1 00:00:01,500 --> 00:00:03,620 Canada - 2 00:00:03,620 --> 00:00:07,500 the second largest country on Earth. 3 00:00:07,500 --> 00:00:12,100 Famous for its epic wilderness. 4 00:00:12,100 --> 00:00:16,100 From the Rocky Mountains... 5 00:00:16,100 --> 00:00:22,460 ..to the Great White North. 6 00:00:22,460 --> 00:00:25,620 Breathtaking... 7 00:00:25,620 --> 00:00:28,700 ..rugged... 8 00:00:28,700 --> 00:00:32,300 ..and immense. 9 00:00:32,300 --> 00:00:36,100 It's a rich and varied wonderland 10 00:00:36,100 --> 00:00:42,740 which supports some of North America's most iconic species. 11 00:00:42,740 --> 00:00:47,620 Theirs is a world of extremes. 12 00:00:47,620 --> 00:00:52,540 Their life at the mercy of the elements. 13 00:00:52,540 --> 00:00:58,060 Every season brings new challenges. 14 00:00:58,060 --> 00:01:03,500 It'll take strength and tenacity... 15 00:01:03,500 --> 00:01:08,020 ..courage and resilience... 16 00:01:08,020 --> 00:01:14,300 ..skill and good fortune... 17 00:01:14,300 --> 00:01:19,580 ..just to make it through A Year in the Wild. 18 00:01:36,220 --> 00:01:37,220 December. 19 00:01:41,220 --> 00:01:43,940 Days are at their shortest. 20 00:01:47,340 --> 00:01:51,700 With less sunlight, temperatures start to plummet... 21 00:01:54,820 --> 00:01:56,300 ..transforming both land... 22 00:02:01,100 --> 00:02:04,420 ..and sea. 23 00:02:04,420 --> 00:02:10,100 Surviving the next few months will test every nerve and sinew. 24 00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:26,260 In Canada's east lies Hudson Bay... 25 00:02:29,460 --> 00:02:33,820 ..a vast body of water twice the size of France. 26 00:02:37,380 --> 00:02:44,380 On the bay's western shore, near the town of Churchill, 27 00:02:44,380 --> 00:02:48,100 a male polar bear is restless. 28 00:03:03,780 --> 00:03:08,860 Half-starved, having not eaten for five months, 29 00:03:08,860 --> 00:03:12,260 he is waiting for winter to deliver salvation. 30 00:03:16,020 --> 00:03:22,660 When the sea freezes over, he can head out onto the ice to hunt seals. 31 00:03:25,140 --> 00:03:30,580 He's not alone. 32 00:03:30,580 --> 00:03:37,460 Polar bears are gathering from miles around. 33 00:03:39,340 --> 00:03:43,340 They know that this western section of the Hudson Bay 34 00:03:43,340 --> 00:03:49,340 is normally the first to freeze, allowing them to hunt earlier. 35 00:03:52,060 --> 00:03:59,660 But, this year, the ice has been slow to form... 36 00:03:59,660 --> 00:04:02,980 ..denying them access to a vital meal. 37 00:04:17,420 --> 00:04:22,940 Seals are also waiting for the sea ice to form, 38 00:04:22,940 --> 00:04:25,900 so they can haul out and give birth. 39 00:04:29,660 --> 00:04:35,180 Both must wait. 40 00:04:35,180 --> 00:04:39,060 The ice can only form once the sea temperature is low enough. 41 00:04:43,860 --> 00:04:46,980 It starts with pancakes of ice... 42 00:04:56,540 --> 00:05:00,140 ..which grow... 43 00:05:00,140 --> 00:05:01,860 ..and gather. 44 00:05:06,100 --> 00:05:08,820 Driven by winds and waves, 45 00:05:08,820 --> 00:05:13,900 they pack together to create a platform several feet thick. 46 00:05:18,500 --> 00:05:23,780 But, this year, southerly winds are keeping the ice way out at sea... 47 00:05:28,540 --> 00:05:32,140 ..and the seals many miles off shore. 48 00:05:37,380 --> 00:05:40,940 He doesn't have the energy for a long swim, 49 00:05:40,940 --> 00:05:45,300 so is trapped on the land, slowly starving. 50 00:05:48,780 --> 00:05:52,940 To save energy, he's been doing very little. 51 00:05:58,420 --> 00:06:04,620 Now, it's time to stretch tendons and flex muscles... 52 00:06:10,940 --> 00:06:14,620 ..so that he's nimble enough once the ice returns. 53 00:06:41,340 --> 00:06:45,580 If it doesn't come soon, he won't survive the winter. 54 00:06:55,060 --> 00:07:00,580 50 miles inland from the bears, 55 00:07:00,580 --> 00:07:06,540 in a traditional polar bear denning area, 56 00:07:06,540 --> 00:07:10,500 a pregnant female is about to start hibernating. 57 00:07:13,180 --> 00:07:17,980 She's hardly eaten since summer and must now lock herself away 58 00:07:17,980 --> 00:07:20,780 in a snow cave to give birth. 59 00:07:24,820 --> 00:07:27,980 When she next sees the sun, in February, 60 00:07:27,980 --> 00:07:29,700 she'll have her cubs in tow. 61 00:07:35,380 --> 00:07:41,380 Together, they'll start the long and treacherous walk to the coast, 62 00:07:41,380 --> 00:07:46,340 so they, too, can take advantage of the bounty brought by the sea ice. 63 00:07:49,540 --> 00:07:53,100 But that is still three months off. 64 00:08:01,180 --> 00:08:05,780 Ahead lies one of the most brutal winters on the planet. 65 00:08:08,740 --> 00:08:12,380 To survive out here is tough. 66 00:08:12,380 --> 00:08:15,700 Only the best adapted will make it through. 67 00:08:19,940 --> 00:08:25,340 One Arctic specialist relies on its camouflage 68 00:08:25,340 --> 00:08:31,660 but must also stay low if it's to avoid catching the eye of predators. 69 00:08:43,030 --> 00:08:45,710 It's December on Canada's Hudson Bay. 70 00:08:48,510 --> 00:08:51,230 An arctic blast drives the temperature down 71 00:08:51,230 --> 00:08:53,510 to -30 degrees Celsius. 72 00:08:56,430 --> 00:08:59,550 Most animals hunker down on days like this. 73 00:09:03,350 --> 00:09:07,070 Not ptarmigan. 74 00:09:07,070 --> 00:09:10,110 They face the arctic winter head on. 75 00:09:16,390 --> 00:09:21,430 To survive each bitterly cold night, they must keep eating. 76 00:09:26,910 --> 00:09:33,750 Back in the autumn, the ptarmigan's brown and black plumage 77 00:09:33,750 --> 00:09:40,030 helped them blend in with the tundra vegetation 78 00:09:40,030 --> 00:09:43,790 so they could hide from predators like this red fox. 79 00:09:56,350 --> 00:10:03,230 As autumn ended, they started to moult, growing new white feathers, 80 00:10:03,230 --> 00:10:05,710 making them invisible in the snow. 81 00:10:09,430 --> 00:10:16,630 Feathery feet allow them to move swiftly over soft snow, 82 00:10:16,630 --> 00:10:20,150 and their camouflage keeps them well hidden, 83 00:10:20,150 --> 00:10:22,790 but only if they stay on the ground. 84 00:10:27,710 --> 00:10:31,550 They eke a meagre living from willow twigs and buds. 85 00:10:34,590 --> 00:10:37,510 But staying warm out here burns calories. 86 00:10:40,230 --> 00:10:43,630 For ptarmigan, it's a day-to-day existence. 87 00:10:47,510 --> 00:10:49,470 As evening approaches, 88 00:10:49,470 --> 00:10:53,750 they head higher up the willows, where buds are more tightly packed. 89 00:11:02,070 --> 00:11:06,670 Up here, they stand out, 90 00:11:06,670 --> 00:11:10,070 drawing the attention of a hungry young snowy owl. 91 00:11:13,790 --> 00:11:18,910 Ptarmigan are not her usual prey, but she's desperate. 92 00:11:22,830 --> 00:11:27,390 Keen eyes help her detect the slightest movement. 93 00:11:28,790 --> 00:11:30,070 She locks on. 94 00:11:35,390 --> 00:11:39,550 With a five-foot wingspan, she prefers to hunt in the open. 95 00:11:49,630 --> 00:11:52,310 She hugs the ground to avoid detection. 96 00:11:55,270 --> 00:11:58,230 But ptarmigan work together and, when danger is spotted... 97 00:12:03,270 --> 00:12:05,550 ..the whole flock heads for cover. 98 00:12:11,910 --> 00:12:15,710 If this snowy owl is to survive the winter, 99 00:12:15,710 --> 00:12:17,670 she must hone her hunting skills. 100 00:12:21,110 --> 00:12:25,350 As for the ptarmigan, they must hope they've eaten enough 101 00:12:25,350 --> 00:12:27,270 to see them through the long night ahead. 102 00:12:49,430 --> 00:12:52,310 A quarter of Canada is covered in forest. 103 00:12:56,630 --> 00:13:01,830 It spans the entire continent, from Yukon in the west, 104 00:13:01,830 --> 00:13:04,150 to Newfoundland in the east. 105 00:13:09,870 --> 00:13:13,070 This is the boreal forest, 106 00:13:13,070 --> 00:13:16,430 a belt of trees dominated by conifers. 107 00:13:23,270 --> 00:13:30,350 90% of birds that spent summer here have left for warmer climes 108 00:13:30,350 --> 00:13:33,550 and now the forests are silent. 109 00:13:53,350 --> 00:13:55,150 The tracks of an inquisitive fox... 110 00:13:59,350 --> 00:14:00,630 ..and a wisp of warm air... 111 00:14:03,230 --> 00:14:04,910 ..reveal a beaver lodge. 112 00:14:13,990 --> 00:14:18,950 Beavers maintain their lodges year-round. 113 00:14:18,950 --> 00:14:24,270 Come winter, it's all that stands between them and certain death, 114 00:14:24,270 --> 00:14:27,910 either from the extreme cold, or predators. 115 00:14:35,910 --> 00:14:39,910 Their pond frozen, they're locked away under the ice. 116 00:14:47,990 --> 00:14:52,430 To survive the winter, they must have stockpiled enough food. 117 00:14:59,870 --> 00:15:04,590 Two months ago, temperatures started to drop. 118 00:15:14,470 --> 00:15:16,910 To help see them through the winter, 119 00:15:16,910 --> 00:15:19,910 the beavers gathered as many green branches as they could... 120 00:15:28,070 --> 00:15:30,190 ..and stashed them under the ice. 121 00:15:37,630 --> 00:15:39,350 They tried to keep the pond open... 122 00:15:44,390 --> 00:15:50,630 ..but, ultimately, their efforts proved futile. 123 00:15:50,630 --> 00:15:54,590 The ice closed up, 124 00:15:54,590 --> 00:15:58,790 locking the beavers away from fresh food until spring. 125 00:16:09,030 --> 00:16:11,270 Outside, it's like the arctic. 126 00:16:19,710 --> 00:16:23,230 Scavengers search the snowfields, 127 00:16:23,230 --> 00:16:26,550 searching for animals that have succumbed to the cold. 128 00:16:38,190 --> 00:16:41,510 Inside their lodge, the beavers are warm. 129 00:16:53,950 --> 00:16:58,150 Thick walls of mud and wood keep the elements out. 130 00:17:03,110 --> 00:17:08,790 They'll survive, as long as they have stored enough food 131 00:17:08,790 --> 00:17:11,870 and winter doesn't drag on for too long. 132 00:17:19,190 --> 00:17:22,910 900 miles northwest of the beaver lodge, 133 00:17:22,910 --> 00:17:26,230 on the western shore of the Hudson Bay, 134 00:17:26,230 --> 00:17:30,350 lies Wapusk National Park, 135 00:17:30,350 --> 00:17:34,190 where the temperature has dropped to -50 degrees Celsius... 136 00:17:38,950 --> 00:17:41,910 ..freezing the snow, 137 00:17:41,910 --> 00:17:47,910 locking away the caribou's food, forcing them to keep searching. 138 00:17:57,750 --> 00:18:01,830 If they're to eat, they must find areas of soft snow 139 00:18:01,830 --> 00:18:06,350 where they can reach the plants and lichens below. 140 00:18:10,630 --> 00:18:13,390 The old and the weak will struggle 141 00:18:13,390 --> 00:18:15,990 and gradually succumb to starvation... 142 00:18:18,510 --> 00:18:20,390 ..making them easy prey for wolves... 143 00:18:26,350 --> 00:18:27,950 who follow the caribou herds... 144 00:18:36,430 --> 00:18:38,350 ..preying on the vulnerable. 145 00:19:02,750 --> 00:19:04,870 But it's not just the wolves that benefit. 146 00:19:09,270 --> 00:19:11,190 The frozen remains of a kill. 147 00:19:21,630 --> 00:19:25,110 An arctic fox picks what it can from the bones. 148 00:19:36,710 --> 00:19:41,110 Mere morsels, but it's better than nothing. 149 00:19:43,550 --> 00:19:45,470 By following the wolves, 150 00:19:45,470 --> 00:19:49,350 he gets access to food that would otherwise be out of reach. 151 00:19:59,630 --> 00:20:05,830 But he mustn't get too close, or he risks becoming prey himself. 152 00:20:21,070 --> 00:20:25,790 50 miles inland from the Hudson Bay foxes, 153 00:20:25,790 --> 00:20:28,750 the polar bear mother emerges from hibernation. 154 00:20:30,990 --> 00:20:34,750 She checks the coast is clear with her keen sense of smell. 155 00:20:39,190 --> 00:20:41,190 She cleans her fur in the snow. 156 00:20:43,710 --> 00:20:48,230 It's her first stretch since locking herself away three months ago. 157 00:20:54,070 --> 00:20:55,750 Since then, she's given birth... 158 00:20:59,510 --> 00:21:01,910 ..to two tiny cubs. 159 00:21:14,910 --> 00:21:18,710 This is one of their first forays into the great outdoors. 160 00:21:27,550 --> 00:21:31,150 Short walks help them build muscle 161 00:21:31,150 --> 00:21:33,990 and familiarise them to their new world. 162 00:21:36,190 --> 00:21:42,150 They usually return to the den but their mother is hungry. 163 00:21:43,870 --> 00:21:46,350 She has not eaten for four months 164 00:21:46,350 --> 00:21:50,830 and has lost almost half her body weight. 165 00:21:50,830 --> 00:21:55,030 She needs what little fat she has left, to make milk for her cubs. 166 00:21:58,310 --> 00:22:01,550 She must walk 50 miles to the coast. 167 00:22:06,590 --> 00:22:12,110 Unless she gets seal meat soon, the whole family will starve. 168 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:35,440 50 miles south of Canada's Hudson Bay, 169 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:40,840 an epic journey has begun for two polar bear cubs. 170 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:49,880 Their mother needs food. 171 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:54,880 She's lean and hungry, and desperate to go seal hunting. 172 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:00,040 But the coast is many days away. 173 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:09,920 She spent the winter inland to keep her cubs safe from male polar bears 174 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:13,440 who will kill and eat cubs that are not their own. 175 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:22,160 Her journey is long 176 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:25,840 and she can only travel as fast as her cubs will allow. 177 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:43,000 At just three months old, they tire quickly and need regular feeding. 178 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:55,400 She prepares a temporary nursery at the base of a tree. 179 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:01,480 Sheltered from the wind, the cubs can play. 180 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:33,680 Born smaller than a human fist, 181 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:35,560 these cubs have already piled on 20 lbs 182 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:40,520 thanks to their mother's fat-rich milk. 183 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:51,000 But she's running on empty, and must eat soon. 184 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:04,960 Almost half of all cubs born never see their first birthday, 185 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:08,760 but she'll do anything to protect her family. 186 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,840 If they can survive this life-or-death journey 187 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:14,400 towards the sea ice, 188 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:18,320 there's a good chance they'll spend the next two years together. 189 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:26,960 Late February. 190 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:31,520 The sea ice now covers almost 6 million square miles of ocean... 191 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:41,480 ..from the North Pole 2,500 miles along Canada's east coast. 192 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:54,360 It's the perfect nursery for a quarter of a million harp seal pups. 193 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:10,960 While their mums are out fishing, 194 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:12,800 pups hunker down... 195 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,440 ..hungry and vulnerable. 196 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:41,560 With so much sea ice and so many pups to choose from, 197 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:44,360 it's a wonder the mothers can find their way back. 198 00:26:53,120 --> 00:26:57,560 They read the ice floes like a map... 199 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:10,440 ..and, once close, listen for the cry of their own pup... 200 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:47,200 ..always returning with pinpoint accuracy. 201 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:53,600 Milk is too precious to waste on the wrong pup 202 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:58,720 so she double-checks with a sniff, and then lets him feed. 203 00:28:03,120 --> 00:28:07,000 She'll only nurse him until he's 12 days old. 204 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:11,600 That's when she must leave, find a partner, and breed again. 205 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:16,280 So, it's essential he grows up fast. 206 00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:27,560 Milk twice as rich as double cream 207 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:30,840 helps him pile on up to 6 lbs per day. 208 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:36,600 His development is rapid but it has to be. 209 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:41,680 Time is against him. 210 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:48,200 His sea ice nursery is only temporary. 211 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:54,400 Every day it gets a little thinner. 212 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:02,320 Melt too soon and it will spell disaster. 213 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:14,520 Just eight years ago, the sea ice broke up overnight... 214 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:22,160 ..while the pups were too young to swim. 215 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:29,960 Cast adrift, they were pitched into the sea and washed away by waves. 216 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:38,240 It's thought that every pup born that year drowned. 217 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,440 So, the sooner they can swim, the better. 218 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:56,240 His mother tries gently, coaxing him in. 219 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:07,760 But he's not convinced. 220 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:17,160 So, she dives out of sight... 221 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,720 ..which does the trick. 222 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:29,200 His first swimming lesson. 223 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:47,600 He stays close to the surface, 224 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:50,080 under the watchful eye of his mother. 225 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:57,440 But he won't stay in for long. 226 00:30:57,440 --> 00:31:01,680 His white baby fur may keep him warm on the ice 227 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:04,600 but it does little to insulate him in the water. 228 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:12,360 In a few more weeks, he'll have grown an adult coat 229 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:15,400 and a thick layer of blubber to keep him warm. 230 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:29,560 Like all this year's seal pups, 231 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:33,480 he just needs the sea ice to last a little longer. 232 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:49,240 March in the boreal forests of south-east Canada. 233 00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:08,040 Late winter snowfall cloaks the conifers. 234 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,200 Their cone shape and bendy branches 235 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:18,440 help them to cope with heavy snow. 236 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:30,320 Ten feet of snow falls here annually, 237 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:34,160 making it hard for animals to move around on the ground. 238 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:48,000 A young male porcupine 239 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:50,600 has struggled through five months of brutal winter. 240 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:56,400 This fresh covering of snow makes life even harder. 241 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:06,760 He's already used up most of his fat reserves 242 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:10,920 and must make daily foraging trips if he's to see the spring. 243 00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:29,120 The deep snow has locked away shrubs and grasses, 244 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:33,880 and most trees have dropped their leaves, 245 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:37,600 so, he must travel further and for longer to feed. 246 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:46,240 The more time he's on the ground, 247 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,720 the more exposed he is to predators... 248 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:57,720 ..especially as he's still young and his quills are not yet fully grown. 249 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:06,200 His only food is high up in the tree canopy. 250 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:16,800 Powerful, stout legs propel him upwards. 251 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:25,800 Long claws and leathery footpads provide grip. 252 00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:44,360 He strips off the bark with his powerful incisors 253 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:46,080 to get to the softer layer beneath. 254 00:34:48,720 --> 00:34:52,120 But it's still only slightly better than eating cardboard. 255 00:34:54,600 --> 00:35:00,160 The outer branches are generally softer and easier to chew... 256 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:02,120 ..but reaching them is risky. 257 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:18,080 If the branch breaks, he'll plummet to his death. 258 00:35:31,750 --> 00:35:35,390 It's mid-March in Canada's northern forests. 259 00:35:39,110 --> 00:35:42,030 Winter shows no signs of loosening its grip. 260 00:35:46,150 --> 00:35:47,750 Desperate for food, 261 00:35:47,750 --> 00:35:52,670 a young porcupine has scaled 40 feet up a tree to feed on bark. 262 00:36:01,030 --> 00:36:06,710 Birch bark is thin and peels away from the trunk easily. 263 00:36:10,390 --> 00:36:12,630 Getting down is dangerous. 264 00:36:16,310 --> 00:36:17,790 Falling is common. 265 00:36:21,310 --> 00:36:26,870 A study revealed that 30% of porcupines have broken bones. 266 00:36:35,670 --> 00:36:42,190 His broad, flat tail gives him extra grip and acts like a brake. 267 00:36:56,630 --> 00:37:02,310 Back on the ground, he's vulnerable again and still hungry... 268 00:37:04,750 --> 00:37:06,670 ..so he heads for a conifer. 269 00:37:24,110 --> 00:37:31,630 Pine needles are toxic to most animals but not to porcupines. 270 00:37:31,630 --> 00:37:35,630 Instead, they're an essential source of nutrients. 271 00:37:47,150 --> 00:37:51,390 As evening falls and the temperature drops, 272 00:37:51,390 --> 00:37:56,430 he puffs up his woolly underfur, trapping warm air next to his body. 273 00:38:03,150 --> 00:38:05,270 After foraging for eight hours... 274 00:38:11,030 --> 00:38:12,670 ..it's time to head back to his den... 275 00:38:15,470 --> 00:38:18,470 ..where he can digest a belly-full of bark... 276 00:38:21,710 --> 00:38:26,950 ..out of the bitter wind and the reach of nocturnal predators... 277 00:38:29,910 --> 00:38:33,510 ..who are starting to wake up, and hunt. 278 00:38:37,070 --> 00:38:41,510 On the edge of the forest, a great grey owl surveys her territory. 279 00:39:06,790 --> 00:39:09,550 With a five-foot wingspan and standing two feet tall... 280 00:39:14,910 --> 00:39:19,110 ..she's America's largest owl... 281 00:39:19,110 --> 00:39:21,590 ..and a formidable predator. 282 00:39:32,510 --> 00:39:36,390 But she's not interested in the porcupine. 283 00:39:36,390 --> 00:39:39,390 She specialises in hunting smaller rodents. 284 00:39:42,950 --> 00:39:48,190 She needs to catch seven every day just to stay alive. 285 00:39:55,790 --> 00:39:59,350 But the rodents are sheltered under the deep snow 286 00:39:59,350 --> 00:40:01,350 to avoid the freezing air. 287 00:40:09,670 --> 00:40:14,950 Tunnels let them creep from sleeping quarters to feeding grounds 288 00:40:14,950 --> 00:40:16,710 without being spotted. 289 00:40:21,870 --> 00:40:23,230 But she's not just looking. 290 00:40:26,950 --> 00:40:28,270 She's listening. 291 00:40:37,990 --> 00:40:43,390 Her facial feathers funnel sound directly into her ears, 292 00:40:43,390 --> 00:40:47,310 helping her pinpoint voles up to 50 metres away, 293 00:40:47,310 --> 00:40:49,710 even under two feet of snow. 294 00:41:11,510 --> 00:41:14,110 Swooping in low and fast... 295 00:41:21,150 --> 00:41:24,430 ..she hovers to get a final fix. 296 00:41:31,750 --> 00:41:33,270 But the vole gets away. 297 00:41:38,030 --> 00:41:41,790 She must quickly reset and prepare to hunt again. 298 00:41:47,670 --> 00:41:50,350 Every miss costs her dear... 299 00:41:52,830 --> 00:41:59,430 ..especially this year, with winter slow to loosen its grip. 300 00:42:03,630 --> 00:42:08,630 Next time, spring is coming. 301 00:42:08,630 --> 00:42:14,710 Warmer temperatures bring an end to a long and freezing hibernation. 302 00:42:14,710 --> 00:42:19,910 Animals feast after a winter of famine 303 00:42:19,910 --> 00:42:23,630 and the race to raise a family is on. 304 00:42:52,430 --> 00:42:54,710 Subtitles by Red Bee Media