Byw o'r Newydd Arctig Gwyllt Iolo Williams

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-A world of extremes...

-..where fire...

-..battles with ice.

-Giants of the mountains...

-..yield to verdant forests.

-A forgotten wilderness.

-Multi-coloured and diverse.

-Seasons of darkness...

-..and eternal light.

-The heart of life, in spite

-of everything and everyone...

-..beats continuously.

-In a brutal world...

-..fledglings

-must master confidence in haste.

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-For months, the cold winter has

-held Scandinavia in its clutches.

-Only the howling wind...

-..is free to move.

-Eventually...

-..slowly but surely...

-..it loosens its grip.

-The days become longer...

-..and the weather milder.

-The landscape awakens.

-The world reveals

-its timeless, youthful wonders.

-The summer

-doesn't hang around in the north.

-For dozens of offspring, the race

-for survival is just beginning.

-Deep in the forests

-of northern Finland...

-..a female brown bear

-rediscovers her old territory.

-She has been anything but lazy

-during the winter months.

-She has given birth

-to three bear cubs.

-All kinds of new plants have grown.

-Mother bear

-is keen to educate her young pupils.

-What delicacies

-does the forest have to offer?

-Having survived on her body's

-fat stores during hibernation...

-..it's vital she restocks

-the pantry with delicious fare...

-..on offer in these

-fertile forests.

-Despite their reputation

-for being notorious predators...

-..bears eat

-both vegetables and meat.

-Plants make up 90% of their diet.

-But lessons

-in food and nutrition are boring.

-The cubs

-are more interested in playtime.

-But if the forest...

-..resembles one huge adventure park

-for the children...

-..for their mother,

-it's a place filled with danger.

-Lurking in the shadows is another

-bear eyeing up the young family.

-Adult bears roam alone.

-But with almost 1,000

-roaming in these forests...

-..it's always likely

-their paths will meet.

-Like lions, male bears

-may kill unfamiliar bear cubs...

-..so that they may impregnate the

-mother and transfer their genes...

-..from one generation to another.

-For the young cubs,

-the spree is over.

-Mam knows

-the sheer extent of the danger.

-The male might possibly be

-the cubs' father...

-..but if he's not, with

-the young only a few months old...

-..their short lives

-might soon be over.

-The winter recedes quickly...

-..to reveal Scandinavia's

-magical diversity in all its glory.

-Five countries, one area...

-..extending over the territories

-of the northern hemisphere.

-The ice is contained

-in the Arctic Circle.

-But closer south, the warmer climate

-has transformed the landscape.

-New vegetation has flourished.

-But time is of the essence.

-Soon the ice will return.

-Every creature and plant...

-..must capitalize

-on the rare opportunity...

-..to hatch and pollinate,

-to rear and foster...

-..in this short fertile period.

-Even Iceland

-had shed its winter cloak.

-If the landscape bears the scars

-of history and splits the rocks...

-..and if the coast

-is far from welcoming...

-..this place provides shelter

-for a mother and her young cubs.

-A litter of 10

-looks like hard work...

-..but this is standard

-for the Arctic fox.

-There is no guarantee of survival.

-Having a populated nest...

-..means that at least some of them

-will see another day dawn.

-At three days old...

-..these cubs are

-completely reliant on their mother.

-They must wait three weeks

-before leaving the lair.

-Though it's springtime,

-the temperature never rises...

-..above 10 degrees Celsius.

-But in the comfort

-of their hideaway...

-..the young foxes

-may conserve their energy.

-In a fox's world,

-raising offspring is a joint effort.

-While Mam comforts...

-..it's Dad's duty

-to forage for food.

-But Dad left days ago...

-..and there's been

-no sign of him since.

-If he doesn't appear soon...

-..Mam will be forced

-to hunt for food.

-After all, without food, she

-cannot provide milk for her young.

-Without milk,

-they'll surely die of starvation.

-Even in

-the greenest forests of Finland...

-..life is full of uncertainty.

-Mother bear

-and her three young cubs...

-..are about to come face to face

-with a mortal danger.

-A male bear is dangerously close.

-Mother bear tries her best

-to distance herself from the enemy.

-Fights between bears are vicious...

-..but a mother will fight

-to the death to protect her cubs.

-Somehow she must make sure

-that the male bear...

-..isn't a threat to her offspring.

-It's possible she would've mated

-with several males last year.

-If he thinks he's the father

-of the young bears...

-..he'll keep his distance.

-Things bode well.

-It's quite possible

-that this male was her mate...

-..and the father of her cubs.

-He has

-no intention of attacking them.

-He's merely looking for food

-and some peace and quiet.

-One final warning

-and her mind is put at rest.

-There's no threat this time.

-But for the cubs,

-this brush with danger...

-..is a bitter foretaste

-of the challenges ahead.

-They'll be in their mother's care

-for another three years.

-They will

-serve their apprenticeship...

-..and learn the art

-of living in the big forest.

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-2,500km to the west of Finland...

-..lies

-the largest island in the world.

-80% of Greenland's surface area...

-..is covered by

-an ice sheet all year round.

-Greenland's ice sheet

-is millions of years old.

-It moves eternally.

-It's a harsh and desolate kingdom.

-However,

-the land isn't completely barren.

-Wildlife exists here.

-These rugged rocks provide a

-summer retreat for feisty visitors.

-Having spent winter

-off the Scottish coast...

-..where the climate

-is mild compared to Greenland...

-..barnacle geese

-have returned to Arctic shores.

-They nest vigilantly...

-..in summer dwellings

-in the rocks.

-Many return to exactly

-the same spot year after year.

-At first glance, rearing offspring

-on a ledge with a 50-foot drop...

-..appears very strange.

-The reason for this

-will soon reveal itself.

-The smallest move

-attracts the guardians' attention.

-These new parents guard the nest...

-..in which there are five chicks.

-Visitors are not welcome.

-From their lofty position,

-the geese can fool hungry foxes.

-Here, they are safe from harm.

-But they're also a long way

-from the food they need...

-..in the freshwater pools below.

-It isn't customary for barnacle

-geese to bring food to their young.

-Instead,

-they lead their chicks to the food.

-Though the offspring

-are merely hours old...

-..with no concept of flying...

-..they only have one option.

-They must jump.

-But not until the path is clear.

-It's a frightening descent

-for the chicks...

-..but it's a one-off.

-They won't return

-until they're adults.

-While the coast is clear,

-the chicks follow their parents.

-They wait their turn...

-..and venture downwards.

-The descent is undignified...

-..though their frail bodies

-and feathered jackets rescue them.

-But the third little chick

-wasn't paying enough attention.

-The nosy neighbours have noticed.

-It's game over for the little one.

-The rest of the family seek out

-a safe place from which to jump.

-Of the five chicks that left the

-nest, only four have made it so far.

-The chicks

-must work hard from now on...

-..as their growth period

-is so short.

-The autumn, with its migration

-and long distances...

-..is already on the horizon.

-In less than seven weeks...

-..these chicks will grow to be

-the same size as their parents...

-..and ready to fly 2,500km

-back to the coast of Scotland.

-Back in Iceland,

-in their seaside lair...

-..10 cubs are still

-feeding from their exhausted mother.

-A week has gone by

-with no sign of her mate.

-She must look after herself

-as well as her offspring...

-..with no-one to help her.

-She has no choice now...

-..but to leave her litter

-and go in search of food.

-Food to provide energy

-to produce milk.

-It'll be easy enough

-to follow her tracks...

-..over the next few days...

-..since her fur

-indicates the route she's taken.

-Of all the world's mammals, Arctic

-foxes have the warmest winter coats.

-They're a perquisite

-for surviving temperatures...

-..that plummet as low

-as minus 50 degrees Celsius.

-But as the temperature rises,

-the thick coat becomes a nuisance.

-The summer coat is better.

-It's darker and weighs less, making

-it easier to hide in the vegetation.

-In Iceland,

-seabirds are a fox's standard prey.

-But birds are rare

-in this vixen's territory.

-On the beach,

-the great tide has been generous.

-It's provided the perfect fare

-among the pebbles.

-The fish will keep

-the vixen and her cubs alive.

-But her feasting it cut short.

-She senses a stranger

-loitering on her territory.

-It's best she returns to her nest.

-There's more food available

-in the northernmost parts of Sweden.

-Woodland dominates

-half the country.

-Its 95,000 lakes...

-..paint the landscape

-blue and green.

-This wild terrain sustains a

-large population of European elk.

-More than 400,000

-inhabit this territory.

-They are solitary animals.

-They roam free

-over these vast expanses...

-..and only come together

-to find a mate...

-..and procreate.

-The females

-that conceived during autumn...

-..are ready to birth their young.

-As they prepare

-for their new-borns...

-..they search for remote areas

-that are quiet and safe...

-..to welcome

-their young into the world.

-Tenderly, this mother...

-..encourages her foal

-to take its first steps.

-By eating the afterbirth,

-she's making sure...

-..there's no smell left behind

-that could attract predators.

-She's given birth to twins...

-..which is testament to her

-fertile and bountiful environment.

-In the season of plenty...

-..Scandinavia's forests come alive.

-Perched on the lofty branches,

-three great grey owls have hatched.

-These owls

-don't build their own nests.

-They prefer lodging

-in the empty nests of others.

-Mam keeps guard...

-..while Dad goes hunting.

-When he returns with his bounty...

-..there's an enthusiastic

-yet silent welcome.

-One chick

-hatched a day later than the rest.

-It is smaller and weaker.

-It needs feeding

-more than the others.

-The mother

-does her best to help it...

-..but its big brother

-has stolen its share.

-There's no consolation prize...

-..or wooden spoon in this instance.

-The next few days will be critical.

-This chick will have to fight hard

-to stay alive.

-While the owls stay

-in these forests all year round...

-..it is a temporary environment

-for many other birds.

-The goldeneye duck.

-Like the great grey owl...

-..this mother takes advantage

-of another's hard work.

-This nest was once home

-to a woodpecker.

-As it lives far from the ground,

-it keeps its chicks...

-..out of the reach

-of predatory birds and bears.

-It's a safe haven

-for the next few months...

-..until it's time

-for the chicks to hatch.

-For the moment, she must kill time

-and wait patiently.

-As the season passes

-and the days lengthen...

-..the forests thrive.

-Two of

-the great grey owl's chicks...

-..are growing well.

-But the weakest chick couldn't

-compete with its big brothers.

-They demanded

-more and more each day.

-Their parents continue to hunt.

-She feeds the largest chick first.

-The other

-must patiently wait its turn.

-The summer is the season of plenty.

-Everyone is treated

-to a sumptuous feast.

-Deep in the shadows,

-the elk twins...

-..are now a fortnight old.

-They've mastered the art

-of standing still.

-In five months' time, they

-will give up their mother's milk...

-..but until then,

-she will keep them safe.

-The fat in her milk...

-..allows them

-to gain weight quickly.

-They won't stray

-too far from her for a year.

-After that, she will

-send them out by themselves...

-..because it'll be time

-for her to rear a new family.

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-By mid-summer, there are

-almost 24 hours of daylight.

-Plenty of time to feed

-and stockpile food ready for winter.

-These three bear cubs

-are enjoying the daylight.

-They must gain twice their

-bodyweight before winter arrives.

-The vegetation, in addition

-to their mother's milk...

-..keep them sated.

-On the banks of the lake,

-a female brown bear...

-..reaches the end

-of her maternal duties.

-These twins have celebrated

-their third birthday...

-..and are more than ready

-to live independently.

-Their mother is more than ready

-to search for a new mate.

-But the cubs are reluctant to leave.

-They prefer to stay home

-and have fun in the swimming pool.

-As the twins play in the water...

-..Mam has already spotted

-a potential partner.

-She's playing hard-to-get.

-Instant attraction just won't do.

-She succumbs to his advances.

-Now the deed's been done...

-..the male assumes he will be

-the father of the next litter.

-But minutes later...

-..another male comes to say hello.

-One or two small greetings...

-..some whispering in the ear...

-..and the brown bear

-welcomes another mate.

-She freely accepts his advances.

-There's a good reason

-why she's so willing to succumb...

-..and so keen to mate.

-If a male thinks

-he is the father of the offspring...

-..it's far more likely

-that he won't harm them.

-It pays to be friends with everyone.

-The bear's day is far from over.

-A quick visit to the bushes and

-she finds her third mate of the day.

-It's been a busy day for her

-on the banks of the quiet lake.

-Back in the safety

-of the forest in Finland...

-..the goldeneye ducks

-have surfaced at last.

-After 30 days,

-all the eggs have hatched.

-The busy nest

-is full of new-born chicks.

-Mam is never far away.

-While she tidies the nest...

-..she consumes the nutritious

-lime content in the eggshell.

-The mother is about to set

-her chicks their first challenge.

-Though they are

-merely a few hours old...

-..they know instinctively

-to follow her everywhere.

-Instinct kicks in.

-It's part of the great plan.

-She's no careless mother.

-Like the barnacle geese...

-..the female must teach her chicks

-to forage for food.

-But the nest isn't completely empty.

-Yet again, no-one hangs around...

-..for the little one to catch up.

-It plucks up the courage to try.

-It defies expectation...

-..and catches up

-with the rest of the family.

-This is a great adventure

-for the new-born ducks.

-Their first time to swim.

-And their first time to hunt.

-To satisfy their desire

-for pond flies and vegetation...

-..foraging and diving

-comes naturally to them.

-It's summer in the foxes' domain.

-The vixen is barely recognisable.

-She has shed

-almost all of her warm, white coat.

-Her mate never returned...

-..so she must tirelessly

-forage for food.

-Now five weeks old...

-..her cubs have nuzzled their way

-out of the lair.

-Of the 10, only six have survived.

-They've grown strong and healthy

-but each of them is starving.

-The older they are, the louder

-their cry for milk and meat.

-They must grow quickly.

-When autumn comes,

-they must leave their mother...

-..to face the biting chill

-of the Arctic all by herself.

-To complicate matters further...

-..the stray fox is snooping around

-her territory, watching every move.

-Without a mate to protect her, the

-mother is trying to scare the foe...

-..by warning him

-not to come any closer.

-The brave display is enough for now.

-But her young need feeding.

-She must go hunting.

-She leaves her vulnerable lair.

-The stray seizes the opportunity.

-The cubs retreat to their lair.

-But instinct alone

-isn't enough to save them.

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-When their mother returns,

-no-one is there to greet her.

-After the din, there is silence.

-A heavy silence

-and the smell of death.

-Rarely is a young cub killed

-in the world of Arctic foxes.

-The killer's nearby.

-Perhaps he was trying

-to abolish the competition for food.

-Or perhaps he wanted to single out

-the vixen as a mate for next year.

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-September arrives with

-its shorter days and longer nights.

-It's autumn.

-The race for survival

-is almost over.

-A few more weeks

-and the bitterly cold winter...

-..will once again

-grip this land in its clutches.

-The musk ox is one of Scandinavia's

-prehistoric giants.

-They make the most

-of the autumn harvest.

-This year's calves

-haven't yet experienced...

-..Scandinavia's harshest weapon -

-its biting winter.

-Before it approaches,

-Scandinavia reveals one last secret.

-The season of mushrooms, of which

-Norway has a wide variety...

-..of every colour and description.

-The landscape is transformed into

-a rich tapestry of fungi shoots.

-The musk ox

-stockpile enough food for winter.

-As they head back

-to the mountains...

-..they face winter...

-..at its most extreme.

-With their warm coats

-and full stomachs...

-..they're ready for the challenge.

-For every creature, the final days

-of autumn are crucial.

-Preparation is key to survive

-the forthcoming harsh winter.

-Those that suspect they will not

-be able to endure that hardship...

-..know that autumn

-is the time to leave.

-Things have quietened down

-in the forests.

-The brown bear

-prepares for hibernation.

-This mother and her

-three offspring feast on a dead elk.

-A Thanksgiving meal and

-a final opportunity to stockpile...

-..before the extreme weather.

-But there's competition

-for the feast.

-At this time of year,

-nothing whatsoever is wasted.

-This year, the three bear cubs

-will share a den with each other...

-..but without their mother

-for the first time ever.

-This is their final supper

-as a family.

-Their mother hopes

-that her young students...

-..have learnt all the survival tips.

-The winter will be the test,

-the examination and the challenge.

-The young creatures have thrived

-on the summer's offerings...

-..and prepared diligently

-for the long winter ahead.

-Some will sleep through it all.

-Others will remain awake.

-Each one will persevere

-until the onset of spring.

-Through it all,

-the wheel is still turning.

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