Wildlife Instincts: The Moon Bear - Japan's Most Elusive Animal | Free Documentary Nature

on rejuvenated mountainsides roams one of japan's most elusive animals moon bears share their home with an array of wild neighbors cubs emerge from hibernation seeing the outside world for the very first time [Music] life lessons are learnt as they follow their mother's every footstep sometimes to their detriment a family life is fraught with danger mothers will courageously fight to protect their cubs above all they face a race against time to stock up on food and find shelter before the mountain's bitter winter hits these resilient bears must fight to survive [Music] [Applause] to the southwest of japan's tashigi prefecture lies the picturesque ashio mountain range [Music] lush green forest blankets the mountain sides and stretch for as far as the eye can see these woodlands have become one of the few remaining strongholds for much of japan's wildlife japanese macaques thrive amongst ashio's many trees [Music] the mountain's grassy plains provide the perfect habitat for cicada they are not the only large mammal to be found grazing on the mountains japanese cerro also called shio home [Music] the two species are often seen together living in harmony in the intermix terrain [Music] ashio's forests were not always the pristine habitat we see today they have risen from the ashes industrial copper mines once dominated the now lush green landscape [Music] pollution and deforestation choked the mountain range the mining industry stripped a shear of its many trees only bare hills were left in the wake of the mines [Music] but the mountains have seen an astonishing revival over the last 60 years [Music] half of the ashio forests have recovered as life has been breathed back into the landscape wild animals have begun to return one wildlife photographer has made it his life goal to document asio's remarkable transformation mr hiroshi yokota has been filming the mountain's inhabitants for over 27 years one wild occupant has become the center of his attention hiroshi searches the mountainsides for his favorite eshio resident deer graze in the distance but they are not the species he is searching for hiroshi heads to a valley that was one of the first locations to recover from the invasive mining it is the elusive species he has been searching for [Music] a moon bear solitary by nature the rugged bear searches the mountainsides for food [Music] the large mammals are carnivorous but more than 90 of their diet is made up of plants weighing between 70 to 120 kilograms moon bears are one of japan's largest [Music] animals the striking mammals get their name from the moon shaped crescent on their chest hiroshi runs a busy chiropractic clinic for a living but devotes his spare time to filming his favorite ashiya resident he has been mesmerized by the moon bears ever since his first encounter over 27 years ago the moon bears are confined to japan's southern islands of shikoku and honshu and live deep within isolated forests making them incredibly hard to film yet hiroshi has managed to film over a thousand hours of footage from his tapes we witnessed the trials and tribulations of ashio's moon bears [Music] in early march the mountains are still covered with a thick blanket of snow [Music] but spring is just around the corner snow and ice begin to melt cascading down the mountains the liberated water nourishes ashio's thirsty foliage it is time for wintering birds like the stellar sea eagle to head back to their breeding grounds [Music] until spring fully awakens japanese macaques have to make do with tree bark as a meal deer feed on the few patches of grass that have pierced the blanket of snow with spring nearing some of ishio's moon bears have begun to wake from hibernation it is only males and females without cubs that will rise this early the drowsy bears first port of call is to find a mountainside stream unable to drink during hibernation a gulp of fresh water is much overdue using its powerful sense of smell the bear scans its surroundings for food strongly built and equipped with curved claws the moon bears are perfectly adapted to their mountainside home [Music] a steep rock face is no obstacle bears are accomplished climbers [Music] using its curved claws this individual makes short work of the steep climb the rock face becomes almost vertical a fall from this height could be fatal [Music] but despite their heavy weight the large mammals are remarkably nimble climbers [Music] after a long hibernation with no food this bear is starving and must find nourishment soon something has caught its attention [Music] it is only recently sprouted grass but it will have to do [Music] all of ashio's waking residents are finding it tough this bear makes do with bark from a willow tree as a meal the slopes are bare and food is scarce the early risers will have to make do with meager pickings a rare patch of grass growing from a mountainside spring provides a little nourishment more substantial meals must be found soon in order for the bears to regain their strength lost from their long hibernation some have fared better than others a dead deer provides a much needed fat and protein boost the ravenous bear tears off every piece of meat it can find on the decomposing carcass [Music] as spring starts to blossom initio the mountain's mother bears will soon awake [Music] pregnant females give birth during their long hibernation hiroshi patiently waits for a new family's arrival two small figures appear from within a den it's two moon bear cubs seeing the outside world for the first time gingerly they take their first steps into the great outdoors [Music] their mother seems a little more hesitant to leave [Music] eventually she follows suit leaving her cozy winter home behind it's follow the leader for the cubs as they shadow their mothers every step [Music] while mum feeds the cubs have a chance to explore after three long months underground the young bears are fascinated by their surroundings in may the forest is in full blossom [Music] flowers spring into life all over the mountainside [Music] finally food has become more abundant for the moon bears fresh young leaves are soft easily digested and bursting with protein [Music] this is a vital time for the bears they must begin to regain their strength after their long hibernation a young family have taken to a steep slope covered in fresh vegetation the mother bear settles down on her haunches it's feeding time for the cubs eagerly the youngsters suckle gently the mother holds her precious young as they feed moon bear's milk is packed full of fat and protein containing three times as much energy as human breast milk the nutritious meal has given the restless cubs an energy boost using their sharp claws the playing youngsters shred bark as they clamber up a tree the sibling rivalry between the two is strong which helps to build up their strength but the young cubs cannot spend their entire day playing there is work to be done constantly on the move the youngsters must learn crucial survival skills whilst following their mother using her powerful jaws the mother rips bark off a large tree sap is extracted and provides a sweet treat the liquid is full of sugar making it an excellent energy source for the hungry bears cubs are quick learners and soon follow their mother's example this learned behavior could prove to be a lifesaver as the cubs develop into adults [Music] every day the cubs grow physically and garner more knowledge from their mother between life lessons the two still find time for a bitter rough and tumble loud buzzing sounds engulf the mountainside forests it is the sound of the cicada their deafening song heralds the start of the summer the moon bears favorite fruit has begun to ripen wild cherry trees the blossoming cherries present the moon bears with a sweet tasting feast since the spring they have primarily been eating grass or leaves the ravenous bears crave the sweet food source hardest to reach branches are snapped off to get to the sweetest of prizes it looks wasteful as a lot of the branches laden with precious cherries fall to the ground but one man's trash is another's treasure [Music] in the day a badger appears and feeds on the discarded cherries the area becomes particularly active during the night sniffing through the undergrowth a wild boar joins the feast [Music] andea inspects the discarded branches [Music] but this time feeds on the leaves [Music] all the activity attracts the forest's predators like the carnivorous martin [Music] a red fox has also sensed activity the bears discarded branches have become a feast for forest animals that would not normally be able to reach the ripest of [Music] cherries hiroshi is on his way to try to capture a rare summertime behavior of the mountain's moon bears conditions are not always easy in asia a recent rock slide has blocked the path undeterred by the natural blockade hiroshi shifts the fallen rocks [Music] after 10 minutes of clearing he is back on track hiroshi heads to a deep valley that has a mix of both forest and rock it is the perfect location for the moon bears to exhibit the behavior he is after a bear appears on the steep rock face using its powerful sense of smell it examines the hillside with incredible strength the bear dislodges a giant rock sending it flying down the slope the shifted boulder exposes an ant nest this is the behavior hiroshi has been after ants are packed full of nutrition in the summer moon bears will spend the majority of their day searching for nests [Music] however ant foraging is not without its dangers [Music] in 2007 hiroshi filmed a family foraging on the mountainside the mother bear is fully focused on finding ant nests seemingly forgetting about her cups joining in with the search the youngsters take on some of the smaller rocks [Music] a jagged rock is shifted by the mother which slams into her oblivious cub [Music] miraculously the miner is uninjured however cubs do not always come out unscathed [Music] this mother has a bad habit of being reckless during her frantic and hunts again the mother shifts a large rock which rolls straight into her cub the heavy impact sends the cub tumbling down the rock face [Music] once more the young bear manages to rise to its feet after the hefty collision [Music] but this time it has not escaped without injury [Music] its front leg is visibly damaged the mother shows little concern for her wounded cub growing up in asia is not for the faint-hearted [Music] the stricken cub must keep up or face being abandoned hiroshi finds the ill-fated youngster two years later it still bears the mark of the ant hunting ordeal but has survived this individual's survival against the odds is a testament to the moon bears astonishing resilience the wildlife of ishio has always faced many dangers by far their biggest challenge has been surviving human influences [Music] aerials of the mountains serve as a reminder of the harmful impacts people have had on the landscape nonetheless ashio is recovering thanks to a full-scale regeneration project which started in the 1950s of blocks of soil mixed with grass seed were planted on the mountainsides [Music] it was a mammoth task but slowly the grass began to take root ashio has been regenerating ever since restored woodland has had a positive effect on the region by acting as a natural dam rain water gathers underground and is naturally filtered by the renewed foliage the water is then released back into the landscape it pulls down the mountainsides and into ashio's flowing rivers [Music] the bear mountains of the 1870s once muddied these waters now they are crystal clear and full of life [Music] the rivers fish have returned to the rejuvenated waters among them the landlocked masu salmon and white spotted char forests dominate the vast mountainous landscape and provide even a shield smaller residence with a home over 27 species of tree now grow on the mountain signs japanese macaques have been quick to take advantage setting up home in the canopies the healthy monkey population is testament to a shio's regeneration moon bears were one of the last residents to return they require a variety of food so could only reappear once the forests were back to full health moon bears have been known to eat up to 20 different kinds of fruit a range of food is essential for building up strength as life in the forest can throw up many challenges summertime is the breeding season for ashio's moon bears it is a dangerous time to be a mother with cubs hiroshi has been tracking one bear in particular for 10 years recording the trials and tribulations of a cub reaching adulthood they first met in may of 2005 while the cub was riding on its mother's back the young bear caught hiroshi's attention as it had a particularly distinguishing moon crescent its marking is longer than that of a normal moon bear hiroshi named the cub jiro as he believed it to be a male by its boisterous behavior seven years later he finds a mother bear with the same distinguishable marking jiro is in fact a female she safely raised her first offspring to adulthood [Music] another two years passed and jiro once again gives birth this time to two healthy cubs these two cubs disappeared highlighting the danger a mother and her offspring face during the breeding season [Music] after jiro's previous tragic losses she once again gets a chance at motherhood with only one young to focus on hiroshi had high hopes it would reach adulthood [Music] giro and her cub are later found huddled in a large tree soon becomes apparent why a large male has detected them and begins to scramble up the tree giro desperately tries to intercept the aggressor branches shake under the force of the fighting bears gripped in a vicious battle the two tumble down a steep slope the aggressor shakes off the brave mother and heads back towards the defenseless cub in an act of sheer bravery jiro attempts to again stop the male from reaching her [Music] offspring her efforts are futile the male has the tiny defenseless bear in his jaws [Music] jiro has not let her young go down without a fight but she cannot stop the inevitable [Music] eventually she accepts her offspring's fate it is a brutal behavior but females will not mate while they're still breastfeeding their [ __ ] [Music] by killing jiro's offspring she will become ready to mate again giving the male a chance to add to his bloodline [Music] this violent behavior is part and parcel of moon bear life despite these hardships better times are ahead as september brings a valuable gift to ashio's rugged residents oak trees start to yield acorns like the cherries of the summer oaks provide the moon bears with another valuable seasonal food the large bears climb even the most precarious trees to get to the bounty acorns are one of the most important foods at this time of the year with only three months before they go into hibernation they must consume as many as possible building a substantial fat reserve is vital for their impending sleep other fat rich opportunities also present themselves a deer carcass has been found entangled in a fence this is a rare feast for the moon bears the carcass does not go unnoticed by other hungry observers it is highly unusual for bears to be in such close proximity the late visitor begins to eat the deer from the other side of the fence sensing the two are of similar strength the initial bear on the scene gives up the precious carcass this is the moon bear's way of avoiding conflict and potential injury sensing something the bear briefly stops eating the valuable meat is bound to attract more attention with one final mouthful this individual makes a hasty retreat a much larger bear has arrived on the scene when there is judge to be a great difference in size and power the wicker will retreat the dominant individual feasts without interruption bar a few noisy neighbors obliviously gorging the ravenous bear has an unseen observer watching in the undergrowth it is the hungry diner that was the first on the scene ten more minutes pass and finally the imposter leaves with a full stomach [Music] after waiting eagerly the patient bear walks back to his find by lingering in the undergrowth it is still able to get an adequate meal and has avoided any risky conflict autumn arrives and the forest is burning with red leaves the vibrant colors signal the eminent winter is on its way a tapestry of rich colors blanket the mountainside forests many trees bear fruit which becomes a lifeline to much of a shio's wildlife a mother bear and cub feed on a fruiting tree the youngster was only born this year and has already mastered the art of climbing all of ashio's moon bears will soon enter hibernation it is their final chance to load themselves with as much nutrition as possible [Music] the winter strips the forest of its vibrant leaves autumn has now fully departed [Music] [Music] alone bear roams the naked landscape climbing a steep rocky hill this bear is searching for something it peers into gaps in the hillside's rocks the lone bear is probing for a suitable hibernation den this hole is only just big enough for the moon bear to squeeze into [Music] dens are usually found between rocks or beneath tree roots and have a depth of around three meters [Music] they are natural holes but bears will expand the interior [Music] to make its winter home more habitable this bear gathers fallen leaves and loose foliage rolling its gatherings into a more compact size [Music] grasping the collection and its large arms this bear has collected a decent amount for a comfy bed [Music] awkwardly the new bedding is carried into its secluded home [Music] this bear can now hunker down for the impending winter snow has already begun to fall on the ashio mountain range winter is almost upon this young family they must find a den soon the hefty cub was only born this year at this astonishing growth rate a large winter home is needed juveniles will spend their first hibernation with their mother the pair will not resurface until march as snow covers a shield the moon bears lie sheltered in their snug dens conditions on the mountains can be extreme it is no wonder the bears avoid the harsh winters some however do not have it as good as the sleeping bears non-hibernating animals have to tough it out on the freezing mountainsides [Music] blizzards raged throughout the winter shutting off a shiro to the outside world as spring arrives the snow begins to melt and the forest slowly starts to come back to life the mother and large cub begin to awake from their slumber it's been around three months since the two entered into hibernation [Music] [Music] they exit the den together but soon the juvenile will leave his mother and fend for himself going solo can be a daunting prospect nonetheless it is time to go it alone with the knowledge garnered from its mother this individual is well equipped for a life in the [Music] wilderness [Music] today moon bear habitats are threatened all over japan ashio's recovering forests have become a lifeline for the enchanting bears young families can flourish in the safe haven of the protected mountainsides undisturbed by human impacts [Music] the resilient bears will face many challenges as they grow up in their often precarious surroundings life can be tough and surprises lurk around every corner but as long as the shio's recovery continues the moon bears will survive in their mountainside [Music] [Music] kingdom [Music] [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

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Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Wildlife Instincts, Wildlife, Wildlife Documentary, Moon Bears, Moon Bear Documentary, Japan, Bear Cubs, Bear Documentary, Japan Documentary, Ashio Mountains, Animals, Animal Documentary, Animal Documentary 2020, Wildlife Documentary 2020, Bear Cubs Playing, mother bear, Bears and Humans, Bears in Japan

Id: 5jNE9U120Lw

Length: 49min 16sec (2956 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 25 2020