0:00:02 > 0:00:04The American black bear...
0:00:05 > 0:00:08..has a reputation for being unpredictable...
0:00:08 > 0:00:09BEAR GROWLS
0:00:11 > 0:00:12..and dangerous.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14(Maybe I'll just sit back down!)
0:00:14 > 0:00:15'I'm Gordon Buchanan.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21'I've filmed many of the world's dangerous animals...
0:00:21 > 0:00:23'from a distance.'
0:00:23 > 0:00:27I just would never have believed that I'd get this close.
0:00:27 > 0:00:34'But getting this close has changed my feelings about bears...forever.'
0:00:36 > 0:00:39You're so strong! You are so strong!
0:00:40 > 0:00:45'I've spent spring and summer following the dramas of a family of bears.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52'Now it's autumn, they face a new threat.'
0:00:52 > 0:00:55From the youngest through to the oldest, none of these bears are safe.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58'This time, I'm no longer just a cameraman.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01'I'm a bodyguard.'
0:01:01 > 0:01:02Have a look at this, look!
0:01:02 > 0:01:05That's a hunter's jacket!
0:01:05 > 0:01:08'Now, we could all be in the line of fire.'
0:01:08 > 0:01:09GUNSHOT
0:01:27 > 0:01:30'I've returned to the American state of Minnesota.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32'This spectacular wilderness
0:01:32 > 0:01:35'is THE best place in the world
0:01:35 > 0:01:38'to film black bears in the wild.'
0:01:44 > 0:01:46'In the run-up to hibernation,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49'there's an extra sense of urgency in the air.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56'I want to see how bears get ready for the long winter ahead.
0:01:56 > 0:02:02'But first, I want to catch up with one of my favourites - Lily.'
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Hey, Lily!
0:02:05 > 0:02:06Hey, bear!
0:02:06 > 0:02:11'Lily is one of 12 bears in this forest that are wearing radio-tracking collars.'
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Gosh, she must be pretty close, actually.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16If I manage to find Lily,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19this'll be the first time I've seen her in a very long while.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22She'll have changed a bit, because the summer's worn on,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25and she's been feeding on a lot of berries through the forest.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29She's really close. Right, I'm going to start walking in here,
0:02:29 > 0:02:31see if we can find her.
0:02:33 > 0:02:34Hey, bear.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41'When I first met Lily back in the spring, she seemed like a devoted mother.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46'Her first cub, Hope, was only just out of the den.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51'But in May, Lily abandoned her.'
0:02:51 > 0:02:55BEAR CUB WHIMPERS
0:02:56 > 0:03:01'Hope could have been left to starve or taken into captivity,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03'but the biologists I'm working with
0:03:03 > 0:03:07'decided to try and help her survive in the wild.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13'This feisty little cub won me over,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16'as she faced up to life without her mum.'
0:03:20 > 0:03:23I think she's off in here. We'll go through here.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26Oh.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28'Lily's lived apart from her cub all summer,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31'but now the signals from both their radio collars
0:03:31 > 0:03:34'are coming from the same neck of the woods.'
0:03:34 > 0:03:35Hey, bear.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39'I want to see what's going on.'
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Hey, Lily!
0:03:42 > 0:03:44I nearly bumped right into you.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47I nearly bumped right into you, bear.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Hey, Lily, it's good to see you!
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Do you remember me?
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Do you remember me?
0:03:55 > 0:03:57She's looking...
0:03:57 > 0:04:00a lot healthier than the last time I saw her.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04I can tell she's been eating... Hope, that's not you, is it?!
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Good Lord!
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Hello, Hope!
0:04:08 > 0:04:12'While I've been away, Hope has got back with her mum.'
0:04:12 > 0:04:15I can't believe that!
0:04:15 > 0:04:17'When I last saw her,
0:04:17 > 0:04:23'she was struggling to find enough to eat and she was terrified.'
0:04:23 > 0:04:24Wow!
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Hope, you look like a proper bear!
0:04:31 > 0:04:34She looks different, she's behaving differently.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36You know, trying to get close to this cub
0:04:36 > 0:04:38was impossible last time I was here.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43'Their reunion has transformed her.'
0:04:43 > 0:04:48I don't really know what to think. She's...completely different.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56'I've no idea how they found each other,
0:04:56 > 0:05:01'but Hope seems to be enjoying life as a carefree cub again.'
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Why is it I'm feeling scared again?
0:05:40 > 0:05:43I think it's just kind of a shock to the system.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47You fly halfway across the world, back in the Northwoods of Minnesota,
0:05:47 > 0:05:52and suddenly there's a black bear walking up to you very boldly.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56It kind of, yeah, sets your nerves on edge a little bit.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00'These study bears only allow me to approach
0:06:00 > 0:06:03'because of the food that I've brought.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07'Once I show them it's gone, with a hand signal,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10'they should let me follow them for the rest of the day.'
0:06:10 > 0:06:15OK, and they're done. I'm walking out, so just ignore me.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Hope, ignore me!
0:06:31 > 0:06:37'Now I see the weeks spent alone have taken their toll on Hope.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40'She's much smaller than she should be.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43'If she goes into hibernation underweight,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46'she might not survive the winter.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53'I'm really worried she won't be able to make up for lost time.'
0:07:01 > 0:07:02Bit of feeding going on here.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Amazing thing about these animals -
0:07:04 > 0:07:07they can find food just about anywhere.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12'Tasty grubs in rotting logs don't stay hidden for long.'
0:07:14 > 0:07:15Really powerful,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18just the way that she's raking that bark apart with her claws.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24'Even so, Lily's got her work cut out.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30'I'll be watching closely to see whether she can get Hope back on track.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48'As food peters out, Lily and Hope will have to scour
0:07:48 > 0:07:52'their whole territory to find enough to eat.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54'There's nowhere else to go.
0:07:56 > 0:08:02'Every neighbouring patch of forest is claimed by other bears.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06'Lily's aunt, Juliet, lives right next door.'
0:08:14 > 0:08:15Hey, bear.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Not too far... Hello...
0:08:18 > 0:08:19Hey, bear!
0:08:19 > 0:08:23'Juliet's cubs are exactly the same age as Hope.'
0:08:23 > 0:08:24Hey, bear.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28'They might tell me more about Hope's chances of catching up.'
0:08:28 > 0:08:29Hey, bear.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Oh, they've all gone. OK, I need to...
0:08:38 > 0:08:40..put my foot on the gas a little bit.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44'All the bears need to stock up for winter,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46'so they're constantly on the move.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50'Filming them has never been harder.'
0:08:52 > 0:08:53Holy moly!
0:08:53 > 0:08:57'Juliet is way more camera-shy than Lily
0:08:57 > 0:09:01'and doesn't like me getting too close.'
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Gone way ahead! Come on, guys! Hold up!
0:09:04 > 0:09:06I'm not Superman.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15'While working their territory for food,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18'Juliet's family can cover ten miles a day.'
0:09:22 > 0:09:27Not so much walking with bears as running after them.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35See if I can just catch up, cos this is no use.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37This distance is pretty bad.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44'Finally, they slow down, and I get a better look at the cubs.
0:09:54 > 0:10:00'Juliet is older and heavier than Lily, so she produces more milk.
0:10:00 > 0:10:06'Her cubs are already bigger and stronger than Hope.'
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Hey, bear!
0:10:08 > 0:10:12'Juliet is right on the edge of her territory.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14'She's been checking whether it's safe to go on.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19'And now, I can see why she's heading this way.'
0:10:19 > 0:10:20Hey, bear!
0:10:20 > 0:10:26A-ha! I can see these bears and I can also see Charlie.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29This is just the edge of Charlie's property.
0:10:29 > 0:10:30He's a big friend of the bears.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42'Bears are cautious around people,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46'but if they're hungry, they'll overcome their fear.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54'Juliet's learned she can help her cubs fatten up more quickly -
0:10:54 > 0:10:58'and safely - with a helping hand from Charlie.'
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Hey, Charlie!
0:11:01 > 0:11:03- How's it going? - Good.- Good to see you!
0:11:03 > 0:11:05- How about yourself?- Yeah. Good.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09Gosh, it's amazing how fast they grow.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13- Well, they eat like pigs.- Yeah.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15The last time I saw them, they were still...
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Well, they were still cubs, but they were much, much smaller.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20Hello!
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Is this one bolder than the others? Can you tell them apart?
0:11:25 > 0:11:27I can't.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28Hey, bear!
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Hey, do you remember me? Course you don't.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40'Charlie lives in the remote community of Eagles Nest.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44'He's one of ten households here who regularly feed bears.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52'There is no other place in the world
0:11:52 > 0:11:54'where people are this tolerant of them.'
0:11:57 > 0:12:00What were your views of bears before you moved here?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02- Oh, we were afraid of them.- Yeah?
0:12:02 > 0:12:07Yeah. Well, we always heard all the horror stories.
0:12:07 > 0:12:14We were afraid of them, but we slowly learned.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Now it's one big party!
0:12:17 > 0:12:20There are still people living in Eagles Nest community
0:12:20 > 0:12:22that have had the same opinion of bears
0:12:22 > 0:12:24that you had when you first moved here.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29Yes, and it's funny. Some of them have lived here all their life.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Born and raised here, and they're still terrified.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35- Really?- Crazy!
0:12:36 > 0:12:40'As people move ever deeper into bear country,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44'they must deal with living alongside these large, wild animals.'
0:12:53 > 0:12:54GLASS SHATTERS
0:12:54 > 0:12:59'Bears will resort to smash and grab if they're starving.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07'Many people think feeding bears creates nuisance bears.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14'But that hasn't happened in Eagles Nest.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17'Because some people leave out food,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20'the bears never get desperately hungry.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26'There are fewer problem bears here than anywhere else in America.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32'Bears won't turn down a free lunch,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36'but they prefer to roam far and wide in search of wild food.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43'And they need to be out there, patrolling their territory,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45'to defend it from other bears.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51'That's why Lily and Hope are often hard to track down.'
0:14:07 > 0:14:10'When I eventually do catch up with them,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13'it's fun to try and work out what they've been up to.'
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Hey, Hope, I didn't realise you were actually there!
0:14:16 > 0:14:19This is where they slept last night, I'm pretty sure of that.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22If you look around here, all that grass has been bedded down -
0:14:22 > 0:14:25there's a nice dry spot there.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27They haven't moved far.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30The sun's been up for about three hours. They haven't gone anywhere.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33'Black bears are expert tree climbers.'
0:14:33 > 0:14:34Are you being lazy?
0:14:34 > 0:14:35'Most of the time.'
0:14:35 > 0:14:36Are you being lazy?
0:14:40 > 0:14:43'Sometimes they go up tall trees to get a better view.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48'But I don't understand why they haven't come back down.'
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Both bears are in the tree. Hope's up above,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01and Lily is just a few metres off the ground.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02I'm not sure what they're doing.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07'Lily seems worried about something.'
0:15:11 > 0:15:13I thought I could hear another bear there.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15RUSTLING
0:15:15 > 0:15:18There is! There's another bear!
0:15:20 > 0:15:21Hmm.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Now, have they gone up this tree because they don't like this bear
0:15:25 > 0:15:28or have they gone up the tree to get a better view
0:15:28 > 0:15:32and maybe try and figure out who it is before they get too close?
0:15:32 > 0:15:34It's quite interesting. Let's see what happens.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Where is that other bear? Still there.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40I'm going to have to try and stay close.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42OK, let's go.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50'Lily decides to challenge the intruder.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54'Hope stays well clear.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01'It's a young female, even younger than Lily.'
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Is she going to chase it away?
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Definitely. You can see it's making Lily very nervous.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12'Lily's territory is only big enough to support her and Hope.'
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Oh, gosh, I just can't see.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18LILY EXHALES
0:16:18 > 0:16:19'She can't give up any ground.'
0:16:21 > 0:16:23LILY GROWLS
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Lily's not happy.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29That's not friendly sounds, and she's seen one off.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33Trying to film it, but it's just too thick in here.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39'Now that the intruder's gone,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42'Hope seeks out her mum for reassurance.'
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Here comes Hope.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04'Lily is back to being a devoted mum.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10'Because she was separated from Hope for so long,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12'I thought her milk would have dried up.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17'But her milk has returned
0:17:17 > 0:17:19'now that Hope's started suckling again.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24'And she's really making the most of it.'
0:17:30 > 0:17:33This is something I didn't expect to see again.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I didn't expect to see them back together,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38let alone nursing quite happily.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44'In fact, they seem closer than ever.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50'Hope doesn't have brothers and sisters,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54'so Lily has to be chief playmate too.'
0:17:54 > 0:17:57This is really nice to see, because,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59for a long time,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Hope had no-one to play with.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04That's one thing I felt most sorry about for her,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07was that she was all on her own. She didn't...
0:18:07 > 0:18:10have any company, anyone to look out for her.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Ignore me, that's what you're supposed to do.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Ignore me!
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Ignore me!
0:18:23 > 0:18:24Get away!
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Part of me, I just want to pick her up and give her a big cuddle.
0:18:38 > 0:18:39No!
0:18:41 > 0:18:43This is really nice,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45but it's not what I want.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49I really do want her to pretend I'm not here,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53because, after all, I'm here to get natural behaviour,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57and sitting, shaking hands with a bear cub isn't really natural.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00You're so strong! You are so strong!
0:19:00 > 0:19:01Gosh!
0:19:03 > 0:19:04Get!
0:19:04 > 0:19:05Stop it!
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Stop it!
0:19:07 > 0:19:08See what's happened
0:19:08 > 0:19:12is that her mum's got bored of her playing with her,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15and I think there's a big part of Hope just thinks,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17"Hey, these people that keep on following me around,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19"maybe I can have fun with them."
0:19:19 > 0:19:20She's not...
0:19:21 > 0:19:24She's not after food, she just wants to play,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27but you're not supposed to play with people...
0:19:27 > 0:19:30definitely not supposed to play with people. Go.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31Get whacked here!
0:19:33 > 0:19:37'Lily comes over to see what all the fuss is about.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47'Bears yawn when they're anxious.'
0:19:48 > 0:19:49LILY SNORTS
0:19:49 > 0:19:51'Time to back off.'
0:19:54 > 0:19:56GORDON HUMS
0:20:03 > 0:20:09'Lily has an even smarter way of telling me that she's had enough.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13'She leads me straight back to my car.'
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Weird!
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Look!
0:20:21 > 0:20:22Right, the plan is,
0:20:22 > 0:20:26we're going to sell this vehicle at the end of the shoot,
0:20:26 > 0:20:30and if it's got big scratch marks on the bonnet, guys,
0:20:30 > 0:20:35we're not going to get as much, so please have a bit of respect.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Yeah. I was talking to you.
0:20:39 > 0:20:40Hope, you ratbag!
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Just cos your mum does it, doesn't mean to say you should.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Oh, well.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49GORDON LAUGHS
0:20:49 > 0:20:52I think she wants to get rid of me, so I'm going to go.
0:20:57 > 0:21:03'But leaving Lily's territory, I spot another of the study bears.'
0:21:03 > 0:21:05There's always one lurking about
0:21:05 > 0:21:07that you don't even know that's there.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Hey, bear, who are you?
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Hey, bear.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Now...we have met before.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18We have met.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24'This might be Sarah. Is she the young bear Lily chased off earlier?'
0:21:28 > 0:21:29No, no, no.
0:21:32 > 0:21:33OK.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34'All the study bears I've met
0:21:34 > 0:21:38'will remember my smell and are happy to say hello.'
0:21:38 > 0:21:39Back off.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43'They're spooked by people they don't recognise.'
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I'll be interested if this bear disappears.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48See how nervous it is? Off you go!
0:21:51 > 0:21:54'I'm glad she's so wary.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56'In two weeks' time,
0:21:56 > 0:22:01'most of the strangers in this forest will be bear hunters.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04'In the local hunting store,
0:22:04 > 0:22:09'I see exactly what our bears will be up against.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13'Hunting bears is legal in Minnesota.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15'In fact, it's so popular,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18'the state runs a lottery for permits to shoot them.'
0:22:18 > 0:22:22There's enough guns in here to start a revolution.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26There's shotguns, machine guns, handguns, rifles,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29guns for shooting birds, guns for shooting bears...
0:22:29 > 0:22:34guns for shooting fish, guns for kids, guns for women.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38If I looked hard enough, there'd probably be a gun for a baby.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41It's just such a weird cultural thing for me to come into a shop
0:22:41 > 0:22:44where all this weaponry is on show.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54'The state asks hunters not to shoot radio-collared bears.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57'But it's not illegal.'
0:22:57 > 0:23:00OK. Here.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02'Every autumn, Dr Lynn Rogers
0:23:02 > 0:23:05'worries about losing his research animals.'
0:23:05 > 0:23:10The hunting season is the time of year we dread all year long.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Every time we're with a bear, we think this could be the last time.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19Will it get through another season? Can we make plans for the future?
0:23:19 > 0:23:24And every shot we hear, just... we feel it deep inside of us.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31'Lynn and his assistant, Sue Mansfield, tie on Day-Glo ribbons,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35'so hunters can clearly see these are research bears.'
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Lynn's doing everything he can on radio and in press
0:23:43 > 0:23:46to just sort of educate the public
0:23:46 > 0:23:49and educate the hunters about his study bears.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52But no matter what he does, at the end of the day, um,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56these bears aren't legally protected,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59and any one of them could get shot.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01'Bear hunting does go back a long way
0:24:01 > 0:24:04'and it's not something I understand.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07'I want to find out why people do it.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10'I'm visiting local hunter Dave Brotten and his family.'
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Is that the doorbell? Jeez, it is!
0:24:13 > 0:24:15DOORBELL RINGS A bear trap.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17- Dave?- Come on in.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19- Gordon.- Nice to meet you, Gordon.
0:24:19 > 0:24:20Hi.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Gordon, this is my wife, Joan, my son, Dean.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25How are you doing?
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Wow! This is just like my house at home(!)
0:24:29 > 0:24:31DAVE LAUGHS
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- So are all these animals you've shot?- Yes.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39- Moose. Is that white...? - That's white-tailed deer.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- Bear.- Deano shot that one.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Oh, did you?
0:24:44 > 0:24:47That bear was trying to break into my mother-in-law's house.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50- What, this one was? - It was a nuisance bear.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53It kept coming in and breaking through the screen door,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55and they were afraid, so...
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- Yeah.- They had to take care of him.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01So how did you get into hunting?
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Well, my family...my father,
0:25:03 > 0:25:07he would take us hunting when we were really young.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09We'd go to school in the morning,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11sometimes we'd take a gun, we'd hunt on the way.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15- We could put a gun right in our locker in school.- Really?
0:25:15 > 0:25:19You know, what you're describing isn't a hobby or a choice -
0:25:19 > 0:25:21it's just a way of life for you.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23We live in a small community,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26but you step out your back door and you can hunt.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29You must have a pretty full refrigerator.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Yes - bear meat, deer meat.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34- Do you want to try some? - Some bear meat?
0:25:34 > 0:25:35Some bear burger?
0:25:35 > 0:25:36MEAT SIZZLES
0:25:36 > 0:25:40'I didn't realise that people ate bear meat.'
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Hey, guys! Come on, get a burger!
0:25:43 > 0:25:44- Try it out, Gordon.- Let's see.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52It's pretty delicious.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56The truth is, and I'm not being polite,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59this is one of the best burgers I've ever eaten.
0:26:01 > 0:26:08'Regardless of the taste, I could never shoot a bear myself.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14'I wonder how Dave would feel
0:26:14 > 0:26:16'if he were to try my way of looking at bears.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19'Maybe I should introduce him to one.'
0:26:30 > 0:26:33'Juliet and her family have no idea
0:26:33 > 0:26:36'hunting season is just round the corner.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39'All they're thinking about is food.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46'These days, the cubs are one step ahead of their mum.'
0:26:55 > 0:26:58'By following them over the year, I've seen Juliet's youngsters
0:26:58 > 0:27:01'develop a mental map of their territory.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09'They've learnt how to find over 100 different edible plants and insects,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11'as they come in and out of season.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19'Right now, the cubs are devouring dogwood berries.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24'But these berries are so teensy, Juliet can't be bothered.'
0:27:29 > 0:27:32These cubs haven't grown to this size on milk alone.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34They'll be doing a lot of foraging.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37At the moment, for Juliet and for these three cubs,
0:27:37 > 0:27:38they're just eating machines -
0:27:38 > 0:27:41they will eat as often and as much as they can.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45But it's amazing to see the change that has taken place
0:27:45 > 0:27:49since I've been away in these cubs - they're enormous now.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53They look like proper bears, and all of that weight and size
0:27:53 > 0:27:56has just been built off the back of tiny, little things -
0:27:56 > 0:28:01things like ants, seeds, berries, all these tiny things -
0:28:01 > 0:28:03eaten in vast quantities.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11'Hope's still struggling to catch up.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19'It means she and Lily will have to stay out in the open longer, feeding,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23'and that will make them more exposed to hunters.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30'Lily looks like she'd prefer to be digging their den right now.'
0:28:41 > 0:28:44'Because Juliet's cubs are further along,
0:28:44 > 0:28:47'Juliet can throw herself into it.'
0:29:05 > 0:29:07'I've never seen a bear den before.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10'And Lynn's told me there's one near here.'
0:29:10 > 0:29:14And I think that's the den over there.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20'I'm not entirely comfortable with this.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23'You never know who might be in.'
0:29:24 > 0:29:26Anybody at home?
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Let me just get down on my belly.
0:29:29 > 0:29:34Oh, God, this just... it kind of feels intrinsically wrong.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Oh, gosh!
0:29:45 > 0:29:49Oh, man, you would not want a bear sneaking up behind you at this point.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53You know, it's actually really narrow -
0:29:53 > 0:29:56much more narrow than I expected.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00In fact, it's very long... like a six-foot channel.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02There's just not much room for manoeuvre.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05I can't put my hands out to the side. Oh, gosh.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09'In here, a female might give birth to four cubs.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13'In the freezing winter, cramped at least means cosy.'
0:30:13 > 0:30:15You'll never guess what's in there.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18There's...
0:30:18 > 0:30:20three bowls of porridge -
0:30:20 > 0:30:26one big one, one medium one and one tiny one.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28I think I'm going to eat them.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54'Time is running out for Hope to reach a safe denning weight.'
0:30:54 > 0:30:57BEARS GROWL
0:31:02 > 0:31:07'Lily clearly thinks this isn't the moment for fun and games.'
0:31:07 > 0:31:10BEARS GROWL
0:31:20 > 0:31:23'As a first-time mum, Lily hasn't always delivered.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28'Now she's everything a mum should be...
0:31:32 > 0:31:37'..even creating a small hollow in wet ground for clean water to seep in -
0:31:37 > 0:31:39'a drink for Hope.'
0:31:55 > 0:31:56'Moments like this remind me
0:31:56 > 0:31:59'how much we're still learning from these bears.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05'But from tomorrow, it could all be blown away.'
0:32:08 > 0:32:10'Hunting season has begun.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16'Lily and Hope have become so important to me,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19'I've decided to help Lynn keep them safe.'
0:32:19 > 0:32:22I've just found out there are hunters in the area,
0:32:22 > 0:32:24so I'm heading over to see Lynn and Sue
0:32:24 > 0:32:26to see if I can get more information.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31They are right in here. Right exactly there
0:32:31 > 0:32:33is where four bears have been shot so far,
0:32:33 > 0:32:37and that's where Lily and Hope are.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39So actually in...
0:32:39 > 0:32:42God, they go there all the time!
0:32:42 > 0:32:43Yeah, I know it, yeah.
0:32:43 > 0:32:49There is a law against shooting a research bear
0:32:49 > 0:32:53- if a researcher is accompanying it...- Yep.
0:32:53 > 0:32:58- ..and you identify to the hunter that it is a research bear.- Yep.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02'There aren't enough of us to protect all the collared bears.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09'Lynn will walk with Juliet and her cubs.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14'I'll be with Lily and Hope.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18'That puts me in the firing line.
0:33:18 > 0:33:23'Hundreds of people have been accidentally killed by hunters,
0:33:23 > 0:33:27'so a bullet-proof vest is a must.'
0:33:27 > 0:33:28Hey, bear!
0:33:32 > 0:33:34Oh, here we go. Look.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40Hey, Hope! Hope's up a tree right in front.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42OK. Lily...where is she?
0:33:46 > 0:33:50'Lily appears but immediately climbs a tree.
0:33:50 > 0:33:55'She might be trying to identify scent from a long way off.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57'There are many new smells to worry about.'
0:34:00 > 0:34:02It does make me really nervous,
0:34:02 > 0:34:08the fact that there are hunters in this area.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11We think we've got a hunter's camp within a mile of here,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14and a hunter's camp is always going to be very close
0:34:14 > 0:34:17to where the hunter's going to try and shoot a bear.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Hey, Lily! Hey, girl!
0:34:24 > 0:34:29'But today, Lily has got bears, rather than bear hunters, on her mind.'
0:34:35 > 0:34:37Look at her scent-marking there!
0:34:40 > 0:34:41Right over the top of that.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45I wonder if you could actually smell any of that.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49Obviously, it's designed for bears, not designed for me.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52There is. There is quite a beary smell on this branch.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Maybe I'm turning into a bear!
0:35:01 > 0:35:03I don't know why they're doing all this.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07There's a lot more sniffing, clawing, scent-marking going on.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09She'll probably do it again. Look.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11Look. Scent-marking.
0:35:12 > 0:35:18'Lily is leaving messages which tell bears this area belongs to her.'
0:35:18 > 0:35:22UNDERGROWTH RUSTLES
0:35:30 > 0:35:31Come on.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40You can go past. On you go.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43It's not human walking - it's bear walking.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46'This is why they are such great study bears.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49'I'm treated like part of the family
0:35:49 > 0:35:52'and get to see things no-one else would.'
0:35:52 > 0:35:55She's probably smelling some other bear.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59At some point in the past, another bear has probably done exactly that.
0:35:59 > 0:36:00Just walked up here...
0:36:02 > 0:36:04..rubbed its face.
0:36:04 > 0:36:05Oh, gosh! Look at this!
0:36:05 > 0:36:07Ha!
0:36:07 > 0:36:09That wasn't Lily that did that.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13Some other bear's rubbed its face on this tree, and there's nothing that...
0:36:13 > 0:36:14SNIFFS
0:36:14 > 0:36:18I just smell tree, but for a bear, that's probably going to be one
0:36:18 > 0:36:21of the most overpowering things it can ever smell,
0:36:21 > 0:36:23the smell of another bear.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28'I realise Lily has caught up with the intruder.'
0:36:28 > 0:36:29Oh, look, just...ran off.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36OK, it's a collared bear - you can see the hunter's tags on it.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39'I think it's Sarah again.'
0:36:39 > 0:36:40OK, let's see what happens.
0:36:40 > 0:36:45'Sarah must be hungry if she's testing Lily for a second time.'
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Is she going to chase it away?
0:36:47 > 0:36:49BEAR GROWLS
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Did you see that?
0:37:00 > 0:37:01Ha!
0:37:01 > 0:37:05'Suddenly I hear what we've all been dreading.'
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Gunshots off there.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11OK. I think it must be target practice.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14At least I hope it is.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17It's a bit worrying to hear that. It's just a little reminder
0:37:17 > 0:37:19that there are people in the woods with guns.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31'Further along the trail, I find something really troubling.'
0:37:31 > 0:37:34What's that?
0:37:35 > 0:37:38Hang on, this all looks recent. Look.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Hey, Lily.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45OK. Well, that's a hunter's jacket.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51Erm...
0:37:53 > 0:37:55I wonder if she knows what that is. Probably not.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02'Hunters shoot bears from tree stands like this.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06'The quicker Lily and Hope den, the happier I'll be.'
0:38:13 > 0:38:14Hey, Lily.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16We're getting closer towards sunset.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Although I'm managing to keep up with her,
0:38:18 > 0:38:21I'll have to turn back and find the road at some point,
0:38:21 > 0:38:23cos I can't follow her all night.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25The good thing is hunters can't shoot at night-time either.
0:38:27 > 0:38:28Hey.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31And the other thing that's happened is all this bear walking
0:38:31 > 0:38:35has taken a serious toll on my trousers.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37Don't go too close on this.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40If I went into town, I'd probably be arrested.
0:38:40 > 0:38:41LAUGHS
0:38:47 > 0:38:48'Today has made me realise
0:38:48 > 0:38:51'Lily and Hope live in a particularly dangerous spot.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56'Bears living far from traditional hunting trails
0:38:56 > 0:38:58'are less likely to become targets.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04'As a result, some have reached a ripe old age.'
0:39:07 > 0:39:08Hey, bear.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11'The best place to see one of these survivors is Lynn's cabin.'
0:39:15 > 0:39:17He is enormous - I was just looking at his big fat belly,
0:39:17 > 0:39:21- so that's going to see him through the winter.- Yep.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26'One-eyed Jack is a regular visitor.
0:39:26 > 0:39:32'For all his 300 kilograms, he is surprisingly gentle.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36He's such a nice bear. I mean, these big...these big bears
0:39:36 > 0:39:42tend to be the most confident, the most gentle, the most trustworthy,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45all contrary to what a person would think.
0:39:46 > 0:39:52'Sadly, even gentle giants like Jack are wounded by humans.'
0:39:52 > 0:39:55This hole in his back is very interesting.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57You see that, Gordon?
0:39:57 > 0:40:01You can put your hand right in it.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Any idea what caused that?
0:40:03 > 0:40:05I don't, I don't.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09But the thing that I do know what happened...see that blind eye?
0:40:09 > 0:40:14- Yeah.- Somebody intentionally shot him in the face.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16To scare him off?
0:40:16 > 0:40:20He said, "That impudent bear had the gall to look at me.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23"He was eating dandelions in my neighbour's yard
0:40:23 > 0:40:24"and he looked at me."
0:40:24 > 0:40:29But it just tells me there's such a need
0:40:29 > 0:40:33to replace misconceptions about bears with facts.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41'It's unforgettable being close to a bear of Jack's size.
0:40:47 > 0:40:52'Lynn wishes people could just see bears as they really are.'
0:41:05 > 0:41:08'Every morning, I worry for Lily and Hope.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12'But today they are in the remotest and safest part of their home.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15'It's a good time to find out
0:41:15 > 0:41:17'whether they are any closer to denning.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20'Lynn has told me how to do it.
0:41:20 > 0:41:25'All I need is a stethoscope and a consenting bear.'
0:41:25 > 0:41:27I'm heading in to try and find Lily and Hope
0:41:27 > 0:41:31with the specific aim of trying to get their heart rates.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33When they get close to the denning period,
0:41:33 > 0:41:35everything starts to slow down,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38and if I can get a heart rate reading from both of them,
0:41:38 > 0:41:42we'll maybe be able to tell how close they are to denning.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44Hey, bear!
0:41:46 > 0:41:48Hey, Hope!
0:41:48 > 0:41:49This is going to be a laugh.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54Welcome to my surgery.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57We're going to put all these on the ground.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00That's going to keep you really busy.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04Get them out the way.
0:42:04 > 0:42:09OK, just slip off your trousers
0:42:09 > 0:42:11and hop up onto the couch.
0:42:11 > 0:42:16In a nutshell, this is the agreement you have with these bears -
0:42:16 > 0:42:19a little bit of food for human company -
0:42:19 > 0:42:22and this is where we start crossing the line.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24You're giving the animal some food,
0:42:24 > 0:42:28and then it's doing something you're not that comfortable with.
0:42:28 > 0:42:29HOPE MOANS
0:42:36 > 0:42:38I think I'm going to give up on Hope.
0:42:39 > 0:42:40OK, Lily.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46If we can find out that these bears are close to denning,
0:42:46 > 0:42:50it means we can wipe the sweat from our brow a little bit,
0:42:50 > 0:42:55because it means if she's in a den, she's not going to get hunted.
0:42:58 > 0:42:59Ah...
0:43:01 > 0:43:03She's too furry!
0:43:05 > 0:43:10There's a big, thick thatch of fur that you've got to get through. Pants!
0:43:19 > 0:43:22This is something I thought was absolutely insane
0:43:22 > 0:43:24when I saw Lynn doing it for the first time,
0:43:24 > 0:43:26and here I am.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28Well, I'm trying to do it.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32OK.
0:43:32 > 0:43:36I can confirm this bear is alive,
0:43:36 > 0:43:39but I can't tell you how close to denning it is.
0:43:47 > 0:43:52'By mid-September, the pulse of the Northwoods is slowing down.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03'Winter frosts have arrived,
0:44:03 > 0:44:06'and bears are beginning to go underground.
0:44:09 > 0:44:13'First to go are the pregnant females.
0:44:13 > 0:44:18'Their hearts have slowed by a quarter.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21'Their last act is to collect warm bedding.
0:44:23 > 0:44:28'When the cubs are born in January, they'll need this extra insulation.'
0:44:32 > 0:44:35'It's a relief to see bears making themselves safe from hunters.
0:44:35 > 0:44:40'So far, we haven't lost a single study bear...
0:44:43 > 0:44:45'..until now.'
0:44:56 > 0:45:01I got a call this morning soon as I got up from Sue
0:45:01 > 0:45:04saying that a radio collar from a bear had been shoved in
0:45:04 > 0:45:08through the letterbox of the Department of Natural Resources
0:45:08 > 0:45:11in town here, anonymously.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16We don't know who the bear is, we don't know who shot the bear,
0:45:16 > 0:45:18we know nothing, so I'm following Lynn and Sue down
0:45:18 > 0:45:21just to hopefully find out what's gone on.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23But it's not...
0:45:23 > 0:45:24A bear's been shot.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30'What we do know is that hunters are still in the area
0:45:30 > 0:45:32'where we last saw Lily and Hope.'
0:45:35 > 0:45:38I'm not going to go in here with Lynn and Sue -
0:45:38 > 0:45:41they're going to go in, I'll wait outside.
0:46:03 > 0:46:04It's Sarah.
0:46:04 > 0:46:08- Yeah?- Yeah. And they pulled all the ribbons off.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10Where was she?
0:46:10 > 0:46:12He said he didn't know,
0:46:12 > 0:46:16and it was turned in anonymously over the weekend.
0:46:16 > 0:46:22Sue, for you as a scientist, how much of a scientist do you feel today?
0:46:22 > 0:46:23SHE LAUGHS
0:46:23 > 0:46:25I feel like crap.
0:46:25 > 0:46:31It's so hard to understand the way they think.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Yeah, yeah.
0:46:34 > 0:46:40What's the life expectancy for a bear without hunting?
0:46:40 > 0:46:4230...20 or 30.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44With hunting?
0:46:45 > 0:46:49Two, three - typical.
0:46:50 > 0:46:55'The research bears tend to live much longer than other bears.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58'Sarah was unlucky.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03'Lynn's study is the only one
0:47:03 > 0:47:06'in which individual bears can be tracked in such detail.
0:47:07 > 0:47:12'He's known some of the bears here for decades.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15'The loss of any of them must be a blow.'
0:47:23 > 0:47:26'In Minnesota, bear-hunting is a fact of life.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30'But with 20,000 bears across the state,
0:47:30 > 0:47:35'I'm amazed some guy has chosen to shoot a collared bear.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41'I wonder whether a hunter would think differently
0:47:41 > 0:47:44'if they could see what I've seen.
0:47:44 > 0:47:48'One of the few brave enough to meet a bear face to face without a gun
0:47:48 > 0:47:53'is the guy who served me up a bear burger - Dave Brotten.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59'Dave has agreed to join me on a visit to Lily and Hope.'
0:47:59 > 0:48:01Hey, bear!
0:48:03 > 0:48:06How are you feeling? Do you feeling nervous at all?
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Yeah.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11The first time I came in, I did this alone
0:48:11 > 0:48:16and I was verging on being terrified.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19There's not a lot of branches here to climb.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22Don't worry, just stand behind me.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25OK, she's this way, so just move forward.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27Hey, bear!
0:48:27 > 0:48:31'Dave's been hunting in these woods most of his life.'
0:48:31 > 0:48:32This is Hope.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36'But he's never been this close to a live bear before.
0:48:39 > 0:48:44'Because Lily and Hope know me, they're prepared to trust Dave.'
0:48:44 > 0:48:45Hey, bear.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51Yeah, so this is a cub who was abandoned by her mum,
0:48:51 > 0:48:55so you can see that she's interested in one thing.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00Put these down,
0:49:00 > 0:49:02there we go.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05Where's your mum?
0:49:05 > 0:49:07Her mum'll be fairly close by.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11Here it comes, right there.
0:49:11 > 0:49:12Is she there?
0:49:12 > 0:49:14That one's a little bigger one.
0:49:14 > 0:49:19I mean, if you don't want to be this close, stay behind me.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22I mean, really, she's the one you've got to look out for,
0:49:22 > 0:49:24because she's a bit more boisterous.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28I've seen plenty of bears, but not quite this close.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35Is this at all what you'd expected it to be like?
0:49:35 > 0:49:37Kinda, yeah.
0:49:38 > 0:49:43But it's still in my comfort range right now.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45The one thing I've learnt in this year
0:49:45 > 0:49:50is that these animals will do anything to avoid conflict
0:49:50 > 0:49:52and physical confrontation.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54Sure.
0:49:54 > 0:49:59Most bears do, it's that one chance, and you do hear them.
0:50:01 > 0:50:05'I think I can get Dave even further out of his comfort zone.'
0:50:05 > 0:50:09You said you weren't going to feed it. Do you want to try?
0:50:12 > 0:50:14OK, hang on.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17I need that finger tomorrow.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30Don't blame me if you can never shoot another bear again, don't blame me.
0:50:33 > 0:50:38'Most hunters I've met are scared of bears, like I was.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40'I hope Lily and Hope have shown Dave
0:50:40 > 0:50:43'there's not much to be frightened of.'
0:50:43 > 0:50:47Can't beat this, perfect night.
0:50:47 > 0:50:48Are you glad you came out?
0:50:48 > 0:50:53Yeah, I am, but you just don't get a chance to see 'em like this.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57Apprehensive at first, but this is good.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04'Dave's one of the good guys. He'd never shoot a collared bear.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11'I can't imagine anyone not being charmed by these two.'
0:51:30 > 0:51:32'Lynn wants to check Hope's progress,
0:51:32 > 0:51:35'so today I'm keeping an eye on Juliet's family.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41'Juliet's cubs are still hoovering up grubs
0:51:41 > 0:51:43'and searching for other insects.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50'But their mum is stripping alder.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52'Bears begin eating these bitter leaves
0:51:52 > 0:51:55'only when they are ready to den.
0:51:55 > 0:51:56'We don't know why.'
0:52:00 > 0:52:06'I have learnt, over the year, that each bear has its own personality.'
0:52:10 > 0:52:13'Juliet is twitchier than most.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17'She tolerates me but only at arm's length.'
0:52:19 > 0:52:22OK. They're eating ferns on the other side of the tree,
0:52:22 > 0:52:25but I just can't move close enough to see what's going on,
0:52:25 > 0:52:30so I'm going to have to risk spooking them, but here goes.
0:52:30 > 0:52:35'If I cross the line, Juliet always lets me know.'
0:52:45 > 0:52:48That was a biggy.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56(Maybe I'll just sit back down.)
0:52:58 > 0:53:03'Black bear charges are rarely anything but bluster.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07'She was simply telling me to back off.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14'Juliet's cubs are very different.'
0:53:16 > 0:53:18OK, I've got a bear...
0:53:18 > 0:53:21I'll show you how close it is.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24There you go.
0:53:24 > 0:53:25Too close.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27Too close, too close.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34'The cubs are getting a bit too cheeky.'
0:53:38 > 0:53:39(Stop it!)
0:53:53 > 0:53:55'I've fallen in love with these bears.'
0:54:02 > 0:54:06'Every day feels as magical as the first time we met.'
0:54:15 > 0:54:19'These are my last moments with Juliet's family.
0:54:20 > 0:54:25'They've crossed into the state park where hunting isn't allowed.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27'They're going to be safe.'
0:54:31 > 0:54:35'Lily and Hope aren't out of the woods yet.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39'Every day I cross my fingers that Lily is ready to go underground.'
0:54:39 > 0:54:42Hey, Lily! Where is she?
0:54:42 > 0:54:46'Hope is certainly looking sturdier.'
0:54:46 > 0:54:48Hey, Hope.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52Hey, Lily!
0:54:52 > 0:54:56I really want to see if she's got any mud on her nose,
0:54:56 > 0:54:59anything that indicates that she might have started denning...
0:54:59 > 0:55:02round about here, maybe it's a good place.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07It's not a million miles away from where she denned last year
0:55:07 > 0:55:09and where Hope was born.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12Oh, look, she's got mud on her neck there!
0:55:14 > 0:55:17'Lily has been digging for real.
0:55:17 > 0:55:22'Maybe she senses Hope is fat enough to last the winter.'
0:55:28 > 0:55:32The way I feel now is really just relief,
0:55:32 > 0:55:35relief that both these bears have made it to this stage.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38Lily's going to be denned within the next couple of days,
0:55:38 > 0:55:42she'll be in hibernation, and with her will be Hope.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45So for this year, both these bears are safe.
0:55:49 > 0:55:54'It's been a dramatic year for Lily, Hope and for me.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00'The trust these bears have shown
0:56:00 > 0:56:04'has allowed us to film a world no-one has seen before.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10'We agonised when Hope was abandoned...
0:56:12 > 0:56:16'..and made the difficult decision to intervene to save her life.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21'We watched as she struggled on her own.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25'And we were relieved and delighted
0:56:25 > 0:56:28'when she and Lily found each other again.'
0:56:28 > 0:56:31Hope, that's not you, is it?!
0:56:31 > 0:56:33Hello, Hope!
0:56:35 > 0:56:39'They and their relatives are teaching us more about bears
0:56:39 > 0:56:42'than we ever dreamed possible.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46'In a month, the first snow will fall.
0:56:48 > 0:56:54'All the bears will be in their dens, and my time here will be over.'
0:56:54 > 0:56:57As I look around the forest, there's so many changes
0:56:57 > 0:57:00that have taken place over the year,
0:57:00 > 0:57:04changes with the bears, changes with the forest itself.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07And I think the biggest change has been in me.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11When I think back to how I felt about these animals,
0:57:11 > 0:57:15and about Lily in particular, I was terrified of this bear.
0:57:15 > 0:57:19And now all of that fear has gone.
0:57:19 > 0:57:20I know, for one,
0:57:20 > 0:57:23I'll never think about these animals in the same way again.
0:57:24 > 0:57:29'More than this, I really hope I've done something
0:57:29 > 0:57:31'to persuade other people
0:57:31 > 0:57:34'bears aren't the monsters we assume them to be.'
0:57:34 > 0:57:38These are the last moments that I have with the bears,
0:57:38 > 0:57:42and I do feel sad, but I feel less sad when I think to the future,
0:57:42 > 0:57:45because, hopefully, long after I'm gone
0:57:45 > 0:57:47and the bears that I've got to know are gone,
0:57:47 > 0:57:50so long as people care enough about bears,
0:57:50 > 0:57:54so long as people are prepared to trust them,
0:57:54 > 0:57:57and so long as bears are prepared to trust us,
0:57:57 > 0:58:00there's a huge amount still to learn from them.
0:58:39 > 0:58:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd