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

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