Bears

In the dark depths of winter,

a mother listens to the first sounds

of her brand new baby cubs.

Let's call this mama bear "Sky."

And her cubs are Scout and Amber.

Hi, little guys.

They say the first year of parenting is the hardest.

Sky will soon learn that, for bears,

it's nearly impossible.

Almost half of all bear cubs

don't survive their first year.

But for now, deep inside the den,

they're safe.

It's warm and comfy.

And after an entire winter together,

it probably smells pretty bad.

Sky worked hard last summer,

eating over 90 pounds of fish a day,

to store up enough fat

to last through these early months.

But now she's hungry,

and if she doesn't eat soon,

the milk her cubs need will dry up.

There's a long, dangerous journey ahead of them.

Sky needs to get her cubs down to the coast,

and she hopes that the salmon will be plentiful this summer.

But there's no guarantee.

Little Scout and Amber's survival depends on it.

Okay, cuddle time is over.

These bears need to get on the move.

This is the story of their incredible first year.

What an amazing place to take your first steps.

These little cubs will have to be brave

from the second their paws touch the snow.

This is the Alaska Peninsula.

With over five million acres

of protected national parkland,

it's home to thousands of brown bears.

Five months ago,

Sky climbed these mountains to dig her den.

But now, they're her biggest obstacle.

They've got to get

all the way across these frozen mountains

before they'll find even the first hint of food.

Sky is clearly delighted to be free of the smelly den.

"Wait up, Mom!"

Maybe a little too delighted.

Nothing like a mother's gentle touch.

Like a lot of new moms,

Sky doesn't have patience for dawdling.

"Come here, you. Come here."

"Yikes, Mom! Not the teeth!"

"Oh!"

This doesn't hurt little Scout, but still...

Sky has a bit to learn when it comes to parenting.

Life was certainly easier when she was just a single bear.

Now, she can only go as fast as her cubs.

"Come on, you guys."

She has good reason to dish out a little tough love.

They have got an awful lot of ground to cover.

And with every passing day,

the journey will only get harder.

A walk in the warm sun on a bright, spring day

may seem like fun,

but that warmth starts the melt.

The snow that sheltered them through the winter

becomes a deadly enemy.

Avalanche.

These massive monsters

reach speeds of up to 80 miles an hour.

A wall of snow and ice

barreling over everything in its path.

Sky and the cubs were lucky this time,

but it's a good reminder that they need to stay moving.

Amber's found a smart way to keep up with her mom,

just hitch a ride.

Just gotta get that toe in there.

There we go.

But Scout, being the more adventurous one,

decides to explore at his own pace.

They've been traveling for over a week now,

and the climb is only getting steeper.

As they climb their final mountain,

Scout and Amber try their best,

but it sure isn't easy.

They're finding themselves a little on top of each other.

They've made it to the summit.

The coast is now within sight.

It's downhill all the way from here.

The winter snow has melted down by the Alaskan coast,

and all that green

offers the promise of something to eat.

A quiet meadow.

Time for a little rest.

Amber's certainly taking it easy.

This is one cub who really likes staying close to mom.

But Scout acts like he's too old to be carried around.

Bear rides are for babies.

Scout can't believe what he is seeing.

"Other bears?"

"There are other bears in the world?"

"Did everybody know that?"

Sky did.

In fact, her mother brought her to this meadow when she was little.

And she's been coming here every summer since.

All these bears have come down from the mountains.

They're starving.

What they really need is the protein from loads of salmon.

But this will do in a pinch.

It's like settling for a dirty salad.

Sky and Amber are exhausted after their long journey.

But Scout, he is a little too excited to sleep.

This place is crawling with bears!

Scout is looking for a role model.

Which bear will he grow up to be?

He could be an angry bear.

Fighting all the time.

Seems like a lot of work.

No, no, these bears are way too cuddly.

He definitely wants to be tougher than this.

Scout's sure he'll find at least one bear he can look up to.

"Well..."

"Maybe that... Nah."

"Oh, come on."

"Someone do something!"

"Huh? Wow."

"He looks fun at least."

"Just one bear."

"One bear who is the toughest, coolest bear."

"Anybody? Hello?"

"You, sir..."

"Want to chase me?"

"No. You want to lick a mosquito."

"I thought that being a bear would be,"

"I don't know, more fierce."

"Forget it."

"This is downright embarrassing."

If a tough bear is what Scout wants,

he's about to meet just that.

Magnus.

This bear is huge.

At over 1,000 pounds,

he is three times the size of Sky,

and this meadow is his turf.

He is confident, dominant,

and everyone knows to stay out of his way.

Sky has to keep her cubs away from big males like Magnus.

She'll have to find food somewhere calmer.

As Magnus watches over his domain,

it's clear he's got one thing in particular on his mind.

Or one she-bear, to be specific.

Magnus might have a half-ton of weight to throw around,

but he's got no game.

Magnus, you're so obvious.

Put a little mystery into it!

Pick her some flowers from the meadow or something.

See that walking away? That's sort...

That's bear for "No," I think.

I'm actually starting to feel sorry for him.

Sky has found a quiet corner of the meadow

to let her cubs nurse.

Scout and Amber are going through a growth spurt,

and they need all the milk they can get.

Tikani.

He's a gray wolf, and the thief of the meadow.

These wolves know a slow bear cub,

makes for a quick, easy meal.

This is why it's so much harder for Sky

than the other bears.

She has to make sure her cubs are always by her side.

Amber is about to learn what happens,

when you ride a bear without wearing your seatbelt.

Sky's found herself driven to a remote, unfamiliar area.

The bad part of town.

The dangers reveal themselves almost immediately.

This is Chinook.

The outcast.

Banished from the meadow by Magnus,

Chinook has grown leaner, meaner,

and more desperate for food.

Any food.

Even bear cubs.

There's nowhere to hide.

Sky must stand her ground.

Chinook's circling is dangerous.

If Sky shows any weakness,

he will attack.

It worked.

Sky successfully held her ground.

And Chinook continues his hunt elsewhere.

Scout and Amber must be pretty impressed with their mom.

At certain times of the year

a huge change comes over the coast.

A vast area of mudflats are exposed.

This muddy desert has hidden treasures buried beneath.

Sky and the cubs have gone way out

to the edge of the tide

to search for anything that could count as calories.

Bears have an excellent sense of smell.

Their noses are seven times more sensitive than a bloodhound's.