:36:450:36:47

Here she's come unstuck with red ants.

0:36:470:36:49

The male cub, Aspen, is more independent.

0:36:530:36:56

He's happy to head off on his own,

0:36:560:36:58

sometimes for hours on end.

0:36:580:37:02

But most of the time, both are content to stay close to June.

0:37:110:37:14

But she has other ideas.

0:37:190:37:21

June snaps, and Aspen is expelled.

0:37:320:37:34

This is the reality of family break up.

0:37:430:37:46

Aspen must now fend for himself,

0:37:480:37:51

and face the dangers of the woods alone.

0:37:510:37:53

But June still has Aster tagging along.

0:38:110:38:14

Rather than drive her away,

0:38:140:38:15

she tries to shake her off.

0:38:150:38:17

When Aster moves ahead, June makes her move.

0:38:210:38:25

When Aster realises she's alone, she backtracks.

0:38:340:38:38

She clearly doesn't want to be left alone.

0:38:380:38:40

Aster's going to be hard to shake.

0:38:470:38:49

June needs a new tactic.

0:38:490:38:51

Black bears have an incredible sense of smell.

0:38:550:38:59

Maybe June can lose Aster by hiding her scent trail.

0:38:590:39:03

But, persistent as ever,

0:39:100:39:12

Aster is in hot pursuit.

0:39:120:39:14

For now, June will have to put up with her daughter.

0:39:230:39:26

At least she's down to one.

0:39:330:39:35

Or so she thought.

0:39:350:39:37

An unexpected visitor.

0:39:530:39:56

Aspen rejoins the party.

0:39:560:39:58

After two days out on his own,

0:40:000:40:01

he's found his mum and sister again.

0:40:010:40:04

It's unusual for a bear to return after break up.

0:40:060:40:09

But instead of chasing him off again,

0:40:110:40:14

June seems to accept his presence.

0:40:140:40:16

And Aspen tries his hardest to ingratiate himself

0:40:180:40:21

back into the fold.

0:40:210:40:22

As June's yearlings struggle to accept their independence,

0:40:360:40:39

Juliet's young cubs are in danger of embracing it too early.

0:40:390:40:43

To provide milk for three hungry cubs, Juliet needs to feed.

0:40:490:40:53

There are no babysitters in these woods.

0:40:570:40:59

So she encourages Sam, Sophie and Sybil up a tree to keep them safe.

0:40:590:41:03

Left home alone,

0:41:130:41:14

it isn't long before the little bears start to misbehave.

0:41:140:41:18

Sophie and Sam quickly get bored of waiting and decide to explore.

0:41:200:41:24

Adventures are fun, but the woods are full of dangers,

0:41:330:41:35

and it's easy to get lost.

0:41:350:41:38

They climb a tree some distance from where Juliet left them.

0:41:550:41:59

They're out of sight.

0:41:590:42:00

Back by the first tree, Sybil is torn.

0:42:080:42:10

She's unsure whether to follow her siblings or wait for Mum.

0:42:130:42:19

She's alone on the forest floor,

0:42:300:42:32

exposed and very vulnerable.

0:42:320:42:34

She calls for help.

0:42:370:42:39

SHE SQUEALS

0:42:390:42:43

Juliet returns to find Sybil alone and distressed, but safe.

0:42:520:42:57

There's no sign of Sam and Sophie.

0:43:020:43:04

Juliet is faced with a dilemma. Rush off to look for them,

0:43:130:43:16

or wait by the tree where she left them.

0:43:160:43:19

SHE CALLS

0:43:210:43:24

She calls, but the cubs are either out of range,

0:43:240:43:28

or wilfully ignoring her.

0:43:280:43:30

Suddenly, they reappear

0:43:380:43:40

in a blur of black fur.

0:43:400:43:43

They race back towards Mum, and are safely reunited.

0:43:450:43:50

Clearly, these cubs are not yet as grown-up as they think they are.

0:43:500:43:54

Meanwhile, our camera trap has picked up its first male.

0:44:200:44:24

He's small and relatively immature,

0:44:310:44:33

but his arrival signals the start of the breeding season.

0:44:330:44:37

He's here for females, and the females are ready.

0:44:370:44:40

When a female comes into season, she needs to advertise her availability.

0:44:480:44:53

For black bears, that means scent marking.

0:44:530:44:56

There are three good ways to leave your mark in these woods.

0:44:590:45:03

First, tree rubbing.

0:45:030:45:06

You need to choose a good, prominent tree.

0:45:080:45:10

And then it's all about working hard to cover it in scent.

0:45:100:45:15

A small bite finishes the job,

0:45:200:45:22

and it's on to the second technique.

0:45:220:45:25

Cowboy walking.

0:45:250:45:28

Females have glands on their feet,

0:45:280:45:30

and rubbing each foot into the ground leaves a trail

0:45:300:45:33

for any prospective suitor.

0:45:330:45:35

The final method is a messy one.

0:45:460:45:48

Urinating.

0:45:480:45:50

They drag themselves over small trees

0:45:520:45:54

to leave a trail all across their territory.

0:45:540:45:56

Not very appealing to us,

0:46:000:46:01

but irresistible to male bears.

0:46:010:46:04

And it seems that our male from the camera trap

0:46:090:46:13

has picked up a scent,

0:46:130:46:14

and found himself a female.

0:46:140:46:16

Due to his small size,

0:46:220:46:24

this male wouldn't normally have a chance to mate.

0:46:240:46:26

This female seems impatient,

0:46:290:46:31

and our male doesn't have to be asked twice.

0:46:310:46:34

His small size causes a few logistical problems.

0:46:450:46:50

But with persistence and the odd leg up,

0:46:500:46:54

finally, he succeeds.

0:46:540:46:56

Mating over, the female grooms the young male.

0:47:120:47:16

With no yearlings around, she can afford to spend time with her man.

0:47:200:47:24

There's no such luck for June.

0:47:460:47:48

She's still got Aster and Aspen in tow.

0:47:480:47:52

At least she can continue giving her yearlings

0:47:540:47:56

the benefit of her experience.

0:47:560:47:58

But experience doesn't always pay.

0:48:030:48:06

There may be rich pickings along these verges,

0:48:110:48:13

but foraging here puts our bears at risk.

0:48:130:48:16

TRAFFIC RUMBLES

0:48:160:48:18

80% of bear deaths in Minnesota are caused by man.

0:48:400:48:43

Motor collisions,

0:48:460:48:47

the killing of nuisance bears...

0:48:470:48:50

..and hunting.

0:48:520:48:54

SHOT FIRES

0:48:550:48:57

Lynn has seen scores of bears

0:49:010:49:03

killed or injured by humans in his 45 years here.

0:49:030:49:06

When he takes a call saying a collared bear had been found,

0:49:110:49:14

he immediately fears the worst.

0:49:140:49:17

One of the bears he works with has been shot.

0:49:200:49:22

This is Jo. She was obviously shot.

0:49:430:49:45

See the blood on her tongue. There's a spot of blood up there.

0:49:450:49:49

She was, uh...a really good research bear.

0:49:490:49:53

Never hurt anybody.

0:49:530:49:55

Was just a gentle, gentle bear.

0:49:550:49:57

It's legal for a landowner to shoot a bear

0:50:070:50:09

if they feel that they or their property is under threat.

0:50:090:50:12

However, they must report the shooting within 48 hours.

0:50:130:50:16

No-one has come forward.

0:50:180:50:20

This shooting is illegal.

0:50:200:50:22

When black bears come into contact with people,

0:50:370:50:40

conflict is all but inevitable.

0:50:400:50:42

Lynn hopes his work will help people understand black bears better,

0:50:480:50:52

so that needless deaths can be avoided.

0:50:520:50:54

As spring gives way to summer,

0:51:090:51:11

Sam, Sophie, and Sybil continue to thrive.

0:51:110:51:13

But when temperatures top 30 degrees,

0:51:240:51:26

tearing around and play fighting aren't quite so much fun.

0:51:260:51:30

The only game in town is staying cool.

0:51:330:51:36

Juliet works hard to get rid of her winter coat.

0:51:360:51:40

When it gets really hot, a dip is irresistible.

0:51:440:51:48

But the heat is more than a nuisance.

0:51:560:51:59

Beneath the greenery, the hot spring has left the undergrowth tinder-dry.

0:51:590:52:04

The bears are now at risk.

0:52:040:52:05

From fire.

0:52:050:52:07

SIRENS WAIL

0:52:100:52:13

This is Highway 1.

0:52:130:52:15

Ely's over that's way in the west and you can see

0:52:150:52:17

the skyline behind me is full of smoke

0:52:170:52:19

and the skies are full of helicopters and aeroplanes.

0:52:190:52:22

A lot of police activity.

0:52:220:52:23

The locals are out trying to see what's going on.

0:52:230:52:25

What I don't know at this stage

0:52:250:52:27

is whether or not the fire's under control.

0:52:270:52:29

I can't believe it, here's a fire right at the edge of town.

0:52:330:52:36

There's a bad wind today that's carrying it into town.

0:52:360:52:38

They're talking about evacuating some of these houses.

0:52:380:52:41

I've never seen anything like this before.

0:52:410:52:43

There's a fire just south of Juliet's territory

0:52:430:52:46

and with this south wind, that means it's going to be blowing it

0:52:460:52:50

into her territory.

0:52:500:52:52

And, uh...she does have three cubs and they climb trees.

0:52:520:52:57

Fire fighters out west have told me

0:52:570:52:59

of hearing the shrieks of cubs as the tree burns up.

0:52:590:53:02

But the biggest worry is Juliet's inexperienced neighbour, Jewel.

0:53:070:53:11

The scent of smoke is everywhere.

0:53:160:53:19

Terrified, Jewel has done exactly what Lynn fears most.

0:53:190:53:22

She's taken little Herbie and Fern up a tree for protection.

0:53:240:53:28

As the cubs scamper around, unaware of the danger,

0:53:310:53:35

Jewel nervously sniffs the air.

0:53:350:53:37

If the fire comes this way,

0:53:440:53:46

the decision to climb a tree could be her last.

0:53:460:53:50

And spell the end for all of them.

0:53:500:53:52

The fire spreads rapidly.

0:53:570:53:59

The emergency services must work tirelessly to contain the blaze.

0:54:010:54:06

Each water plane and helicopter scoops up 7,500 litres of water

0:54:100:54:15

and dumps it ahead of the fire to slow its spread.

0:54:150:54:20

Whoa!

0:54:240:54:26

After 48 exhausting hours, the fire services manage to contain the fire.

0:54:400:54:44

It's devastated a massive swathe of forest.

0:54:460:54:48

But Herbie and Fern are in luck.

0:54:520:54:55

The fire didn't spread to Jewel's territory.

0:54:580:55:02

All three are in one piece.

0:55:020:55:05

For the cubs, it's as if nothing has happened.

0:55:050:55:09

For Jewel, it's another valuable lesson in motherhood.

0:55:090:55:12

Just a few miles away, Juliet was unfazed by the fire.

0:55:250:55:28

With such an experienced mum,

0:55:300:55:32

Sam, Sophie, and Sybil have had a good start in life.

0:55:320:55:36

For them, the summer beckons.

0:55:360:55:39

And with May nearly over,

0:55:400:55:42

it's almost time for me to leave the woods,

0:55:420:55:44

but not before one last visit

0:55:440:55:46

to Juliet, Sam, Sophie, and Sybil.

0:55:460:55:51

So here we are wondering where the cubs might be.

0:55:510:55:54

Silly me! Right at the top of that tree.

0:55:540:55:56

Look at those little bundles!

0:55:560:55:58

They're safe.

0:55:580:56:00

Look at this!

0:56:040:56:05

Sam, Sybil, Sophie, hello! Aw!

0:56:050:56:07

I mean, when they come down that readily,

0:56:070:56:09

when the mother returns to the base of the tree,

0:56:090:56:12

it could mean nursing time.

0:56:120:56:14

And she's sat down and starting to lean back.

0:56:140:56:17

OK. There we go. Look at that, look at that!

0:56:170:56:20

Lynn knew exactly when that was coming.

0:56:200:56:23

-CUBS CHATTER

-Ah, there's that noise!

0:56:230:56:26

And they've all got their nipple order sorted out.

0:56:280:56:30

Yeah, see how they're not fighting?

0:56:300:56:33

Sam, who was the most agile early on, has got the hind set.

0:56:330:56:41

I'm surprised to see that.

0:56:410:56:42

The two females have got the best ones.

0:56:420:56:45

I can't understand it,

0:56:450:56:47

but that's why we do research!

0:56:470:56:49

Look at this little one, right by us. Right by us.

0:56:520:56:55

Hello! Hello, Sybil.

0:56:550:56:58

Peek-a-boo! They're playing with us.

0:56:580:57:01

Oh, look! Look at Sam taking a ride!

0:57:010:57:03

Ooh! She doesn't like it!

0:57:030:57:04

SHE LAUGHS

0:57:040:57:07

We've been so incredibly lucky with this family of bears.

0:57:070:57:10

We've seen some very, very special moments between them but this...

0:57:100:57:14

..this is incredible.

0:57:150:57:16

Since we finished filming,

0:57:270:57:29

Sam, Sophie, and Sybil have continued to thrive.

0:57:290:57:33

Sam is still a cheeky chap.

0:57:330:57:35

Adventurous, but also a bit of a mummy's boy.

0:57:350:57:38

He and Sophie are still close,

0:57:380:57:40

the best of buddies through and through.

0:57:400:57:43

Sybil is still left out,

0:57:470:57:49

but seems content, happy to play on her own.

0:57:490:57:52

This independence may well leave her in the best position,

0:57:520:57:56

come family break up next year.

0:57:560:57:58

Juliet has seen them through the toughest period

0:58:020:58:05

they're ever likely to face,

0:58:050:58:07

and all three have had the best possible start

0:58:070:58:11

to their life in the Northwoods.

0:58:110:58:13

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0:58:460:58:50

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