In early autumn polar bears congregate away from the sea ice. Usually solitary animals will play fight and adopt a vegetarian diet.
Deprived of their normal food source, polar bears will eat plants and berries when the need is greatest.
Woolly Bear Caterpillar | Woolly Bear Moth | Deep Freeze Life
The astonishing life of a woolly bear caterpillar that takes as long as 14 years, freezing solid each winter, to eat sufficiently to metamorphose to a moth.
It’s waited over a decade for this spring and now, its time is near. All across the Arctic, moths are emerging.
Hunting Bison | Grey Wolf | David Attenborough
Bison are incredibly large powerful animals armed with dangerous horns, but a hungry wolf pack will tackle this prey.
The pack focus their attention on the rear of the herd and the bison begin to panic. A young bison falls behind. Even this yearling dwarfs the wolves. Running heads down, the herd’s only thought, is escape.
Wandering Albatross | South Georgia | Frozen Planet
14 months to fledge means that the Wandering Albatross chick must over-winter on South Georgia.
Wandering Albatross pair up in their teens and can spend a further 50 years together - one of the longest partnerships in the animal world.
Mount Erebus | South Pole | Sea Spider | Frozen Planet
The Antarctic winds carve fantastic sculptures not only from ice, but also from rock. The dry atmosphere of Mount Erebus.
But, nothing could have prepared those early explorers for what they were about to encounter. The Antarctic ice cap, the largest expanse of ice on the planet.
Red Phalarope | Arctic Tern Attack | Eider Duck Neighbours | Frozen Planet
Arctic Tern defend their nests against a marauding Polar Bear to the benefit of their neighbouring Eider Duck.
Red phalaropes have flown all the way from the tropics to feed in these rich Arctic waters.
Polar Bear Summer | Reluctant Swimmers | Polar Bears
Summer is a, surprisingly, difficult time for polar bears. The melting sea-ice effectively closes the seal larder.
It’s also harder to hunt when you have to swim. In open water, the odds are in the seal’s favour. Lean months lie ahead for the polar bears. They will have to adopt a new hunting strategy, or risk starvation.
Polar Bear Cubs | Ringed Seal | Inhospitable Environment | Frozen Planet
We have lost one of the polar bear cubs. This improves the odds for the surviving two, but finding food is still a challenge.
Leaving her cubs behind, however, is not an option - a male bear would eat one in a moment.
Polar Bear Courtship | Rarely Witnessed | Frozen Planet
Polar Bears are largely, solitary animals and mating encounters are rarely witnessed. A Polar Bear courtship may last only a few weeks.
Over the next two weeks the male sees off many rivals but, the battles have taken their toll on him. He is almost spent, but, he has ensured that no other bear will mate with his female.
Killer Whale Teamwork | Orca Pod Intelligence | David Attenborough
Killer Whales display great intelligence with complex teamwork when hunting seals. The Killer Whale or Orca is a top predator in the southern ocean.
Although such team hunts are rarely seen, scientists believe they may be the most complex ever documented in the natural world.
