Canada: A Year In The Wild

It's autumn in Canada. There's a nip in the air, and animals don't have long before winter storms batter the land. They must make the most of whatever food is available before it's locked under deep snow and impenetrable ice. Only polar bears will be pleased to see sub-zero temperatures return.

Canada is in the grip of snow and ice, and animals are struggling. Beavers must rely on the food they stored underwater in the autumn, whilst arctic foxes are forced to scavenge. But whilst some animals hunker down, others have babies to raise. Ocean dwelling harp seals use the sea ice as a stable platform to haul out and give birth on.

Spring in Canada is when most animals heave a sigh of relief, and shake off the shackles of a long and bitter winter. But this year spring is late, and when it finally arrives the race is on to find a mate and start a family. For a female black bear that process has already begun. She emerges from her forest den with a tiny cub.

Summer is the season of plenty for most animals, but not for polar bears. They can't hunt seals until the sea freezes over again. Stuck on land they grow hungrier by the day. For other animals, summer is when youngsters, born in the spring, must learn how to survive in Canada's vast and unforgiving wilderness.