All language subtitles for Canada A Year in the Wild 3of4 Autumn 1080p x265 AAC org

Canada -

the second largest country on Earth.

Famous for its epic wilderness.

From the Rocky Mountains...

..to the Great White North.

Breathtaking...

..rugged...

..and immense.

It's a rich and varied wonderland...

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

Theirs is a world of extremes.

Their life - at the mercy of
the elements.

Every season brings new challenges.

It'll take strength...

..and tenacity.

Courage...

..and resilience.

Skill...

..and good fortune...

..just to make it through...

..a year in the wild.

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

..with countless wild rivers...

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

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

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

Canada is lodged between the USA and
the Arctic.

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

lies over 150,000
miles of coastline.

It's October on Newfoundland,

Canada's most easterly island.

There's a nip in the air,

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

Animals here must fatten up

before the season takes a
turn for the worst.

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

More than just a sweet treat,

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

Standing four feet at the shoulder,

and weighing up to 600 pounds,

this male must prepare for
hibernation.

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

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

Berries are good,

but meat would
speed up the process...

..if he can catch it.

It's the caribou breeding season

and caribou bulls are busy rounding
up females.

With food getting harder to find,

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

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

so, he charges in.

Black bears can hit speeds of
30 miles an hour.

But caribou have stamina.

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

..whilst the heavy black bear
soon overheats.

He's burnt up valuable calories...

..and must now work hard to replace
them.

Foraging for berries will become
harder as autumn rolls on.

With the herd intact,

the bull follows the other caribou
to safer grazing.

They can put the immediate danger
behind them,

but there's a greater challenge
looming.

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

To survive out here
when winter comes,

the caribou will have
to dig deep.

2,500 miles west of the Caribou,

nestled in the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains,

lies a vast wilderness area

known as the Sheep River Valley.

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

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

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

Today, there's fewer than 12,000.

Ear tags help scientists monitor the
remaining population.

It's breeding season,

and with less than a month
to woo a ewe,

eager rams are popping up
everywhere.

Each ewe is fertile for just
48 hours per year.

So, frustrated rams
must trail after them,

waiting for the perfect moment.

Each female has several suitors.

So, when one comes into oestrous,

all hell breaks loose.

It's autumn in the Rocky Mountains
of Canada,

and tension is building
amongst the bighorn sheep.

It's the breeding season,

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

rams are keen to mate.

But first,
they must eliminate their rivals.

To determine who has the
mating rights,

rams have to slug it out.

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

..they don't stop

until there's a clear victor.

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

..and turns his attentions
to a ewe.

But he hasn't seen off all
challengers yet.

A young pretender is at large.

He's big, muscular

and oozing confidence.

That can only mean one thing.

The fight is back on.

And the old ram drives his
adversary back...

..but the younger ram won't submit.

Pound for pound,
they're an equal match.

But with youth comes speed and
stamina.

The young ram gets ahead...

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

The old male has no fight
left in him.

He must admit defeat,

and try again another day.

As temperatures cool...

..and daylight hours shorten...

..Canada's trees undergo a
miraculous metamorphosis.

The green pigment in their
leaves breaks down...

..allowing new colours to
shine through.

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

..before forests go into lockdown.

Autumn is the season of
transformation...

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

Nearly 10% of Canada is
covered by fresh water.

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

But when autumn tightens its grip,

they'll start to freeze solid...

..locking animals out of their
favourite hunting grounds.

This American bald eagle returns
here every year.

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

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

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

The free hand-outs
can't last forever.

When this lake freezes-up...

..the family will be
forced to split up

if they're to survive the winter.

But whilst there's still open water,

there are still opportunities.

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

The male bald eagle is an
experienced pirate.

Quick and agile enough to keep
up with a gull.

The gull has only one option.

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

At three months old,

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

And with the big freeze just
around the corner,

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

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

Even today, there's
barely enough soil

for shallow-rooted conifers
to cling onto.

Water tumbles off bare rock,

feeding a multitude of rivers,

which, in turn, feed lakes
further downstream.

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

They control it.

Autumn is a busy time for a
beaver family.

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

Tooth enamel, strengthened with
iron, prevents dental disasters.

But the most important thing when
felling trees

is knowing which way to run.

Branches are ferried
across the pond,

which protects the beavers
from land predators,

like bears and wolves.

To ensure there's always
plenty of water,

they've built a dam.

It requires constant maintenance.

But the rewards are great.

The beavers get their own patch
of flooded forest.

Youngsters help with the chores...

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

Glands at the base of the tail
secrete an oil,

which he spreads through his fur to
keep it waterproof.

But if they're going to survive,

the beavers must also keep their
house in order.

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

winter comes.

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

Daubing the walls with mud provides
extra strength and insulation.

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

The beavers must use the final
days of autumn wisely.

The preparations they make now could
mean the difference between

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

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

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

Snow coats the highest peaks for
most of the year.

But now colder weather has reached
the lower elevations.

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

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

But steep cliffs keep the canyon
below largely free

of land predators.

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

come here for safety.

They were raised on these cliffs
and are excellent climbers.

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

head for the canyon.

Slippery slopes slow the rams down,

giving ewes a welcome chance to
catch a breath.

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

determined than ever to find a mate.

He finally tracks down an ewe in
prime breeding condition.

But his younger rival is back...

..and he's up for another fight.

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

bighorn sheep mating season.

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

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

to lose another.

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

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

The young ram leads the chase...

..closely followed by his old
adversary.

And suddenly the race to
mate is over.

Under intense pressure,
rams can lose their footing.

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

male bears testament to the dangers
of the breeding season.

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

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

But he has age and experience
to fall back on.

He spreads his cloven hooves and
successfully finds purchase

on the shale.

He's made it to safety.

Now all he has to do is
find his mate.

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

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

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

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

long, cold, winter ahead.

Trees across Canada are
ready for winter.

When the cost of maintaining a
canopy starts to outweigh the

benefits, they shut off the
circulation to their leaves,

saving what nutrients they have
until spring.

In the forests of Ontario,
just south of

Algonquin Provincial Park,

the autumn spectacle
is already over.

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

Autumn is a critical time for moose.

It's the last chance for a
proper meal.

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

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

starvation.

TURKEYS CALL

Wild turkeys have finished
foraging for the day.

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

the tallest tree around.

This squirrel wasn't
expecting guests.

But turkeys must get off the
ground...

..or they could become dinner
for coyotes.

JAUNTY ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYS

The higher they get,
the safer they feel.

But launching a 10 lb body
in the air isn't easy.

Bigger birds need a bit of a run-up.

Dominant hens go first, keen to nab
the premium perches.

Sturdy limbs close to the trunk
provide a stable platform and

shelter from the wind.

The rest have to settle for the
outer branches.

In winter, they'll
huddle up to stay warm.

But, right now, not
everyone's keen on sharing.

It's a delicate balancing act.

Once personal space issues are
satisfied, the turkeys

settle down for a rest.

Elsewhere in the forest, other
animals are just waking up.

A flying squirrel uses the cover of
darkness to avoid birds of prey.

She spent the summer hiding nuts and
seeds for lean times like these.

Her secret stockpiles are far apart.

Travelling between them wastes
precious energy.

But she has that problem licked.

SQUIRREL SQUEAKS

Membranes between wrists and
ankles let her glide.

She can clear 300 feet
in a single jump...

..making long journeys
much more energy-efficient.

SQUIRREL SNIFFS

With temperatures dropping, the less
time she spends outside, the better.

So, once fully fed, she heads
back to her nest...

..where she can use every calorie
she has saved by gliding to

keep herself warm.

OWL HOOTS

More than halfway between the
squirrel's forest and the

Arctic Circle lies Churchill, on
the shores of the Hudson Bay.

Polar air is drawn through here by a
weather system known as the

North American High.

It creates a sub-arctic climate,
where snow stays on the

ground for over eight months a year.

By mid-November, the mercury has
already dropped through the floor.

But it won't bottom out until it
reaches minus 50 degrees Celsius

in just two-months' time.

Only the toughest animals can
survive here.

Ptarmigans eke a meagre living,

eating the buds of the
stunted willow.

But they're also food for
other animals.

Arctic foxes will take ptarmigan.

But, luckily for the ptarmigan,
the vole population is booming.

But the Arctic fox is not alone.

Red foxes are bigger,
and powerful enough to kill her.

It's mid-November,

and on the western shore of
Canada's Hudson Bay

relentless winds from the north have
driven temperatures down to

below minus 30 Celsius.

This Arctic fox is well adapted
to life out here.

Thick fur and a small body help
her stay warm, to allow her to

save energy for hunting.

And this is prime vole-hunting
territory.

But there's a problem.

A red fox wants in on the action.

Taller and heavier than the Arctic
fox, it's more likely to

kill her than share this territory.

Using her keen sense of smell, she
looks for the perfect spot...

..and listens for the faintest
patter of feet under the snow.

It's all in the timing.

VOLE SQUEAKS

A single vole is a good mouthful...

..but the red fox wants more...

VOLE SQUEAKS
..and soon has another.

It's bad news for the Arctic fox.

Her rival won't leave here with
so much food about.

With her belly full, the red fox
stashes any surplus kills for later.

They'll stay nice and fresh
under the snow.

The Arctic fox has lost her
hunting ground,

and if she hangs around,
she may lose her life.

Her only option is to move on.

There aren't many places with
such rich pickings,

and she may be forced to scavenge.

Strange as it may seem, her fate may
depend on an even bigger killer.

If she follows the polar bears, she
can eat their leftovers once

they've eaten.

But polar bears are seal hunters,
and seals don't come ashore

at this time of year.

At the end of every autumn, hundreds
of bears gather around the

shores of the Hudson Bay and wait.

They can't hunt until the sea
freezes over.

That means no seal meat for the
Arctic fox either.

The bears are thin,
restless and hungry.

A mouthful of snow is little comfort
to a polar bear mum

with an adolescent cub.

They've not had a proper meal since
the ice broke up in July,

and that's over four months ago.

They sniff the air, waiting for
winter to come.

Until it does, all they can do is
conserve what little energy

they have left.

Next time...winter is coming.

Canada is plunged into six months of
freezing temperatures and

fierce storms.

For some,
winter is a time of severe hardship.

For others, it brings food and
even new life.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media