All language subtitles for Bears The Ultimate Survivors

NARRATOR: The symbol
of a wild continent,

bears are forever linked
with North America.

It is a cold, harsh environment
where polar bears, black bears

and grizzlies must
push their limits.

Each day is a fight for survival.

Competing against the elements,
against a changing world.

and against each other.

Along a remote river,
brown bears seek out

an early season feast.

And a courageous family
battles for salmon

among the world's largest bears.

In the coastal rainforest,
an ancient race of black bears use

a genetic mutation
as a unique advantage.

And to the north, polar bears
develop new hunting strategies

as their world rapidly warms.

An old bear searches for new prey,
while a young family runs a gauntlet

of hungry rivals.

They are a keystone predator
and a symbol of our last wild lands.

But this wild frontier is changing

and these bears will be tested
as never before.

It is a world not where the strong,
but where the brave and the creative

will rise as the ultimate survivors.

On the Alaska peninsula,

the summer solstice
sparks an epic migration.

After years in the ocean,
1.5 million salmon move inland.

They swim upstream on a fatal
and instinctive journey.

Guided by their sense of smell,

they follow trail markers
to their birthplace.

And once there,
they spawn a new generation.

But a rocky ledge on the
Brooks River blocks this path.

For these exhausted salmon,
it is a monumental challenge.

But for a lucky bear,
it is a welcome meal.

Perched on this ledge,

a brown bear may catch
30 salmon each day.

By nature,
bears are solitary creatures,

aggressively defending
large territories.

But word spreads quickly.

And soon, almost 80 bears
may gather along this river.

For these bears, fishing is life.

They must eat an entire year's worth
of food in only six months.

Hundreds of thousands of fish
will fight their way over the falls.

It triggers one of the greatest
concentrations of bears on earth.

Into this fray, a female
called Courageous emerges.

Immediately, she retreats
to the river's edge,

away from the large males -
with good reason.

She is joined
by her three young cubs.

They will stay with her for over
two years, learning how to fish

and how to survive.

Twins are most common and it takes
a special bear to raise three cubs.

Courageous shares this river
with the largest males.

They are a clear and present danger
to her young family.

And each day, she must
weigh up risk versus reward

in a high-stakes gamble.

As brown bears feast,
another species gathers on shore.

They are forced together by melting
ice, not by spawning salmon.

It is an annual ritual
on Hudson Bay.

Polar bears must spend
four months on land.

They are without access to seals,
their main food supply.

This young family
is determined to survive.

But this is not her element.

In a warming Arctic,

she may now wait an additional
four weeks for the ice to return.

Even large males like Judge
are affected.

He will lose two pounds of fat
for every day on land.

For polar bears,
life is never in balance.

Ringed seals are their preferred prey

and the Arctic spring
is their peak hunting season.

These bears consume
80% of their annual diet

between March and June.

After that,
they face months of deprivation.

But for now, they are at their
heaviest weight of the year.

In fact, they are
so fat, they float.

In the summer heat, Judge
and another large male still find

some time to beat each other up.

These bears will spar
in the water for hours.

It is a time when
they should be conserving energy.

Instead, they battle to exhaustion,

for seemingly no other reason
than fun.

But not every bear
is content to wait.

This young female works
an Arctic stream.

She searches for Arctic char,
a northern cousin of the salmon.

She does not have a
4-inch layer of fat like Judge.

But she is fighting to survive
in a warming climate.

Fishing is an adaptation
only recently observed.

A rapid response
to a changing world.

Perhaps the most successful species
is the North American black bear.

They survive in almost any habitat,
from alpine to interior lowlands.

Experts at filling a niche,
they are the ultimate opportunists.

Adapting to any situation...

..except perhaps the presence
of other bears.

The smallest of the three species,

black bears weigh only half
of a fully grown brown bear.

But in Canada's
Great Bear Rainforest,

an ancient population of black bears
dominates a chain of remote islands.

They are known as 'Kermode Bears'

and share a bounty of salmon
with eagles and wolves.

These rivers have remained
relatively undiscovered.

Each fish may provide
up to 4,500 calories.

Kermode bears
can afford to be picky,

eating only the richest parts
of the salmon -

the skin, the brain and the eggs.

This high-calorie diet
means they grow larger

than their mainland cousins.

While brown bears gather in numbers,
black bears value privacy.

But there are bears
gifted with an ancient mutation

and they stand out
like a sore thumb.

These Kermode bears
carry a recessive gene...

..and one in ten black bears
are born with white fur.

They are not albino
but the colour is so rare

that there may be only 200 in
existence.

They are known as Spirit Bears

and they are linked
to an ancient myth

where the Creator turned
one in ten black bears white.

A way to honour the time
of glaciers, the time before humans.

One bear, known a Ma'ah,

has ruled the Qua'a River
for almost 20 years.

Out-competing black and white bears
alike.

Spirit Bears are more
successful at catching fish.

Their white fur is more
difficult for salmon to see,

especially in the daylight.

They may catch 10-15% more salmon
than a normal black bear.

Over the years, this
advantage adds up.

Ma'ah is a perfect example
of the Spirit Bear's dominance

and their special place
in this fragile ecosystem.

At Brooks Falls, the salmon run
is hitting its peak,

and each day, more bears arrive.

By season's end, many of them
will weigh over 1000 lbs.

The largest males choose
the best fishing holes.

They simply wait for
the fish to come to them.

Other bears are forced to take
a more active approach.

Snorkelling, searching
for fish underwater.

Some bears dash and grab,
plunging into the salmon run...

..and seemingly hoping for the best.

Each bear carves out a niche
in this crowded river.

For now,
Courageous is forced to watch.

The falls are just too crowded.

And the tension is thick.

Every move is monitored.

Not by one bear, but by ten.

It is a tenuous truce,

based on body language
and quiet vocalizations.

As young bears mature,
they challenge for position.

But the best fishing spots
are highly coveted.

This young male pushes the limits.

He is not ready to back down.

And once that line is crossed...

..there are consequences.

Courageous watches
and gathers her family.

They retreat into the forest.

Content to rest
and share a quiet moment.

The summer heat
is in full force on Hudson Bay.

And the biting insects
are unrelenting.

The largest bears
claim the best locations.

Judge has staked out a rocky ridge.

It is a high vantage point
with easy access to the coast

and the ocean breeze.

Summer was thought to be a time
of 'walking hibernation',

perhaps a time of fasting.

It now appears that bears
actively search for calories.

Berries and goose eggs.

Caribou and beached whales.

But open water limits these bears

and summer is a time for whales
and seals to thrive.

Over 50,000 beluga whales
summer in Hudson Bay.

They seek the warm waters
of river estuaries.

Here, they moult their winter skin,

feed on schools of fish,

and raise their young.

It is a relatively
carefree existence.

But Judge is about to change that.

Gauging the outgoing tide,
he swims out to the pod.

The whales are much faster and agile,

so he must craft a strategy.

Anticipating their movements,

Judge closes the distance.

And once the time is right,
he takes his shot.

He may be trying to injure a calf
and retrieve it at low tide.

But for now, the old bear will have
to wait and try again tomorrow.

Not all hunts are near misses.

A beached carcass has attracted
the attention of several bears,

including Judge.

Polar bears are known
to share meals.

Dominant bears allow smaller bears
to feast beside them -

as long as the proper respect
is shown.

Another bear, called Determined,

swims with her cubs
towards the shore.

Less than half of first year cubs
will survive to adulthood.

She is well aware of the danger

but it is a risk
she's willing to take.

Determined heads for the carcass
and the group of bears.

Her bravery pays off
for her young family.

As for Judge,
his patience has its limits,

and soon he retreats to the ocean
to enjoy his meal alone.

Whale carcasses are increasingly
seen in the north.

And bears now actively hunt belugas
in the summer.

It is another adaptation
that has been witnessed

only in the last few years.

One that has paid off
for this old bear.

In the Great Bear Rainforest,

another elder watches over her realm.

Ma'ah emerged as a symbol of hope
for an entire ecosystem.

It is a marine environment
that spans 6.4 million hectares.

Once valued only as a trophy,

Spirit Bears are now protectors

of the world's
largest temperate rainforest.

It is critical habitat for
minke whales, sea lions and orca.

It is Ma'ah's calm demeanour

that has allowed humans
to enter this world.

Over centuries, Spirit Bears
have adapted to ocean life.

Recently, other species
have followed suit.

Coastal wolves have flourished
in the Great Bear Rainforest.

They hunt,
not only on the island's deer,

but also feed on salmon
and shellfish.

And much like Ma'ah,
they have little fear of humans.

Their main competitors
are bears and killer whales.

Humans are still a novelty
in this land of shadow and sun.

Courageous has moved her family
downstream.

It is safer here.

This section of the river
is populated by young bears

and by family groups.

Another family has staked out
a quiet bend in the river.

Her cubs watch from
the safety of the trees.

They study her moves
and wait for their next meal -

for the most part.

As she returns to shore,
her cubs scramble down to join her.

Brooks River has a higher rate
of cub mortality.

Only one out of three cubs
may survive their first year.

Large males, intense competition,
and whitewater rapids

make this a risky place
to raise a family.

As the quiet family shares a meal,
Courageous too has found success.

But she knows that
the best fishing is at the falls.

And she is not content
to sit on the sidelines.

Courageous steels herself
and leads her cubs upstream.

These bears are over twice her size

and may deal with intruders
with lethal force.

It's a gamble
that she's willing to take.

This is where
the best fishing spots are

and she wants to give her cubs
every advantage.

Their presence creates a stir.

A stark reminder of the high stakes.

Carefully, she moves forward.

And Courageous leaps into the fray.

She grabs a fish
just metres from the falls.

Her cubs join her midstream.

They share her meal, eating quickly.

More bears arrive on the scene.

And soon,
their escape route is cut off.

In the Great Bear Rainforest,

another Spirit Bear
emerges from the shadows.

Warrior is a confident
and dominant bear.

She is ready to challenge Ma'ah.

She approaches slowly
and in the language of bears,

she makes her move.

She arches her back,

seeking to intimidate
the old matriarch.

Head down, she takes a step forward,
legs tensed for a charge.

Ma'ah holds her ground for now.

Her legacy will soon
be passed to Warrior,

but she is not ready yet.

It is a small step
in a long chess game.

She is likely an offspring of Ma'ah
and she has reached breeding age.

Soon, Warrior will pass her
special genes on to young cubs.

Spirit Bears are more likely
to breed with other white bears.

This real-time evolution
increases their numbers

and strengthens
this genetic advantage.

Along Hudson Bay,
the situation is tense.

A young male has made a kill.

It soon attracts
the attention of other bears.

Seals are scarce in the summer.

The bear relies on luck and the
outgoing tide to catch his prey.

Polar bears can smell prey
up to 15 miles away

and one seal may provide
a week's worth of calories.

The bear runs off the intruder.

More bears have caught the scent
of the kill.

Soon, Judge appears on the horizon.

The bear retreats.

But the intruder has also
returned to claim his share.

Judge's presence pushes
the two young bears over the edge.

This is not play fighting.

Each young bear is desperate for
calories and the stakes ride high.

Yet another bear emerges,
drawn to the kill.

And finally, Judge makes his move.

He arrives
and simply takes what is now his.

In a changing Arctic,
size still matters.

And with that, the battle is over.

Hunter and intruder retreat together.

A hard lesson learned.

Chasing the best fish,

Courageous is now
in the heart of the falls.

The largest bears in the world now
surround this bold little family.

Showing weakness here
is not an option.

Finally, a young male
crosses the line.

And she responds with force.

She stands up to the larger bear,
defending her ground.

The cubs, as always,
watch and learn.

Courageous returns to her cubs.

She pulls them back to safety.

She is already preparing
for the next push to the falls...

..and the next lesson
for her young family.

Each day, her cubs grow bolder,

learning from their mother's bravery
and from her creativity.

Downstream, they will practice
the fishing techniques

learned at the falls,

and maybe some of their mum's moves.

Playfighting rituals
are found in all bears.

From their first days,
they develop relationships,

test boundaries
and assert dominance.

These cubs are entering
a crucial time of life.

Eventually,
Courageous will push them away

as she prepares to mate
and raise another family.

But she has taught them
valuable lessons

and in time, they too will take
their place at the falls...

..the leaders of a new generation.

As Courageous and Ma'ah
prepare to hibernate,

Determined leads her family
to the coast of Hudson Bay.

The cold temperatures signals
the start of her hunting season.

Their journey is just beginning.

Only pregnant females hibernate.

The rest must hunt
through the brutal winter.

This adaptation stands alone
among the three species.

By November, the ice builds quickly.

And in the weeks
leading to freeze-up,

over 150 bears
will pass through this area.

Subadults and females are the first
to gather along the shore.

They are drawn to the edge of ice.

There is a short window
for an early season seal kill

and these are much needed calories.

Soon, the ice will be too thick
and hunting will become much harder.

Determined will be forced
to play a chess game,

staking out seal breathing holes
and hoping for the best.

They patrol the coast,

before giving way to large males
like Judge.

Determined needs to get
to the ice, to find the seals.

She nurses her cubs every few hours.

It demands an incredible
amount of calories.

The big freeze
is increasingly unpredictable.

The ice may arrive 3-4 weeks
later than normal.

An early season seal
is much more important to her

than a behemoth like Judge.

And now, she must run
a gauntlet of hungry bears.

She arrives at the coast
and it is already crowded.

Judge and another massive bear
have staked out the best beach.

They stare each other down,

each of them twice the size
of the young mother.

Each fall, males pair up
for weeks at a time and wrestle.

This play fighting may establish
a critical hierarchy

for life on the ice.

By spring,
they will compete for mates...

..and those battles will result
in serious wounds -

even death.

For now, neither gets seriously hurt,

but it remains an awesome spectacle.

It is a tense situation
for Determined.

This battle of giants
blocks her path to the ice.

She retreats to the rocks
and finds a comfort zone.

Determined is not
ready to cede ground.

She needs to hunt
as soon as possible.

But the two large bears
continue to battle,

exhausted
but each refusing to relent.

She must feed her family.

Large males can survive
an entire year without food

but a nursing mother needs calories
to produce milk.

While Judge rules over his domain,

Determined bides her time.

Both are dominant bears,

facing a changing world
in their own way.

More than any other species,

their world is changing faster
than ever...

..and their will to survive
will be tested as never before.

All bears live in a world
where challenges must be met head on.

One where they must identify
and adapt to new opportunities.

Warrior will carry a gene
that may save her species.

Courageous will raise
dominant and daring cubs.

And Determined will fight against
a changing world.

Each of North America's bears

are already showing how they can
adapt to change,

demonstrating the creativity

that will keep them
at the top of the food chain

and ensure their place

as the ultimate survivors.