- 6 weeks ago
Journey from Canada's Arctic to the boreal forest and discover how polar bears, coastal wolves, lynx and more survive in the North.
带领观众从加拿大的北极高地和苔原一路走到广袤的北方针叶林，探索极地动物在严酷环境中如何把握生死时机以求生存
带领观众从加拿大的北极高地和苔原一路走到广袤的北方针叶林，探索极地动物在严酷环境中如何把握生死时机以求生存
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AnimalsTranscript
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00:13In the uppermost reaches of North America,
00:17there's a big, wild country.
00:22Canada.
00:24It has the largest intact forest on Earth.
00:30More than two million rivers, lakes and streams.
00:37Vast swathes of tundra.
00:42And endless rugged shores.
00:50It can be a punishing place to live.
00:54But it's also a land of opportunity.
01:00With riches for the taking.
01:03Knowing how and when to act.
01:06Makes the difference between life and death.
01:11Get it right.
01:12And Canada can be a place to thrive.
01:39Hudson Bay.
01:41On the edge of the Arctic Circle.
01:44Hudson Bay.
01:45Home to Canada's most iconic marine mammal.
01:51The polar bear.
02:00It's summer.
02:01And the days are long.
02:04The air warm.
02:10The polar bear.
02:10This is the hardest time of year for these big predators.
02:19Head to sea ice.
02:19There's no sea ice to hunt from.
02:22and the land offers little to eat.
02:33The polar bears are losing more than two pounds of fat every day.
02:46They're hungry.
02:56But polar bears have good memories.
03:05These hunters are heading for a river mouth where they know they can find food.
03:23And they've got their timing just right.
03:31Beluga whales are arriving.
03:39By the thousands.
03:46They're here to raise their young in the warm, shallow waters of the estuary.
04:06But it's not without risk.
04:17These two males are eager to hunt.
04:27But they have very different approaches.
04:33One bear bides his time on a carefully chosen rock.
04:41While the other goes after the belugas.
05:06In the open water, the belugas are impossible to catch.
05:14His tactic clearly isn't working.
05:23There's a trick to this.
05:25And it's all down to the tides.
05:34As the waters rise, the belugas come farther inshore.
05:42Better for the polar bears.
05:53As long as the swimmer doesn't give the game away.
06:04The patient bears rock is now submerged.
06:08But he still has a chance.
06:31Experience has taught this old-timer how to be an efficient hunter.
06:42The other bear still has a lot to learn.
06:51The belugas won't stay here for long.
06:55So the polar bears must feed as much as they can in this narrow time window.
07:05And with bellies full, there's even a bit of time for play.
07:20Canada is a vast landmass, covering nearly 4 million square miles of North America.
07:29And half of it is treeless tundra, rugged and exposed.
07:36To survive here, you need to be smart.
07:42Like the arctic fox.
07:48This male has caught a lemming for his mate.
07:54She needs his help.
07:59As she's got young to look after.
08:08Both parents have a lot on their plate.
08:12Raising six boisterous kids, with big appetites.
08:34On top of that, the parents must gather enough food to help them through the winter.
08:41Luckily, there's a big opportunity heading their way.
08:49Snow geese.
08:56Every summer, thousands of them come here to raise their young.
09:14Each mother goose lays a clutch of eggs, which she'll sit on for three weeks.
09:22These eggs are what the foxes are after.
09:28They want to gather as many as they can before they hatch.
09:40It's not easy getting past the feisty parents.
09:49But the foxes are determined, and gather up to 60 eggs a day.
09:58Each one they steal, they bury in the frozen earth.
10:05It's a great way to store food, as it'll keep for the leaner months ahead.
10:28Once the hatching starts, there's another opportunity for the foxes.
10:34Just as the kits are ready for solid food.
10:49But it doesn't last long.
10:53Within hours of hatching, the goslings are led to the safety of water.
11:05Most of the snow geese will make it through the summer, until it's time to journey south.
11:19Though the foxes can't leave, they're well prepared for the tougher times ahead.
11:27Mom even scavenges the biggest feast of all.
11:40The family is fed, and the larder full.
11:44He has been very very happy.
11:51His family has been here.
11:54He'd take crazy, but he is more than a man.
11:57Sometimes he will come and be afraid of having a job here.
11:59It's just a time.
12:00Opportunities in Canada's wild north can be immense.
12:06But the windows are often short, and require precision timing.
12:20Nova Scotia, on the East Coast, has the most extreme tides on Earth.
12:30Here in the Bay of Fundy, 176 billion tons of water moves in and out twice a day.
12:41That's more than the combined flow of all the world's rivers.
12:49Living in these mudflats are creatures that only come to the surface in late summer.
13:02Mud shrimps out looking for mates.
13:12But up here, the pursuit of the opposite sex leaves them very exposed.
13:22To an annual onslaught, semi-palmated sandpipers, 200,000 of them.
13:39These birds are on a huge migration from Canada's Arctic to South America.
13:52They stop here to feast on the shrimps.
13:59And they can't move on until they've doubled in weight.
14:07Each small bird must harvest up to 20,000 shrimp in a single tidal cycle.
14:23But as the incoming tide pushes the sandpipers back up the beach, they have less room for
14:29manoeuvre.
14:32easy targets for a deadly predator.
14:48The peregrine falcon, the fastest creature on Earth.
15:07The flock moves as one, trying to confuse the hunter.
15:29They dodge the first strike.
15:35But their nemesis gains height for an even faster attack.
15:41They dodge the first strike.
15:56A weak one is injured, and taken.
16:06The peregrine is a constant menace.
16:12But after 10 days of good feeding, the sandpipers have put on enough weight to continue their epic
16:20journey south.
16:32Canada has the longest coastline of any country on Earth.
16:37More than 150,000 miles.
16:42And on its western margins, where the land meets the Pacific Ocean, there's a magical world nourished
16:52by cool, rich water.
17:07along the coastline of British Columbia are giant forests of kelp.
17:16This algal seaweed can grow up to two feet a day.
17:22It's special air sacs lifting it towards the summer sunshine.
17:37Sea otters are well adapted to this aquatic forest.
17:45They tether themselves to the kelp, as it allows them to snooze without drifting away.
17:58These social animals float together in rafts up to a hundred strong.
18:13summer is peak pupping season.
18:26To keep their babies warm, the mothers balance them on their tummies.
18:32and blow air into their thick fur.
18:49Sea otters burn so many calories in these chilly waters.
18:52They need to eat three times more food than similar sized land mammals.
19:03This male is on the hunt for the ultimate meal.
19:13Finding it is one thing.
19:17Extracting it is another.
19:20It's more than three feet under the sand.
19:30And the air in his fur is constantly pulling him upwards.
19:45A geoduck.
19:47One of the world's largest burrowing clams.
20:02Sea otters stick together for safety.
20:06And here in Canada, they need to stay alert.
20:12For on these shores stalks an age-old enemy.
20:22The sea wolf.
20:23A specialist coastal hunter.
20:40The sea wolf.
20:41But this pack isn't looking for otters today.
20:52There's a far bigger opportunity coming their way.
21:07Pacific salmon.
21:10Great shoals of them.
21:16These pink salmon are one of the five species arriving on the west coast of Canada.
21:24After years of feeding at sea, they're in their prime and ready to migrate inland to spawn.
21:35But they need conditions to be just right before they swim up river.
21:49And while the salmon wait, they're easy targets for the wolves.
21:58There's more than enough to choose from.
22:21There's more than enough to choose from.
22:21There's more than enough to choose from.
22:22Each wolf can catch up to 30 salmon an hour.
22:29But there's a problem with these fish.
22:32fish.
22:34The salmon's flesh is riddled with parasites, which could be lethal for the wolves.
22:43Yet they keep on hunting.
22:50These wolves have a strategy.
22:59They lay the salmon out, letting the scavengers come and feed.
23:20Birds like crows and bald eagles are able to eat the flesh because they're unaffected by the parasites.
23:30The wolves are left with the nutritious skin and head, which they can eat safely.
23:43This partnership is a clever solution.
23:50Everyone benefits from this seasonal bounty.
24:11As autumn sets in across British Columbia, more and more rain falls, causing rivers to rise.
24:22The salmon are ready to begin their marathon journey up river.
24:26The salmon are ready to begin their marathon journey up river.
24:26This land isierte.
24:55The salmon проicty town
25:12Traveling hundreds of miles inland is a huge feat of endurance, but the salmon finally
25:20reach their spawning grounds.
25:27They pair up and lay thousands of eggs.
25:37Only 10% will go on to hatch.
25:41The rest are an important source of food for creatures like the dipper.
25:57In Canada's wild north, the sea nourishes life far inland.
26:15Spawning is the salmon's final act.
26:24Black bears take the salmon dead or alive.
26:29They need to double in weight before hibernation.
26:43The bears also carry some salmon into the forest, often more than they can manage.
27:02But they're not wasted.
27:06Their rotting bodies help feed the earth, allowing the trees along these riverbanks to grow 30%
27:15faster.
27:22This forest is called the Great Bear Rainforest, but it's the salmon that make it great.
27:38As the seasons progress and the days shorten, the big windows of opportunity are starting
27:45to close.
27:50Canada is bracing itself for what's to come.
27:57And there are few environments tougher than the Great Boreal Forest that stretches right
28:04across Canada, from the Yukon in the west to Newfoundland in the east.
28:13Over a million square miles of it.
28:17Canada is the largest intact forest on the planet.
28:21Canada is the largest intact forest on the planet.
28:37As winter sets in, opportunities are slim.
28:48Yet taking them means the difference between life and death.
29:05Here in the Yukon, there are no great migrations arriving, no windfall of food, just relentless
29:19cold and snow.
29:30It'll be like this for months.
29:38Snow changes the whole dynamic of the landscape.
29:44Its texture is constantly changing with the air temperature and moisture levels.
29:57Today it's firm.
30:02Ideal conditions for a stealthy hunter.
30:15A cat, whose paws are so perfectly shaped, it can walk in almost total silence.
30:28The Canada lynx.
30:37And this is what he's after.
30:41A snowshoe hare.
30:51To stand a chance of catching it, he must get within 30 feet.
30:56A snowshoe hare.
31:05A snowshoe hare.
31:26A snowshoe hare.
31:28The hare is brilliantly camouflaged.
31:30With acute hearing, sensitive whiskers, and a wide field of view.
31:44A snowshoe hare.
31:46Ann! Ann! Ann!
32:19Ann!
32:46Ann! Ann!
32:49Ann! Ann!
32:51Ann! Ann! Ann!
32:51The Canada lynx is dependent
32:54on snowshoe hares.
32:57When hare numbers
32:58are down, lynx
33:00struggle.
33:03And when they are up,
33:05the lynx really
33:06prosper.
33:12Canada's wild north
33:14is a land of boom and bust.
33:17And this year
33:18is a good year.
33:24This family, with
33:26four healthy kittens,
33:28is testament to that.
33:39The boreal forest may seem
33:42sparse and empty.
33:44But there is plenty of food
33:46here, if you know where to look.
33:51Much of it is
33:52concealed in a secret world,
33:54beneath the surface of the snow.
34:04Meet the red-backed vole.
34:10He uses his network of tunnels
34:12to find his food,
34:14such as bark, seeds,
34:16and berries.
34:25But there's one creature
34:28that can hear his every move.
34:35the great grey owl.
34:40She's the largest of her kind
34:42in the world,
34:45with a big appetite
34:47for voles.
34:53The circle of feathers
34:55around her eyes
34:56directs the faintest sounds
34:58to her ears.
35:04Under the snow,
35:06the vole is as quiet as possible.
35:17But it's not his lucky day.
35:22A short-tailed weasel
35:24has picked up his scent.
35:28He's got to get out.
35:29the
35:36the
35:37a
35:40the
35:40the
35:41the
35:41the
35:45the
35:52I don't know.
36:18His tiny footsteps
36:20are a beacon to this silent killer.
36:43This time,
36:44the owl misses her chance.
36:49The vole gets to live
36:51another day.
37:08At night,
37:09Canada's boreal forest
37:11becomes a very different world.
37:20Temperatures plunge
37:21to minus 40 degrees
37:23Fahrenheit.
37:27Surely not the best time
37:29to be out foraging.
37:33But there is an unusual creature
37:35who is.
37:42A type of squirrel.
37:48Because it's so cold,
37:49she can't stay out for long.
37:55That means she needs to find food fast.
38:06To achieve this,
38:08she's got a special trick.
38:19This is a southern flying squirrel.
38:32Gliding helps her get around quickly
38:34and minimizes her exposure
38:36to the cold.
38:48Time is up for tonight.
38:55This tree nest provides some shelter.
38:59But it's still incredibly cold inside.
39:09Fortunately,
39:11someone else has arrived.
39:28That's a bit warmer.
39:33Two is good company.
39:35But here,
39:37everyone is welcome.
39:50Many unrelated individuals
39:52share the same nest.
40:00Cuddles enough
40:01to get them through the night.
40:15Among the great stands
40:16of Canada's boreal forest,
40:19hidden beneath the snow,
40:20are 600,000 icy lakes.
40:28These big, open spaces
40:30can make all the difference
40:32in the constant battles
40:34between two ancient enemies.
40:44Canada wolves are very smart
40:47and adaptable hunters.
40:52They know how to make the most
40:54of this environment
40:55during winter
40:55and use it to their advantage.
41:04One of their favorite prey
41:05is caribou.
41:12They find strength in numbers
41:14and are often on the move,
41:17looking for food.
41:27The wolves constantly shadow them,
41:30waiting for any opportunity.
41:41Out on the frozen lakes,
41:42where the ground is firm underfoot,
41:45the caribou have the advantage,
41:47as they can outrun the wolves.
42:02The hunters are beaten,
42:04for now.
42:15It becomes a waiting game.
42:26But the wolves know the caribou
42:28can't stay here forever.
42:38The caribou need to eat.
42:41And the only place
42:42they can find food
42:43is in the forest
42:45on the edge of the lake,
42:49where the snow
42:50is a lot deeper.
43:08In this difficult terrain,
43:10the caribou are far more vulnerable.
43:18They must work fast,
43:21digging for lichens,
43:25and keep on high alert.
43:40The wolves are coming.
44:01Using the forest as cover,
44:05they edge ever closer.
44:14Until they've surrounded the herd.
44:25Until they've surrounded the herd.
44:38The wolves need to keep the caribou
44:41The wolves need to keep the caribou
44:41in the deep snow,
44:44without getting stuck themselves.
45:05One trip is all it takes.
45:17By keeping numbers in check and removing the sick and the weak,
45:22the wolves actually help the caribou herds stay healthy.
45:33This is a vital meal for them,
45:35and a relatively small loss for the caribou.
45:47By February,
45:49the days are getting longer,
45:51and winter is easing back.
45:57These days,
45:59it rarely lasts as long as it used to.
46:06Here in the Gulf of St. Lawrence,
46:08the sea ice is already beginning to break.
46:21But it should remain for another six weeks.
46:27This is a vitally important breeding platform
46:30for one of Canada's most prolific marine mammals.
46:52adults spend most of their lives out at sea,
46:59but return to the ice sheets each year to give birth.
47:06almost 200,000 pups are born here every year.
47:19And they need to become independent
47:21before the sea ice disappears.
47:45Luckily, baby harp seals are fast growers.
47:50By constantly suckling his mother's fat-rich milk,
47:54this pup can put on five pounds a day.
48:00His mother is dedicated.
48:03She won't leave him to feed herself until he's fully weaned.
48:08But she can only keep this up for two weeks.
48:17Fortunately, she's on track.
48:20It's day 10, and he's already tripled in size.
48:40His impressive new layer of blubber
48:43is about to be put to the ultimate test.
48:49His first swimming lesson.
49:01It's vital he learns these skills before the sea ice melts.
49:16He seems very reluctant.
49:20But mom encourages him in.
49:32Finally, he's made it.
49:50He seems very much at home in this big new world.
49:58His mother's work is done.
50:03He'll stay close to the safety of the ice
50:06for as long as it stays frozen,
50:08before he takes to the water for good.
50:16Canada's coastline will be his to explore.
50:25Right across this vast country, spring is gathering momentum.
50:36The snow and ice are melting fast, giving way
50:43to a whole new world, a land of green and blue.
51:00thousands of lakes are revealed.
51:07And windows of opportunity are opening up for all kinds of creatures.
51:33Canada is a land of extremes.
51:43For the wild residents who call this home,
51:47life and death go hand in hand.
51:54But they all learn to adapt, survive, and even prosper by seizing
52:04the opportunities that nature provides in Canada's wild north.
52:17Canada is a land of beğen
52:17the world's interest in Canada's world.
52:41Canada is a land of success.
53:03Transcription by CastingWords
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