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Canada has some
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of the most
remarkable wilderness
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00:00:23,223 --> 00:00:26,727
found anywhere in the world...
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00:00:31,966 --> 00:00:37,108
And some of the planet's
most iconic wildlife.
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00:00:54,988 --> 00:01:00,030
It has the longest coastline
of any country in the world.
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It has more surface freshwater
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than any other nation
on earth...
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And the largest intact forest
left on the planet.
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And yet
much of this great wilderness
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and the wildlife found here
today
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is a result
of shaping by humans
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00:01:33,994 --> 00:01:36,196
over thousands of years.
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Canada is a land filled
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00:01:47,441 --> 00:01:50,718
with astounding wilderness
and wildlife.
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00:01:55,215 --> 00:01:57,891
And this series will explore
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this incredible
natural diversity
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and the forces
that produced it.
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15,000 years ago,
Canada was buried
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under a kilometres-thick,
continent-wide glacier.
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00:02:23,310 --> 00:02:25,349
This is when the story
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00:02:25,446 --> 00:02:28,086
of Canada's modern wildlife
and landscapes
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00:02:28,182 --> 00:02:30,858
actually begins.
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As sea levels lowered,
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00:02:43,030 --> 00:02:46,006
a land bridge with Asia
was created,
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along which new life
entered north America.
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00:02:55,942 --> 00:02:57,881
And for the first time,
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00:02:57,978 --> 00:03:00,581
humans arrived
in this new world.
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00:03:08,955 --> 00:03:10,357
Right from the start,
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they began to change the land
and wildlife around them...
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00:03:22,335 --> 00:03:26,213
And nothing would ever
be the same again.
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But 15,000 years later,
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Canada is considered
one of the wildest countries
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in the world.
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And one of its greatest
natural spectacles
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takes place each year
on its Atlantic coast.
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This is the province
of newfoundland,
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00:03:54,234 --> 00:03:56,073
and it's as far east
as you can go
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00:03:56,170 --> 00:03:59,646
on the north American continent.
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00:04:07,247 --> 00:04:09,022
For thousands of years,
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00:04:09,115 --> 00:04:13,257
this place has drawn travellers
to its shores.
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00:04:16,623 --> 00:04:19,426
Humpback whales arrive here
each spring
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from as far away
as the Caribbean.
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00:04:26,066 --> 00:04:29,442
They're drawn by the abundance
of this place.
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00:04:30,938 --> 00:04:34,879
It's a richness
that comes from the sea.
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00:04:55,929 --> 00:04:57,230
Over the years,
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this richness drew many
different types of visitors.
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00:05:05,638 --> 00:05:09,416
In 1497, John Cabot arrived
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00:05:09,510 --> 00:05:12,614
and became the first European
since the vikings
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00:05:12,713 --> 00:05:16,454
to lay claim
to this new-found land.
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00:05:23,323 --> 00:05:27,101
Cabot was looking
for a new trade route to China,
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00:05:27,194 --> 00:05:29,132
but instead stumbled upon
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00:05:29,229 --> 00:05:33,971
the unimaginably rich
natural resources of Canada.
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00:05:38,004 --> 00:05:40,443
Here on the east coast,
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00:05:40,540 --> 00:05:44,418
that wealth begins
under the sea.
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Capelin.
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Huge shoals of these small fish,
numbering in the billions,
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00:05:58,692 --> 00:06:01,468
mass
along the coast of newfoundland
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00:06:01,562 --> 00:06:03,337
each spring.
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00:06:16,576 --> 00:06:18,351
These nutrient-rich fish
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00:06:18,445 --> 00:06:22,486
support the incredible abundance
of life here.
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00:06:38,398 --> 00:06:43,204
The Atlantic cod were once here
in numbers so great
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that boats
occasionally had a hard time
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00:06:45,071 --> 00:06:48,311
getting through their shoals.
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Such rich fishing grounds
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00:06:50,810 --> 00:06:55,016
lured the first Europeans
to these shores.
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00:07:00,220 --> 00:07:04,325
Today, the great schools of cod
are mostly gone.
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00:07:06,793 --> 00:07:11,034
But that doesn't mean
the capelin here are safe.
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These productive seas attract
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00:07:38,558 --> 00:07:43,237
the largest gathering
of humpback whales in the world.
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These massive predators
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have travelled thousands
of kilometres
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00:07:52,939 --> 00:07:57,117
to be here at this time of year
to feast on capelin.
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They haven't fed for months,
and they're hungry.
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00:08:26,739 --> 00:08:29,142
They can eat
up to a ton of capelin
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00:08:29,242 --> 00:08:31,582
in a single day.
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00:08:56,803 --> 00:08:58,642
In one massive gulp,
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00:08:58,738 --> 00:09:02,780
these whales can take in
50,000 litres of water...
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00:09:02,876 --> 00:09:05,115
And capelin.
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00:09:18,224 --> 00:09:20,663
The capelin aren't just
hanging around the coast
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00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:23,400
to feed the whales.
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00:09:25,465 --> 00:09:28,806
They are here for a reason...
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to breed.
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00:09:34,307 --> 00:09:38,285
These capelin
are beach spawners,
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so to reproduce,
they have to get to shore.
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00:09:45,418 --> 00:09:48,322
And there is only
one way to get there...
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They have to surf.
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00:10:18,685 --> 00:10:20,186
Most of the time,
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00:10:20,286 --> 00:10:25,730
it's truly hard to appreciate
the abundance of the sea,
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00:10:25,826 --> 00:10:31,105
as it's often out of sight,
hidden beneath the surface.
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00:10:35,302 --> 00:10:38,842
But when the capelin spawn
in newfoundland,
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00:10:38,938 --> 00:10:41,642
the incredible productivity
of this place
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literally washes up
onto shore...
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00:10:46,312 --> 00:10:48,314
And this puts them
in easy reach
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of a whole new set of predators.
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00:12:06,726 --> 00:12:08,766
Somehow in this crazy tumult
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00:12:08,862 --> 00:12:12,639
of water, sand,
and tumbling bodies,
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each capelin
has to find a partner.
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00:12:20,907 --> 00:12:23,847
Then, in the dozen seconds
that it takes
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00:12:23,943 --> 00:12:26,282
for the wave
to slide back over the sand
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00:12:26,379 --> 00:12:27,718
into the sea,
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00:12:27,814 --> 00:12:31,654
they have the perfect conditions
for mating.
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00:12:33,653 --> 00:12:35,655
The female lays her eggs
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while competing males flank her,
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00:12:38,458 --> 00:12:41,798
jostling for position
to fertilize them.
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00:13:06,386 --> 00:13:07,423
The capelin have made it
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00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,624
past the cod, the whales,
and the gulls
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00:13:10,723 --> 00:13:13,900
to produce the next generation.
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00:13:17,430 --> 00:13:21,407
This incredible spectacle
here on Canada's east coast
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is a testament to another time,
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one that drew
the first Europeans
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00:13:26,906 --> 00:13:29,210
to these shores.
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00:13:30,977 --> 00:13:33,817
And to th ese early visitors,
like Cabot,
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00:13:33,913 --> 00:13:38,391
this was a new frontier,
waiting to be exploited.
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00:13:48,528 --> 00:13:51,131
It didn't take them long
to realize
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that there were already people
here.
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00:13:58,938 --> 00:14:00,614
John Cabot was one of the first
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to encounter a people called
the Beothuk,
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the native inhabitants
of newfoundland and labrador.
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00:14:09,916 --> 00:14:12,018
To celebrate
their tribal identity,
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00:14:12,118 --> 00:14:13,619
they completely covered
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00:14:13,719 --> 00:14:15,758
their bodies, clothing,
and weapons
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with red ochre.
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00:14:18,224 --> 00:14:21,701
This led to the name
"red Indians" being applied
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00:14:21,794 --> 00:14:24,871
to many of the native peoples
of the continent.
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00:14:26,599 --> 00:14:30,704
This was a meeting
of two very different worlds.
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00:14:32,105 --> 00:14:35,682
But the Beothuk didn't want
to have anything to do
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00:14:35,775 --> 00:14:38,551
with these new arrivals.
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00:14:38,645 --> 00:14:40,784
Cabot and the other early explorers
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00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:42,118
quickly came to realize
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00:14:42,214 --> 00:14:47,294
that this new world
was already home to many people.
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00:14:56,696 --> 00:14:59,172
But what they could never have
imagined
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00:14:59,265 --> 00:15:03,807
was that the seemingly pristine,
wild landscapes they found here
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00:15:03,903 --> 00:15:07,043
had been shaped
by the first nations inhabitants
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00:15:07,139 --> 00:15:10,015
over thousands of years.
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00:15:22,855 --> 00:15:25,258
At the time of Cabot's arrival,
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00:15:25,358 --> 00:15:29,636
the iroquoian and algonquian
people of the eastern forests
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00:15:29,729 --> 00:15:33,506
had created
a rich, lush homeland.
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00:15:39,538 --> 00:15:42,542
In 1679, one European visitor
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00:15:42,642 --> 00:15:45,546
described
these eastern oak forests
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00:15:45,645 --> 00:15:48,949
as full of
"vast meadows, vineyards,
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00:15:49,048 --> 00:15:51,451
"trees bearing good fruit,
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00:15:51,550 --> 00:15:53,125
"groves and forests...
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00:15:53,219 --> 00:15:54,694
"so well disposed
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00:15:54,787 --> 00:15:58,428
one would think nature alone
could not have made it."
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00:15:59,726 --> 00:16:03,667
And that turned out
to be very true indeed.
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00:16:06,666 --> 00:16:11,208
It was a fertile patchwork
of oak forests and grasslands,
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00:16:11,304 --> 00:16:15,145
a savannah-like habitat
where wildlife thrived.
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00:16:20,980 --> 00:16:22,982
When Cabot arrived,
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this continent supported
huge populations of wild deer,
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00:16:27,186 --> 00:16:30,864
millions more
than it does today.
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00:16:36,129 --> 00:16:38,832
Over thousands of years,
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00:16:38,931 --> 00:16:43,510
the people here had engineered
their very own garden of eden
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00:16:43,602 --> 00:16:47,680
through the careful use of fire.
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00:16:47,774 --> 00:16:52,079
But we are only just beginning
to realize the massive extent
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00:16:52,178 --> 00:16:54,981
to which they had shaped
the country around them.
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00:16:56,415 --> 00:16:58,918
The first human inhabitants
of north America
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weren't shaping the landscape
with fire
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00:17:01,587 --> 00:17:04,991
on just a small and local scale.
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00:17:05,090 --> 00:17:07,866
They were burning
tens of millions of hectares
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00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:09,562
each year.
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00:17:10,930 --> 00:17:14,634
Fire would burn away
the young trees,
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00:17:14,734 --> 00:17:18,511
creating large grassy openings
in the forest...
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00:17:21,707 --> 00:17:23,946
And clearing the way
for the larger trees,
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00:17:24,043 --> 00:17:25,618
protected by their thick bark,
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00:17:25,711 --> 00:17:31,154
to grow even bigger
and produce more nuts and fruit.
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00:17:36,622 --> 00:17:38,662
With controlled burns,
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00:17:38,758 --> 00:17:40,433
these people created
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00:17:40,526 --> 00:17:42,402
one of
the most productive landscapes
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00:17:42,494 --> 00:17:44,570
on the continent.
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00:17:46,398 --> 00:17:48,674
But it didn't last.
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00:17:54,607 --> 00:17:55,682
Although today,
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modern forest managers
are rediscovering
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00:17:58,144 --> 00:18:00,647
the positive effects of fire,
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00:18:00,746 --> 00:18:01,984
centuries ago,
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00:18:02,081 --> 00:18:04,457
the practice of burning
these forests ended...
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00:18:08,788 --> 00:18:11,528
And the rich, open
savannah habitat
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of the oak forests
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00:18:12,825 --> 00:18:15,328
was lost.
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00:18:18,798 --> 00:18:20,573
Now, after 300 years,
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00:18:20,666 --> 00:18:23,370
fire is once again shaping
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00:18:23,469 --> 00:18:27,974
the remaining black oak forests
of eastern Canada.
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00:18:38,550 --> 00:18:42,328
But only a few tiny patches
remain...
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00:18:44,523 --> 00:18:48,501
Protected in places
like high park in Toronto,
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that was built over the top
of this once extensive habitat.
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Without the practice
of burning,
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00:19:03,509 --> 00:19:06,012
the remaining hardwood forests
of Canada
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00:19:06,112 --> 00:19:07,850
look very different
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00:19:07,947 --> 00:19:11,688
from those that stood
in Cabot's time.
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00:19:13,086 --> 00:19:16,826
While not as rich and varied,
they are much more colorful
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because of the abundance
of maple trees
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in the forest today.
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Maple are very sensitive
to fire,
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00:19:26,933 --> 00:19:31,475
so they were kept back
by the burning of the forest.
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00:19:34,006 --> 00:19:36,109
But when the burning stopped,
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00:19:36,208 --> 00:19:39,649
maple trees
started to take over.
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00:19:42,949 --> 00:19:46,854
One of Canada's most famous
natural displays
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00:19:46,953 --> 00:19:49,593
is a relatively recent creation
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00:19:49,689 --> 00:19:51,627
arising
from our new relationship
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with forests.
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00:20:00,933 --> 00:20:02,808
In winter,
the maple's broad leaves
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00:20:02,902 --> 00:20:07,544
are too flat and thin
to protect from freezing.
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00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,617
So each fall,
the tree cuts its losses
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00:20:10,710 --> 00:20:13,550
by pulling its resources
back into its trunk,
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00:20:13,646 --> 00:20:16,449
letting the leaves die.
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00:20:22,688 --> 00:20:24,126
And that leads
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00:20:24,223 --> 00:20:28,866
to one of the natural world's
most stunning displays of death.
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00:20:49,114 --> 00:20:50,088
North of the maples,
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00:20:50,182 --> 00:20:53,523
the boreal forest
stretches unbroken
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00:20:53,619 --> 00:20:54,857
across the country
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nearly 10,000 kilometres long
from east to west.
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00:21:03,729 --> 00:21:07,133
It's considered
the largest intact forest left
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00:21:07,233 --> 00:21:09,836
in the world.
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00:21:13,873 --> 00:21:19,453
For six months every year,
snow transforms the forest.
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00:21:32,658 --> 00:21:36,099
Winter is a difficult season
for many wild animals,
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00:21:36,195 --> 00:21:38,835
but some
are better equipped for it
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00:21:38,931 --> 00:21:42,071
than others.
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00:21:42,167 --> 00:21:45,608
Wolverines are one
of the most elusive animals
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00:21:45,705 --> 00:21:48,508
in the world.
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00:21:49,742 --> 00:21:51,243
With large furry feet,
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00:21:51,343 --> 00:21:54,583
it almost floats
across the deep snow.
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00:21:59,652 --> 00:22:02,055
They are rarely seen,
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00:22:02,154 --> 00:22:06,496
and few have ever been captured
on camera.
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00:22:11,430 --> 00:22:15,135
Winter in the northern forest
can be challenging to life here.
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00:22:20,806 --> 00:22:23,246
But the forest
provides a refuge
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00:22:23,342 --> 00:22:26,683
for many different animals
during the winter,
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00:22:26,778 --> 00:22:28,280
even for one of the planet's
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00:22:28,380 --> 00:22:32,758
most famous
cold-adapted creatures.
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00:22:44,130 --> 00:22:46,906
And shes here
for a very good reason.
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00:22:50,202 --> 00:22:52,105
Over the winter, she gave birth
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00:22:52,204 --> 00:22:54,880
in this den beneath the trees.
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00:22:56,408 --> 00:22:58,110
After five months inside,
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00:22:58,210 --> 00:23:01,150
it must feel good to be out.
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00:23:17,162 --> 00:23:19,365
Nowhere else in the world
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00:23:19,465 --> 00:23:25,008
can you see polar bears playing
among trees.
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00:23:45,157 --> 00:23:46,194
These new cubs
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00:23:46,291 --> 00:23:49,031
still have a lot to learn
from their mother
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00:23:49,128 --> 00:23:51,431
and will spend
the next two years with her
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00:23:51,530 --> 00:23:54,034
before striking out
on their own.
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00:24:15,854 --> 00:24:17,029
As spring approaches,
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00:24:17,122 --> 00:24:19,798
these bears
leave the shelter of the trees
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00:24:19,892 --> 00:24:23,296
to follow the retreating ice
north.
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00:24:28,234 --> 00:24:29,835
But there are
many forest creatures
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00:24:29,935 --> 00:24:32,038
that never leave,
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00:24:32,138 --> 00:24:36,215
and some that only come out
at night.
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00:24:49,889 --> 00:24:53,930
Squirrels are the quintessential
forest creature,
246
00:24:54,026 --> 00:24:57,130
and these ones are special
247
00:24:57,229 --> 00:25:01,734
because not only
are they nocturnal...
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00:25:01,834 --> 00:25:04,810
They can fly!
249
00:25:09,141 --> 00:25:12,045
While they don't fly
in the true sense of the word,
250
00:25:12,144 --> 00:25:17,687
flying squirrels can glide
for 50 metres between trees.
251
00:25:23,122 --> 00:25:29,702
Their tails act like rudders,
steering them around obstacles.
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00:25:59,358 --> 00:26:01,934
Flying squirrels feed
on the seeds in cones
253
00:26:02,027 --> 00:26:05,604
that grow on the trees
in which they live,
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00:26:05,698 --> 00:26:07,236
and they inhabit all types
of forests
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00:26:07,333 --> 00:26:10,009
right across Canada.
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00:26:11,904 --> 00:26:15,144
Flying squirrels
stay active all year
257
00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:18,116
and don't hibernate.
258
00:26:18,210 --> 00:26:19,811
But there are other creatures
259
00:26:19,912 --> 00:26:22,151
living in these northern
Canadian forests
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00:26:22,247 --> 00:26:24,150
that have to.
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00:26:31,390 --> 00:26:33,328
Right on the southern edge
of the great forest
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00:26:33,425 --> 00:26:35,127
in central manitoba,
263
00:26:35,227 --> 00:26:38,968
each spring, there is
a magical reawakening
264
00:26:39,064 --> 00:26:41,303
from beneath the forest floor.
265
00:26:53,478 --> 00:26:56,655
Red-sided garter snakes
are just waking up
266
00:26:56,749 --> 00:26:59,288
from their eight-month-long
winter sleep.
267
00:27:13,298 --> 00:27:17,476
They journeyed here last fall
from up to 80 kilometres away
268
00:27:17,570 --> 00:27:18,607
to hibernate
269
00:27:18,704 --> 00:27:21,944
in these deep
limestone sinkholes.
270
00:27:28,013 --> 00:27:32,354
The males emerge first
in their thousands.
271
00:27:45,564 --> 00:27:49,369
It not just the spring sun
that has brought them out.
272
00:27:49,468 --> 00:27:53,146
There's something else
these males are waiting for.
273
00:27:55,574 --> 00:27:57,849
All these male
red-sided garter snakes
274
00:27:57,943 --> 00:28:00,282
have been waiting
for the females
275
00:28:00,378 --> 00:28:03,318
to emerge
from their hibernation.
276
00:28:03,415 --> 00:28:09,522
Then, slowly, in ones and twos,
the females begin to appear.
277
00:28:11,022 --> 00:28:13,398
Females emit a pheromone
278
00:28:13,492 --> 00:28:16,496
that drives the males,
who are much smaller,
279
00:28:16,595 --> 00:28:18,734
into a frenzy.
280
00:28:22,734 --> 00:28:27,440
Dozens of males cling to her,
trying to mate.
281
00:28:29,541 --> 00:28:32,518
Afterwards,
the female dislodges her partner
282
00:28:32,611 --> 00:28:34,714
by doing a body roll.
283
00:28:34,813 --> 00:28:36,387
He tries to hang on
284
00:28:36,482 --> 00:28:41,160
to keep his competitors
from mating with her as well.
285
00:28:44,756 --> 00:28:46,431
In many ways, it's surprising
286
00:28:46,525 --> 00:28:49,529
to see cold-blooded creatures
like snakes
287
00:28:49,628 --> 00:28:52,832
creating
such a spectacular display
288
00:28:52,931 --> 00:28:55,034
in the northern climes
of Canada.
289
00:28:55,134 --> 00:28:57,837
But they're drawn together
here,
290
00:28:57,936 --> 00:28:59,874
as it's the only shelter
deep enough
291
00:28:59,971 --> 00:29:04,614
for them to survive
the cold Canadian winter.
292
00:29:08,881 --> 00:29:10,519
This concentration
293
00:29:10,615 --> 00:29:12,854
makes it
the largest gathering of snakes
294
00:29:12,951 --> 00:29:15,490
in the world.
295
00:29:36,542 --> 00:29:38,744
Further south and west
from here,
296
00:29:38,844 --> 00:29:40,619
at the centre of the country,
297
00:29:40,712 --> 00:29:44,654
the forest gives way
to a very different landscape...
298
00:29:45,984 --> 00:29:49,088
The prairies.
299
00:29:49,187 --> 00:29:51,827
At one time,
this vast grassland
300
00:29:51,923 --> 00:29:55,901
stretched all the way south
to Mexico.
301
00:30:01,166 --> 00:30:03,770
Its broad, flat expanse
was created
302
00:30:03,869 --> 00:30:05,407
by the sediments deposited
303
00:30:05,504 --> 00:30:09,109
when the continental glaciers
melted.
304
00:30:16,915 --> 00:30:20,456
These vast open plains
are perfect habitat
305
00:30:20,552 --> 00:30:22,126
for one particular animal
306
00:30:22,221 --> 00:30:25,725
that seems purpose-built
for them.
307
00:30:33,966 --> 00:30:35,804
Pronghorn antelope
308
00:30:35,901 --> 00:30:39,405
are the fastest hoofed mammals
on the planet.
309
00:31:05,163 --> 00:31:08,440
But today,
they're ecological ghosts...
310
00:31:10,535 --> 00:31:11,837
Relics of a time
311
00:31:11,937 --> 00:31:13,839
when this open grassland
312
00:31:13,938 --> 00:31:16,542
was home to cheetahs
and other predators
313
00:31:16,642 --> 00:31:19,618
fast enough to catch them.
314
00:31:22,214 --> 00:31:24,617
The cheetahs are long gone,
315
00:31:24,716 --> 00:31:26,018
along with a lot of the wildlife
316
00:31:26,118 --> 00:31:28,657
that used to live
on this continent
317
00:31:28,754 --> 00:31:31,894
millennia ago.
318
00:31:35,761 --> 00:31:40,102
Today, the pronghorn sprint on
alone,
319
00:31:40,198 --> 00:31:44,677
running a race
that ended 10,000 years ago.
320
00:31:51,210 --> 00:31:54,650
Pronghorns have always lived
in the centre of the country
321
00:31:54,746 --> 00:31:56,221
because further west,
322
00:31:56,314 --> 00:31:58,990
the landscape
is radically different.
323
00:32:01,553 --> 00:32:03,054
To the west,
324
00:32:03,154 --> 00:32:05,930
the prairies run into
a crumpled landscape
325
00:32:06,024 --> 00:32:09,702
that gives rise
to the rocky mountains,
326
00:32:09,794 --> 00:32:14,273
an unbroken chain
almost 5,000 kilometres long
327
00:32:14,366 --> 00:32:17,670
of some of the tallest peaks
on the continent.
328
00:32:23,842 --> 00:32:25,617
Canada's western edge
329
00:32:25,710 --> 00:32:29,551
is one impressive mountain range
after another.
330
00:32:35,053 --> 00:32:36,627
In northern British Columbia,
331
00:32:36,722 --> 00:32:37,859
the Stikine river
332
00:32:37,956 --> 00:32:40,896
cuts a great, dark chasm
through the mountains
333
00:32:40,992 --> 00:32:44,132
on its way to the pacific.
334
00:32:47,332 --> 00:32:49,134
More people have walked
on the moon
335
00:32:49,234 --> 00:32:52,738
than have paddled
through this canyon.
336
00:32:57,842 --> 00:33:02,485
These vertical walls
are the home of mountain goats.
337
00:33:06,018 --> 00:33:08,894
Sure-footed relatives
of antelope,
338
00:33:08,987 --> 00:33:10,189
they seem at ease
339
00:33:10,288 --> 00:33:13,592
making their way
across these sheer cliff faces
340
00:33:13,692 --> 00:33:19,599
where one slip could mean
a long fall to death.
341
00:33:29,141 --> 00:33:31,680
The vertical walls
of the Stikine canyon
342
00:33:31,777 --> 00:33:37,056
provide some truly spectacular
mountain goat habitat.
343
00:33:54,266 --> 00:33:56,669
The waters flowing
from these mountains
344
00:33:56,768 --> 00:33:59,608
carry great loads of minerals
and silt
345
00:33:59,704 --> 00:34:03,108
westwards to the pacific.
346
00:34:06,978 --> 00:34:09,254
Here in British Columbia,
347
00:34:09,347 --> 00:34:11,122
where the mountains
meet the sea,
348
00:34:11,216 --> 00:34:13,054
there's a combination
of elements
349
00:34:13,151 --> 00:34:15,154
that create
the most productive landscape
350
00:34:15,254 --> 00:34:17,557
in the country.
351
00:34:24,095 --> 00:34:26,034
Land and sea...
352
00:34:26,130 --> 00:34:27,268
Life here thrives
353
00:34:27,366 --> 00:34:31,871
from the alignment
of these two elements.
354
00:34:37,909 --> 00:34:39,884
It's the forests
355
00:34:39,978 --> 00:34:42,053
where the link
between the sea and the land
356
00:34:42,146 --> 00:34:44,186
tells the most.
357
00:34:45,717 --> 00:34:46,991
Canada's west coast
358
00:34:47,085 --> 00:34:48,686
is home to a third
359
00:34:48,786 --> 00:34:52,627
of the world's remaining
temperate rainforest.
360
00:34:54,259 --> 00:34:56,398
It is one
of the richest habitats
361
00:34:56,494 --> 00:34:58,870
on the plan et.
362
00:35:02,467 --> 00:35:04,170
Among these trees,
363
00:35:04,269 --> 00:35:06,344
there is
a greater abundance of life
364
00:35:06,438 --> 00:35:09,078
than anywhere else in Canada.
365
00:35:13,745 --> 00:35:16,448
It's a rich and magical place
366
00:35:16,548 --> 00:35:20,052
filled with strange
and wonderful creatures...
367
00:35:29,994 --> 00:35:32,898
Like the spirit bear,
368
00:35:32,998 --> 00:35:37,803
a rare color phase of
the north American black bear.
369
00:35:40,806 --> 00:35:42,908
He's not an albino.
370
00:35:43,007 --> 00:35:44,145
He's a black bear,
371
00:35:44,242 --> 00:35:47,182
but born with a combination
of rare genes
372
00:35:47,278 --> 00:35:50,582
that makes his fur white.
373
00:35:52,317 --> 00:35:55,357
But where
does a bear in these woods go
374
00:35:55,454 --> 00:35:58,057
to find something to eat?
375
00:36:00,726 --> 00:36:02,127
Each summer,
376
00:36:02,226 --> 00:36:05,230
the network of rivers
on Canada's west coast
377
00:36:05,330 --> 00:36:09,007
brings food
to the spirit bear's doorstep.
378
00:36:12,938 --> 00:36:17,279
But just like any bear,
he has to catch it.
379
00:36:38,897 --> 00:36:42,238
Fishing is a skill,
380
00:36:42,334 --> 00:36:44,536
and some bears
are naturally better at it
381
00:36:44,636 --> 00:36:46,311
than others.
382
00:36:57,415 --> 00:36:59,318
Th is particular bear
383
00:36:59,418 --> 00:37:02,394
doesn't seem
to be very good at it.
384
00:37:14,666 --> 00:37:16,941
They seem so close.
385
00:37:17,035 --> 00:37:20,312
Maybe a new technique
will do the trick.
386
00:37:23,408 --> 00:37:28,314
But a surprise attack from above
doesn't work either.
387
00:37:37,755 --> 00:37:40,495
Finally, he gets one.
388
00:37:40,592 --> 00:37:41,872
He's going to need
a lot of these
389
00:37:41,893 --> 00:37:43,595
over the next few months
390
00:37:43,694 --> 00:37:46,198
to prepare for winter.
391
00:37:51,536 --> 00:37:54,440
For centuries,
this rich temperate rainforest
392
00:37:54,539 --> 00:37:58,681
has supported many generations
of spirit bears.
393
00:38:01,312 --> 00:38:05,317
But further north
in Canada's vast tundra region,
394
00:38:05,417 --> 00:38:07,292
the wildlife has to survive
395
00:38:07,385 --> 00:38:11,026
in a landscape
that's far less productive.
396
00:38:14,326 --> 00:38:16,629
Geographically,
the centre of the country
397
00:38:16,728 --> 00:38:20,633
is actually in the middle
of the arctic tundra.
398
00:38:28,306 --> 00:38:29,745
It seems
399
00:38:29,841 --> 00:38:31,543
people have had
very little impact
400
00:38:31,642 --> 00:38:33,782
on this place.
401
00:38:36,581 --> 00:38:37,655
And for a long time,
402
00:38:37,749 --> 00:38:40,653
it was thought
to be the one landscape
403
00:38:40,752 --> 00:38:43,829
that had not changed
since the ice age.
404
00:38:47,826 --> 00:38:49,400
Caribou that live here
405
00:38:49,494 --> 00:38:52,197
have to migrate
over vast distances
406
00:38:52,297 --> 00:38:55,337
to find enough food to eat.
407
00:38:57,535 --> 00:39:02,214
The plants of the tundra
are very poor in nutrients.
408
00:39:03,408 --> 00:39:06,248
It's hard for the animals
to extract much
409
00:39:06,344 --> 00:39:10,686
from the mosses and lichens
that grow on the tundra today.
410
00:39:13,118 --> 00:39:15,594
Caribou
are one of the few grazers
411
00:39:15,686 --> 00:39:18,590
that can survive
on this meagre food.
412
00:39:22,527 --> 00:39:25,804
But the tundra
wasn't always like this.
413
00:39:28,633 --> 00:39:30,672
Recent scientific research
shows
414
00:39:30,769 --> 00:39:33,609
that 15,000 years ago,
415
00:39:33,705 --> 00:39:39,248
the tundra environment
was, in fact, a grassland.
416
00:39:45,383 --> 00:39:48,887
And it was grazed
by very different creatures
417
00:39:48,986 --> 00:39:52,226
than we see in the prairies
today...
418
00:39:52,323 --> 00:39:55,163
Mammoths.
419
00:39:56,427 --> 00:39:58,930
It was a surprisingly
productive habitat
420
00:39:59,030 --> 00:40:01,433
this far north.
421
00:40:01,533 --> 00:40:04,773
That is, until a new arrival.
422
00:40:06,671 --> 00:40:07,873
As the ice age ended,
423
00:40:07,972 --> 00:40:10,848
people arrived
on this grassland,
424
00:40:10,942 --> 00:40:12,617
known as the mammoth steppe,
425
00:40:12,710 --> 00:40:16,688
that supported
vast herds of grazers.
426
00:40:19,784 --> 00:40:22,524
But these people
were skilled hunters,
427
00:40:22,620 --> 00:40:25,423
new to the animals
that lived here,
428
00:40:25,523 --> 00:40:28,363
which had no defense
against them.
429
00:40:31,462 --> 00:40:33,602
Within a few centuries,
430
00:40:33,698 --> 00:40:36,938
most of these animals
were extinct.
431
00:40:41,472 --> 00:40:44,813
Scientists now believe
that with the mammoths gone,
432
00:40:44,909 --> 00:40:48,786
the grasses died out,
433
00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:53,458
causing the ground to turn wet
and boggy.
434
00:40:55,219 --> 00:40:59,498
The fertile grassland
disappeared...
435
00:41:06,865 --> 00:41:12,645
And the land became the tundra
that we see today,
436
00:41:12,737 --> 00:41:15,977
making it the biggest
human-changed landscape
437
00:41:16,074 --> 00:41:18,513
in the country.
438
00:41:18,610 --> 00:41:21,086
15,000 years ago,
439
00:41:21,178 --> 00:41:25,120
the tundra
was Canada's first frontier.
440
00:41:25,216 --> 00:41:27,992
Today,
Canada's has a new frontier...
441
00:41:32,957 --> 00:41:34,859
The arctic.
442
00:41:41,432 --> 00:41:43,808
And as with earlier frontiers,
443
00:41:43,902 --> 00:41:47,943
humans continue
to alter the world around them.
444
00:41:55,446 --> 00:41:57,922
Right now, the arctic landscape
445
00:41:58,015 --> 00:42:01,592
is undergoing one of the biggest
human-caused changes
446
00:42:01,686 --> 00:42:05,891
in the history of the planet.
447
00:42:05,990 --> 00:42:10,869
Change in the global climate
is melting the arctic,
448
00:42:10,962 --> 00:42:14,966
opening up a new frontier...
449
00:42:21,138 --> 00:42:22,677
Creating conditions
450
00:42:22,774 --> 00:42:24,976
that have probably not been seen
here
451
00:42:25,076 --> 00:42:27,879
in a million years.
452
00:42:30,882 --> 00:42:33,157
But it's a fundamentally
different frontier
453
00:42:33,250 --> 00:42:35,089
than the past.
454
00:42:35,186 --> 00:42:36,524
The changes here
455
00:42:36,621 --> 00:42:40,498
are being caused
by humans all over the world,
456
00:42:40,591 --> 00:42:46,371
and created unintentionally
in a very short span of time.
457
00:42:49,500 --> 00:42:52,604
No one knows how, or even if,
458
00:42:52,703 --> 00:42:54,906
the life of this region
will adapt
459
00:42:55,006 --> 00:42:57,746
to these new conditions.
460
00:43:00,912 --> 00:43:02,687
And the changes
we bring to the arctic
461
00:43:02,780 --> 00:43:04,482
will be felt
462
00:43:04,582 --> 00:43:07,559
far beyond the boundaries
of this place.
463
00:43:13,124 --> 00:43:16,601
They will influence
the entire planet.
464
00:43:20,264 --> 00:43:23,741
The story
of Canada's eternal frontier
465
00:43:23,834 --> 00:43:26,811
continues.34628
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