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Canada -

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the second largest country on Earth.

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Famous for its epic wilderness.

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From the Rocky Mountains...

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..to the Great White North.

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Breathtaking...

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..rugged...

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..and immense.

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It's a rich and varied wonderland...

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..which supports some of North
America's most iconic species.

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Theirs is a world of extremes.

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Their life - at the mercy of
the elements.

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Every season brings new challenges.

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It'll take strength...

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..and tenacity.

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Courage...

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..and resilience.

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Skill...

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..and good fortune...

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..just to make it through...

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..a year in the wild.

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Canada is over 40 times
the size of the UK...

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..with countless wild rivers...

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..the largest tract of unbroken
forest on Earth...

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..hundreds of peaks
taller than Ben Nevis...

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..and more lakes than the rest of
the world combined.

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Canada is lodged between the USA and
the Arctic.

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And from the Pacific Ocean in the
west to the Atlantic in the east

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lies over 150,000
miles of coastline.

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It's October on Newfoundland,

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Canada's most easterly island.

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There's a nip in the air,

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and it won't be long before winter
storms batter the land.

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Animals here must fatten up

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before the season takes a
turn for the worst.

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This year, there's a bumper crop of
wild blueberries.

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More than just a sweet treat,

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they're a super food for the biggest
black bears in North America.

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Standing four feet at the shoulder,

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and weighing up to 600 pounds,

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this male must prepare for
hibernation.

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In a severe winter, he may not eat
or drink for six months.

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So, the sooner he builds up his fat
reserves, the better.

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Berries are good,

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but meat would
speed up the process...

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..if he can catch it.

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It's the caribou breeding season

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and caribou bulls are busy rounding
up females.

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With food getting harder to find,

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they could provide a vital meal for
a hungry black bear.

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There's nowhere on this barren
plateau to launch an ambush from,

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so, he charges in.

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Black bears can hit speeds of
30 miles an hour.

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But caribou have stamina.

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Long legs and lithe bodies
eat up the tundra...

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..whilst the heavy black bear
soon overheats.

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He's burnt up valuable calories...

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..and must now work hard to replace
them.

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Foraging for berries will become
harder as autumn rolls on.

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With the herd intact,

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the bull follows the other caribou
to safer grazing.

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They can put the immediate danger
behind them,

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but there's a greater challenge
looming.

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Their food could soon be buried
under several feet of snow.

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To survive out here
when winter comes,

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the caribou will have
to dig deep.

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2,500 miles west of the Caribou,

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nestled in the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains,

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lies a vast wilderness area

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known as the Sheep River Valley.

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Warm winds, called chinooks, keep
the lower elevations snow-free.

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Down here, things are hotting up
amongst the bighorn sheep.

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Just over a century ago, half a
million sheep roamed the mountains.

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Today, there's fewer than 12,000.

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Ear tags help scientists monitor the
remaining population.

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It's breeding season,

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and with less than a month
to woo a ewe,

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eager rams are popping up
everywhere.

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Each ewe is fertile for just
48 hours per year.

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So, frustrated rams
must trail after them,

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waiting for the perfect moment.

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Each female has several suitors.

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So, when one comes into oestrous,

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all hell breaks loose.

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It's autumn in the Rocky Mountains
of Canada,

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and tension is building
amongst the bighorn sheep.

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It's the breeding season,

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and with each ewe receptive for just
two days a year,

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rams are keen to mate.

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But first,
they must eliminate their rivals.

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To determine who has the
mating rights,

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rams have to slug it out.

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Charging head-on with enough power
to crush a human skull...

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..they don't stop

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until there's a clear victor.

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Today, an old experienced ram comes
out on top...

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..and turns his attentions
to a ewe.

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But he hasn't seen off all
challengers yet.

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A young pretender is at large.

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He's big, muscular

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and oozing confidence.

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That can only mean one thing.

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The fight is back on.

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And the old ram drives his
adversary back...

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..but the younger ram won't submit.

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Pound for pound,
they're an equal match.

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But with youth comes speed and
stamina.

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The young ram gets ahead...

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..and claims the ewe in the
blink of an eye.

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The old male has no fight
left in him.

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He must admit defeat,

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and try again another day.

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As temperatures cool...

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..and daylight hours shorten...

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..Canada's trees undergo a
miraculous metamorphosis.

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The green pigment in their
leaves breaks down...

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..allowing new colours to
shine through.

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It's a dazzling,
but short-lived, display...

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..before forests go into lockdown.

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Autumn is the season of
transformation...

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..and there are more profound
changes on the way.

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Nearly 10% of Canada is
covered by fresh water.

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Lakes, teeming with fish, provide
food for many predators.

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But when autumn tightens its grip,

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they'll start to freeze solid...

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..locking animals out of their
favourite hunting grounds.

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This American bald eagle returns
here every year.

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Good fishing makes it the perfect
place to raise a chick.

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This year's fledgling is almost
fully-grown...

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..but he still depends on his
parents for food.

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The free hand-outs
can't last forever.

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When this lake freezes-up...

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..the family will be
forced to split up

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if they're to survive the winter.

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But whilst there's still open water,

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there are still opportunities.

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There's more than one way
to get a meal.

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The male bald eagle is an
experienced pirate.

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Quick and agile enough to keep
up with a gull.

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The gull has only one option.

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Better to drop the fish, than risk
an encounter with inch-long talons.

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At three months old,

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this fledgling will soon need more
fish than his parents can provide.

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And with the big freeze just
around the corner,

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he will die, unless he learns how
to hunt for himself.

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Glaciers stripped most of Canada
clean during the last Ice Age.

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Even today, there's
barely enough soil

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for shallow-rooted conifers
to cling onto.

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Water tumbles off bare rock,

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feeding a multitude of rivers,

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which, in turn, feed lakes
further downstream.

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Some animals aren't just adapted
to this watery world.

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They control it.

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Autumn is a busy time for a
beaver family.

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Trees must be harvested, for both
food and building materials.

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Tooth enamel, strengthened with
iron, prevents dental disasters.

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But the most important thing when
felling trees

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is knowing which way to run.

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Branches are ferried
across the pond,

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which protects the beavers
from land predators,

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like bears and wolves.

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To ensure there's always
plenty of water,

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they've built a dam.

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It requires constant maintenance.

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But the rewards are great.

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The beavers get their own patch
of flooded forest.

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Youngsters help with the chores...

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..whilst their parents take a break
for some essential grooming.

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Glands at the base of the tail
secrete an oil,

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which he spreads through his fur to
keep it waterproof.

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But if they're going to survive,

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the beavers must also keep their
house in order.

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It will provide them with somewhere
safe to eat and sleep when

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winter comes.

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To keep predators out, the only
entrance is under water.

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Daubing the walls with mud provides
extra strength and insulation.

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Soon the snow flurries will settle
and the pond will freeze over.

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The beavers must use the final
days of autumn wisely.

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The preparations they make now could
mean the difference between

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life and death when their pond is
locked under five inches of ice.

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The Rockies are North America's
longest mountain range..,

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..stretching from deep within the
US, far into south-west Canada.

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Snow coats the highest peaks for
most of the year.

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But now colder weather has reached
the lower elevations.

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In the Sheep River Valley,
autumn's finally turned a corner.

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For a pygmy owl, this is a good
place to ambush other birds.

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But steep cliffs keep the canyon
below largely free

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of land predators.

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Chasing prey up here is just too
dangerous, so bighorn sheep

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come here for safety.

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They were raised on these cliffs
and are excellent climbers.

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So, when they're tired of being
pestered by randy rams, ewes

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head for the canyon.

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Slippery slopes slow the rams down,

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giving ewes a welcome chance to
catch a breath.

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This older ram has already lost one
battle, and is more

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determined than ever to find a mate.

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He finally tracks down an ewe in
prime breeding condition.

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But his younger rival is back...

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..and he's up for another fight.

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It's late autumn in the
Rocky Mountains - the peak of the

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bighorn sheep mating season.

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One ewe has attracted a lot of rams,
including a young, dark male.

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An old pale ram has already lost one
ewe to him, and doesn't want

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to lose another.

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With feelings running high, the ewe
heads for the safety of the canyon.

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Most rams quickly drop back, but the
alpha pair press on over the cliff.

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The young ram leads the chase...

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..closely followed by his old
adversary.

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And suddenly the race to
mate is over.

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Under intense pressure,
rams can lose their footing.

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And 300 feet below,
the lifeless body of a young, dark

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male bears testament to the dangers
of the breeding season.

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The old ram's alive, but
has lost his ewe...

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..and now finds himself on the most
perilous part of the cliff.

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But he has age and experience
to fall back on.

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He spreads his cloven hooves and
successfully finds purchase

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on the shale.

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He's made it to safety.

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Now all he has to do is
find his mate.

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And finally he claims the right to
father one of next year's lambs.

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In the Sheep River Valley, the
breeding season is nearly over.

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The rams have done their job -
now it's up to the ewes.

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They'll give birth in six months'
time, if they can survive the

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long, cold, winter ahead.

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Trees across Canada are
ready for winter.

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When the cost of maintaining a
canopy starts to outweigh the

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benefits, they shut off the
circulation to their leaves,

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saving what nutrients they have
until spring.

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In the forests of Ontario,
just south of

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Algonquin Provincial Park,

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the autumn spectacle
is already over.

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What remains of the leaves will
soon be buried by snow.

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Autumn is a critical time for moose.

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It's the last chance for a
proper meal.

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In winter, there's not enough food
to sustain these 1,000 lb deer.

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If they don't have enough fat,
they'll quickly succumb to

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starvation.

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TURKEYS CALL

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Wild turkeys have finished
foraging for the day.

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They get jittery an hour before
sunset and make a beeline for

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the tallest tree around.

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This squirrel wasn't
expecting guests.

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But turkeys must get off the
ground...

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..or they could become dinner
for coyotes.

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JAUNTY ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYS

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The higher they get,
the safer they feel.

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00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:39,040
But launching a 10 lb body
in the air isn't easy.

249
00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:41,920
Bigger birds need a bit of a run-up.

250
00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:56,200
Dominant hens go first, keen to nab
the premium perches.

251
00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:02,720
Sturdy limbs close to the trunk
provide a stable platform and

252
00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:04,840
shelter from the wind.

253
00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:20,720
The rest have to settle for the
outer branches.

254
00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:33,680
In winter, they'll
huddle up to stay warm.

255
00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:38,360
But, right now, not
everyone's keen on sharing.

256
00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:46,440
It's a delicate balancing act.

257
00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:05,040
Once personal space issues are
satisfied, the turkeys

258
00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:06,840
settle down for a rest.

259
00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:16,920
Elsewhere in the forest, other
animals are just waking up.

260
00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:29,080
A flying squirrel uses the cover of
darkness to avoid birds of prey.

261
00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:36,080
She spent the summer hiding nuts and
seeds for lean times like these.

262
00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:52,200
Her secret stockpiles are far apart.

263
00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:04,200
Travelling between them wastes
precious energy.

264
00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:07,960
But she has that problem licked.

265
00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:12,080
SQUIRREL SQUEAKS

266
00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:28,960
Membranes between wrists and
ankles let her glide.

267
00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:34,800
She can clear 300 feet
in a single jump...

268
00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:46,080
..making long journeys
much more energy-efficient.

269
00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:56,080
SQUIRREL SNIFFS

270
00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:04,720
With temperatures dropping, the less
time she spends outside, the better.

271
00:34:14,240 --> 00:34:17,680
So, once fully fed, she heads
back to her nest...

272
00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:24,480
..where she can use every calorie
she has saved by gliding to

273
00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:26,080
keep herself warm.

274
00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:33,040
OWL HOOTS

275
00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:40,840
More than halfway between the
squirrel's forest and the

276
00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:45,840
Arctic Circle lies Churchill, on
the shores of the Hudson Bay.

277
00:34:56,240 --> 00:35:00,200
Polar air is drawn through here by a
weather system known as the

278
00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:02,080
North American High.

279
00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:10,720
It creates a sub-arctic climate,
where snow stays on the

280
00:35:10,720 --> 00:35:13,480
ground for over eight months a year.

281
00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:21,040
By mid-November, the mercury has
already dropped through the floor.

282
00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:28,480
But it won't bottom out until it
reaches minus 50 degrees Celsius

283
00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:30,400
in just two-months' time.

284
00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:36,480
Only the toughest animals can
survive here.

285
00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:47,520
Ptarmigans eke a meagre living,

286
00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:49,760
eating the buds of the
stunted willow.

287
00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:12,840
But they're also food for
other animals.

288
00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:29,360
Arctic foxes will take ptarmigan.

289
00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:34,840
But, luckily for the ptarmigan,
the vole population is booming.

290
00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:42,960
But the Arctic fox is not alone.

291
00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:49,520
Red foxes are bigger,
and powerful enough to kill her.

292
00:36:57,240 --> 00:36:59,280
It's mid-November,

293
00:36:59,280 --> 00:37:02,560
and on the western shore of
Canada's Hudson Bay

294
00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:06,760
relentless winds from the north have
driven temperatures down to

295
00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:09,040
below minus 30 Celsius.

296
00:37:11,640 --> 00:37:14,960
This Arctic fox is well adapted
to life out here.

297
00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:20,920
Thick fur and a small body help
her stay warm, to allow her to

298
00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:22,200
save energy for hunting.

299
00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:28,680
And this is prime vole-hunting
territory.

300
00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:34,200
But there's a problem.

301
00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:40,040
A red fox wants in on the action.

302
00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:50,040
Taller and heavier than the Arctic
fox, it's more likely to

303
00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:52,440
kill her than share this territory.

304
00:38:02,720 --> 00:38:07,200
Using her keen sense of smell, she
looks for the perfect spot...

305
00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:19,480
..and listens for the faintest
patter of feet under the snow.

306
00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:30,560
It's all in the timing.

307
00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:43,000
VOLE SQUEAKS

308
00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:47,080
A single vole is a good mouthful...

309
00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:54,960
..but the red fox wants more...

310
00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:03,640
VOLE SQUEAKS
..and soon has another.

311
00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:09,840
It's bad news for the Arctic fox.

312
00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:15,280
Her rival won't leave here with
so much food about.

313
00:39:29,360 --> 00:39:34,800
With her belly full, the red fox
stashes any surplus kills for later.

314
00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:39,520
They'll stay nice and fresh
under the snow.

315
00:39:57,040 --> 00:40:01,480
The Arctic fox has lost her
hunting ground,

316
00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:04,880
and if she hangs around,
she may lose her life.

317
00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:08,800
Her only option is to move on.

318
00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:17,080
There aren't many places with
such rich pickings,

319
00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:19,320
and she may be forced to scavenge.

320
00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:27,360
Strange as it may seem, her fate may
depend on an even bigger killer.

321
00:40:33,160 --> 00:40:36,960
If she follows the polar bears, she
can eat their leftovers once

322
00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:38,560
they've eaten.

323
00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:49,680
But polar bears are seal hunters,
and seals don't come ashore

324
00:40:49,680 --> 00:40:51,360
at this time of year.

325
00:40:59,840 --> 00:41:03,880
At the end of every autumn, hundreds
of bears gather around the

326
00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:07,520
shores of the Hudson Bay and wait.

327
00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:17,280
They can't hunt until the sea
freezes over.

328
00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:22,840
That means no seal meat for the
Arctic fox either.

329
00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:32,800
The bears are thin,
restless and hungry.

330
00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:40,120
A mouthful of snow is little comfort
to a polar bear mum

331
00:41:40,120 --> 00:41:41,720
with an adolescent cub.

332
00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:55,240
They've not had a proper meal since
the ice broke up in July,

333
00:41:55,240 --> 00:41:57,760
and that's over four months ago.

334
00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:11,360
They sniff the air, waiting for
winter to come.

335
00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:34,920
Until it does, all they can do is
conserve what little energy

336
00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:36,680
they have left.

337
00:42:47,080 --> 00:42:50,120
Next time...winter is coming.

338
00:42:53,280 --> 00:42:57,200
Canada is plunged into six months of
freezing temperatures and

339
00:42:57,200 --> 00:42:59,000
fierce storms.

340
00:43:03,600 --> 00:43:06,880
For some,
winter is a time of severe hardship.

341
00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:13,840
For others, it brings food and
even new life.

342
00:43:17,720 --> 00:43:20,360
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