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Narrator: Deep in
     canada's remote yukon,

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On the fringe of
       the arctic circle,

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In the shadow of a
       majestic mountain

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A dramatic coming of
       age story unfolds.

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An adolescent grizzly takes
   her first harrowing steps

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Into adulthood and motherhood.
        (bear growling)

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The odds are stacked against
 her and her rambunctious cubs.

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But in a hidden sanctuary,

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Known only to a
     handful of grizzlies,

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A river churns with the
     key to their survival.

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It takes smarts, skills,
       (water splashing)

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And a certain amount of style

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To take part in this
        contested feast.

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(bears growling)

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But sophie will stop at nothing
    to save her first family

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In the legendary
     land of the ice bear.

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(icy fur crunching)

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(dramatic music)

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(crow cawing)

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It's April on the pristine
     expanse of the yukon.

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In the heart of a mountain,
    creatures are stirring.

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(light dramatic music)

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Bear cave mountain rises
out of lands sacred

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To the vuntut gwitchin people.

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It serves as a singular fortress

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For sleeping giants
       during the winter.

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Shot through with
     water-carved caverns,

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This limestone peak
    couldn't be more perfect

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For a five month nap.

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But now, a groggy
     young grizzly emerges

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And stumbles down
       the mountainside.

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After nine years growing up
here, sophie knows the mountain

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And its surroundings
   like the back of her paw.

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But she'll soon be in
unfamiliar hormonal territory.

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Her childhood is
        nearing its end.

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(light music)

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Not for these guys.

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A couple of sub-adults
      find the descent off

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The mountain supremely
         entertaining.

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Sophie doesn't seem so sure.

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(bears growling)

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As with all young mammals,

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Play feeds their
     growing intelligence,

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And grizzlies are very
      smart bears indeed.

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(bears growling)

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But sophie seems to be putting
   away such childish things.

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She's being observed,
but pays no attention.

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Wildlife filmmaker
     phil timpany has been

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Chronicling sophie all her life,

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And has all but faded
      into the background.

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For 30 years, his unique
     access in this remote,

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Protected wilderness

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Has provided an
     unprecedented glimpse

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Into the lives of all
      the local grizzlies.

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It's phil who gave sophie
  her name, watched her grow,

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And has long wondered if
   she'd have her own family.

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(bird chirping)

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(light dramatic music)

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The advent of spring has
     everyone on the move.

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Porcupine caribou
       are headed toward

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Their northern calving grounds,

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At least the ones that
      survived the winter.

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Some did not.

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After months of not eating
 during her long winter sleep,

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Sophie needs to
       find food quickly.

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But this caribou
      carcass has already

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Been picked nearly clean.

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Not much here for a hungry bear.

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(light dramatic music)

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She heads further north,
 away from bear cave mountain,

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In what will become a
   restless search for food.

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Her range extends
     over 100 square miles,

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Across open tundra, a
     summer feeding ground

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She shares with
       many other bears.

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As spring draws to a close,
   warm winds bring moisture

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From melting snow cascading
      over the mountains.

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A big male lumbers
       across the valley.

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(light dramatic music)

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He's following his
    formidable nose towards

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An irresistible scent; a
   female coming into estrus.

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It's sophie and another
  female, both ready to breed.

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His ardor may not
        be reciprocated,

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But he's not about to
      wait for permission.

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(dramatic music)
        (bears growling)

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The other female heads
   for the hills, literally.

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So, he targets sophie.
      (suspenseful music)

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Her instincts battle within
    her: To flee, to fight,

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(bears growling)

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Or to flirt, in loud
        grizzly fashion.

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Finally, the male herds
      her up onto a ridge,

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Where he can keep her
     away from other males.

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She accepts his
     advances for a while.

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(bears growling)

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Grizzlies often
       quarrel after sex.

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They'll stay together for
 three days, mating frequently,

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Before the male heads off in
   search of another partner.

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His reproductive
       duty is done here.

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But sophie's is just beginning,

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And she'll need all her
 energy for the journey ahead.

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Inside her, at least one

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Fertilized egg now
         rests dormant.

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It will only develop this winter

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If she enters hibernation
      in prime condition.

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(light music)

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(grass rustling)

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It's June.

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With the brief arctic
        summer upon her,

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Sophie enters hyperphagia,
  a phase of excessive eating.

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She must pack on 1/3
       of her body weight

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To get herself
      through the winter,

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More, if her pregnancy
         is to succeed.

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(light music)

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She forages relentlessly
    but it's slim pickings.

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And there's only so much
nutrition in grasses and roots.

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(crows cawing)

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August offers salvation,
  setting the hillsides aflame

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With plump, sweet blueberries.

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(gentle music)
        (birds chirping)

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Sophie gorges to
      her heart's content

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On calorie-rich fresh fruit.

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But the berry harvest
    lasts just three weeks.

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Instinct drives her to eat long
  after her appetite is sated.

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She must build up reserves
    for the struggles ahead.

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(light dramatic music)

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Once the berries are gone,

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Autumn brings lean
        times for bears.

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Even big males are reduced

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To hunting the
      smallest creatures.

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In this case, an
  unfortunate ground squirrel,

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Whose subterranean
     escape proves futile.

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(bear paws thudding)

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(bear growling)

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It's barely a mouthful,
     but a nice fatty one.

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(light dramatic music)

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Sophie knows it's
       time to head home

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00:10:10,819 --> 00:10:14,812
And sets off toward
      bear cave mountain.

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00:10:14,847 --> 00:10:17,365
But she's not ready
     to hibernate just yet.

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(light dramatic music)

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In the shadow of her
       mystical mountain

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A lavish bear's banquet
    should soon be arriving.

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She follows the meandering
      fishing branch river

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That cuts through this
      pristine wilderness.

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A protected park managed
     by the yukon territory

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And the vuntut
     gwitchin first nation.

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(light music)
        (birds chirping)

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The river is the life-blood
          of the park,

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Vital to the many
  creatures that thrive here.

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(water splashing)
(birds chirping)

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(light music)

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But especially to the grizzlies.

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00:11:23,332 --> 00:11:25,883
It seems bear cave
      mountain has called

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All its residents home.

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00:11:29,672 --> 00:11:34,225
The grizzlies gather in
    eerie silence, waiting.

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(bear growling)
   another nomad is expected,

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00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:40,824
And their survival
         depends on it.

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(gentle music)

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It's mid-September.

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A hushed anticipation hangs
 over the fishing branch river.

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Sophie and her fellow
        grizzlies await

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The annual miracle
     on which they depend.

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00:12:02,580 --> 00:12:07,925
It began six weeks ago,
     and 1,500 miles away.

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A journey from the bering
  sea, across alaska to yukon.

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An epic migration
        that ends here,

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In the fishing branch river.

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(water splashing)

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Finally, the nomads arrive.

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Salmon.

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Tens of thousands of chum,
  returning to the very waters

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Where they hatched,
        four years ago.

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00:12:36,989 --> 00:12:39,674
(gentle music)

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00:12:41,911 --> 00:12:45,463
The gravel beds here are
     perfect for spawning.

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00:12:45,474 --> 00:12:49,801
But the key ingredient
      is the water itself.

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Oxygenated groundwater
and gases percolate up

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Through the river
        bed year-round.

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This constant flow keeps
    the river from freezing

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Long after the yukon's other
   waterways have iced over.

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00:13:04,976 --> 00:13:07,985
Nowhere else this far
      north do chum spawn

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So late in the season,
  giving bears here more time

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To fatten up before hibernation.

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A female salmon completes
      her grueling journey

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Just as her eggs reach maturity.

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(light music)
        (water bubbling)

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She surveys the bottom intently,

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Using her sensitive
     nostrils to sniff out

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The ideal water
    chemistry for her nest.

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00:13:40,529 --> 00:13:44,939
She's an ambitious engineer,
 excavating rocks and scraping

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Gravel before
      depositing her eggs.

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00:13:48,060 --> 00:13:50,912
(water bubbling)

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The male chum are
       arriving as well.

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00:13:56,152 --> 00:13:58,870
During the long trek
      from the bering sea

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00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:02,841
They develop powerful jaws
 equipped with fearsome teeth.

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00:14:05,387 --> 00:14:07,545
For two weeks they
        fight each other

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00:14:07,580 --> 00:14:11,716
For mating rights
      with desperate fury.

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00:14:11,726 --> 00:14:17,021
(dramatic music)
(water splashing)

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00:14:24,055 --> 00:14:27,615
The rivalries spill over
    into the mating itself.

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00:14:30,770 --> 00:14:34,488
As the female deposits her
   eggs, her partner releases

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00:14:34,565 --> 00:14:39,210
A cloud of sperm while other
    males try to muscle in.

198
00:14:46,953 --> 00:14:49,921
The female then gently
  covers up the fragile eggs,

199
00:14:49,956 --> 00:14:51,556
Cementing them in place.

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00:14:52,792 --> 00:14:55,593
Her battle-scarred
       mate stands guard,

201
00:14:55,604 --> 00:14:58,354
Preventing rivals from
       getting too close.

202
00:15:02,093 --> 00:15:04,936
But the end is near.

203
00:15:04,971 --> 00:15:07,739
Exhausted males are in tatters.

204
00:15:11,227 --> 00:15:15,863
The female, also doomed,
 defends the nest to the last.

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00:15:15,898 --> 00:15:17,949
(somber music)

206
00:15:17,959 --> 00:15:20,451
She abandons her
        post only as her

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00:15:20,462 --> 00:15:24,088
Near lifeless body is
      carried downstream.

208
00:15:28,619 --> 00:15:30,127
(water splashing)

209
00:15:30,162 --> 00:15:31,379
As if the salmon's
        desperate battle

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00:15:31,455 --> 00:15:32,713
To reproduce weren't enough,

211
00:15:32,790 --> 00:15:34,966
All the grizzlies of
       bear cave mountain

212
00:15:35,001 --> 00:15:37,143
Are intent on devouring them.

213
00:15:39,338 --> 00:15:41,639
Every adult bear is
       hundreds of pounds

214
00:15:41,650 --> 00:15:43,816
Of hunger that can't be sated.

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00:15:44,844 --> 00:15:48,562
(bears growling)

216
00:15:48,639 --> 00:15:52,825
Phil's here, as he has been for
  most of the past 30 autumns.

217
00:15:53,769 --> 00:15:56,737
(water splashing)

218
00:15:56,772 --> 00:16:00,658
In the process, he's been
swept up in the bears' lives,

219
00:16:00,693 --> 00:16:02,410
Rooting for them,
      and getting to know

220
00:16:02,445 --> 00:16:05,296
Their quirky fishing techniques.

221
00:16:09,678 --> 00:16:12,086
Nine years ago,
         (gentle music)

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00:16:12,121 --> 00:16:15,756
He filmed a very young
      sophie being tutored

223
00:16:15,791 --> 00:16:20,186
In the fine art of killing chum
  by her mother, mrs. Tucker.

224
00:16:22,691 --> 00:16:25,692
(water splashing)

225
00:16:34,869 --> 00:16:36,694
And today he watches
         sophie putting

226
00:16:36,729 --> 00:16:38,863
Those lessons to good use.

227
00:16:38,898 --> 00:16:44,085
(water splashing)
         (gentle music)

228
00:16:48,407 --> 00:16:53,711
(light dramatic music)
        (wind whistling)

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00:16:53,746 --> 00:16:57,048
As October arrives,
an arctic cold front

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00:16:57,058 --> 00:16:58,850
Sweeps in from the north.

231
00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:07,817
The chum spawning season
      is nearing its peak.

232
00:17:08,344 --> 00:17:11,529
Feeding time for
     hungry bears is short.

233
00:17:14,391 --> 00:17:17,568
Wary of the tension
       on the main river,

234
00:17:17,603 --> 00:17:19,871
Sophie heads for a
       little tributary.

235
00:17:22,191 --> 00:17:24,325
Some of the chum
       have also escaped

236
00:17:24,360 --> 00:17:26,878
The chaos by retreating
        into pools here.

237
00:17:29,257 --> 00:17:32,833
But sophie doesn't have her
    fishing hole to herself.

238
00:17:32,910 --> 00:17:34,502
(dramatic music)

239
00:17:34,578 --> 00:17:37,922
A big male bear
      appears downstream.

240
00:17:37,957 --> 00:17:42,477
It's morris, a huge,
intimidating, 15-year-old.

241
00:17:43,605 --> 00:17:45,930
Sophie doesn't want any trouble.

242
00:17:45,965 --> 00:17:48,265
So, reluctantly she gives up

243
00:17:48,276 --> 00:17:53,446
Her spot grabbing a
       quick snack to go.

244
00:17:54,949 --> 00:17:57,274
(water splashing)

245
00:17:57,285 --> 00:18:00,078
(light music)

246
00:18:16,453 --> 00:18:20,381
Morris, a veteran fisherman,
   has refined his technique.

247
00:18:20,457 --> 00:18:23,142
(playful music)

248
00:18:24,336 --> 00:18:25,803
He stands tall,

249
00:18:25,814 --> 00:18:28,898
Getting a top-down
    perspective on the chum.

250
00:18:32,928 --> 00:18:35,947
(water splashing)

251
00:18:50,004 --> 00:18:51,662
When the coast is clear,

252
00:18:51,673 --> 00:18:54,132
Sophie ventures to
      the river once more.

253
00:18:56,702 --> 00:19:00,337
Remarkably, mrs. Tucker
     taught sophie long ago

254
00:19:00,348 --> 00:19:03,507
To use this very same
log as a launch pad.

255
00:19:03,542 --> 00:19:05,342
(suspenseful music)

256
00:19:05,353 --> 00:19:08,437
(water splashing)

257
00:19:13,469 --> 00:19:16,353
Her charge, smash,
       and grab strategy

258
00:19:16,388 --> 00:19:18,656
Might not be as
     dignified as morris'.

259
00:19:20,726 --> 00:19:22,869
But eventually, it works.

260
00:19:29,360 --> 00:19:31,785
The salmon's juicy
       eggs help provide

261
00:19:31,820 --> 00:19:35,006
The tens of thousands of
 calories she needs every day.

262
00:19:38,219 --> 00:19:40,970
(light music)

263
00:19:41,497 --> 00:19:44,215
She continues working
       the shallow water,

264
00:19:44,225 --> 00:19:47,185
But the chum are getting
       to know her moves.

265
00:19:49,213 --> 00:19:50,387
(light dramatic music)
       (water splashing)

266
00:19:50,422 --> 00:19:52,389
When she loudly charges
their spawning beds,

267
00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,610
They easily escape
       into deeper water.

268
00:19:58,597 --> 00:20:00,731
Taking a page out
        of morris' book,

269
00:20:00,742 --> 00:20:04,235
Sophie stands upright to
   see the fish as they flee.

270
00:20:04,245 --> 00:20:07,747
(light dramatic music)

271
00:20:11,610 --> 00:20:14,086
She herds the salmon
        toward the bank.

272
00:20:16,591 --> 00:20:17,924
Once they're corralled,

273
00:20:19,594 --> 00:20:22,002
(water splashing)
          she attacks!

274
00:20:22,037 --> 00:20:27,266
(dramatic music)
         (crows cawing)

275
00:20:35,634 --> 00:20:39,946
Meanwhile, the chum are
   upping their game as well.

276
00:20:42,116 --> 00:20:44,275
Every time sophie
       prowls the water,

277
00:20:44,310 --> 00:20:47,245
They hide in the cloud
of debris she stirs up.

278
00:20:51,793 --> 00:20:55,119
(paws thudding)

279
00:20:55,129 --> 00:20:58,589
As the water clears,
   they beat a full retreat.

280
00:21:01,452 --> 00:21:04,295
But bears are
    remarkably intelligent.

281
00:21:04,305 --> 00:21:07,881
Sophie realizes that every
  time she touches the water,

282
00:21:07,958 --> 00:21:10,134
They head downstream.

283
00:21:10,144 --> 00:21:13,521
(light dramatic music)

284
00:21:15,507 --> 00:21:18,976
Not to be out-witted, she
 triggers the salmon's retreat

285
00:21:18,987 --> 00:21:22,146
With a paw swat,
       (water splashing)

286
00:21:22,156 --> 00:21:24,699
Then intercepts
       them as they flee.

287
00:21:27,161 --> 00:21:31,322
(suspenseful music)
        (water bubbling)

288
00:21:31,332 --> 00:21:34,333
(water splashing)

289
00:21:48,540 --> 00:21:49,840
In the main river channel,

290
00:21:49,851 --> 00:21:54,678
A 20 year old male named
stanley fishes in deeper water.

291
00:21:54,713 --> 00:21:58,566
With age comes wisdom
        and efficiency.

292
00:22:01,863 --> 00:22:03,687
Stanley can't be
       bothered with all

293
00:22:03,722 --> 00:22:07,024
That chasing, leaping
        and struggling.

294
00:22:07,035 --> 00:22:10,661
Far easier to go after
   the fish that don't flee.

295
00:22:11,614 --> 00:22:16,033
He snorkels, scouring the
 river bottom for dead salmon.

296
00:22:16,044 --> 00:22:19,545
(light dramatic music)

297
00:22:21,049 --> 00:22:22,715
That one's a little too ripe.

298
00:22:24,218 --> 00:22:27,345
(water splashing)

299
00:22:40,676 --> 00:22:42,943
Now that's more like it!

300
00:22:47,241 --> 00:22:49,733
Time for his signature move.

301
00:22:49,744 --> 00:22:52,403
(suspenseful music)

302
00:22:52,413 --> 00:22:54,372
(water splashing)
got it!

303
00:22:56,751 --> 00:22:59,502
(light music)

304
00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:08,886
A salmon feast
      without the bother.

305
00:23:12,433 --> 00:23:15,426
With each passing
    week, the urgency grows

306
00:23:15,436 --> 00:23:17,144
For sophie to gain weight.

307
00:23:17,455 --> 00:23:19,647
Her pregnancy is on the line.

308
00:23:21,967 --> 00:23:24,435
But again and again large males

309
00:23:24,445 --> 00:23:27,271
Like morris and
     stanley displace her.

310
00:23:27,306 --> 00:23:30,741
(light dramatic music)

311
00:23:32,644 --> 00:23:35,779
If she isn't fat enough
  when she starts hibernating,

312
00:23:35,790 --> 00:23:39,700
Her body will absorb the
 fertilized eggs in her uterus,

313
00:23:39,735 --> 00:23:42,044
And there will be no cubs.

314
00:23:45,157 --> 00:23:48,592
(light dramatic music)

315
00:23:50,329 --> 00:23:54,306
By November, only a few
spawning salmon remain.

316
00:23:56,001 --> 00:23:57,301
(water splashing)

317
00:23:57,311 --> 00:24:00,637
Fishing has become a matter
    of diminishing returns;

318
00:24:00,648 --> 00:24:04,108
It burns more calories
    than sophie gets to eat.

319
00:24:08,156 --> 00:24:10,448
So she sets off along the river

320
00:24:12,660 --> 00:24:16,120
And picks her way up the
  slopes of bear cave mountain

321
00:24:17,648 --> 00:24:20,574
To the den where she was born.

322
00:24:20,651 --> 00:24:22,159
(wind whistling)

323
00:24:22,170 --> 00:24:24,995
The limestone
     mountain's many caves,

324
00:24:25,030 --> 00:24:27,414
Carved out by running water,

325
00:24:27,491 --> 00:24:31,302
Have been used by hibernating
  bears down through the ages.

326
00:24:33,539 --> 00:24:36,474
Sophie settles in to
     sleep away the winter.

327
00:24:38,502 --> 00:24:41,345
Her drive to feed for
      the last six months

328
00:24:41,355 --> 00:24:43,355
Now comes down to this.

329
00:24:45,026 --> 00:24:46,683
If she's healthy enough,

330
00:24:46,718 --> 00:24:50,854
Perhaps by spring
      she'll be a mother.

331
00:24:50,865 --> 00:24:53,782
(dramatic music)

332
00:24:58,230 --> 00:25:00,614
(wind whistling)
       (foliage rustling)

333
00:25:00,649 --> 00:25:04,168
April blows cold, here,
     in yukon's far north.

334
00:25:06,863 --> 00:25:10,457
Cinematographer phil timpany
   is searching for grizzlies

335
00:25:10,534 --> 00:25:13,210
Not far from bear cave mountain.

336
00:25:13,221 --> 00:25:14,628
(bears growling)

337
00:25:14,705 --> 00:25:16,046
The family he comes across
   has emerged from their den

338
00:25:16,057 --> 00:25:19,350
To discover winter is
      still in full force.

339
00:25:22,897 --> 00:25:28,559
A caribou carcass offers
  the mother meager pickings.

340
00:25:28,594 --> 00:25:32,062
But her two-year-old
    cubs are more interested

341
00:25:32,073 --> 00:25:33,781
In wrestling anyway.

342
00:25:35,409 --> 00:25:37,568
Phil's pleased to find any bears

343
00:25:37,578 --> 00:25:40,237
To film this early in the year.

344
00:25:40,248 --> 00:25:44,658
But he'll leave these grizzlies
  and keep looking for sophie.

345
00:25:44,735 --> 00:25:46,994
He's anxious to know
       whether this year

346
00:25:47,070 --> 00:25:48,712
She's got any cubs in tow.

347
00:25:51,092 --> 00:25:54,585
(light dramatic music)

348
00:25:54,595 --> 00:25:57,555
(wind whistling)

349
00:26:02,044 --> 00:26:03,677
(birds chirping)

350
00:26:03,712 --> 00:26:06,930
Only when the tundra
     begins to bloom in may

351
00:26:06,965 --> 00:26:10,601
Does he find her in
       a secluded valley

352
00:26:10,611 --> 00:26:12,736
Where he rarely sees bears.

353
00:26:14,765 --> 00:26:19,443
And he's delighted to
    find she's got company.

354
00:26:19,453 --> 00:26:24,197
A tiny male cub born in January
    in the safety of the den

355
00:26:24,274 --> 00:26:26,125
And now four months old.

356
00:26:29,154 --> 00:26:31,797
A little female
     completes the family.

357
00:26:34,785 --> 00:26:37,628
The cubs have already
   journeyed for many miles,

358
00:26:37,638 --> 00:26:39,597
Scampering after their mother.

359
00:26:41,809 --> 00:26:45,302
But as a first-time mom,
  sophie's learning the ropes,

360
00:26:45,313 --> 00:26:47,137
Trying to balance her own needs

361
00:26:47,172 --> 00:26:50,974
With feeding and
     protecting her young.

362
00:26:50,985 --> 00:26:55,228
More than half of all grizzly
cubs die in their first year,

363
00:26:55,263 --> 00:26:58,315
So sophie has little
        room for error.

364
00:26:58,326 --> 00:27:01,785
(light dramatic music)

365
00:27:04,856 --> 00:27:08,408
During the next two months,
 the tundra flushes green with

366
00:27:08,443 --> 00:27:12,671
New growth as plants soak up
  the nearly endless sunshine.

367
00:27:15,617 --> 00:27:17,334
(ravens cawing)

368
00:27:17,369 --> 00:27:19,336
A pair of ravens draws
       sophie's attention

369
00:27:19,371 --> 00:27:22,422
To the carcass of a caribou.

370
00:27:22,457 --> 00:27:25,759
She and the cubs have been
  foraging on the lush grasses

371
00:27:25,836 --> 00:27:27,811
But welcome a change of diet.

372
00:27:29,881 --> 00:27:32,650
It's the cubs'
      first taste of meat.

373
00:27:35,178 --> 00:27:37,104
While the youngsters
eat their fill,

374
00:27:37,180 --> 00:27:40,190
Sophie starts burying the
     windfall to protect it

375
00:27:40,201 --> 00:27:44,277
From ravens and other
       feathered thieves.

376
00:27:44,354 --> 00:27:47,114
She skillfully rolls
    up a ball of vegetation

377
00:27:47,190 --> 00:27:49,866
And soil to cover the carcass.

378
00:27:49,877 --> 00:27:53,203
The cubs watch carefully,
   learning a lesson that may

379
00:27:53,238 --> 00:27:55,714
Someday save them
        from starvation.

380
00:27:59,745 --> 00:28:02,462
(light dramatic music)

381
00:28:02,539 --> 00:28:04,464
But the most sure-fire
       way of protecting

382
00:28:04,541 --> 00:28:07,184
A meal is to sleep on it.

383
00:28:09,421 --> 00:28:13,857
With sophie nodding off,
   her cubs seize the moment.

384
00:28:23,602 --> 00:28:26,820
Meat might now be on the
   menu but they'll continue

385
00:28:26,855 --> 00:28:29,373
To suckle throughout
       their first year.

386
00:28:30,584 --> 00:28:34,044
(light dramatic music)

387
00:28:39,427 --> 00:28:41,418
Nearing the end of summer,

388
00:28:41,453 --> 00:28:45,756
The cubs discover one of
    the joys of the season;

389
00:28:45,766 --> 00:28:51,344
Berries, reaching their
      peak in late August.

390
00:28:51,421 --> 00:28:53,680
Sophie makes it clear how
    important it is to gorge

391
00:28:53,757 --> 00:28:56,316
On the fruit while
       the bounty lasts.

392
00:28:57,945 --> 00:29:00,779
And the cubs are
        happy to oblige.

393
00:29:02,766 --> 00:29:04,441
But in just three weeks,

394
00:29:04,452 --> 00:29:06,910
The berry patches
     will be picked clean.

395
00:29:09,564 --> 00:29:13,200
And once again, sophie
    will hear the siren call

396
00:29:13,276 --> 00:29:14,752
Of the fishing branch river.

397
00:29:15,037 --> 00:29:17,713
(light music)

398
00:29:22,452 --> 00:29:25,295
(birds cawing)

399
00:29:25,306 --> 00:29:28,223
(birds chirping)

400
00:29:33,797 --> 00:29:36,890
By the time the family
 arrives at bear cave mountain,

401
00:29:36,967 --> 00:29:38,776
The cubs are seven months old.

402
00:29:47,828 --> 00:29:51,789
The youngsters seem delighted
  to explore this new terrain,

403
00:29:53,334 --> 00:29:55,909
But sophie grows uneasy.

404
00:29:55,986 --> 00:29:58,328
As she's done every
       year of her life,

405
00:29:58,339 --> 00:30:01,799
She scours her favorite
   fishing sites for salmon.

406
00:30:03,844 --> 00:30:07,387
(light dramatic music)

407
00:30:12,353 --> 00:30:15,312
(water bubbling)
            nothing.

408
00:30:17,799 --> 00:30:19,858
Something is terribly wrong.

409
00:30:24,698 --> 00:30:27,825
The salmon run has never
     been this late before.

410
00:30:29,227 --> 00:30:32,663
For a first-time mother,
      this is a disaster.

411
00:30:34,375 --> 00:30:37,868
(dramatic music)
        (wind whistling)

412
00:30:37,878 --> 00:30:41,588
10 days pass with no
    sign of migrating chum.

413
00:30:42,883 --> 00:30:46,126
The cubs, still nursing,
    get virtually all their

414
00:30:46,161 --> 00:30:51,464
Nutrition from sophie,
draining her of vital calories.

415
00:30:51,541 --> 00:30:54,217
Just when she should be
  fattening up to get them all

416
00:30:54,228 --> 00:30:57,888
Through months of hibernation,
      she's losing weight.

417
00:30:57,898 --> 00:31:01,057
(light dramatic music)

418
00:31:01,068 --> 00:31:04,728
If she doesn't eat
      soon and eat a lot,

419
00:31:04,763 --> 00:31:07,573
They might not
      survive the winter.

420
00:31:14,564 --> 00:31:17,324
(light dramatic music)
       (water splashing)

421
00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:19,993
It's late September
     and first-time mother

422
00:31:20,070 --> 00:31:23,246
Sophie faces a crisis.

423
00:31:23,257 --> 00:31:24,998
The annual run of chum salmon

424
00:31:25,033 --> 00:31:29,085
In the fishing branch
     river hasn't arrived.

425
00:31:29,096 --> 00:31:31,922
Without binging on
    fish for several weeks,

426
00:31:31,932 --> 00:31:34,090
Sophie can't store
     enough fat to survive

427
00:31:34,101 --> 00:31:37,895
Her coming hibernation
       or feed her cubs.

428
00:31:41,108 --> 00:31:43,817
(gentle music)

429
00:31:50,475 --> 00:31:53,610
At last, the chum
start to appear,

430
00:31:53,645 --> 00:31:56,038
10 days later than usual.

431
00:31:57,291 --> 00:32:00,367
Sophie needs to make
        up for lost time

432
00:32:00,402 --> 00:32:03,203
And immediately gets
       down to business.

433
00:32:03,279 --> 00:32:07,457
(water splashing)

434
00:32:07,492 --> 00:32:09,793
She targets females
         when she can,

435
00:32:09,803 --> 00:32:13,764
Because they come with
      a vital bonus; eggs!

436
00:32:15,792 --> 00:32:19,645
The hungry cubs are eager for
  their first taste of salmon.

437
00:32:21,673 --> 00:32:25,308
Salmon eggs are a
      grizzly super-food,

438
00:32:25,319 --> 00:32:29,312
Packed with nutrients
     and all important fat.

439
00:32:29,323 --> 00:32:34,618
(crows cawing)
        (bears growling)

440
00:32:35,679 --> 00:32:41,491
Sophie lets her cubs know the
precious caviar is hers alone.

441
00:32:41,526 --> 00:32:44,002
She needs the eggs
       more than they do.

442
00:32:49,117 --> 00:32:53,003
Instinct drives sophie
    to keep gorging herself,

443
00:32:53,038 --> 00:32:56,390
But her inexperience as
    a mother starts to show.

444
00:32:58,793 --> 00:33:02,512
Knowing the chum often spawn
 in shallows on the other side,

445
00:33:02,523 --> 00:33:04,347
She heads across the river,

446
00:33:04,358 --> 00:33:08,518
Leaving behind a pair
     of disconcerted cubs.

447
00:33:08,529 --> 00:33:12,072
(light dramatic music)

448
00:33:13,224 --> 00:33:15,275
Desperate for their mother,

449
00:33:15,351 --> 00:33:17,828
The cubs try swimming
      for the first time.

450
00:33:19,731 --> 00:33:23,366
But the strong current
    carries them downstream.

451
00:33:23,377 --> 00:33:26,378
(dramatic music)

452
00:33:30,384 --> 00:33:34,886
Intent on fishing, sophie is
 oblivious to the cubs' plight.

453
00:33:37,165 --> 00:33:38,882
They've made the far bank,

454
00:33:38,892 --> 00:33:41,518
But now they've
       lost track of her.

455
00:33:44,398 --> 00:33:47,065
Alone, they're
     extremely vulnerable.

456
00:33:50,595 --> 00:33:52,896
(suspenseful music)

457
00:33:52,906 --> 00:33:56,616
Sophie heads back across the
   river to share her catch.

458
00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:07,994
But it's deserted.

459
00:34:08,071 --> 00:34:13,258
Finally, she hears the cubs'
cries and realizes her mistake.

460
00:34:15,745 --> 00:34:17,804
She hustles back
        to their rescue.

461
00:34:19,624 --> 00:34:23,060
(light dramatic music)

462
00:34:25,939 --> 00:34:28,815
(cubs squealing)

463
00:34:35,265 --> 00:34:38,075
A happy reunion and
       a lesson learned.

464
00:34:40,979 --> 00:34:44,498
Sophie will keep closer tabs
 on her youngsters from now on.

465
00:34:52,574 --> 00:34:55,092
(soft music)

466
00:34:57,328 --> 00:35:01,515
In early October, winter
 arrives at the fishing branch.

467
00:35:04,586 --> 00:35:06,603
But it's of little consequence.

468
00:35:08,339 --> 00:35:11,558
Here, the chum keep
     spawning and grizzlies

469
00:35:11,634 --> 00:35:14,111
Keep feeding late
        into the season.

470
00:35:16,639 --> 00:35:20,650
The cubs watch intently as
 sophie demonstrates her skills

471
00:35:20,685 --> 00:35:23,820
At one of the same spots where
  she learned from her mother

472
00:35:23,831 --> 00:35:26,123
How to outsmart
       the spawning chum.

473
00:35:28,359 --> 00:35:30,961
(light music)

474
00:35:32,506 --> 00:35:35,415
The cubs discover for
    themselves that the ice

475
00:35:35,491 --> 00:35:38,135
Hides fish that
     don't put up a fight.

476
00:35:56,387 --> 00:35:59,739
(light dramatic music)

477
00:36:00,442 --> 00:36:03,693
Later in October, full
   winter blankets the valley

478
00:36:03,704 --> 00:36:05,495
Below bear cave mountain.

479
00:36:07,190 --> 00:36:09,499
But the river continues to flow.

480
00:36:15,048 --> 00:36:20,343
At 30 below, ice forms on
everything, including wet bears.

481
00:36:23,748 --> 00:36:28,351
It's stanley, the 20-year-old
  with surprising foot skills.

482
00:36:32,757 --> 00:36:35,225
He rubs his scent
      on a prominent tree

483
00:36:35,260 --> 00:36:40,480
To post a message to other
     bears, no trespassing.

484
00:36:40,556 --> 00:36:43,233
Lower-ranking grizzlies
      will get the message

485
00:36:43,243 --> 00:36:45,535
And head to a different
part of the river.

486
00:36:51,609 --> 00:36:54,711
Grizzlies here are
      known as ice bears.

487
00:36:57,591 --> 00:37:00,759
(icy fur crunching)

488
00:37:02,787 --> 00:37:03,887
That's why.

489
00:37:05,123 --> 00:37:08,091
A good, crackling shake,
      and this ice bear's

490
00:37:08,126 --> 00:37:10,176
Ready to start fishing again.

491
00:37:10,253 --> 00:37:12,896
(light music)

492
00:37:16,217 --> 00:37:20,103
As always, the special alchemy
    in this stretch of river

493
00:37:20,113 --> 00:37:24,774
Enables the chum to keep
   spawning deep into winter.

494
00:37:24,809 --> 00:37:28,036
It helps make up for this year's
  late arrival of the salmon.

495
00:37:28,579 --> 00:37:30,947
But many of the
    grizzlies are struggling

496
00:37:30,982 --> 00:37:32,749
To pack on enough pounds.

497
00:37:36,129 --> 00:37:39,756
Soon, the spawning will
begin to wind down.

498
00:37:40,825 --> 00:37:42,792
Most of the chum have died

499
00:37:42,827 --> 00:37:45,512
And been washed
      downriver or eaten.

500
00:37:49,500 --> 00:37:53,303
Sophie still needs to
      bulk up a bit more.

501
00:37:53,313 --> 00:37:55,805
The new mother has spent
     vital calories keeping

502
00:37:55,816 --> 00:37:59,442
Her cubs in line and
  sharing her food with them.

503
00:38:01,321 --> 00:38:04,114
But her fishing savvy
       is still growing.

504
00:38:05,826 --> 00:38:08,318
(water splashing)
         (crows cawing)

505
00:38:08,353 --> 00:38:11,404
Slowly and silently,
       she creeps toward

506
00:38:11,481 --> 00:38:13,623
The spawning beds
        from downstream.

507
00:38:14,984 --> 00:38:18,828
Then poses, like a sprinter
in the starting blocks.

508
00:38:18,839 --> 00:38:21,998
(suspenseful music)

509
00:38:22,033 --> 00:38:24,759
Impatient mouths wait
       on the river bank.

510
00:38:26,871 --> 00:38:30,307
Eventually, the fish
     no longer notice her.

511
00:38:32,502 --> 00:38:34,177
A fatal mistake.

512
00:38:34,212 --> 00:38:38,315
(dramatic music)
       (water splashing)

513
00:38:52,372 --> 00:38:55,114
(gentle music)
  since arriving on the river,

514
00:38:55,191 --> 00:38:58,084
Sophie has gained
       nearly 50 pounds.

515
00:38:59,737 --> 00:39:02,372
But now her family is
     caught in that spiral

516
00:39:02,382 --> 00:39:04,090
Of diminishing returns.

517
00:39:06,553 --> 00:39:10,347
Fewer salmon, requiring
     more energy to catch.

518
00:39:12,893 --> 00:39:17,479
For sophie and her cubs
   it's a race against time.

519
00:39:18,881 --> 00:39:22,558
(light dramatic music)

520
00:39:22,593 --> 00:39:26,979
A November dawn and
      a shroud of ice fog

521
00:39:27,014 --> 00:39:29,324
Rises from the
     fishing branch river.

522
00:39:31,018 --> 00:39:34,329
Sophie has never lingered
  here so late in the season.

523
00:39:36,274 --> 00:39:38,157
But this is the first
      time she'll have to

524
00:39:38,234 --> 00:39:41,086
Nourish cubs during
     the hibernation ahead.

525
00:39:43,739 --> 00:39:47,217
She must gain even more weight
   before leaving the river.

526
00:39:50,079 --> 00:39:53,923
And the spawning
    salmon are nearly gone.

527
00:39:53,958 --> 00:39:55,925
At least the battered
       and exhausted few

528
00:39:55,936 --> 00:39:58,770
That remain are now
        easier to catch.

529
00:40:01,424 --> 00:40:05,935
Sophie is torn between
    two powerful instincts:

530
00:40:05,946 --> 00:40:08,271
Her hunger for ever more salmon

531
00:40:08,306 --> 00:40:10,448
And her need to
       protect her cubs.

532
00:40:11,952 --> 00:40:14,777
Every day they remain
       on the river bank,

533
00:40:14,788 --> 00:40:17,705
The threats against
     her family intensify.

534
00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:22,452
(dramatic music)

535
00:40:22,487 --> 00:40:24,704
With less salmon to scavenge,

536
00:40:24,739 --> 00:40:27,715
Hungry wolves might
     risk attacking a cub.

537
00:40:31,496 --> 00:40:34,097
(crow cawing)

538
00:40:37,418 --> 00:40:39,302
And the male bears
       would like to keep

539
00:40:39,312 --> 00:40:42,722
The rest of the
      chum for themselves.

540
00:40:42,757 --> 00:40:44,307
These big bruisers burn through

541
00:40:44,317 --> 00:40:48,144
Far more calories
than smaller females.

542
00:40:48,155 --> 00:40:51,573
They'll stop at nothing to
    get every fish they can.

543
00:40:56,496 --> 00:41:01,082
Sophie, growing increasingly
  anxious, sniffs for trouble.

544
00:41:02,860 --> 00:41:06,212
And the scent she just
   picked up is unmistakable;

545
00:41:09,509 --> 00:41:13,336
A one-eared male the
   oldest bear on the river.

546
00:41:13,371 --> 00:41:14,504
(light dramatic music)

547
00:41:14,539 --> 00:41:16,506
Like most elderly grizzlies,

548
00:41:16,516 --> 00:41:18,975
His reproductive
      days are behind him.

549
00:41:24,858 --> 00:41:28,351
The cubs are no competition.

550
00:41:28,386 --> 00:41:30,436
But they've learned
       their lessons well

551
00:41:30,471 --> 00:41:33,323
And get out of the
     way of any male bear.

552
00:41:45,378 --> 00:41:49,047
Sophie's choice gets
   more difficult every day.

553
00:41:50,717 --> 00:41:53,125
The salmon are irresistible,

554
00:41:53,202 --> 00:41:56,796
But the encounter she
     dreads is inevitable.

555
00:41:56,872 --> 00:42:00,350
(light dramatic music)

556
00:42:05,923 --> 00:42:07,807
It's morris.

557
00:42:07,883 --> 00:42:11,894
Unlike the retired champions,
    this 15-year-old nearing

558
00:42:11,929 --> 00:42:16,199
His prime is all about
  eliminating the competition.

559
00:42:21,272 --> 00:42:25,074
Morris is a very real
      threat to the cubs.

560
00:42:25,085 --> 00:42:28,378
(suspenseful music)

561
00:42:34,761 --> 00:42:39,472
With a last longing glance
 at the river, sophie decides.

562
00:42:41,268 --> 00:42:44,343
The risks of staying now
     outweigh the benefits.

563
00:42:44,378 --> 00:42:46,846
She'll just have to
trust that she's gained

564
00:42:46,881 --> 00:42:49,315
All the weight she
      needs to hibernate.

565
00:42:50,944 --> 00:42:54,437
It's time to leave the
     river to the big guys.

566
00:42:54,447 --> 00:42:57,865
(light dramatic music)

567
00:42:58,785 --> 00:43:02,194
(crows cawing)

568
00:43:02,271 --> 00:43:05,582
Sophie's first year of
   motherhood is nearly over.

569
00:43:07,294 --> 00:43:09,285
She's done well.

570
00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:10,953
She has guided her cubs through

571
00:43:10,964 --> 00:43:15,291
The most precarious
      year of their lives.

572
00:43:15,302 --> 00:43:18,294
Thanks to her diligence
    and the singular bounty

573
00:43:18,329 --> 00:43:23,049
Of the fishing branch river,
    they've beaten the odds.

574
00:43:23,125 --> 00:43:26,469
She'll still look after
    them for two more years,

575
00:43:26,504 --> 00:43:29,647
But she's prepared them well
   for the challenges ahead.

576
00:43:31,342 --> 00:43:33,809
And now they can
     retreat to the shelter

577
00:43:33,844 --> 00:43:36,696
Of their den for
     their long winter nap.

578
00:43:37,991 --> 00:43:39,815
(light music)
         (bear snoring)

579
00:43:39,850 --> 00:43:42,318
Mother and cubs hunker down,

580
00:43:42,329 --> 00:43:46,831
Nestled in the safe haven of
 legendary bear cave mountain.

581
00:43:49,502 --> 00:43:53,046
(light dramatic music)